The Triple Threat Grand Cherokee (2003 WJ)
- Thread starter theksmith
- Start date
theksmith
Explorer
thanks dude, it's all just time and money
- but for real, it's a slow process and i have tons left to do before i'll be bored with it, at least 2 more years worth of ideas in my head already!
beavernation
New member
Awesome!
Dude your build thread, fab skills and most importantly your photo skills are outstanding!!!..I have a 00 Limited WJ but no money and certainly no skills...:Wow1:.I actually had your pic (under the overpass?) as my screensaver pulled from randomness on the web, but now know where it came from!!..Thanx for sharing your experience and dedication. It gives the rest of us some hope for "someday"!!!!!......
Dude your build thread, fab skills and most importantly your photo skills are outstanding!!!..I have a 00 Limited WJ but no money and certainly no skills...:Wow1:.I actually had your pic (under the overpass?) as my screensaver pulled from randomness on the web, but now know where it came from!!..Thanx for sharing your experience and dedication. It gives the rest of us some hope for "someday"!!!!!......
shovelbill
Observer
very sweet rig.....you've really built a great truck. i like that you're doing the important things first.....i really dig the shower setup.
theksmith
Explorer
Awesome rig. Your shower system had really inspired me to build my own setup.
One quick question, how do you have youe OBHS pump wired up? Is it wired to the batt using a relay or is it wired using an ignition source that only receives power when the jeep is running?
thanks!
it's wired directly through an external switch (with it's own fuse), mainly because i was in a hurry to get it finished for a trip. i do want it to work anytime, not just when jeep is running because the idea eventually is to have an on-board tank and have a faucet in the rear of the jeep next to the pull-out table.
mr_gs-r
New member
I have a very similar setup in mind. Thanks!
taggart_lumpy
Adventurer
ive always enjoyed following your build thread on orp
theksmith
Explorer
thanks! i keep that one up to date with every little change.
in other news - the axle swap is more or less done, the shop is getting driveshafts modified and doing an unrelated radiator replacement this week.
theksmith
Explorer
i forgot to mention one other important expo related item - comm's and nav!
i started out with a CB and a Firestik like many folks. here's running antenna wiring early in the jeeps life:
antenna mounting:
notching the tailight so it didn't sit off-angle any due to the antenna bracket:
complete mount:
i was thinking ahead enough to know that i would one day get HAM, so i did a mount and ran Diamon antenna cable for that on the other side while i had the jeep apart:
it all started with a Midland 75-822 (all-in-the-mic design) CB and a modified PanaVise 75122-201 In-Dash Cell/iPod bracket. i've been very happy with the Midland. it's only downside is that you can't hear it if you have the windows down and are at highway speeds due to wind noise and there's no clean way to hook up an external spkr. this hasn't actually been an issue ever for me as usually if the windows are down, i'm cruising a trail. there is a similar Cobra unit that does have external spkr hookup, but some people in ORP have had bad luck with those units.
later i added another bracket, and more gizmos:
i wired in an additional set of cigarette lighter receptacles and tucked them under the little tray. then i dremmeled out the 4 half-moon shapes you see below in order to easily run wires to the hidden cigarette lighter receptacles:
the little switch you see just above the tray with the red indicator LED is wired in to control the extra cigarette lighter receptacles - i call it my accessory override button. normally those extra receptacles are powerd only when the Jeep is on. this is good as i don't usually want to leave everything on all the time slowly killing the battery.
however, when you are on a trail run, you often turn on and off the Jeep a bunch of times - i didn't want to keep having to turn back on everything that has soft power buttons like the GPS and iPod... so if you flip the override switch and everything is now powered all of the time, even when the jeep is off.
when i added my roof rack, it created a little wind vortex behind it that would whip my firestik around like crazy when over 70 MPH and ********** it into the jeep even. i switched to a stainless steel tuneable whip anteanna and ditched the spring since the antenna was so flexible.
