Building an Expedition TJ, give me your opinions

[Lawrence]

We were looking for a trailer/camper so that the whole family can be comfortable while going away for the weekend. The requirement was to be able to go through the Mojave Trail with ease, anything harder than that and we are setting up camp and going wheeling without the trailer from there. So, we bought a Kimberley Kamper.

Here is the TJ as it sits today, and I am not sure it will meet our needs anymore.

2004 Sport, 4 speed auto, D30/D44 w/ ARB and 4.88 gears, 35x12.5x17 Toyo Open Country MT, 17x9 OMF Beadlocks, Currie steering, RE Long Arm 4.5" springs + ACOS up front and rear 5.5" springs, Currie Antirock, Hanson front bumper with Warn 9.5 Ti, Hanson rear bumper, rocker guards, rock Hard cage, various skids, CO2 tank.

The type of wheeling we do is varied, but nothing so extreme that it would scare the family. I don't have a problem taking anything and everything off and starting over, so if you have any ideas on how to set it up or what works for you, I'd like to hear them.

Thanks.

 

[MossMan]

Where specifically does it fail do meet your needs? It's obviously very capable offroad so are you looking for better on road manners, better reliability, more room?

 

[ujoint]

Yea, sounds like you have a pretty good setup. Onboard air would be a nice addition, as well as a gas tank & steering box skid Don't know where you could get any of that

 

[Lawrence]

Although there are a few things which bug me, it doesn't fail to meet my needs per se. I am wondering how you guys are set-up and if there is a better combo I haven’t thought of.

Better road manners are always a bonus. Reliability hasn’t been a factor so far but should I be concerned? More room would be nice but not physically feasible, and it usually means packing more junk.

On the skids, I am good except for the two you mentioned. Steering skid is not a necessity at this point, although if I find one that works with the Hanson Bumper, I’ll slap it on. Gas tank skid, I am on the fence. I either get one and call it the day, or run like this until I bash the tank so that I have a good excuse to get the Genright.

I had forgotten about the air stuff, added it to the OP.

 

[MossMan]

I would think you should be good to go. The only real complaint that could exist is lack of space and lack of power; both of which would be most easily remedied with a different vehicle. Other than that, add some OBA and maybe some other things like alloy shafts etc. if reliability is a concern and be good to go. I wouldn't worry about a gas tank skid. I've never bashed one in after repeated abuses.

 

[Lawrence]

The only real complaint that could exist is lack of space and lack of power; both of which would be most easily remedied with a different vehicle.

Thanks MossMan. No problem on the lack of room, that's why I have the trailer As for the power, yes it could use more but buying a different vehicle is not an option. The Jeep is my toy and I like it.

Other than that, add some OBA and maybe some other things like alloy shafts etc.

I already have this covered with a CO2 tank. I thought about alloy shafts, but I am not sure they are a necessity at this point.

 

[ntsqd]

My take would be to drop it down to less lift and 33-10.50 or 255/85 R16 tires. Going lower & narrower respectively will offer better road manners, and by leaving the gearing alone it will feel like it has more power.

Last weekend I was on the Dusy-Irshim and one of the group had a Rubi Unlimited on 35's and what looked like a 2" Nth Degree short arm kit. It was an Nth Degree, I'm guessing about the height based on the pivot point relocation distance.
He had zero trouble with that trail, even in the 2-3" of snow that we had on the second day.

 

[goodtimes]

Obviously, the vehicle is quite capable. If you are running the easier trails, there is really little you need to do with the jeep. Even the gas tank and steering box skid are complete overkill. If you are running harder trails, yes, they are a good thing...but the easy/moderate trails with the ground clearance you have, you are in great shape.

Personally, I would focus on the trailer....making sure it has everything you want/need. Hot water, shower, 'fridge/freeze, etc....what ever it is that will make it more comfortable for the family, which translates to them coming along more often. You can never under estimate just how good ice cream is after a hot day on the trail....having it in the trailer can do a serious make over to your well being after a long, hot, dusty day on the trail....

 

[ntsqd]

snip....
You can never under estimate just how good ice cream is after a hot day on the trail....having it in the trailer can do a serious make over to your well being after a long, hot, dusty day on the trail....

1st confirmation! Worked wonders!

 

[Lawrence]

My take would be to drop it down to less lift and 33-10.50 or 255/85 R16 tires. Going lower & narrower respectively will offer better road manners, and by leaving the gearing alone it will feel like it has more power.

It has been on my mind, going to a 33" tire for more power and also lowering it down enough to clear them.

Obviously, the vehicle is quite capable. If you are running the easier trails, there is really little you need to do with the jeep. Even the gas tank and steering box skid are complete overkill. If you are running harder trails, yes, they are a good thing...but the easy/moderate trails with the ground clearance you have, you are in great shape.

Yes, the Jeep is overkill for what I do, but I drive to the trail, have fun all weekend, and I need to drive back. As you pointed out, skids and alloy shaft are not a necessity, just trying to set it up so that it tows easily and still remains reliable on the trail.

