Expedition TJ Buildup....

[thejafe]

Living on the east coast is rather frustrating when most of the trails and places I'd like to experience are hundreds of miles away. With this in mind my plan from the beginning has been to build a vehicle that I wouldn't mind driving long distances (across the country eventually) to remote, scenic places. Of course, once at the trailhead my rig had better be capable enough to make it through multiple days of 4-wheeling and then get me home again.

Now I realize that a LWB Jeep may have been a better option this kind of thing but my base vehicle happens to be a TJ..

With these factors in mind requirements for my rig are simple; a vehicle that can handle a variety of weather conditions (snow in particular), something that will be comfortable during long excursions yet right at home on the trail, enough storage for my gear.

So, if anyone is building a rig with similar factors in mind I'd love to hear about your experiences and what parts/accessories have worked (or haven't worked) for you.

Here's the plan......

Base Vehicle
2004 Jeep TJ Sport
Automatic Transmission
3.73 Gears
Dana 30/44
Dual Tops

Wheels and Tires
265/75R16 BF Goodrich All Terrain Tires
16x8 American Racing Baja Wheels (4.5" BS)

Suspension
2.5" Old Man Emu HD Suspension
.75" Rubicon Express Coil Spacers (4)

Steering / Control Arms etc.
JKS "Quicker" Disconnects
JKS HD Chromoly Tie Rod
JKS Adjustable Lower Control Arms (4)
Curre HD Adjustable Front Track Bar
Nthº Mobility Adjustable Upper Control Arms (4)

Drivetrain
Advance Adapters SYE / Tom Woods CV Shaft

Armor
Nthº Mobility Tummy Tucker / Auto Skid / Oil Pan Skid
Kilby Gas Tank / Steering Box Skids
Sun Performance Rocker Guards
JKS LCA skids (weld on)

Bumpers
Garvin Wilderness Front Bumper + IPF 968 Driving Lights
Garvin Wilderness Rear Bumper + Swingout Tire Carrier

Recovery
Warn Winch (undecided model)
48" Hi-Lift Jack
ARB Recovery Strap

Misc.
Cobra 75WXST CB / Firestik Antenna
Husky Floor Lines (front, rear and cargo)
Wet Okole Seat Covers (Black)

[thejafe]

Many of the parts listed are currently bolted to my rig. Others I'll be swapping in. Right now I'm running the following:

OME HD Coils / RE .75" Coil Spacers
Rubicon Express Twin Tube Shocks
32x11.50 BFG AT's
1.25" Spidertrax Wheel Spacers

When it comes time for new tires (which will be soon) I'll be switching over to the 265's and the 16" AR Baja's plus a nice set of the new *black* OME shocks ;) .

http://homepage.mac.com/thejafe/.Pictures/For%20Posting%20On%20Forums2/IMG_5957.jpg

[OverlandZJ]

Welcome to the Portal.. :wavey:


Beautiful Jeep!

Looks like you'v done some homework and have come up with a sound plan. I like your lower lift and increase of ground clearance approach. Sounds like it'll suit your needs.

I'll let those with a SWB give their impression of maximizing space.

:campfire:

[OverlandZJ]

Oh, and you asked about parts that didnt work for us....

The JKS HD Tierod. I forgot to antisieze the tierod ends in and broke one attempting to swap it out...hardly JKS's fault. But now i own a $90 prybar...just something to think about. :p

[Scott Brady]

Welcome to the portal:camping:

Your Jeep looks great! I actually dont find the SWB to be a big problem. You can build a strong trail platform and then pull a trailer to distribute the payload.

Cant wait to see your Jeep evolve :)

[Boston Mangler]

York OBA, should be available as a bolt in kit!

[goodtimes]

I agree with Scott (exwest) about the trailer. After setting my jeep up to run [what I call] moderate trails (3.5 - 4.5 on a 1 - 5 scale), I figured out that I like doing the exploring thing as much as the rock crawling thing. After a couple years of trying various configurations with the jeep, I have concluded that a trailer is the way to go. Stick a fridge inside of it, a roof top tent on top of it, pull the rear seat out of the jeep, and you will have plenty of room for 2 people to live comfortably for weeks on end (with the occasional stop for a shower.....).

