AEV Brute: The Ultimate Overlander?

[jpat30]

I would love one; my ideal brute would start with a stripped down 6spd JKU, probably a sport, no need for a rubicon here. I would order the most basic AEV kit I could get; no suspension lift, no new wheel/tire package, no heat reduction hood or front bumper/winch combo. AEV could keep their new gauge cluster and all of their "look at me badges". In the end, I would have an extremely capable truck that looked like it just rolled off of Jeep's assembly line. I think if I could order it that way, I could probably even come in around 40K. Then I would drive it til the wheels fell off:wings:

 

[Kmrtnsn]

I would love one; my ideal brute would start with a stripped down 6spd JKU, probably a sport, no need for a rubicon here. I would order the most basic AEV kit I could get; no suspension lift, no new wheel/tire package, no heat reduction hood or front bumper/winch combo. AEV could keep their new gauge cluster and all of their "look at me badges". In the end, I would have an extremely capable truck that looked like it just rolled off of Jeep's assembly line. I think if I could order it that way, I could probably even come in around 40K. Then I would drive it til the wheels fell off:wings:

I always thought that if Jeep produced a RWD J8, with a rear locker, mild height increase, and larger tires, ala TRD Tacoma Pre-Runner, that they'd sell like hotcakes.

 

[Scott Brady]

It's pretty damn cool, and definitely the most capable overlander imo. That being said, my ULTIMATE overlander isn't just about capability. My ultimate would be a powerwagon with a 4WC or a new Sportmobile with Ujoint conversion. I enjoy my sleep.

That is a valid consideration. I am still happy to sleep in the back of a wagon or in a tent. I slept over 100 nights in the back of the Land Cruiser- happy as a clam.

I think a Fourwheel Camper shell model on the Brute would be fantastic.

One of our other Brutes with a 4WC

 

[Scott Brady]

As the ultimate overlander, where do You put your fridge, is there a 12v power outlet in the back? Could not find any info on that. How do other pickup owners place theres fridges.

You just put it in the back seat area, nice and centralized and still in the HVAC

How do You secure things on the bed like a heavy fridge or similar, I can not see any anchor points or 12v power outlet on the bed from this picture. Oh no, no sub just kidding.

It has four tiedowns. It would be easy to mount others too, a tie down channel, etc. It would also be easy to install 12v outlets.

How do You avoid stuff from frezzing in the back, like water, food, clothes, sleeping bags etc in cold days.

How much bigger space do Brute have for the rear passangers compared to a JKU. Scott Brady wrote "The Brute is also supremely comfortable for rear passenger"

For me it looks like the same space, or is it better seats or something els that make it more comfortable than a normal JKU.

Not sure I track you on the freezing comment. I would carry the water in the rear passenger compartment, probably with my footwell tank

There is quite a bit of space under the rear seats. Would be easy to configure a tank there too. There is also seven gallons in the rear bumper.

Regarding rear passenger space, yes, it is exactly like the standard Wrangler, which from my perspective, is more comfortable than a typical 4-door compact truck like a Tacoma.

 

[Cascade Wanderer]

That is a valid consideration. I am still happy to sleep in the back of a wagon or in a tent. I slept over 100 nights in the back of the Land Cruiser- happy as a clam.

I think a Fourwheel Camper shell model on the Brute would be fantastic.

One of our other Brutes with a 4WC

VERY NICE!

 

[Scott Brady]

When I first read the article it was obvious you were expecting some disagreement, and it's cool to see you here talking around the points with everyone.
It's cool to be able to talk directly to someone that has driven and extensively tested every 4x4 worth owning on the planet, and is happy to share their opinions and experiences so candidly.

Thank you. We are fortunate to have the experience. However, my opinion is still shaped by my personal expectations for performance. I am willing to compromise nearly all comfort to ensure performance from the vehicle. I have dodged enough trucks in Siberia and evaded enough bandits to prefer handling and reserve capability over "appliances" and even reliability. In reality, all of the newer vehicles are pretty amazing for reliability. The argument for the Toyota is pretty mute anymore unless reliability is the primary consideration. Crossing Antarctica made that clear- take a Hilux. For North America, the Toyota has few advantages. Give me performance in the USA, both limit handling and extreme terrain. Try your favorite trail in the middle of winter! I can promise a true adventure then

I have learned that opinions do need to be candid. I have learned from screwing up. I wish someone told me years ago about what really matters for overland travel.
1. Spend the money on the adventure first, vehicle and gear secondary.
2. Keep crap off your roof and avoid a trailer unless necessary.
3. If a kid runs out after a soccer ball, can you and the vehicle do what is necessary to avoid hitting that child? I would say that 50%+ of the overland trucks and drivers I see are unprepared for that scenario. Yep, that means one out of two people reading this thread lack the driving skill and have a vehicle too poorly configured to perform when it matters most. I have only had one attempted robbery and only been extorted once in all of my travels, but avoiding accidents and other crazy situations on the road was nearly a daily occurrence.

