Alaska Daily Drivers: Hydro Blue 80A and Bright White JTR

[Turnswrench]

Trailer brake control went into the white Jeep with a little bit of fuss, mostly because of the knob location I chose. I recommend the spot, but it's a tedious job.

But before that, we were lazy on the couch.

Removed the center console and drilled two holes. One for the light, one for the knob.

Put the center console back in, pulled the wire, and ensured the transfer case shifter had plenty of clearance in all settings.

Mounted the control box under the steering column.

Tested the unit.

Took some pics from the driver seat to show visibility.

That's all she wrote on that one!

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[Turnswrench]

Can't help but grab a quick pic with the iconic Palmer, Alaska water tower when we drop into Matanuska Brewery ?

 

[Turnswrench]

Swapped to performance yellow lenses on the Flex Era 4s on the daily driver. Should help with the intensity of light on falling snow.

 

[Turnswrench]

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It's about to be very comfortable around the roof top tent!

 

[chorky]

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It's about to be very comfortable around the roof top tent!

Oh man I can't wait to see this!!

 

[jwolfejt]

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It's about to be very comfortable around the roof top tent!

We are moving up to Palmer soon (Early April) - was wondering if your Gladiator came with a block heater or if you even use it ? Was one of the things I was going to ask the dealer to install before we head up there. Was thinking of going with a soft top year round - but thinking of how cold it gets/how much snow falls seems like a bad idea lol (although I love soft tops). I am sure the heater/seat heater/steering wheel are more than upto task - they are far better than what I had in my 4runner.

 

[Turnswrench]

We are moving up to Palmer soon (Early April) - was wondering if your Gladiator came with a block heater or if you even use it ? Was one of the things I was going to ask the dealer to install before we head up there. Was thinking of going with a soft top year round - but thinking of how cold it gets/how much snow falls seems like a bad idea lol (although I love soft tops). I am sure the heater/seat heater/steering wheel are more than upto task - they are far better than what I had in my 4runner.

Our blue Jeep has a block heater and we've never used it. I imagine I would if I lived in Fairbanks or further north or didn't have a garage just to be safe. I think a soft top would be livable here. It will get dirty and it will probably form ice pretty easily but overall it should be fine. What I am not sure of is how it does in the wind. It can get VERY windy here. 60+mph is a real thing during the cold months. This is not an exaggeration.

The heater, heated heats and steering wheel all do perfectly well. It's never left me wanting more.

Palmer is incredible. It's a small town feel with great proximity to the things you need to thrive. I absolutely love living here. Out of all the places I've been to in Alaska, I haven't found a better fit. I'm so excited for you to get to live here. Please let me know if Megan and I can assist in any way.

 

[chorky]

We are moving up to Palmer soon (Early April) - was wondering if your Gladiator came with a block heater or if you even use it ? Was one of the things I was going to ask the dealer to install before we head up there. Was thinking of going with a soft top year round - but thinking of how cold it gets/how much snow falls seems like a bad idea lol (although I love soft tops). I am sure the heater/seat heater/steering wheel are more than upto task - they are far better than what I had in my 4runner.

+1 for what Bowman said above. I live in western MT and we consistently see temps down to -30 at least a couple dozen times in the winter. No crazy windchill though. I dont' have a block heater, and after the first winter figured I wouldn't even need one. It starts up fine. Some rattling of course to start as expected but I give it a 10-15 minute warmup and drive easy for the first mile or two. Seats and wheel are usually warm by the time I get in. I do have a battery charger/tender though and that makes a big difference keeping it topped off overnight. I also do not have a garage, so there is a windchill factor although I dont know what it is. If you get crazy windchill and dont have a garage and temps actually drop below -30 then I would consider one. But with windchill and no garage, honestly, a block heater probably isn't really going to warm things up much at all as these engines use a (well depending on year) dry block heater, so it's not wet and submerged in coolant. I think the early 19-21's were a wet heater, but after mid to late '21 they were dry to my knowledge. Mine is a '22 thus more reason for me to not get the block heater.

 

[jwolfejt]

Our blue Jeep has a block heater and we've never used it. I imagine I would if I lived in Fairbanks or further north or didn't have a garage just to be safe. I think a soft top would be livable here. It will get dirty and it will probably form ice pretty easily but overall it should be fine. What I am not sure of is how it does in the wind. It can get VERY windy here. 60+mph is a real thing during the cold months. This is not an exaggeration.

The heater, heated heats and steering wheel all do perfectly well. It's never left me wanting more.

Palmer is incredible. It's a small town feel with great proximity to the things you need to thrive. I absolutely love living here. Out of all the places I've been to in Alaska, I haven't found a better fit. I'm so excited for you to get to live here. Please let me know if Megan and I can assist in any way.

