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Road trip in a jku

7K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  Chris85xlt 
#1 ·
My brother and I are planning a road trip in our jeeps this may. he is driving a gladiator with a level kit and 35s. i would drive my 15 jku with a 2.5 metalcloak on 35's with antirocks f/r. My question is for you guys that have done lots of road miles on a lifted jeep, how many hours do you drive in a day?
 
#2 ·
About eight or nine years ago I made several 8-hour trips with my stock 4-door Rubicon. The Stock tires and shocks made the trips somewhat punishing.

Ive done a few trips with 35's and adjustable Rancho shocks on a 3.5" lift (about 6-7 hours each); they were much better than the stock trips probably because the shocks are dialed softer, and the tires are at lower pressure with taller sidewalls.

I also ran a high steer up front, front CA geometry correction brackets, raised rear track bar axle bracket, and correct alignment. The handling would probably be more fatiguing on a long trip without those additional steering and suspension upgrades.

Good aftermarket seats would help immensely. Ive just installed the Bartact seat covers for my '08, with inflatable lumbar supports. They feel much better but no long trips with them yet.

Good luck!

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
 
#3 ·
The glory of a road trip is the trip itself. It's becomin' a lost art form. I ease on thru it and generally figure only 500 miles a day.

My three rules:

1) No interstate highways at all. No exceptions. Most GPS map programs have settings for the route planner that will avoid them. Small towns make for great scenery. Just watch your speed. Make sure to stop at cool places and check 'em out along the way.

2) No chain restaurants. Why eat at the same fuckin' places you eat at when home? Take a chance on somethin' dif'rent. Look for diners with lots of trucks in front.

3) No chain motels. Not only will you save a few bucks … but this really adds to the adventure. Some of the best … and worst … memories of the trip will be the mom and pop motels. Again, look for lots of trucks. The travellin' workin' men know where to eat and stay.

When done right … you should be disappointed in the destination and rarin' to get back on the road.

Have fun and take lots of pics.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I drove my '10 jku as a "commuter" from Vancouver to work sites in Banff, Ft.Mac, Princeton, all over Northern BC. For high passes it sucked, but then it got some big power upgrades and stopped sucking.
18 hrs was too much. 12 was ok. 8 hrs better. Return trips are better, take the time to wheel up to various lakes n rivers for trout. A jku has room in the back to sleep. My rule for recreation was 2 nights in jeep, 1 motel.
 
#5 · (Edited)
We do plenty of long road trips a year from Montana to utah, colorado california etc~over 800 miles in a day is the norm. We do a lot of traveling in the jeep and would consider a 500 mile day a short day. big mistake some make is thinking they need to run 40psi of tire pressure to increase mpg. I give up the extra 0.5mpg for comfort. I actually stick to what ever food you are used to as last thing you want is to have the screaming shits because you ate at some roadside taco stand. I have been traveling across the country for 44 years and am careful where I eat. Best investment is an ARB50L fridge and pack your own stuff.
 
#6 ·
yeah im thinking 8-9 hrs and then stopping for the night. my jeep isnt really the greatest to drive at 70mph. i really dont think i can do much more than 9 hrs without it being a safety issue. but i dont do long trips often.

Im definitely getting a fridge for this trip. fast food doesnt agree with me anymore since i never eat it except for every once in a while.
 
#8 ·
very few Jeeps are great to drive at 70mph & up; they're not cars...

Any road milage over 10 & I inevitably picture myself as tho I were driving a big, wastepaper basket shaped wind-blocker w/ big tires on it down the road.
I usually tell myself I'm not in the WORST aerodynamic equipped vehicle on the road until the 3rd or 4th semi-tractor trailer rig passes me on my left, while going uphill...
 
#9 ·
I've done the "Interstate Bombing Run" and I've done the "take 3 days to go 500 miles" run as well. Each have their benefits.


By far, the slow routes are almost always the most interesting. When time is a factor, I've found my ole '07 to handle the trip just fine. Longest single run in the JK was 12 hrs. Every Jeep once modified changes the experience, though. When the muffler blew out in the middle of Oklahoma on the way back to S. Georgia, it was a VERY bad ride home. If you are doing the whole trip either topless or with just a bikini top or something, then fatigue is going to drain you no matter how much fun you're having.

If you can spare the time to take a route that seems interesting, do it.


One tip. Think about what drives your adventure. Whether its the Jeep or if I'm riding my motorcycle... its food. I plan my routes based one when I plan on eating. I won't lie that I often check those Guy Fieri shows to find interesting food stops along my routes. Also why I'll never win a marathon....
 
#10 ·
Great suggestions on taking side roads to enjoy the trip. So many times I jump on the interstate an try to get to my destination as fast as I could. Of course, we are driving in a '15 Grand Cherokee. Now that I just purchased a '10 JKU, the more scenic route sounds much more appealing
 
#11 · (Edited)
I just got back from a 2500 mile road trip in my 2009 JKUR with the family. We left from California and zig-zagged our way to Colorado and back. We did between 7-10 hours of driving on highway days with a lot of off roading on other days. We did mostly the scenic routes and stuck to the speed limit and up to 75 mph on the road.

I have a Ripp SC 3.8L with a 6 speed manual, 4.56 gears and I had the hardtop On. The Jeep is on 2.5" Metalcloak coils, Synergy control arms and Fox shocks w/adjusters and Im running Toyo M/T 37x13.50r17 tires.
Aside of having replaced all the control arms, having good alignment and balanced tires. The best noticeable improvement i did in the handling department was changing out the front axle upper front bushings to Synergy DDB. It made a world of difference on the highway and the old ones wasn't all that bad either with only 80K miles. Just thought i put that out there.

The trip was a blast and Im glad i brought the Jeep.
 
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