Subie Scoop - April 7

[00:00:10] Hello everybody, welcome back to another edition of the Subie Scoop. This one is going to be a little bit different because I have a couple of guests. I have Carrie who goes by Mountain Subie and I have Milton who goes by Silver Bullet XV. They are here to talk about their experience at Overland Expo in California a few weekends ago and then talk about what we can maybe see at some of the events carrying on after that.

[00:00:39] I knew that they were both going to be at the Costa Mesa location for the first event and that was kind of like a kickoff for Subaru at Overland Expo this year and a little bit of a testing ground to see like what they can learn from the first event and then also what they can maybe do differently or add to the further events coming about after that.

[00:01:01] So I am scheduled to go to Overland Expo in Flagstaff in May and then I've already booked my travel for that so if you are planning to go to Overland Expo in Flagstaff I will be there and I'll get to see you. And if you are thinking about going to Overland Expo in Flagstaff and you would like to go and meet me and you haven't met me yet I would love to meet you.

[00:01:29] It'll be fun. It'll be a fun event. I'm really looking forward. I'm really looking. I can't talk tonight. I'm really looking forward to it and I'm excited to be a part of this great event. I will also be at the Overland Expo in Oregon in June and then again at the one in Virginia which I believe is in October. So that one's quite a ways away. But those are the three events that I am planning to be at.

[00:01:56] I was thinking about doing Colorado but I don't know that I would end up using up a lot of PTO to go to all of the events. So I'm just going to the three and I'm just grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Subaru group that's going to be there for or at Overland Expo.

[00:02:16] And yeah so we will get into this little conversation with Kerry and Milton and hear about their experience that they had at Overland Expo in Costa Mesa. Hi I wanted to invite you guys on here to talk about Overland Expo 2025 in California because that was the first event for 2025.

[00:02:46] I know that they had like a pilot event last year and so Kerry you had your Subaru at the booth. And so I want to talk about that and just kind of the whole experience of it all.

[00:03:02] Yeah Subaru USA or Subaru of America decided to go to all of the Overland Expo events this year to capture some of the folks like us and the off-road and the camping folks and show off what their vehicles can do and be part of that whole event and that community.

[00:03:25] So last weekend was the first event down in Costa Mesa it's Overland Expo SoCal. They had one, two, three, three brand new vehicles there and then two personally owned vehicles there. It was me, my car and Troy, Troy T.

[00:03:45] He had his vehicle out there just kind of showing off and being able to talk to everybody about how we actually use our vehicles and how we use our Subarus. Kind of showed the extreme side of what you can build out a Subaru too. And then Troy's is, you know, he has his all tricked out for the Overland camping style. So yeah, it was a lot of fun.

[00:04:11] They had a great turnout of people and lots of, lots of cool stuff in the booth. They had an adoption event on Saturday morning. So they brought, they partnered with a local shelter who brought puppies out and, you know, folks could interact with all of the puppies and apply to adopt the puppies later on. So that was, of course, a big draw.

[00:04:42] Who doesn't love puppies? Nice. Yeah. Whenever he was telling me that they're going to do that, that then that's the first time that Overland Expo has, or had that anybody has ever done that at Overland Expo. So that was pretty cool. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Subaru loves pets. Yeah, definitely. And of course, my, my adventure kitty forest was out there alongside all of the doggos that came through. Nice. She was just loving all the attention from, from people that came up and, and pet her.

[00:05:11] And, you know, it was all day long. Is that a cat? Yeah. Every five minutes. Oh, that's funny. Yeah. Yeah. So did you have people that were not Subaru owners coming by and like going, oh, wow, I didn't realize you can do this with a Subaru. And then was there anybody that was saying like maybe they were contemplating getting a Subaru after going to the event and seeing the booth? Yeah.

[00:05:39] There were actually several people that would come up. A lot of times it was people coming in to, to ask like, what is that car? Like, what, what is that? Because my car was kind of flexed out on this display ramp. That's pretty tall, taller than I think any of the other display ramps for the other vehicles there. Nice. And the whole Overland Expo. So they were coming up like, what, what do you have on here? And what is that?

