Ursa Minor Pop-Top Jeep JK
- Thread starter cobblecrazy
- Start date
AeroNautiCal
Explorer
That's gorgeous!
Looks to be a world of fun.
Thanks for sharing.
Looks to be a world of fun.
Thanks for sharing.
brianjwilson
Some sort of lost...
Very nice! On a side note, I like the painted snorkel too!
Hey Cobble Crazy,
Since you were such a good guy and answered my previous questions (thanks for that btw) I thought I'd throw a couple more your way. Now that you've had the J30 for a little while care to give us any updateed thoughts and opinions?
One thing I am specificaaly curious about is, can you stand up in the unit? I miss my Westy but it had to go because it was just starting to get the point of needing too many things fixed all the time...still love it though. What are your thoughts about if someone could make a mini kitchen set up in the jeep with the J30 on it (kind of similar to a Westfalia)? Could you perhaps craft a simple bench to sit on in one side of the jeep interior and perhaps a table top on the opposite side to hold a camp stove? Is this just wishful thinking or could one actually get creative enough? Would you trust cooking inside your jeep with the Pop top open?
Thanks in advance. Your Jeep looks awesome and I'll bet you are very much enjoying it.
Since you were such a good guy and answered my previous questions (thanks for that btw) I thought I'd throw a couple more your way. Now that you've had the J30 for a little while care to give us any updateed thoughts and opinions?
One thing I am specificaaly curious about is, can you stand up in the unit? I miss my Westy but it had to go because it was just starting to get the point of needing too many things fixed all the time...still love it though. What are your thoughts about if someone could make a mini kitchen set up in the jeep with the J30 on it (kind of similar to a Westfalia)? Could you perhaps craft a simple bench to sit on in one side of the jeep interior and perhaps a table top on the opposite side to hold a camp stove? Is this just wishful thinking or could one actually get creative enough? Would you trust cooking inside your jeep with the Pop top open?
Thanks in advance. Your Jeep looks awesome and I'll bet you are very much enjoying it.
Clutch
<---Pass
Matched snorkel, winch, LED light bar
Wow! That makes me want to jump the Toyota ship...
cobblecrazy
Adventurer
I too had Westy's growing up, and if I had come across a Syncro at the right time I'd probably still have it.
Things I like about the J30: The ease of operation make set-up a breeze. The large windows allow for great air flow for hotter climates (the highest I've had it in is around 104 degrees). The cushions are comfortable, and since they can remain in place when the top is down I don't have to find a place to store them when not in use. There is enough room to store my down bags up there when the top is down - again don't have to trip over them/store them when not in use. The low profile has not affected my gas consumption much (the last trip I got between 17 and 19 through the Sierras). The interior lighting is positioned just right for independant reading/needs.
One of the biggest advantages is I can go anywhere. I'm not much of a "planner" for most weekend trips (and some longer distance stuff). With the J30 I can go anywhere, and I don't have to worry about a place to stay. The footprint of the Jeep/J30 combo is so small I can fit into some of the tightest locations - something that some other combos can't say.
Issues I've had: I had a Yakima top box on top with a few things inside. It took some doing to get the top up and locked out (this was not much of an issue), but I could only get one "side" completely locked out at a time. Now this may have been the top box not centered enough on the rack, or I need a slightly beefier strut (or a smaller/narrower top box). I have since removed the top box and use other storage options. The two access hatches are "secure" in the sense they won't fall out, but they do "move/jump" when you hit bumps, and that sound can be loud. I've removed them and wedged them in the back on several off road excursions, but sometimes space is a premium so I don't like this option. I've looked at some padding around the edges of the hatches, but I'm concerned about effecting the "seal/seating". I am thinking of ways to cinch down the hatches (kind of like the stock top bolting to the overhead bars), but it may have to wait until I meet with John at Ursa to see what they've come up with. While the lighting is superb, I would like to have the switch to put power to the sleeping area, in the sleeping area, so I don't have to crawl down and shut it off (I don't like having anything "on" throughout the night - especially in the cold). The indicator for the power being "on" could still be above the driver/passenger so it's not left on. The interior headliner needs padding between the headliner and the top as there is additional noise of the headliner banging against the top in the rough stuff. I believe a sound deadening/heat shield pad can be placed between them and this would solve the issue. Again, this is something I'll talk to John about soon.
Overall, I don't regret my decision one bit.
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cobblecrazy
Adventurer
To answer you're question on standing up - yes. You have a limited amount of space to move around because you only have the opening area to be able to stand up. I can sit up in the sleeping area and change clothes, read, etc., as well.
Adventure Trailers make some pretty nice stuff for a "kitchen" - take a look at their JK videos on Youtube/their site for the full flip top, but I don't think an interior kitchen is really a viable option. I have a box which contains all my camping kitchen items that can be easily put in/removed, but I still have the full use of all the seats if I need them. I had a Sportsmobile, and I never cooked inside it - the owner of SMB West said he doesn't either. I would not feel comfortable cooking inside the Jeep, but I would expect there are ways this could be done safely; however, I think some dangers outweigh the times you would actually need to do it.
Hope this helps.
Adventure Trailers make some pretty nice stuff for a "kitchen" - take a look at their JK videos on Youtube/their site for the full flip top, but I don't think an interior kitchen is really a viable option. I have a box which contains all my camping kitchen items that can be easily put in/removed, but I still have the full use of all the seats if I need them. I had a Sportsmobile, and I never cooked inside it - the owner of SMB West said he doesn't either. I would not feel comfortable cooking inside the Jeep, but I would expect there are ways this could be done safely; however, I think some dangers outweigh the times you would actually need to do it.
Hope this helps.
cobblecrazy
Adventurer
A few people had asked that question before, and I think the answer was no - at this point at least.
cobblecrazy
Adventurer
here are a few pics from this weekends trip
brianjwilson
Some sort of lost...
Looks like a nice spot to camp!
Can I ask what part of Nevada you live in? I'm driving from Oregon to Louisiana in a few weeks, and I'm trying to meet Mario in Prescott to check out the Habitat top, and I'd really love the chance to check out the ursa minor j30 if you would be willing to let me poke my head around for a few minutes!
Can I ask what part of Nevada you live in? I'm driving from Oregon to Louisiana in a few weeks, and I'm trying to meet Mario in Prescott to check out the Habitat top, and I'd really love the chance to check out the ursa minor j30 if you would be willing to let me poke my head around for a few minutes!
cobblecrazy
Adventurer
I'm in Reno. Let me know if/when you're coming through...