nwoods
Expedition Leader
what should I be getting? should I be hoping for 150? I have a Rubicon LJ on 35's with a 5" lift, auto, and factory 4:10 gearing.
Why do folks say, "Jeeps aren't expedition vehicles?"
- Thread starter maximumrob
- Start date
what should I be getting? should I be hoping for 150? I have a Rubicon LJ on 35's with a 5" lift, auto, and factory 4:10 gearing.
Mayne
Explorer
WOW those tires are takin a bite out of your mileage. I get get 200 to 240 with 31's and 3.73's This is with a roof rack with lights.
As far as camping and range goes, I solve that issue by adding a trailer (M416) and in the comfort dept heated seats. I'm as comfortable or more so in my Jeep than in my Mini.
Mayne
XXXpedition
Explorer
yep, i agree - you've got a BAD range...
that tire-gear combo is a killer in your case.
i ran 33"s on my XJ with 4.56 gearing and got about 200m on a tank. while in australia i didn't top 55mph and got it up to 250.
that tire-gear combo is a killer in your case.
i ran 33"s on my XJ with 4.56 gearing and got about 200m on a tank. while in australia i didn't top 55mph and got it up to 250.
Root Moose
Expedition Leader
Agree.
4.10 is not enough gear to be turning the extra mass and diameter of 35" tires plus the added lift height adding to the barn door effects.
Consider 4.88s. Is the Jeep auto or manual?
Also, is the speedo calibrated to your tire/gear combination? You might be getting more miles per tank than indicated.
4.10 is not enough gear to be turning the extra mass and diameter of 35" tires plus the added lift height adding to the barn door effects.
Consider 4.88s. Is the Jeep auto or manual?
Also, is the speedo calibrated to your tire/gear combination? You might be getting more miles per tank than indicated.
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BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
agree nathan. I was getting 20-21 in my stock non-rubi LJ. I'd expect to get in the 15-16 range if I had built it how I was planning. (33's, tummy tuck, small lift, etc)
that's still about 285 per tank by my numbers.
even at 10mpg you'd get 190 or 200 or so, per tank. 20 gal stocker,right?
(Don't tell me you have a 35 gallon genright!!! bullet hole?? hahah!)
that's still about 285 per tank by my numbers.
even at 10mpg you'd get 190 or 200 or so, per tank. 20 gal stocker,right?
(Don't tell me you have a 35 gallon genright!!! bullet hole?? hahah!)
Layonnn
Adventurer
I'll offer my 2 cents.
I would not classify "any overnight" trip an expedition, not even close. Thats called car camping.
Expeditions are something that take detailed planning (for food, shelter, hygiene, etc) , involve traversing long distances, multi-day/week/month trips, in my opinion.
The reason why i feel the wrangler/CJs hasn't been considered a great expedition vehicle (coming from owning a CJ-7 as my first vehicle) is:
1. Its size (yes i know people can take expeditions with a motorcycle, but if i take one, i want my dog and at least one friend, plus all our gear)
2. Fuel economy and tank size (yes there are jerry cans, i have 5, but you need space to carry all those cans as well)
3. Reliability (My first vehicle was a CJ-7, then a Cherokee. I learned how to work on cars because i was constantly having to fix these things even with proper routine maintenance.)
The new 4dr JK is a lot more expedition friendly than the 2dr. I could take my dog and a friend and still have room for gear. I disagree that the current minivan engine has "plenty of torque and hp" for a lifted, 33 or bigger modded JK. I drove my buddies near new 4dr JK with 32s and a steel bumper and it felt like a slug to me.
If i had to pick any jeep to do an expedition in, hands down it would be a late 90's Cherokee (that was mechanically in near perfect condition)
I would not classify "any overnight" trip an expedition, not even close. Thats called car camping.
Expeditions are something that take detailed planning (for food, shelter, hygiene, etc) , involve traversing long distances, multi-day/week/month trips, in my opinion.
The reason why i feel the wrangler/CJs hasn't been considered a great expedition vehicle (coming from owning a CJ-7 as my first vehicle) is:
1. Its size (yes i know people can take expeditions with a motorcycle, but if i take one, i want my dog and at least one friend, plus all our gear)
2. Fuel economy and tank size (yes there are jerry cans, i have 5, but you need space to carry all those cans as well)
3. Reliability (My first vehicle was a CJ-7, then a Cherokee. I learned how to work on cars because i was constantly having to fix these things even with proper routine maintenance.)
