The Trailhead an Offroad Show

JD is joined by Angela Rickerson, the Seattle-based driver behind Ronda Rhino, for a conversation about Jeep life, Rebelle Rally, Pacific Northwest rock crawling, and the messy, rewarding path into off-roading. Angela shares how a 2017 two-door Jeep Wrangler went from “cool preschool drop-off rig” to a heavily built desert rally and rock crawling machine. The episode digs into Rebelle Rally endura...

JD is joined by Bryan, Calvin, Nathan, along with Chris Bailey and Joey Seavolt, for a focused Trailhead roundtable on Right to Repair, Jeep mods, vehicle data access, DIY wrenching, and the future of aftermarket parts. The crew connects the John Deere repair fight to what off-roaders are already seeing with locked-down ECUs, security gateway modules, subscription features, Tazer/JScan workarounds...

JD is joined by Ben Burr from Blue Ribbon Coalition for a straight-up land access scoreboard on the fights shaping the future of motorized recreation. Ben breaks down the rescission of the BLM Public Lands Rule, the Roadless Rule fight, Moab route reassessments, the San Rafael Swell, WEMO closures in the Western Mojave Desert, and why the minimization criteria could become a serious threat to OHV...

JD sits down with Bo Parham and Josh Hull of Jackson Off-Road for another Trail Hero Expeditions Interview Series episode, and this one has the perfect mix of overlanding, rock crawling, Jeep prep, desert chaos, and paramedic-level problem solving. Bo and Josh talk about how they got into off-roading, how their friendship grew from work into camping and trail runs, and why their Cherokee was the r...

JD sits down with Virgil from NorthBound Expeditions and NBX Trail Gear for a laid-back conversation about Jeeps, handmade gear, and the kind of trips that stick with you long after you get home. Virgil shares how he went from growing up in Luxembourg to building a life in Nova Scotia, serving in the Canadian Army, creating overland content, and turning his own need for better storage into NBX Tra...

JD sits down with Chad Hixon, Executive Director of the Trails Preservation Alliance, for a deep conversation about off-road access, single-track trails, public lands, trail closures, and the future of motorized recreation. Chad shares how growing up in Howard, Colorado, a lifetime of motorcycles, kayaking, skiing, and stewardship eventually led him into full-time trail advocacy. The episode digs...

JD sits down with Steve and Katie Botkin of Epic Adventure Duo for a fun, grounded conversation about marriage, overlanding, and the kind of off-road life that’s built on real miles instead of parking-lot hype. They talk through how camping, dirt bikes, and years of Jeep ownership led them to Trail Hero Expeditions, where their expert navigation, camp rhythm, and well-used Gladiator helped carry t...

JD is joined by Bryan, Calvin, and Joe for a live show packed with Easter Jeep Safari 2026 reactions, Moab complaints, busted parts, and the official death of JD’s long-running lifetime Jeep warranty. The crew recaps Coyote Canyon , Metal Masher , Behind the Rocks , and the general chaos around EJS, including speed-limit changes, enforcement, expensive lodging, and why the event feels less friendl...

JD sits down with Brian Ritchie and Jeff Hesse of Team GenRight Offroad for a hilarious, honest Trail Hero Expeditions recap that feels more like campfire bench racing than a formal interview. The guys talk about how Brian jumped from overlanding into a full rock-crawling build, how Jeff got dragged into the adventure with almost no off-road background, and how Moab, Sand Hollow, Windrock, and Whi...

JD sits down with Aaron Wedeking and Jason DeArmond from Team Number Two for a fun, honest recap of their Trail Hero Expeditions run. The conversation covers Aaron’s long history in off-road and PRP Seats, Jason’s marketing background and Number 2 brand, and the chaos of running Trail Hero Expeditions in a mostly stock 4Runner on undersized tires. They get into overlanding, trail riding, off-road...

JD is joined by Bryan (Beatrice JKU the Lunchbox) and Calvin (SRG Offroad) for a loose, funny, and brutally honest conversation about whether Easter Jeep Safari still deserves its reputation as the kickoff to the off-road season. Alongside Bryan’s Moab trail plan—Coyote Canyon, Metal Masher, Kane Creek, Behind the Rocks, and Top of the World—the crew gets into Jeep Wrangler reality, rock crawling...

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, ma...

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 peop...

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 fo...

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 a...

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 snowb...

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 lear...

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-batte...

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 an...

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...

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 ha...

JD and the crew are back to catch-up with show regulars Bryan (Beatrice JKU), Nathan (Mudhorn Gladiator) Calvin Pulda of SRG Offroad, Joe the Mechanic, and Fran Adler from Fran’s JL Adventures. The crew swaps SEMA takeaways, winter wheeling plans, and East-vs-West trail talk—from Moab and Sand Hollow to AOAA and the Ben Franklin Range—sprinkled with real-world fixes like driveshaft choices, lighti...

JD is joined by Keenan Campbell, Nathan the unpaid intern aka MudhornGladiator, and Calvin from SRG Offroad for a post–Trail Hero debrief that’s equal parts laughter, trail tales, and behind-the-scenes insight. The crew swaps stories from Sand Mountain—including wild moments on East Rim, Double Sammy, and Triple 7s—and revisits highlights from Trail Hero Expeditions Episode 1 on Speed Sport 1. Fro...

In this reflective episode of The Trailhead , JD and the crew address “The Incident,” an unexpected Jeep accident that tested everyone’s focus, teamwork, and community spirit. They open up about what happened, how they responded, and the outpouring of support that followed from fellow off-roaders. The team talks about how the Jeep was ultimately recovered by the famous Matt’s Off-Road Recovery , a...

This episode is a recap of and marks the show’s first major adventure — a five-day overland journey spanning Utah, Arizona, and Nevada following the recording of Trail Hero: Expeditions, a new offroad reality show. The crew reflects on what it took to pull off such a massive expedition from cast to crew, from long travel days and desert heat to the rewarding moments around camp. Listeners will hea...