Looks worse in the lit up pic than it seems in person, but then I haven't driven behind it either. May have to just go ahead and add the second one.
2012 JKUR Dozer - Let the mods begin!
Actually, I guess that title is a little misleading. I've done a few smaller things already: Quadratec Ultimate floor liners, some Rugged Ridge grab handles here and there, and a Carolina Metal Masters custom black anodized billet grab handle with Ram Mounting Systems 1" ball mount (for iPhone / iPad mounting, which I love!). But the best mod so far has been the Star Fabricating Smart Door Stops. My driveway is on a pretty significant slope, so the doors were just a pain. Then my wife had emergency surgery mid-July to remove a massive tumor that had almost blocked, and had perforated her colon. So a door swinging back on her was just not going to be a good day. Yes, it was cancer, but she's doing fine now and tolerating the chemo exceptionally well. Now, back to the Jeep.
So, recently got some 37" MTR/Ks from vfireman309 over on Pirate 4x4 and settled on some black MB 72s to mount them on until I can save the money to go with either Hutchinsons or the HMMWV wheels from TrailWorthy Fab. Mock up is below.
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Of course, that's at factory ride height. AEV DualSport SC 4.5" lift is on its way as of this morning and should be here Wednesday. It's anybody's guess when I'll be able to get to the installation, but it will be as soon as I can squeeze it in. I'll put up some pics whenever I do.
There will be upgrades to the suspension in the future - like I'm leaning heavily toward the Metalcloak control arms for their DuraJoint - but for now this made the most sense for me, all in all.
Although I haven't posted much here, I've spent a lot of time following different threads and learning everything I can from the information here, as well as on Pirate. Thanks to those who put the site up, and to all who have made it the quality resource that it is.
Edit: Running List of Upgrades and Modifications (updated as things change or I remember something
)
Interior
Quadratec Ultimate Floor Liners (Front, Rear, Cargo)
MOPAR Entry Guards
Star Fabricating Smart Door Stops
Black/Coyote Paracord Grab Handles
Molle Panels (Fender Wells & Tailgate / Drop-Down Table)
Poison Spyder JK Bolt-In Cage Kit
Poison Spyder C-Pillar Kit
Carolina Metal Masters JK Billet Grab Handle & RAM Mount
Bestop Quick Disconnects For Soft Top Bows
Smittybilt JK Rear Security Storage Vault
SuperChips TrailDash
ARB 50 qt. Fridge/Freezer
Exterior
Quadratec Manual Mirrors (For When Doors Are Off)
Crown Automotive Mirror Relocation Brackets
Teraflex HD Hinge
Teraflex Adjustable Tire Carrier
Custom Garage-built Stinger Front Bumper
Custom Garage-built Rear Bumper
Poison Spyder Aluminum Crusher Flares
Truck-Lite LED Mini Marker Lights
Truck-Lite LED Headlights
Poison Spyder Aluminum Brawler Rockers
Poison Spyder Crusher Corners
Truck-Lite 4" LED Tail Lights.
Poison Spyder LED Backup Lights with Adapter Harnesses (at corners and in bumper)
Poison Spyder 50” LED Light Bar Windshield Mounts
LED Warehouse 50" Dual Row Light Bar
AEV Gen 2 Snorkel
Suspension / Tires / Wheels
AEV DualSport SC 4.5”
Goodyear Wrangler MTR / Kevlar 37x12.50R17
MB Wheels 72 (Black) 17x8.5, 5x5, -6mm offset
Synergy Tie Rod
Synergy Drag Link
Synergy Ball Joints
Synergy Front Adjustable Track Bar
Synergy Track Bar / Steering Sector Shaft Brace
Raceline Monster Beadlocks, 17x9.5, 5x5.5, (Black w/ Polished AL Ring) (Not yet Installed)
Engine, Exhaust, & Drivetrain
Sierra Gear 5.13s
Poison Spyder D44 Bombshell Diff Covers (2nd gen.) w/ custom Dozer painted Spyder's
Ten Factory Rear Axle Shafts
BR6 Heavy Duty Front Brakes
TeraFlex Rear Big Rotor Kit
Hawk Performance LTS Brake Pads
TeraFlex 241OR 2 Low kit (2 Wheel Drive Low Range)
Adams 1310 Front Driveshaft
Wicked Flow (MagnaFlow clone) 14" Muffler (in place of resonator. Includes OEM Muffler delete and custom tailpipe)
Supertrapp 5" Disc Only Exhaust Tuner/Spark Arrestor
RCV Front Axle Shafts (Not yet installed)
SpynTec Conversion Front Lockout Hubs (Not yet installed)
Communication
Yaesu FT857D All Band Mobile Amateur Radio (Remotely Mounted)
Yaesu ATAS-120A All Band Mobile Active Tuning Antenna System (Optional Antenna for HF/VHF/UHF)
Yaesu FC-40 Automatic Antenna Tuner
102" Stainless Steel Whip (HF Antenna)
Kenwood TH-215A 2 Meter Handheld
Kenwood TH-415A 440 Mhz Handheld
Uniden Pro 538W CB Radio
FireStik 48” CB Antenna
Rugged Radios RRP660 Intercom (3 H-22 Headsets, 1 H-15 Headset)
Rugged Radios Billet (Black) Tube Mounts
Recovery
Hi-Lift Xtreme in Custom Carrier (Mounted to Teraflex HD Hinge)
Smittybilt 3x30 30K Recovery Strap
(4) ¾” Screw Pin Shackles (Working Load Limit 6 1/2 Tons Per)
Warn Zeon 10-S 10,000 lb. Winch with Synthetic Rope
Factor 55 Pro-Link (Orange)
Misc.
