Have you dreamed of cruising down the trail in a decked-out rig with a seven-slot grill? If the answer is yes, now is your chance to score one for less than the cost of a slab of coldies. For the past 50 years, the California Four-wheel Drive Association (Cal4) has outfitted a Jeep for backcountry travel and given it away.
This year’s rig is a 2021 gecko green Gladiator prepared by Varozza 4×4 Outfitters in Diamond Springs, California. Cal4’s Chris Silveira said, “The Win-a-Jeep program started more than 50 years ago, and funds raised are used to help keep our public lands open for OHV use.” Back in the day, Cal4 purchased used CJs and restored them, but eventually upped the ante by sourcing the newest Jeep model each year.
The Build
Lifting the hood, we find the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, which generates 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque—a good balance of economy, horsepower, and reliability. It is backed by an 8-speed automatic transmission and a Command-Trac NV241 transfer case. Down below, the axles have been upgraded with 4:10 gears and bearings from Sierra Gear & Axle, Reid Racing knuckles, and a ball joint delete kit from American Iron Offroad. Managing the unsprung weight is a RockJock Pro suspension and Bilstein remote-reservoir shocks.
When you are in a pickle, there is no substitute for high-quality armor and recovery gear. The aluminum front and rear bumpers, along with a set of heavy-duty fenders and wheel-well liners, are from GenRight Off Road, who also provided a pair of steel rock sliders. Cradled in the front bumper, we find a 10,000-pound Warn VR Series recovery winch wrapped in synthetic rope.
BFGoodrich and Raceline Wheels have supported the Win-a-Jeep program for years and set the Gladiator up on 37-inch KM3 Mud-terrains wrapped around Raceline’s 17-inch alloy wheels. When you are ready to air back up, you can reach for the new Power Tank or the MorrFlate inflation system and compressor. Other cool gear includes a 45-watt Rugged Radios GMRS and Bubba Rope recovery kit. At the end of the day, you won’t be tossing your sleeping bag on the ground but climbing into a comfortable St. Helens rooftop abode from Cascadia Vehicle Tents.
Put It In Your Driveway
While this might sound too good to be true, it’s not. Tickets are just $20, and the winner will be drawn on February 28, 2023, at Cal4’s convention (Visalia, CA). You don’t need to be present to win. Runner-up prizes are a set of BFGoodrich tires (up to 37s) and another RTT from Cascadia Vehicle Tents. As always, proceeds help Cal4Wheel in their continued political battle to keep our public lands open for OHV use. To order tickets, go to cal4wheel.com.