First Time Jeep Owner

[Texassailor]

Nice setup We love our 2016 Rubicon, we always wanted to go to Big Bend National Park. How are the trails there? Do they get washed out a lot from floods?

The National Park is very easy in a Jeep Wrangler. You don't really even need 4wd for most of it depending upon the weather. River Road when wet can be a problem. Black Gap Road is not what it once was . . . people stack rocks at the ledge. My favorite is Old Ore Road. It has a variety of scenery and geological variances; and, it requires 4wd. You will have fun in the park and can spend a week exploring new ground if you want to camp too.

The Big Bend State Park (275,000 acres) is much more rugged than the National Park (800,000 acres).

 

[Texassailor]

The two videos above will also show you how a heavy stock Jeep performs on a ledge. I have two Group 34 AGM batteries in a lockdown cage over the rear axle as well as a fully loaded 56L SnoMaster Fridge on my custom-made rear platform/shelf. The roof rack and supports for the two solar panels also add alot of weight. So do my tools in the rear of the jeep. The AirLift 1000 airbags in the rear coils are a lifesaver with this added weight. I wanted to try the newbie run with a weight that more approximates my traveling weight.

And, of course, the driver is no lightweight.

 

[WeGoPlacez]

The National Park is very easy in a Jeep Wrangler. You don't really even need 4wd for most of it depending upon the weather. River Road when wet can be a problem. Black Gap Road is not what it once was . . . people stack rocks at the ledge. My favorite is Old Ore Road. It has a variety of scenery and geological variances; and, it requires 4wd. You will have fun in the park and can spend a week exploring new ground if you want to camp too.

The Big Bend State Park (275,000 acres) is much more rugged than the National Park (800,000 acres).

Thanks good to know! We have been planning to headed that way for years. We want to go backpacking out there. Maybe next year we’ll head that way.

 

[yj4roks]

Hi, I just finally joined the Jeep Club this summer and have loved finding off road locations all over New England.
I'm trying to get the most out of my jeep while keeping it as stock as possible for now as it is my daily and I drive 40K a year.
I have a 2017 Wrangler Unlimited running 31s which I plan to upgrade to 33s once they need to be replaced.

Congrats on the Jeep! I bought my first Jeep in November 1989...brand new off the showroom floor. I still own that Jeep and love it. All three of my kids have grown up in it and learned to drive stick in the desert. We still go out as often as possible. If I can offer any possible advise to all the new folks starting out...learn your rig, learn to work on it if possible, learn how to install the goodies you purchase, etc. I can flat out tell you that when I bought mine, I knew absolutely nothing about wrenching. Join a club and learn from the guys who have been doing it a long time. For one, it will save you a heap of money installing stuff yourself, and secondly, if you have issues on the trail (and you will at some point) it gives you an edge on what might be needed to fix it. Another big thing is don't travel solo...at least in less populated areas. Anything can happen and having a second vehicle with you can be the difference between stuck, or going home for the night.
I'm glad to see that the other respondents here aren't in massive Jeeps...learning to offroad a nearly stock Jeep in my opinion, makes you a better driver! Then as you build the rig up you have that knowledge of what line to take, and you can go just about everywhere! Welcome to the Jeep
"club".

 

[MotoHop]

I have a 2017 Unlimited Rubicon Hard Rock Edition that is mostly stock on the exterior. The Jeep will be paid off in two years and then I'll have the justification to add a lift and wheels/tires. My wife will veto any big spend like this right now. Until then, I'm happy with the capabilities of my Jeep for most overlanding purposes.

I have, however, added a number of items that make the vehicle more suitable to my current needs: an sPod SE source & 8 switch panel system which is pricey but has allowed me to control 1) a Quadratec J5 lightbar for west Texas off-road driving, 2) two underhood led lights (KC HiLites Cyclone) to problem-solve engine problems at night, 3) a SmittyBilt x2o winch with relays to get me or others out of jams, 4) an ICOM 5100 ham radio, 5) a Cobra C75 WC CB radio, and 6) other assorted electrical devices (e.g., roof rack LED lights). I've also added a roof rack for my two 100w Renogy solar panels that run my SnoMaster 56L fridge/freezer via two Odyssey AGM batteries. Also added a front bumper hoop that matches my steel hard rock edition bumper. Also, replaced the tail lights with Quadratec LED tail lights. And, then, a bunch of small stuff like fire extinguishers, HiLift jack, molle seat organizers. Replaced the original starting battery that recently died with a Yellow-top Optima AGM.

Then, the very nice Vector Off-road JKE-Dock bar to mount numerous 69-Designs mounts for the HAM radio, sat phone, cell phone, iPad, SnoMaster remote monitor, etc.

All this stuff adds up but I would spend the money again.

All that remains (when I pay off the Jeep) is the MetalCloak 3.5" 6-pack edition lift kit, 5.13 gears in the Dana 44s, replacement Adams drive shafts to correct for geometry, sleeve & gussets, trackbar/stabilizer, 4.5" backspace wheels and 37" tires. We added these parts to my son's 2012 JK and they are AWESOME! He is much more capable off-road than I am. I just cannot justify the $$$ (meaning I don't have the money right now) for these items.

I am 60 years old, so I plan on this being the final vehicle in my life. I couldn't have landed on a better platform. Now, I just need to stay healthy to enjoy it all for another 20 years.

[EDIT: I'll need tires before I can afford the lift, so I plan to replace my stock BFG KM2 255/75R17 with BFG KM3 285/75R17 (which should not cause too many problems with my stock suspension and fenders)].

