Barn Door for JK factory hardtops

[Bobzdar]

The base Trail Kitchen is about 18" wide. If you don't have the subwoofer taking up space in the back I would think two could just fit although I haven't tried it.

I'm wondering what you would do with two... two fridges or something else? In a few days I'll actually have two Trail Kitchens here because MORryde is sending me a production unit (my current one is preproduction) so I could possibly give it a try if there's a good enough reason to make me want to remove my subwoofer for the test .

I actually like that idea - my thought is fridge for food on one kitchen, cooler for drinks (or luggage) on the other and more counter/storage space. Obviously you couldn't mount the optional fold out table and clip on table, but you could have sink, stove and food prep facing the rear of the vehicle and a place to put dishes behind the sink on the clip on table. It'd be a good replacement for the drawer systems a lot of people build while also allowing whatever you put on top to slide out for easier access.

My plan with the kitchen is different, I'm going to mostly use a cooler on it as I don't do long trips without my camper (and wife and kids), and on trips with the camper it'd be used for cooking and cleaning outdoors as I only cook in the camper if the weather is really bad. I plan to store water and fuel on the outside of the tailgate door, so would just run a hose from the water there to the sink, at least that's the initial plan. I also have a generator that would replace the cooler on trips where I don't have hookups for the camper and need some power (ie when it's super hot). The camper has a dual mode fridge so no need for one in the Jeep, at least not until we do some longer trips without the camper.

 

[Bobzdar]

The Kitchen isn't in my Jeep at the moment so here's a photo on the garage floor - this is approximately what you ordered (minus the fridge of course).

The Molle panel is also installed on this one, which you didn't order. When you get the sink option you might consider adding add the Molle panel, it's a convenient place to mount the sink water source (shown below in my LJ).

That should work for now, though I'm tempted to rig up a temporary folding table while I wait for the sink.

I'll have to see how the setup works if I mount the water to the outside of the tailgate, the molle is definitely a good option just not sure if it'll work for what I want to do.

 

[jscherb]

Hi Jeff, actually we're thinking the second slide out could make it easier getting access to storage boxes. Also if the trail kitchens comes with the slide out drawer, a second drawer would be handy.

The drawer is part of the base model kitchen, it's included with every kitchen.

 

[jscherb]

The Trail Kitchen made it into another magazine, the October issue of Petersen's 4Wheel & Off-Road.

Also, MORryde reports that production Trail Kitchens have now been sold and shipped.

 

[Lee_N]

Here's another similar but slightly different extrusion-based roof rack that drove past today. Anyone else have any thoughts on the idea of a JK/JKU roof rack made using these components? I have someone that might be interested in pursuing the idea. This one is also pretty high off the roof, but I think the JK/JKU version should be made to hug the roof pretty closely.

I actually have been working on something like this. Contacted a vendor the other day for some CAD files. This is in addition to a project I’m working with MattJ on. There are several vendors of aluminum extrusions. It’s used for everything from machine frames and guards to racks and tables.

 

[jscherb]

A while back I made up a prototype gull wing hatch in black but I don't think I ever posted any photos of it. The other day I installed it in a black modular Safari Cab side panel to see what it might look like in a factory hardtop.

This hatch is slightly smaller than I'd do if this were going into production; for this prototype I worked with a hatch that that a manufacturer was making for an RV application and because it is fairly close to the correct size I managed to arrange to get a few samples to use for prototyping.

Because this hatch came from an existing RV application, the latches are standard RV-style barrel locks. If it were going into production, latches like the ones pictured below might be better for a Jeep application.

Included in my design for this is an optional internal compartment which could be configured in several different ways - a cargo net to retain items, a Molle grid, or a custom panel for specific gear, or it could be installed without any internal compartment just to provide access to the inside of the Jeep.

I don't know if I'll take this any further, if I do the next step is to make up several prototype internal compartment configurations. I'd be doing the prototype components in fiberglass, but if this were to go into production the parts would be thermo-formed in ABS or a similar plastic.

 

[MattJ]

A while back I made up a prototype gull wing hatch . . .

Now THIS is a Scherb Special that I'm really interested in! Unfortunately the Trail Kitchen and swing-down molle panel wouldn't work with the cargo configuration I use for my gear. But I have been trying to figure out how to use that annoying dead space between the roll bars and side windows in the hardtop. It's the reason I still use a wrench roll and smaller, softer tool bags - they're the only things that I know will fit inside that space on every trip. But it's an annoying way to carry tools.

