New JKU Cargo System and Other Upgrades

[MattJ]

I'd love to talk more about this tent platform mounting solution...possibly see some more photos.

Well, it wasn't easy! I think it ranks as my second-most difficult project ever (my rust-proofing project was first place). In 2016 I spent several weeks in a cold storage garage designing and installing the mounting system. As I mentioned, I really wish someone else had figured this out, or maybe one of the roof-top tent companies would offer a solution. It seems crazy to me that these tents have to be mounted several inches higher on cross bars.

1) My system uses eight metal plates mounted onto the floor of the tent (four pairs of two), with each pair held in place by four bolts. I drilled holes through those plates, through the floor of the tent, and secured the tent to the Rhino platform rack with four large bolts and channel nuts.

2) The metal plates are mounted in a perfectly square configuration, so it is possible to rotate the tent 90 degrees. It's not possible to rotate a tent with the cross-bar installation system that roof-top tents use.

3) The problem with my system is that I have to reach inside the tent to tighten the bolts. This is NOT easy to do. I have an elaborate system for propping the tent open a few inches so that I can reach inside with a socket wrench. It takes about 15 minutes to do it each time I install the tent on the roof.

4) It would be great if someone invented a better system and posted pictures here. I think the ideal system would have clamps or bolts on the outside of the tent frame and allow it to rotate 90 degrees into different positions on the platform rack.

 

[St8ton]

Thanks! It's a little bit clearer now...only partly cloudy. So you intent was to have the tent open towards the rear (and be flat on the platform)...is that the only reasons you went to all the trouble?

 

[MattJ]

So you intent was to have the tent open towards the rear (and be flat on the platform)...is that the only reasons you went to all the trouble?

Yes - I wanted the tent to mount completely flush against the roof rack. As originally designed, the tent has two crossbars mounted to the bottom, which are then u-bolted to two more crossbars mounted onto my platform rack to form a "#" shape and four inches of additional height and wind noise.

Once I decided to design my own mounting system, I realized I could make my mounting points in a square pattern that would allow me to use those four mounting points whether the tent opens to the side or back. I wanted to be able to experiment with opening the tent in different directions: open to the side for longer trips camping in one spot, open to the rear for overlanding treks with just one night (or just a few hours) in each location.

 

[MattJ]

Going fishing this weekend, so I loaded the bazooka cargo tube and Sunseeker canopy with quick shelves. This system enables me to pack the rods for me and the kids very easily: 1) no fishing rods rattling around inside the vehicle, and 2) don't have to take the reels off to load them in the tube.

 

[Heavyopp]

I'm still trying to figure out how that roof rack is mounted...

 

[MattJ]

I'm still trying to figure out how that roof rack is mounted...

The roof rack mounts through the hard top and bolts onto the roll cage. You can see all of the specifications and more photos here:

https://maximus-3.com/home/maximus-3-roof-rack-short-platform#/

When I switch to a soft top, I simply remove the hard top with a hoist system that is lashed to the roof rack.

 

[Heavyopp]

Thanks to the link -- looks like the hardtop is sandwiched between 2 brackets with bolt holes drilled thru the roof, connecting everything together

 

[g man]

Can you include some more pics of the inside of this? I’m trying to wrap my mind around “how” you remove your top. I’d be interested in a rack like this but I thought it had to be connected to the roll bar 100% of the time. I run both hard too and soft top on our JKUR. Thanks!

Edit... I checked the link out. That helps. Here’s another question....do you remove the inside brackets when you go topless?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MattJ]

Here’s another question....do you remove the inside brackets when you go topless?

Great questions. No need to remove the brackets when you go topless. But if you are installing a soft top, you probably need to remove two of the four brackets. I actually couldn't remember, so I had to check some photos. Last summer was the first time we assembled and installed the soft top, so it took several hours of figuring everything out. The real test will be this year, now that we have a general sense of how things work. Hopefully we can make the switch in an hour or two. One thing I remember from last year: the brackets for the roof rack that are near the sound bar require a very long hex wrench to access. Maybe I was trying to avoid removing and replacing the sound bar, but I recall that there was no way to replace and tighten those bolts without a custom hex wrench.

By the way, the reasons I fell in love with the Maximus-3 short rack are: 1) it is a platform rack with extremely high cargo capacity (me and the kids can sit up there with camp chairs), 2) it is short enough that I can still remove the freedom panels, 3) the ladders on the side look great and are very helpful for accessing roof cargo, and 4) it has multiple side rail configurations that look great.

 

[karlmagnum]

Everything looks great. Would love to a fridge in my JK also.

 

[autism family travels]

Besides the Rockstars (personal opinion), that rig is well sorted and awesome! great work!

 

[MattJ]

Besides the Rockstars (personal opinion), that rig is well sorted and awesome! great work!

Thanks - it's all about the stars. I wanted to find rims that matched the stars in the large side decal. Rockstar only sells the inserts in a few colors, so I had to have a body shop paint them to match the "Mojave Sand" color of my Jeep. I was worried they would get torn up on trail runs, but they are so far inset that I haven't even scratched them yet . . .

 

[MattJ]

By the way, if anyone is reading this who has experience in designing or manufacturing roof racks and cargo systems (or knows someone who does), please PM me. I'm seeking to hire someone with relevant engineering experience who can help me to develop a cargo system that is designed to work with roof-top tents. It will be horizontal, modular, weatherproof, aerodynamic and rotate out of the way when the tent is deployed. I have some test concepts already completed, but need some real engineering expertise since this would be a load-bearing exterior system.

 

[RacerAV]

dude... love the set up! time, money and effort have paid off well! Plus i love the tan!!! you said its mojave tan? what year jeep? i need to get some pics of my set up on here... thanks for the motivation man!

 

[MattJ]

dude... love the set up! time, money and effort have paid off well! Plus i love the tan!!! you said its mojave tan? what year jeep? i need to get some pics of my set up on here... thanks for the motivation man!

Thanks - it's been a lot of work but a lot of fun. 2016 was the last year of the Mojave Sand color before it switched to Gobi. I actually found my Rubicon several states away and had it shipped to me for purchase. By the time I got the idea to create a "Boy Scout Expedition Vehicle", there were only a few new Mojave Sand Rubicons left in the country. It matches the Scout uniform color better than Gobi, I think.

People always ask me how I can spend hours and hours in the garage or in the woods "playing with my Jeep gear." I tell them it is the ultimate LEGO toy and I'll never get bored playing with it! Definitely post some pictures of your set-up. I get all of my best ideas from seeing what other Jeep owners have created . . .