SOLO-JK-X (sleep in Jeep build up)

[1leg]

SOLO-JK-X Project:
“GEAR” put this idea in my head last night when we meet. He told me about GOODTIMES’s TJ. I researched his post and decided to build my own.

Right now I only go out for 1 or 2 days. So I don’t have much Gear to take. I stick to easy/moderate trails. I don’t take risk I use my 4 wheel drive to stay out of trouble not to get into it. I will be upgrading to 235-85-16s on stock wheels no lift or gear change required. I plan on building an outback trailer for longer trips or when someone happens to join me. But until then I will be turning my 2Dr JK into a SOLO sleep in Jeep.
I will start by taking out the front passanger seat. (back seat is already out). Then I will build a platform that will will cover the rear cargo area and extend into the passenger seat area. In the rear cargo area I will have about 4-6 inches of storage area under the platform. In the front seat area I will have about 12-14 inches of storage. My sleeping area will be on the right side of the vehicle. The platform will only be about 23-25 inches wide in the passenger seat area. So I will be sleeping with my leg extended here (sometime it’s nice only having 1leg) and my head near the tailgate. The Dog (Missy) will sleep behind the driver seat. It took me about 15 minutes to take out the front seat. So I think it will take me about 30 to 60 minutes to load up for a 1 or 2 day trip. I will be doing the build soon, So i will be posting pictures .
Pros
1. I can build this in a weekend for less then 150 dollars. If I keep it simple.
2. More then enough room for my Lab and I.
3. Room for all my gear. (not much)
4. Room to add more.
5. Everything in one vehicle.
6. Quick camp set-up.
7. Keeping It Simple.
Cons
1. No passengers allowed. Except for the Dog.
2. Not for long trips. (maybe)
3. Loading for a trip will take some time.
4. Storing platform when not in the Jeep
The Gear: I don’t have much at all right now.
1. Sleeping bag
2. Small cooler
3. Camping stove
4. GI shovel
5. CB
6. GPS unit
7. Chair
The Gear I want:
1. Warn winch w-air comp.
2. Hi-lift jack
3. Rear bumper with tire carrier(dual-spare tires when on a trip)
4. Dual gas can holder.
5. Off-road lights
6. port-a-potty
7. Awning
8. Custom roof rack.
9. 2M radio
10. Better GPS system
11. DVD player
12. Small Honda generator(when I get the trailer done)

If you have any suggestion or idea send-em. I'm willing to listen.

Jerry

[MichaelW]

I'd leave the front seat in, personally.

Send an email to Brad Kilby of Kilby Enterprises. He had developed and was considering mass producing a back seat replacement that made the entire back area flat, with sleeping in mind.

I went with The Pett porta potty system. I like it it's nice and sets up easy. I went with These guys because the help support motorized off road recreation.

On the PowerPlant, I bought mine from these guys. Sportztrailers on Ebay You can't beat the price with a stick. And yes the transaction went smooth. I even went back to them for tires and wheels. When I told my friend with an off road store how much I paid for mine, he couldn't believe it as this is less than he paid for it "wholesale".

I bought my Garmin 276c from here. Good deal. Just don't forget the memory cards. I have two one for streets and one for topo.

[kcowyo]

Here's a link to a thread, with more links and pics to how I did something similar in a CJ-7.

The biggest suggestion I have is raising your platform higher than what you're planning. If you can notch the deck around the roll bar so it sits on top of your wheel wells you'll have much more usable space to store gear underneath. That way the deck is just a few inches below the bottom of your windows at about elbow level when you need to reach around for stuff. I liked having my camera, maps, and binoculars in easy reach.

Measure twice to leave enough room to get into your console and so the arm rest on the passenger door will clear the deck with the door shut. If the grab handle on the passenger side is easily removable I'd pull that out too. That gave me an extra couple of inches to strech out.

I was able to fit two rows of 3 milk crates filled with gear under the back of the deck with camp chairs and a Thermarest slid in between. I kept my bedroll out fulltime and soft bags and a cooler behind the driver's seat. Under the deck where the passenger seat would be, I could store my toolbox, a 5 gallon collapsable water jug and another milkcrate with things I would need to grab quickly.

It's a great way to travel for one person. Setting up camp somewhere was easy, as was packing up. The tailgate worked great as a kitchen counter. It didn't attract any unnecessary attention and it could go wherever a Jeep would take me. When the trip was over, I pulled the top off, lifted the deck out (it was wedged in, not screwed or fastened) and leaned it against the shed in the backyard. I put my seats back in and the top back on and it was a regular ol' Jeep again.

Should be a fun project for you. And it should be fairly inexpensive to assemble. The gear you have now, is similar to what I had then. It will take you as far as you want to go.

