New Expedition Portal Jeeper

[DakarTJ]

Hallo All, I am new to the expedition style of building a Jeep, but not to the rock crawling style.
I have a 2001 wrangler (TJ), 4.0L, Auto, D30/35c 3.73, RE7000 4.5" Supper Flex W/(3.5") coils, Bilstein 5100 shocks, 1" (Go-fer-IT)MM, 1" P.A. BL, Powertrax LockRight, 33" Coopers STT, Rock Crusher rockers, Skid Row oil pan skid, PSC trail roll cage, TBT Stinger front bumper, MM SE9500C Winch 1200 watt inverter, Yellow top Optima.
I have found myself only rock crawling about 10% of the other 90% is more long “expedition“ trips. I put “” on expedition because in a TJ I don’t have enough room for a weeks worth of gear. So I want to change the direction of my build. I still want to do some the harder trails, but I want my primary setup to be expedition.
I want to add a roof rack “Garvin” or “Kargomaster” I don’t have hard top so I will need the rack cage for either one. I have done searches on all the forums I can and it looks like most people like the “Kargomaster”. What do you all think?
For the rear bumper I know I am going with the “Garvin”- EXT Series Swing-Away Bumper System
I have read the 500 page thread on snorkels and I still want one, nuff said.
I know a TJ is not the best platform for an expedition rig but it’s what I have and it’s paid for. It‘s only the wife and I, no kids and no dogs.
I don’t know what I am asking, maybe I am just saying HELLO!:wings:

http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m200/Dakartj/?sc=1&addtype=local

[ZooJunkie]

Where are the pics??? :)

[DakarTJ]

Where are the pics??? :)

I can't get to the photo sites at work, and I don't know how to attach something.

[Winky]

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2376

I am interested to see pics. We are running the same suspension.

[DakarTJ]

I can not open websites that host pics at work. Lets see if thie is a good link. If it's not I will add some tonight when I get home.

http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m200/Dakartj/?sc=1&addtype=local

[DaveInDenver]

Attached some photos from Photobucket, hope you don't mind.

[DakarTJ]

That cool, thank you.

[DaveInDenver]

I do have a question (this is not uniquely Jeep), but what's the purpose of the stingers? We were talking about this the other day and we could only come up with a couple. The one I liked was that it seems that if you roll your truck, the stinger would presumably make a triangle with the roll cage and keep the windshield, hood and engine bay from collapsing, right?

[Gear]

Welcome -- Nice Jeep. You might be interested in having a custom roof rack made. Jon at Hunter Off-road did mine. He is in Tempe, AZ. I like your front bumper. Here is an another alternative for expeditioning out of a Jeep.

Adventure Trailer, Chaser #15

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dc26b3127cce813bb7ec5cfe00000016108EatWzFu0cO

[DakarTJ]

the stinger would presumably make a triangle with the roll cage and keep the windshield, hood and engine bay from collapsing, right?

The stingers is to protect the windshield. It will also help to put you on your side instead of your top.


Adventure Trailer, Chaser #15

I looked in to the chaser, but its way out of my budget.


Jon at Hunter Off-road did mine.

Do you have pics of his work?

[Gear]

DaveinDenver wrote
the stinger would presumably make a triangle with the roll cage and keep the windshield, hood and engine bay from collapsing, right? That is the reason I put one on. To save the radiator. I also like the fact that fast cars think twice about pulling over in front of me with little room to spare. It is fun to watch them take a double take in there mirror. Also one thing that I have grown to like is the fact that I can see the top of the stinger from the drivers seat. This is the furthest point infront of me. Allows me to judge my distance when parking.

[Gear]

Here is a quick link to my roof rack. John made this rack. He can be reached at this number 480-557-7577. Or you can try his website, www.hunteroffroad.com .

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8EatWzFu0cMTo&notag=1

[DakarTJ]

Here is a quick link to my roof rack. John made this rack. He can be reached at this number 480-557-7577. Or you can try his website, www.hunteroffroad.com .

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8EatWzFu0cMTo&notag=1

I will have to check the pics out when I get hmoe.

[cshontz]

what's the purpose of the stingers?

http://www.lieblweb.com/cpg/albums/OffroadRock/OtherOffroad/2006Tellico/IMG_7107.jpg

[DakarTJ]

That would be one.:oops:

[DaveInDenver]

It's been a while since I have the FJ40 and having the mile long wheelbase I do, I forgot about the SWB endo possibility. That makes sense, too...

