I’m not going to lie, I feel pretty amazing when we’re trekking through the desert or alongside mountains where “normal” cars can’t go. There are certain places that you simply cannot go unless you have an off-road vehicle such as a Jeep.
Rogue Preparedness is sponsored by Extreme Terrain
It’s not all smooth sailing, though. There are some rocky areas. And I’m not using “rocky” as a metaphor. It can be dangerous – not just for the riders, but also for the Jeep. We’ve been in convoys with people whose Jeeps simply couldn’t make it anymore, where we had to stop and take a break to let it cool down or had to get it wedged out of a ditch.
Not only that, but off-roading takes some serious skills. You can’t just barrel through rocks and over the mountains; it takes patience and understanding when you need gas, when you need to shift and how to get around an obstacle without sacrificing safety. Having the proper equipment is all part of having a smooth and enjoyable off-roading experience.
The stock fenders that come with every Jeep aren’t exactly the best when it comes to serious off-roading. We’ve always disliked the stock fenders because they don’t give very much clearance around rocks or other objects. We found something to replace those pesky stock fenders. Barricade Off-Road Tubular Fender Flares give the perfect amount of tire clearance, while at the same time protect your Jeep from flying debris.
One of the best parts about Barricade Fender Flares is that they are made of carbon steel so they have no problem taking a beating.
Another plus about these fender flares is that they’re so easy to install, a 20-month old can do it!
Just kidding. She sure tried, though! She was a wonderful helper, handing us tools (whether we needed them or not) and generally letting us do what we needed to do while she hung out in the Jeep, ate some snacks and watched us do the manual labor. As many of you know, Baby Rogue is an integral part of our outdoor experience, and we don’t leave her at home with a nanny.
It was pretty satisfying to tear off the stock fenders. The installation is basically a bolt-on process. For the back fenders, you’ll need a special tool called a Nutsert which you’ll use for 4 inserts on each of the back fenders. Otherwise, the rest of it is bolt-in with basic hand tools.
I will say, though, they take a bit of wiggling to get it lined up and bolted in perfectly. I would add that this is definitely a 2-person job: one person holds a fender when it’s lined up and the other bolts.
The back fenders go in fairly easy, but the front fenders were a bit trickier because of the wheel well. The wheel well helps protect the engine from debris, dust, etc. If you want to keep your wheel well, you’ll need to do some slight cutting to make it fit with the new fenders. You can also buy wheel wells that might fit a bit better and without having to do any cutting. It’s up to you.
Overall, these fenders fit a lot better with our off-roading lifestyle. They’ll help us get around objects a lot easier while also better protecting our Jeep from flying debris.
Once they’re installed, the only problem is that they look so shiny and new. The only logical solution is to go off-roading and muck them up to have them match the rest of the Jeep!
It’s important to have the right equipment because when we go off-roading, we’re not just relying on our driving abilities, we’re also relying on our gear to help get us through safely. Fenders may not seem like a necessity, but when you go off-roading as much as we do, you realize that the road is unforgiving and if something is in your way; you better have the right skills and tools to get you around it.
We’ll do everything we can to make sure the whole family reaches our destination safely.
Read about more jeep gear here.
Morgan lives in Texas with her husband, daughters and 2 dogs. She spends most of her time getting outdoors with her daughters, prepping for emergencies and disasters and teaching others how to be prepared. She also enjoys archery, hunting, fishing, firearms, hiking, camping, HAM, Jeeps and generally getting out and exploring life through epic adventures! View all posts by Morgan Rogue
