Ursa Minor Pop-Top Jeep JK

[brianjwilson]

I spent several hours shuffling items around in the Jeep this afternoon, trying to figure out how to pack for two of us for 10+ days. Several different approaches came to mind. I too hate stacking. I don't like to have to move one item to get to another either. And I like to make our personal bags (whether it's duffle bags or back packs) at hand from the rear seat.

For this trip I have two action packer containers with GSI pots/pans plates/bowls and utensils, jet boil, french press, fuel etc. I have an REI "pack-n-prep" tote/table for dry food storage and the built in table of course. Coleman Xtreme 36 qt cooler, two folding chairs, Reliance 4 gallon and 7 gallon blue water containers, large tool bag, air compressor, hi-lift jack, and lots of odds and ends (hammocks, recovery gear, etc).

I have a basic rear shelf I built when I first bought the Jeep, it's three pieces to be easily removable, reinforced with aluminum c channel.


This afternoon I removed the smaller rear seat. I have the air compressor secured as the picture shows above, two small action packers next to it, one in front of the other with half of a two person sleeping bag stuffed on top of them. Then I have the REI tote-table on the right side. Plenty of room between the roll bar and solid sides for extra junk. Below I have the hi-lift across the front of the storage area (against the back of the seat), cooler on the left, water containers, chairs and tools below with some extra room. Recovery gear under the rear seat. Extra shoes and clothes bags can go on the floor where the small seat was. So far this seems very versatile. Everything is easily accessible, the right side of the rear seat is available for sitting, removing shoes, etc. The clothes bags can easily be shuffled around from rear seat to front, top, wherever they need to go. The nice thing I found is that I can stand straight up where the seat use to be (I'm 6'), which will make a nice spot for changing, stuffing the sleeping bag, whatever. Closed in the top is a two person fleece sleeping bag and two pillows.

My plan when I started moving things around, was to put the water totes on the floor behind the driver's seat, and build a platform over top of them which would also aid in climbing in/out of the top. Then our clothes bags could be on the rear shelf, accessible from the rear seat. Fortunately before I committed to building this, I realized that the 16" tall platform I wanted to build would actually make it more difficult to climb up with only one roof panel removed, and my wife said she didn't like it. Fair enough. I like being able to stand straight up anyway.

I still like the idea of a flat platform, and storing tools and recovery gears below. It would provide lots of standing room and out of the way storage, but my wife really likes having the rear seat open. She also uses the rear of the seat as she climbs up and down. If money wasn't a factor, I'd get the AT drawer setup, rack, fridge slide etc. I think I could even stuff a front runner 7 gallon water bag on each side of the roll bar. It looks very functional but I could buy a whole lot of other stuff for the money they ask for that setup as well!

I'll be sure to post pictures once I get everything situated and let you know how it works out for us anyway.

And just for good measure, another crappy driveway picture I snapped while drying everything out after the last wet camping trip...

 

[JDaPP]

I use these bags and and use the quick connect straps to wrap them around the rollbar. Keeps them out of the way until I need them and does not impede on the space. They don't hold alot per bag but we usually pack one days worth of cloths for me and the wife per bag, so it makes it easy to just grab one bag rather than searching for what you need. The Army surplus bags (2nd link) are fairly cheap if you look around (~$12 in some cases).

http://store.pantacusa.com/packs/side-pouch-for-molle-assault-backpack.html
http://www.armyproperty.com/nsn/8465-01-524-7263

 

[Ann-Marie Harbour]

I use these bags and and use the quick connect straps to wrap them around the rollbar. Keeps them out of the way until I need them and does not impede on the space. They don't hold alot per bag but we usually pack one days worth of cloths for me and the wife per bag, so it makes it easy to just grab one bag rather than searching for what you need. The Army surplus bags (2nd link) are fairly cheap if you look around (~$12 in some cases).

http://store.pantacusa.com/packs/side-pouch-for-molle-assault-backpack.html
http://www.armyproperty.com/nsn/8465-01-524-7263

Nice tip on these. I picked two up online for $12 bucks each.

I'm in the same camp as Brian trying to sort long term packing/camping in the J30.

Only difference is there are 2 people & 2 dogs in my crew. It going to fun

 

[brianjwilson]

Nice tip on these. I picked two up online for $12 bucks each.

I'm in the same camp as Brian trying to sort long term packing/camping in the J30.

Only difference is there are 2 people & 2 dogs in my crew. It going to fun

It should be alright, just fold down the back seat and throw them in! Most of my crap stuff in the back is just food, water, cooking stuff, cooler etc. Overnight trips are pretty easy but I'm trying to leave enough elbow room for 11 days with two of us, then I'll be solo for a few days on the return. Have you had a chance to camp in it yet? Trips planned?

We're headed out tomorrow night for Utah. The last forecast shows highs in the triple digits, not what I was hoping for but it will still be fun. I guess it just means we'll spend less time around Moab and seek out camps at higher elevation where it should cool off a bit more.

 

[cobblecrazy]

We just got back from a 14 day trip. I used one of these boxes I picked up at Home Depot

as it also serves as a table at the campsite if none are available. They have two sizes, and I've used both. I like the smaller one as it's easier to move around. With the back seat up there was a small gap between the box and the seat where I could store my folding chairs and my tripod.

I have also been using these Cordoura bags from Mountainsmith http://www.orssnowshoesdirect.com/mountainsmith_bags_modular_hauler_system_bag.htm as they also work in my motorcycle saddlebags. They are different colors and I can put like articles in a particular color. Still would like to have some type of drawer system, but I like to have a little space in the back to sit with the rear gate open.

 

[cobblecrazy]

I've also looked at this "fake" jerry can http://www.ebay.com/bhp/trail-can-utility-tool-box to store the "kitchen/dining" items inside if I could make sure it was dust/water proof. On the other side jerry can holder I have, on my Smittybilt tire carrier, I was thinking about attaching the Rotopax water and gas cans.

My wife bought me a Smittybilt sun shade http://www.carid.com/universal-roof-racks/smittybilt-roof-rack-accessory-11017581.html for some of the hotter climates, but I've only had the opportunity to set it up in the driveway.

 

[Ann-Marie Harbour]

It should be alright, just fold down the back seat and throw them in! Most of my crap stuff in the back is just food, water, cooking stuff, cooler etc. Overnight trips are pretty easy but I'm trying to leave enough elbow room for 11 days with two of us, then I'll be solo for a few days on the return. Have you had a chance to camp in it yet? Trips planned?

We're headed out tomorrow night for Utah. The last forecast shows highs in the triple digits, not what I was hoping for but it will still be fun. I guess it just means we'll spend less time around Moab and seek out camps at higher elevation where it should cool off a bit more.

Yeah, I saw it was getting hot in Utah this week. Have fun. I love it there. So far, we've had time to take the Jeep out once for camping. Weekend trips seem to be a breeze. We put the dogs in back and all our camping stuff/gear in the middle seat. But we are prepping for 5-7 week trip this summer (Mid July - early September) and then another 3 week trip in October to Utah.

I'm trying to estimate how sustainable 2 people / 2 dogs in a Jeep camper is going to be & for how long.

There is too much valuable space in the rear so I think the dogs will be taking over the back seats laid down. Only issue is it's not as easy getting them in & out of the car.

I'll keep ya'll posted.

 

[Espo78]

For extended trips you would probably do best to get a small trailer to tow behind the Jeep. That way all your camp stuff is packed in the trailer and you will have room for dogs and stuff you might need on the road inside the Jeep. While I love the idea of the Ursa Minor top, it's not really practical for extended trips I wouldn't think.

 

[JDaPP]

I have taken extended trips in a jeep liberty with dog + wife and gear including dragging a tent, it just takes creative packing. To save space we usually don't bring all of our food or water with us from the beginning. Once we get close to where we are going to be set up for awhile we will make a trip to the store. The other option aside from a trailer is one of these:
http://www.etrailer.com/p-59109.html

We bought one after an extended trip in the Liberty. It is expensive but it is worth every penny. I have taken it cross country now through rain, snow, etc and I have never had anything get wet and it works as good as it did in 2005 when I bought it. Highly, highly recommend it.

 

[brianjwilson]

Yeah we went a little overboard on food stuff before we left. No need to pack it all in.

We camped friday night outside of Moab but arrived late and got stuck at a private camp with people partying until 4am. Left early in the morning for canyonlands, got sites for four nights along the white rim. Totally stoked for peace and quiet. They set us up to run counter clockwise. We arrived at labrynth around noon, no shade at all, no access to the river, over 100 degrees. It never cooled down at night so we hardly slept. Beautiful, quiet, but just too hot to sleep. We got up this morning, most of our ice was melted and we gave a lot of water to some backpackers who weren't well prepared for the heat. So we run the rest of white rim, stopping for some shorter walks (still hot) and decided to grab a room in Moab for the night and regroup.