PowerTank 10#
Fire Extinguisher, 5# (with PowerTank Mount)
First Aid (Molle IFAIK Bags - 1 Minor Trauma, 1 Major Trauma, Field Surgical Kit)
Max Axe (Military Surplus OD Green)
On the Wish List:
Artec Industries:
Rear Truss
Front Armor Kit (Truss, C Gussets, Track-Bar Mount)
Belly Pan
Metalcloak:
Duroflex Control Arms (Maybe Lock-n-Load Long Arm Kit)
Poison Spyder:
Inner Fenders (Maybe. Not settled on this. Maybe ACE Engineering.)
Rugged Ridge Heat Reduction Hood (Maybe)
SPOD? (Also considering SwitchPros SP-8100)
Cube Lights (flood pattern) for lower windshield corners
LED Fog Light replacements (JW Speaker or similar).
Corbeau Baja XRS Front Seats
TrekArmor Seat Covers (Maybe. Rear only.)
Tuffy or similar under-seat drawers.
AFE Y-Pipe With Loop Eliminator Down Tube or Magnaflow equivalent
Rear Drive Shaft as needed.
So, recently got some 37" MTR/Ks from vfireman309 over on Pirate 4x4 and settled on some black MB 72s to mount them on until I can save the money to go with either Hutchinsons or the HMMWV wheels from TrailWorthy Fab. Mock up is below.
Of course, that's at factory ride height. AEV DualSport SC 4.5" lift is on its way as of this morning and should be here Wednesday. It's anybody's guess when I'll be able to get to the installation, but it will be as soon as I can squeeze it in. I'll put up some pics whenever I do.
There will be upgrades to the suspension in the future - like I'm leaning heavily toward the Metalcloak control arms for their DuraJoint - but for now this made the most sense for me, all in all.
Although I haven't posted much here, I've spent a lot of time following different threads and learning everything I can from the information here, as well as on Pirate. Thanks to those who put the site up, and to all who have made it the quality resource that it is.
Edit: Running List of Upgrades and Modifications (updated as things change or I remember something
)Interior
Quadratec Ultimate Floor Liners (Front, Rear, Cargo)
MOPAR Entry Guards
Star Fabricating Smart Door Stops
Black/Coyote Paracord Grab Handles
Molle Panels (Fender Wells & Tailgate / Drop-Down Table)
Poison Spyder JK Bolt-In Cage Kit
Poison Spyder C-Pillar Kit
Carolina Metal Masters JK Billet Grab Handle & RAM Mount
Bestop Quick Disconnects For Soft Top Bows
Smittybilt JK Rear Security Storage Vault
SuperChips TrailDash
ARB 50 qt. Fridge/Freezer
Exterior
Quadratec Manual Mirrors (For When Doors Are Off)
Crown Automotive Mirror Relocation Brackets
Teraflex HD Hinge
Teraflex Adjustable Tire Carrier
Custom Garage-built Stinger Front Bumper
Custom Garage-built Rear Bumper
Poison Spyder Aluminum Crusher Flares
Truck-Lite LED Mini Marker Lights
Truck-Lite LED Headlights
Poison Spyder Aluminum Brawler Rockers
Poison Spyder Crusher Corners
Truck-Lite 4" LED Tail Lights.
