Outfitting my Grenadier Trialmaster

[jscherb]

This is a photo of a cardstock printout of a design for a MOLLE/Gear mounting panel that attaches to factory threaded holes above the cargo area windows in the Grenadier. For me this would be a good place to store gear out of the way, either in MOLLE pouches or mounted to the panel with something like QuickFist clamps. I've experimented with mounting L-Tracks to the factory holes, but for this location, L-Tracks aren't as useful as a MOLLE panel might be. I've attached a photo of the L-Tracks and a photo of a small bag hanging from one of themb. I know there are MOLLE panels available that cover up the windows, but I only want something above the windows, I don't want to block the windows. Does anything like this exist already?



Earlier I tried hanging a MOLLE bag on the overhead L-Track but it would work much better on a panel like the one above.





I'll probably make a prototype of the MOLLE panel to test, stay tuned.

 

[jscherb]

Having L-Tracks in a bunch of places on the Grenadier is great, but the limited range of fittings for them limits how we can use our L-Tracks. There are basically three types of fittings on the market - things to hook tie-downs to (like the fittings that come with the Grenadier, although there are a few other variations of that design), threaded studs, and large hooks. The studs are useful for securing things to the floor such as kitchens and drawers and I've used a number of them in the cargo space to secure things to the floor. But also I want to be able to quickly clip something to the L-Track, such as a bag with campsite gear. The bag could live inside the Grenadier while on the road and at the campsite it could be quickly clipped onto the exterior L-Track for use at the campsite. That's a bit awkward to do with any of the fittings on the market except possibly the big hooks, so I came up with a simple tab and slot fitting.

The fitting installed in the L-Track:



The tab that gets attached to whatever you want to hang on the track:



As a test, I attached tabs to the back of a military surplus bag using pop rivets.



I also installed these fittings in the overhead L-Tracks above my cargo area and the bag slips into those as well:





The bag in this example is just something I had laying around that I used for this test; other things one might hang there could be a fabric MOLLE panel with a range of bags on it all with things useful at the campsite. Or a bit stronger version of this tab and slot idea could be mad to hang a small table. Or, just to hang bags on the inside, the tab and slot system is a lot easier and quicker to use than threading MOLLE straps through a grid.

I'll be using these fittings as part of my camping/overlanding configuration.

 

[jscherb]

Saturday I posted a design idea for a MOLLE panel that mounts to existing threaded holes above the cargo area side windows. I made a prototype panel yesterday. It's got a MOLLE grid and also a grid of holes for mounting things that don't use MOLLE, for example things that might mount with QuickFist clamps.



A military surplus shovel mounted with QuickFist clamps and two pouches:



Some typical MOLLE pouches:



Smaller pouches:



A much larger military surplus pouch and a smaller military surplus pouch:



A wider view:



The panel seems to work well, it adds out of the way storage in a place where storage isn't and doesn't obcure the window. I only made one panel yesterday, I'll make more of these panels for testing.

Also, rather than use ordinary MOLLE bags on these panels, I think I'll design bags custom-fitted to this space.

 

[jscherb]

Campsite trick: MOLLE on the L-Track. Obviously you wouldn't drive like this, but while at the campsite it's easy to hang MOLLE bags with campsite essentials like this first aid bag using the tie downs that came with the Grenadier.

 

[jscherb]

The first production run of the Overland Outfitters jack compartment bag that I've posted about is underway; I am told shipments will begin in about two weeks. The bag is now on their web site (https://tinyurl.com/3bb6jh2h) and available to order in either tan or black. There's an introductory price sale on right now, $25 off the regular price. These photos are of a preproduction sample I was testing, there are one or two minor changes for the production version to improve the fit in the space a little.

 

[jscherb]

When we've camped in the root top tent on the Jeeps I often ran a 10' USB cable from the outlet in my dash up into the tent; adding a clip-on outlet inside the tent would be handy. Sorry the only photo of it I have is with one of my Jeeps:

Somthing like this next item from one of the magazines seems like it could be useful but he company's web site says the product is currently unavailable and a google image search didn't turn up any other sources.

This showed up recently in a Facebook post from Front Runner Outfitters (https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/roof-rack-power-point.html):



It's intended to be mounted on a roof rack. It's got female Hella outlets, which as far as I know aren't common here in the US, so maybe not a good choice because it could be hard to find things to plug into it.

I'd like to have power up top for use in the roof top tent, but I may to do something custom. But first, how to provide the power? More in the next post.

 

[jscherb]

A review of the possible circuits for providing power to the roof top tent...

With the High Load power option, the overhead panel looks like this:



The photo above and the next two tables come from Rok_Dr’s Exceedingly Unofficial Owner’s Manual Supplement:

Rok_Dr’s Exceedingly Unofficial Owner’s Manual Supplement

UPDATED 25 September 2025. (v9). New Link Follows: Refer to post #192 in this thread for changes. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tHF4zR33OClUZ5_meLRXotzbrY_vd5sv/view?usp=sharing UPDATED 5 August 2025. (v8). New Link Follows: Refer to post #183 in this thread for changes. UPDATED 8 February...

www.theineosforum.com

The standard switches/circuits:



None of those are on the roof. Some of the High Load switches are:



The power connections for EXT2 is on the front right side of the roof, and it's often used for lights that might be installed on a roof rack. My rack has lights mounted to it and that's the circuit I used for them.