[grahamfitter]

I want to add a roof rack “Garvin” or “Kargomaster” I don’t have hard top so I will need the rack cage for either one. I have done searches on all the forums I can and it looks like most people like the “Kargomaster”.

I'm not an expert by any means but I've got a stock 1997 TJ and installed a kargomaster congo rack with cross bars (not the basket) a couple of months ago. I got this rack because of all the racks with crossbars, it promised to have the best protection against rust.

Overall I'm happy with it. Its very sturdy and reasonably low profile. The bump in the bars doesn't get in the way because the crossbars are 2 inches in diameter and there's at least half inch clearance over the bump. There are rubber shock absorbers on the front mounts so the whole rack moves around a bit which is a little unnerving at first.

Since installing the rack I haven't taken off the soft top - I just remove the side windows and roll up the back. This doesn't bother me because I have a rocket box (longer bolts required) and usually a kayak or two on the roof anyway. Plus it rains regularly here and the thought of finding the right socket in the dark to put the top back on in a hurry really isn't that appealing.

The only down sides are the weight (which I can't remember) and wind noise at highway speeds are excessive. And the antenna vibrates against one of the front mounts. I fabricated a temporary bracket out of a suitably shaped piece of plastic milk jug to hold the two apart. Milk jug and rack are still going strong :-)

Cheers,
Graham

[RunninRubicon]

I have seen in person a Rubicon with both front and rear bumpers built by Smittybuilt and the new over-head rack they are producing. The one aspect I really like about this one vs others is that fact that the rack can be incorporated into the rear bumper and that the rack serves as a exo-skelton. It was built out of what looked like 1 and 3/4 tubing-tuff stuff. A guy could still lower and raise the soft top. The owner mentioned he had a Kargomaster and went to this new smittybuit because it matched his bumpers now though stated BOTH systems with the racks on, whistled. Didn't mention which was worse...
Hope this helps reguarding the rack. A stinger, I feel is something for the REAL rock crawling crew. Personnelly, With a stinger employeed on most bumpers, you lose the ability to PUSH. The rational for the radiator loop is certainly sound, having seen first hand what remains intake in a stock TJ after it rolls once or twice. The radiator support and the windshield frame DIE. Needless to say one item of paramount importance should be a trail/roll-cage.

[computeruser]

Good to see another TJer trying to figure out how to make a paid-for vehicle work. I'm in the same boat here, albeit closer to stock (no rock crawling for me - all we have are forest trails and sand dunes here in lower MI). My issue has never been traction (even with MTs/open diffs), but rather storage capacity and fuel issues. I get 13mpg highway/10mpg in town/and 9mpg with 1500-2000lbs rolling behind me. The stock tank drains really quickly (max practical range of 200 miles on pavement), and there is nowhere in the vehicle to carry a meaningful number of NATO/Specter cans.

When it comes to TJs, I think that the answer is a trailer, almost regardless of what the question is.

[RunninRubicon]

I built my trailer to carry water and or gas cans for this reason. I understand your gas mileage issues. Add a supercharger to the mix and you can certainly run with the fast lane. But in doing so you can expect 8mpg @ 75-80mph pulling my trailer of about 1250-1500lbs.

No free lunch. The trade off I tell myself it that I can drop the trailer and run around in the woods/rocks and play were if I was driving a full-size something, I'd could perhaps carry the same amount as I can with my TJ and trailer but I can't drop if off to play or otherwise. But, I suppose I can rationalize allot! That's how I rationalized the NEED for the blower in the first place...to pull the trailer, so I can otherwise play.....

[RedDog]

DakarTJ and computeruser - nice to see I'm not alone as a TJ owner discovering the expedition angle is more my cup of tea. I've gone through cycles wondering if I bought the wrong vehicle but the damned thing keeps growing on me - and there's simply no smile factor replacement for the ability to put the top down.

Never the mud bog / rock crawl type, I prefer quiet mountain trails leading to great photo vistas and empty lake shores. The back seat was removed quickly and has never been put back in, or ever sat on once. For one or two the TJ works for me and obviously come winter it can't be stopped.

I'm looking at fold out trailer options in the future, not for lack of packing space for one or two, but thinking more of getting off the ground and having superior cooking options.

[RunninRubicon]

As I have completed my CJ-7 Offroad trailer for more then a year now, I have began to see just how much more opportunity to investigate destinations this allows me. Having the ability to stop and sleep just about anywhere I dare opens distant places I could only visit via a local hotel. But doing that meant having to cut my sight seeing short to seek shelter. Now with trailer in tow that can go about anywhere I dare pull it, means I can venture further into territory I could only hurry through or pack the tent and squeeze it all in the Jeep. Having a trailer makes the adventuring spirit rise more knowing that I can take some comforts with me, especially knowing I don't have to worry about ice, water and food spoilage and extra fuel.

Adventure is much more free-spirited.:arabia:

[goodtimes]

. . . in a TJ I don’t have enough room for a weeks worth of gear.

I beg to differ. There certainly is enough room inside of a TJ for weeks worth of gear, you and a dog. I can do it without having my load blocking any of the windows, which means anyone can do it....add a roof rack or trailer and you have enough space to go around the world. Now, if you want to take your wife/girlfriend with you, things may change a bit. But rest assured, the TJ can carry the gear.

John Hunter was mentioned earlier...he has not done any work for me (I handle my own fabrication, gear installs, etc), but I have worked on vehicles which John has worked on...he does nice work, and is well respected in the off road community.

[Gear]

Brian(Goodtimes) can you post a picture of your interior. I still think you have one of the best setup's for traveling light. I think a lot of Jeep people could learn from your simplicity.

[goodtimes]

I'll have to dig around and see if I have any loaded pictures (not sure...)....in the mean time, here is a pic of the prototype.

[goodtimes]

Expo article is here (http://www.expeditionportal.com/equipment/vehicles/2006/bdearmon/bdearmon.php). :REOutArchery02:

[1leglance]

sorry for the belated welcome!
glad to see you on this site...great group of guys with tons of earned knowledge.
enjoy
1leglance

[grahamfitter]

I beg to differ. There certainly is enough room inside of a TJ for weeks worth of gear, you and a dog. I can do it without having my load blocking any of the windows, which means anyone can do it....add a roof rack or trailer and you have enough space to go around the world. Now, if you want to take your wife/girlfriend with you, things may change a bit. But rest assured, the TJ can carry the gear.

I'll second that. On a recent trip to Maine we fit two people, a weeks load of food, beer, a big family tent, a bulky inflatable whitewater raft, a portable propane grill, a 2 burner propane stove, a 10lb propane tank, cooking stuff, sleeping bags, recovery gear, tools, clothes, a 5 gallon water container, a folding picnic table, lawn chairs, a canopy with poles, a lantern, a washing up bowl, a scrabble board, etc etc all inside the jeep. On top we had two kayaks and paddling stuff (in a roof top box).

With the raft inside it was pretty full. To make organization a little easier I put a 3/4" plywood board across the full load area, resting on the sidewalls. It has cutouts for the rear seatbelts and is bolted on through the same holes the hard top uses. This is just high enough for the cooler, water container, table, stove and most of the boxed food stuff to slide underneath. Everything else rests on top. The hi-lift jack is on the floor behind the seats, lashed to the roll bar, with tools and recovery gear on top.

The stock springs were sagging a bit so we probably took too much stuff. But it still all fit in and wasn't a PITA to manage.

I definitely subscribe to the "go with what you've got" principle - It always works out. And in the case of a jeep wrangler, less really is more. I'm currently working on a real solution to sleep two people comfortably inside...

Cheers,
Graham

[DakarTJ]

Thank you for all your responses. Maybe I need to go to packing school, I can barely get my wife and I and a weekends wroth of gear in the Jeep. I love the idea of a chaser trailer. But that’s way out of my price range. A couple people have talked about the kargo cage and rack but nobody has talked about the Garvin.

I had a lot of fun rock crawling, but I find myself wanting to explore more.

[pskhaat]

Welcome :)

[DaveInDenver]

Maybe I need to go to packing school, I can barely get my wife and I and a weekends wroth of gear in the Jeep..
We were getting stuff creep (as I call it). More and more stuff just seemingly coming along that just gets moved from the basement, outside to the garage and into the truck packing and the reverse unpacking each weekend. So I have forced the issue by designating all of our stuff (minus a couple of exceptions) into 3 boxes. One is her stuff, one is mine and the third is the chow box. She can take anything she wants as long as it fits in her box (including sleeping bag, pillow, boots, everything). Same with me. It has helped to reduce the amount of useless junk we take. My exceptions are the table, chairs and camera. Also water is allowed to reside outside the boxes.

