expedition xj ideas.

[92expeditionxj]

hi I'm new to the forum and new to expedition type travel. I have a 1992 jeep cherokee that's got a lift and tires etc. I wanna outfit it for long distance travel and camping. Mostly looking for beefed up electric ideas such as inverters, batterys and anything else involved with portable power. Also wondering how my rig should be set up right now I have about 5inchs of lift and 33s kinda wanna keep it like that. I have offroad lights, winch and good recovery points. I'm also doing full belly skid and upgraded axles and lockers. Like I said I'm new to the long distance camping so I need advice and opinions thnx in advance.

 

[JakeC]

hello 92expeditionxj,

It sounds like your XJ is pretty well equipped to handle its own, off the beaten path. Though, you may not really know what you need or don't need until you finally take it off the beaten path on a short trip. Once you've experienced what you are lacking for the type of trip you plan on running, then you will know where to go, what to build/purchase, and what will suit you the most. Most people here will probably tell you something along these lines as well. Many times, people will over-build their vehicles and realize there are certain things they could have done without.

As for extra juice, when out in the middle of nowhere, many people utilize a dual battery system. Here's a thread I've been following, and I plan to eventually implement into my vehicle.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...ke-a-cheap-isolated-dual-battery-setup-for-50

You've got to figure out while overlanding if you'll be sleeping in the Jeep, how many people do you have in your family, how much gear do you have, where will you be traveling, how you'll store it and so on. There's tons of great write-ups on the forum to learn from.

-Jake

 

[griffman]

I'm in the same boat as you. I've had my rig for just over a year now and recently decided I wanted it to be a rock crawler/expo rig. In getting ready for an expo I fell back on my experience backpacking. As it stands now I am pretty much planning to carry everything I use for backpacking plus some fresh food and a couple of jerry cans with water and fuel. Between that and my recovery gear I still have plenty of space in my 2 door Jk for any comfort items I might want (which is usually none).

The best advice I have been given when packing is to make a list of everything you bring on your first trip. Cross off the things that weren't used and write down the you wish you had. This obviously doesn't apply to recovery gear and first aid supplies but chances are you may not need that spare tarp or the left handed widget.

Also I found out that after a few days without creature comforts I forget to notice they are not there. So making your vehicle more reliable is a good thing but you need to remember that all the extra stuff is still extra and just adds one more thing to get broken.