JD sits down with Fran Adler for a conversation that starts with a little leftover Trail Hero sand and quickly turns into a story about growth, grit, and finding your place in the off-road world. Fran shares how a 2020 JLU Sport became a two-time SEMA build, but the real heart of the episode is what happened after the lights and show floor—heading into Trail Hero Expeditions largely on her own, managing the pressure of a multi-day event, making last-minute prep decisions like new gear right before launch and coming out the other side with new friendships, more confidence, and a stronger connection to the community. It’s part build story, part personal milestone, and a good reminder that sometimes the most important transformation isn’t what you bolt onto the Jeep, it’s what happens when you bet on yourself.

Fran’s JL Adventures on Instagram

Trail Hero Expeditions

📍 Trails and Destinations

• Sand Hollow Region - Trails Offroad

• SEMA Show

• Trail Hero X

🛠️ Gear and Tools

• TrailFX

• Mickey Thompson Tires

• WARN Industries

• Mopar Jeep Performance Parts

• Starlink

🚙 Community Shoutouts

• Fran’s JL Adventures

• JD / Me_And_My_Yellow_JK

• The Trailhead Podcast

📅 Events and Resources

• Trail Hero Expeditions

• SEMA Show

• Trail Hero X

📞 Get involved!

• Leave us a voicemail! Call 719-408-0132 to be featured on the show.

• Write a review! Apple Podcasts

• Follow us on Instagram! The Trailhead Podcast

• Visit the Site: The Trailhead Network

• Trailhead Gear (Shirts & More): Shop

• Discounts for Trailheads! Tyri Offroad Lights (Use Code TRAILHEAD15)

JD sits down with Eric, Brittany, and Pam from Skid Row Offroad for a conversation that feels like hanging out with the kind of off-road family that’s been doing this long enough to know what actually matters. Together, they share the story of how Skid Row Offroad has stayed relevant over the years as a small American-made company focused on real protection, real experience, and gear built by people who actually use it. The conversation moves through the company’s roots, Brittany’s path into both wheeling and the business, Pam’s role in helping hold everything together, and the way each of them has helped shape Skid Row into more than just a parts brand.

Along the way, the crew trades stories about Colorado trails, trail damage, flopped rigs, learning lessons the hard way, and why armor should come before bigger tires and bigger ambitions. What comes through most is the personality behind the company—funny, seasoned, practical, and clearly built around people who love this lifestyle. More than a product conversation, this one ends up being about experience, trust, and the kind of teamwork that makes a small off-road brand feel personal in all the right ways.

Skid Row Offroad
Skid Row Offroad on Instagram

📍 Trails and Destinations

• Old Stage Road - Trails Offroad

• Gold Camp Road - Trails Offroad

• Yansing Gulch aka Chinaman Gulch - Trails Offroad

• Eagle Rock - Trails Offroad

• Saran Wrap - Trails Offroad

• Rainbow Falls - Trails Offroad

• Independence Trail - Trails Offroad

• Carnage Canyon - Trails Offroad

🛠️ Gear and Tools

• Skid Row Offroad Skid Plates

• Jeep TJ Wrangler Engine/Transmission Skid Plate for 4.0L 6-Cylinder (2003-2006)

• Jeep Wrangler Unlimited LJ Engine/Transmission Skid Plate for 4.0L 6-Cylinder (2004-2006)

• Jeep Liberty KJ Products - Skid Row Offroad

• Catalytic Converter Guards - Skid Row Offroad

🚙 Community and Advocacy Groups

• Colorado 4x4 Rescue and Recovery

🚙 Community Shoutouts

• Skid Row Offroad on Instagram

• Skid Row Offroad on Facebook

• The Trailhead Podcast

📅 Events and Resources

• Skid Row Offroad Installation Instructions

• Skid Row Offroad YouTube

📞 Get involved!

• Leave us a voicemail! Call 719-408-0132 to be featured on the show.