1/2011 i finally got that ham rig installed. i added a Diamond NR770HB dualband VHF/UHF mobile antenna:
installed the main body of the Kenwood TM-V71A full dual band underneath the driver side knee panel:
i took apart a Kenwood SP-50B external speaker and drilled a hole in the panel next to the steering wheel and glued the speaker and some of it's grill behind the hole for a clean install:
the wires for the face of the unit were routed behind the A-pillar panel and headboard to here:
eventually i'll upgrade the control panel of the unit to the RC-D710 which will give me APRS capability.
at this point, i had already moved the GPS from the Panavise bracket to a RAM dash mount (and added a SPOT, laptop screen and keyboard). this left me with a free place to put the HAM mic. i swapped the CB to the left side so the speaker would be closer to me, and put the HAM mic on the right side. i also re-did where the wires went into the dash to create a little cleaner look instead of having them go all the way down to the console.
yes, i have a lot of crap in my jeep - it's been called a police jeep, robo-jeep, etc... but it's all useful stuff and also enjoyable to mess around with as this is a hobby after all! and considering how much is there, i've tried to keep it as "factory-installed" looking as possible.
the whole computer system still has some bugs in it. once i get it completely worked out, i'll post up full info on that little project.
i started out with a CB and a Firestik like many folks. here's running antenna wiring early in the jeeps life:
antenna mounting:
notching the tailight so it didn't sit off-angle any due to the antenna bracket:
complete mount:
i was thinking ahead enough to know that i would one day get HAM, so i did a mount and ran Diamon antenna cable for that on the other side while i had the jeep apart:
it all started with a Midland 75-822 (all-in-the-mic design) CB and a modified PanaVise 75122-201 In-Dash Cell/iPod bracket. i've been very happy with the Midland. it's only downside is that you can't hear it if you have the windows down and are at highway speeds due to wind noise and there's no clean way to hook up an external spkr. this hasn't actually been an issue ever for me as usually if the windows are down, i'm cruising a trail. there is a similar Cobra unit that does have external spkr hookup, but some people in ORP have had bad luck with those units.
later i added another bracket, and more gizmos:
i wired in an additional set of cigarette lighter receptacles and tucked them under the little tray. then i dremmeled out the 4 half-moon shapes you see below in order to easily run wires to the hidden cigarette lighter receptacles:
the little switch you see just above the tray with the red indicator LED is wired in to control the extra cigarette lighter receptacles - i call it my accessory override button. normally those extra receptacles are powerd only when the Jeep is on. this is good as i don't usually want to leave everything on all the time slowly killing the battery.
however, when you are on a trail run, you often turn on and off the Jeep a bunch of times - i didn't want to keep having to turn back on everything that has soft power buttons like the GPS and iPod... so if you flip the override switch and everything is now powered all of the time, even when the jeep is off.
when i added my roof rack, it created a little wind vortex behind it that would whip my firestik around like crazy when over 70 MPH and ********** it into the jeep even. i switched to a stainless steel tuneable whip anteanna and ditched the spring since the antenna was so flexible.
1/2011 i finally got that ham rig installed. i added a Diamond NR770HB dualband VHF/UHF mobile antenna:
installed the main body of the Kenwood TM-V71A full dual band underneath the driver side knee panel:
i took apart a Kenwood SP-50B external speaker and drilled a hole in the panel next to the steering wheel and glued the speaker and some of it's grill behind the hole for a clean install:
the wires for the face of the unit were routed behind the A-pillar panel and headboard to here:
eventually i'll upgrade the control panel of the unit to the RC-D710 which will give me APRS capability.
at this point, i had already moved the GPS from the Panavise bracket to a RAM dash mount (and added a SPOT, laptop screen and keyboard). this left me with a free place to put the HAM mic. i swapped the CB to the left side so the speaker would be closer to me, and put the HAM mic on the right side. i also re-did where the wires went into the dash to create a little cleaner look instead of having them go all the way down to the console.
yes, i have a lot of crap in my jeep - it's been called a police jeep, robo-jeep, etc... but it's all useful stuff and also enjoyable to mess around with as this is a hobby after all! and considering how much is there, i've tried to keep it as "factory-installed" looking as possible.
the whole computer system still has some bugs in it. once i get it completely worked out, i'll post up full info on that little project.
Harmgrissom
Observer
wow - this is probably the cleanest looking and most heavily modified jeep I have ever seen. Man you've done a cool job. And that trip to Colorado looks AMAZING!
Loving how many local Az guys there - gives me inspiration and hope.
Loving how many local Az guys there - gives me inspiration and hope.