Even with my current configuration (in which the interior consists of a drivers seat, center console, and a whole bunch of flat platform), there really isn't enough room to live for more than a week or two if you are travelling solo (or with a 4 legged friend). If you want to take the hand brake or the kids....you are gonna need a trailer.

[thejafe]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! Just added a new page to my website featuring misc. pics of my TJ both on the trail and otherwise :smiley_drive: . You can check it out here:

http://homepage.mac.com/thejafe/PhotoAlbum73.html

http://homepage.mac.com/thejafe/.Pictures/Current%20Setup/Rausch%20and%20Paragon%20Spring%20Run%202006%20056 .jpg

[LUISJG]

MY EX - TJ was riged with 1 inch BB and 2 inch SL.
and was greta on expeditions , but lack of space made me dicide to sell
and get a cherokee.

[CLynn85]

Nice looking TJ, looks like it's already very well traveled. And you have a good base to start from with the D44 Rear.


LUISJG - Which roof rails/bars are those?

[cshontz]

Hiya, Andrew! Welcome to ExPo! :D

http://static.flickr.com/55/138827140_52ab1fdb2d.jpg

[LUISJG]

Nice looking TJ, looks like it's already very well traveled. And you have a good base to start from with the D44 Rear.


LUISJG - Which roof rails/bars are those?


Those were surco rails and bars, the trick here is when mounting on the hard top ,, the rails have to be on the outer portion of the roof were the fiberglass i double thick ,, you can load houdreds of pounds without worries

[thejafe]

Hiya, Andrew! Welcome to ExPo! :D



Hey Chris! I remember you taking that pic :D .

I'm diggin' this forum... wish I had found it a long time ago. I'm trying to get into more expedition type 4-wheeling. Most of the guys I run with are more into the rock-crawling which I really don't mind, I'd just like to do some more exploring with my rig :smiley_drive: .

[OverlandZJ]

Most of the guys I run with are more into the rock-crawling which I really don't mind, I'd just like to do some more exploring with my rig :smiley_drive: .

Theres alot of that goin around! :hehe:

It's all about this... :smiley_drive:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d24/ExpeditionXJ/Hpim1129.jpg

[OverlandZJ]

OT...

My photo's...they look so clear and crisp when on my laptop and at photopoint. When i post them they get less than....good.

Am i doing something wrong? Bad digital camera?

[thejafe]

OT...

My photo's...they look so clear and crisp when on my laptop and at photopoint. When i post them they get less than....good.

Am i doing something wrong? Bad digital camera?

hmm not sure about the quality thing... that's odd. Where was that pic taken??

[OverlandZJ]

Where was that pic taken??

Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, just outside Badlands NP in South Dakota Oct 05.

The Teal YJ is Cowboy here and the Red YJ is my son's Jeep. We threw this trip together at last minute (30 DAYS) and i was not able to take my Cherokee. I'v had an itch for a ragtop since.

[CLynn85]

That's what really gets me. No one around here in the Jeep community is up for that kind of stuff. They just want to go bigger and try and break their stuff while digging up the countryside. That pic with the 2 YJ's makes me happy.

[YJ Dave]

Nice looking Jeep!

Looking foward to seeing more photos of all the work you are planing on doing.

[thejafe]

That's what really gets me. No one around here in the Jeep community is up for that kind of stuff. They just want to go bigger and try and break their stuff while digging up the countryside. That pic with the 2 YJ's makes me happy.

I posted the same thread over on Jeepforum where I have well over 2k posts. Most of the guys I run with are not impressed with my buildup plans :mad: . I've been trying to defend my decisions. Their take is that I'd be limiting myself and the capabilities of my rig by staying with 32's and not regearing. Within the last few weeks many of them have made major improvements to their vehicles; bumped up to 33's from stock, purchased tow vehicles, Air-Rock suspensions etc....

[goodtimes]

I posted the same thread over on Jeepforum where I have well over 2k posts. Most of the guys I run with are not impressed with my buildup plans :mad: . I've been trying to defend my decisions. Their take is that I'd be limiting myself and the capabilities of my rig by staying with 32's and not regearing. Within the last few weeks many of them have made major improvements to their vehicles; bumped up to 33's from stock, purchased tow vehicles, Air-Rock suspensions etc....

