My new ZJ Expedition Rig

[xjman88]

And a few of the winch, lights and rear tire carrier.

 

[xjman88]

I also scored a 1960s era Eureka drawtite expedition 3 man tent. Its made of duck canvas and is pretty durable.

 

[xjman88]

I also finally installed the Rubicon Express and Skyjacker control arms and IRO rear trac bar bracket. Rides alot better.

 

[MtnClimber]

A 4500 lb winch on a 4500 lb rig?! :Wow1: Rule of thumb is you want a winch w/pulling power of atleast 1.5x the weight of the vehicle. And that's generally on flat ground with little to no rolling resistance. Not when you're stuck in the mud or hung up rocks/stump/etc. You also have to consider the extra weight when you have a trailer in tow.
BUT, I s'pose if you ran numerous snatch blocks, it could work alright.

Glad to see you're using the rig tho. I've had my snow wheeling adventures this spring too. Didn't camp in/on it on purpose, but we almost had too......

 

[xjman88]

Oh i know about the rule of thumb for winch size. Its for emergencies only. And i do have a couple snatch blocks, a couple come a longs and my hilift. And yes the snow campin was alot of fun. Wheelin was too. Cant wait to do the NMW trip w u. See u soon bud.

 

[motomaniac]

Zj is looking good.

That tent is sweet. I really need to get some nice camping gear.

 

[xjman88]

Thanks man. A little at a time. I found the tent on my local craigslist.

 

[xjman88]

Just an update. Im still slowly workin on the zj like always. The new exhaust i installed is serving me well and sounds great. Power is better too. Stay tuned.

 

[Coltman151]

Just read every post in your build thread, and love your rig! Gonna keep an eye out for future pics.


Sent from my greasy iPhone.

 

[xjman88]

Thanks alot. Its come along ways in the last year. The zj works really well for my family and i and is great in the back country. Granted its not as built as most rigs on here but ive done it on a budget and learned alot in the process. Its my first true dual purpose rig build.

 

[ReconZJ]

Nice build - you clearly thought out what your intended purpose was for this one, and are making it happen! My ZJ has been a great vehicle since I purchased it new, and after all the rock-crawling mods I've done, I'm now setting it up for more extended excursions (primarily interior storage mods). BTW, welcome to the green zj club! :smiley_drive:

 

[xjman88]

Thanks man. Ive enjoyed being able to wheel most of the back country of Maine and still cruise 70 or so on the highway.

 

[xjman88]

So it looks like i am replacing my 2nd Optima red top battery in the last 3 years. I dont think ill be getting another one. So im looking for a decent replacement. Any suggestions?

 

[PrestonNB]

If you want a good battery I would check out the DieHard Platinum P4. I have had great luck with those in the past.

 

[ReconZJ]

If you want a good battery I would check out the DieHard Platinum P4. I have had great luck with those in the past.

Agree. I had the same experience with Optimas, and went with a Diehard P a couple of years ago as my starting battery - no issues. Just purchased a second one as my aux battery, running my ARB refrigerator/freezer. I believe it's the best value out there.