[computeruser]

Glad to see the subsequent posts in this thread. While I'm on vacation at the moment, I've got my TJ off geting its engine torn down for the second time in seven months (thanks, Chrysler, for that 70k powertrain warranty! I sure hope y'all get it right this time, since I'm at 65k...). I also ordered a new winch (M8000 to replace my REP8000 that started acting up), bought an onboard air setup and an ARB tire plug kit, and added a new snatch block and a couple new tree straps to my recovery gear box.

I've got to agree with the pack light idea. I've been trying a lot harder, on weekend trips and the other 2-6 day trips that we've been taking a lot of this year, to pack as lightly as possible. This weekend we took a Friday-Tuesday trip to visit the inlaws in Nashville and to hike up at Mammoth Cave Nat'l Park, and I tried out our new, much larger luggage setup that my wife and I got for x-mas from her parents. Not surpringly, I took a lot more stuff than I really needed. Painfully simple logic - you will fill the space you have - but a damned hard instinct to overcome.

I LOVE the picture of the single seat, smooth loadfloor design. If I was single or solo-tripping for a protracted period of time, I would definitely do this.

In the meantime, though, I'm thinking about building an elevated, smooth load floor that is high enough to fit my parts/spares box, cooler, tent, and stove beneath. Then the light stuff - clothes, sleeping bags, dogs, etc., can ride on top. Ideally this design can be continued with a removable platform that goes up between the front seats and into the front part of the vehicle as a place for legs and feet to go for in-vehicle sleeping. I'm not sure about this front part, either in terms of practicality or utility, but I think the rear platform would help with my storage needs and, if the front extension works out, provide a passable interior sleeping setup for one person + a dog. And as an added bonus I could fit some of my saws on top of the platform without having to remove the bars, and still have room for a cooler and my cutting gear box beneath.

I've accumulated a few junk angleiron bedframes, so I'll probably start welding something up when I get home from vacation. I have only once seen the $400+ Kilby pre-made version of this idea on eBay (lightly used for $150+shipping, if memory serves) and I'm sure that I can make something that is good enough, even if it isn't quite as polished of a design. Plus, their design had sides which are nice for storage but inherently incompatible with being doubling as an interior sleeping platform. I guess I'll fire up the welder and see what I can come up with.

[goodtimes]

I originally had a storage rack that was clamped to my roll cage, similar to Kilby's. In fact, Brad (Kilby) thought it was one of his the first time he saw it. It worked great as long as I was content sleeping on the ground, or in a tent. Once I decided to sleep inside the jeep, I had to scrap the rack, and build the platform (see previous page).

For reference, there is approximately 6.5' between tailgate and dash, plenty of room for 95% of jeep owners (you tall guys are on your own). There is about 16" between the center console and the wheel well...with a gentle curve on the wheel well, it is wide enough for most people (I'm not exactly skinny, and I fit....). I am quite comfortable sleeping in mine, with enough room for a 65 pound mongeral beside me. I do have to empty the gear out though. To accomplish this, I keep everything packed in small action-packer boxes, and the bulky stuff is already out anyway (table, chairs, etc). It takes me less than 5 minutes to pull the boxes out and slide them underneath the jeep, unroll a thermarest and sleeping bag, and I'm set.

Travelling with 2 people is more challenging though, since you can't remove the passenger seat.

When it comes to deciding what gear stays and what goes....I approach it just like I am backpacking. In fact, a good portion of the gear in my jeep is the same gear that resides in my backpack....

[grahamfitter]

Travelling with 2 people is more challenging though, since you can't remove the passenger seat.

I'm working on it. I have a cunning plan. (I assume you mean driver seat?)



When it comes to deciding what gear stays and what goes....I approach it just like I am backpacking. In fact, a good portion of the gear in my jeep is the same gear that resides in my backpack....

A good portion of the gear in my jeep is devoted to eating :-)

I'm not much of a chef myself and I could live for weeks out of a jetboil. But when we travel as a family we try to eat as we do at home to keep the quality up and the (eating out) costs down. We take the same cooking stuff for a weekend or a month and, while I'd like to reduce the bulk, I wouldn't abandon any capability.

Cheers,
Graham

[goodtimes]

I'm working on it. I have a cunning plan. (I assume you mean driver seat?)

No, I mean the passenger seat. The only seat I leave in my jeep is the driver seat....but I can get away with that since I travel solo + dog. If I were married and tried to do this plus take the wife...I would be divorced.


Hmmmm.....I might be onto something here. "How to get your wife to leave you in one easy step"..... :sport_box