Barn Door for JK factory hardtops

[jscherb]

I should know soon enough but any idea if this would work with a fastback Bestop NX style top?

It is not designed to work with fastback tops. If you look at the photo you can see that the panel extends back from the rear crossbar of the roll bar; fastback style tops slope down from that point which eliminates the space for the panel.

 

[deeve]

I kinda thought that but sometimes it is hard to tell from photos how deep something is. I should be getting mine this Wednesday. I will post up some install pics here and over at WF.

 

[JDaPP]

Do you know if it will work with the Rockhard 3rd row cage?

Rock Hard 4x4™ 3RD Row Sport Cage for Jeep Wrangler JK 4DR 2007 - 2018 [RH-1032]

www.rockhard4x4.com

 

[OregonJKU]

How much space (inches) is there between the stock hardtop and top of the rack?

 

[jscherb]

Do you know if it will work with the Rockhard 3rd row cage?

Rock Hard 4x4™ 3RD Row Sport Cage for Jeep Wrangler JK 4DR 2007 - 2018 [RH-1032]

www.rockhard4x4.com

If you tell me the dimension in red in the photo below then I can tell you if they will work together.

 

[jscherb]

How much space (inches) is there between the stock hardtop and top of the rack?

I don't know exactly, because I have it installed in my Safari Cab hardtop, which has more headroom than the factory hardtop, but here's a photo of a 2-gallon Rotopax on the panel in a factory hardtop. This photo is of a preproduction version of the overhead panel and there's about 1/2" of clearance above the container. The production version is supposed to be about 1/2" lower than this panel (notice how the bottom of the panel is higher than the bottom of the roll bar, I asked them to lower the panel so it's even with the bottom of the roll bar), so I'll estimate there's roughly 4" between the panel and the inside of the factory hardtop.

 

[JDaPP]

Distance in red is 15 1/2"

 

[jscherb]

Distance in red is 15 1/2"

It'll be very close and I won't know until I have a production unit in my hands. On the prototype unit in my JKU, the back edge of the panel is at 15 5/8, but the brackets for the production version are different from the prototype and I believe the distance will be a bit shorter for the production one so it may just fit.

 

[jscherb]

We're in Florida so as usual last night we visited with Donny to talk Jeeps. While there I helped him install a propane tank carrier to his Ursa Minor camper top, and we also installed a production Cutlery/Tool Keeper for his Trailgater tailgate table. We tried both tan and black, and in the end he chose black because it goes well with all the black gear in his Jeep and his black barn door.

A black one with cutlery:

A tan one with tools:

 

[OregonJKU]

I don't know exactly, because I have it installed in my Safari Cab hardtop, which has more headroom than the factory hardtop, but here's a photo of a 2-gallon Rotopax on the panel in a factory hardtop. This photo is of a preproduction version of the overhead panel and there's about 1/2" of clearance above the container. The production version is supposed to be about 1/2" lower than this panel (notice how the bottom of the panel is higher than the bottom of the roll bar, I asked them to lower the panel so it's even with the bottom of the roll bar), so I'll estimate there's roughly 4" between the panel and the inside of the factory hardtop.

Thanks Jeff

 

[jscherb]

The folks at the startup sent me some photos of final preproduction Grab and Go bags yesterday. They tell me Grab and Go bags will be done initially in 6", 12" and 18" sizes, in tan or black canvas with leather accents.

This is a 6" bag in black and a 12" in tan.

A 6" black bag:

An 18" tan bag:

The same bag with the flap open to expose the front pockets. The zipper closes the main inside of the bag.

A closer view of the front pockets, this is a 12" bag.

The inside of a 12" bag.

They're sending me samples and I should have them in hand early next week. I'm told they're also sending me some bags in their "MILSPEC" series, which are very similar to these except made in military grade polyester, also in tan and black, and with vinyl accents rather than leather. They have MOLLE straps on the back instead of Grab and Go clips and are planned to retail for less than the "Sherpa" series canvas/leather bags.

 

[jscherb]

Another preproduction sample they're sending me they call the "RollBag", it straps in many places on the roll bars of most Jeeps. It's also heavy canvas with leather accents.

Makes a nice place to store a tool roll...

I took a bunch of photos with an earlier sample in the JKU, LJ/TJ and JLU...

JKU/JK:

LJ/TJ:

JLU/JL:

It'll come in black and tan at first. There will also be a MILSPEC version of it.

 

[jscherb]

I've posted before about the tailgate cargo receiver system I've been working on. After testing on the JKU I've made a few minor changes to it to strengthen it a bit, and this version can mount on a TJ or YJ with no drilling, the same parts fit everything from '87 YJ's to '18 JK/JKUs. Various accessories can be mounted in the system - so far I've done a rack basket, jerry and Rotopax carriers and a bike carrier.

I tested v2 on a 2dr today.

The rack basket:

The jerry and Rotopax carriers:

The bicycle carrier:

Next I'll test it on my LJ, but since I'm prepping the LJ for a trip to Easter Jeep Safari right now, that test will have to wait until I get back.

 

[jscherb]

I've posted before about the Tactical Spare Cover I designed, it's now a product of Retrofit Offroad: http://www.retrofitoffroad.com/product-category/tactical-spare-tire-covers/. The other day I put one on the 2dr:

I bought the The 2dr for son Robert and it will go to him in a few months when I've finished with some 2dr design projects I'm doing, so he's been following the progress as I make changes to this Jeep. The Molle webbing on the spare cover reminded him of the stripes on a flag so he suggested that instead of just 4 strips of Molle webbing, there could be 7 like the red stripes on a flag, and the star field could be a large piece of Velcro onto which stars or velcro patches could be stuck. I drew this for him:

The opening for the pocket and the flap covering the opening would have to move up a bit to make room for the flag, but I think access to the pocket would still be ok.

Doing the webbing and star field in black would make the flag effect a bit subtle but I think it would look great.

I'm thinking of sewing a prototype for Robert and if people like how it looks I could turn the design over to Retrofit Offroad for them to turn into a product. What do people think?

 

[jscherb]

Plenty of MORryde HD Hinges and Tailgate Reinforcements to be spotted here in Moab...

A couple of Jeeps with the HD hinges. The ones on the right are bedlined to match the Jeep.

Whoa, large spare alert! All he seems to have are the HD hinges.

A TJ HD hinge/reinforcement setup: