Barn Door for JK factory hardtops

[jscherb]

At the 2017 SEMA Show a compressor vendor gave me a compressor and an air tank so I could develop air products. I ended up doing a lot of testing of the compressor and tank, and designed and developed the OO compressor bag. I also developed some hardware ideas for compressor mounts but since I have 3 Jeeps and want to be able to use the compressor in any of them, I've never built prototypes of any of the mounting hardware ideas.

As a result of the testing at the time I determined that the 2-gallon tank wasn't really useful - since a typical 32" tire has a volume of about 12 gallons, the air in a 2-gallon tank doesn't go too far before the compressor has to kick in. The expense and effort of installing (or carrying) a tank this size just didn't add any value. I've used the compressor a lot, and the design of the compressor bag has proven very handy over the past few years - the compressor mounts permanently in the bag and because the bag zips open diagonally the compressor never needs to come out of the bag when it's in use, there's plenty of cooling for the compressor because of the way the bag opens. Having the compressor stay in the bag makes for faster setup for use and stowing of the compressor after use, I'm very happy with the design of the bag.

I spent the last couple of days in Florida visiting mom and my sister for Christmas and my sister asked me to help her rebuild some steps that had been destroyed by the recent hurricane. I brought tools for the job, including the compressor and an air-operated brad nailer. I also brought the air tank to see if that would be useful for the nailer. I filled the tank out at the Jeep (the compressor is 12v and there isn't a 12v source in her house), and brought the tank inside to do the nailing. Filling the tank:

Nailing:

The brad nailer doesn't use a lot of air for each brad it drives, but even so I could only get maybe 10 or fewer brads driven before I had to run out to the Jeep to fill the tank again. I have a 5-gallon air tank at home that I often use with the nailer for projects around the house that aren't within the range of an air hose and 5-gallons is plenty of air to do a decent amount of nailing but the 2-gallon doesn't allow enough nails to be driven before it needs to be refilled.

Reaffirmed conclusion: I don't see any practical value of a 2-gallon air tank. It wasn't useful when airing up tires and wasn't at best inconvenient with a low-volume brad nailer either because it had to be refilled so often. If you're considering an air installation in your Jeep and thinking about adding an air tank, there probably isn't enough room in/under/on the Jeep for a large enough air tank to make a meaningful difference in airing up 4 tires.

 

[RubiconGeoff]

Where I've found a small tank useful is for seating a blown bead. Other than that, you're right that a small tank doesn't add much value.

 

[jscherb]

Time to get the JKU its fourth windshield. The OEM windshield spontaneously cracked a few years ago while sitting a month in a long-term parking lot at the airport in the winter. The second one got hit by a stone which caused a star crack just at the bottom of the driver's view area. The current one got hit by a stone about 6 months ago, in front of the driver but below the visible area - a half inch lower and it would have hit the windshield frame instead. Over the past few months a crack developed and is now about three feet long - it goes from the driver a-pillar to the middle of the passenger view area.

I replaced #2 last January and I've been waiting to replace this one until right after the first of the year - don't want to over-use the free windshield replacement feature of my insurance.

 

[jscherb]

Another preproduction sample SpareHopper gear/trash bag arrived from OO for me to verify. They made the few improvements I asked for although this one still doesn't have the final hardware - they're sourcing solid brass hardware and they haven't received it yet. This one is the final black fabric for the first release; the previous sample was the same fabric in olive drab (which they may also put into production if there's interest in O.D.). They made the belts out of black full-grain leather on this sample but the they tell me the production version will use tan leather. Black/black vs. O.D./tan leather:

I've had the O.D. sample on my Jeeps four a couple of months now, first on the LJ for the SEMA Las Vegas round trip and when I got home from that trip it went onto the JKU. I'm very pleased with how the fabric has performed and how easily it washes clean.

I've asked them to add a piece of webbing to the back to serve as a carry handle. I included this feature on one of the prototype bags I sewed and it's been handy for carrying the bag when it's off the tire.

Prototypes and samples are piling up here, hopefully the next sample they send will be the last and then it will be in production.

 

[pith helmet]

Those look good!

 

[jscherb]

Those look good!

Thanks. OO has done a vey nice job with it, I'm looking forward to it being in production.

My prototypes are constantly in use on both my LJ and my JKU, mainly for three things:

1. In NY State the stores don't put your purchases in bags anymore, you have to bring your own bags. The SpareHopper is where I keep all of my reusable bags so they don't clutter up the inside of the Jeep.

2. When I'm on a road trip I can't bring myself to throw all of the plastic drink bottles and cups we acquire in the trash, so I use the bag as my recycling bin.

3. When I'm on an expedition in the wild, I use it as my trash bag. It's designed to fit a standard kitchen-sized trash bag, so all of our trash goes in there. Tread Lightly!

 

[jscherb]

Weatherproof testing... snowing today, very wet snow melting quickly as it landed on a surface. Took this photo of the preproduction SpareHopper bag at 12:30 at the grocery store.

Drove home and put the Jeep in the garage. Took this photo at 2:54:

I like this fabric a lot. It's waterproof, it's strong, it's got ripstop threads and it's attractive. I'm going to ask OO if they'll send me a few yards of it - I've got some other ideas that could use waterproof fabric that I'd like to sew some prototypes of.

 

[ZONE ZERO]

Weatherproof testing... snowing today, very wet snow melting quickly as it landed on a surface. Took this photo of the preproduction SpareHopper bag at 12:30 at the grocery store.

