2004 Jeep Rubicon - front Rock Crawling - Photo 36046866

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Moss Wash trail is a 3+ in spots; spots such as this one, because it closely follows the creek bed where the dirt and sand is regularly washed out from between the large boulders. The 4.88 gears and 4:1 low range allowed the Trail Boss to creep over boulders.

Our lunch stop was the Moss Mansion, a two-story concrete house that was one of the first (if not the very first) poured-concrete structures in Arizona. The Walapai 4WD Club has adopted the trail and the mansion, and they keep the trail free of debris and the mansion free of graffiti.

Moss Wash trail is a 3+ in spots; spots such as this one, because it closely follows the creek bed where the dirt and sand is regularly washed out from between the large boulders. The 4.88 gears and 4:1 low range allowed the Trail Boss to creep over boulders.

A 2-inch lift was needed for the larger, more aggressive 34-inch Goodyear MT/R tires.

Since the Trail Boss was outfitted with a 2-inch lift and 34-inch Goodyear MT/R tires, I decided the Moss Wash trail would be a difficult test for it. As rocky as the trail was, it wasn’t really a test after all—the Trail Boss took it all in stride and with highway air pressure in the tires, too.

Having a ’07 Rubicon Unlimited as a daily driver for 3.5 years, the Trail Boss’s nimbleness was a pleasant surprise.

The Mopar 17x8.5 military-grade beadlock wheels are true split rims that will not allow the tire to lose its bead even when run almost flat.

Unobtrusive, but still there, the Jeep authentic accessories label is pretty cool.

Mopar rock rails replace the original L-shaped rocker panel protectors that come on the Rubicon and other JK models.

If you have a roof rack or are vertically challenged, the flat surface of the Mopar rear steel bumper allows you to step on it while packing for a trip. It also has two connecting points for clevis pins but no integrated receiver (the OEM receiver will work with the bumper).

The taillights, body corners, and gas tank filler cap are protected with the combined Mopar products.

Just visible behind the tires, Mopar’s heavier-duty shocks were designed to accompany the 2-inch lift kit.

Hella driving lights and mounts are again being offered for the JK models. These are wired into the JK’s lighting system via a relay to the high-beam switch. This JK has had them in place for three years and they really assist when driving Arizona’s desert highways and byways.

With a clevis pin hanging from the rear bumper—just in case—the Trail Boss’s lockers kept all four tires turning without spinning through many spots like this one on the trail.