Converting from rock crawler to overlander

[TxJeeper75]

It is a slippery slope, once you buy a jeep.

Just Eats Every Penny, or Just Empty Every Pocket. I wouldn't trade it for a thing though. Working on it is only part of the fun.

 

[TxJeeper75]

I know the fire extinguisher isn't great and will corrode the hell outta things if I have to use it but it's one of those things you hope you never have to use and I needed it mounted for the upcoming event and getting things across the border may not make it in time. Also I like the mount, it's not in the way and I know that it's easily accessable if I need it and isn't going to come loose if I am in a roll over. It's the same mount they use in offroad race trucks so I am pretty confident it will do it' job well.

I have a similar mount in my rig, except I bolted it to the bar.

 

[TxJeeper75]

Digging the thread. I too have a rock crawling Jeep, although not as beefy as yours, that I am slowly making more camp friendly. Having both a love of wheeling and a love of camping, I find this to be the best of both worlds.

I recently installed a roof rack and RTT, and took it on a 4000 miles trip to Mt. Rushmore, stopping to do a few Jeep trails in Colorado and Wyoming. Dispersed camping the whole way. Next will be gas can mounts and shower install. I also bought a fridge and will be making a drawer system in the back in the future.

The RTT and 4.10 gears do hurt the fuel economy, but I wasn't worried about any of the forest roads I traveled. I'm ok with that, knowing I can get further into places and see what most don't get to see.

Don't listen to the negativity on here. Keep doing your thing, and get out there and have fun!

 

[Trail_pilot]

Everywhere is different but many jurisdictions ban welding, cutting frame rails, steering components unless it is done by a Journeyman Welder, seeing these failed welds, the reason is obvious.

Probably true around here and I do understand why. Unfortunately I don't have the time at the moment and as mentioned I am really just hoping they make it through next weekend and I can have the whole thing looked over again

 

[Trail_pilot]

Digging the thread. I too have a rock crawling Jeep, although not as beefy as yours, that I am slowly making more camp friendly. Having both a love of wheeling and a love of camping, I find this to be the best of both worlds.

I recently installed a roof rack and RTT, and took it on a 4000 miles trip to Mt. Rushmore, stopping to do a few Jeep trails in Colorado and Wyoming. Dispersed camping the whole way. Next will be gas can mounts and shower install. I also bought a fridge and will be making a drawer system in the back in the future.

The RTT and 4.10 gears do hurt the fuel economy, but I wasn't worried about any of the forest roads I traveled. I'm ok with that, knowing I can get further into places and see what most don't get to see.

Don't listen to the negativity on here. Keep doing your thing, and get out there and have fun!

That sounds awesome. If budget allows it in the next couple years I will likely put a fridge in the back on a slide, but for now I have to stick with coolers which isn't a big deal for me. I still need to do a second battery as a backup for gear/booster if mine dies, and I want to mount an awning of some sort. I love getting out and finding camp spots on a lake and fishing so maybe a tube to hold my rods so they stop catching on things and breaking lol.
I probably should have gone 5.13 on gears with the 37s but i can still keep up to most people on the highway, its just really thirsty.
I love being able to load up and get out to those remote spots where I don't see anyone for days which was the point of getting the jeep in the first place. Then I got into rock crawling and only had space for 1 vehicle so i built it for a little of both but focused on crawling because I tend to have more time to do that than extended camping trips. I am at a point now where I can focus on some of the camping details again and gear it for those longer trips since everything else has been addressed.

 

[Deleted member 59857]

Sometimes simple is better, and lighter weight. Weight is a real issue with camping builds.
I've had multiple setups - maggiolina rtt, arb fridge, etc
What i'm currently running? Ground tent and cooler. For various reasons, it works far better for us and much happier running this way.
The fridge makes a great studio fridge at the house though :)

All that to say, everything is a tradeoff. Unfortunately, sometimes you don't know until you use it for awhile...

That sounds awesome. If budget allows it in the next couple years I will likely put a fridge in the back on a slide, but for now I have to stick with coolers which isn't a big deal for me. I still need to do a second battery as a backup for gear/booster if mine dies, and I want to mount an awning of some sort. I love getting out and finding camp spots on a lake and fishing so maybe a tube to hold my rods so they stop catching on things and breaking lol.
I probably should have gone 5.13 on gears with the 37s but i can still keep up to most people on the highway, its just really thirsty.
I love being able to load up and get out to those remote spots where I don't see anyone for days which was the point of getting the jeep in the first place. Then I got into rock crawling and only had space for 1 vehicle so i built it for a little of both but focused on crawling because I tend to have more time to do that than extended camping trips. I am at a point now where I can focus on some of the camping details again and gear it for those longer trips since everything else has been addressed.

 

[TxJeeper75]

Sometimes simple is better, and lighter weight. Weight is a real issue with camping builds.
I've had multiple setups - maggiolina rtt, arb fridge, etc
What i'm currently running? Ground tent and cooler. For various reasons, it works far better for us and much happier running this way.
The fridge makes a great studio fridge at the house though :)

All that to say, everything is a tradeoff. Unfortunately, sometimes you don't know until you use it for awhile...

