Barn Door for JK factory hardtops

[jscherb]

I have AirLift 1000 air bag kits installed in all of my Jeeps. I first installed them in my pickup to provide extra load capacity for the increased space and expected loads in the bed. Then I installed them in the other two Jeeps, they help a lot with the extra load of a roof top tent, fridge/kitchen and all the other gear needed for expeditions. I've probably got 400,000 miles on them in total on all 3 Jeeps and I've been very happy with them.

Because of the way the exhaust is routed close to the driver's side rear spring on the JKU, AirLift provides heat shields that get attached to the exhaust pipe with hose clamps. The heat shields that came with the kit rusted and fell off about two years after installation. I got a second set from Airlift and they were about to rust off as well so I removed them the other day before they had a chance to fall off. You can see how the tabs for attaching them are rusting away...

I made duplicates out of stainless steel.

Installed:

Won't have that problem again.

 

[ITTOG]

For the shower zipper I would definitely want it at the top, so it would zip down. If it was at the bottom you would either have to step over it, if it did not come apart all the way, or you would have to fiddle with putting the two sides together and then zipping it up. Up. The bottom just does not seem natural to me. If I am walking in with my towel, I could easily stay upright, throw the towel over the top, grab the zipper and slide it down in pretty much one motion.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[jscherb]

For the shower zipper I would definitely want it at the top, so it would zip down. If it was at the bottom you would either have to step over it, if it did not come apart all the way, or you would have to fiddle with putting the two sides together and then zipping it up. Up. The bottom just does not seem natural to me. If I am walking in with my towel, I could easily stay upright, throw the towel over the top, grab the zipper and slide it down in pretty much one motion.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

I've been thinking about it and I came to the same conclusion. Thanks for the confirmation .

 

[jscherb]

Over the past few years Auxbeam has asked me to review a number of their products - headlights, fog lights, switch panels and more. Here's a post I did about two of their switch panels back in August: https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/barn-door-for-jk-factory-hardtops.127687/post-3043232

I received an email the other day from them this morning asking me if I would review the instruction sheet for a new model switch panel they'll be releasing soon. When I review their products, I often suggest improvements to their instructions - it appears that a native Chinese speaker writes their instructions and they often could use a little polishing to improve the language.

The instructions they asked me to review are for a dual-panel switch system. The product is very similar to their current 8-gang switch panel, except that it supports two panels. This illustration is in the instructions:

The product has 8 circuits and each switch panel has 8 switches, so what this gives you is two different places to control the 8 circuits. Might be useful for an overland/camping vehicle - you'd be able to control, for example, campsite lights either from the cockpit or back at the cargo area.

The instructions are pretty good but there are a few minor tweaks in the English that I'll suggest to them.

They say they'll send me the new dual-panel product to review when it becomes available; if they do I'll post a review here.

 

[jscherb]

I haven't had time to sew the fabric for the DIY Shelf Bracket Changing Room yet, but I did make shelf bracket mounts for the Power Shower. Apologies again for the photos, the rack is hanging in the garage above the Jeep so there's lots of other stuff in the photo like the garage door rails.

The Power Shower hooks onto brackets on the rack:

Might not get to sewing the changing room fabric for a while, I've got some travel coming up. But as soon as I finish the sewing, I'll drop the rack onto the Jeep and take some good photos outdoors.

 

[ZONE ZERO]

Over the past few years Auxbeam has asked me to review a number of their products - headlights, fog lights, switch panels and more. Here's a post I did about two of their switch panels back in August: https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/barn-door-for-jk-factory-hardtops.127687/post-3043232

I received an email the other day from them this morning asking me if I would review the instruction sheet for a new model switch panel they'll be releasing soon. When I review their products, I often suggest improvements to their instructions - it appears that a native Chinese speaker writes their instructions and they often could use a little polishing to improve the language.

The instructions they asked me to review are for a dual-panel switch system. The product is very similar to their current 8-gang switch panel, except that it supports two panels. This illustration is in the instructions:

The product has 8 circuits and each switch panel has 8 switches, so what this gives you is two different places to control the 8 circuits. Might be useful for an overland/camping vehicle - you'd be able to control, for example, campsite lights either from the cockpit or back at the cargo area.

The instructions are pretty good but there are a few minor tweaks in the English that I'll suggest to them.

They say they'll send me the new dual-panel product to review when it becomes available; if they do I'll post a review here.

This is really cool , I’d love to have a second panel switch in the back .

 

[jscherb]

This is really cool , I’d love to have a second panel switch in the back .

I heard back from Auxbeam about the dual panel version last night. They incorporated my suggested edits into the instructions, they were very appreciative.

I told them I was looking forward to receiving one of the new dual panel products, I said I would do a review with the second panel controlling some electrical accessories in my Trail Kitchen at the back of the Jeep.

Not sure when they'll be ready to send me a sample to test but I'll keep everyone posted here and I will post a review.

 

[jscherb]

Update on the upcoming Overland Outfitters bags that mount on the spare...

This morning I had a WhatsApp video call with the master craftsman at the Overland Outfitters factory. They do their manufacturing in India, and the people there are craftsmen who have been doing this kind of sewing for generations. They're really amazing and put my sewing work to shame, sometimes I'm even embarrassed to show them my prototypes because I'm so far below them in skill.

In this screen shot they're showing me the double-fold MOLLE straps on the back of the new SpareSide bag. I designed the straps so the middle two are shorter, this will help the bag snug up to the MOLLE panel and prevent the bag from swaying at bit.

The master doesn't speak English and I have only limited Hindi but there's always an English speaker on the call to translate for me.

Even though my sewing isn't anywhere near their class, they always call me "sir", which is a very Indian thing. In India, titles are very important and since I design this stuff for them they call me sir as a sign of respect. I don't feel like a sir, so I told them:

"Meh sir nehi. Meh Jeff bhaiya"

Roughly translated, it means "I'm not sir, I'm Jeff brother". Literally "Me sir no. Me Jeff brother".

India is a place where there's always respect in greetings, and "bhaiya" is a very common way to address someone. Calling someone brother is very common, it's used to address clerks in stores, people who are helping you, peers you respect, etc, so I told them to call me that. Another example: whenever I'm in India, young people who know me call me "Jeff Uncle" as a sign of respect for my age even though I'm not related to them.

The craftsmen still felt like they needed to show some respect (it's a very Indian thing), so they settled on calling me "bhaiya-ji". The "-ji" suffix is a sign of respect and is very common. For example, you almost never hear of Mahatma Ghandi referred to in India as Ghandi, he's always "Ghandi-ji." At least they don't call me sir anymore.

Bahut achchha! (Very good!).

Your Indian culture and Hindi lesson for the morning .

They'll be sending me preproduction samples of the SpareSide bag and the Weather-Resistant MOLLE bags (they made a few improvements I suggested) soon, I'll post photos when they arrive.

 

[jscherb]

Is anyone familiar with Jeep Talk Show? (https://jeeptalkshow.com). It's a podcast, and I've never listened to it, but I first learned about it I think at Overland West when someone from the show came up to me, introduced himself, and asked me if I'd be willing to be interviewed for the show. At the SEMA Show he talked to me again, asked me again if I'd be willing to be on the podcast and said he would contact me. He contacted me via email today and still wants me to either be interviewed or to do a Guest Roundtable Q&A Session on the podcast. Apparently they think I'd have something useful to say .

I haven't responded to him yet, I thought I'd wait to see if any of you know of the podcast and what you think of it. Anyone?

 

[Dan Grec]

Is anyone familiar with Jeep Talk Show? (https://jeeptalkshow.com). It's a podcast, and I've never listened to it, but I first learned about it I think at Overland West when someone from the show came up to me, introduced himself, and asked me if I'd be willing to be interviewed for the show. At the SEMA Show he talked to me again, asked me again if I'd be willing to be on the podcast and said he would contact me. He contacted me via email today and still wants me to either be interviewed or to do a Guest Roundtable Q&A Session on the podcast. Apparently they think I'd have something useful to say .

I haven't responded to him yet, I thought I'd wait to see if any of you know of the podcast and what you think of it. Anyone?

I've been a guest on the show a few times, and they're an incredible crew who are an integral part of the modern online Jeep community.
Absolutely 100% you should go on the show!

-Dan

 

[jscherb]

I've been a guest on the show a few times, and they're an incredible crew who are an integral part of the modern online Jeep community.
Absolutely 100% you should go on the show!

-Dan

Thanks Dan. Since you've done it. it must be good .

Not sure if they want to just interview me or do a roundtable - I guess in the roundtable anyone (like forum friends) could call in and ask questions, that sounds better to me than a straight interview because I'd rather help people than just talk about myself. Of course that assumes someone might actually call in.

 

[pith helmet]

can we prank call?

 

[Jurfie]

can we prank call?

"Is your portable refrigerator running? BETTER GO CATCH IT!!!"

Wocka wocka! Aaaah?

 

[jscherb]

"Is your portable refrigerator running? BETTER GO CATCH IT!!!"

Wocka wocka! Aaaah?

The Jeep Talk Show got back to me and suggested they interview me at Overland West in May. Maybe that's better than a call-in round table that any knucklehead could call in to... Wocka wocka! Aaaah? .

 

[jscherb]

I had time this morning to do most of the sewing on the DIY Changing Room. Still some details to finish but it's coming along nicely.

I haven't hemmed the bottom yet and also I plan to add tie-down loops at each corner so the corners can be staked to the ground in windy situations. I also will be making a storage bag for it, because of the shelf brackets it's very quick to remove from the rack and roll up so it needs a bag to be stored in.

The rack is still hanging above the Jeep, when I finish the details I'll drop the rack on a Jeep and take some good photos outside.