Barn Door for JK factory hardtops

[jscherb]

This morning I installed the tent for a road trip so I tested the shoe caddy.

Works very well and easily within reach.

It slides very quickly into the channel on the bottom of the tent platform, and it can stay in place when the tent is stowed.

I sewed a second one to go on the other side of the ladder but I haven't sewn the awning rope along the top of it yet.

 

[jscherb]

Here's a mockup of the RTT changing room made from an inexpensive canopy wall kit from Walmart. For this mockup the walls are held to the RTT platform with clamps.

And here's a mockup of a collapsible shelf unit I picked up at Walmart. It also has a clothes pole that goes across the bottom but that's not installed in this photo.

Having done this mockup now I can finalize the details of the design and do the little bit of sewing that'll be required to complete the changing room.

 

[jscherb]

Tomorrow I'm off on a road trip to Las Vegas for the SEMA Show, MORryde is borrowing my JKU again to display in their booth at the show. Lending my Jeeps and trailers to companies for shows is getting old but aside from that I am looking forward to the SEMA Show, it's something I do every year.

On my way I've got several meetings in Elkhart, Indiana tomorrow and Wednesday...

1. A meeting with the RV window company that's doing slider windows for JL factory hardtops for Retrofit Offroad. Also in that meeting we'll be discussing cargo hatch windows for the JK and JL.

2. Meetings with MORryde engineering on several subjects - the "Overhead Lockbox" version of the Overhead Molle panel (they sent me photos of a preproduction version the other day) and several other new products - a locking strap for jerry can holders, a HiLift mount that bolts to the door hinges and several JL products including an Overhead/Swing Down Molle panel.

To get the new Tentrax Trax Kitchen manufactured, I hooked Tentrax up with MORryde - MORryde is manufacturing the Kitchen for Tentrax. Tentrax will be at MORryde Wednesday to meet with me and MORryde engineering on the details of the kitchen. Tentrax is bringing a trailer with the prototype Trax Kitchen installed for the meeting and the trailer will be on display at SEMA so since I'm driving the JKU to Las Vegas I volunteered to pull the trailer to Vegas for Tentrax. Photos on the JKU and the Tentrax along the way to come.

3. The last time I was in Elkhart I met with the plastics molding company that's working on getting the JL Style Grille for the JK into production for a startup company that wants to market it. From that meeting I took home several early samples for test fitting. On Wednesday I'll return one of the samples to them, I added mesh mounts and lower grille mounts to it for them to copy for production. They've also been working on several small tweaks to the mold to perfect the fit, so hopefully I'll be able to sign off on this project soon.

 

[Zeep]

The changing room concept looks good. Seems like it needs something to tie the bottom together, in case of breezy conditions.

 

[jscherb]

The changing room concept looks good. Seems like it needs something to tie the bottom together, in case of breezy conditions.

Thanks. Yes, the bottom needs something to keep it in place. Here's my plan:

1. I'll sew a hem at the bottom of the panels, large enough to slip a fiberglass rod in. I'll use the orange fiberglass rods you can get at a home center to mark the edge of your driveway for the plow in the winter. The rods will keep the bottom edges of the sides in line, and will also make it easy to roll up the sides when stowing them.

2. I'll reinforce each bottom corner and put a grommet in, so if necessary the corners can be staked to the ground.

I think that'll do it.

 

[jscherb]

Yesterday I met with the RV window company that's doing slider windows for JL factory hardtops for Retrofit Offroad. I left the meeting with a preproduction sample JLU slider window frame to test fit, the frame looks good and fits perfectly in the retrofit kit for the factory hardtop. We discussed a few minor changes to the frame so I expect they'll make a few more prototypes before they're ready for production.

We also discussed cargo hatch windows, this photo shows one they manufacture for pickup caps. Over the next few weeks they'll be making prototypes of these for testing in JK hardtops. The one in this photo has glass in it; we also discussed doing solid panels instead of glass. When I get JK prototypes in my hands I'll post an update.