Well said. My camping gear has evolved over the years too. There are many items I have purchased, that I don't use anymore. Heck, I have bought things I have never used. lol, I expect it to be the same with this build. Weight is definitely an issue, even when it comes to rock crawling. I'm trying to stick with the basics to keep that as minimal as possible. I already am packing on pounds with recovery gear, tools,extra fluids, and a few spare parts. After reading a few threads on here though, I will be downsizing some of that.
Some things are trade offs. I will deal with the extra weigh of an RTT, because of it's ease to set up. It's comfort, and I can stow all my bedding materials in it, freeing up space, which is limited in a TJ. It does have it's downfalls, but for me, the pros outweigh the cons.
I did buy the fridge to be able to prepare "better" meals in camp, without worrying about my food drowning in ice water. We'll see how it works out in the future. Right now, I see it as a game changer. Holding off on buying a power station for now. I want to test it out first and see if I even need one. Still debating on the drawer system. They look nice, and they seem like they make things a lot more organized and accessible, but some of them look really heavy.
It's an adventure , and just like with any other adventure, "We'll get there eventually".

 

[phlfly]

I would say as this thread took another turn into discussion instead, to say this person can do whenever and its' all good. Everyone has own story to tell why they went that route than another. I did big truck just because its comfortable, second my kids plays travel sports so travel is number one priority and I don't have luxury to have Rubicon as fun truck, third we camp all together plus GSD (80 lbs) so everyone needs to feel comfy, I have even 10 gal water tanks, which would be hard to fit into 4 door rubicon with tent on top and fridge in the truck. So this guy is doing in his vision of overloading, as like to have fun on big rocks. Me personally I'm not enjoying a heavy duty off road, as I'm car enthusiast as anything like this can lead expensive repairs and damage. I do some trail for fun, but when is on edge like water crossing I will stay on safe side, as next weekend I might need to drive 200 miles for the tournament.
btw nice build.

 

[Trail_pilot]

I would say as this thread took another turn into discussion instead, to say this person can do whenever and its' all good. Everyone has own story to tell why they went that route than another. I did big truck just because its comfortable, second my kids plays travel sports so travel is number one priority and I don't have luxury to have Rubicon as fun truck, third we camp all together plus GSD (80 lbs) so everyone needs to feel comfy, I have even 10 gal water tanks, which would be hard to fit into 4 door rubicon with tent on top and fridge in the truck. So this guy is doing in his vision of overloading, as like to have fun on big rocks. Me personally I'm not enjoying a heavy duty off road, as I'm car enthusiast as anything like this can lead expensive repairs and damage. I do some trail for fun, but when is on edge like water crossing I will stay on safe side, as next weekend I might need to drive 200 miles for the tournament.
btw nice build.

Thank you!
Yes I 100% understand that this is not a build for everyone. It lacks a lot of the comfort of most overland vehicles but keeps up with my rock crawler buddies. I use to have a CK1500 blazer back in high school that I lived out of for a while because I was kicked out my my house. used to love that truck and would buy another in a heartbeat if i could find one in decent shape around here but I have nowhere to put it lol. my version of overlanding back then was driving down to the town docks at night and charging a phone where they plug in the boats, then driving up into the railway maintenece trails to sleep for the night and use the phone as an alarm to get to my construction job. Used to pick a few people up in the morning to pay for gas and showered at my girlfriends place. Worked pretty well until it got cold and then the rear end blew apart and I ha no money to fix it. I wish I had the extra space sometimes but I carry more tools than anything else lol.

 

[Trail_pilot]

Recently my dad came across a dual battery wiring system at an estate sale so he grabbed it for me. All of $5 and I am able to run a second battery... as soon as I have time to install it or pay off my visa after all of the recent expenses lol. I also hve to make it the 3 hours to go visit him, which I may be closer at the end of this weekend, but we still don't know, we'll see.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Yes I would much prefer a leisurely wander than getting stuck. Thinking back, the last time I was stuck was about 20 years ago in the Sahara, in a Series 100 LC, and it was a desert driving training day, so that was the plan. Other than that... never for more than a few minutes on very few occasions in the last couple of decades. A couple of times in Northeastern Brazil in the Lençois Maranhenses in an X Trail i - deep sand, out in 5 minutes. Never yet in Africa south of the Sahara, although I once pulled 3 vehicles including a Land Rover out of a dry river bed in the Kalahari in a Peugeot 304, pulled a Jeep out of deep sand in the Congo in a Patrol, and we pulled a pickup out of a ditch when the rains hit in Northern Kenya in our LC. We had to take a second shot at a dune a couple of times in the Simpson Desert last year, but this was simply a case of backing up and trying again - 1100 dunes in 5 days.

Having said all that, I suspect that if we were to try to go some of the places you go, in our "not far off standard" vehicle, we'd need your help to get out of trouble pretty quickly.