My favorite Big Bend National Park photo when my vehicle was only 4 months old (forgot to say that I subsequently added AirLift 1000 airbags to the rear coils to handle the extra weight of my overlanding loadout . . . you can see quite a bit of sag in the photo and my vehicle is even heavier now). Boy, do I love this Jeep. Each owner can tailor the platform to their own needs. I don't think I've seen two non-stock Jeeps that look or function the same.

Congrats on starting your Jeep journey! JEEP: "Just Empty Every Pocket"

TexasSailer,
Do you have any info (maybe a link) on your rear hitch carrier? Looks like at least the hi lift is mounted to it and maybe the jerry cans? Thanks!

 

[wvjeeper]

Welcome to the Jeep family. They're great vehicles and not too hard to work on yourself. I've got a 2015 Unlimited Sahara that has been worked on a good bit. You know what they say... JEEP means Just Empty Every Pocket. lol. I hope you enjoy it in good health.

 

[Texassailor]

Do you have any info (maybe a link) on your rear hitch carrier? Looks like at least the hi lift is mounted to it and maybe the jerry cans? Thanks!

I had the hitch-mounted rack fabricated by a local welding shop. I saw a few similar versions on various internet sites before I put pencil to paper and laid it out for the shop. I don't remember the gauge, but it is thick-walled tubing. The shop made a few good recommendations in terms of steel used and welding options.

Here is a photo which also shows my shovel mounts. I'll try to find close-up photos of the build to give you a better idea of what they actually built . . . cost about $1200. Initial bid was $700.

 

[Texassailor]

Not the best images, but they'll have to do. Although the unpainted rack has what appears to be rough-looking welds, this is merely the camera. Their welds were very good. The rack has gussets in all the high stress areas. It is built like a tank . . . and with the hitch-tightener, it is rock solid behind the Jeep. Those steel fuel cans are also high quality. I cannot remember where on-line I purchased them . . . someplace in Ohio, I think.

I painted it myself. Gray primer, black enamel followed by bed-liner. The paint is holding up very well.

I only use the rack when I'll be overlanding in remote areas without fuel availability. Each night at camp, I have to remove the rack to open the tailgate (bummer). If I can find a way to have it swing out and still remain rigid behind the Jeep, I may modify it.

And, as you can tell from the photos, I didn't spend much time after purchasing the Jeep to have the rack built. Still has dealer tags. We took the Jeep to Big Bend National Park when it was two months old.

 

[Downs]

I'm an XJ guy (on my 4th one) so now in many groups I run with I'm in what most would consider an "old Jeep". It's a money pit sometimes but it's MY money pit I agree with not needing the Rubicon. It's nice to have some of it's features but a lunchbox locker will do a large chunk of what Rubi will do for a few hundred extra dollars.

 

[Agards1011]

Hey we’re Justin & Jessica or just JJ, we live in Ogden Utah. We decided last year to move out west from Florida, so here where are! We bought a 2016 Jeep Rubicon (Ovie), our very first Jeep! Our Jeep has turned out great, it was so much fun building our Rig.
We went with telecom racks, so we could install our norcold marine fridge, and storage system. On the backside of the storage system are shelves where all the electronics are wired in. We even have a secondary battery under the passenger seat. We have a 3.5 Pro Comp lift, 35 inch Pro Comp tires, and Pro Comp rock lights. On top we have a Gobi Rack, and Smittybilt Rooftop Tent.
Inside we have a Vector Bar with 2 Ram Phone mounts and 1 iPad mini mount, plus 4 USB port. Some other upgrades we have done are ICOM 4001 Transceiver, ARB Twin Air-compressor, SPOD, Smittybilt X2O winch, Smittybilt Atlas Bummer.

Oh man there are times my wife and I contemplate the same. She has family just outside of Boulder, CO and it is so awesome there. Florida is just so flat and boring...and way too hot!

 

[grubworm]

First Time Jeep Owner

its only a matter of time.....

 

[Texassailor]

First Time Jeep Owner

its only a matter of time.....

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We bought my wife a 2019 4Runner Off-Road Premium. Let's just say (for my personal vehicle) I have no intention of ever going "T". Maybe JT.

 

[WeGoPlacez]

Oh man there are times my wife and I contemplate the same. She has family just outside of Boulder, CO and it is so awesome there. Florida is just so flat and boring...and way too hot!

Florida is way to hot and I’m not big into water sports at all! We talked about it for years, but it was finally time to just do it. All our families live in Florida, minus Justin’s youngest brother, who lives here in Utah! It was hard to leave, but we are grateful we did! We’ve heard wonderful things about Colorado, and considered moving there ourselves. We plan on making a trip to Colorado next year!

 

[Rolando]

Good choice and welcome to the Jeep family.

I am on my second Jeep and drive these puppies for over 16 years now (a YJ in the 90s for 8 years and a JKU since 2011 that both of my boys learned to drive stick on as well). No major problems with any of them and I just did some minor mods, like 33s with a small lift and not going crazy with 37 and up tires, which I would recommend for everyone, even though you are told that you need *this* immediately on forums and elsewhere.

My recommendation is to use it stock and change things as needed when a replacement is due - either because they need to be replaced anyways (e.g. tires or the tailgate hinges), or if things have proven to not work out as you wish.

I am looking now into buying a Gladiator as the next Jeep - consolidating the Jeep and our F150 into one, and my wife gets the small car that she asks for.