TOTAL CHAOS Fabrication – The name synonymous with premium suspension parts. It’s common to hear people say TC is like a magic carpet ride. And that’s one ride we don’t mind taking. Watch to see why we rely on TOTAL CHAOS products, and their people, 365 days a year.
We know joining the Rebelle isn’t easy. That’s why we’ve laid out a step by step guide for you on how to get there and some tips and advice to consider along the way!
Here are our suggestions for getting rally-ready:
Ready for the competition? Here’s some tips:
Still got questions? Email us at info@rebellerally.com and we’d be happy to answer them!
Hoehn Adventures has been our dedicated partner since the inception of the Rebelle Rally. For the Hoehns, their journey with their vehicles is not just professional – it’s personal. Cars are in their blood, and adventuring in them is imprinted in their DNA.
With over 80 years of car dealership experience, their world-class service is backed by a family and crew of staff that truly walks the walk. Watch and learn more about the story of Hoehn Adventures from the Rebelle Rally.
We refer to the Rebelle Rally as the ultimate authentic proving ground for people, products, and vehicles.
That is not an outcome of the event…an after the fact observation. We built it that way from the start.
The Rebelle Rally is a world-class competition and that is our core. But we believe in not wasting a single opportunity, from gathering the incredible stories that happen to get to the starting line, to the breathtaking content that happens on course, to gathering the impressions and data that help companies win each and every day. And not only do the competitors put themselves, cars, trucks and gear to the test, our entire staff comes from multiple professions that demand excellence in the gear we use, and we appreciate and understand the product development process.
Personal impressions and experience are critical over days, demands, weather, altitude, and more. However, to back our mission, we went a step further and partnered with Mapbox to plug in the tech that allows vehicle manufacturers and companies who desire to see their data in a way that allows them to make the most informed decisions possible. Yes, the ultimate proving ground that not only is proof of durability, reliability, function, and performance, but the data capabilities that are so critical for decision making. And we have only begun to scratch the surface. This is the Rebelle.
The final day of the 2018 Rebelle Rally presented by Hoehn Adventures was full of surprises, with the overall winner of the 4×4 Class literally coming down to the final minutes after eight grueling days of competition. When the dust settled, the Rebelle Rally had its first-ever tie for first place in the overall standings. CPs were placed in the furthest corners of the Glamis sand dunes to test driving, navigation, and time management under pressure. “You will not be able to reach all of these checkpoints,” Rebelle Founder Emily Miller told all of the teams in the morning brief.
Michelle Laframboise and Elise Racette of Team Clearwater Design #115 had not won a stage the entire rally, but placed consistently in the top five, and stayed hyper-focused on their goal of overall victory. Thirty six points behind the leaders coming into the last day of competition, the team had as close to a perfect day in the sand as we have seen. “We came and trained at Glamis with Emily and Nicole Pitell-Vaughan from Total Chaos Fabrication last month,” Michelle confessed. “That really gave me the confidence in the dunes, and it all paid off today.” The Canadian women also took home the International Cup for the second year in a row. For their efforts, $2,500 will be donated in their name to the charity of their choice.
Tying Team Clearwater Design #115 for first place overall was Emme Hall and Rebecca Donaghe of Team #140, who also won the Bone Stock Award in their 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. This is Hall and Donaghe’s third year competing together, and while they have come so close to winning in the past, disaster has struck every year on the last day of the rally. This year the unthinkable occurred prior to the rally, when a smash-and-grab robber stole Rebecca Donaghe’s bag with all of her plotting and navigation tools (not to mention her clothing and personal belongings). This made an already challenging event even more so, but Donaghe and Hall overcame the adversity with courage and resolve. “You are not your tools, Rebecca,” Emily Miller reminded Team #140 at the start of the rally.
Rounding out the podium in the overall standings were reigning champions Kaleigh Hotchkiss and Teralin Petereit of Team Blondetourage #125. The two were consistent and unflappable throughout the rally, winning multiple stages. In the end, Team Blondetourage #125 did not have enough points coming into the final day to maintain their lead and hold off the more aggressive competitors.