I think of "overlanding" based on the Overland Journal description: "Overlanding describes self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations where the journey is the primary goal. Typically, but not exclusively, accommodated by mechanized off-highway capable transport (from bicycles to trucks) where the principal form of lodging is camping; often lasting for extended lengths of time (months to years) and often spanning international boundaries. While expedition is defined as a journey with a purpose, overlanding sees the journey as the purpose. Overlanding is about exploration, rather than conquering obstacles. While the roads and trails we travel might be rough or technically challenging, they are the means to an end, not the goal itself. The goal is to see and learn about our world, whether on a weekend trip 100 miles from home or a 10,000-mile expedition across another continent. The vehicle and equipment can be simple or extravagant - they, too, are simply means to an end. History, wildlife, culture, scenery, self-sufficiency - these are the rewards of overlanding." However I recognise that this only one of many views.

We've travelled a lot in Canada (I'm Canadian although haven't lived there for almost 30 years) and also through Oregon, which is beautiful, and I can see your point. We too can get out onto unsurfaced tracks not far from home (where we live now), and have a huge opportunity to see more. As you say - all a matter or perspective (and what interests us).

I like your views and your flexibility. I cant express my views so well as you but I know what I like when I hear it. Stay with us my friend. You have a lot to be heard by us all.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

I never thought I would get so torched for not having a bolt on parts rig. With a title like " rock crawler to overlander" what did people expect? It's a work in progress that I still plan on adding to with dual battery setup and a better exhaust, more power outlets inside. But maybe it's not for everyone and I get that it's not as comfortable as most would like but it's been an ongoing build for the last 7 years that I thought I would share. Thank you to those who have made comments about the build but I am kinda done with the why don't you drive a stock land rover on 31s comments. I use this thing to it's full potential and it's built for what I need it to do. I'll post a link to the magazine article and the videos once they are out for those who are interested.

I think most of us are like you but coming from the other end of the spectrum. Most of us start with a stock rig and try to achieve a middle ground of capability. I dont plan to rock crawl but I certainly want a rig that has some of that ability. Weather changes conditions on the trails constantly. Nothing worse than having to turn around and go back when you havent reached your destination. Do your thing and dont worry about the nay sayers.

By the way I drive a land rover discovery 2. It's built up some and does a great job in the comfort department, at the same time gets me where I want to go on hwy and overland !
I had to build what I call affordable and so far it is that. Like you, I will add what I need when I find a need for it, not because that's what everyone else does.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

I think most of us are like you but coming from the other end of the spectrum. Most of us start with a stock rig and try to achieve a middle ground of capability. I dont plan to rock crawl but I certainly want a rig that has some of that ability. Weather changes conditions on the trails constantly. Nothing worse than having to turn around and go back when you havent reached your destination. Do your thing and dont worry about the nay sayers.

By the way I drive a land rover discovery 2. It's built up some and does a great job in the comfort department, at the same time gets me where I want to go on hwy and overland !
I had to build what I call affordable and so far it is that. Like you, I will add what I need when I find a need for it, not because that's what everyone else does.

Remember Jim, Winches can drag your rear end across all sorts of stuff your rig would not go over by itself. HA HA HA. I have one available with the 2 inch receiver to pull whatever end needs to be pulled.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

You can be assured I will have a winch soon and before I hit the trails. For years I have only had a small 3000# hitch ball portable winch with 80' of line and 2 pulleys I use to double the pulling power. I have never had to use it for myself but I have use it many times to help others out of sand and snow. Before I bought my LRD2 I drove a pickup with a tool box . I never went anywhere without the portable winch I have owned for 40 years. I'm currently looking at a 9000# remote control winch for my front winch bumper. I'm just not there yet.

Check out my post # 10,007 on page # 501 in the WHAT DID YOU DO WITH YOUR RIG TODAY in another OB forum.

 

[Trail_pilot]

Well the trip out with 4WD and overland magazine was a success. No breakage ( for me) and some good hard trails run that I had never been to before and would definitely go back. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of my Jeep running many of the obstacles but I have some pictures of a few of the other guys doing their thing.

 

[Trail_pilot]

There were some issues with breakage, a jeep gladiator snapped a front axle ujoint and stretches the stub shaft which were able to repair on the trail. One of the jeeps lit on fire going down the highway because the collector on the exhaust came apart and lit the oil pressure sensing unit on fire and amazingly did not do any real damage and the guy was able to drive it on the trails the next day and home after that. And there was definately some body work by nature done to a lot of the rigs, but I got to see some amazing trails and camp spots that I would never have known about before.

 

[Anak]

Looks like an awesome trip.

And a success for your build.

Well done.

 

[Trail_pilot]

Looks like an awesome trip.

And a success for your build.

Well done.

Thank you. I had some issues with my rear locker blowing a fuse but I didn't break anything major. I also leaned my soft top into a tree a bit so there are some small holes in it. Overall though it was a success and I can't wait for the photographer's and film crew to share their side of the story!

 

[Andrew McGaha]

LOL... same scenario, but... British Jeep :)

 

[Smileyshaun]

You would laugh at a discussion over on expedition portal onif you can overland a stock vehicle , would you believe there’s bashing on how a modified vehicle will leave you stranded , the back and forth has been quite entertaining. If you could believe it some of the same people are over there saying how horrible a modified vehicle is ...... any guesses ?