Bullseye240
Adventurer
No separate Jeep related question. E-mail sent. Thanks.
How would you outfit this custom LJ?
- Thread starter jscherb
- Start date
jscherb
Expedition Leader
The hotel I stayed at in Bikaner the last few days has a pair of ex-Indian Army CJ3B's on display in the forecourt:
I'm not sure when production of the CJ3B was stopped in the US, but I'm sure it didn't last into the 80's...
One has a slotted windshield for a large gun, but the other has an openable windhshield, so I took photos of the hardware. It's basically the same hardware used on the current model Thars, almost 40 years later.
The hinges are simple steel, I assume spring steel.
I'm not sure when production of the CJ3B was stopped in the US, but I'm sure it didn't last into the 80's...
One has a slotted windshield for a large gun, but the other has an openable windhshield, so I took photos of the hardware. It's basically the same hardware used on the current model Thars, almost 40 years later.
The hinges are simple steel, I assume spring steel.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
I'll be taking the LJ to Easter Jeep Safari and for this trip I plan to carry my fridge so I installed the kitchen battery in the ammo can tray over the inner fender. I also installed the kitchen power panel and connected the kitchen charging option to keep the battery topped up. The power panel/outlet is mounted at the rear of the tub, it's visible in this photo.
I've got another ammo can tray on the passenger side, I use this one to carry my TrailVision cameras and monitor when I'm not on the trail.
This is what the full Trail Kitchen looks like in the LJ but for this trip I don't need the entire Trail Kitchen so I'll just be carrying the fridge.
I've got another ammo can tray on the passenger side, I use this one to carry my TrailVision cameras and monitor when I'm not on the trail.
This is what the full Trail Kitchen looks like in the LJ but for this trip I don't need the entire Trail Kitchen so I'll just be carrying the fridge.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
A few days ago I completed an overhead/swing-down Molle panel for the JK. I posted about it here: http://forum.expeditionportal.com/t...for-JK-factory-hardtops?p=2444328#post2444328
It worked out so well I decided I needed one in the LJ, so I built another one. The panel is identical to the panel in the JK, only the mounting hardware is different because of the different roll bars in the two Jeeps.
Here's a video showing it in action in my salt-encrusted LJ (it's been doing plow duty). When it's stowed, it's above the bottom of the roll bars so it isn't in the field of view.
I've tested a bunch of configurations of gear on it in the JK, including multiple Rotopax/Rubican containers, Molle pouches, A HiLift jack and a shovel, and folding camp chairs - those can be seen in the JK thread in the link above.
I'll be testing this on the trails at Easter Jeep Safari in two weeks, and after that I'll probably turn the JK design over to a company for production. I don't know if it makes sense to put the LJ unit in production though, not sure there are enough LJs out there whose owners would be interested in it.
It worked out so well I decided I needed one in the LJ, so I built another one. The panel is identical to the panel in the JK, only the mounting hardware is different because of the different roll bars in the two Jeeps.
Here's a video showing it in action in my salt-encrusted LJ (it's been doing plow duty). When it's stowed, it's above the bottom of the roll bars so it isn't in the field of view.
I've tested a bunch of configurations of gear on it in the JK, including multiple Rotopax/Rubican containers, Molle pouches, A HiLift jack and a shovel, and folding camp chairs - those can be seen in the JK thread in the link above.
I'll be testing this on the trails at Easter Jeep Safari in two weeks, and after that I'll probably turn the JK design over to a company for production. I don't know if it makes sense to put the LJ unit in production though, not sure there are enough LJs out there whose owners would be interested in it.
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jgaz
Adventurer
This LJ owner might be.
If no one is interested in bringing this to market for an LJ, would you be willing to share details on the mounting hardware? Maybe after the JK unit goes into production?
If the Molle panels are the same size, maybe the potentional JK vendor would consider selling just the panel to us LJ customers? If not, I certainly consider fabbing my own panel just to be able to say I did it.
