Every year the Jeep division of DaimlerChrysler puts together a series of weekend events called Jeep Jamborees for people who own its products and their families.
The events are held all across North America and owners from Canada are welcome at the U.S. events and vice versa, but for marketing reasons the company tends to keep the two events separate.
Which is why we can only tell you about the program in Canada at this point and its seven events in five different provinces, but we promise the U.S. information will be available soon. Stay tuned for that to see if one of the events in that country suit your situation better.
Wherever it's held, a Jeep Jamboree is always a source of four-wheel fun and adventure for its participants and has been for about 50 years.
The general premise of the event is that Jeep owners who normally restrict their travel to paved roads get a chance to go off-road in a carefully supervised situation.
So, says Mike Accavitti, ''from trails overlooking the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia to those that cling to the sides of the Apex Mountains in British Columbia, Jeep Jamboree weekends offer a family-oriented event designed to allow Jeep owners the opportunity to hone their driving skills in off-road situations, while learning more respect for the environment with their vehicle.''
As a former Jeep product executive who is now the vice-president of marketing for DaimlerChrysler Canada, Accavitti presumably knows whereof he speaks, so we believe him when he talks about the average owner's attitude to a Jeep and its abilities.
''Many of the people who own a Jeep -- whether it's a TJ, Liberty or Grand Cherokee -- certainly know the on-road handling capability of their products,'' Accavitti says, ''but not all of them know how well their Jeep handles in off-road conditions.''
Accavitti maintains that the Jeep ''go-anywhere, do-anything'' slogan really takes on a whole new meaning once you've been to a Jeep Jamboree. ''If you don't know what I'm talking about,'' he says, ''that's ok. Like the bumper sticker says... It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand.''
Jeep Jamborees have an off-road rating of two (the least difficult) to nine (the most difficult), and levels of difficulty also vary depending on conditions, which means if it's been raining hard it's probably more difficult.
Notwithstanding the rating, says Accavitti, ''Whether participants are experts in off-roading or just want to learn the basics, the program is designed for all skill-levels.''
Last year, more than 1,500 Jeep enthusiasts of all skill levels participated in the seven scheduled Jeep Jamborees, which event limited to approximately 100 vehicles for environmental reasons.
If you own a Jeep and are interested, the cost is $535 for a family of two adults and two or three youths), $235 per adult, $110 for youth (ages 7 to 15), $70 for children (ages 3 to 6), and no charge for children under three.
Early bird rates are available until April 30, and all registration fees include up to seven meals. The 2005 Jeep Jamboree Canada schedule is as follows:
To register for a Jeep Jamboree weekend or to obtain additional information, log on to www.jeepjamboreecanada.com or call 1-888-678-JEEP (5337).
photo:DaimlerChrysler
The events are held all across North America and owners from Canada are welcome at the U.S. events and vice versa, but for marketing reasons the company tends to keep the two events separate.
Which is why we can only tell you about the program in Canada at this point and its seven events in five different provinces, but we promise the U.S. information will be available soon. Stay tuned for that to see if one of the events in that country suit your situation better.
Wherever it's held, a Jeep Jamboree is always a source of four-wheel fun and adventure for its participants and has been for about 50 years.
The general premise of the event is that Jeep owners who normally restrict their travel to paved roads get a chance to go off-road in a carefully supervised situation.
So, says Mike Accavitti, ''from trails overlooking the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia to those that cling to the sides of the Apex Mountains in British Columbia, Jeep Jamboree weekends offer a family-oriented event designed to allow Jeep owners the opportunity to hone their driving skills in off-road situations, while learning more respect for the environment with their vehicle.''
As a former Jeep product executive who is now the vice-president of marketing for DaimlerChrysler Canada, Accavitti presumably knows whereof he speaks, so we believe him when he talks about the average owner's attitude to a Jeep and its abilities.
''Many of the people who own a Jeep -- whether it's a TJ, Liberty or Grand Cherokee -- certainly know the on-road handling capability of their products,'' Accavitti says, ''but not all of them know how well their Jeep handles in off-road conditions.''
Accavitti maintains that the Jeep ''go-anywhere, do-anything'' slogan really takes on a whole new meaning once you've been to a Jeep Jamboree. ''If you don't know what I'm talking about,'' he says, ''that's ok. Like the bumper sticker says... It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand.''
Jeep Jamborees have an off-road rating of two (the least difficult) to nine (the most difficult), and levels of difficulty also vary depending on conditions, which means if it's been raining hard it's probably more difficult.
Notwithstanding the rating, says Accavitti, ''Whether participants are experts in off-roading or just want to learn the basics, the program is designed for all skill-levels.''
Last year, more than 1,500 Jeep enthusiasts of all skill levels participated in the seven scheduled Jeep Jamborees, which event limited to approximately 100 vehicles for environmental reasons.
If you own a Jeep and are interested, the cost is $535 for a family of two adults and two or three youths), $235 per adult, $110 for youth (ages 7 to 15), $70 for children (ages 3 to 6), and no charge for children under three.
Early bird rates are available until April 30, and all registration fees include up to seven meals. The 2005 Jeep Jamboree Canada schedule is as follows:
- Annapolis Valley in Kingston, Nova Scotia, June 3-5
- Knowlton, Québec, June 17-19
- Kawarthas Weekend #1 in Bobcaygeon/Buckhorn, Ontario, July 8-10
- Kawarthas Weekend #2 in Bobcaygeon/Buckhorn, Ontario, July 15-17
- Penticton, British Columbia, August 5-7
- Rocky Mountain Weekend #1 in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, August 12-14, and
- Rocky Mountain Weekend #2 in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, August 19-21.
To register for a Jeep Jamboree weekend or to obtain additional information, log on to www.jeepjamboreecanada.com or call 1-888-678-JEEP (5337).
photo:DaimlerChrysler