Land Rover ideas for Jeeps

jscherb

Expedition Leader
With the demise of all of the Jeep, 4wd and Offroad magazines in the U.S., maybe we have to turn to Land Rover magazines to find out about new products? I came across this ARB spare tire tie down strap in the most recent issue of Land Rover Monthly:

ARB-YStrap1.png


I guess this isn't technically a Land Rover Idea for a Jeep, but since I found the idea in a Land Rover magazine I'll post it here.

I carry an extra spare on my roof rack on many expeditions and I secure it with a stud that bolts to the rack. A y-strap seems like a simpler way to do it, so I decided to make a similar strap.

I looked for detail photos of the ARB strap but not finding any I found a similar product from Rhino Rack and there were good detail photos on etrailer.com.

RhinoSpareStrap1.jpg


Making one takes one ratchet strap (Home Depot, $2.58: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-15-ft-x-1-in-Ratchet-Tie-Down-Strap-with-S-Hook-FH0867/312994491) and one ring (Michaels, $5.19 for a pack of 4 with a 20% off coupon: https://www.michaels.com/product/antique-brass-round-rings-by-artminds-10632125), and two cam buckles (from Harbor Freight Cam Buckle Tie Downs, $6.29 with 30% coupon: https://www.harborfreight.com/set-of-4-6-ft-x-1-inch-combo-tie-downs-47727.html). Total = $14.06 plus tax. Add one more ratchet strap and another can be made because there will be 3 rings and two HF tie downs left over after making the first one, so two for $16.64 or $8.32 each. BTW the Rhino product sells for $50 on etrailer.com (https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Rhino-Rack/RRRSWS.html), so you can make two for $8.32 each and give one to a friend.

The webbing that came with the HF tie downs was thicker than the webbing from the Home Depot ratchet (what can you expect from a $2.58 ratchet strap?), so I used the HF webbing. I also used the hook from the HF straps because they were a little larger. I unsewed the stitching holding the HF straps together to avoid cutting the ends off, this maximized the length of orange webbing available for use.

A sewing machine is required to sew the loops that hold the cam buckles and ratchet to the ring but any sewing machine should be able to sew through the two layers of webbing.

Here's the completed assembly compared to the Rhino version:

RhinoCompare.jpg


The full strap:

StrapComplete.jpg


Securing a tire to the rack:

StrappedOnRack.jpg


You may have noticed one improvement over the Rhino version that can be seen in these photos: I added short lengths of velcro I had in my scrap box to secure the loose ends of the straps. I sewed it so it can slide along the webbing to be positioned where needed. Details of the velcro:

StrapKeeper.jpg


Here's why I did that, this is another photo from the etrailer web site. Seems like the wrapped loose ends would always be working loose at speed.

RhinoEndsWrapped.jpg


It's a pretty quick project, an over 80% savings from a commercial version plus it's got the velcro improvement.

Also works nicely if I want to carry a spare on the tongue of the trailer.

StrappedToTongue.jpg
 

shays4me

Willing Wanderer
With the demise of all of the Jeep, 4wd and Offroad magazines in the U.S.


I recently subscribed to this six issue a year magazine, and while it’s not all about the vehicles it does have some good automotive content. I searched it out because I realized how much Id missed flipping through the pages like I used to do. There’s just something different about a magazine versus the web. I feel I’m more in tune to what’s really out there when I get it in print format.
 

jscherb

Expedition Leader
Over the course of this thread I've posted a number of Land Rover ambulance-camper conversions. Here's another one, this photo was in an article about an overland trip from Zambia to Britain in the 1970s in this converted ambulance:

AmbulanceCamper70sZambia.jpg


Every time I see one of these I wish Jeep had made an ambulance that could be converted to a camper.

Jeep didn't, but Mahindra did.

FieldAmbulance.jpg~original


I wish we had something like this in the U.S.
 

AggieOE

Trying to escape the city
The final issue of Land Rover Owner arrived yesterday.

LROFinalIssue.jpg


Land Rover Monthly is still in business and my subscription continues; as interesting ideas that may be applicable to Jeeps appear in it I'll post them.

I hope this doesn't mean the end of this thread.

Also! It was great meeting you at the Expo. Seeing your Jeep in person, the safari top, and all your gear was really cool. Y'all do great work!
 

jscherb

Expedition Leader
I hope this doesn't mean the end of this thread.

Also! It was great meeting you at the Expo. Seeing your Jeep in person, the safari top, and all your gear was really cool. Y'all do great work!
Great to talk with you, thanks for stopping by and thanks for the kind words.

I'll keep the thread going as long as there's interesting things in the one remaining Land Rover magazine that may apply to Jeeps. I do have a few things to post from the most recent issue of Land Rover Monthly.
 

J!m

Active member
I just got the kit to mount the shovel to my wing top.

Didn't the old jeeps mount a shovel on the side of the tub? The kit (from Rovers North) would work for that too I'm sure. And they even sell shovels, if you don't want to track down ex-MOD ones.
 

jscherb

Expedition Leader
I just got the kit to mount the shovel to my wing top.

Didn't the old jeeps mount a shovel on the side of the tub? The kit (from Rovers North) would work for that too I'm sure. And they even sell shovels, if you don't want to track down ex-MOD ones.
Yes, flatfenders originally had indents on the side of the tub for mounting tools:

FlatfenderIndents.jpg


Putting tools on the bonnet is fairly common on Series/Defender Land Rovers, especially those that were used by the military:
SASDefender3.jpg


I did a 350-mile round trip yesterday and as I was looking over the hood for all those miles I was wondering if a mounting grid on the hood of a Wrangler would be a good idea:

ShovelHoodIdea.png


Wouldn't be hard to build such a rack and no drilling would be required - it could mount to the hood hinge bolts and the windshield bumpers/tie-down holes.
 