Most of the people over at JF, JU, BBS, MJR, GLJT, etc., are into rock crawling. Most of them do not see the draw of expedition travel, therefor do not see the reasoning behind plans like yours. In their mind (and when I say "their", I mean the forum community in general, not each individual..there are ALWAYS exceptions), building a jeep for expedition travel is as pointless as building a rock crawler is to most of the people on this board.

Don't be afraid to go against the flow. I did, and I like it. If someone else doesn't like it, they can go find a different trail, and we'll both be happy. Problem solved.

[kcowyo]

...Even with my current configuration (in which the interior consists of a drivers seat, center console, and a whole bunch of flat platform), there really isn't enough room to live for more than a week or two if you are travelling solo....

....Don't be afraid to go against the flow. I did, and I like it. If someone else doesn't like it, they can go find a different trail, and we'll both be happy. Problem solved.

Wow, I can't believe it but I'm agreeing with GT!

And you can live out of a Jeep for more than week or two but it helps if you're anti-social and have several issues. :xxrotflma

[OverlandZJ]

thejafe...i had been following that thread as you know. I knew what course that thread would follow...i'v seen it happen before. (XXXPEDITION) over at NAXJA. Thats why i pointed you here...

I'v been there..as have others. My XJ once sat on 9" of lift with 36" Swampers. Although i never broke i was constantly replacing worn /damaged components....and fenders. Then one day it dawned on me i hated driving it because it was such an effort...and forget about driving it cross country. I made the decision it had to come back down for a trip to the North Woods.

I'm currently doing a rebuild of my Jeep to make it into something i can run moderate trails and run cross country...because i believe i can have my cake and eat it too.

Follow your interests...not someone else's. And let the rockcrawlers to their thing....dont let the Expedition thing outta the bag....otherwise the beaches at Baja, Monument Valley, and other secluded and awesome scenic areas around this country may eventually look like the staging area at Paragon. :yikes:


Rock....err.... :camping: on :exclaim:

[cshontz]

God, I love ExPo. :ylsmoke:

I started out bitten by the trail-riding bug as many do. Logical progression was to build bigger, and run harder trails. Eventually discovered that I didn't like 1) building and wrenching, and 2) obstacle-centric wheelin' - and that I loved exploration, touring off-highway, and the accompanying unexpected challenges. It took me several years to figure that out, and I feel a little alienated by the mindset.

[LUISJG]

I posted the same thread over on Jeepforum where I have well over 2k posts. Most of the guys I run with are not impressed with my buildup plans :mad: . I've been trying to defend my decisions. Their take is that I'd be limiting myself and the capabilities of my rig by staying with 32's and not regearing. Within the last few weeks many of them have made major improvements to their vehicles; bumped up to 33's from stock, purchased tow vehicles, Air-Rock suspensions etc....


DONT LISTEN...
i now run 31's on my cherokee and couldnt be happier...., and used to run 33,s on my tj...
33's realy suck for gas milage. and highway speed.

i only had a 2 inch lift on my tj and could do almost everything the 4 inchers did.

so stay cool. and get what you want,,,keepeing in mind wht your jeep be for..... expedition or rockcrawling..

[OverlandZJ]

That pic with the 2 YJ's makes me happy.

We were happy, sitting in the middle of nowhere, the howling of the Coyote, the Milky Way from horizon to horizon...nothing could dampen our spirits.

Until we ran across this poor bastard.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d24/ExpeditionXJ/HPIM1198.jpg




:hehe:

[cshontz]

He looks too comfortable to be a dead man.

(... to completely hijack Andrew's thread)

[OverlandZJ]

He looks too comfortable to be a dead man.

(... to completely hijack Andrew's thread)

At least we arent arguing with his decision on parts....we'll leave that to the JeepForum crowd. :sport_box :

What was this thread about?

:xxrotflma

[goodtimes]

Wow, I can't believe it but I'm agreeing with GT!


Run for the hills! All hell is about to break loose!




And you can live out of a Jeep for more than week or two but it helps if you're anti-social and have several issues. :xxrotflma

Yea, I have those things covered...but after a week, I'm looking for a hot shower and a soft bed....at least for a night or two.

