Favorite Overland Mods

[Akuma129]

With wife and two babies one 2 year old and a 9 mo old we need to stay comfortable anywhere we go so we usually set up camp somewhere and then hit the the trails for the day. We dont do anything like rock crawling I know my limits on the current set up. We take our trailer with us and it has everything we need, water heat and a confy place to sleep.

 

[Trail_pilot]

Unlimited TJ's are my favorite jeeps. Even though I was a yj guy.

I started as a yj guy. Had a 94 until it broke in half and then a 95 parts truck that I picked up cheap for parts but ended up trading to my dad to pay off an old debt. He's still driving it.

 

[Trail_pilot]

With wife and two babies one 2 year old and a 9 mo old we need to stay comfortable anywhere we go so we usually set up camp somewhere and then hit the the trails for the day. We dont do anything like rock crawling I know my limits on the current set up. We take our trailer with us and it has everything we need, water heat and a confy place to sleep.

The idea of a trailer is becoming more and more of a reality for me. I don't have anywhere to put one right now but maybe in a year or 2 I can convince my wife we "need" one lol. Even something small to just carry our extra gear.

 

[Akuma129]

The idea of a trailer is becoming more and more of a reality for me. I don't have anywhere to put one right now but maybe in a year or 2 I can convince my wife we "need" one lol. Even something small to just carry our extra gear.

It really makes a big difference in how to manage what you can carry and opens more opportunities for use since we can now dry camp.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Ya I am definitely going to have to look into a way to keep my gear sorted. I am thinking about basically deleting the rear windows and turning one side into a tool storage cabinet and the other side into recovery and trail gear. That should give me a bunch of extra space in the back and allow me to put the back seat back in . I may be able to put a storage drawer in the back but it may only be about 20" of space behind the seat. I think I may need to have the trailer conversation again. Even if it is a small trailer to haul the extra gear and maybe build a drawer system in that.

The simple solution for space is to get a bigger rig. Small jeeps are just not built for family outings unless you have a trailer.

 

[Boostpowered]

Either a larger vehicle or a good offroad trailer. Ive found even in my colorado i have run out of room and the majority of my gear i take is every tool i think i may need and recovery gear to get home if things go bad.
Im currently in the process of turning one of my old homemade truck bed trailers into a offroad camper, i got tired of my truck being full of gear, being uncomfortable in a ground tent, sleeping on wet groundand having to load and unload for trips. I know ill have to unhook and leave my trailer in my camping spot if i want to go do heavier offroading but thats not a big deal. Ill be able to leave the trailer loaded and just hook up and go at a moments notice.

 

[Trail_pilot]

The simple solution for space is to get a bigger rig. Small jeeps are just not built for family outings unless you have a trailer.

Simple but expensive. I already have a rig that's built to hit the trails with way more money invested in it then I'd care to admit lol. I also have a smaller SUV that I use as my daily because I have a 2 hour commute to work each morning so a larger vehicle isn't in my future.
Looks like I'm going to need to talk the wife into a trailer in the future or start building something.

 

[MidOH]

I already switched to fullsize. Might go even less overland, and put a slide in camper in.

I can go back to jeep stuff later. Right now I want to cover ground quicker, more comfortably. The family doesn't want to ''rough it'' any more, and we've a'ready done the ''jeep thing''.

 

[Trail_pilot]

I already switched to fullsize. Might go even less overland, and put a slide in camper in.

I can go back to jeep stuff later. Right now I want to cover ground quicker, more comfortably. The family doesn't want to ''rough it'' any more, and we've a'ready done the ''jeep thing''.

Ha ha ya I can understand that. Most places I can take my Dailey to camp (compass Trailhawk) but I have some spots that I have been on solo trips or with other jeep buddies that I know my wife would love. Basically I could push the limits of the Trailhawk and risk my Dailey for a weekend or take a less comfortable, slower trip and get out to the really remote spots lol

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Simple but expensive. I already have a rig that's built to hit the trails with way more money invested in it then I'd care to admit lol. I also have a smaller SUV that I use as my daily because I have a 2 hour commute to work each morning so a larger vehicle isn't in my future.
Looks like I'm going to need to talk the wife into a trailer in the future or start building something.