[00:06:08] So we had a chance to, to really talk about all of the suspension modifications and other things that, that we do to the cars, our cars. And yeah, it was a lot of fun. Yeah. We, we put on a couple of seminars and, you know, a few throughout the day. And there was one where a couple of people came in and they were specifically like, Hey, we drive Jeeps or we've driven Tacomas, whatever. Or why should we look at a Subaru?

[00:06:35] Like we're interested, but like, we don't know if it's really the right choice for us. So how, like, what, what makes you think this is a better platform for our needs? And so we, you know, kind of went through all the nitty gritty of what we like about them and why for us, they work really well. And I think they felt, they left a little bit more convinced than before when they came. So that was cool. Yeah, it is cool.

[00:06:57] I mean, when you see something like Mountain Subi up there, you know, on display then, and did they have any videos going of stuff that you, that people were doing with their personal vehicles? Like all the stuff that y'all are doing out on the trails, or did they have just like other videos going of Subaru stuff? They didn't have any videos going. I think this was a soft launch event for them.

[00:07:22] It was the first Overland Expo that they'd held down there in, in SoCal. So not just Subaru being at the event was new, but the entire event itself was new. Oh, okay. And the team really put together a great environment to explore. It was very on brand with Subaru.

[00:07:42] There was a, you know, a sheltered area with shade for Subaru owners to come in and enjoy snacks and ice cold water and sit down and encamp chairs and just a really nice environment to enjoy hanging out in. So that was really cool. Yeah. Yeah. It had a few vehicle, like, like key people on display in a picture format.

[00:08:06] So there was a couple that you could look at and read their story a little bit and look at some action shots, so to speak, but all still images. Okay. And that might be an area that, um, that can. Yeah. A hundred percent. Yeah. Cause I mean, I was thinking like if you, if they wanted to show what Subarus can do other than just talking about them, you know, like some of y'all's videos of places that y'all go and what you can do.

[00:08:33] I mean, that's, you know, that might be a little more extreme than what some people might do with them, but at least it shows like, Hey, this is, this is what you can do with them. And this is like, they can become very capable. Yeah, absolutely. I think we've definitely got an opportunity to put some stuff together. So hopefully we can add that to the curriculum, so to speak later on. I think there's a lot of people that use their vehicles to the fullest and us, of course, included in that. So we can probably put something together with that for sure.

[00:09:03] Yeah. So were there some things that Subaru that you know of that Subaru learned at the event that they're going to put into play and for the next events that are going to be coming up? Yeah. I think every, every one of the next events have a little slightly different kind of focus. Some spaces are, you know, bigger and other spaces are a little bit more constrained, but I know that PMW event.

[00:09:31] So that's two events from now that will be held up near Bend, Oregon. And that one's going to be a pretty, pretty big one. I believe they're even going to have some like special camping area for Subaru owners that you can, you know, we can all kind of camp together as like this little community, which I think that'll be a lot of fun. It'll be a great time. There may be some events like some trail runs either before or after.

[00:10:00] So just kind of keep a lookout for things like that happening as we're leading up to the events. And I know that our favorite podcast may be making an appearance. Oh, yeah. Really? Very true. That's cool. Apparently, yeah. I've already got my flights booked. Sweet. It's exciting. Let's go. Yeah. I just need to find a place to stay and it'll be good. Yeah. Perfect.

[00:10:26] I think they're, they're also hoping to add some more shade and more water stations as well, especially coming to these newer events or the upcoming events are a lot warmer. Usually the Bend, Oregon, for example, has been historically pretty warm. We had one year it was up in, you know, triple digit temperatures. So making sure that people can come and have a little bit of an oasis outside of the rest of the show. So maybe more people will be drawn in with that and just have a place to relax. So that'll be good. Yeah, that is nice.

[00:10:56] Yeah. I've also, I've booked my flight for Overland Expo West and Flagstaff. And then I'm planning on also going to the one in Arrington, Virginia. Oh, fantastic. Yeah. That'll be fun. It'll be good to get some on, you know, get some content from the event and talk to a bunch of different people. Yeah. No, there's a lot of people that run through. I think we, we ran into a lot of people that we've met in the past, you know, a few years ago. Just from social media.

[00:11:26] Yeah. People from social media. Yeah. It's a lot of fun how you bring everyone together and, you know, folks get a chance to look at things and talk to people and ask questions through, throughout these kinds of events. So. Yeah. What are your biggest takeaways from the event? I think that there's so many people who genuinely love the brand. You know what I mean?

