Ursa Minor Pop-Top Jeep JK

[96XJ11C]

I apologize for the late reply but i have covered 4700MI in the last two weeks (almost all pavement unfortunately) but here you go.

 

[StefanTomi]

Your welcome Don,My white rotopax container holds water and the black rotopax container is actually a lock box which stores my 12v portable shower sprayer that i use for a quick shower or to wash off dirt or mud . I also have a rotopax mount inside the rear area attached to the roll bar for additional drinking water. I Was considering LOD products too . It was a coin flip .

And congrats to 96x , your blue jeep with J30 looks great! I installed a Ram ball mount along with a iPad holder to the lid so I can watch movies and browse the web while upstairs .

 

[Dan Grec]

View attachment 298267

That looks fantastic!

I especially like the white patch on the roof, rather than the whole roof being white.

-Dan

 

[jungblud]

Is the main part of the new top molded in one piece?

Just wondering because of my 3-door long wheelbase research project....

Thanks.

Yes.

Here's another J30 camper, this one landed on a 2012 with an AEV set up

Matched snorkel, winch, LED light bar

Notice the French plates?

more photos at Bumper Off Road

 

[goin camping]

Something I didn't realize until after I got it home.

There is a rain gutter over the side windows. Nice touch.

 

[Ultralite]

View attachment 298266 I apologize for the late reply but i have covered 4700MI in the last two weeks (almost all pavement unfortunately) but here you go.

I know this is different for each person, but with 4700 pavement miles, how would you rate or describe highway noise and fatigue?

Man I wish I knew someone close to me who had this set up. I need to test this at highway speed. I just did a lot of driving over the last 4 days (1700 miles, all pavement) and I want to replace my Suburban with this rig. I do a lot of off grid camping but I also do some long distance interstate trips where I'd prefer to sleep in my vehicle at a KOA to save money.

 

[jungblud]

I know this is different for each person, but with 4700 pavement miles, how would you rate or describe highway noise and fatigue?

Man I wish I knew someone close to me who had this set up. I need to test this at highway speed. I just did a lot of driving over the last 4 days (1700 miles, all pavement) and I want to replace my Suburban with this rig. I do a lot of off grid camping but I also do some long distance interstate trips where I'd prefer to sleep in my vehicle at a KOA to save money.

The top reduces the noise in the cabin by a noticeable amount. I've measured a drop of 6db, which is huge, compared to the soft top (premium twill) at 60 mph.

Put in some Recaros and you'll never want to pull over.

 

[Ultralite]

The top reduces the noise in the cabin by a noticeable amount. I've measured a drop of 6db, which is huge, compared to the soft top (premium twill) at 60 mph.

Put in some Recaros and you'll never want to pull over.

Thanks man, that is helpful. I know my Suburban is probably as good as it gets with road comfort and I don't expect the same with a truly off road capable Jeep, but I'm very tempted to go "all in" with the J30. But I have to balance it against the fact that I have to do a lot of miles with a family of 4 often and since I'm the driver, I try to pay close attention to road fatigue.

For camping, it's just usually me and my son. But this past weekend I drove the wife and daughter to NYC. They're good sports about camping a night here and there. It was a LONG drive and honestly not bad at all. I attribute that to the Suburban. I sprung for the hotel on the way but if I had a Jeep with pop top, I could have saved the hotel fare on the way up and back. Lord knows I spent enough in NYC.

I know most folks buy these and spend a lot of time in backcountry. I WANT to spend more time in backcountry, but for now I'm riding a lot of pavement and dirt.

 

[Ultralite]

And speaking of NYC, as I walked around and noticed garages, this rig would easily fit in most.

 

[goin camping]

One thing I noticed right away. Unlike my hardtop. There is no heat transfer from the roof into the passenger compartment.

 

[JDaPP]

I would say the noise level is comparable to the factory hardtop. If you test drive a jeep with a factory hardtop and you find it bearable then J30 will be a little quieter than that. You can also add sound matting in the doors, floorboards as well to help with road noise. Tires, accessories, etc will change that as well. I added a cover over the external AC vent and I was surprised how much noise was caused by that low pressure area. The one thing I would say is if you are only buying it to save on hotel rooms then you aren't really saving by the time you buy the Jeep and top. If you say $100 a hotel room compared to a $20 campsite + top then you are looking to have use it ~75 times to break even (assuming that the Jeep costs aren't considered). Obviously the advantage is that your mobile hotel room can go anywhere.. Not saying don't get it, just make sure you are getting it for the right reasons.

 

[jungblud]

The fatiguing component for my Jeep build was getting the high speed nervousness out. It wasn't so bad as to be dangerous only annoying and thus tiring over a few hours of driving.

Focusing on the alignment and track, adding a beefy adjustable front track bar (Synergy), took care of this.

 

[Ultralite]

Thanks again guys for the feedback it is helpful. I hope thinking through this here helps others decide. I think all of this speaks to the merits of the platform.

I think the JKU/J30 hits a sweet spot. For those of us who live in and frequently visit urban areas, this rig is parking lot friendly and garage clearance friendly so long as you haven't gone too high with lifting.

My 69 Westy is freaking awesome for providing space in a small footprint. But it is loud, hot in the South (no AC), and slow. Plus, mine is collectible quality and can't really be used as a daily. I can sleep some people in it though.

The Suburban is quiet, modern AC, and easily keeps up with interstate traffic. And while I have slept a few of us in there before, it's a lot of modification to get it done. And you can not stand up in it to change clothes, even if only one person is in there. (And I have a back injury from years back, hence another desire for road comfort). It is also getting long in the tooth, and will need replacing before too long.

I'm not looking to necessarily replace hotel stays, but this could be an option in certain circumstances. But it's not my justification.

I'm just trying to fine tune to lifestyle. Backcountry camping with my son. Big city visits with my wife and daughter. Daily driver for me with a rig that appears to inspire affection judging by the Jeep lovers I know.

And when I say "backcountry", for me that is largely forest service roads. So I'm thinking of what I call "truck, road tires" (not aggressive knobbies) with stock suspension would be enough for my forest service roads while keeping it more quiet on the highway. Then, sound dampening which I did to my 69 Westy. However, while it made a huge difference in road noise, it's still loud in there. So I'm trying to realistically assess how quiet I can get the JKU. I'm not expecting a Lexus, just trying to do my homework.

(I worked for years in engineering and R&D, in case that helps explain some of this over analysis :ylsmoke

 

[AdventureHare]

For me, the JKA/J30 would be the sweet spot (JKA = Wrangler Africa concept). :wings:

If I won the lottery, I'd be putting a deposit down on a JKU Rubi eco-diesel and a J30. I absolutely love this idea.

 

[Dan Grec]

For me, the JKA/J30 would be the sweet spot (JKA = Wrangler Africa concept). :wings:

If I won the lottery, I'd be putting a deposit down on a JKU Rubi eco-diesel and a J30. I absolutely love this idea.

Wait till you see what I've built / am building right now

And I'm taking it to Africa

-dan