2015 JKURHR Build

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First State Overland

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WOW, we're impressed! Nice work!

Can someone point me in the best direction to start researching introducing solar and or 120v to charge up the dual battery system.
From my research, I've found two main setups: Compact / portable and Large / permanent. With a JK like mine, there's not an option in my build for mounting something like 2 100W solid solar panels - something you'd see on top of an RV. That's not to say you can't pack them inside and deploy them with each stop. Personally, my setup (with the dual batteries) uses a NOCO Genuis setup for shore power if it's available. For solar, my long-term goals include some VMAX tanks, and a more robust power deliver system, complete with sine wave inverter. With most solar systems you need three things, the collector (panel), a charge controller to regulate the input, and a storage battery (and an inverter to use that power). Of course you can get fancier with volt meters and whatnot. But those three will get you started. General rule of thumb I've found is that you're only going to get about 40% of what the panel is rated at due to inefficiencies in the panels, resistance in the lines, cloud cover, angle, and just about everything else you can imagine that gets in the way of solar power.

Right now for solar, I'm running Sun Kingdom's 80W foldable panel with a waterproof charge controller that will charge my dual batteries when nothing is drawing from them, and it will offset my ARB fridge usage almost evenly, so I no longer need to start the Jeep as often on long excursions. I attach the solar clamps to my main cranking battery and my isolator will manage the charge level between the two. When the main battery is topped off, the isolator will connect them and the solar will charge both. It is at that point that my fridge (which runs off of the aux battery) will offset the incoming solar holding my charges steady. I put the panel on the top of my awning and tilt the awning for max angle to the sun. That's about as good as I think I can get short of a full blown residential panel/battery setup. That Sun Kingdom panel also has a USB output that will very quickly charge mobile devices and run lights / fans too.

Hope that helps.
 

First State Overland

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A few pics from a recent camping trip to Cape Henlopen State Park. In a few weeks, I'll put the full overland gear set on (jerry cans, Max Trax, limb risers) and head to MAOF. Fun fact, limb risers also make grab wet clothes hangers. Should get some decent shots on/offroad there. I'm curious how it will ride with all of the weight in and on top. I also think I need/want a trailer.







 

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I took the day off to get the JK ready for the Mid-Atlantic Overland Festival next week and added some new items and took some shots of her after a much-needed bath.

I decided that my previous location for mounting the MaxTrax wasn't going to work for stability and I didn't like them up there where I'd have to move them to unfold the tent. So I mounted them to the rear passenger side support arm of the Gobi rack. I LOVE this new spot. It's solid and stable and secure. (And it looks kinda cool.) That's my BOLT lock going through them and then two master locks on the top and bottom locking pins.





Then I finally added the four Jerry cans in their Front Runner racks. I also added a shovel to the Gobi rack on the drivers side. Yes, it's red and black to match the Jeep. That was on purpose. :P




 

Jose

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Damn! That's one sick Jeep. You just built my dream Jeep, and hopefully one day will get even close to that set up. I just purchased a 2016 JKUR and will be building it slow but it will get their little by little. Thanks for the thread and the pics it just gave me more inspiration on my Overland Jeep build.
 
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First State Overland

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Damn! That's one sick Jeep. You just built my dream Jeep, and hopefully one day will get even close to that set up. I just purchased a 2016 JKUR and will be building it slow but it will get their little by little. Thanks for the thread and the pics it just gave me more inspiration on my Overland Jeep build.
Nice choice! That's what we're all here for, so let me know if you have any questions. I lost count of how many others have inspired me for my build and then I added my own flavor to it. Can't wait to see yours being built out.
 
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tom

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WOW, we're impressed! Nice work!

Can someone point me in the best direction to start researching introducing solar and or 120v to charge up the dual battery system.
Reach out to the folks at Renogy, very helpful in explaining theory as well as a cool suitcase product.
 

Steve

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@Arkaden Where did you get that map, Chad? That is so cool with the state's license plate image on each one. I'd love to get one of those for our travels!
 
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First State Overland

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One last mod before MAOF. Added a rear 12v battery connection point from Genesis Offroad. Ran it back and brought it out the driver's side rear opposite the tailpipe. I'm not sure I'm going to keep it there as I don't like the idea of it getting submerged during water crossings, so I might re-engineer that to go inside. With the new line run, I picked up the set of cables to go with it.

Here's without and with the cover.


 
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artist8686

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Great build tread, I am basically looking to do almost the same build as yours with my white 2015 JKUR HR. I am ordering the Gobi Stealth rack this spring and have picked up 3 sets of rigid SR-Ms for the sides (3 each side) and a set of SR-Qs for the back. I noticed the ladder mount sticks out further than the back of the rack and the light mounts are semi-recessed, so my question is, how is the light pattern/shadow off the back, I am looking to have enough downward light for camp/night wheeling, not just straight back and have a dark shadow on the back end. Do you have any night shots of the read lights on as you currently have them set up? thanks, and again great build and I love my Hard Rock!
 

First State Overland

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Great build tread, I am basically looking to do almost the same build as yours with my white 2015 JKUR HR. I am ordering the Gobi Stealth rack this spring and have picked up 3 sets of rigid SR-Ms for the sides (3 each side) and a set of SR-Qs for the back. I noticed the ladder mount sticks out further than the back of the rack and the light mounts are semi-recessed, so my question is, how is the light pattern/shadow off the back, I am looking to have enough downward light for camp/night wheeling, not just straight back and have a dark shadow on the back end. Do you have any night shots of the read lights on as you currently have them set up? thanks, and again great build and I love my Hard Rock!