• Write a review! Apple Podcasts

• Follow us on Instagram! The Trailhead Podcast

• Visit the Site: The Trailhead Network

• Trailhead Gear (Shirts & More): Shop

• Discounts for Trailheads! Tyri Offroad Lights (Use Code TRAILHEAD15)

JD sits down with Joe Belk of Larger Than Life Adventures for a conversation that covers a lot more than just one trip. Joe talks about starting out in lowriders and mini trucks before making the jump into off-road life, building his now well-known 1991 Chevy Suburban “The Beast,” and spending years in the recovery world, including running the Utah Offroad Recovery Team and earning deep respect for Colorado 4x4 Rescue and Recovery. The episode also gets into Joe’s trucking career, a wild Border Patrol story that sounds too ridiculous to be real, and how Larger Than Life Adventures started as a way to keep creating and keep moving. From there, the conversation shifts into Trail Hero Expeditions, where Joe shares what it was like to bring a giant Suburban into a field full of Jeeps, get buried in the sand on day one, push through mechanical problems, and still come away talking less about the setbacks and more about the people, the shared experience, and the friendships built along the way.

⁠Larger Than Life Adventures on Instagram⁠⁠Larger Than Life Adventures on YouTube⁠

📍 Trails and Destinations

• ⁠⁠Mesquite, Nevada / CasaBlanca Resort⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠Sand Hollow Region – Trails Offroad⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠Water Tank Road (Sand Mountain) – Trails Offroad⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠Lakeside (Sand Mountain) – Trails Offroad⁠⁠

🚙 Community and Advocacy Groups

• ⁠Colorado 4x4 Rescue & Recovery⁠

• ⁠Offroad Portal⁠

🚙 Community Shoutouts

• ⁠Joe Belk / Larger Than Life Adventures⁠

• ⁠The Trailhead Podcast⁠

📰 Legal and Policy Topics

• No dedicated legal or policy discussion in this episode

📅 Events and Resources

• ⁠Trail Hero Expeditions⁠

• ⁠Four Wheeler⁠

• ⁠Matt’s Off-Road Recovery⁠

📞 Get involved!

• Leave us a voicemail! Call ⁠719-408-0132⁠ to be featured on the show.

• Write a review! ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠

• Follow us on Instagram! ⁠The Trailhead Podcast⁠

• Visit the Site: ⁠The Trailhead Network⁠

• Trailhead Gear (Shirts & More): ⁠Shop⁠

• Discounts for Trailheads! ⁠Tyri Offroad Lights⁠ (Use Code TRAILHEAD15)

After an unplanned break and a lost episode courtesy of Riverside gremlins, JD gets the roundtable back together with Bryan, Calvin, and Nathan for a live show that feels like getting the gang back in the garage. The first part of the conversation catches up on show business, including progress on the Trail Hero Expeditions edits, upcoming interviews, and plans to get the release schedule moving again. From there, the crew wanders through the usual Trailhead mix of rig talk, maintenance chatter, EJS and Jeep Beach plans, tire balancing headaches, and the kind of side roads this group always finds without even trying.

The back half leans into news, and that’s where things get rowdier. The group reacts to Jeep-branded Truck Claws, Stellantis chasing an affordable EV strategy while the 4xe reputation keeps taking hits, and the broader question of whether electric Jeeps really fit the way most owners use and abuse them. They also hit the West Mojave route closures and the BlueRibbon Coalition’s response, digging into what that ruling could mean for access far beyond California. It’s part shop talk, part news breakdown, part hangout session, and pretty much exactly the kind of chaos you’d expect when these four get rolling again.