Poison Spyder LED Backup Lights with Adapter Harnesses (at corners and in bumper)
Poison Spyder 50” LED Light Bar Windshield Mounts
LED Warehouse 50" Dual Row Light Bar
AEV Gen 2 Snorkel
Suspension / Tires / Wheels
AEV DualSport SC 4.5”
Goodyear Wrangler MTR / Kevlar 37x12.50R17
MB Wheels 72 (Black) 17x8.5, 5x5, -6mm offset
Synergy Tie Rod
Synergy Drag Link
Synergy Ball Joints
Synergy Front Adjustable Track Bar
Synergy Track Bar / Steering Sector Shaft Brace
Raceline Monster Beadlocks, 17x9.5, 5x5.5, (Black w/ Polished AL Ring) (Not yet Installed)
Engine, Exhaust, & Drivetrain
Sierra Gear 5.13s
Poison Spyder D44 Bombshell Diff Covers (2nd gen.) w/ custom Dozer painted Spyder's
Ten Factory Rear Axle Shafts
BR6 Heavy Duty Front Brakes
TeraFlex Rear Big Rotor Kit
Hawk Performance LTS Brake Pads
TeraFlex 241OR 2 Low kit (2 Wheel Drive Low Range)
Adams 1310 Front Driveshaft
Wicked Flow (MagnaFlow clone) 14" Muffler (in place of resonator. Includes OEM Muffler delete and custom tailpipe)
Supertrapp 5" Disc Only Exhaust Tuner/Spark Arrestor
RCV Front Axle Shafts (Not yet installed)
SpynTec Conversion Front Lockout Hubs (Not yet installed)
Communication
Yaesu FT857D All Band Mobile Amateur Radio (Remotely Mounted)
Yaesu ATAS-120A All Band Mobile Active Tuning Antenna System (Optional Antenna for HF/VHF/UHF)
Yaesu FC-40 Automatic Antenna Tuner
102" Stainless Steel Whip (HF Antenna)
Kenwood TH-215A 2 Meter Handheld
Kenwood TH-415A 440 Mhz Handheld
Uniden Pro 538W CB Radio
FireStik 48” CB Antenna
Rugged Radios RRP660 Intercom (3 H-22 Headsets, 1 H-15 Headset)
Rugged Radios Billet (Black) Tube Mounts
Recovery
Hi-Lift Xtreme in Custom Carrier (Mounted to Teraflex HD Hinge)
Smittybilt 3x30 30K Recovery Strap
(4) ¾” Screw Pin Shackles (Working Load Limit 6 1/2 Tons Per)
Warn Zeon 10-S 10,000 lb. Winch with Synthetic Rope
Factor 55 Pro-Link (Orange)
Misc.
PowerTank 10#
Fire Extinguisher, 5# (with PowerTank Mount)
First Aid (Molle IFAIK Bags - 1 Minor Trauma, 1 Major Trauma, Field Surgical Kit)
Max Axe (Military Surplus OD Green)
On the Wish List:
Artec Industries:
Rear Truss
Front Armor Kit (Truss, C Gussets, Track-Bar Mount)
Belly Pan
Metalcloak:
Duroflex Control Arms (Maybe Lock-n-Load Long Arm Kit)
Poison Spyder:
Inner Fenders (Maybe. Not settled on this. Maybe ACE Engineering.)
Rugged Ridge Heat Reduction Hood (Maybe)
SPOD? (Also considering SwitchPros SP-8100)
Cube Lights (flood pattern) for lower windshield corners
LED Fog Light replacements (JW Speaker or similar).
Corbeau Baja XRS Front Seats
TrekArmor Seat Covers (Maybe. Rear only.)
Tuffy or similar under-seat drawers.
AFE Y-Pipe With Loop Eliminator Down Tube or Magnaflow equivalent
Rear Drive Shaft as needed.
21 - 40 of 115 Posts
Thanks 08. I had a local shop mount and balance the tires so no problem for me lol. But if you look at that second pic of the brake light install, you can see a boat load of lead stickies inside that wheel! I got 4 of the tires from a guy on Pirate and they had ~ 5000 miles on them, so a little wear pattern showing up. The spare in that pic was a brand new tire and I think it's the worst! All new wheels, so shouldn't be any damage issues there. Can't find any info on the weight of the wheels. Thought I had saved the boxes and might find something on the shipping label, but they appear to be long gone. I'll have to ask the kids tomorrow if they can remember. Dad's memory is getting a little hazy.
4
Thanks newmango. I thought it was kinda cool. What Trembley said about it being off-center got to bugging me worse, so I went ahead and rotated the spare, then added the second light.
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And just for grins . . .
