1973 Wagoneer - Full Size Camping Goodness
- Thread starter Dr. Marneaus
- Start date
Dr. Marneaus
Station Wagoneer
yeah i decided to quit **************' for a minute and do something.
Dr. Marneaus
Station Wagoneer
My good friend Jordan Shiraki, of ShirakiPhoto was visiting a month or so ago, and snapped a few pics of my ride. This guy know show to take pictures....
XJSuperman
OhIOWAn
And now I want a FSJ. Thanks dammit. Looks really good, and yes, keeping the spare upright and out of the way allows for plenty of room. Im finishing the same battle in my XJ.
tenoverthenose
New member
Funny you made the switch to this setup. I'm about to build a cargo deck / drawer system for the rear of mine (my spare is not in the cargo area) to help organize camp gear and I was just looking for this thread to see how you built yours.
Dr. Marneaus
Station Wagoneer
Yeah. I liked it for some reasons disliked it for others. I never did get around to building drawers or anything because the damn tire took up so much space under there.
AgentOrange76
Adventurer
I agree with both you and your wife, it definitely ruins a little bit of that classic look. But my God look at all that space.....looks like ya done good.
I didn't realize the back seats folded up like that and left a hump there. I've been looking for a waggy for a while now, probably pick one up after school. Is there enough room to sleep back there? It certainly looks like it, but maybe have to build a short platform to clear the hump?
I didn't realize the back seats folded up like that and left a hump there. I've been looking for a waggy for a while now, probably pick one up after school. Is there enough room to sleep back there? It certainly looks like it, but maybe have to build a short platform to clear the hump?
Dr. Marneaus
Station Wagoneer
1. What hump? There is a minor dip under the seat but no hump
2. I'm 6'3" and there is no way I could sleep back there.
3. Don't buy one. Seriously. They are antiquated and unreliable and not very capable. Also they will bleed you dry in that state forget about if you tried to make it reliable or capable of modernized. Just buy a ZJ WJ or WK and be done. Or just buy a Toyota like a smart person .
tenoverthenose
New member
I've got to give credit to my wife here: she pulled two plastic tubs (I think it's something like this - http://www.target.com/p/sterilite-ultra-74-qt-clear-underbed-storage-tote-with-gray-lid/-/A-14758435) out from under our bed and put them in the back of the Wagoneer. With the rear seat in use, two of them fit nicely between both the tailgate and seat, and the wheel wells. I'm just going to make a quick platform to go over the top of them and keep things simple for now. Our plan is to keep dry foods in there for extended trips, with a fridge and chuckbox on top.
Don't buy a modified one. They will kill you in fixing the PO's sins. This goes for any Jeep in my experience, they are almost all modified, and almost all poorly.
Dr. Marneaus
Station Wagoneer
Yeah, I need to rethink my storage options. One of the main things that prompted this is that we got ourselves an RTIC cooler, and loaded down i dont think the cargo cover would have supported it. I found that when we take trips the back of the jeep is stacked to the roof and 2/3rds of the rear seat is used up as well, with the 13rd being left for the dog. I'm thinking this will give a lot more room, however if the seat is folded down I'm not sure what the dog will do. I could probably toss a blanket on top of the coolers and that would suit him.
AgentOrange76
Adventurer
Oh I see now, its a hole, not a hump. That's what I get for trying to look at stuff on my phone. That would be much easier to work with. I guess I'll have to test drive one and see if I fit back there.
I'm not expecting it to be like a new truck. I have my new truck (17 years old is new right?) and I'm wanting to get an older one. Our old CJ5 and my brother's El Camino are the 2 vehicles I love driving most in our family, if I had a choice between all the keys my Jeep would be the 3rd set I'd pick up in most cases. If I was gonna get something newer I'd rather just put that money into my Jeep. I love old stuff, it's just cool. I'm looking between Wagoneers (I'd like to find an older one with minimal vacuum and electrics) or a full size Cherokee, an FJ60 Land Cruiser, or a 3 door burban. You can't find the old burbans and the Toyotas are rusted out and 250k on them for 6 or 7 grand minimum, and I'm a Jeep guy, so I'm leaning towards the Waggy. I love yours, I come here and drool over pictures often. I'd love to find a manual full size Cherokee..... If I don't go the old SUV route I'll probably pick up an El Camino or a Trans Am, anything that piques my interest really. Am I expecting any of this junk to run like new? No. Would I like to take it cross country? Absolutely. Do I expect it to break? Yep. Maybe I'm young and dumb.
It would be bought and stay pretty stock. Half the goal of this would be to have a classic to drive around town, and I'd want it to look factory. I have my jeep if I need to do anything more than minor trails and beach cruising.
Thanks for the advice all around. I was gonna try and get it at the end of this summer, or at least before field camp next summer but my brother (who had 2 cars but now only the Camino) and everyone else told me to wait till I'm out of school. You've got a couple years to talk me out of one yet!
Sorry for jacking your thread!
Curly
Adventurer
Agent Orange, I have a FSJ Cherokee and I can fit in the rear to sleep just fine. I'm 6'1. I completely removed the rear seat, built a small platform to extend the floor forward to the back of the front seats (seats all the way back). I can fit in the back with a few inches to spare. I upgraded my rear window to remote control (vendor on another site) so I can close the rear gate and window, yet easily open them with the remote from inside. A Wagoneer would be a better option for sleeping since it has the rear doors.
Here is a pic of the rear before I added my refrigerator. The fridge mounts longways in the center of the vehicle, I still have room to sleep with it there.
Curly
Here is a pic of the rear before I added my refrigerator. The fridge mounts longways in the center of the vehicle, I still have room to sleep with it there.
Curly
Dr. Marneaus
Station Wagoneer
Agent Orange, I have a FSJ Cherokee and I can fit in the rear to sleep just fine. I'm 6'1. I completely removed the rear seat, built a small platform to extend the floor forward to the back of the front seats (seats all the way back). I can fit in the back with a few inches to spare. I upgraded my rear window to remote control (vendor on another site) so I can close the rear gate and window, yet easily open them with the remote from inside. A Wagoneer would be a better option for sleeping since it has the rear doors.
Here is a pic of the rear before I added my refrigerator. The fridge mounts longways in the center of the vehicle, I still have room to sleep with it there.
Curly
Yeah i would think without the seat folded foward, which probably takes up a good 8-10", you could fit.
Unfortunately in 73 they didnt have the quick release hinges that had the slots cut in them, so taking my seat all the way out is an actual unbolting job.