📍 Trails and Destinations

• ⁠Moab Region - Trails Offroad⁠

• ⁠Easter Jeep Safari Trails of Moab - Trails Offroad⁠

• ⁠Jeep Beach⁠

🛠️ Gear and Tools

• ⁠TruckClaws⁠

• ⁠Discount Tire⁠

• Beadlock wheel balancing

• Tire pressure / airing up and down

• Jeep 4xe battery and armor discussion

• Preventive maintenance and cleanup before trail season

🚙 Community and Advocacy Groups

• ⁠BlueRibbon Coalition⁠

• ⁠Red Rock 4-Wheelers⁠

• ⁠Trail Hero Expeditions⁠

🚙 Community Shoutouts

• ⁠Bryan - @init2buildit⁠

• ⁠Calvin - @srgoffroad⁠

• ⁠Nathan - @mudhorn_gladiator⁠

• ⁠JD - @me_and_my_yellow_jk⁠

📰 Legal and Policy Topics

• ⁠Rogue Judge Closes 2,200 Miles of OHV Routes in the Mojave Desert - BlueRibbon Coalition⁠

📅 Events and Resources

• ⁠2026 Easter Jeep Safari - Red Rock 4-Wheelers⁠

• ⁠Trail Hero X / Trail Hero Expeditions⁠

• ⁠Jeep Beach 2026⁠

📞 Get involved!

• Leave us a voicemail! Call ⁠719-408-0132⁠ to be featured on the show.

• Write a review! ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠

• Follow us on Instagram! ⁠The Trailhead Podcast⁠

• Visit the Site: ⁠The Trailhead Network⁠

• Trailhead Gear (Shirts & More): ⁠Shop⁠

• Discounts for Trailheads! ⁠Tyri Offroad Lights⁠ (Use Code TRAILHEAD15)

In this Trail Hero Expedition Spotlight, Episode 2 in the Trail Hero Expeditions Spotlight series, JD talks with the team about their Buckeye, Arizona roots, desert-driven wheeling style, and the mindset that comes from piling on serious trail miles. They share Trail Hero stories, what it’s like being tracked and moving at event pace, and how a tight crew handles the little problems that can snowball fast on the trail—plus the backstory behind their team name.

📍 Trails and Destinations

• Sand Hollow Region (Utah) — Trails Offroad

• Sand Hollow State Park — Utah State Parks

• Sand Mountain Recreation Area (Utah) — BLM

• Grand Canyon National Park

• Zion National Park

• Moab, Utah

• Gold Butte National Monument (Nevada) — BLM

• Harquahala Road (Arizona) — Trails Offroad

• Saxon Mountain Road (Colorado) — Trails Offroad

🛠️ Gear and Tools

• DJI Osmo Action (camera line)

• DJI Osmo (camera line)

• Apple AirTag

• Harbor Freight (tools + storage)

• Floor Jacks — Harbor Freight

🚙 Community Shoutouts

• SRG Offroad

• JD — Me_And_My_Yellow_JK

• The Trailhead Network

🌎 Advocacy & Conservation

• Utah Public Lands Alliance (UPLA)

• Stay The Trail Colorado

🗓️ Events and Resources

• Trail Hero Expeditions

• Overland Expo West (Flagstaff)

📞 Get involved!

• Leave us a voicemail! Call (719) 408-0132 to be featured on the show.

• Write a review! Review us on Apple Podcasts

• Follow us on Instagram! @thetrailheadpodcast

• Visit our website: TheTrailheadNetwork.com

• Trailhead Gear (Shirts & More): Shop Here

• Discounts for Trailheads! Tyri Offroad Lights — Use code TRAILHEAD15 for 15% off

We continue our close out of the year with your voicemails and the crew swaps favorite 2025 moments and what changed us most: first meet-ups that turned into friendships, holiday plans that went sideways, and the reminder that the people around the rig matter more than the parts on it. Between a few good-natured roasts and some honest reflection, we talk about what we’re thankful for, what we learned, and what we want to build together next.