The Rookie of the Year Award in the 4×4 Class went to Sarah Homer and Lindsey Hunter of Team Escape The Paved #176. The two Houston residents finished seventh overall in their Bone Stock Ford Raptor. Sarah and Lindsey are neighbors who formed a bond when recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. “Though flooding is an absolutely awful experience, I feel really blessed to have made such incredible bonds with my neighbors,” Lindsey explained. Sarah heard about the Rebelle on a Baja trip. The minute she started telling me about the Rebelle I was hoping she’d ask me to do it with her, so my response was an instant yes! If we can overcome a hurricane, we can overcome anything.”
The Crossover Class was not quite as closely contested, despite twice as many entries in 2018, as compared to the previous year. Team Hoehn Porsche #202 (Lisa Wolford/Sandy Conner) drove their Bone Stock Porsche Cayenne wisely and minimized their risks to maintain their 50-point lead in the overall standings. Rookies to the Rebelle, Team Naviguessers #210 (Emily Winslow/Alicia Farrar) couldn’t close the gap in their Bone Stock Subaru Crosstrek, but matched the Porsche team point-for-point in the dunes. Shannell McMillan and Nickie Kelly of Team Dirt N Perfume #207 placed third in the Crossover Class in their Subaru Forester.
“This rally is really about competing with yourself,” Emily Miller explained. The 42 teams at the Rebelle Rally represented 5 countries and 17 states, driving vehicles from ten different manufacturers. Jeep was the most prevalent brand at the rally, sweeping the podium in the 4×4 Class.
The teams now transit to San Diego for Rebellation. From 12 PM to 2 PM on Saturday, October 20th, Rebelle competitor vehicles will be on display and podium awards will be presented for both classes at the historic Lane Field in downtown San Diego. This event is open to the public with media in attendance. The festivities continue at 7 PM until midnight with our ticketed awards gala held at the breathtaking Coasterra. Celebrate in style under the stars overlooking the sparkling San Diego skyline with dinner, dancing, awards, and video highlights from the rally. Black tie-optional, come dressed in whatever clothing makes you feel like a million bucks!
The Rebelle Rally is in a class all on its own as a driving and navigation challenge, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the companies we choose to partner with are just as unique as we are. Case in point: Total Chaos Fabrication. Single-handedly responsible for the “midtravel” suspension segment with their introduction of the tubular Upper Control Arm (UCA) in 2002. These arms use race-quality components to increase wheel travel without the need for custom fabrication. And with Total Chaos’ commitment to quality, craftsmanship, customer service, and constant innovation, we are proud to call them the Official Suspension Partner of the 2018 Rebelle Rally.
Rebelles awoke to a beautiful fall morning in Johnson Valley with perfect temperatures and breakfast prepared by Drew Deckman and his talented staff. Day 6 of the Rebelle Rally presented by Hoehn Adventures started with a Precision Enduro, which is unlike a Rebelle Enduro Challenge (REC) in that rather than being designed for a specific time or speed, a Precision Enduro is designed to run along a specific cap heading. Three different road books were designed to keep teams from following one another, but with 4×4 class leaders Team Blondetourage #125 (Kaleigh Hotchkiss/Teralin Petereit) first off the line, there was plenty of follow-the-leader going on.
Leaving Johnson Valley, the plan was to go through the stunning Joshua Tree National Park. Course Director Jimmy Lewis and his staff spend all year designing the perfect course for the Rebelle Rally, complete with challenging CPs and detailed Rally Navigator-generated road books. Sometimes Mother Nature has a different idea though. The roads in Joshua Tree National Park were washed out by recent rains. The staff reacted by routing the course around the Salton Sea past Mecca en route to the artist compound known as Slab City.