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And just for grins . . .
Terrible color choice!!
What's a guy to do? It was the only one the dealer would let me order.
5
Thanks Bill. I love the trailer. It's just the right size IMO and the track width is virtually identical to the JK. Also, its weight rating is perfect for the trailer weight rating on my JK (Max Tow Pkg). I've not pulled it a lot with the tarp and bows on, but without them, I hardly know it's behind me. I know lots of folks say that about their 34' goosenecks, and whatever, but it's true about this. I can forget it's behind me on the freeway -- which is an especially bad thing here in CA, as you know.
It is a little heavy to move around by myself, but I can do it if it's not on too much of a slope. I've been making plans for putting it on a diet though because I intend on adapting it to expedition / camping use, but also leaving it so I can also use it as a utility trailer. I'm going to lose the surge brakes and go electric, so that's a fair amount of weight after the surge controller and axle come out. From what I've read, the axle alone is a beast. A standard 3500# axle with electric brakes and e-brake option should be significantly lighter.
Unlike many, it seems, I like the pintle hitch, so I'll be converting it to an A1 style lunette instead of the A2 brake controller. I'm also planning on reworking the tongue in order to make it a true dump trailer. Love that function, but the geometry of the A-frame attachment is not really designed for it and will eventually break with the twisting stress applied as the trailer rocks backward.
I already have a utility type camper shell with a nearly full length tool box down one side. Scored it cheap, and hauled it home on this trailer. It should work out well for enclosing the trailer but still be removable. And the tool box will make a good kitchen. I've been putting in overtime on Google Sketchup doing drawings and planning it out in my head and on virtual paper. It has worked out well to see what works and what doesn't before I go spending a bunch of money outfitting / upfitting it. I'll post up some pics of what I'm thinking and let people criticize, er, I mean critique the plan.
Edit:
Here are a few views of what I'm scheming . . .
That tube looking thing at the top of the shell is representative of a rolled up awning.
Somebody's gonna say, "Beadlocks on a trailer? What's up with that?!" It's all about uniformity and versatility. I plan on having 8 identical tire/wheel combos (both Jeep and trailer have their own spare). That should get me out of just about any tire trouble I can foresee getting into, and also cover me if I want to use the trailer with another vehicle.
And now partially setup . . .
That's a modified military surplus aluminum boarding ladder on the tailgate. Of course the tailgate chains have to be modified also in order to allow the tailgate to lay flat. Also, don't have a view drawn yet with the spare tire carrier in it's open position, but it's a 90* swing-out design.
Inside, you can see a cot hinged to the side of the shell. It is designed to fold in half lengthwise so that it can stow against the side of the shell, out of the way. When it's down, there is still plenty of room for one (or two really friendly people) to bed down on a foam or air mattress in the bed of the trailer.
The shelf, that forms the kitchen counter will stow inside the trailer and fit's nicely against the back side of the tool box, so it won't take up any appreciable space. The sink just sits in a hole in the counter-top so it can be removed and stowed in a box with other items, maximizing space. It will simply drain into a 5 gal. bucket.
No, that's not a microwave in the toolbox, it's a propane camp oven made by Camp Chef. The red and silver things are a couple of different stove models also by Camp Chef -- a 2 burner, and a 3 burner that has a center grill section.
I'm thinking of mounting an outdoor shower sprayer like you'd find on a slide-in camper or travel trailer in the space to the left of the toolbox. I might also mount a polyethylene potable water tank to the bottom of the frame, above the axle like some of the generator trailers had mounted fuel tanks. That way the shower sprayer could provide running water to the kitchen sink for food prep and/or cleanup.
And with the Roof-Top Tent deployed . . .
It's hard to see, but I've designed in a UHMW turntable so that I can stow and haul the tent lengthwise to the trailer, but then if I want I can pivot it 90* in order to deploy it to the rear of the trailer instead of the side. This will obviously allow the trailer entry to be sheltered in the event of inclement weather, or if the folks in the tent just want to be less separated from the folk(s) in the trailer, or even in the vestibule, if there is a need for that much sleeping space. Those are solar panels out front.
Constructive comments are welcomed. Help me think of what I haven't thought of.
Thanks Cambo. Yeah, it kind of consumed me for a little while there. I've looked at a LOT of those builds on Expedition Portal for inspiration and ideas, as well as what doesn't really fit my purposes or style (or budget!
). I imagine this will be a slow buildup doing just the bare essentials and then adding a little as it becomes necessary. But at least I'll have a plan to go by.
21 - 40 of 115 Posts
