After changing back to the hard top, which will most likely be permanent due to my overland build, it was time to start the rear components. That means adding a lockable storage, a gas stove and a fridge / freezer. But I wanted to keep the "no drill" theme going so I needed to cutout a base to mount all of that stuff to. I also wanted the ability to easily remove all of it should I ever want to keep that daily driver image.
I took the OEM JK rear mat which creates a perfect template for tracing, complete with the oval cutout for the factory Alpine subwoofer and rear tie down points. On a 1 inch piece of plywood I traced the mat and holes and then set the components to be mounted on top and traced their footprint along with places to drill holes. A full fridge can garner some serious weight and extending the gas stove beyond that with a griddle or pots and pans adds even more, so this base had to be solid.
You can see the square overlap outside of the OEM mat coverage. I determined that it was small enough and in areas that didn't need support that I would stick to the mat outline.
Then a test fit just to make sure before locking everything down. Even with the subwoofer covered up, the cutout and the factory recessed mount allow full sound to come through and luckily none of the hardware holes lined up on top of it.
I used self tapping carriage bolt anchors on the underside to create a solid grab that wouldn't wear down each time I installed / uninstalled. I was going to use boat carpet to cover the mounting base but decided to flip the OEM JK cargo mat over so that the rubberized side was up and created a vibration mat and I bolted everything directly through it down through the base. (sorry for not taking pics of that but I was on a roll!)
Here's the finished product after adding some black touch up paint to blend everything for a cleaner look. The tailgate table is the Trailgater from Rebel Offroad. The plan is to mount a small 5 pound propane tank on the roll bar for the stove. I did test it with a normal 25 pound take prior to installation and wow, that thing can heat!
With the current dual battery setup under the hood, I can run the fridge at 32 degrees F for about 3.5 days before having to start the JK. The thermal blanket makes a world of difference. The fridge / freezer has a wireless antenna that sends the status to the driver seat monitor mounted on the A-Pillar. (it's off here, but it lights up blue with the temp and indicates if the compressor is running or not. )
I'm looking to add a water filtration system and a few other things that will tax the power supply a little more, so next up is solar assist, a larger deep cycle battery bank, and the ability to actually plug into the grid to charge it all. As time permits, of course. Then a Road Shower, roof top tent and a few other things. That should weigh me down pretty well, so it will likely be lift time.
I took the OEM JK rear mat which creates a perfect template for tracing, complete with the oval cutout for the factory Alpine subwoofer and rear tie down points. On a 1 inch piece of plywood I traced the mat and holes and then set the components to be mounted on top and traced their footprint along with places to drill holes. A full fridge can garner some serious weight and extending the gas stove beyond that with a griddle or pots and pans adds even more, so this base had to be solid.
You can see the square overlap outside of the OEM mat coverage. I determined that it was small enough and in areas that didn't need support that I would stick to the mat outline.
Then a test fit just to make sure before locking everything down. Even with the subwoofer covered up, the cutout and the factory recessed mount allow full sound to come through and luckily none of the hardware holes lined up on top of it.
I used self tapping carriage bolt anchors on the underside to create a solid grab that wouldn't wear down each time I installed / uninstalled. I was going to use boat carpet to cover the mounting base but decided to flip the OEM JK cargo mat over so that the rubberized side was up and created a vibration mat and I bolted everything directly through it down through the base. (sorry for not taking pics of that but I was on a roll!)
Here's the finished product after adding some black touch up paint to blend everything for a cleaner look. The tailgate table is the Trailgater from Rebel Offroad. The plan is to mount a small 5 pound propane tank on the roll bar for the stove. I did test it with a normal 25 pound take prior to installation and wow, that thing can heat!
With the current dual battery setup under the hood, I can run the fridge at 32 degrees F for about 3.5 days before having to start the JK. The thermal blanket makes a world of difference. The fridge / freezer has a wireless antenna that sends the status to the driver seat monitor mounted on the A-Pillar. (it's off here, but it lights up blue with the temp and indicates if the compressor is running or not. )
I'm looking to add a water filtration system and a few other things that will tax the power supply a little more, so next up is solar assist, a larger deep cycle battery bank, and the ability to actually plug into the grid to charge it all. As time permits, of course. Then a Road Shower, roof top tent and a few other things. That should weigh me down pretty well, so it will likely be lift time.