Personally, I would focus on the trailer....making sure it has everything you want/need. Hot water, shower, 'fridge/freeze, etc....what ever it is that will make it more comfortable for the family, which translates to them coming along more often. You can never under estimate just how good ice cream is after a hot day on the trail....having it in the trailer can do a serious make over to your well being after a long, hot, dusty day on the trail....

That's why we got the Kimberley Kamper. Tent camping was fine, but we sometimes passed up on some trips because we didn't want to rough it too much. Now, it will be luxury... There will be a few mods to the trailer, like solar panels and fridge to keep that ice cream nice and cold

 

[SavageSunJeep]

I am thinking that with 4:88 gears and a auto trans, 33 might be a real short tire for you.

I have a chart RPM/Tire diameter and gear ratio that might be worth your while to take a look at:

http://www.savagesun4x4.com/rpm-gear_chart.html

That said, a major factor in any kind of expedition travel is to do predictive failure analysis on your rig. Meaning what is most likely to fail and how can I mitigate it on the trail...with the objective to get back to the trail head.

Go over your rig from bumper to bumper paying close attention to any mods you have made and anything that does not provide a fail-over. Look closely at your radiator :Astrologist:

 

[kjp98TJ]

i was thinking the same about the auto, but it's the 4 spd. should be fine. not optimal, but will work fine.
i'm running 4.88's and 33x10.5's, with a 5spd though. i love it. i can pull my loaded 416 all day w/o issue. up and down hills w/o shifting 4 times. i also rarely do highway driving/speeds. 65 is fine with me when i do. 33's would pretty much eliminate need for alloy axles, not that you'd need them now either, IMO.

sounds like a nice rig.

 

[SavageSunJeep]

i was thinking the same about the auto, but it's the 4 spd. should be fine. not optimal, but will work fine.
i'm running 4.88's and 33x10.5's, with a 5spd though. i love it. i can pull my loaded 416 all day w/o issue. up and down hills w/o shifting 4 times. i also rarely do highway driving/speeds. 65 is fine with me when i do. 33's would pretty much eliminate need for alloy axles, not that you'd need them now either, IMO.

sounds like a nice rig.

My thoughts (should have said) were not at highway speeds where the auto 4 sp/4:88 should keep it in 4th with no issues, but rather at lower off road speeds.

All that said, I am only tossing out some thoughts based upon my preceptions, not facts. Of the 50+ cars I have owned in my life and ordering almost every car I have owend since the early 70's I have only owned 3 automatics in the entire time and that is because there were shared cars with my wife.

So take my thoughts with a grain of salt and let me know what you learn so I can get a bit smarter too...sadly I think my days with a stick are slowly grinding to a halt to some health problems.

 

[jeepboyd]

That's why we got the Kimberley Kamper. Tent camping was fine, but we sometimes passed up on some trips because we didn't want to rough it too much. Now, it will be luxury... There will be a few mods to the trailer, like solar panels and fridge to keep that ice cream nice and cold

how much does the KK weigh b/c your jeep is rated to tow only 2k lbs, brakes and wheelbase are primary reasons for this.( I like your setup mine is very similar 4" lift 35" bfg m/t 4.56's locked f/r.) I would consider maybe buying a different jeep like a 04-06 unlimited ,it can tow 3500 lbs stock, then build it to better perform the duties you want it to( ie: 3" lift, 285/75/16 tires , 4.56's at least 1 locker ) just my opinion, my main concern is the weight of what you're trying tow when the KK is fully loaded. good luck with what ever decsion you make

 

[Lawrence]

Don & kjp98TJ – Thanks for the info. A couple of days ago, I did some testing with 33s and it surprised me. The combo was much better than I thought and this leads me to believe that 4.88+33s or 5.13s+35s are pretty sweet combos for the 4-speed auto. See my highway rpms at http://www.jeepbbs.net/forums/showthread.php?p=112432#post112432

Don – What do you mean by lower off road speeds?

Jeepboyd – The KK weighs about 1,900 lbs dry, nothing to worry about. I often see many TJs pulling pop up campers, and those are also around 1,800 lbs. I have seen even worse.

Now, I believe that the reason the TJ is rated to tow 2,000 lbs is that we live in a sue-happy nation. If DC were to rate the TJ at 4,000 lbs (the way it is in many other countries), some idiot would get a 4,000 lbs trailer, load it with stuff, get in a wreck, and then turn around and sue DC. With them setting the load rating the way it is, it gives them a 2,000 lbs safety margin for a lawsuit.

The braking is not an issue at all. The KK has hydraulic over-ride disc brakes, and the TJ has the big brake kit. Stopping the whole thing is a breeze. Also, the trailer is incredibly well balanced, the back end of the TJ doesn't squat much when I hook it up, and the trailer tracks very well.

On a side note, I would have definitely preferred an Unlimited, but I couldn’t find one I liked and now I have my TJ.