4/20/20 Camp Jeep 5-pack

For the 5-packs I will profile the entire set since I have shown and provided information on most of the vehicles provided in each pack, and since I already have provided the specs for each vehicle I will not provide any more specs for these 5-packs except for the star rating which will be provided for each vehicle.

First up is the Camp Jeep 5-pack, based on the Jeep Jamboree’s that are held annually at selected trails across the United States, and it was nice to see Matchbox release a 5-pack in celebration of the Jeep lifestyle even though there are only four Jeeps in this set.  The Dirt Bike with rider complete with rubber tires, dust splatter on the frame of the bike, and Camp Jeep badge on the rear seat.  It fits pretty well in the set though most of us would prefer a fifth Jeep truck casting instead.  The sole clean example of the group, the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee, shows off the first use of the new for 2000 tooling without the raft on the roof giving the Grand Cherokee a clean, if soft, appearance in red with Camp Jeep badging across the sides of the SUV.  The older Cherokee returns in blue with dust splatter and strangely retains the light bar in this 5-pack even though it does not show any signs of being a support vehicle aside from the Camp Jeep badge on the sides (note the artistic outdoor design of the famous Jeep grille design in the logo).  Of course it can’t be a Jeep set without the iconic CJ/Wrangler and this set has two:  the older CJ7 that was based on the Kenner Fast 111’s Jeep casting still lives in in green with gobs of mud across the sides and even on the wheels (the base is painted brown for the full effect.)  It’s a classy casting with front brush guard with winch, doorless sides with side exhaust, full rollcage, and even a whip antenna at the rear.  The interior has seating for two with the rear seats removed for the full-sized spare tire based on the same Matchbox wheels on all four and a separate steering wheel.  Despite having some crude areas this casting has aged gracefully and a 2017 update removed the separate steering wheel and antenna for a more solid look without any missing parts.  The last Jeep in this set is a nice one being the new 1998 Wrangler casting that premiered in 1999 in silver with a simple dust splatter pattern that is so precise even the windshield is covered in it with a section wiped clean by the windshield wipers.  Sure Matchbox has made recent Jeep sets and with some nice castings, but this 5-pack is the first of its kind with plenty of mud and plenty of fun!

Rating:

Jeep Cherokee Police- 5 out of 5 stars

1998 Jeep Wrangler- 5 out of 5 stars

Jeep CJ-7- 4 out of 5 stars

1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee- 4.8 out of 5 stars

Dirt Bike- 3 out of 5 stars