The new 4dr JK is a lot more expedition friendly than the 2dr. I could take my dog and a friend and still have room for gear. I disagree that the current minivan engine has "plenty of torque and hp" for a lifted, 33 or bigger modded JK. I drove my buddies near new 4dr JK with 32s and a steel bumper and it felt like a slug to me.
If i had to pick any jeep to do an expedition in, hands down it would be a late 90's Cherokee (that was mechanically in near perfect condition)
I completely agree with item number one. When most people think Jeep they think of the Wrangler and historically, prior to the JK 4-door, the Wrangler was just to small with too little GVW to be considered a proper expedition vehicle. Yes the Cherokee is larger, but the unibody construction disqualifies it from the start in the eyes of most overland drivers.
As for reason two, the Wrangler, or Cherokee or that matter, get very similar mileage and have similar fuel capacity to almost any petrol, expedition worthy platform sold in the US. Additional fuel capacity is almost always a consideration when building up an expedition vehicle with a petrol engine. So this is not really a limiter specific to Jeep.
As for reliability it is my experience that the Jeep platform is very durable with regular maintenance as long as it is not abused abused during extreme use such as rock crawling. Under these conditions almost any platform will require a lot of repairs.
korisu56
Adventurer
While I agree with your JK statements, I have to disagree with your wrangler/cj statements. Here's why:
All of what you said is fixable. Just like with any SWB rig, you have to have it fit your needs.
1. Size: fixable with purchasing and packing properly
2. Fuel: Like with any properly planned expo/trip, fuel projections and contingencies should be in place to fuel up. As far as cans, see #1.
3. You gotta remember what you're working with. My CJ is 25 years old with a couple hundred thousand miles. Of course it's going to require more maintenance than your 3 year old FJ. However, at the end of the day they're cheaper and easier to work on and duct tape, hose tape, some spare fuses and fluids will go alot farther on there than newer platforms.
There's a benefit to smaller and simple. I'm all about 'run what ya brung'. I love looking at all the different setups and ideas. For example, one thing I'm envious of FJ's is the MPAC support you guys have. I would love to have that.
EDIT: by 'purchasing' in number 1, I mean when purchasing gear for your adventure not the Jeep
All of what you said is fixable. Just like with any SWB rig, you have to have it fit your needs.
1. Size: fixable with purchasing and packing properly
2. Fuel: Like with any properly planned expo/trip, fuel projections and contingencies should be in place to fuel up. As far as cans, see #1.
3. You gotta remember what you're working with. My CJ is 25 years old with a couple hundred thousand miles. Of course it's going to require more maintenance than your 3 year old FJ. However, at the end of the day they're cheaper and easier to work on and duct tape, hose tape, some spare fuses and fluids will go alot farther on there than newer platforms.
There's a benefit to smaller and simple. I'm all about 'run what ya brung'. I love looking at all the different setups and ideas. For example, one thing I'm envious of FJ's is the MPAC support you guys have. I would love to have that.
EDIT: by 'purchasing' in number 1, I mean when purchasing gear for your adventure not the Jeep
jh504
Explorer
Nailed it. Part of the fun of any "expedition" is the challenge. Which is why folks do it on bicycles, motorcycles, quads, and whatever else. Ofcourse for a long distance, government funded, scientific expedition it wouldnt be the BEST choice. But a Jeep definitely has its place in long distance offroad travel.
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
I'm gonna have to take my Jeep in to the dealership to get my pedal fixe-...oh wait...
Thats right...
I own a jeep.
Everything is working like its supposed to, 17 years later. hahahahahaha
korisu56
Adventurer
jh504
Explorer
A Jeep would only meet my needs if It were me and the dog going. Add the wife and the other dog and the world gets very small. I personally wouldnt take a CJ or a YJ on any remote long distance trip either, unless they were top notch. I wouldnt think twice about putting my trust in a TJ or XJ though. Never had any issues with any of my XJs I have owned. The 4.0 and AW4 is a good combo for Jeep. My YJ on the other hand, just couldnt keep the thing on the road.
Root Moose
Expedition Leader
I wouldn't stress about a EFI ChryCo era YJ at all. They are as reliable as any TJ IMO.