Time to start a 'Riot! 2015 Jeep Patriot sport build.

[autism family travels]

Cool. I am just going to use the cheap ebay one that can hold 2 7" and 2 4" lights. All I need is light mounting, I am not going with winch mounting etc. So an inexpensive black light mount will work. We took a weekend road trip and burned less than half a tank in 270km, with crazy winds. I am impressed. And that was four of us in the rig. Can't wait to take it to Nova Scotia in August for our week long trip!

 

[autism family travels]

Congrats on the Patriot!

Just thought I'd mention there's another lift option, CRDSTU coils. I've been running Stu's for about 6 years, they've done well for us.

Sandstone, what is the ride compromise on the stu's? Are they rough'er riding than the stock springs?

 

[Darkrider]

Cool. I am just going to use the cheap ebay one that can hold 2 7" and 2 4" lights. All I need is light mounting, I am not going with winch mounting etc. So an inexpensive black light mount will work. We took a weekend road trip and burned less than half a tank in 270km, with crazy winds. I am impressed. And that was four of us in the rig. Can't wait to take it to Nova Scotia in August for our week long trip!

Ultimately it looks like i will end up doing upgraded stock fog lights on a standalone harness, a pair of lights on an RRO bar or ebay bar. This may turn out to be a pair of HID Kragen 6" lights if i can locate them in my storage unit. And a pair of Squadron Sport lights near the windshield. Most likely in the spot pattern. However if i cannot find the Kragens or decide to use them on my K5 instead i will run a pair of Squadron Sports in the combo beam pattern on the front bar. As for how i am doing the switches i have figured out that i could add a tab to the passenger side inner seat rail to mount a RAM mount ball to. The plan with this will be to use it to add a short arm then another ball mounted to the back of a small plastic project box which will be my switch box for the Windshield,Front bumper bar lights and stock fogs with relay harness on them. This switch box will be connected to a Painless wiring or Bussman fuse box under the hood that will be wired up to only power on when the vehicle is running. So that will protect the battery from running down with the lights being accidentally left on.

 

[autism family travels]

RIght on. keep photos of it all!

 

[Darkrider]

RIght on. keep photos of it all!

Plan on it. Exploring some other lighting options along the way like the Morimoto XB universal LED fog lights. I need to look at how the stock fog mounts and try to determine if i can make them work. One idea i am kicking around already is a simple plate bolted behind the factory setup to mount it to. In theory this also opens up the idea of using Foglights intended for the Wrangler as well.

 

[erstwild]

Glad to see there are folks out there showing the Pat(riot) some love. I have really enjoyed mine a lot but am upgrading to full size truck camper in the near future. My rig is up for sale on here: https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/2012-jeep-patriot-latitude-trail-rated-autohome-columbus-xl-rhino-rack-hatch-ladder-more.190868/ Let me know if you have any questions!

 

[Darkrider]

Glad to see there are folks out there showing the Pat(riot) some love. I have really enjoyed mine a lot but am upgrading to full size truck camper in the near future. My rig is up for sale on here: https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/2012-jeep-patriot-latitude-trail-rated-autohome-columbus-xl-rhino-rack-hatch-ladder-more.190868/ Let me know if you have any questions!

I am def curious about some of the upgrades you made to yours. Specifically the seat covers, laptop holder and the Anker powerhouse. Stating with the powerhouse do you have it wired into the Patriot to keep it charged up when not in use? Also where did you get the seat covers?


With that said i have determined i will most likely end up making the following upgrades. This is pretty much a refined list combining what i had stated above and have had thought about since.

RRO Suspension lift
215/70R16 tires in a more aggressive pattern
More then likely powder coat my stock wheels in OE silver along with getting a set of black steel wheels for the current winter tires.
FDII Steel skid plates
FDII high output alternator if not a Quality Power Alt that is even higher output.
Baja Designs Squadron Sport lights in the OE Fog location as well as a pair mounted on top of the bumper similar to the Mopar driving light kit that was once offered for these. The ones in the OE Fog location will be wide driving pattern while the top pair will be Combo pattern.
Still determining how i will control the lights as i may either go with a Trigger remote set up or something similar to an SPOD using a Rasperry Pi mini PC
MOLLE panels mounted to the Hatch and possibly to the back of the rear seats. On the hatch there will be a piece of plywood mounted behind the panel to spread the load from the screws securing the MOLLE panels to prevent them pulling through the plastic.
rear 12v socket either an ARB unit or just a simple plug mounted inside the cubby in the rear cargo area for use with air compressors and other 12 v gear. On the left side of the cargo area i may end up installing an Inverter of some type. If an inverter is added i will possibly look at the idea of a compact AGM "house" battery set up that would be dedicated to its use to prevent the Inverter from running down the main battery.