It's great to see someone still designing for vehicle that's been out of production for at least 12 years.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
If the overhead Molle panel gets into production for the JK but not the LJ I will share the details of the LJ mounting hardware so people can build their own using the JK panel. I'm sure whatever company signs up for it would be willing to offer a kit consisting of the panel and hardware parts common to both the JK and LJ. The LJ hardware is pretty straightforward and I think an average DIYer could build it.
jgaz
Adventurer
Thank you
jscherb
Expedition Leader
This morning I did some measuring with a TJ roll bar on the workbench to determine what would be required to mount the panel in a TJ. I don't have a TJ here so I'd need to find one to do some test-fitting in, but it looks like with some small mods to the support legs the panel would work in a TJ as well.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
This year I decided to take the fridge in the LJ to Easter Jeep Safari. I always run a separate battery for the fridge because I don't like to drain the main battery when the Jeep isn't running - I strapped the battery into one on the inner fender ammo can trays so it would be next to the fridge. I was testing two different power panels for the fridge, both are visible to the left of the photo at right. Both panels have a digital volt meter and ammeter; the black panel mounts to a hardtop screw and has one outlet, the red panel has two outlets and two USB power ports. The ammo can tray worked great carrying the battery no movement or bad behavior at all on the trails. The red wire that can be seen running forward from the battery is part of the Trail Kitchen charging system, I installed it right before the trip and didn't get a chance to hide it. It charges the battery/runs the fridge when the Jeep is running, when the Jeep isn't running the fridge battery is cut off from the main battery and the fridge runs on just the fridge battery.
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jscherb
Expedition Leader
I haven't posted any photos of the LJ on the trails at Easter Jeep Safari this year so here are some. Northridge 4x4 was the sponsor of one of the trails the LJ was on and they just posted these photos on their site. Not too much action in these photos; I do have some shots with more action that I haven't gotten around to getting off my camera yet.
The best EJS photos of the LJ this year will be the ones taken on Fins n Things by a magazine, we'll have to wait for them to publish the feature to see them though.
The best EJS photos of the LJ this year will be the ones taken on Fins n Things by a magazine, we'll have to wait for them to publish the feature to see them though.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
I had just the fridge in the LJ for this year's Easter Jeep Safari expedition, but today I installed the full Trail Kitchen. It's a no-drill installation.
Stowed:
OK, I lied, I had to drill two holes in the base of the kitchen. It bolted up to existing holes in the floor of the LJ, so it's no-drill in the Jeep. And I'll send the hole locations to the company so they can add the holes to the production version of the kitchen, so the production version will be a true no-drill LJ installation.
Also, since the LJ is just a stretched TJ, it'll be a no-drill installation in the 03-06 TJ as well. The holes in the kitchen base need to be in a different location, I'll give the location of those holes to the company as well.
Stowed:
OK, I lied, I had to drill two holes in the base of the kitchen. It bolted up to existing holes in the floor of the LJ, so it's no-drill in the Jeep. And I'll send the hole locations to the company so they can add the holes to the production version of the kitchen, so the production version will be a true no-drill LJ installation.
Also, since the LJ is just a stretched TJ, it'll be a no-drill installation in the 03-06 TJ as well. The holes in the kitchen base need to be in a different location, I'll give the location of those holes to the company as well.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
A few months ago when I made the prototype overhead/swing-down Molle panel for my LJ, I finished the fabrication and installed the rack to test it and I never got around to removing it to finalize and paint the parts. I did the same in the JKU and last week I finished and painted that one, this week it was the LJ's turn.
The unfinished rack has seen a lot of use already, here's what it was carrying at Easter Jeep Safari...
And here it is finished.
The unfinished rack has seen a lot of use already, here's what it was carrying at Easter Jeep Safari...
And here it is finished.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Matt,
If you're asking if the overhead Molle panel interferes with the view out the rear view mirror, no it doesn't. I went out to the garage just now and took this photo for you, I'm sitting in the driver's seat and holding the camera at normal eye height for me - you can see me in the mirror, I'm blurred because I set the focus on the view out the back window. The Molle panel is above the bottom of the roll bars and as such is above the top of the back window and not in the view at all.
The Molle panel occupies space that is almost always dead air in a Jeep - above the bottom of the roll bars and below the inside of the roof.