Learn more about Val

Hi, I'm Val. Part time driver, part time photographer behind the wheel of our 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. I am better known as AdventureThirty online.I grew up in SW Montana and have lived in three different states!

I spent most of my childhood in Montana camping with my family every weekend. I got into Jeeps when my dad brought home this ugly wrecked YJ. It had been rolled and the engine was in the backseat. My dad repaired it and brought it back to life and that really ignited my love. I was around age 9 at the time. He had subscribed to JP Magazine (RIP) and I used to read it. At that time in my life, I wanted to be an automotive journalist when I grew up. I didn't understand what a transfer case or gear ratios were but I loved to look at the pictures. When I was 16, that very same jeep was my first vehicle. I loved that Jeep! I learned a lot of what I know now working on that Jeep with my Dad. We did a Ford 8.8 axle conversion together when I was 15. That YJ has a rough history and when I inherited it at 16, it had an overheating issue.

The summer between my sophomore and senior year of high school; my dad and I rebuilt a V8 for the YJ to solve the overheating issue. At this time in my life I wanted to be an auto mechanic like my dad. This Jeep was truly my first love and I still own it 10 years later.I had to leave it behind when I went to college in Bozeman, MT due to some mechanical issues from a crash. I had a 1973 F250 my first year of college and that sparked my love of trucks… if you know me; you know where this is going! I ended up getting a degree in Mechanical Engineering; mostly due to my jeep girl background and my dad cheering me on. He always said I could do anything.

My most recent hometown was Livingston, Montana while I attended college at Montana State University. I moved there to be closer to the man I would marry in 2018. I feel so fortunate that my spouse is as into cars as I am and supports my jeep thing 100%. We have always been into trucks, Jeeps and motorcycles but when we lost my husband's dad to cancer in 2019; we went all in. Life is too short to wait on anything. Buy the car you want, take the trip, do the thing and don't wait. The timing will always work itself out.

We bought the Gladiator we are now known for in late 2019 and have had the time of our lives offroading, learning and upgrading as we go. My husband and I have a small fleet of vehicles including our latest addition- a 2022 Ram 1500 TRX. We hope to inspire our followers to chase the adventure that can be found down even the simplest of backroads in their neck of the woods.I aim to be real and show that mistakes can be made and even learned from. These lessons are best shared with others so everyone can learn and grow together; community over competition!

We now live in Bismarck, North Dakota where I work as a Manufacturing Weld Engineer. 2022 has been off to a wild start with new partners and sponsors that have enabled a new build on our JT and I am so excited to see what we are capable of and show everyone what a daily driver and limo can really do on the rocks!

In the future, I look forward to expanding onto Youtube and posting more than just 5 times a year and starting a blog about our build, gear recommendations, product reviews and adventure guides as well as DIY tutorials to empower our followers to take control of their own automotive journey!

 

Tell Us About Your First Jeep!

My first Jeep was a 1990 Jeep Wrangler YJ. My dad brought it home on a trailer when I was a little kid; 8 or 9 maybe. I spent a lot of time in our garage watching and learning what tools are and handing him tools. This particular Jeep has a rough past; my dad bought it totaled. I believe the owner before that also totaled it.My dad and I worked on it a lot together and I have so many amazing memories and lessons learned in the garage because of this jeep. We did basic maintenance, an axle swap and an engine swap. I credit my dad and this jeep for my interest in engineering as a career. I still own this jeep to this day!

 

What’s your favorite trail/place to wheel?

That is a tough question! I really loved Moab but also love the Black Hills, SD. Both have very different landscapes but have rock crawling in common.

 

What’s your most memorable experience wheeling?

My husband and I did this incredible week long roadtrip where we had planned to smash and grab as many badge of honor trails as possible (we ended up with 6 across 3 states!) and the scariest moment was in Colorado. We were on Engineer Pass on the Telluride side and this entourage of strange cars with big tires passed us by going the OPPOSITE direction. This section of trail was a ledge carved out of a mountain. I remember even old ladies driving these vehicles inches from a 1000 ft. drop right as rain passing us without a care in the world. Minutes later I was driving particular section after this crew passed that I was trying to navigate a tippy section while my husband spotted and several rocks got knocked off the trail and of the ledge. For a half second; I thought me and the Gladiator were next! We got through it and had pizza and beer in Telluride before heading out to Moab!

 

Is there anything else we should know about you?

I used to do wedding photography (and still do for friends on the cheap) so now I apply my skills and knowledge to my page. I do all of my own photography!

 

Tell Us About Your Rig

2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon

• 4.5in Rock Krawler Lift
• 38in Pats/17in Anthem Rogues

1990 Jeep YJ

• 5.2L V8 Swapped