 

[erstwild]

Sure thing. Here are the seat covers:
https://www.carid.com/coverking/cordura-ballistic-custom-seat-covers.html
I have really enjoyed them. They look good, still feel comfortable, and can take a lot of abuse to protect the upholstery

The powerhouse has been great to keep things charged over a long weekend. I have never tried to charge it via the car. I don't think it is possible via the cigarette lighter, but I assume it might via the 110 volt plug in mine. The new goal zero lithium units are probably worth a look but if I recall the might not charge via 12 volt either (which is deal breaker at those prices). Of course, an additional house battery/inverter setup might make sense, but there is honestly not a lot of space to work with under the hood for a large capacity dual battery setup. I think the Renogy Lycan could but unless you found one on sale I think it is overpriced even by goal zero standards for capacity.

For the laptop holder, I have found this is very flexible and handy: https://www.amazon.com/Xindell-Laptop-Portable-Foldable-Notebook/dp/B07515L37T

As for the rest of your proposed mods, it sounds pretty good. I contemplated getting mine lifted, but I have heard mixed results on quality and excessive wear from some folks who have done it on a patriot. Still, you mileage may vary and it could be worthwhile to improve the clearance if you really need it. I just sized up my tires to 225 Yokohama Geolanders (no rub) which I have been enjoying the last week.

 

[Darkrider]

Sure thing. Here are the seat covers:
https://www.carid.com/coverking/cordura-ballistic-custom-seat-covers.html
I have really enjoyed them. They look good, still feel comfortable, and can take a lot of abuse to protect the upholstery

The powerhouse has been great to keep things charged over a long weekend. I have never tried to charge it via the car. I don't think it is possible via the cigarette lighter, but I assume it might via the 110 volt plug in mine. The new goal zero lithium units are probably worth a look but if I recall the might not charge via 12 volt either (which is deal breaker at those prices). Of course, an additional house battery/inverter setup might make sense, but there is honestly not a lot of space to work with under the hood for a large capacity dual battery setup. I think the Renogy Lycan could but unless you found one on sale I think it is overpriced even by goal zero standards for capacity.

For the laptop holder, I have found this is very flexible and handy: https://www.amazon.com/Xindell-Laptop-Portable-Foldable-Notebook/dp/B07515L37T

As for the rest of your proposed mods, it sounds pretty good. I contemplated getting mine lifted, but I have heard mixed results on quality and excessive wear from some folks who have done it on a patriot. Still, you mileage may vary and it could be worthwhile to improve the clearance if you really need it. I just sized up my tires to 225 Yokohama Geolanders (no rub) which I have been enjoying the last week.

Thanks for the info! I am assuming that you ordered the covers for the Compass as it is the sister vehicle to the Patriot. I will def look more into them for sure. I do recall seeing some seat covers in a Land Rover thread that were of similar material and added MOLLE panels to the back of the seats. So plenty of options out there for sure!

That sucks about the powerhouse being landline charge only but it is what it is i suppose. What i am thinking i may do for my set up if i do go with a house battery is run a smaller AGM for something like a civic in a box in the left rear corner of the cargo area as i recall there is a flat spot of floor in that area and do what i have seen a couple times now in the Patriot and that is mounting the inverter itself under the front passenger seat. Either directly on the seat itself with some slack in the wiring to allow the seat to move back and forth or bolted to the floor. EIther way it will be on a 1/4" aluminum plate. Ideally i would like to just trim the plastic covers that go over the seat mounts to clear said plate for the direct floor mounting. The choice in mounting plate serves several purposes. One being a light weight and strong mount. two acting as a heat sink for the inverter to help it shed heat in use. Placing it under the passenger seat places it in an ideal spot for charging laptops. One other option i keep digging into is retrofitting the OE inverter that was offered as an option on these vehicles.

Now the next thing i would like to ask about is the RTT you have on yours. How do you like it? I am seriously contemplating building an expedition trailer and mounting an RTT on it. That way it can be pulled by this Jeep along with my K5 and my Astro.