[thejafe]

And you can live out of a Jeep for more than week or two but it helps if you're anti-social and have several issues. :xxrotflma

I would have no problem at all living out of my TJ if I had one of these ;) :

http://www.expeditionswest.com/equipment/adventure_equip/adventure_trailers/in_use/IMG_9814.JPG

[CLynn85]

I posted the same thread over on Jeepforum where I have well over 2k posts. Most of the guys I run with are not impressed with my buildup plans :mad: . I've been trying to defend my decisions. Their take is that I'd be limiting myself and the capabilities of my rig by staying with 32's and not regearing. Within the last few weeks many of them have made major improvements to their vehicles; bumped up to 33's from stock, purchased tow vehicles, Air-Rock suspensions etc....


Yeah I get fed up with Jeepforum after a while. They mainly have the go big or go home mindset. None of them have the slightest inclination to try and build a capable rig that's still drivable.

[goodtimes]

Yeah I get fed up with Jeepforum after a while. They mainly have the go big or go home mindset. None of them have the slightest inclination to try and build a capable rig that's still drivable.

Unfortunately, that is the case with most boards once they start getting big. MJR is still decent, but even there we have a few of the same folks that hit all the boards who are completely convinced that their way of doing it is the only way to do it right, and all nay-sayers are just idiots. But it isn't as bad there as the bigger boards.

[Cowboy]

What ya can't see is me laughing my *** off!

[YJ Dave]

I missed the tire/gear/trans combo on my first read threw.

Please don't take this as a bash, it is only FWIW.

I ran my Jeep with 32's, 3.73 gears and a stick for a year or so. While you will have slightly more flexability with the auto, that I had. A gear swap is a very good thing IMHO.

I had a lunch box locker that blew up and needed to be replaced, at the same time I changed the gears.

Before the gear change, my Jeep was sluggish and slow off the line, climbing steep hills often required shifting into 3rd gear, on the freeway. When I switched lockers, I also made the jump to 4.10 gears, it was like having a new Jeep. The thing was totally different, and suddenly a pleasure to drive on the freeway. Before the gear swap I struggled to get 15 MPG, after the gear swap I averaged 17 MPG. When out camping the lower gears were real nice when climbing and descending steep trails, as I had more control over my Jeep, and the breaks had less work to do while off road.

Gear swaps are not cheap, but it has been some of the best money that I spent on my Jeep.

I applauded your idea of adding on lots of high clearance parts. After the gear swap the high clearance parts on my Jeep were the next biggest improvement in performance, in my Jeeps ability to pass threw tough terrain, with ease. More clearance with a lower COG is totally sweet.

[Chris85710]

I did a 4 " Teraflex short and stuffed 33"s under it.

I could not have been happier.

We took it from Tucson AZ to the South tip of Baja and back, not great gas mileage(14-16MPG) but it would hold any speed on any grade I felt safe driving.


We solved the TJ space issues by strapping my daughter to the Hitch rack :smiley_drive:

http://www.chrisgrier.com/gallery/pictures/DSC00065_medium.JPG

[crawldit]

Now this is the kind of thread I like. Welcome to the board Jafe :ylsmoke: Here's my rig :
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/crawldit/000_0677.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/crawldit/000_0678.jpg
That's when I had my RE Budget Boost. I wanted a little more room so I swapped out the spacers for 3" Teraflex Coils. My rig is mainly for expedition type trails with the family, but I like to crawl too
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/crawldit/Heep2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/crawldit/Heep1.jpg
I plan on stretching the wheelbase with leaf springs in the rear and running some 35's. I think that the added clearance and the stability of the leafs will only help on my expidition trips. I saw your thread over on JF but those guys are so pig headed. Glad you found this board man.

[goodtimes]

I plan on stretching the wheelbase with leaf springs in the rear and running some 35's. I think that the added clearance and the stability of the leafs will only help on my expidition trips.

I always wonder why people like to do this. IMO, if you are going through the trouble of stretching the wheelbase (which requires relocating the gas tank, new brake lines, e-brake cables, ABS wiring (if so equipped), driveshaft, a fair amount of body work, etc....), why not set up a decent pair of coil overs with the proper spring rates, the proper rate anti-sway bar, right link geometry, and not have to deal with the axle wrap, rough ride, and all that crap? You have much more control and tuneability (is that a word???) with coil overs, they make leaf springs look archaic. Relatively speaking, it is easier to tune coil overs to get the front and rear to share the work, and get the ride you want, compared to trying to tune leaf packs. I see no clearance advantage, in fact, I see them (leafs) at a disadvantage when dropping over shelfs.

