EarthRoamer XV-JP "Northwest Edition"

[GR8ADV]

Hello fellow portal members,

I want to give you an update on where I am at with the Jeep build.

A few months ago, I contracted a local construction company to build me a new building with the release date of July 1st, which now has come and gone. Construction is going very slow and adding rain to the process hasn't helped. With the delay of the building, I called family members from Nevada and Colorado to help move the construction along to get the building finished. The building should be done by end of next week, and once it is released to me a lot of great things will be happening.

Once the building is completed I will provide you with daily updates of the Jeep build.

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Siding is for girls. Let's get on with the build. All seriousness aside Dion you have a lot of people looking fwd to your ideas.

 

[Jeep or Tacoma]

so do get this right? you are building a building to build a jeep in? man why don't you adopt me.LOL

 

[mhiscox]

so do get this right? you are building a building to build a jeep in? man why don't you adopt me.LOL

:sombrero:

I'm pretty sure Dion hopes to amortize the building with a wee bit more work after my Jeep.

Still, you prompt an interesting idea for those of us who are fiscally accountable to others . . . maybe a dozen or so of us could form a network where we hire the next guy in line to change our Jeep's blinker fluid, muffler bearings, halogen fluid or, for a big job, the turbo encabulator, and then we could go to our significant other and tell them we need a new/bigger shop in order to undertake this new, highly profitable line of work.

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

With the make over this thing has gone through, multiple times, you should rename it 'Caitlyn' :victory:

Cant wait to see this new build start, and I'm with Paul, I had a tear welling up when I saw that photo of it stripped down to bare bones

 

[DionK]

so do get this right? you are building a building to build a jeep in? man why don't you adopt me.LOL

Kind of funny when you put it like that. The building has been in the planning and building stages months prior to Mike and I ever speaking.

 

[DionK]

Hey everyone,

Just posting a quick update--

The building is almost complete. Putting the sheeting and insulation on hold for now so that I can get cranking on the Jeep. The electricians are almost finished. I'm getting very excited to officially start the build. Parts and materials have been coming in daily. It's killing me watching everything just sit there.
I'll be going to weigh the Jeep this week to see what the baseline is. It has 1/4 tank of fuel. Any guesses as to how much it weighs?

 

[kjp1969]

Well, I'll throw my $.02. I should say "Its your Jeep and you can do what you want" but I don't really believe it. There are only so many of these cool little trucks, and I'd like not to see this one chopped up over and over again. That said, I'll still watch and I promise I won't complain or insult. I know you won't hack it badly to save a few bucks, and that's saying something. I hope whatever you do turns out well.

I loved the original XV-JP design and build, and am sorry it didn't work in the PNW. I was less thrilled with Paul's re-do, but the execution was good and I enjoyed the craftsmanship. This latest version- well- I wish that you'd taken the saw to something more fungible.

 

[mhiscox]

B

Well, I'll throw my $.02. I should say "Its your Jeep and you can do what you want" but I don't really believe it. There are only so many of these cool little trucks, and I'd like not to see this one chopped up over and over again.

It's hard to be catching crap, well-phrased or not, for taking the best route I could come up with to get my XV-JP back into optimum condition. The motivation for spending still more energy and money on this truck is that it didn't work well enough in either of it prior configurations to meet the needs of a couple going on even a semi-serious expedition. It's just that simple, and I'd like to think that those who have not used, or even seen, my Jeep may not be as qualified as I am to decide whether it would have been better left either as EarthRoamer or, subsequently, Paul and I configured it.

My preference would be to let Dion proceed with the new build. If you feel that you're in need of more elaboration, please send me a private message to that effect.

 

[RobRed]

Geez why the hate people? If Mike wants to put this thing in a crusher it's his to do. Fortunately for us we get to see yet another, what promises to be, innovative build.

I applaud Mikes endless supply of enthusiasm (and cash) to entertain us. Carry on.

 

[kjp1969]

B
It's hard to be catching crap. . .

I can't help but agree that my comments are a little jerky, and your projects are FAR from some of the regrettable hack jobs out there. If history is a guide, this build is going to turn out great and we're going to get to watch some great craftsmanship come together. You've done a good job documenting your vehicles, and I keep coming back to these threads like old familiar reference materials. That's not to say that I like everything that I see, but I like coming back to see it nonetheless.

I'm not going to give you any more crap, and I'm not going to dump on your project. The XV-JP started out a unicorn, and its become even more of one under your ownership. I wish I had the time and the funds and the patience to build something extraordinary, and I'm glad that you do and that you share it with us. Carry on!

 

[GR8ADV]

Geez why the hate people?

We all watched the conception and birth of the NW edition. Now it's gone and were sad. It's kind of like one your friends breaking up with the cool chick we all liked. Now we don't get to see her anymore and we are all mad at him for doing it...

 

[mhiscox]

We all watched the conception and birth of the NW edition. Now it's gone and were sad. It's kind of like one your friends breaking up with the cool chick we all liked. Now we don't get to see her anymore and we are all mad at him for doing it...

Geez, everybody's acting like the truck is dead and gone forever. It isn't toast; it hasn't even been un-Northwest Editioned. The zebrawood-faced cabinets in the cabin have been removed. If that was the main reason you liked the truck, grieving is warranted. Beyond that, though, the truck either still has all the good stuff or will have it reinstalled in a better configuration. Capability will not be reduced, and reliability and livability will be improved.

Though I eventually expect the results to speak for themselves, perhaps the more appropriate analogy to hold off the critics at the moment is that the cool chick went away to work out some annoying personality issues and will be back soon . . . and will be easier to get along with upon return.

 

[mtnbike28]

I can't wait to see the new design, Mike is making this Jeep work for him. I am on version 3 or 4 of the back of my Taco, taking parts of each and moving forward....
Keep the pictures coming!

 

[GR8ADV]

Geez, everybody's acting like the truck is dead and gone forever. It isn't toast; it hasn't even been un-Northwest Editioned. The zebrawood-faced cabinets in the cabin have been removed. If that was the main reason you liked the truck, grieving is warranted. Beyond that, though, the truck either still has all the good stuff or will have it reinstalled in a better configuration. Capability will not be reduced, and reliability and livability will be improved.

Though I eventually expect the results to speak for themselves, perhaps the more appropriate analogy to hold off the critics at the moment is that the cool chick went away to work out some annoying personality issues and will be back soon . . . and will be easier to get along with upon return.

Haha. All in good fun mike. She was a temperamental ***** anyway. �� We are all just bored waiting for Dion's shop to get done. By the

 

[Ryanmb21]

The constant pursuit of perfection...