After Slab City teams traveled through Mammoth Wash, which required slow, deliberate tire placement to safely drive to Imperial Sand Dunes (Glamis). Reaching green CPs before their closing times was an issue for all teams on Day 6, with traffic, fueling, and road conditions eating up valuable time. The format of the Rebelle Rally requires teams to manage their time efficiently, as there are set windows of time for each checkpoint. Miss the time cutoff for a green CP and your day is over; literally.
Posting the highest score of the day in the 4×4 class was Team Sassquatch Rebelles #184 (Amy Hopkins/ Kendra Miller) with 154 points. Following closely behind them by two points was Team#140 (Emme Hall/Rebecca Donaghe), and then Team Hoehn Adventures #109.
Despite the change up in the daily winners, Team Blondetourage #125 (Teralin Petereit/Kaleigh Hotchkiss) remains in first in the 4×4 class above Team #140 by two points. Coming in third is Team #109, with 11 points to catch up.
In the Crossover Class, Team Hoehn Porsche #202 (Lisa Wolford/Sandy Conner) won Day 6 to extend their lead in the overall standings. Currently 50 points separate Team Hoehn Porsche and second place Team Naviguessers #210 (Emily Winslow/Alicia Farar).
The final stage of the 2018 Rebelle Rally will push the competitors deeper into the dunes of Glamis in search for elusive CPs. Past editions of the rally have taught us that nothing is certain when dunes are part of the equation. Teams have gotten stuck, broke, and ran out of fuel at Glamis, plunging their position in the standings. Other teams have taken all the skills that they have learned over the week and applied them on course to upset significantly more experienced rivals. Anything can happen at the Rebelle Rally!
It is not always about your score, but how you compete. The Rebelle Rally Team Spirit Award is designed to promote and encourage a positive spirit in the midst of focused competition. It is searching for solutions, providing encouragement, and treating others with respect and enthusiasm – which ultimately results in fostering a spirited competitive climate. The Team Spirit Award winners, as voted on by staff and competitors, receive a $2,500 donation in their name to the charity of their choice, generously provided by Off-Road Like A Girl this year.
Delicious, freeze dried meals are not an oxymoron thanks to official supplier Mountain House. Rebelles, media, and staff’s lunchtime fuel is made up of Mountain House chicken fajitas, mac and cheese, and the occasional breakfast scramble. Not a bad way to break up the day.
Navigation gets considerably more challenging when you get off the burned-in two track and traverse across open Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) areas. Johnson Valley is the largest OHV area in the United States at 96,000 acres, and plays home to the famous King of the Hammers race. Elevations range from 4,600 feet at Hartwell Hills to 2,300 feet at Melville Dry Lake with numerous mountain ranges and rocky canyons. All of this is fertile ground for Course Director Jimmy Lewis to place CPs in the most creative of locations.
Team Hoehn Adventures #109 (Jo Hannah Hoehn/Susie Saxten) and Team Clearwater Designs #115 (Michelle Laframboise/Elise Racette) tied for first place on Day 5, pushing them up to second and fourth place in the 4×4 Class, respectively. Team Blondetourage #125 still leads the overall standings though, with a 12 point lead over Team Hoehn Adventures #109.
In the Crossover Class, Team Hoehn Porsche #202 (Lisa Wolford/Sandy Conner) and Team Desert Dreamers #208 (Ariel Jen/Melanie Morimoto) tied for the best score on Day 5. The strong showing put Team Hoehn Porsche #202 back in first place in the overall standings, ahead of Team Naviguessers #210 (Emily Winslow/Alicia Farrar).
Once returning to Base Camp, the teams had the option of competing in the Falken Tire Change Contest. Seven teams completed an impromptu tire change in under ten minutes, putting them into the pool of lucky participants for a drawing for a set of Falken Tires. While Team Naviguessers #210 (Emily Winslow/Alicia Farrar) took the least amount of time to change their tire, it was Team Ridgeline Rebels #209 (Maria Guitar/Michele Klein) that won the raffle and a free set of Falken tires.
Tomorrow overall leaders Team Blondetourage #125 (Kaleigh Hotchkiss/Teralin Petereit) will be the first off the line for a precision enduro in Johnson Valley before the Rebelles travel south through the artist commune of Slab City en route to the Imperial Sand Dunes, where Rebelles will face the ultimate challenge of navigation and driving.
The Bone Stock Award is presented to the team that places highest in a vehicle that is exactly as delivered from the factory. The only allowable change is different tires, but even that are limited to the factory sizing. Currently Emme Hall and Rebecca Donaghe of Team #140 lead the eleven-vehicle field in Bone Stock and are third overall in the 4×4 Class behind the wheel of a 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon.
Additional Bone Stock participants include:
Team Wild Grace #106 – Nissan Armada
Team Omada Adventure #116 – Land Rover LR4
Team 4 Corners #129 – Ram Rebel
Team Bold Adventures #168 – Toyota Tacoma
Team Not Lost #175 – Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
Team Escape The Paved #176 – Ford Raptor
Team Jeep Thrills #177 – Jeep Wrangler Willys
Team Teton Drift #178 – Mercedes Benz G550 Squared
Team Serendipity #187 – Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
Team Hoehn Porsche #202 – Porsche Cayenne
The desert is a harsh environment with an abundance of spiky vegetation and a lack of water and shade. Fortunately, Rebelles have a triple threat – organic, high-performing, and nourishing. COOLA is effortless to wear and conquers whatever we throw at it – literally. And we’re devoted. COOLA thank you for always having our back with your nourishing, luxurious, anti-oxidant infused plant-based protection from head-to-toe.
Day 4 of the Rebelle Rally marked the second half of the marathon stage, which started with a 66 km Rebelle Enduro Challenge (REC) from China Ranch Date Farm through the 1.6 million-acre Mojave National Preserve. The night before gave teams the opportunity to bond under the cover of date trees, and also do some commiserating. Day 3 was designed to push even the most seasoned competitors to their limits and see how they react. “There is a reason the windshield is large and the rearview mirror is small,” explained Tech Director Chris Woo. “You have to put the mistakes of the past behind you and focus on the present.”
Once the REC was completed it was time to search for CPs, but Day 4 was designed to test not only driving prowess and navigational accuracy, but time management as well. Reaching all CPs was nearly impossible on Day 4, forcing teams to make tough decisions about how to best utilize their time. The competitors traveled down the historic Route 66, which spans 2,448 miles from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. To put it in perspective, the route for the Rebelle Rally covers over 1,600 miles in 2018. Day 4 took to the teams into Johnson Valley OHV Area, home of King of Hammers, where they had their first taste of open driving through valleys and washes without defined roads.
Reigning champions Team Blondetourage #125 (Kaleigh Hotchkiss/Teralin Petereit) won the marathon stage to retake the lead in the overall standings in the 4×4 Class. They now sit 16 points ahead of Team Hoehn Adventures #109 (Jo Hannah Hoehn/Susie Saxten), who have proven to be far more consistent in 2018 than they were in 2017. When asked about what changed, Jo Hannah Hoehn explained, “We know what to expect now. When we have issues, we don’t dwell on them, we just overcome them.”
In the Crossover Class, Team Naviguessers #210 (Emily Winslow/Alicia Farrar) had a breakout day to take the overall lead from Team Hoehn Porsche #202 (Lisa Wolford/Sandy Conner). The rookie team had a smoking clutch in their Subaru Crosstrek after getting stuck on Day 4, but they did not let the setback rattle them.
While night CPs were planned for Day 4, Mother Nature had other plans for her daughters at the Rebelle Rally. Heavy rains meant that Means, Melville, and Soggy Dry Lakebeds weren’t so dry on Day 4. Rebelle Founder Emily Miller made the tough call to cancel the night CPs in order to limit the environmental impact and safety risk on the lakebeds, but expect nighttime navigation to make an appearance at Rebelle Rally 2019… weather permitting.