[00:11:55] There's all these car brands, you know, Toyota, Jeep being top of the off-roading world. But there's so many people who came up and were just like, I came from this vehicle. I came from that vehicle. Someone came from a Camaro and loves her Forester more than her Camaro. It's just super interesting to see how many people are truly happy with these vehicles. And, you know, even adding multiple to their, to their fleets. You know, there was one person who came in.

[00:12:23] They had a 2014 Crosstrek, bought a 23 Crosstrek Wilderness and are not planning to get rid of the Crosstrek anytime soon. They just love having them in their, in their lives. So they just help a lot. And I think that's super exciting. Yeah. I mean, mine's at 123,000 now getting close. I might be at 124. I'm not sure. And change the brakes for the first time at 122,000.

[00:12:48] Change the front axles at 123 that I didn't need to change out. But at least I have new axles now. Yeah. I hope you saved the old ones. Oh, I did. Yeah. Yeah. One other thing too about the upcoming Overland Expo at PNW is that location is going to have an off-road teaching section.

[00:13:09] So folks who want to learn more about the capabilities of their vehicle, be it a Subaru or any other vehicle, they can sign up to go through some off-road training right there on the site. Milton and I are actually going to be one of the trainers. So we'll be in that off-road area helping people get through the section and teaching them about their cars.

[00:13:35] So if anyone wants to come and try out the off-road area and learn more about what your Subaru can do, please go ahead and sign up. It's not reserved only for 4x4 vehicles. It'll be capable for your Subarus as well. Yep. Absolutely. I think y'all might have a little bit of experience with off-roading. A little bit. Perhaps that much maybe.

[00:14:01] Do you have any idea of how the course is going to be set up, like what it's going to look like and what's going to be there? It's usually a variety of situations, be it testing your vehicle's breakover, going over off-camber sections, going through little ditchy areas. Yeah.

[00:14:22] Yeah, it's usually they dig up the course and kind of add some articulated spots, some little rock beds that you can kind of deal with some rock and uneven surfaces. There's usually some sand as well, so you can deal with that. Okay, nice. It's relatively manageable, though, definitely. So I think the goal is usually for a stock 4x4 to be able to make it, which usually a Subaru can do most of that as well, even in stock form usually. Yeah.

[00:14:49] I mean, that's good that it's going to be like an actual legit off-road course and not just stuff that they lay out on a parking lot, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Go over these bumps and stuff, but that sounds like it'll be fun because when you said ditches and sand, it's like, oh, yeah, they'll have some fun with that. Yeah. It's pretty good. They add hills as well, so there's plenty of stuff to practice on. Yeah, that'll be fun. It'll be nice to get out there and do that, and it's good that y'all get to be a part of that and help train some people.

[00:15:18] So, and show them what it's all about. We are excited, I think. Yeah, it's been a great experience, and I love meeting new people and hearing their story about how they came about the Subaru brand and what they're doing with it. So, love it. Yeah. Had you met Joe before, or was this the first time meeting him? We met him last year. Yeah, we met him last year.

[00:15:44] They had a small booth at Overland Expo, and then Joe and I talk all the time on the phone since he's based on the East Coast with Subaru of America. And, yeah, he came out for this event, and I believe he'll be out for the other events as well. Yep. Yeah, he said that he will be at all of them. So, it'll be nice to see him because I met him at SOA when I went out for 48 hours of Tri-State, and then he came here for the big event. It was the last big event that they had at.

[00:16:14] So, he came out here for the Gilman Subaru's big event in 2023, which was the last one they had, unfortunately. But got to see him there, too. So, good guy and fun to work with. Yeah, he's been a great driving force the last year or so in really wanting to engage more with the off-road and overlanding community.

[00:16:36] So, we're excited to see where he's taking things and trying to engage with all the Subaru community. Yep. Yeah, it's a great community, not just from people from SOA, but just all of us together collaborating and communicating and meeting up and getting out on trails and helping people change out their transmissions. Whatever else. Good times. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's a community.

[00:17:05] It's the kind of things that we love about it. So, we like giving back and spreading the love and sharing the things that we like about this community. Yep. It'll be nice to see you guys again in Oregon because it's been a while. Yeah. Yeah, it's been too long. A couple of years at least, right? Yeah. I think the last time was at Moon Rocks when I came out there for my birthday. It's about two years ago almost. Yeah. I still use my little flashlight that you got for me. I use it all the time.