Drove home and put the Jeep in the garage. Took this photo at 2:54:

I like this fabric a lot. It's waterproof, it's strong, it's got ripstop threads and it's attractive. I'm going to ask OO if they'll send me a few yards of it - I've got some other ideas that could use waterproof fabric that I'd like to sew some prototypes of.

any idea when it will go into production? I need a new solution to the crappy sagging trash bag style I have now.

 

[jscherb]

any idea when it will go into production? I need a new solution to the crappy sagging trash bag style I have now.

They tell me they expect them to be available in February.

"crappy sagging trash bag" is exactly why these were designed - to me most of the the ones on the market look terrible so I designed something with a little bit of retro style. My inspiration were the "trunks" (literally) that cars of the 30's had...

I did the design just for myself and made a black one for my LJ and the Spice one above to match the Spice hardtop on my JKU but when the JKU was borrowed and used in shows by OO so many people asked if they could buy one that OO decided they should be put in production .

 

[pith helmet]

They tell me they expect them to be available in February.

"crappy sagging trash bag" is exactly why these were designed - to me most of the the ones on the market look terrible so I designed something with a little bit of retro style. My inspiration were the "trunks" (literally) that cars of the 30's had...

I did the design just for myself and made a black one for my LJ and the Spice one above to match the Spice hardtop on my JKU but when the JKU was borrowed and used in shows by OO so many people asked if they could buy one that OO decided they should be put in production .

I have often wondered what a JKU to Packard or Model A, etc project would be like. Same long nose, short back, fenders. I think it could be cool.

 

[jscherb]

A few days ago when it was snowing I had the JK out for some errands. As expected, some snow built up on the headlight lenses - the LEDs don't' generate enough heat to keep the snow off. Over the next few months as it snows more I'll be testing some of the "home remedies" found on the internet - things like spraying the lenses with WD-40, Rain-X, non-stick cooking spray, etc. I may also experiment with headlight washers.

I picked up some windshield washer nozzles that could be mounted on the grille below the lights and aimed at the lenses. I checked the adjustment of this one and it adjusts enough so that it could put two streams on the lens.

I've got a bunch of extra JL-style grilles left over from that project and I don't mind drilling them to install nozzles to test this idea. I think the nozzle could go below and to the outside of the lights and they wouldn't be too obvious:

The question is what to spray through them. I could put an extra pump in the windshield washer bottle and spray with washer fluid, but it might be more effective to spray with de-icer fluid. But the JK engine compartment is so cramped it will be hard to find a place to install a bottle. I've got all winter to experiment though. I'll post any results I come up with as it snows and I can test more.

Does anyone here have the LED option on a JL? Does the owners manual make any mention of snow accumulation on the lights?

 

[jscherb]

Got windshield #4 installed on the JK yesterday. It's always amazing to me to see how clear a brand new windshield is. Even though the windshield that was in the Jeep was only installed last January, it had many tiny nicks in it from sand, road dust, etc. and they're all gone now. I guess with the amount I drive the JK it's bound to accumulate normal wear and tear quicker than most.

And speaking of how many miles I drive it (it's got 265,000 on it now), today I ordered new CV joints for the rear driveshaft. I've got a vibration on deceleration that almost certainly is a worn CV joint. Haven't had it apart yet, but I'm certain enough that's the problem that I ordered the joints ahead of time. I'll have the dealer do the work, and they have no problem with me ordering parts outside for them to install. It's a good thing too, it appears that MOPAR only offers the complete driveshaft ($1100+) and not the CV joints. Probably only one of my CV's is bad but I ordered both, as long as the driveshaft is out and since it's got so many miles on it, I might as well replace them both.

If it turns out the vibration isn't a CV joint I'll return the joints to Quadratec; if that's the case I'll report here what the vibration ended up being.

Other updates - I've got 3 new fabric ideas I'll be sewing soon, just waiting for OO to provide me with a few meters of the fabric they'll be using for the SpareHopper bag. These are also external storage ideas so they'll need the weatherproof fabric they've got.

Also I've got several new hardware ideas cooking, all based on the powered suction cups I ran across at SEMA last month. I've come up with a couple of gear carriers and overland accessories that would be great to stick on just for expeditions and remove for daily driving, and the powered suction mounts should be perfect for those. The company first told me they'd have samples to me in December but they've been a bit delayed (these are new products) and I probably won't get samples until February. Looking forward to doing a metal fab project for a change.

Also looking forward to doing a fiberglass project for a change, I've got an idea for something new that I'd like to try. Not sure if I'll do it for the TJ/LJ or the JK but I'll probably start working on the mold master in January.

Lots of ideas to work on, stay tuned.

 

[jgaz]

Jeff, Did you ever post the name of the fabric that OO made the Spare hopper bag from? If you did, I wasn’t able to find it.
I showed my wife your weatherproof pics and she’d like to know what was used in order to try and obtain some to make a cover for our flat top grill.

 

[jscherb]

Jeff, Did you ever post the name of the fabric that OO made the Spare hopper bag from? If you did, I wasn’t able to find it.
I showed my wife your weatherproof pics and she’d like to know what was used in order to try and obtain some to make a cover for our flat top grill.

I didn't post the name because I don't know if it has a specific trade name. What I told OO I wanted the SpareHopper made out of was pretty simple - I wanted the fabric to be acrylic or polyester so it won't fade or degrade due to UV exposure, and I wanted it to have DWR protection (durable water repellent). They came up with this fabric which also has ripstop weave, a nice plus. They sourced it in India, which is where they make their products.

I can probably get them to sell you some - they like to help friends. How many yards would she want? Let me know and I'll ask them.

 

[jgaz]

Thank you Jeff. I’ll ask her