You built your rig for a single man it sounds like. Now its time to build a rig that is family friendly. As we grow in age so do our leisure or hobby requirements. Build for the future and let the past go. I wish I still had my 34 ford coupe that I had when I got married. It was perfect for me and a friend or girlfriend. Family forces change if we want to include our family in our activities. Do it now or do it later, it will be your biggest need. :-)

 

[Trail_pilot]

You built your rig for a single man it sounds like. Now its time to build a rig that is family friendly. As we grow in age so do our leisure or hobby requirements. Build for the future and let the past go. I wish I still had my 34 ford coupe that I had when I got married. It was perfect for me and a friend or girlfriend. Family forces change if we want to include our family in our activities. Do it now or do it later, it will be your biggest need. :-)

Well this is the best argument I've heard to look into a bigger vehicle. Unfortunately the funds aren't there right now as I just had to replace one of our dailey drivers and after doing our round at Christmas with a newborn ( usually between a 500-1000km round trip depending on what relatives meet us where) we realized that a larger vehicle may be needed in the future but at the moment the budget or the space in the driveway just isn't there to meet that demand. Maybe in a few years.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Well this is the best argument I've heard to look into a bigger vehicle. Unfortunately the funds aren't there right now as I just had to replace one of our dailey drivers and after doing our round at Christmas with a newborn ( usually between a 500-1000km round trip depending on what relatives meet us where) we realized that a larger vehicle may be needed in the future but at the moment the budget or the space in the driveway just isn't there to meet that demand. Maybe in a few years.

I gotcha James. I had to put off all major camping - boon docking for 40 years while I raised my family.
A last thought, your jeep is worth a bunch of money. After 8 years I assume it's paid for and if so selling it now will bring the best price. For what you get for it you should be able to buy your next rig now and build on that over time. Buy something that is off road capable, just not hard core yet. Good luck

 

[Trail_pilot]

I gotcha James. I had to put off all major camping - boon docking for 40 years while I raised my family.
A last thought, your jeep is worth a bunch of money. After 8 years I assume it's paid for and if so selling it now will bring the best price. For what you get for it you should be able to buy your next rig now and build on that over time. Buy something that is off road capable, just not hard core yet. Good luck

Lol I said it had more money into it than I cared to admin, not that it was worth a bunch. It could be worth an alright amount to the right person but selling it to build something else wouldn't really be worth it. Would almost be better to buy a full size SUV or truck that I could tow my Jeep with. I love jeeps and if anything I feel I would need to build a 4 door but that would be way more than I wanna pay. I'm not gunna lie I'm retry cheap when it comes to most things.

 

[MrWilsonWJ]

Barricade Jeep Wrangler Roof Rack; Textured Black J100532 (04-06 Jeep Wrangler TJ Unlimited) - Free Shipping

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Something like that with a roof basket is an option. You'd have to be a little more careful about trail damage but it would get some of the lighter camping gear out of the interior. I use my roof basket for for all my camp chairs, tent, folding table, chainsaw and a couple small totes. Getting the stuff that doesn't stack well in one layer on the roof helps free up space for coolers inside.

 

[RoarinRow]

My favorite is my camper shell. It's modded with lights, power, and storage.

 

[Trail_pilot]

Barricade Jeep Wrangler Roof Rack; Textured Black J100532 (04-06 Jeep Wrangler TJ Unlimited) - Free Shipping

FREE SHIPPING! Extra Cargo Space. A Barricade Off-Road Roof Rack gives you the additional space you need to carry all your essential off-road cargo without sacr

www.extremeterrain.com

Something like that with a roof basket is an option. You'd have to be a little more careful about trail damage but it would get some of the lighter camping gear out of the interior. I use my roof basket for for all my camp chairs, tent, folding table, chainsaw and a couple small totes. Getting the stuff that doesn't stack well in one layer on the roof helps free up space for coolers inside.

I was thinking about building a roof rack to hold a basket as there aren't too many options for my model of jeep that are in my price range. Also most racks that are on the market have fitment issues with other parts I have on the jeep. I have a roof basket on my compass that I could transfer that over.

 

[GTAJeep]

The best mod is "seat time". Get out and do it, then adjust as necessary.

What does seat time have to do with storage solutions for camping?

 

[MrWilsonWJ]

I was thinking about building a roof rack to hold a basket as there aren't too many options for my model of jeep that are in my price range. Also most racks that are on the market have fitment issues with other parts I have on the jeep. I have a roof basket on my compass that I could transfer that over.

I figured you were aware of these, just thought i would throw it out there since no one had mentioned them. If you have the tools and the fab skills it wouldn't take much to build one yourself that worked with the mods you already have and it would probably look better.

 

[BlueRidge150]

For organizing I use the Plano 1919 Sportsman trunks. I’ve seen a few recent posts where folks used Rigid brand stackable tool boxes from Home Depot. Mainly for camp kitchen stuff. I really like that idea, and am gonna take measurements this weekend to see how they’d fit in my XJ.

 

[Trail_pilot]

I figured you were aware of these, just thought i would throw it out there since no one had mentioned them. If you have the tools and the fab skills it wouldn't take much to build one yourself that worked with the mods you already have and it would probably look better.

Fab skills may not be top notch but Iv'e got a welder and basic know how. wouldn't call myself a fabricator but i could build something strong enough to get what I need out of it. hell I have a few buddies that could finish weld it for me if need be ( I haven't welded in a few years, so if my welds don't look up to snuff I don't want to risk too much and I am smart enough to know what I don't know)