📍 Trails and Destinations

• Trail Hero X

• Sand Hollow OHV Region (Utah)

• Winter 4x4 Jamboree

• Rubicon Trail

• Overland Expo West

🛠️ Gear and Tools

• Starlink

• Riverside

• SDHQ Offroad

• Rebel Off Road

🚙 Community and Advocacy Groups

• BlueRibbon Coalition

• Utah Public Lands Alliance (UPLA)

🚙 Community Shoutouts

• Calvin & Jennifer — SRG Offroad

• Fran Adler

• JD: MeAndMyYellowJK

• Keenan Campbell

📅 Events and Resources

• Trail Hero X 2025

• Winter 4x4 Jamboree

• Overland Expo West

📞 Get Involved

• Leave a voicemail

• Apple Podcasts

• Instagram

• Website

• Shop

• Tyri Offroad Lights — use code TRAILHEAD15 for 15% off

• Record your show with Riverside

JD is joined by Keenan (Overlanding with Intention), Calvin (SRG Offroad), and Fran Adler (Fran's JK Adventures) for a laid-back final check-in with the crew for the year. The crew trades travel plans (SEMA, Overland Expo, and next year’s Trail Hero), talks about making The Trailhead more mobile, and then slides into the real holiday tradition: diagnosing Jeeps that hate cold weather—aux-battery delete tips, mystery codes, and the never-ending rear main seal saga. They wrap this show with night-run talk, mapping tools like Trails Offroad and onX, and the big question: why not record episodes from actual trailheads?

📍 Trails and Destinations

• Sand Hollow OHV Region (Hurricane, Utah)

• East Rim (Sand Hollow, Utah)

• Slaughterhouse Road (Colorado)

• Trail Hero Expeditions (Hurricane, Utah)

• SEMA Show (Las Vegas, Nevada)

• Overland Expo West (Flagstaff, Arizona)

• Overland Expo Mountain West (Loveland, Colorado)

🛠️ Gear and Tools

• Starlink

• onX Offroad

🚙 Community and Advocacy Groups

• Trails Offroad

🚙 Community Shoutouts

• Calvin & Jennifer (SRG Offroad)

• Keenan Campbell

• Fran Adler

• JD Marshall

📞 Get Involved

• Call the voicemail line: 719-408-0132

• Listen on Apple Podcasts

• Follow on Instagram

• Visit the website

• Shop Trailhead merch

• Check out TYRI Lights

This episode kicks off a new series focused on Trail Hero Expeditions, with JD sitting down for one-on-one conversations with members of the cast—starting with Keenan Campbell. Keenan shares what the Expedition felt like from the driver’s seat: building a purpose-driven overland-style Jeep, the real-world headaches that don’t care about camera time (including a winch failure), and how the pace and expectations change when you’re part of a filmed trail experience. From there, they swap stories from Southern Utah stops like Grafton Ghost Town and big-view moments around the Grand Canyon, before bringing it home to what really sticks—the friends you make, the laughs you don’t plan for, and the stories you collect along the way that end up meaning more than the miles.