[00:17:35] I use it all the time. Perfect. Yeah, it's wonderful. So, it's come in very handy. Yeah. Well, sweet. Oh, yeah. It'll be good times then. We're excited. Yeah. Anything else y'all want to add or share before we get out of here? Just to anybody who's interested or maybe a little bit apprehensive about coming to these events. I know some people don't like really crowded events. It's still worth it. There's so many knowledgeable people between the different companies out there. There's us, for example.

[00:18:06] There's a lot to be had beyond just going and looking at stuff to buy. There's a lot of education going on as well. So, I think if you can try and make it out, definitely go for it. There'll be something for you, I'm sure. Yep. It'll be fun. Yeah, and I'm coming out with my family. So, it'll be fun for all of us. They'll get to see everybody. And Luke will get to see some people again and meet some people for the first time. And then my daughter and her husband will get to meet everybody that we get to see for the first time. So, that'll be fun. That's awesome.

[00:18:35] Awesome. Love to take you guys on a trail ride. Oh, yeah. Yeah. That'll be fun. Yeah. Perfect. We might have a spare car for you, too. So, we'll have to see. Okay. All right. All right. Well, you guys have a good night and thanks for hopping on and sharing your experience at Overland Expo 2025. Sounds good. All righty. See you guys there. All right. Have a good night. Bye. Bye. There you have it. Another edition of the Subi Scoop. But it's not over yet because I want to talk a little bit more about Pearl.

[00:19:06] Because I, so, you know, I ended up switching out the axles, the front axles, because I thought that's what was making the noise that I heard. But it wasn't the axles. However, when I switched out my axles, nobody told me, and it wasn't on any of the YouTube videos that I was watching, that you should change out the axle seal when you change out the axle. So, I didn't know.

[00:19:35] So, I think that whenever I was pulling out the original axle or when I was putting the new axle back in on the driver's side, I must have clipped or somehow damaged the axle seal. And now my differential is leaking. So, I had taken my car last Wednesday to get an oil change and to see if the dealership would look at it for the noise that it's been making.

[00:20:00] And when they were changing the oil, they said that they saw leakage and some other stuff that I need to take care of. But there's other stuff that I can do myself. So, I bought a couple of axle seals online. And then I also bought the sway bar end links because one of them is pretty bad in pretty bad shape. So, I was going to try to do it all myself. But I'm just like, that's going to be too much for me to do.

[00:20:31] I don't have the space to do it. I don't want to drive my car with a leaking transmission and differential. So, I decided to just go ahead and contact this shop that's not too far from me but also not too close. It's Houston Car Garage. And I'm going to have them do the axles for the axle seals. And I think it's just on the one side. It looks like it's just on the driver's side.

[00:21:00] But I have both seals. So, in case when they get it there, if they do find out that it looks like or that the passenger side seal is leaking too, then they've already got it. So, I figured I just might as well have people do it who know what they're doing and who can do it easier and quicker and just get it done. And I might go ahead and have them change out the end link. Yeah.

[00:21:28] I don't know what I'm talking about. But, yeah. So, there's other things I need to do. Like, I know I need to change out the lower control arms because the bushing is bad. And then I think that the ball joint might be going bad too. And I don't know if that's what's making the noise. But either way, I think they need to be changed out because they look pretty busted up. And I want to do the lower control arm myself. I know it's going to be a tough job.

[00:21:57] I know there's a lot of stuff that you have to take off. And I know it can be a pain trying to get the ball joint out. But I want to do it anyway because I know that I can. And that's one of those things where I'm going to plan ahead. And, you know, it's not like the differential because, like, I know with the differential, it's best to, like, have it level, have it elevated. I'd have to have something where I can refill the fluid. And it just seems like it's not hard work. It's just I just don't have the space to do it.

[00:22:27] And I think with the lower control arms, I could just plan it out, know that it's going to take a long time, and then go to my cousin's house where he has a covered driveway and then also a bunch of tools and just get it done there. So anyway, thanks for tuning in. I will see you next week or next Monday on another regular episode, episode 200. And anyway, y'all have a great week. And I'll talk to you later. Much subi love. Raph.