Official ExPo Easter Jeep Safari Thread!

[Redline]

Looking forward to new vehicle/options news if there is any.... Brady? :sombrero:

 

[Roonie]

any news on the diesel wrangler coming to the US at all?

 

[Metcalf]

The response I got from the jeep booth was.....'we are working on it'

From other sources the roll out of the Euro VI engine and the USA diesel may happen at the same time IF fuel prices get to about $4.50 for gasoline.

Just what I heard. The Euro V diesel is amazing and the start stop is a little odd. At this point, for expedition travel, the 2007+ diesels generally cannot run on fuel south of the border. That is a pretty big bummer for me.

The perfect option in my opinion would be the J8 program from AEV but the Chrysler end of things is flatline from what I have heard.

 

[JPK]

so anything from anybody @ the vendor show?

I just got back from an East Coast version of the EJS at Rausch and was hoping for an AEV hovercraft or something. where are the pics?!? :drool:

I was on the AEV run that Scott was on and attended the AEV BBQ afterwards. The newest and apparently now available product from AEV is the rear carrier mounted Hi Lift/Pull Pal mount.

To be available shortly are the long awaited AEV hard top roof rack that mounts through the top and onto the roll cage. It was a good looking 3/4 rack, makybe 6" or so too long in the front so that with the Freedom Top panels off the rack would be overhead - so possible wind noise issues. However, the always can do AEV folks said they'd shorten a rack if a customer preferred.

Also to be available shortly, a +/- 10gal fuel carrier that will mount forward of and inside the spare tire mount and have a gravity feed function so that you could replenish your tank or fill, say, a generator by hose without having to dismount the fuel carrier.

I'll get the Hi Lift mount, right now my High Lift is heavy duty wire tied to my roll bars. I have a Long Ranger 18gal auxilliary tank under my JKU which gives my 5.7VVT powered JKU about a 500 mile on road range and about a 310 mile low range 4wd range - both to bone dry, no reserve based on milage to/from and during EJS - but the fuel carrier is attractive too since it would allow easy, no hassle gravity feed of a generator.

Just before heading west to the EJS I had River Raider Off Road install aluminum skids from engine oil pan all the way back including the auxilliary tank. They didn't add too much weight, RROR thinks about 50 or so lbs net of a replaced steel skid, but they sure saved the day a couple of times.

What I find remarkable about my AEV JKU is that my buddy and I drove 2087 miles across the country in 2 1/2 days, with as much or maybe more ease and comfort than had we been in my Suburban, loaded with gear and tools, a small Engel fridge and a cooler, ten days worth of clothing etc, did a long gravel and two track off road tour when we got to Moab, did the AEV run and four other all day EJS off road runs and then drove 2267 miles along a longer and differently senic route home in two days.

We had chairs and a table, the small Engel and a cooler for lunch or cocktail breaks and could have accomodated a couple of passengers since the rear seats were empty. (Accept for the trip out, when we had an Engel MT 60 Combi fridge and freezer in the rear for delivery to a guy building me a teardrop trailer, so the rear seat was carrying our luggage.)

Were there more capable Jeeps at EJS? Sure, plenty, they were all trailered there and home, or maybe driven a couple of hours each way at most...

For that matter, a lot of less capable Jeeps were trailered to and from. Got to love AEV!

Also, it was a pleasure meeting and speaking with Scott during the AEV run, and later meeting his editor too. We skipped the vendor show, would have liked to attend, but not at the expense of enjoying Moab's outdoor adventures. Started to tour the Mopar exhibit but a dark sky and a weird windstorm drove us to throw on the roof panels and "dive" into the nearest watering hole.

JPK