Thanks! You're exactly right, the rear light mounts don't give you the downward clearance with the out of the box light setups. If you wanted to mount lights there and use them in a downward manner - say to light up a tailgate cook area, you'd be hard pressed to do that. You'd have to rig up something that pushed the lights up higher in the air so they could tilt down. Unfortunately I don't have any night shots, but I'm heading back out in a few weekends and I could take some. Right now, for me, the rear lights do shine on the underside of my rear awning when it's deployed but they are designed to illuminate the back up area. For my rear gate cooking area, I actually strapped an LED worklight to the rear rollbar. Because of the way the light is designed it works perfect AND allows me to take it down and move it when needed. I liked the light so much I bought three of them at Home Depot. Best $29 I've ever spent.

This image shows the rear light from the side and you can see, even with it pointed downward the rear ladder mount blocks about half of the beam. You would need to get that elevated using a longer bolt or higher mount.


Here's the LED torch I was talking about. I just bungie balled it up there so it's secure, has a perfect angle and is easily removable. It's also magnetic in several places so I can move it to the rear tailgate if I want. Or even better, under the hood if I'm working on the engine at night.



Here's a shot of it in my garage with all of the lights off. You can see how much light it throws to light up the tailgate area.



Hope this helps!
 
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artist8686

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Thanks! You're exactly right, the rear light mounts don't give you the downward clearance with the out of the box light setups. If you wanted to mount lights there and use them in a downward manner - say to light up a tailgate cook area, you'd be hard pressed to do that. You'd have to rig up something that pushed the lights up higher in the air so they could tilt down. Unfortunately I don't have any night shots, but I'm heading back out in a few weekends and I could take some. Right now, for me, the rear lights do shine on the underside of my rear awning when it's deployed but they are designed to illuminate the back up area. For my rear gate cooking area, I actually strapped an LED worklight to the rear rollbar. Because of the way the light is designed it works perfect AND allows me to take it down and move it when needed. I liked the light so much I bought three of them at Home Depot. Best $29 I've ever spent.

This image shows the rear light from the side and you can see, even with it pointed downward the rear ladder mount blocks about half of the beam. You would need to get that elevated using a longer bolt or higher mount.


Here's the LED torch I was talking about. I just bungie balled it up there so it's secure, has a perfect angle and is easily removable. It's also magnetic in several places so I can move it to the rear tailgate if I want. Or even better, under the hood if I'm working on the engine at night.



Here's a shot of it in my garage with all of the lights off. You can see how much light it throws to light up the tailgate area.



Hope this helps!
Thanks for the pics and clarification. I love how helpful the overland and Jeep communities are with set up and questions. That angle is perfect to show the rear light and confirm what I bought, thanks! That is my only worry other than when I have the soft top on and want to use the sun rider option, which I've heard you can't do, just up or down. But I may fab some block type pieces to raise the back of the rack up from the rear supports since it looks like the whole top sits on top of it, basicsally a 1"spacer, unless Gobi ever emails me back about a custom rack with supports that are about 1" taller. I will definitely get the rack, just would suck losing the quick flip back of the soft top without having to unzip all the windows and put the top completely down. I also ordered some wiring quick disconnects as well to run my left, right, and rear lights to the spod. One day I'll upgrade my lighting spod to the 8 switch SE and keep the current 6 switch unit for the air compressor, fridge, winch, and other powered items.
 

First State Overland

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Thanks for the pics and clarification. I love how helpful the overland and Jeep communities are with set up and questions. That angle is perfect to show the rear light and confirm what I bought, thanks! That is my only worry other than when I have the soft top on and want to use the sun rider option, which I've heard you can't do, just up or down. But I may fab some block type pieces to raise the back of the rack up from the rear supports since it looks like the whole top sits on top of it, basicsally a 1"spacer, unless Gobi ever emails me back about a custom rack with supports that are about 1" taller. I will definitely get the rack, just would suck losing the quick flip back of the soft top without having to unzip all the windows and put the top completely down. I also ordered some wiring quick disconnects as well to run my left, right, and rear lights to the spod. One day I'll upgrade my lighting spod to the 8 switch SE and keep the current 6 switch unit for the air compressor, fridge, winch, and other powered items.
Yup, even without the front section of the Gobi rack, it still comes forward too much, so your sunrider function is gone. I bought the Jeep with the dual top group and built the hoist in my garage and had every intention of changing the tops back and forth. It was a hard day when I came to the realization that if I'm really going to get into this overlanding thing and explore like I really want to, that probably means I'll never have the soft top on again, unfortunately. It's like salt in a wound in the summer when other Jeepers are top down and I'm not. It sucks. Bad.
 

artist8686

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Yup, even without the front section of the Gobi rack, it still comes forward too much, so your sunrider function is gone. I bought the Jeep with the dual top group and built the hoist in my garage and had every intention of changing the tops back and forth. It was a hard day when I came to the realization that if I'm really going to get into this overlanding thing and explore like I really want to, that probably means I'll never have the soft top on again, unfortunately. It's like salt in a wound in the summer when other Jeepers are top down and I'm not. It sucks. Bad.
Not what I wanted to hear, I'm starting a revolution and figuring out how to adjust it and make a piece to make it work. I've only heard good about Gobi except for that one thing, it can't be hard to fix and adjust to make that option we all love available again, stupid Gobi, my only other option was to raise the height of the lower rear supports if I can find someone to weld a new one for me. I'll keep hounding them with emails, oh well, looks like I'll have to live through it, but realistically I'll probably only keep the back half on only if I need it, as a daily, I'll disconnect it and just keep the front of the frame on with a light bar, cut the unnecessary weight and give me my sunrises option back! Thanks for all your input and maybe we will run into each other one day on the trails! Jeep On!