Oh yes we have been to Palmer but stayed in Wasilla when we were in the valley (In July). We were looking at staying in Wasilla originally but decided on Palmer. The scenery, fishing etc is out of this world. Only thing i wished they had is a Costco in the Valley - Anchorage has 2 of them lol - would be nice if they opened one up in the valley. Would love to meet up once we move out that way. Would be cool to hit up some trails.

 

[jwolfejt]

+1 for what Bowman said above. I live in western MT and we consistently see temps down to -30 at least a couple dozen times in the winter. No crazy windchill though. I dont' have a block heater, and after the first winter figured I wouldn't even need one. It starts up fine. Some rattling of course to start as expected but I give it a 10-15 minute warmup and drive easy for the first mile or two. Seats and wheel are usually warm by the time I get in. I do have a battery charger/tender though and that makes a big difference keeping it topped off overnight. I also do not have a garage, so there is a windchill factor although I dont know what it is. If you get crazy windchill and dont have a garage and temps actually drop below -30 then I would consider one. But with windchill and no garage, honestly, a block heater probably isn't really going to warm things up much at all as these engines use a (well depending on year) dry block heater, so it's not wet and submerged in coolant. I think the early 19-21's were a wet heater, but after mid to late '21 they were dry to my knowledge. Mine is a '22 thus more reason for me to not get the block heater.

I was told that all 2018+ JL/JT 3.6's were dry heaters. Not sure what the difference is between the 2... the last truck i was planning on taking up there was a 2500 Cummins - it already had the provisions for it from the factory just had to buy a cable. My understanding with our engines its kind of a pain as the heater sits behind the a/c compressor making it a pain to get in and out. Why would you not bother with a dry heater though ?

 

[Turnswrench]

Oh yes we have been to Palmer but stayed in Wasilla when we were in the valley (In July). We were looking at staying in Wasilla originally but decided on Palmer. The scenery, fishing etc is out of this world. Only thing i wished they had is a Costco in the Valley - Anchorage has 2 of them lol - would be nice if they opened one up in the valley. Would love to meet up once we move out that way. Would be cool to hit up some trails.

I'm cool with a Costco in Wasilla, the far side of Wasilla ?

Would love to connect, looking forward to it.

 

[Turnswrench]

If you aren't sure what a Propex heater is:

The Propex HeatSource HS2211 is a reliable propane furnace boasting 6500 BTU's of clean, dry, warm air. Maintaining a steady cabin temperature is easy with the included digital thermostat -- simply set your desired temp and enjoy!

Propex HeatSource heaters separate the combustion circuit from the cabin so there is neither condensation nor risk of carbon monoxide entering the vehicle The result is clean, quiet, dependable heat in your vehicle.

The Propex HS2211 is a weatherproof, externally mounted unit perfect for campervans, trailers, tiny homes, semis, boats, even rooftop tents - anywhere you need reliable heat without taking up valuable cabin space.

For more details, videos, and to purchase check out vancafe. No affiliation.

https://vancafe.com/propex-hs2211-6500-btu-exterior-gas-air-heater/

 

[Turnswrench]

Here's what I'm excited for and hope works out with the Propex heater:

- eliminate the need to carry a third fuel source (diesel)
- have a thermostat to better control temps, the diesel heater BAKES the RTT
- eliminate the noise of the diesel heater fuel pump ticking, although maybe it's soothing ?
- be able to mount to the rack instead of awkwardly carrying in the Jeep due to the height of the diesel heater

 

[Turnswrench]

The first step of installing this new heater is to read, research, and plan. This, and another fuel consuming device, requires your full attention in consideration of yours and others safety.

Vancafe has a whole section dedicated to helping you plan and make the best decisions as part of your installation journey.

After reviewing everything I could get my hands on and studying what was included in the box, I went out to determine the best place to mount the heater on the Jeep.

Just in case you were wondering, this is going on the blue Overlanding rig ?

Propex has very specific guidance on how to mount the heater and how the combustion pipes are to be positioned.

 

[Turnswrench]

With all that said, I determined the best place to mount the heater based on my configuration and needs.

That's the good news.

The bad news was, it meant completely changing all of the accessories and supplies mounted to the rack.

Why did things need to move?

- I didn't want to the heater anywhere near the fuel cans
- I needed space to run two large diameter tubes to carry the hot air up to the roof top tent and the cold air return back down to the heater
- The combustion pipes need to be slightly sloped down and have as little as vertical direction change as possible
- I wanted the heater mounted on the inward part of the rack to keep it protected and help keep the connection points and joints free of dirt, grit, and sand
- I wanted the heater on the same side as the propane tank to reduce to length of hose between the two
- I didn't want there to be any windows or entrance to the tent to be directly above where the heater exhaust will be. The exhaust drifting up could collect carbon monoxide in the tent if you did.

So that's what I've done so far. I planned and reconfigured the rack in preparation for the install. My next step is to make a hardware store run for fittings, copper lines, aluminum plate, etc etc. Then I can get to mounting the heater. Once it's in place I can get the wiring done and determine the length of tubes I'll need to run up to the tent and back.

Stay tuned!

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