Let’s travel back in time to 1968 and attend the 16th Jeepers Jamboree to see what it was like to go off-roading in the 60’s. The Youtube Channel “>mrblog has brought us this footage and we hope it brings back memories for our older readers and offers insight to younger four-wheelers as well. 

Like today, this annual event took place on the famous Rubicon Trail. Hundreds of Jeep owners would get together and set out for a weekend of adventure in the Sierra Nevada. Unlike today however, these Jeeps were primarily stock Army surplus units. They where not lifted, they didn’t have over-sized tires or expensive shock absorbers, and yet they seemed to navigate the off road trails without too much trouble.

What else amazes us is that most of these Jeeps where convertible instead of hard top and they where stuffed with passengers. Most had four to six people in the seats, some lucky guys had three hot girls riding with them. They had no roll cages or even seat belts for that matter, most rode with their windshields down and had no A/C either.

We were also surprised at how skinny the tires were, and despite the rocky terrain, the vehicles still seemed capable of climbing it. They are bias-ply tires rather than fat radial off-road tires. However, even with these skinny tires, the Jeeps where able to scramble through the obstacles of Little Sluice Bypass and reach the summits of the passes.

Off-roading has come a long way over the last 46 years. Gone are the days when men piloted their minimalist machines over the rough topography, and although it may surprise some just how rugged these Army surplus Jeeps really where, we are not shocked at all. Remember these are the same vehicles that helped win the war, and we mean the Big One — WWII. Today we have it easy with climate controlled interiors, complicated suspension systems, and sticky, over-sized tires.