I've been really busy with work and adventuring so I have no time to update on the Trooper build. I have had a couple of good wheeling trips. Here are some pics:
The objective of the Trooper is to really get out and away from all the noise so I am looking into ways and investing in making it as bullet proof as possible. For me personally overlanding is about getting out and away to remote places and exploring them. Weekend camping at campsites with showers and all that is fun and totally great especially with kids but at this point in my life with just the wife, the dog, and I I'm looking for a little more rugged adventures.
Okay back off of the rabbit trail...
The Trooper is an animal of road but the IFS is limiting its potential. The IFS makes wheeling fun though because the lack of articulation can be made up for with some skill. With that being said I plan on beefing the IFS pretty soon to prevent trail breakages.
I have heard too many horror stories of theses transmissions going out so I invested in a transmission cooler.
It is super easy to install and hopefully prolongs the transmissions life.
I headed up right after the install to American Adventurist's Appalachian Rendezvous and it was awesome. It was my first official overland event of any kind and it was awesome.
Here is a look the camping setup in the back of the Trooper. I said I would post photos in an earlier post but never got around it it.
As for upgrades and parts on the Trooper, I have bought some goodies but have not installed them.
The skid plate will replace the OEM and give the oil pan the protection it needs. The springs are Old Man Emu's/ARBs for the rear. The Trooper has a saggy butt especially when there is anything in the back. These new ones should be much more heavy duty. The Trasharoo I bought from Southeast Overland. They are a local shop that gave me a great deal at Overland Expo East.
I Installed a snorkel off Amazon and I love the way it looks. I think it makes the Trooper look so much more legit and it should give me the ability to get to some pretty remote places. I'll get a differential breather so I won't be all show and no go but I am trying to figure out which ARB kit is most likely to fit. The snorkel kit itself came with no instructions which made me very irritated. I used Expedition Overland's how to video which helped but if I had to do it again I would just buy a Safari snorkel.
Future upgrades:
Ball joint spacers to help the IFS with the torsion bars being cranked and improve the ride quality. The trouble will end up sitting 3" taller than stock as I am planning on going to 33" inch tires one day so I am also going to get extended brake lines as well.
Troopers have super fragile steering from the factory and I don't want to lose the ability out in the middle of nowhere so I gotta beef that up.
So apparently Jeep JK bumpers can fit on Troopers with a little modification and fab work so that's the new plan. Spending $1000 on an ARB just is unreasonable to me with this rig. If I had a late model truck then maybe but I paid $1,800 for the Isuzu. I got all this off the Planet Isuzu forum so take it for what it is worth.
At last by not least my patches are growing rapidly. Going to Overland Expo East really helped my patch game. You know you're doing it right when you have to get in the back seat to get all your patches in frame.The sticker window has been evolving as well.
Thanks for reading
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