I saw and crawled all around the double cab at Overland Expo this year - it is extremely impressive, and I'm sure very, very capable.
I'm still in the "smaller is better" - maybe it's my "not North American" heritage. A regular length JKUR will suit me nicely.

Smaller and cheaper is better. As you know from your adventure to Ushuaia, the trip is all that really maters. Allocate the funds you need for the adventure and spend what is left on the truck. If someone has a big enough bank account for something really interesting to travel in, then good for them, but it is absolutely not the first priority. For the vehicle the person does pick, I believe it is critical that it handles properly. The people that have 300 pounds on the roof are the same as the new motorcyclist riding around in flip flops. They just haven't gone down yet. . .

On a related note, I assume your comments about the GVWR on the double cab also apply to a regular old JKUR - that is, it's limited primarily by it's rear springs?
(I ask, because as much as I'm trying, I anticipate my next build being massively heavier than my last)

Absolutely. The JKUR is limited on GVWR principally by the load capacity of the springs and secondarily by the COG. This is from the factories perspective. After that comes axles, then brakes, then chassis. These trucks are incredibly tough. Remember, the J8 has a METRIC TON payload. The primary difference is the rear spring and axle. The chassis and body are modified only slightly. The brakes are awesome! Wish we still had ours.

Dan, I know that you know all of this stuff, and any "you" in the dialog just refers to the readers of this thread, not a direct comment towards you

Onward!

 

[haven]

One point the article makes is that the Brute Double Cab is useful in everyday situations (one example given was hauling archery targets to the range).

Should routine uses like this be a consideration for "ultimate overlander?" Or should the vehicle be chosen strictly on its capabilities for adventure travel?

 

[Scott Brady]

One point the article makes is that the Brute Double Cab is useful in everyday situations (one example given was hauling archery targets to the range).

Should routine uses like this be a consideration for "ultimate overlander?" Or should the vehicle be chosen strictly on its capabilities for adventure travel?

Those attributes just enhance the vehicle IMHO. A 4-door truck is particularly effective at so many things, including being the "Ultimate Overlander". No one would second guess a VDJ79 or Defender 130. The Brute is just a better performing version. Greater capability.

I have been fortunate to spend a (metric) crap ton of time in all of these variations to a theme. I do love them all, but the Brute is only one you can go buy new from a dealership in America tomorrow.

For North America, I want a truck that can go (essentially) anywhere. The value of reliability, economy, etc., are lower down the consideration set. Again, just one person's opinion. A lot of people view the American West as a place where reliability is a primary consideration. I do not. The new Jeeps are so much better on reliability. We have had a flawless record with TEN! different JKs, one that I drove all the to the Darien Gap. Sure, a Wrangler can have problems, but they are few and far. . .

VDJ79. We circumnavigate the Southern Hemisphere with this truck

Crossed a bunch of Iceland with this one. Crossed Antarctica with a bigger version (44" tires as opposed to 38s)

Yep, even a bunch of time in the Patrol Ute. Tough trucks.

I have a ton of love for the Defender 130. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face while driving this one.

Yep, this one is white, and has a HEMI. Had fun with that one too. . . (so did the hacks at Top Gear)


I do know one thing we can all agree on. . . WE ALL WANT ONE OF THESE!

Oh, and even the most curmudgeonly of Jeep owners would love a crack at a 6x6.

These are the exotics of our world. No one complains about the price of a Ferrari, and we love them anyways. They are beautiful and exotic and fast. The Brute is not intended to be inexpensive and pedestrian and common and perfectly reliable. It is intended to be awesome, and awesome it is. . .

 

[Littlehouse]

That thing is awesome! Hmmm maybe a kitted Flippac on a brute. Build it!

 

[kojackJKU]

I wish aev still made the bridger wheel. IT was there best wheel design. I tried hunting a set down with no luck for my JK. That TJ brute with the camper is serious off road porn!

 

[AlaricD]

When I was a kid, this is what *I* wanted for the Ultimate Overlander. Bonus: Jetpacks in case you get high-centered.