There are a variety of ways to follow the Rebelle Rally standings in real time as the event progresses. Clicking on rebellerally.com/live-tracking gives you two maps – live vehicle tracking, and our course narrative map from our partners at Mapbox. Think of it as a user’s guide to each day – including: area history, terrain details, images, updates, competition info, etc. You can also track the teams’ position on course by downloading the YB Races app, available for iOS and Android.
For those that prefer tabular data, live scoring has just about every statistic you could ever wish for. There are overall standings for the 4×4 and Crossover classes, links to team bios, and individual CP scores for each day. Note that 4x4s are separated into Group A and Group B in order to discourage teams from playing follow-the-leader.
Having a successful Rebelle Rally or challenging adventure is all about preparation and choosing the right gear that you can trust. What’s critical for a success? A good night’s sleep! So we don’t go anywhere without our Big Agnes MountainGlo tents, Q-Core Deluxe sleeping pads, and any sleeping bag rated at 20° or colder. Named for a peak out their backdoor in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Big Agnes is an awesome crew dedicated to the outdoors. They put their gear through the paces and continually work to make it the best.
Competitors woke up before dawn to 17-degree temperatures to start Day 3 of the Rebelle Rally presented by Hoehn Adventures in Diamondfield, Nevada. The route started with a Rebelle Enduro Challenge (REC) to Goldfield, and the crossover competitors stopping at the cool and quirky International Car Forest of the Last Church. From there the route continued south to Rhyolite, another of Nevada’s colorful ghost towns. In 1907 Rhyolite was considered cutting edge with electric lights, water mains, telephones, newspapers, a hospital, a school, an opera house, and a stock exchange. The population was estimated at 5,000 in 1907, but by 1920 it had plunged to nearly zero.
From Rhyolite the route skirted along the top-secret Area 51, where the government tests experimental aircraft and weapons systems. The teams used their decidedly more old school navigation systems to arrive at Amargosa Dunes. This dune system covers five square miles and rises up to 500 feet tall, just large enough for competitors to air down their tires and get a taste of what is to come. While the dunes seemed benign, more than one team fell prey to the soft sand and challenging CPs found on Day 3.
The standings started to spread out on Day 3, with Team Blondetourage #125 (Teralin Petereit/Kaleigh Hotchkiss) earning the most points for the day in the provisional standings of the 4×4 Class, moving them back into first place in the overall standings. They lead Team Hoehn Adventures #109 (Jo Hannah Hoehn/Susie Saxten) by nine points and Team #140 (Emme Hall/Rebecca Donaghe) by ten points. In the Crossover Class, Team Hoehn Porsche #202 (Lisa Wolford/Sandy Conner) posted the best score for the day to hold off Team Naviguessers #210 (Emily Winslow/Alicia Farrar) in the provisional standings for the event. Scoring for the marathon stage (Day 3 and Day 4) will not be finalized until all teams return to Base Camp at the end of Day 4 and meet with scoring officials.
Once back on the hardpack the teams worked their way to the China Ranch Date Farm. Unlike past years where the self-camp night of the marathon stage in Dumont Dunes, this year the competitors were treated to an oasis nestled on the edge of Death Valley. Setting up their tents in the shadows of huge date trees, they had the opportunity to commune with their fellow Rebelles and cook for themselves. “We could have gone home on Day 0 and it all would have been worth it,” confessed Amy Evans of Team #171. “I never thought I would have been so happy to be lost in the desert! You just can’t explain to people what this event is.”
Tomorrow marks the second half of the marathon stage, with teams transiting through the Mojave National Preserve on their way to Johnson Valley OHV Area, where the competitors with face the Rebelle Rally’s first ever night stage!
Most multi-day rally events determine the starting order for a day from the previous day’s results. The Rebelle Rally is different in that each team draws a number out of a bowl at the end of each day to determine their starting order for the next day. “By making the starting order random we prevent the less experienced teams from just following the more experienced teams each day,” explained Scoring Director Chrissie Beavis. “We also set up more than one route to prevent teams from following each other.”