Plus, this solution would be great for me and anyone else that would rather use the windows on the hardtop for a corporate logo or marketing. My Boy Scout design had to be custom-cut to fit around the window. With Jeff's concept, I could use a paint-matched panel instead. Or course, the side ladders would need to go . . .

Keep us posted Jeff - I'm hoping this is one that makes it to market!

 

[akpostal]

I said earlier the side hatch is something I could make use of, a molle insert or mounted to the roll bar would make it more useful.

With the T handles on the hatch you could mount a Rotopax or smaller Rubican there, for flip up heavier struts or stronger cables for flip down. Could also mount LEDs for site lighting outside or work space lighting inside the hatch.

 

[jscherb]

I said earlier the side hatch is something I could make use of, a molle insert or mounted to the roll bar would make it more useful.

With the T handles on the hatch you could mount a Rotopax or smaller Rubican there, for flip up heavier struts or stronger cables for flip down. Could also mount LEDs for site lighting outside or work space lighting inside the hatch.

A 2-gallon Rotopax could be mounted on the hatch, I've propped one in front of the hatch in this photo:

The container does interfere with the hatch latches as they're placed on this prototype, but a production hatch would be a little larger than this prototype as I said earlier and the latches could be placed so the Rotopax didn't interfere.

People always talk about gullwing hatches, but for me I think one that opened as a table instead of opening upward like a gullwing would be much more useful...

A Rotopax could still be mounted if the hatch is configured as a swing-down table.

Now THIS is a Scherb Special that I'm really interested in! Unfortunately the Trail Kitchen and swing-down molle panel wouldn't work with the cargo configuration I use for my gear. But I have been trying to figure out how to use that annoying dead space between the roll bars and side windows in the hardtop. It's the reason I still use a wrench roll and smaller, softer tool bags - they're the only things that I know will fit inside that space on every trip. But it's an annoying way to carry tools.

Plus, this solution would be great for me and anyone else that would rather use the windows on the hardtop for a corporate logo or marketing. My Boy Scout design had to be custom-cut to fit around the window. With Jeff's concept, I could use a paint-matched panel instead. Or course, the side ladders would need to go . . .

Keep us posted Jeff - I'm hoping this is one that makes it to market!

This is very much a background project for me, I've been working on it on and off for a while because it interests me, but I don't know that there would be enough market for it to make it worthwhile to turn into a product. I've got lots of ideas that I would prioritize higher for turning into products .

 

[MattJ]

Jeff:
What do you think about the idea of leaving the window in place, just for cosmetic purposes. Somehow affix it to the hatch platform, so that it is on the underside when open? I agree with you that swing-down rather than gull-wing is more practical for the direction of opening the hatch.

 

[jscherb]

Jeff:
What do you think about the idea of leaving the window in place, just for cosmetic purposes. Somehow affix it to the hatch platform, so that it is on the underside when open? I agree with you that swing-down rather than gull-wing is more practical for the direction of opening the hatch.

If you're asking if the factory window glass could be repurposed into being the cosmetic outer skin of the hatch so when the hatch is closed it looks just like a factory window, I suppose that could be done, but the ability to mount something like a Rotopax on the hatch as akpostal suggested wouldn't be possible, and where would you mount the latch? Can't drill a hole in the glass, so it might have to unlatch from the inside or the hardtop would have to be modified to place the latch in a hole in the hardtop rather than the hatch. Not an idea I would pursue.

 

[Yuke]

still love the idea...

 

[MattJ]

If you're asking if the factory window glass could be repurposed into being the cosmetic outer skin of the hatch so when the hatch is closed it looks just like a factory window, I suppose that could be done . . . so it might have to unlatch from the inside . . .

Yes - the OEM window becomes a cosmetic outer skin and the perimeter is replaced with a weatherproof gasket sealing that looks minimal from the outside. I like your suggestion of placing the latch on the inside for both cosmetic AND security reasons. I bet most people wouldn't even realize the secret storage hatch was there until you opened it up and watch their surprise! It would be so much better than stuffing my wrench roll, tool bags, hatchet and other small items down into that space between the roll bar and hardtop on every trip.

 

[jscherb]

I got a suggestion to add optional Molle panels to the outside and inside of the hatch. Might look like this, it would be easy to do.

 

[jscherb]

Another way to have glass gullwing hatches would be to use a combo window/hatch like those found in many pickup caps.

These are manufactured in both fixed glass and slider versions (the one below is a slider).

These wouldn't provide the Rotopax or exterior Molle capability that I posted concept photos/drawings of, but they would provide light and ventilation and access to the interior of the Jeep.

These aren't very expensive to have manufactured to the proper size in reasonably small production quantities.