 

[autism family travels]

When you do the RRO, also add on the Moog springs and Monroe Shocks. You will be much happier. As for the powerhouse, go with the goal zero instead. A much better overall system.

 

[Darkrider]

When you do the RRO, also add on the Moog springs and Monroe Shocks. You will be much happier. As for the powerhouse, go with the goal zero instead. A much better overall system.

Any particular part number for the springs? Also what is different between them and what i have now? Just wondering as if i am at the point of switching both struts and springs i might as well add new strut mounts at the same time to put them in as complete assemblies with the RRO mounts in the front end. (and rear if that is how it goes together)

 

[autism family travels]

Ask Jhill for the part numbers. The springs will not sag as much when loaded down. The shocks will provide a much improved ride quality too.

 

[erstwild]

Thanks for the info! I am assuming that you ordered the covers for the Compass as it is the sister vehicle to the Patriot. I will def look more into them for sure. I do recall seeing some seat covers in a Land Rover thread that were of similar material and added MOLLE panels to the back of the seats. So plenty of options out there for sure!

That sucks about the powerhouse being landline charge only but it is what it is i suppose.

Now the next thing i would like to ask about is the RTT you have on yours. How do you like it? I am seriously contemplating building an expedition trailer and mounting an RTT on it. That way it can be pulled by this Jeep along with my K5 and my Astro.

Huh, I was able to order the covers directly for the patriot as an option. I like my powerhouse (also got it on sale), but I would agree goal zero would be better particularly if you are tying in solar.

As for my RTT, I have an Autohome Columbus Small XL (I'm 6'2" so extra long was mandatory for me). I think it has been just great. I have spent over 180 nights in it this last year from summer nights to hovering around freezing. Build quality is superb and you get what you pay for in my books at least. It was easy to mount and didn't need an expedition rack. Light and barely noticeable up there really. I would say that I did find condensation to be a bit annoying in constant wet/cold conditions but nothing unexpected for any tent really. For bedding, I have a big agnes dream island bag, two of their self inflating hinman 20"x72" pads with a connector (slips in bag sleeve), and two of their new sleeping giant inflatable memory foam pillows. I also have a silk liner for when things get cold. I like the standard mattress, but I found I needed the air pads to get properly comfortable. This is also extremely packable so everything just stays up there.

https://expeditionportal.com/the-travelers-tree-house/
https://expeditionportal.com/home-away-from-home/

 

[Darkrider]

Ask Jhill for the part numbers. The springs will not sag as much when loaded down. The shocks will provide a much improved ride quality too.

Sounds good, i think he may even have the #s in his thread.

Huh, I was able to order the covers directly for the patriot as an option. I like my powerhouse (also got it on sale), but I would agree goal zero would be better particularly if you are tying in solar.

As for my RTT, I have an Autohome Columbus Small XL (I'm 6'2" so extra long was mandatory for me). I think it has been just great. I have spent over 180 nights in it this last year from summer nights to hovering around freezing. Build quality is superb and you get what you pay for in my books at least. It was easy to mount and didn't need an expedition rack. Light and barely noticeable up there really. I would say that I did find condensation to be a bit annoying in constant wet/cold conditions but nothing unexpected for any tent really. For bedding, I have a big agnes dream island bag, two of their self inflating hinman 20"x72" pads with a connector (slips in bag sleeve), and two of their new sleeping giant inflatable memory foam pillows. I also have a silk liner for when things get cold. I like the standard mattress, but I found I needed the air pads to get properly comfortable. This is also extremely packable so everything just stays up there.

https://expeditionportal.com/the-travelers-tree-house/
https://expeditionportal.com/home-away-from-home/

The cover thing may be due to the year i have ran into this with other parts before as well as most part applications only go up to the 2014 model year it seems. I will look again and put in an older year on the search. Thanks for the info on the RTT! Will def read those threads. The only reason i will be looking at mounting it on a trailer as i said is so it can be used by more then one of my rigs.

 

[Darkrider]

Picked up some used 245/65R17 Goodyear Wrangler All terrain Adventure tires for the jeep yesterday. Now the fun begins on trying to fit them under it. Should be doable as i have seen 30" tires fitted under the Patriots before. And i have seen stock Series II fwds clear 235/65r17s. So at worst i may need to go the route others have and do some trimming along with the RRO lift.

Other then that i managed to find some trails to play with today that had a bit of a hill climb on it that was fun..