The jeep (and the top) are performing great, the top gets way too much attention, and as usual I brought too much crap. Plenty of space inside, though we do shuffle some things around at night and move extras into the front seats.

This is pretty much our storage setup for the trip.

Clothes are in bags that ride in the back seat, hi-lift and tools in front of the water containers. Rotopax fuel container and bags with clothes in the rear seat. Plus a couple of reusable grocery bags with misc stuff that float around. Trasharoo on the spare tire.

So far it's been too hot to cook much. The bin with pots/pans, plates etc hasn't moved. The other bin has our jetboil, French press and fuel etc and we've been in and out of it a lot. I tend to use paper plates and pack around garbage rather than use water for cleaning. I may get a bigger jetboil and one of their small pans and ditch the stove, pots and pans altogether.

 

[EMrider]

That is a very sharp looking and functional setup.

With an SMB I obviously appreciate the benefits of being able to just pull in, pop the top, and crash where ever.

But IMHO, it is really only a good setup for 1-2 people.

Above 2 and we find it necessary, and more comfortable, to pack along a tent too.

R

 

[Espo78]

Here's another great addition to your camping Jeep set up if you are still using the stock rear bumper. You can use the bumper as a water container (holds over 7 gallons!) and have a pressurized pump to get it out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5DBpzoKIMo

 

[Ann-Marie Harbour]

We arrived at labrynth around noon, no shade at all, no access to the river, over 100 degrees. It never cooled down at night so we hardly slept. Beautiful, quiet, but just too hot to sleep. We got up this morning, most of our ice was melted and we gave a lot of water to some backpackers who weren't well prepared for the heat. So we run the rest of white rim, stopping for some shorter walks (still hot) and decided to grab a room in Moab for the night and regroup.

Brian - bummer it's so hot. Head for Colorado and do the Alpine Loop. I like your awning. What kind is it?

- AM

 

[cobblecrazy]

I've been playing around with an idea of a sticker (I know Brian doesn't like them) for the side of the J30. The idea isn't necessarily new as I believe the UMV guys joking refer to it as the "JKamper". My thought was to make it a two color design which would separate the JK from the "amper" portion - but could also be color coordinated to your specific vehicle - and I also thought about placing the "30" inside the "J" to refer back to the original name. As a final piece I wanted to have the outline of the Jeep with the top open, but what I came up with was a picture I had taken of my Jeep converted to a pencil outline in photoshop. Anything I came up with would be presented to John at UMV to not step on any toes, but this is my progress to this point...

 

[cobblecrazy]

For extended trips you would probably do best to get a small trailer to tow behind the Jeep. That way all your camp stuff is packed in the trailer and you will have room for dogs and stuff you might need on the road inside the Jeep. While I love the idea of the Ursa Minor top, it's not really practical for extended trips I wouldn't think.

On Thursday, I went to a very good presentation by Rene Cormier - he traveled the world on a BMW 650GS and wrote "The University of Gravel Roads" - and one of the things he talked about was everyone taking too much stuff. I am the consummate over packer and I do not think I've returned from a trip that I haven't discovered I used about half of what I brought. It's interesting that I was able to fit plenty of items on my BMW GS Adventure for me and my wife's 2000 mile trip (a pile that would only partially fill the back of my JK) yet I found myself searching for extra space for all those "got to have" items during our last trip.

I disagree that you would need an extra trailer with the J30. I think the more trips you take you will begin to weed out the superfluous - does the dog really need that third toy. A trip to the laundromat along the way will cut the amount of clothes by perhaps 1/2. I think I did better this time around, but I'm still working on the "layering" as it seemed what I needed was always at the bottom of the pile. A good drawer/cabinet system is something I really am exploring right at this point. I am also considering a refrigerator option for the hotter months, such as this ARB one http://www.amazon.com/ARB-10800472-...d=1370897091&sr=8-1&keywords=arb+refrigerator

Take a look at the JK Habitat thread - 1st page, about half way down - I really like the way he has the back set up http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/100523-Habitat-Owner-s-Thread?highlight=habitat Now all I need is money....