ZONE ZERO

Member
Yes, flatfenders originally had indents on the side of the tub for mounting tools:

FlatfenderIndents.jpg


Putting tools on the bonnet is fairly common on Series/Defender Land Rovers, especially those that were used by the military:
SASDefender3.jpg


I did a 350-mile round trip yesterday and as I was looking over the hood for all those miles I was wondering if a mounting grid on the hood of a Wrangler would be a good idea:

ShovelHoodIdea.png


Wouldn't be hard to build such a rack and no drilling would be required - it could mount to the hood hinge bolts and the windshield bumpers/tie-down holes.
My friend did one out of aluminum to carry his max traxx on his LJ he’s had them there for 10+ years with no issues he used the hood hinges and the footman loop.
I looked at a US made pioneer rack off a humvee for my JK but it was a bit to big.
What we’re you thinking for a design just a flat mole pannel you could use tool tie downs with or something tool specific?
 

jscherb

Expedition Leader
My friend did one out of aluminum to carry his max traxx on his LJ he’s had them there for 10+ years with no issues he used the hood hinges and the footman loop.
I looked at a US made pioneer rack off a humvee for my JK but it was a bit to big.
What we’re you thinking for a design just a flat mole pannel you could use tool tie downs with or something tool specific?
Probably a little of both. When I designed the Overhead/Swing-Down MOLLE panel, I did a MOLLE grid plus a grid of smaller mounting holes, plus some specific bolt-pattern holes. Here are a few photos taken when I was working on the first prototype...

In this first photo you can see both the MOLLE holes and the smaller mounting holes. There are 1/2" holes specifically intended for mounting a HiLift, and the grid of smaller holes can be used for mounting things like the shovel using Quick Fist clamps:

PanelHiLiftAndShovel_zpszhg6tvci.jpg


In this next photo a few MOLLE pouches are attached, and a Rotopax is mounted to one of three sets of Rotopax bolt pattern holes:

PanelRotopaxMolle_zpsrtatznv9.jpg


And this photo shows the panel on the workbench and all of the holes are visible.

SecondMollePanel_zps6rzsnu0d.jpg


That combination design has worked out very well in the years since I designed the panel (and since it's become a MORryde product), so I was thinking a combo design like that would make for a good hood panel as well.
 

ZONE ZERO

Member
Probably a little of both. When I designed the Overhead/Swing-Down MOLLE panel, I did a MOLLE grid plus a grid of smaller mounting holes, plus some specific bolt-pattern holes. Here are a few photos taken when I was working on the first prototype...

In this first photo you can see both the MOLLE holes and the smaller mounting holes. There are 1/2" holes specifically intended for mounting a HiLift, and the grid of smaller holes can be used for mounting things like the shovel using Quick Fist clamps:

PanelHiLiftAndShovel_zpszhg6tvci.jpg


In this next photo a few MOLLE pouches are attached, and a Rotopax is mounted to one of three sets of Rotopax bolt pattern holes:

PanelRotopaxMolle_zpsrtatznv9.jpg


And this photo shows the panel on the workbench and all of the holes are visible.

SecondMollePanel_zps6rzsnu0d.jpg


That combination design has worked out very well in the years since I designed the panel (and since it's become a MORryde product), so I was thinking a combo design like that would make for a good hood panel as well.
I like it, Ive never found a good solution for carrying an ax and shovel in any of my newer jeeps.
‘I’m playing around with some aircraft tie down rails right now with my hardtop above and below the windows . I think they will be fine to carry an ax and shovel . But the hood would also work really well if it was set up correctly.

i wonder if it would make sense to have it run length wise in-line with the fenders on the driver or passenger side to make retrieving them easer especially on lifted jeeps.
 

jscherb

Expedition Leader
I like it, Ive never found a good solution for carrying an ax and shovel in any of my newer jeeps.
‘I’m playing around with some aircraft tie down rails right now with my hardtop above and below the windows . I think they will be fine to carry an ax and shovel . But the hood would also work really well if it was set up correctly.

i wonder if it would make sense to have it run length wise in-line with the fenders on the driver or passenger side to make retrieving them easer especially on lifted jeeps.
I designed it to mount across the hood so it can use existing holes in the hood to mount it. Installing it in line with the fenders would probably require drilling holes. The available mounting holes on a JK hood (in addition to the hood hinges):

HoodHoles.jpg


I'd probably make the panel something like this:

HoodPanel.jpg


Also, the windshield washer nozzles would be relocated to the rear edge of the panel.
 

jscherb

Expedition Leader
Back in December 2020 I posted about a bed insert/cap for a Land Rover double cab (https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/land-rover-ideas-for-jeeps.218029/post-2863893):

CamelBac1_zps97irsclk.jpg


The same company is now offering a similar product for British military trailers.

CamelBacT1.jpg


They fit the military trailers made by Penman, which is one of the two main suppliers to the British military, the other is Sankey.

CamelBacT2.jpg


Seems to be configurable into a pretty capable overland camper.

CamelBacT3.jpg


Most military M416 trailers have been surplussed and many have been picked up by overlanders - I wonder if there would be a market for a similar product for those trailers?
 

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