Canadian wilderness access tool - Build
- Thread starter BVClimber
- Start date
jscusmcvet
Explorer
If in a "perfect world" without all the other expenses of daily life, I could do what I want... this might just be it. waiting eagerly on pics of your results.
greg.potter
Adventurer
My wife and I also went down the AEV JK road to get a vehicle that would get us down, and back, any back road or trail that ended in a place offering outdoor adventure. We got a bit more carried away on the off-road capability. Still need to do a "system" for keeping loose stuff away from the fridge in the back and a couple of drawers along side to create better accessibility on longer road trips.
BVClimber
Observer
Install sounds like it's going buttery smooth. Either nervous or stoked. Shop seems to be quite fair and has been honest about labour times and cost. That is refreshing. Ursa Minor seems to be busy, top has been delayed a few weeks from the original ship date. Such as it is. I still hope to get the camper before December.... Not really wanting to go snow blowin' in a soft top around Calgary in December... Well ok, I still will but..
Will put up some after install pics when she's out of the shop, hopefully tomorrow!
Oh, and not that this is a climbing thread but Johny Vegas in Red Rocks park is a super great route. Had the fortune of climbing it on Halloween this year, which apparently was Navada's 150th birthday! Kinda neat memory.
My wife coming up to the second belay:
Will put up some after install pics when she's out of the shop, hopefully tomorrow!
Oh, and not that this is a climbing thread but Johny Vegas in Red Rocks park is a super great route. Had the fortune of climbing it on Halloween this year, which apparently was Navada's 150th birthday! Kinda neat memory.
My wife coming up to the second belay:
Black shadow on the far left on the creek/river bank?
Looks good! Can't wait to see how this progresses!!
BVClimber
Observer
@Greg.potter: how do you like the gobi/Autohome set up? We were really considering that over the J30... We loved our airtop. Nice lookin rig!
@Septu: 10 points! didn't even realize the jeep was in the picture until I was looking at them at home the next day.
Soooo close to getting the jeep from the shop... I forgot about the extra time for the required alignment when doing a suspension lift. Yep, I want to go out and play with this thing today... but alas... Meetings alllll day!
@Septu: 10 points! didn't even realize the jeep was in the picture until I was looking at them at home the next day.
Soooo close to getting the jeep from the shop... I forgot about the extra time for the required alignment when doing a suspension lift. Yep, I want to go out and play with this thing today... but alas... Meetings alllll day!
greg.potter
Adventurer
The Gobi rack has worked very well for us.
The tent in the photo was a CVT Mt St Helens - which CVT no longer sells due to the QC problems which they had with them. We went through two - the list of deficiencies and failures was extensive, but I have to give CVT credit for trying to remedy problems to the best of their ability, and in the end refunding our money. We subsequently purchased a James Baroud Evasion, which I have been very happy with. I think the James Baroud tents may be even higher quality than the Maggiolina tents.
The tent in the photo was a CVT Mt St Helens - which CVT no longer sells due to the QC problems which they had with them. We went through two - the list of deficiencies and failures was extensive, but I have to give CVT credit for trying to remedy problems to the best of their ability, and in the end refunding our money. We subsequently purchased a James Baroud Evasion, which I have been very happy with. I think the James Baroud tents may be even higher quality than the Maggiolina tents.
Wow nice jk!, who makes the rock rails?
BVClimber
Observer
Yeah I hear that the James Baroud's are great. I tried to find access in Canada... sort of like finding anything here v.s. the U.S. It's possible depending how deep your pockets are. I got my air top used from Phoenix when visiting my sister, couldn't pass it up, 10 months old, $1100 off retail.
Rock rails are Ace Engineering. Good side protection, a few inches shorter than the stock rubi rails and they bolt directly over top, which is nice. My wife likes them to get up into the jeep.
I will be put up a few more pictures after this weekend, but since the AEV stuff has been documented in a million places I'm going to focus more on the little things on the duration of this thread... Things that work, don't work, Things that do etc. Example, in my style of driving, basically, not rock crawling, lots of forest roads, rivers (sometimes too deep) etc, the location of diff breathers were important, Thinking about a removable drain plug on the snorkel to put in when said river crossing is approached etc. I will hopefully be getting to the rear storage system in the spring.
If anyone has thoughts or questions I'm happy to look into it. Of note, the guy who did my install was top notch. He is good friends with our local rover dealership owner and I felt like a bit of a black sheep brining my Chrysler product to a known Rover/Yota shop...haha. He was absolutely amazing and was really knowledgeable, and was quite impressed with a couple of things coming from that world as well. AEV bumpers and suspension, but especially the genesis off road dual battery system.
Does anyone have first hand experience with the AFE cat back system that avoids the drive-shaft? I do not want to replace any drive-line parts until I need to, and the bigger, wider tires are noticeable with an unloaded jeep in terms of gusto. So, thinking of doing the exhaust. Thoughts?
This has been a fun thread to post and share, I've never done this before. Great community here.
Rock rails are Ace Engineering. Good side protection, a few inches shorter than the stock rubi rails and they bolt directly over top, which is nice. My wife likes them to get up into the jeep.
I will be put up a few more pictures after this weekend, but since the AEV stuff has been documented in a million places I'm going to focus more on the little things on the duration of this thread... Things that work, don't work, Things that do etc. Example, in my style of driving, basically, not rock crawling, lots of forest roads, rivers (sometimes too deep) etc, the location of diff breathers were important, Thinking about a removable drain plug on the snorkel to put in when said river crossing is approached etc. I will hopefully be getting to the rear storage system in the spring.