I too kick the idea around about stretching my TJ out about 10", but have no desire to run leaf springs. In fact, I was going to get rid of the leafs on my Dodge and run a 4-link in the back. I'm not a huge fan of leafs compared to properly set up coils.

So why the leafs? :confused:

[crawldit]

Well I agree with absolutely everything that you just said. I want leafs because they are cheap, easy and cheap (oops did I already say that:p ) Coilovers and a properly setup link suspension will be down the road when the money is available. I'm more concerned with spending the money on a good behind the seat fuel cell and then re-working the suspension down the road when the money is available. I've seen plenty of pics of TJ's that have stretched with leafs and the owners all rave about the ride and stability. Granted they haven't driven on coilovers. To each his own I guess :friday:

[Scott Brady]

My OME leaves are butter smooth and I can easily out-flex a standard length arm TJ.

[goodtimes]

I still have standard length arms on my TJ. It twists up pretty well. ;)

Leaf springs can work well, there is no denying that. They are also cheap to set up, and very forgiving if you set something up in a less than optimal fashion (compared to a linked system anyway).

If my vehicle already had leafs, I would think long and hard before I ditched them for coils, unless I was departing from the OEM's original intention of use (for example, taking a vehicle originally intended to haul heavy loads on relatively smooth roads into a vehicle that hauls light loads over really nasty roads at high speed). But I don't think I would go the other way....

I do like the longer wheelbase aspect of it though. Not only can you get a much better departure angle...but you get to add some driveline length. As you probably already figured out, even with the fixed yolk on your NP241, the driveshaft is still so short it can cause problems.

[BajaTaco]

Andrew, I'm a little late here, but welcome to the forum. :beer:

Sweet Jeep! I can definitely relate about being bitten (quite hard) by the exploration bug. I think you will find that we seem to be coming out of the woodwork these days :D

Your fellow explorer on 32"s,

Chris

[thejafe]

Andrew, I'm a little late here, but welcome to the forum. :beer:

Sweet Jeep! I can definitely relate about being bitten (quite hard) by the exploration bug. I think you will find that we seem to be coming out of the woodwork these days :D

Your fellow explorer on 32"s,

Chris

Hey, thanks for warm welcome Chris... us 32'ers gotta stick together :cool: .

So, I was just over @ OK4WD in NJ and picked up my latest additions. Check 'em out. They'll be going in tomorrow!:

http://homepage.mac.com/thejafe/.Pictures/For%20Posting%20On%20Forums2/IMG_6139.jpg

No more pressing in bar-pins!

http://homepage.mac.com/thejafe/.Pictures/For%20Posting%20On%20Forums2/IMG_6140.jpg

[thejafe]

Also, looks like Garvin Industries just updated their webpage... I see that they now offer a mount for an air-tank that bolts to the swing away. This might be a solution for me when I get my CO2 setup:

• Air Tank Mounting Brackets. Mounts power tank or equivelent bracket to the driver’s side of the Swing Away. Part #34960

http://www.garvin-industries.com/images/products/extaccessories.jpg

[JPFreek1]

I've been reading up on this post and it's always good to see fellow Jeepers interested in using their Jeeps for expedition travel and adventure. I own a 2005 Rubicon and have done some crawling with it but to me, the real pleasure is taking it off-highway and enjoying the adventure of the world. The mods that I have, that I would recommend for a Jeep expedition vehicle, are as follows:

Stock 31" Goodyear A/T
JKS Quick Disconnects
Warn XD9000i Winch
IPS 350 Series Fog Lights
Bestop Expedition Trail Rack (mounts above spare tire)
2 Adventure Trailers Gas Can Holders and 1 each of Specter Fuel/Water Cans
CB Radio (or handheld) for communication with partners along the trip
2" coil spring spacers for added clearance

An eventual safari roof rack will be in the picture, as well as an Adventure Trailers Chaser trailer at some point but everything listed above has worked well for me and having a Rubicon, there's no need to do wild suspension lifts, increase tire size, and all the other stuff that rock crawlers crave. That's not to say my Rubi can't crawl because it can, but it's nice to have a vehicle that is diverse and expedition-ready. Good luck to you!