I also met yesterday with the plastic molding company about the JL style grille for the JK. The photo below was taken after I had installed grille mesh and lower grille mounts on a preproduction sample they gave me at the last meeting; I turned this grille over to them today so they can duplicate the mounts for production. We also discussed a few minor tweaks they need to make to the mold before the grille can be declared final; they'll make those minor changes and then will do a few more prototypes for final testing before the startup company initiates production.

 

[jgaz]

Tomorrow I'm off on a road trip to Las Vegas for the SEMA Show, MORryde is borrowing my JKU again to display in their booth at the show. Lending my Jeeps and trailers to companies for shows is getting old but aside from that I am looking forward to the SEMA Show, it's something I do every year

Do you expect to be hanging around the MORryde booth very much?
I’ll be at SEMA Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

[rubicon91]

You know we have talked about those hatches before. One that goes down so it could also be utilized as a table would be awesome. But that is just me. Safe travels my friend. Send me some interesting things from SEMA!!!

 

[jscherb]

Do you expect to be hanging around the MORryde booth very much?
I’ll be at SEMA Tuesday and Wednesday.

I hope to not have to spend much time at the MORryde booth, I've got a lot of other things and meetings I plan to do at the show. I'm sure I'll be there first thing when the show opens every day, and I'll probably eat lunch there (I've got lunch supplies in the Trail Kitchen that I'd rather eat than the bad show food), but other than that I don't know when I'll be in the booth. We could arrange a time to get together if that works for you.

 

[jscherb]

You know we have talked about those hatches before. One that goes down so it could also be utilized as a table would be awesome. But that is just me. Safe travels my friend. Send me some interesting things from SEMA!!!

The standard configuration of the windows is to swing up, but when I get the prototypes from the window company I'll see what it takes to reconfigure the hardware so that they could swing down and function as tables. Assuming that works, I'm sure I'll be able to talk the window company into manufacturing them both ways, and with either glass or solid panels in them. Then it'll be up to Retrofit Offroad to decide which configurations and which Wrangler models/years to support.

I'll post photos of things I find interesting at the show. I'll try to do posts every night after the show - the show is Tuesday through Friday next week so stay tuned...

 

[jscherb]

I mentioned that I was meeting with MORryde and Tentrax today and that after the meeting I would be towing a Tentrax trailer to Las Vegas for display at SEMA, this photo was taken in the MORryde engineering test garage today as we're readying the trailer for the trip. Brent from Tentrax is at the front of the trailer, Austin from MORryde is standing at the back.

Later in the day Brent posted this image on Instagram:

I'm in Iowa for the night, tomorrow to get to western Nebraska.

 

[jgaz]

I hope to not have to spend much time at the MORryde booth, I've got a lot of other things and meetings I plan to do at the show. I'm sure I'll be there first thing when the show opens every day, and I'll probably eat lunch there (I've got lunch supplies in the Trail Kitchen that I'd rather eat than the bad show food), but other than that I don't know when I'll be in the booth. We could arrange a time to get together if that works for you.

No need to plan to meet me, I was just curious.
You’ve got products to develop

 

[jscherb]

No need to plan to meet me, I was just curious.
You’ve got products to develop

I don't mean it to sound like I don't want to meet - it would be great to meet you. It's just that the most reliable way to do that is to set a time. I'm really hoping not to spend too much time in the MORryde booth, it's their booth, they can work it just fine without me.

 

[jscherb]

I'm looking forward to getting to the warm, dry desert. This is eastern Iowa this morning...

 

[jgaz]

I don't mean it to sound like I don't want to meet - it would be great to meet you. It's just that the most reliable way to do that is to set a time. I'm really hoping not to spend too much time in the MORryde booth, it's their booth, they can work it just fine without me.

I didn’t take it that way at all.
I’m only there for two days and have never been to SEMA. From the way it looks I’m going to be plenty busy myself.
Safe travels