The Greatest Show on Earth

Barnum & Bailey eat your heart out; Daimler Chrysler now sponsors the greatest show on earth. Camp Jeep a 2002 is by far the greatest event I have ever attended. What is Camp Jeep, you ask? Camp Jeep is a special program made for Jeep owners and their families, and put on by DaimlerChrysler once per year. The Camp travels from place to place and has been held in places such as Colorado, Virginia and this year in Branson, Missouri. What makes Camp Jeep so special is the unique bond between Jeep owners. Each year thousands (this year over 35,000) of Jeep owners converge on Camp Jeep. These people come from all over the world to enjoy one of the most divers, action packed events on the planet. Most people hear Camp Jeep and think of a bunch of unshaven macho men putting their built up, off road Jeeps to great test on trails never before traveled. Well, this is only partially true. Yes, there are some unshaven macho guys in their ten foot tall, modified Jeeps scaling the forgotten logging trails of America. However, Camp Jeep is a lot more than just putting your Jeep to test. There are events for the entire family from two to 92. For instance, you could learn to scuba dive, or relax in the air-conditioning and make a bracelet with your name on it. You could attend a seminar on gardening put on by one of Americas' most distinguished gardening magazines. Of course there were obstacle courses, and climbing walls for those of a more adventurous nature, but then again you could relax in the Spa tent and get a soothing massage by professional people who really knew how to sooth those tired aching muscles. There was so much to see and do that it took the entire three days just to pack in a meager schedule of events. For the nature lovers, such as myself, there was much to do. I made a bat house, an owl house, and a unique, one of a kind walking stick. Not only could you make your own birdhouses, there were professional people there to talk to you about the different species that you might attract. They also handed out flyers and books full of plans for bird houses, squirrel houses, and live rabbit traps just to name a few.

In order to give you a real feel for Camp Jeep I am going to give you play by play as it happened for the group I attended with. Ruben Leija (Assistant to the KCP PQI Department) his son, my two sons and myself decided months ago that we were not going to let the 2002 Camp Jeep event pass us by. We planned out and registered for the event in advance. The event is open only to Jeep owners; therefore I was left out in the cold as I do not own a Jeep. However, my good buddy Ruben just happened to own a Grand Cherokee. The paperwork stated that the $300.00 registration fee included the entry fee for as many seat belts as you had in your Jeep. OK, so I give Ruben $150.00 and I'm in! After taking his Grand in to be serviced for the 9-hour drive, Ruben saw one of the new Liberty Renegades sitting on the show room floor. He bought it. Now, where to stay. Ahhh, Ruben, his son; me, my sons. It's a guy thing and we were gonna camp. So we loaded up all the equipment needed for a 4-5 day camping excursion and rolled out at 5a.m. on Wednesday July 24, 2002. The ride went by fast and before long we were putting our campsite together. We ate dinner relaxed and went to bed tired from the long trip.

At first light the next morning we were up, taking showers and getting ready to drive the thirty miles to Camp Jeep. With anticipation, excitement in the air and schedules in hand we finally made our way. The first sight was the largest American Flag in the Northern Hemisphere flying high over Camp Jeep, held proudly by the largest crane I have ever seen. It was a patriotic moment for sure. As we approached the huge camp, a sea of Jeeps came into view. Seven thousand Jeep vehicles rolled across the grassy parking lot, making the anticipation and excitement mount even further. Finally, we parked, jumped out into the sweltering 100-108 degree weather and began one of the most spectacular journeys ever. We kayaked, climbed rock walls, scuba dived, rode BMX bikes, mountain bikes, and mountain boards. We got massages, made Camp Jeep souvenirs of clay, made birdhouses, bat houses, walking sticks, cut our own records, and rode four wheel drive quad runners. We got our pictures on the cover of Newsweek magazine, talked with the New York fire fighters who survived the September eleven attack, drove numerous Jeep vehicles in rough terrain and so much more I can't list it all. Needless to say this event was a daylight to dark, keep you moving and grooving experience. There was a Hall & Oates concert on Thursday night and a Blues Brothers concert (Dan Aykroyd & Jim Belushi) on Saturday night, followed by a closing ceremony of fireworks that would rival any in the world.

There were many events that I was impressed with during camp Jeep; however, there were some that really stood out. For days we had tried to drive the all-new Wrangler Rubicon on the rough and tumble course that was set up. Finally on the last day we stood at the gate poised to be the first in line to sign up for the drive. Upon opening, people actually ran to get in line. We were about one hundred people back but got to test drive the newest monster in the Jeep family. The Rubicon has a much lower gear ratio than the regular Wranglers do. These little babies have a special button on the dash, which, once in four wheel low you can push to take the front wheels even lower or the back wheels even lower. Once you have gone as low as you can get into four-wheel drive, the Rubicon cannot be stopped. We drove up hills that made you feel like the Jeep would flip over backward and never touched the gas pedal. We drove over piles of huge logs and a rock pile that seemed impossible. The Rubicon is one of the most amazing vehicles I have ever encountered, and it has a starting price of $24,999. Good luck finding one, they are already sold out for the 2003 model year. We were told that some of the buy out was dealerships who want to make sure they have inventory, so if you're lucky you might get one.

Over all, this event was as good as it gets. The planning and coordination was genius. If there were glitches, and there always are, the general public, including myself, never seen them. Chrysler Group President and CEO Dieter Zetsche was on hand Saturday to greet and mingle with the owners. I was impressed with the whole event and will definitely return next year, hopefully driving my own Jeep. It is on rare occasion that you can bring 35,000 people together, especially in one hundred-degree temperatures and never have tempers flare or arguments crop up. This event was the exception to the rule. These people truly have a camaraderie that far exceeds most. People were down home friendly. Attitudes were cheery and everyone appeared to be genuinely happy that everyone else was there. If you own a Jeep and have never attended Camp Jeep, you are truly missing out on one of the most spectacular events a vehicle owner can experience. I highly recommend you go next year. In closing I would like to thank Jean Bolz of Jeep communication and her staff It is this group of DaimlerChrysler employees who coordinates and works so hard to bring this event to our Jeep customers. If only we had events like this for every brand I can assure you we would have the biggest customer base in the world. These dedicated DaimlerChrysler employees put on one heck of a show, a show that I believe to be the greatest show on earth.

By: Doran Gwyn