 

[aluke0510]

Thank you. We are fortunate to have the experience. However, my opinion is still shaped by my personal expectations for performance. I am willing to compromise nearly all comfort to ensure performance from the vehicle. I have dodged enough trucks in Siberia and evaded enough bandits to prefer handling and reserve capability over "appliances" and even reliability. In reality, all of the newer vehicles are pretty amazing for reliability. The argument for the Toyota is pretty mute anymore unless reliability is the primary consideration. Crossing Antarctica made that clear- take a Hilux. For North America, the Toyota has few advantages. Give me performance in the USA, both limit handling and extreme terrain. Try your favorite trail in the middle of winter! I can promise a true adventure then

I have learned that opinions do need to be candid. I have learned from screwing up. I wish someone told me years ago about what really matters for overland travel.
1. Spend the money on the adventure first, vehicle and gear secondary.
2. Keep crap off your roof and avoid a trailer unless necessary.
3. If a kid runs out after a soccer ball, can you and the vehicle do what is necessary to avoid hitting that child? I would say that 50%+ of the overland trucks and drivers I see are unprepared for that scenario. Yep, that means one out of two people reading this thread lack the driving skill and have a vehicle too poorly configured to perform when it matters most. I have only had one attempted robbery and only been extorted once in all of my travels, but avoiding accidents and other crazy situations on the road was nearly a daily occurrence.



Smaller and cheaper is better. As you know from your adventure to Ushuaia, the trip is all that really maters. Allocate the funds you need for the adventure and spend what is left on the truck. If someone has a big enough bank account for something really interesting to travel in, then good for them, but it is absolutely not the first priority. For the vehicle the person does pick, I believe it is critical that it handles properly. The people that have 300 pounds on the roof are the same as the new motorcyclist riding around in flip flops. They just haven't gone down yet. . .



Absolutely. The JKUR is limited on GVWR principally by the load capacity of the springs and secondarily by the COG. This is from the factories perspective. After that comes axles, then brakes, then chassis. These trucks are incredibly tough. Remember, the J8 has a METRIC TON payload. The primary difference is the rear spring and axle. The chassis and body are modified only slightly. The brakes are awesome! Wish we still had ours.

Dan, I know that you know all of this stuff, and any "you" in the dialog just refers to the readers of this thread, not a direct comment towards you

Onward!

Scott,

So can you tell us what the impacts/risks are with operating the Brute double cab over the GVWR which they all will end up being? Sure I can understand with upgrades the vehicle can be made to handle it but what about that sticker that still says x GVWR? Sure the vehicle offers a lot. But think about what you could make another vehicle into if you also invested 90k or whatever into it. After all lets not confuse this with a factory option at dealerships; it is a full aftermarket overhaul that may be available at a dealership in your state but may not.

I must say I think there is a reasonable option for a single cab built onto a JKUR chassis. IT would easily retain the payload if not add a bit be loosing the seats and full length hard top and rear doors etc... After all its all about how you pack and prepare. I have gone 3weeks fully sustained before with no fridges, no roof top tent, no winch, in the desert regions of Damaraland and Kaokoland Namibia.

I can't remember but I also remember seeing some comments on having a Hemi in it. I am just guessing with that the fuel economy is similar. But what if you have a look at like what Coty Built does with putting the VW diesel into Jeeps. Bump the fuel economy to 30mpg and you actually save payload with the reduced fuel required to go the same distance also as that little 4 cylinder is a feather weight yet can be tuned up to greater than 150HP; more power than all the Land Rover diesels.

 

[Scott Brady]

Scott,

So can you tell us what the impacts/risks are with operating the Brute double cab over the GVWR which they all will end up being?

Won't touch that one with a ten foot pole

I dig the idea of a regular cab JK Brute.

I agree that the "New" and "Available at a dealership" is a bit of a stretch, but I felt comfortable with the qualification. I know the level of engineering that AEV goes through to produce these low volume models. They are designed at the same standards (or better) than the OEM.

Yes, 90k is a ton of cash. I feel a purchase like this is only justifiable if you have all the cash you need for travel and THEN you buy an expensive dream machine like this one.

The VW diesels might be cool. I personally have no interest in engine swaps. It is the extremely rare scenario when they can be made as reliable as the factory option. I even decided against a well-proven diesel conversion for my G-Wagen and put in another gas motor. I am happy as a clam with the 3.6L in the Brute. The AEV Hemi conversion is one of the rare motor swaps that approach factory reliability, but the 3.6L suits me just fine. I got 18mpg on my last trip in the Brute!

 

[Ryanmb21]

How does the brute compare to the raptor in the eyes of the experts?

 

[Kmrtnsn]

How does the brute compare to the raptor in the eyes of the experts?

Raptors are a completely different market.