[goodtimes]

Pros
1. I can build this in a weekend for less then 150 dollars. If I keep it simple.
2. More then enough room for my Lab and I.
3. Room for all my gear. (not much)
4. Room to add more.
5. Everything in one vehicle.
6. Quick camp set-up.
7. Keeping It Simple.
Cons
1. No passengers allowed. Except for the Dog.
2. Not for long trips. (maybe)
3. Loading for a trip will take some time.
4. Storing platform when not in the Jeep

You are pretty close on the pro's and con's, except the loading time and the long trip thing. It takes me longer to load my cooler (fit all the beer and food inside) than it does to pull the front seat and install the platform. It takes me less than 5 minutes to do the swap. My platform is in 2 pieces, one covers the rear section, which stays in place all the time, and the other covers the passenger seat area. The framework for the front section, built from thin wall 1" square tube, bolts in place using the seat mounting bolts. There is a ton of storage under the front section of the platform. Enough room for all the tools I carry (in soft tool bags from Sears), my spare hardware collection (another Sears tool bag, stuffed with nuts/bolts/clips/hose clamps/etc), spare driveshaft, a couple of jackets, maps, rags, etc.

The rest of my gear stays stored in action-packers, so I just pick them up and go. Fully loaded, I can keep all of my gear below the window level, and leave the front part of the platform open for the dog to stretch out on.

Setting up camp takes about 5 minutes---I open the back door, pull all the junk out, slide it under the jeep, spread out my sleepingbag and pad....and I'm done. If I want, it takes a few more minutes to set up the table and chair....

[1leg]

Thanks for all the reply so far.
kcowyo
"The biggest suggestion I have is raising your platform higher than what you're planning."
I thought that too but i don't think I will need that much room. I'm more concern that that the Dog and I can get in/out easy and are comfortable. But i hear what your saying

Goodtimes
Your dicription of stting up camp is exactly what i want. I know i could take more for longer trips, but i'm just not that extrame.(yet) if you have any pics of you platform install would cool to see.

[goodtimes]

I'll see if I can dig up some pics later, I'm on my way out the door to run some errands.

I can quite comfortably live out of my jeep for over a week in its current configuration, with gear stowed as described.

KC mentioned raising the platform....I don't like the idea because I like having some head room. I can sit inside the back of the jeep during rain storms and read a book, etc. With a elevated platform, that may not be possible. Of course, I must also remove my gear before I can sleep in the jeep, with KC's configuration, you may not have to remove anything...just crawl from the drivers seat onto the platform.

I must admit I believe it was a picture of KC's old CJ that inspired me to build my platform.

[kcowyo]

Thanks for all the reply so far.
kcowyo
"The biggest suggestion I have is raising your platform higher than what you're planning."
I thought that too but i don't think I will need that much room. I'm more concern that that the Dog and I can get in/out easy and are comfortable. But i hear what your saying

Fair enough.

Since you already have the seats pulled it would probably be a good idea to design your deck around your gear and storage containers. You may not need to go up as high as the wheel wells, but 4-6 inches doesn't sound like a lot of room for storage. If you haven't already, you might chose and purchase your storage containers (duffles, Rubbermaid tubs, whatever) place them where they'll be in the Jeep, then measure for the deck height and start cuttin' and nailin'.

Either way you'll have enough room to sit up, change clothes and read. Plus room for the dog to stand up, turn around and lay back down, but the more you can stash underneath the more room up top there will be for you and the pooch. For getting in and out, I just hopped up from the driver's seat onto the bunk. In the morning, I would slide back into the driver's seat, put on my boots and got out the driver's side door.

I like Brian's two piece deck idea. If you use deck screws to fasten the support legs to the deck, you can disassemble it when not in use and store it under your bed at home. You two are also travelling with dogs and I wasn't, so I never had to take that into consideration. I also agree that packing up to go on a trip will go much quicker than you think, especially if most of your gear is already stored in the Jeep.

And don't think this won't allow you to take longer trips. I did a 10 week trip around the western US in mine and a couple of other trips almost as long. I was only limited by the amount of ice in the cooler and the amount of gas I could carry.

[1leg]

Kcowyo.
Good advice on laying everything out, to figure out storage.
Goodtimes
No rush on the pics I might not get started till Saturday or Sunday.

Thanks guys

[RoundOut]

For sleeping, pm Rubi-Khan. He rigged up a pretty snazzy air mattress setup that used two curtain-rod dowels to limit the dimension of the air mattress. The dowels were slightly longer than the mattress and bolted together with bolts and wing nuts, IIRC. He would roll out the mattress to the right size prior to inflation, bolt the dowels together, and inflate. It allowed his mattress to perfectly fit the back of his 2-dr Unlimited (sorry, I don't no which _K that is).

I told him he ought to put a thread on that thing, maybe this will entice him to do it.

[1leg]

I would like to see it 2