Barn Door for JK factory hardtops

[jscherb]

I picked up a couple more of the large military surplus "sustainment pouches" to try out on the Tactical Spare cover, here are a few combinations...

Seems like this will be very handy.

 

[jscherb]

A week or two ago I posted photos of some interesting modular LEDs I saw at SEMA:

They have a hexagonal shape and can be stacked/assembled into many different combinations, including a horizontal light bar or a 7-led hex cluster as shown above. They're very small, about 2" diameter. They're similar to KCHilites "flex" LEDs - the flex lights are square and these are hexagonal, but otherwise they're similar.

The manufacturer says each light puts out 1000 lumens, so just one of these isn't far from a stock JK low beam headlight which is about 1100 lumens.

I've been thinking about different ways those LEDs could be stacked and used on a Jeep, here are a few. Obviously you wouldn't have all of them on a Jeep like the illustrations below, but rather than posting a dozen different concept drawings with one light set each I've put lots of them on each Jeep for the purpose of illustration...

The company that manufactures these modular lights doesn't make mounts for any of the ideas above except the longer horizontal light bars (10", 20", 50") and the 7-led cluster, but mounts could easily be designed for any of the above. I've come up with a way they can be arbitrarily linked together into any combination - straight line, angles, triangles, etc. so any of the configurations above would be easy to bolt together.

As far as I can tell these hex LEDs aren't generally available in the Jeep market in the US yet but the manufacturer is looking for US distribution.

 

[jscherb]

I was working on something inside the Safari Cab and it was getting dark so I put some lights inside to help me see what I was doing. I thought it might make a cool photo so I took one...

 

[jscherb]

Well that was quick... about the Tactical Spare cover - I think I posted that I suggested the idea to a company when I was at the SEMA Show. After sewing the prototype two weeks ago I wrote up sewing instructions for it and passed them on to that company - they just sent me an email saying they were having a prototype of their own sewn right now so they could estimate the cost of manufacturing. They said they'd send me the prototype when it's done so I can make sure they did everything correctly. Not sure if it will become a product, depends on what the manufacturing cost would be and if the company decides there might be enough demand for it to make it worthwhile to produce.

 

[jscherb]

I put the Safari Cab roof rack to work again today, this time to transport a new queen-sized mattress. It's wider than the Cherokee rack bars, so I mounted longer rack bars on the Cherokee rack rails. That's a big part of why I chose the ZJ/XJ rack for the Safari Cab - there are lots of aftermarket options that bolt right up to it.

 

[Comanche Scott]

Right On!
You've got the camo tire cover on too. Looks great.
I'm interested to read how things go this spring, when people look up from the cold of winter. I think your going to have some fun conversations anywhere you stop. :beer:

 

[jscherb]

Right On!
You've got the camo tire cover on too. Looks great.
I'm interested to read how things go this spring, when people look up from the cold of winter. I think your going to have some fun conversations anywhere you stop. :beer:

Two days ago at the hardware store a guy asked me if the top was a new feature of the Sahara models. Told him no, it was home-made and he almost fell over. Then he asked me for my phone number, so I replied that I don't do work for hire, I only build these things for my own Jeep as a hobby. He said I needed to get in touch with Jeep, because I could make a lot of money selling the design to them. Yeah, ok, I'll get right on it .

I should be getting a sample tactical tire cover in a few days from the company that's thinking of offering them. I don't think they made the sample in camo, I think they used something they had one hand, not sure what color. I suspect sewing these in the US will price them too high for the market, but we'll see. What do people think they should retail for?

 

[Comanche Scott]

Made in the U.S.A. carries a premium many of us are willing to spend.
The last tire cover I purchased was just a bit more than twice the cost of the chinese ones. It was made in Tennessee, had a cool design, and well made specific to the tire model and size (not a one size fits all thing). Which is their "unique" spot in the market place.

The manufacturer would have some great advantages with your design:
No one is making anything like this yet.
Made in the U.S.A.
Easy to put tag words for marketing it's uniqueness. So that more people will find it during an internet search.

 

[jscherb]

Made in the U.S.A. carries a premium many of us are willing to spend.
The last tire cover I purchased was just a bit more than twice the cost of the chinese ones. It was made in Tennessee, had a cool design, and well made specific to the tire model and size (not a one size fits all thing). Which is their "unique" spot in the market place.

The manufacturer would have some great advantages with your design:
No one is making anything like this yet.
Made in the U.S.A.
Easy to put tag words for marketing it's uniqueness. So that more people will find it during an internet search.

I just got an email telling me that the sample they sewed is on it's way to me for me review. Hopefully by the time I get the sample I'll also have received the price quote for sewing them, when I do get it I'll estimate what the retail price might have to be and post it for people to comment on.

 

[jscherb]

A sample Tactical Spare Cover was supposed to be delivered to me yesterday, but somehow UPS didn't manage it and now it looks like it will show up on Monday. I did get a quick photo from the company of one of the samples. They did the first samples in black because that's the fabric they had on hand.

I'm anxious to get their sample in my hands so I can see if they got it right and check the quality.

The company asked me what colors they should offer, assuming they do decide to go ahead with it. I told them ACU Camo was a natural because so much other tactical gear is done in ACU, and other options might be black, Coyote, or O.D. Green. Molle gear is available in all of those colors. I'm thinking ACU Camo and Black would be the best two to do first, what do you guys think?

When it shows up on Monday I'll try it out on the Jeep and post some photos.

 

[jgaz]

I agree with your first two choices assuming that the having the pouches match is a priority.

If a buyer intended to leave the cover on all the time and only add pouches or fill the pocket before a trip, then I think black and coyote would be my first two choices.

 

[jscherb]

I agree with your first two choices assuming that the having the pouches match is a priority.

If a buyer intended to leave the cover on all the time and only add pouches or fill the pocket before a trip, then I think black and coyote would be my first two choices.

Thanks for the input.

I'm in the process of sewing a Coyote version right now so we can see what it will look like. Just waiting for the some Coyote webbing to arrive so I can finish it.

Pouches are available in a 4 colors, including Coyote, I've got one on the rear roll bar in the Jeep...

There does seem to be some variation in the shades of Coyote though, and I think there are actually two different shades - Coyote Tan and Coyote Brown. I've got to research that a little more, unless someone can chime in with more info on Coyote. The Coyote pouch above is a perfect match for the Spice paint on my hardtop; the fabric I'm sewing the Coyote spare cover not so much but it matches the webbing on the Coyote pouch pretty well.

 

[JDaPP]

Only problem with acu is the army is getting rid of it so within a couple of years all the tactical bags will be a different color. I guess they could change it then though.

 

[jscherb]

Only problem with acu is the army is getting rid of it so within a couple of years all the tactical bags will be a different color. I guess they could change it then though.

That sounds more like an opportunity than a problem - think of all the ACU pouches and other gear that will be showing up at surplus stores .

 

[jscherb]

UPS managed to deliver the sample black Tactical Spare Cover yesterday. Since it was snowing yesterday, I put off trying it on until this morning (I hear you thinking - "aw, c'mon Jeff, Man Up! It's only snow"). Anyway, braving the 19-degree chill this morning, here are a few photos. This one is sewn to fit a 33+" tire, so it's slightly loose on my factory 32" spare.

And here's a video with my recovery strap stored inside.


According to USPS, the webbing for my Coyote sample is due to arrive tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to finish sewing that one tomorrow.