There are three power connections for EXT3 on the roof - front left, right and left rear, all three are on the same circuit and switch.

One of those connections could be used for power in the RTT. Another good use of those connections would be for campsite lights. But since all three of those connections are on the same circuit, how do you provide power to the tent without also having the campsite lights on? Seems like another circuit would be a good idea if you wanted to do both campsite lights and power in the RTT and have independent control of each.

Also, all of the switches in both the standard and High Load panels are switched - meaning that when you shut off the ignition, power to those circuits is cut (except for EXT4, the 500a circuit intended for a winch). Typically you wouldn't have the ignition on while sitting around the campsite in the evening with the campsite lights on.

The Grenadier's solution to that is the PWR switch, also on the overhead panel. With the ignition off and that switch turned on, all internal and external switched circuits from the above tables, except EXT4 (500a winch power) are turned on. In addition, the optional USB ports on the rear of the center console get turned on and the optional 12v socket in the cargo area gets turned on. So if you use one of the circuits that requires that the PWR switch be turned on when the ignition is off, you would need to make sure that all of the other circuits that get turned on when the PWR switch is on aren't drawing unnecessary current.

So here are some options for power in the RTT:

1. Run a 10' USB cable from a USB outlet in the Grenadier like I did with the Jeep. To power a USB outlet in the Grenadier without the ignition being on, the PWR switch would have to be turned on and I'd need to make sure other circuits controlled by the PWR switch aren't drawing unnecessary current.

2. Use EXT3. Probably you wouldn't also have campsite lights on this circuit because it might be difficult to turn them off while the RTT power was on. Same comments about the PWR switch.

3. USe INT2. This connection is in the passenger side footwell and I have no other current plans for it, so I could run wires from there up to one of the roof connection points. But again, same comments about the PWR switch.

4. Run a second circuit up to one of the connection points on the roof. I've already added a connection (an input) for the rooftop solar panel, so I could do something similar for RTT power. Since the solar controller has an accessory output that is unswitched, taking the power from there would be perfect - no worries about any of the other Grenadier factory circuits being on at the same time and drawing unnecessary current. The connection I added for solar input:



I'm camping in Death Valley in a few weeks so for that trip I'll probably use option 1, but I'll consider the other options while falling asleep in the RTT.

 

[jscherb]

Overland Outfitters has a product they call the SpareSide Bag, it's intended to mount on the side of a spare tire; two are mounted on the sides of the spare in this photo of my Wrangler.



It's a match for their larger SpareHopper bag that I've got on both my Wrangler and on my Grenadier. There's one in the photo above, and here's a SpareHopper on my Grenadier:



I tested a SpareSide bag on the Grenadier's ladder a few months ago and it was a great size for the ladder and while it did attach ok, the straps that are used to hang it on the spare don't work on the ladder, so I changed the straps on one of the bags so it can hang on the ladder.







Access to the door handle is not obstructed by the bag:



And if access to the ladder is needed, the clips on one side of the bag can be undone and the bag swung out of the way:



OO says they will make a version with my changes for the ladder and will offer it as a Grenadier product. I'll just keep using this one I modified, but soon they will be available to other Grenadier owners.

 

[jscherb]

I was looking at the Bison Gear Fender Plates on their web site and figuring what shipping from Poland ($80) plus the tariff (15%) would be so I looked around in the U.S. and I think I got one of the last sets available that came in before the tariffs. In this photo they're just setting in place:



Without them:



Haven't installed them yet, trying to decide if I really like them.

I looked at the Bison ones because I have their steps that bolt to the factory rock rails. They've been on the Grenadier for months and the powder coat is holding up perfectly so with that excellent result I figured the Bison Fender Plates would have the same quality. Looks like they do.

 

[Zeep]

Are those for looks, or do they serve a purpose?

 

[jscherb]

Are those for looks, or do they serve a purpose?

Arguably yes they have a purpose but realistically they're probably more of a fashion accessory. They protect the fender so it can be used as a work surface and strengthen it so it could be stepped on but those uses are probably infrequent and not mission critical.

 

[Rube2K6]

Looks like a place for rust to accumulate.

 

[jscherb]

Looks like a place for rust to accumulate.

Unlikely. The fenders are aluminum and so are the fender plates.

 

[jscherb]

A few weeks ago I made a small overhead MOLLE panel for the rear cargo area:



It's worked out well so far. I've decided on one small tweak to the design so I'm about to make a few more for some additional testing. The pattern and the metal stock for two more:

 

[jscherb]

Frustrated that the back seat doesn't fold down without removing the headrests or moving the front seats so far forward I can't fit in to drive, about a month ago I swapped the factory headrests for low profile ones:



Yesterday was their first practical use - my wife found four antique fluted columns on FB Marketplace that she wanted for the house (we recently bought an early-1800's house and are adding back charm that was removed in renovations over the past hundred+ years). We went to get them in the Grenadier and they just fit in the back with the seat folded down.





I was able to fold the seat down without removing the headrests, removing the bags I keep hanging off the back or moving the driver's seat forward. So much less trouble than having to remove the headrests and the bags. One of the columns: