Author: Robin Brooks
I’M NOT JUST A GIRL…. This is so much more than just a statement for me! Little did I know, when I decided to sign up for the 2017 Ladies Off-Road Convention that it would be such an eye-opening, life changing event. This group of women have shown me a whole new meaning of “I am strong and I can do it,” aka I’m not just a girl. The convention itself was an amazing growing and learning experience of not only off-road knowledge, but a sisterhood of strength. It was a no brainer to sign up as a member of this amazing community!
Since becoming a Member of Ladies Offroad Network in August I have:
- Purchased a 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-road edition
- Installed a Smittybilt winch on my husband’s FJ Cruiser
- Attended the Marketing class with Charlene (AMAZING INFORMATION)
- Won the September Giveaway (Warn Winch VR10-S)
- Took my first off-road trip as a driver, to the Ozarks!
- Won Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway (Lazer Star cube lights with some great swag)
When I returned from the Ladies Off-Road Convention in August, literally the first thing I did was take my husband to the 4X4 store and purchase a winch for his FJ! I INSTALLED IT ALL BY MYSELF with his watchful eye of course! OMG the PRIDE I felt in myself was incredible! WOW! It’s not just a guy thing; I can do this too! And let me tell you, the smile on my husband’s face was priceless! That feeling of pride went up two more notches just see the way he looked at me!
When I was watching the live feed for September’s giveaway, and my name was drawn for the Warn Winch…I had another one of those OMG moments! Seriously, I was doing the happy dance in the living room! I had every intention of doing the installation myself. However, when I received the winch, my pick up was in the shop getting its new Honeybadger Front Bumper by Addictive Desert Designs, so I just had Premier Auto Solutions go ahead and install it for me. Let me tell you that took my pickup to a whole new level of badass! Bumper, winch, and LED light bar with side lights! I think I cried a little, how crazy is it for little ole me to own such an awesome piece of machinery!
It was a whole different story when I won the cube lights. I was EXTREMELY enthusiastic about doing this install all by myself, and on my pickup! How awesome is that? The anticipation I felt waiting on the package to arrive was crazy. I spoke to a customer service rep with Lazer Star; she was so helpful with information regarding what I would need to do the install. With my husband’s help, I started looking for the A-pillar mounts. Talk about overwhelming, I think this was the most stressed out I got on the whole install! It’s crazy how many different businesses are out there and different styles of mounts as well! I am not savvy when it comes to online shopping, but I finally decided to go with low profile A-pillar mounts from SDHQ Off-Road in Gilbert, AZ! I must say I was not disappointed they shipped the mounts out that same day, and I received them 3 days later!
Install day came, and I’m not going to lie I was a little nervous, but having my partner in crime there for support made everything alright. For Christmas I got my husband a new tool kit. He pulled his tools out for me to use and looked at me saying “what the heck you’re getting to use my tools before I do?” That gave me a good laugh and I felt a little more relaxed. I enjoyed the time he spent showing me what the different tools were and the difference between them. The fact that he didn’t trying to take over the install and instead encourages me to learn to do these types of modifications, was such a great bonding moment for us! Ok, back to the install.
I got the driver’s side mount bolted in place, which made the light installation a breeze. Once finished, I repeated the procedure on the passenger side. I stepped back and looked at my pickup and thought WOW, that looks great and I did it! Then it came time for the wiring! Thank goodness Christopher (my husband) was there. What should have been an easy plug and play turned into having to splicing wires and extending them, due to the plugs not being quite long enough. Hey you roll with the dice, and this became a great learning experience! He showed me how to expose the wire, then tie into, and use black electrical tape to seal the wires. We tested the lights to make sure it worked before tightening the bolts down. YES, THEY WORKED! I WAS SO HAPPY! I then zip tied the wires neatly to the firewall to keep everything up out of the engine. The installation was complete! I was so proud of my work!
The anticipation for the sun to set was excruciating! Finally, the sky turned dark and I went for a short drive so I could test them out and take some photos! The lights looked awesome! With the cube lights in addition to my light bar I have no worries for when nightfall comes while on the trails!
BRING ON 2018! This year is going to be a year of learning, experiencing new things, and getting out of my comfort zone! I’M NOT JUST A GIRL, BUT SO MUCH MORE!
I want to say Thank you to Charlene Bower for creating so many opportunities and events for women! Your knowledge and friendship has made such an impact on my life! I also want to thank my Husband for encouraging me to learn and take on these challenges! My new gained confidence and excitement for the off-road/outdoor life has opened the door to so many amazing adventures.
Author: Robin Brooks
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