If anyone has thoughts or questions I'm happy to look into it. Of note, the guy who did my install was top notch. He is good friends with our local rover dealership owner and I felt like a bit of a black sheep brining my Chrysler product to a known Rover/Yota shop...haha. He was absolutely amazing and was really knowledgeable, and was quite impressed with a couple of things coming from that world as well. AEV bumpers and suspension, but especially the genesis off road dual battery system.
Does anyone have first hand experience with the AFE cat back system that avoids the drive-shaft? I do not want to replace any drive-line parts until I need to, and the bigger, wider tires are noticeable with an unloaded jeep in terms of gusto. So, thinking of doing the exhaust. Thoughts?
This has been a fun thread to post and share, I've never done this before. Great community here.
BVClimber
Observer
Went out to find a new boulder field this weekend, took a wrong turn... had some fun driving around. Was good, settled the springs a bit and it feels good. So far things that have been great:
1. Duratracs - Was a peculiar weekend +10 Celcius (50 ish F?) on saturday and Sunday was a blizzard, and -10. Saturday, muddy (almost axel deep), wet slick trails. Studded, and self cleaning properties of these tires were amazing for what I'm used to, (general Grabber AT2's). Not very noisy on dry road surfaces at hwy speeds, and track well for a wider tire. Sunday, drive to banff from Calgary (140 km) in a decent snow storm to take my wife to a medical conference early AM. Vehicle felt very stable and traffic was much slower than the limit, about 30- 40 km slower. I kept pace happily, and with confidence in 2wd.
2. Suspension - Yep. Good. Stiff, but not much weight in the jeep yet, except for all the added hardware.
2. IPF lights - bright... nough said
3. Air Compressor - Slick and quick.
4. Diff Breather location - Will have to post a pic but I chose not to use the 'behind the tail light' spot for the rear, and ran it under the hood along with the front breather. Couldn't mount it along the firewall with all the other kit I got stuffed under the bonnet so it sits near the air compressor above the driver side fender. Secure mounting and it's way less dusty here than the typical rear spot. Not even sure if this matters, but it's a clean install.
5. Spod: Easy as pie, slick et al. However.... Mounting bracket is predominately on one side of the switch housing in the cab so it's not supported very well on the right side. Doesn't seem to matter though, its very light weight, and doesn't rattle. Just can't pull down on the unit on the right side or it will move substantially, 1/2 inch maybe.
The not so good:
1. Wider tires: After 140 km drive to Banff in typical snowy Alberta conditions my jeep was white and frozen door handles. I Was however, coming from pizza cutters, the wide tires had good traction and were very predictable. Any recommendations for front mud/slush guards? Mopar? Are there any others out there that are a bit wider maybe, that would help keep the side of this thing a bit less mucky?
Couple of before after pics:
View attachment 255617
Avoiding the deep water:
1. Duratracs - Was a peculiar weekend +10 Celcius (50 ish F?) on saturday and Sunday was a blizzard, and -10. Saturday, muddy (almost axel deep), wet slick trails. Studded, and self cleaning properties of these tires were amazing for what I'm used to, (general Grabber AT2's). Not very noisy on dry road surfaces at hwy speeds, and track well for a wider tire. Sunday, drive to banff from Calgary (140 km) in a decent snow storm to take my wife to a medical conference early AM. Vehicle felt very stable and traffic was much slower than the limit, about 30- 40 km slower. I kept pace happily, and with confidence in 2wd.
2. Suspension - Yep. Good. Stiff, but not much weight in the jeep yet, except for all the added hardware.
2. IPF lights - bright... nough said
3. Air Compressor - Slick and quick.
4. Diff Breather location - Will have to post a pic but I chose not to use the 'behind the tail light' spot for the rear, and ran it under the hood along with the front breather. Couldn't mount it along the firewall with all the other kit I got stuffed under the bonnet so it sits near the air compressor above the driver side fender. Secure mounting and it's way less dusty here than the typical rear spot. Not even sure if this matters, but it's a clean install.
5. Spod: Easy as pie, slick et al. However.... Mounting bracket is predominately on one side of the switch housing in the cab so it's not supported very well on the right side. Doesn't seem to matter though, its very light weight, and doesn't rattle. Just can't pull down on the unit on the right side or it will move substantially, 1/2 inch maybe.
The not so good:
1. Wider tires: After 140 km drive to Banff in typical snowy Alberta conditions my jeep was white and frozen door handles. I Was however, coming from pizza cutters, the wide tires had good traction and were very predictable. Any recommendations for front mud/slush guards? Mopar? Are there any others out there that are a bit wider maybe, that would help keep the side of this thing a bit less mucky?
Couple of before after pics:
View attachment 255617
Avoiding the deep water:
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BVClimber
Observer
Finally got the camper in from California. Looks like it has been really well made. Didn't know that the Gen II had an integrated brake light in the rear of the camper! Really pleasant surprise. Goes on the jeep in another 5 days.... excited to do some winter camping not on the ground...
One obligatory stuck as heck picture... thank goodness for winches!
One obligatory stuck as heck picture... thank goodness for winches!
ripper1600
Adventure Seeker
I really like the way you modified your jeep. It definitely looks very capable. I look forward to seeing photos from your adventures.
Expedition.Report
Explorer
Awesome!!