Pismo Beach Jeep Fest 2019
2019 was the sixth annual PBJ Fest and the first time I attended. Held at the Oceano Dunes OHV recreational park just south of Pismo Beach, California, this event was started by a small group of friends and has grown in size and/or stature every year since. The last I heard, there were 360+ registered attendees in 2019 and who knows how many freestyle drop-ins. This year was the first time they had a primary event sponsor, Rugged Ridge. There were also half a dozen other sponsors like Synergy Manufacturing, Atturo Tires, etc.
I hauled the trailer out to the beach Friday morning. Briefly spoke to a fellow jeeper who suggested we camp next to him, right next to the main event, so that's what we did. Turns out he was one of the event founders, so that was fortunate. Never boondocked on the beach before so wasn't quite sure what to expect. The wind started blowing Friday afternoon and started digging the sand out from under the trailer so I took a trip to Lowe's and picked up $15 worth of OSB in 2'x4' sheets to put a stop to that.
Friday evening on the beach.
On Saturday, the organizers offered to take people out on guided Noobie Runs of the dunes that make up ~1500 acreas of available OHV recreation area in the park. I counted 44 jeeps in our group, only one WJ and one XJ. This was only my second time out on the dunes with Bella, so it was nice to play follow-the-leader with somebody more experienced; in this case, our leader was only 16 years old and did a fine job leading us around. Went to the top of what looked to me like a really steep hill, one I never would have attempted on my own, but we descended without incident once I got brave enough to go down. I did not attempt a hill climb though, maybe next time.
Saturday evening they had burgers and hot dogs and prize raffles. I won a soft shackle made by Monster Hooks, they say it will withstand a 23,000+ pound load! A nice piece of recovery equipment for the tool box.
Sunday morning capped the event with a Jeep parade ... I don't think all attendees participated, but we had a bunch for sure. I walked up and down the entire row and yeah, only one WJ in the bunch.
So glad I did this event. After the Noobie Run, I went back out and explored the dunes again in the afternoon on my own and gained a whole new level of appreciation for what Bella can actually do in low-traction situations. I was never concerned for a moment that we might get stuck. We even got the better of an old Chevy on the Sand Drags. Seriously, I cannot adequately express how much this experience opened my eyes to the badassery this vehicle is capable of. My wife even grudgingly admitted that she had fun, mostly at the Sand Drags! In fact, she even said it would be a good idea to buy a new set of wheels and tires so I could have one set for use on the sand and one set for the highway. WITNESSED! Any wheel recommendations?
More info about the PBJ fest can be found here: https://pismobeachjeepfest.com/
Keep on Jeepin' everyone.
2019 was the sixth annual PBJ Fest and the first time I attended. Held at the Oceano Dunes OHV recreational park just south of Pismo Beach, California, this event was started by a small group of friends and has grown in size and/or stature every year since. The last I heard, there were 360+ registered attendees in 2019 and who knows how many freestyle drop-ins. This year was the first time they had a primary event sponsor, Rugged Ridge. There were also half a dozen other sponsors like Synergy Manufacturing, Atturo Tires, etc.
I hauled the trailer out to the beach Friday morning. Briefly spoke to a fellow jeeper who suggested we camp next to him, right next to the main event, so that's what we did. Turns out he was one of the event founders, so that was fortunate. Never boondocked on the beach before so wasn't quite sure what to expect. The wind started blowing Friday afternoon and started digging the sand out from under the trailer so I took a trip to Lowe's and picked up $15 worth of OSB in 2'x4' sheets to put a stop to that.
Friday evening on the beach.




On Saturday, the organizers offered to take people out on guided Noobie Runs of the dunes that make up ~1500 acreas of available OHV recreation area in the park. I counted 44 jeeps in our group, only one WJ and one XJ. This was only my second time out on the dunes with Bella, so it was nice to play follow-the-leader with somebody more experienced; in this case, our leader was only 16 years old and did a fine job leading us around. Went to the top of what looked to me like a really steep hill, one I never would have attempted on my own, but we descended without incident once I got brave enough to go down. I did not attempt a hill climb though, maybe next time.





Saturday evening they had burgers and hot dogs and prize raffles. I won a soft shackle made by Monster Hooks, they say it will withstand a 23,000+ pound load! A nice piece of recovery equipment for the tool box.
Sunday morning capped the event with a Jeep parade ... I don't think all attendees participated, but we had a bunch for sure. I walked up and down the entire row and yeah, only one WJ in the bunch.


So glad I did this event. After the Noobie Run, I went back out and explored the dunes again in the afternoon on my own and gained a whole new level of appreciation for what Bella can actually do in low-traction situations. I was never concerned for a moment that we might get stuck. We even got the better of an old Chevy on the Sand Drags. Seriously, I cannot adequately express how much this experience opened my eyes to the badassery this vehicle is capable of. My wife even grudgingly admitted that she had fun, mostly at the Sand Drags! In fact, she even said it would be a good idea to buy a new set of wheels and tires so I could have one set for use on the sand and one set for the highway. WITNESSED! Any wheel recommendations?
More info about the PBJ fest can be found here: https://pismobeachjeepfest.com/

Keep on Jeepin' everyone.