📍 Trails and Destinations

• ⁠Trail Hero Expeditions⁠

• ⁠Sand Hollow State Park (UT) – Trails Offroad Region⁠

• ⁠Grand Canyon National Park (NPS)⁠

• ⁠Whitmore Canyon Overlook (Grand Canyon–Parashant, NPS)⁠

• ⁠Grafton Ghost Town (UT)⁠

• ⁠Moab (UT)⁠

🛠️ Gear and Tools

• ⁠Starlink⁠

• ⁠Winch⁠

• ⁠Overland Vehicle Systems (OVS)⁠

• ⁠RotopaX mounts⁠

• ⁠FOX shocks⁠

• ⁠SuperSprings International (Coil Supports / Coil SumoSprings)⁠

🚙 Community and Advocacy Groups

• ⁠BlueRibbon Coalition⁠

• ⁠Tread Lightly!⁠

• ⁠Stay The Trail (Colorado)⁠

🚙 Community Shoutouts

• ⁠Keenan Campbell (@alphafoxtrotjku)⁠

• ⁠Overlanding With Intention⁠

📰 Legal and Policy Topics

• ⁠Keeping trails open (BlueRibbon Coalition – Current Issues)⁠

• ⁠Responsible recreation education (Tread Lightly!)⁠

📞 Get Involved

• Voicemail: ⁠719-408-0132⁠

• ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠

• ⁠Instagram⁠

• ⁠Website⁠

• ⁠Shop⁠

• ⁠TyriLights⁠

JD sits down with Ben Azam, founder of TRUKD, to talk through how a personal need for a cleaner camp setup turned into a Pittsburgh-built, modular truck bed rack system. They get into real-world fitment quirks (tonneau covers, different bed shapes, and why nothing is truly “standard”), materials and finish choices (stainless vs. aluminum, powder coat, and hardware), and what it actually feels like to scale a product company without losing your mind. Along the way, they swap trail-and-travel stories—Holy Cross plans, Sedona tire fixes, Starlink “just in case” moments, and why paper MVUM/BLM maps still earn a spot in the glovebox.

TRUKD (T-R-U-K-D)

📍 Trails and Destinations

• Holy Cross City (Colorado)

• Georgetown, Colorado

• Clear Creek County, Colorado

• Sedona, Arizona

• Flagstaff, Arizona

• Point Pleasant, West Virginia (Mothman country)

• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

🛠️ Gear and Tools

• TRUKD modular bed rack system

• Tonneau cover (tri-fold style mentioned)

• Rooftop tent

• Awning

• Starlink satellite internet

• GlueTread tire repair kit

• Toyo Open Country R/T Trail tires

• Gaia GPS

• onX Offroad

• Purple Lizard Maps

• USFS MVUM (Motor Vehicle Use Map)

• BLM georeferenced PDF maps

🚙 Community and Advocacy Groups

• Backroads of Appalachia

• Gambler 500

🚙 Community Shoutouts

• Ben Azam / TRUKD

🗓️ Events and Resources

• Overland Expo East

• Overland Expo Pacific Northwest (PNW)

• Overland Expo Mountain West (Loveland, CO)

• Mid-Atlantic Overland Festival

• Range to Ranch (Idaho)

• 24 Hours of Appalachia: Mothman’s Revenge

📞 Get Involved

• Call / voicemail: 719-408-0132

• Apple Podcasts

• Instagram

• Website

• Shop

• TyriLights

This one’s straight from the garage: quick rig and life updates up top (the lights crushed it, it wasn’t the power-steering pump, and yes—we aired those tires way down on purpose). We traded a little friendly grief about beadlocks and link setups, then hit a short news run with gear worth watching, event notes, and a couple access items you’ll actually care about before your next trip. The back half is all you—voicemails with a solid trail win, a “learned it the hard way” moment, and one eerily on-point call about getting stuck in the sand that turned into real talk about prep, recovery, and doing it right on public land.

📍 Trails and Destinations

• Moab, Utah (TrailsOffroad Region Page)

• Sand Hollow, Utah (TrailsOffroad Region Page)

• Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area — AOAA (TrailsOffroad Park Page)

🛠️ Gear and Tools

• Starlink

• APEX Designs USA — Rapid Precision Valve

• Power Tank — On-Board Air

• Beadlock Marketplace

• TYRI Off-Road Lighting

🚙 Community and Advocacy Groups

• BlueRibbon Coalition

• Stay The Trail (Colorado)

• Tread Lightly!

🚙 Community Shoutouts

• @beatricejku

• @mudhorn_gladiator

• @mechanic_jk

• @frans_jl_adventures

• @srgoffroad

📰 Legal and Policy Topics

• BRC Updates: Recent OHV Access Wins

• BRC – Operation: Accessible

• Stay The Trail – MVUM & Smart Maps

• Tread Lightly! – Partnerships & Support

📞 Get Involved

• Call the Show: 719-408-0132

• Listen on Apple Podcasts

• Follow on Instagram

• Visit the Website

• Grab the Shop

• Check out TyriLights