MOguy
Explorer
It will also may save you from damaging them in off camber situations.
Is my Jeep too heavy?
- Thread starter MattJ
- Start date
blackhawkip
Observer
After reading through the posts, the answer to the question of weight comes down to two things:
1-What you are planning to do with your JKU.
2-Once you answer question 1, update your Jeep to Safely and Dependably do what you want it to do.
I've seen JKUs with over $140K invested in mods (not including the cost of the Jeep). The sky is limited only to the depth of your pockets. My JKU weighs 6720lbs loaded. I've updated and upgraded everything to meet the demands I expect from my JKU. It is purpose built with dependability being paramount. It will pull my Patriot camper anywhere I want to go and do it without fear of it being over it's limits.
Is my Jeep over limit? No. Would a factory or lightly modified JK be over limits with my weight? Heck YES!
On a side note. My next trip is to do the Trans-America Trail from NC to Oregon in June. It will be 6280 miles plus so will be a good endurance and limits test for my Jeep. Hopefully it performs as I hope......
1-What you are planning to do with your JKU.
2-Once you answer question 1, update your Jeep to Safely and Dependably do what you want it to do.
I've seen JKUs with over $140K invested in mods (not including the cost of the Jeep). The sky is limited only to the depth of your pockets. My JKU weighs 6720lbs loaded. I've updated and upgraded everything to meet the demands I expect from my JKU. It is purpose built with dependability being paramount. It will pull my Patriot camper anywhere I want to go and do it without fear of it being over it's limits.
Is my Jeep over limit? No. Would a factory or lightly modified JK be over limits with my weight? Heck YES!
On a side note. My next trip is to do the Trans-America Trail from NC to Oregon in June. It will be 6280 miles plus so will be a good endurance and limits test for my Jeep. Hopefully it performs as I hope......
MattJ
Adventurer
Wow - a Patriot camper and a 6,280 mile trek. That will be an amazing trip - I am jealous! Please post some pictures to ExPo along the way.
And yes, regarding off-camber situations, I've learned the hard way that it's not the first tree that gets you, it's the second one. It seems obvious, but I often forget that the vehicle swings way past upright when it recovers from an off-camber obstacle. My hardtop has the damage to prove it.
You can see in the photo below that I use two 2,000 cargo straps to secure the tent onto the roof rack (in addition to the mounting system for the tent itself). The cargo rack bolts through the hardtop roof and into the roll cage of the Jeep.
And yes, regarding off-camber situations, I've learned the hard way that it's not the first tree that gets you, it's the second one. It seems obvious, but I often forget that the vehicle swings way past upright when it recovers from an off-camber obstacle. My hardtop has the damage to prove it.
You can see in the photo below that I use two 2,000 cargo straps to secure the tent onto the roof rack (in addition to the mounting system for the tent itself). The cargo rack bolts through the hardtop roof and into the roll cage of the Jeep.
G0to60
Observer
Good insight in this thread and I will jump in. We just took my wife's JKU out last weekend on a shake down run for her new RTT to Ft. Steven's State Park in Oregon. On the way home we stopped at a closed weigh station to see where we were at. Her Jeep came up to 5900# with both of us and a bit over 1/4 tank of gas. Mostly loaded minus most of our food and firewood that we used. The axle split was 2300# front and 3600# rear so that's mainly due to the tent, rear bumper (heavy), and one full gas can. We will likely move the tent forward on the rack to help with the distribution.
One thing that we are considering is adding the helper air springs in the back. I would just plumb a simple schrader valve and manually inflate/deflate for simplicity. What are people's thoughts on these?
https://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-ups/air-lift-1000-air-springs-installation-write-up
Here is my wife's JKU Smoochy.
One thing that we are considering is adding the helper air springs in the back. I would just plumb a simple schrader valve and manually inflate/deflate for simplicity. What are people's thoughts on these?
https://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-ups/air-lift-1000-air-springs-installation-write-up
Here is my wife's JKU Smoochy.
jacobconroy
Hillbilly of Leisure
I've been through all this with a two door JK. In fact, I took it all apart last fall and put it again together this spring. I had to move everything possible forward as much as possible, get E-rated tires, air shocks, a heavy rear anti-sway bar, and an AEV lift kit (but the lift kit probably wasn't the best choice).
I know you are asking about weight, but I can tell you from experience that the best way to improve road manners is to get the weight off of the back.
jacobconroy
Hillbilly of Leisure
Easter weekend I got 17.8 MPG over 200 miles (actually calculated it by hand). The miles were split more or less evenly over 65 MPH highway and Forest Service roads. I have an '07 3.8/auto with 4.10s. The 3.8 is a gutless pig and I imagine the newer JKs with the 3.6s do better.
Buddha.
Finally in expo white.
Still better than my unloaded 3/4 ton gasser.
LocoCoyote
World Citizen
love that!
billiebob
Well-known member
No, over weight affects everything, including the body and frame.
Solution is buy a power wagon. The Rubi of the pickup world.
Or a 2500/3500 series pickup.
The sticker should read, Combined weight of occupants and cargo and winch and bumpers and all other mods including wheels and tires should never exceed 850#.
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billiebob
Well-known member
Sure but those vehicles don't have such a flexible suspension, frame, body. You just hit the pet peave of all the PowerWagon owners. They think it should be rated as high as every other W2500. But they bought a pickup as flexible as the Rubicon. Buy a Hellcat, it is rated to tow 1000#.
G0to60
Observer
The road manners aren't too bad really. The only time we felt the weight was when a cross wind hit us (slight swaying) and braking. Bigger brakes are on the mod list in the near future.
We will probably be moving the RTT towards the front of the rack for better weight distribution too. We do have some other things that we are looking to add as well like a fridge (~45lbs), skid plates (~100lb), air compressor (~5lb), and dual battery (~50lb). That's another 200lb right there but at least half of that is down low so that helps with the CG.
I'm still reading up on the air spring assists for the rear but they look like they should help a bunch. My wife drives her Jeep nearly every day so adding stiffer rear springs would make the ride worse when it's not loaded down.
vintageracer
To Infinity and Beyond!
Does my Jeep make my butt look big?