Born in 1936, Suunto has always been committed to accuracy. Not satisfied with the accuracy of traditional dry compasses and their lack of steady needle operation, engineer and Suunto founder Tuomas Vohlonen discovered and patented the production method for the liquid-filled compass. This made for a much steadier needle, better readings, and a whole new level of accuracy. Since then, Suunto has been at the forefront of design and innovation for a variety of instruments used by adventurers all over the globe. Suunto’s MC-2 G Mirror Compass is the compass of choice for Rebelles who understand that the difference between success and failure when looking for that unmarked black CPs in the dunes comes down to a matter of feet. When precision matters, we choose Suunto.
Rebelles got a few extra minutes of sleep this morning, as the route for Day 2 both started and ended in Diamondfield, meaning that they did not have to pack up their gear for the day. Day 2 started with a 36-kilometer Rebelle Enduro Challenge (REC); considerably shorter than the REC on Day 1. The terrain was smooth and winding as the road went west past Goldfield across Highway 95. Teams were broken into three groups, which limited the ability to play follow-the-leader on the course and forced competitors to rely on their navigation skills.
The route went through the colorfully named Monkey Face Canyon on their way to the mining town of Silver Peak. The area around Silver Peak has been hammered by flash floods over the past six months, requiring the course crew to change the route last month after smooth graded roads were reduced to boulder fields. After more flooding last week, there were rain ruts and washouts that required careful attention. The final CPs of the day were located on Alkali Dry Lake Bed, southeast of Tonopah. The rain made the lakebed a little less dry, but all the teams made it safely back to the Diamondfield Base Camp for Drew Deckman’s take on Taco Tuesday, which included ceviche with shrimp graciously provided by Del Pacifico Seafood. Fair trade certified wild Mexican shrimp from the Pacific Ocean, the Rebelles were fed well tonight!
In the 4×4 Class, Emme Hall and Rebecca Donaghe (Team #140) posted the best score of the day to take a slim lead of three points in the overall standings over 2017 winners Team Blondetourage #125 (Teralin Petereit/Kaleigh Hotchkiss). After a strong showing for the day, Team 4 Corners #129 (Nena Barlow/Chris Mayne) and Team Clearwater Design #115 (Michelle Laframboise/Elise Racette) are in a tie for third place in the overall standings. In the Crossover Class, Team Hoehn Porsche #202 (Sandy Conner/Lisa Wolford) posted the best score for Day 2, giving them a slight margin over Team Artemis #206 (Marty Lawrence/Kate Lundin) in the overall Crossover standings.
On Day 3 the teams will get their first taste of the sand dunes en route to the China Ranch Date Farm for the first half of the marathon stage. Team Desert Dreamers #208 (Ariel Jen/ Melanie Morimoto) will be the first off the line at 7 AM PDT in their Bone Stock Honda Pilot. You can track the teams in realtime here.
A Marathon Stage takes place over two days with minimal outside support (only fueling is allowed). The teams are required to carry all of their own camping gear and cook for themselves, without the luxuries of Base Camp, which include mechanics, showers, and bathrooms. Mountain House freeze dried meals and MREs will substitute for Drew Deckman’s cuisine.
Corkcicle is a fan favorite amongst Rebelles and staff. Since 2017, we’ve counted on the triple-insulated canteens to do everything from keeping our coffee hot in the mountains, to keeping our water cold in the dunes. They also help us minimize trash on the rally, keeping plastic out of our oceans and landfills. Rebelles have also found some creative ways to make use of the sleek, easy grip design that does it all — including a make-shift radiator replenisher and a source of hot water quickly on the go. We interviewed Corkcicle Founder Stephen Bruner last year to find out how he got started, and how his knack for innovation is bringing the refined to our rough at the Rebelle. Check out our throwback interview here, and our go-to Corkcicle choice here (cupholder friendly included).