[BajaTaco]

Hey, thanks for warm welcome Chris... us 32'ers gotta stick together :cool: .

So, I was just over @ OK4WD in NJ and picked up my latest additions. Check 'em out. They'll be going in tomorrow!:



No more pressing in bar-pins!



Very cool. Old Man Emu is on the scene. Let us know how it goes.

The CO2 setup would be really nice to have in that location. Do you have on-board air yet? Are you planning on CO2 instead of a compressor?

[thejafe]

Well, there's a small delay in getting my new OME shocks on the Jeep. 3 of them are in and 100% done :victory: . However, I'm running JKS Bar Pin Eliminators on the old Rubicon Express shocks and they use allen head bolts, one of which is totally stripped out. The guys I go wheelin' with are having a wrenching party next weekend and we're gonna attempt to go at the bolt then. Looks like I'll be on one odd shock for a week :( .

Painted the steering stabilizer with some black Rustoleoum and waiting for that to dry, tomorrow it gets a second coat and hopefully I'll have it in on monday.

For your viewing pleasure I'll see if I can get some pics up tomorrow of the side that's done... looks real good, I must say ;) .

[thejafe]

http://homepage.mac.com/thejafe/.Pictures/For%20Posting%20On%20Forums2/IMG_6186.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/thejafe/.Pictures/For%20Posting%20On%20Forums2/IMG_6176.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/thejafe/.Pictures/For%20Posting%20On%20Forums2/IMG_6193.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/thejafe/.Pictures/For%20Posting%20On%20Forums2/IMG_6178.jpg

[portaladmin]

Looking VERY sharp :)

Did you paint the shocks? Kind of cool in black.

[cshontz]

Lookin' good, Andrew! :)

[thejafe]

Thanks for the compliments guys :D .

The shocks are now available straight from ARB in black. I did have to paint the steering stabilizer gloss black to match though. No biggie.

[86cj]

thejafe,
I just ended up here after my last trip, when I started researching roof top tents and stumbled in here. I met you at JU,I think you PM'd about my wheels.Are jeeps are really similar, you're plans will work great don't apologize to anybody.

I was planning on DD, some wheeling and as a toad when we bought the LJ....
But the road manners are so good it is evolving into just what you talked about,driving 1500-2000 miles just to get to wheeling spot.Which I found usually (other than short rockcrawling trails) is not very challenging but offers unbelievable veiws and the solitude needed to survive the daily drag of working 49 weeks a year. So we leave camper at home break out tent and stop to smell the pine needles, just like the old CJ days.......
I never had a SWB with coil springs,so I can't comment on ride but can relate to room issues, we took CJ all over the place.
If you want it as much as you do everything you need to have fun will fit and work fine. Somebody always has "earthroamer bucks" don't sweat it,Seems like nobody here cares.......... I'm Glad to have joined lot's great info....

Vehicle:04 Unlimited
Sport all options

Wheels/tires: AEV argent 16x8, 285-16 MT/R's, 1.25" spidertrax

Suspension:3" BDS springs Air lift bags in rear, Bilstein 5100 shocks, JKS quick disconnects and front trackbar, stock rear trackbar w/OME bracket

Steering / Arms: JKS upper and lower in rear, BDS front lower, stock upper,
Currie HD tie rods.

Armor: KOZ Offroad custom cage, Skidrow oil pan, stock shovel,front diff guard, more to come..

Bumpers:ARB front no winch yet, KOZ Offroad custom rear.

Misc:Hi lift cage mount,Cobra CB and ant, Big tuffy box,Geneva wheelwell toolbx,small diamond plate tool box,cooler shelf with upcoming slide out, rear tailgate shelf.......

[FourByLand]

I just wanted to say that you jeep looks like an excellent platform and I really like the AEV rims, nice choice!

:eatchicke

[86cj]

FourByLand I just wanted to say that you jeep looks like an excellent platform and I really like the AEV rims, nice choice

Thanks for the thumbs up. I did not start with a set plan, but did lift it w/ a BB and 33's with only 36 miles and wheels are very good quality.
The rest has just been an evolution and inspiration to keep moving and travel light.
This group is kind of a de ja vu after some trips we have done..I hope I can help as well as pick up lot's of tip's.