Barn Door for JK factory hardtops

[akpostal]

No burger necessary, I was very happy to help!! Glad it's what you wanted. I enjoyed helping with things like this, design is my hobby - whether it's designing things for my Jeep, products for companies, or things to solve other people's needs with their Jeeps, it's all fun for me .

Offer is on the table. If you are in AK or I am in Long Island.

Next time Im in NY I need to see a friend in Syracuse.

Looking forward to the rear fenders. You do good work.

 

[jscherb]

Offer is on the table. If you are in AK or I am in Long Island.

Next time Im in NY I need to see a friend in Syracuse.

Looking forward to the rear fenders. You do good work.

Thank you.

May possibly do a trip to Alaska next summer. Was there 2 years ago summer and it was a great trip - did the Dalton Highway all the way to Deadhorse/Arctic ocean.

I'm looking forward to the rear fenders too, as soon as I decide exactly which shape I want to make. I'm following everyone's input closely and it will factory heavily in my final decision. Won't be able to start them for a couple of weeks, so I've got some time to decide.

 

[akpostal]

You're 6'5"? Im 6'2'.

I have a Front Runner tailgate table I have yet to install, but with my back it seems low for cooking and prep.

The backside of the rack could either have a table clip on or be mounted and hinged. If I had a table off the rack I could use the FR table for a staging area for food or drink prep, with the upper table for actual cooking. I have two catering stoves so I could cook on both tables if needed.

Actually any idea how to make this table work on the back of this rack?

https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/drop-down-table-mk11.html

 

[jscherb]

A few photos from yesterday on the trail. Joel and I did Dome Plateau north of Moab. One (optional) feature of the trail is the “Again-and-Again Hill”, a series of high ledges that have to be climbed. The trail leader (who is also the president of the Red Rock 4 Wheelers) said that he wouldn't let anyone on the hill without lockers, so I had to sit out while the locked Jeeps ran the hill. The Retrofit Offroad JKU Rubicon was ok to go. Those who qualified took the trail to the hill while those of us who didn't took a different route to a place that overlooked the hill.

The run up the hill started badly, this photo (taken with my telephoto lens from the overlook over 1/2 mile away) is of the trail leader's YJ. He broke a u-joint strap on the first ledge. In this photo he's already got his winch line out to winch himself over this first obstacle.

In the next photo, the second Jeep in line has passed the leader and they're using a tow strap to tow him up the hill (and up the succeeding ledges). The Retrofit Offroad Jeep (the one with the Coyote spare cover) is lined up for the first ledge, he'd getting directions from a spotter. His JKUR made easy work of the ledges. Joel's wife Joanna is to the left of the spotter in the yellow shirt, she's doing a video of the ascent.

 

[jscherb]

You're 6'5"? Im 6'2'.

I have a Front Runner tailgate table I have yet to install, but with my back it seems low for cooking and prep.

The backside of the rack could either have a table clip on or be mounted and hinged. If I had a table off the rack I could use the FR table for a staging area for food or drink prep, with the upper table for actual cooking. I have two catering stoves so I could cook on both tables if needed.

Actually any idea how to make this table work on the back of this rack?

https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/drop-down-table-mk11.html

I'm not sure I understand - are you saying you'd mount the Frontrunner table on the tailgate, and then have another table that mounts to the back of the rack, above the Frontrunner table? Would that limit access to the Frontrunner table?

 

[KD702]

A Little late to the Show, but I'm Option #1

 

[akpostal]

I'm not sure I understand - are you saying you'd mount the Frontrunner table on the tailgate, and then have another table that mounts to the back of the rack, above the Frontrunner table? Would that limit access to the Frontrunner table?

The Front Runner table would be mainly used for quick road/trail side meals or camp drink prep. A larger upper table would be easier on my back for larger meals, the lower table could be used for stashing spices, plates, or unused kitchen stuffs with the upper table in place.

 

[jscherb]

The Front Runner table would be mainly used for quick road/trail side meals or camp drink prep. A larger upper table would be easier on my back for larger meals, the lower table could be used for stashing spices, plates, or unused kitchen stuffs with the upper table in place.

I'd probably look at bolting the table to the back rail of the rack; it's something like 1" square aluminum tubing, so you could bolt through it and use wing nuts so it's easily secured/removed. Then I'd look at the front runner rack to see if somehow its structure could be used to hold the bottom of diagonal legs that would support the upper table.

 

[jscherb]

Today Joel and I did the Chicken Corners trail. It's not very difficult, but high on the scenic scale. Not too many difficult obstacles to conquer, here's a shot of Joel in the Retrofit Offroad JKU walking down some steps...



Looks very easy for a JKU with 37's, but a little more work for me.

Near the end of the trail is a shelf around a corner that the trail is named for, but it isn't scary enough to make most people chicken out. Here I'm leading Joel around the corner.

But once you get around the corner, the views and elevation are spectacular.

There's lots of water in the Colorado River, but not much to play in on the trails. We did find some, here's Joel having some fun.

No trails for me tomorrow or Friday, it's the Vendor Expo and I plan to spend most of my time there.

 

[akpostal]

I'd probably look at bolting the table to the back rail of the rack; it's something like 1" square aluminum tubing, so you could bolt through it and use wing nuts so it's easily secured/removed. Then I'd look at the front runner rack to see if somehow its structure could be used to hold the bottom of diagonal legs that would support the upper table.

I was just out looking at it.

Probably not the cheapest approach, but I know some custom cabinet makers and Alaska Campers is pretty close by, and I still need to add the hinges and 3rd bracket for the rack.

Locking sliding shelves could be installed left, right, and centered under the rack. giving me the height I need. Im still going to mount the Front Runner shelf because already I have it.

Picture three sliding shelves under the rack, should be plenty of room.

 

[jscherb]

I spent yesterday at the EJS Vendor Expo. MORryde and Retrofit Offroad teamed up on a booth, the Retrofit JKU is in the booth.

The prototype Overland Rack installed and loaded up:

Special edition HD hinges MORryde did for the show, powdercoated in silver:

I'll explore more of the show today, more photos tomorrow.

 

[jscherb]

One option I've designed the JK Safari Cab (but haven't built yet) is a removable soft roof. I've posted concept images over the course of this thread.

I'm alwats looking for new ideas to open up hardtops - here's something cool for factory hardtops that I found at the show from Star Fabricating (www.starfabricating.com) - a sliding rag top.

It's very nicely engineered and seems like a quality product. They say a DIY installation can be done in about 2 hours. Retail is $1300, which seems like a bargain if you want to really open up your hardtop.

 

[jscherb]

You might have noticed a Dometic fridge/freezer in the booth photos I posted:

Dometic had a booth a few down from MORryde/Retrofit, and when they saw we put a cooler on the rack they asked if we'd like to display a fridge up there. We said sure because it's heavier than a cooler and it looks cool, so they brought one over.

At the end of the show they asked if we'd like to keep it, so we quickly took them up on the offer. We (me, MORryde and Retrofit) decided that I'd take it to experiment with - I've got some ideas for mounting a fridge in the Jeep that I don't think have been tried yet, so I'll experiment with those ideas and see if they make sense, and if they do, maybe what I come up with will end up being a MORryde or Retrofit or Dometic product.

If anyone has any of their own creative fridge ideas, post them up and maybe I'll try implementing them too.

Stay tuned.

 

[Zeep]

:jump::wings::jumping: Score, more free samples!

 

[jscherb]

:jump::wings::jumping: Score, more free samples!

Actually I don't even want a fridge, my excitement was more like: Score, a new design project!