Sorry for the repeat, I saw this post below but it is not accessible. I am looking for a Jeep for weekend only use, mountain trails and light rock crawling to start but I would like something with room for growth that would accomodate more serious rock crawling in the future.

I am also looking to join a local Jeep club that is focused on family type fun trips and trails in the Southern Calif area.

Thanks,

Brian

Where in So Cal are you located? So Cal is a big area with a lot of clubs.

Fountain Valley

We are looking to buy a Jeep by the end of the year. My goal is to get into something that has a lot of potential, particularly a model that has a great selection of aftermarket parts. Our prospective budget is around $6-8k for the Jeep itself and then we will progressively upgrade to better performing suspension etc. This vehicle will be strictly for weekend fun and will not be used as daily transportation.

It sounds like an XJ is right up your alley. Throw a lift, 33's and a rear locker and you'll be pretty set for some fun, with or w/o the family.

how much junk, and how many people do you want to haul around?

We want to carry 2 adults and one or two children, as for gear, we only plan to take short weekend trips, 1 or 2 days. Most likely we will not do many overnighter trips for a few years.

look into an Xj since you'll be hauling kids at some point.