Building my Lj

[Alyce]

Back with a hunger to survive & thrive in my 2006 Lj. I would like to convert the back to have the ability to overland. Even more so I am also considering building a small camper shell with an overhead sleeper. That way I could incorporate a toilet & small kitchen.
Then again I want to be able to go anywhere & think the camper shell would limit some area that are tight.
Would love all advice where to get started.
As a female I would like a place secure because my financial future is a little scary . As I'm sure is with several folks currently.
I have plenty of wood, love building, the electric part is foreign to me.
I have an 2006 stock Lj that I use for farm life.

 

[El-Dracho]

I read from this that you know you want to build some camping setup/ interior for the Jeep but not yet exactly how it should look like, right?

My recommendation is to start with packing the camping equipment, prepare well and take a short trip. Then see what you really need and develop an idea of what to build based on practical experience. A good approach is to take a pad and pen with you on the trip and write down or sketch out what is missing, what could be better, etc. If you already know a little bit in which direction it should go, you can already implement a rudimentary interior and then continue to improve from there. And even after that, such modifications are often never finished but a continuous improvement process.

Just see what you think is right for you and build it. Here in the forum there are many great ideas in the subforums Overland Vehicle Build Threads and Overland DIY Projects.

 

[grubworm]

I have plenty of wood, love building

nice...that makes it a lot easier for sure, especially if you already have the wood before it doubled in price and its a lot easier to make modifications with wood
there are several threads on here doing what you are describing. i have a tundra with a shell and basically just built a deck with drawers and threw a memory foam mattress on top and called it good. i also went with a swing-away hitch mount that i bolted a tray on and use that to carry ice chest, etc.
maybe some version of this would be what you need.
the wife has a sahara and that is what i would have done to it if we didnt have the tundra

 

[Alyce]

I read from this that you know you want to build some camping setup/ interior for the Jeep but not yet exactly how it should look like, right?

My recommendation is to start with packing the camping equipment, prepare well and take a short trip. Then see what you really need and develop an idea of what to build based on practical experience. A good approach is to take a pad and pen with you on the trip and write down or sketch out what is missing, what could be better, etc. If you already know a little bit in which direction it should go, you can already implement a rudimentary interior and then continue to improve from there. And even after that, such modifications are often never finished but a continuous improvement process.

Just see what you think is right for you and build it. Here in the forum there are many great ideas in the subforums Overland Vehicle Build Threads and Overland DIY Projects.

Thank you. I have my pen & note going already.

 

[afootorafloatLJ]

The LJ is a great platform. I like the comments. I create a list of items to bring using my to do list app. Then we also keep a list of what we needed or forgot. Before building out your rig I would do some trips first. We have done mock backpacking trips from our vehicles where we basically utilize our backpacking gear plus a cooler and go for it. Now I also travel with several Frost River canoe packs and the Camp Kitchen pack. Pack a couple folding camp chairs some water and your set. have fun.

 

[AggieOE]

As much as this build sounds awesome. Two things come to mind that impact me often: costs QUICKLY double budgets and modifications always have trade-offs.

As such, I'd recommend finding a used trailer, something super small that you can stand up in and possibly something that needs a full gut job. Since you're already planning on building an interior/sleeping setup, I'd recommend doing it in something more designed for it so you don't trade off ANYTHING from your LJ. Plus, a base camp is SO much better than having to tear everything down just to drive a mile down the road for groceries.

We tried to roof top tent bit on top of our car and a fully packed backend for a trip and HATED it immediately because it had to be torn down and packed up every day, even if you only need to drive a couple of miles to a trailhead. A trailer has made that aspect a LOT better.

Good luck!