1 Ton and 40"s JTRD

[Bama_Swampfox]

Out at Crown King Saloon about ten years ago after stopping in Cleator - funny story - there was a UPS driver delivering there and I said to my wife: "I can't believe UPS comes all the way up here". the UPS guy overheard me and said: "I can't believe it either".....

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[tj3089]

Nice truck, and nice heeler dog!
Aren t crazy busy?

Yes, he is crazy energetic, but I run him a few miles everyday to help and he is very smart and obedient (most of the time).

 

[tj3089]

@Sandman 4x4 You are correct sir, the larger wheels and tires make it a little less capable at towing. I did not want to just use it for a tow vehicle, hence the "jack of all trades, master of none" title. We lifted it because we like to off-road a lot here locally and in Moab, CO, Utah, etc. More on those trips to come.

The whole quote is "Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than master of one."

"This expanded version of the phrase highlights the potential value of having a broad range of skills, suggesting that such a person can be more resourceful and adaptable than someone who is highly specialized in a single area." - Google AI

I'll get a 2500 or 3500 eventually so I can really have fun on the trails without worrying about getting home, and I'll be able to bring my wife's JLU or my TJ too.

 

[tj3089]

After we got back from the Arizona trip, my dad decided to get an EcoDiesel gladiator because he liked mine so much. He was able to get 26% off MSRP.

Now we have father son gladiators, which is only fitting since he got me into jeeps in the first place.

 

[tj3089]

Oh and I forgot to mention, if anybody ever tows a trailer and manages to short their trailer wire. Don't forget to check the fuses on the jeep.

I managed to pinch the 7 pin wire when we were leaving a tight parking lot with a dead end. My left (or right, not sure) was not working and I spent hours trying to figure it out after I had already replaced the 7 pin cable and junction box on the trailer.

My dad finally asked me if I checked the fuses and of course, one had blown. I'm glad he told me when he did, because I was about to run new wires to the taillights on my trailer.

 

[tj3089]

A bumper and winch came next in order to help us get out of future situations. I always try to be as prepared as possible after getting stranded in the desert on my dirt bike a couple times .

"No one is coming, expect to self rescue."

My wife bought me a delorme inreach sos messenger many years ago before they were bought by Garmin. It has been a great way for her to keep tabs on me while out on longer trips (I do a lot of solo motorcycle riding and camping). Luckily we have never had to use the SOS button.


My dad and I picked up a badlands winch while they were on sale and I bought a knockoff Mopar bumper from eBay to mount it. Everything is still holding up well today. My dad went with a Smittybuilt bumper I believe.

 

[tj3089]

After the winch and bumper install, I lucked into 4 days off work, so I took an impromptu trip to Moab to continue the "break-in" process .

The 37 inch tires helped with ground clearance at the differentials, but this trip showed me the importance of a lift kit on the gladiator. I drug the belly in a few spots and even high centered on poison spyder.

Overall, I was very happy with how the diesel motor performed off-road compared to my old gasser. Even the road trip to Moab was less stressful in the diesel because it wasn't constantly shifting gears while going up and down hills.

 

[flyfish6214]

The next modification is controversial for some reason (a lot of RTT haters), but I decided to add a rooftop tent because one finally got down into my price range.

It is the Naturnest Sirius 1 Clamshell Tent and we've used it a dozen or so times and are very happy with it so far. It weighs 150lbs and has enough room for myself, the wife, toddler, and our pug.

I got lucky and found a set of Mopar factory trail rails, cross bars, and 2 Yakima bike racks on marketplace for a decent deal. Yes, I there are A LOT of jeeps in my area so used parts are abundant.

My plan was to get a half rack to keep the RTT as low as possible and out of the wind, so the Mopar cross bars worked out perfectly, and the lower tent makes it harder to steal larger items while I'm out and about.

I took it out on a trip to Aguirre springs and Cloudcroft New Mexico within the first month of ownership to see if I like that rooftop tent life or not.

I love my RTT it is a game changer, sets up in 5 minutes

 

[tj3089]

I love my RTT it is a game changer, sets up in 5 minutes

I think they have a lot of benefits over a traditional tent setup and they are not as crazy expensive as they used to be either. I'm going to stay in my tent tonight on my property and all I have to do is get my clothes and camp box because everything is ready to go.

 

[tj3089]

Here are some more pictures from poison spyder. The views are incredible in Moab and one of the reasons I go back as much as I can.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

Very Jealous of your wheeling. I used to live in Oklahoma and then in Kerrville, TX (yeah, that Kerrville, thankfully, my kids' house stayed above the flood line)
Anywho... Texas and Oklahoma are where I learned to wheel and I REALLY miss the rocks. Mud and tree roots aren't as fun to wheel in here in PA... lol

 

[tj3089]

Very Jealous of your wheeling. I used to live in Oklahoma and then in Kerrville, TX (yeah, that Kerrville, thankfully, my kids' house stayed above the flood line)
Anywho... Texas and Oklahoma are where I learned to wheel and I REALLY miss the rocks. Mud and tree roots aren't as fun to wheel in here in PA... lol

I'm glad your family is safe, terrible what happened down there and the floods that continue to happen around the country. That or wildfires every summer it seems. I almost went camping in Ruidoso the day it flooded, but stayed home to ride my dirt bike instead.

PA to Moab is doable, but has to be planned out correctly. I am fortunate to live 8-10hrs away from many epic spots such as Moab, The passes in CO, trails in NM or AZ, hell even San Diego is a 10hr drive. Plus I was born and raised here and most of my family still lives here so it is hard to leave, especially with all the free daycare for our toddler

 

[tj3089]

The entrance to Hell's Revenge is a nice little gatekeeper with photo opportunities.

 

[tj3089]

I also took my Aprilia Tuareg 660 out on Hell's Revenge with my pug. We got so many crazy looks from everyone, too bad I didn't have an extra camera to capture my pugs face.

I have a YouTube video from my perspective of it, if anyone is interested:

 

[tj3089]

I've been doing a lot of research on lift kits, to get an idea of which one would suit my needs the best. I still wanted to tow my toy hauler of course, so I narrowed my choice down to Clayton with HD springs or the AEV lift with their HD springs.

I did not want to use helper bags (kiss principle), and the RTT will help weigh down the rear when I'm driving around town and not towing.

Ultimately, I decided to go with the Clayton 2.5" overland+ lift with their HD springs, falcon 3.3 shocks and the curry correctlync front steering.

I went with the Clayton lift kit because it included almost everything in the kit, which made it easy to upgrade most of the suspension at once. I also read good things about the falcon shocks and wanted to give them a try. The AEV kit looked nice and everything but I thought it was a little pricey for all of the parts that they included. I also like that the Clayton lift came with control arms instead of just relocating brackets.

We did the install in my driveway with a couple jack stands and the badlands off-road jack. It took a all day, but I was taking my time with the measurements and setting the alignment up. Yes, I did my own alignment with BleepinJeeps alignment brackets and has been great so far.

The sway bar links were my least favorite part of the kit because they don't cut them to length, which I understand, but they only sell three different sizes of lift kits. So it wouldn't be hard to pay the junior employee to cut a few sets out for each size kit.I also really don't like the fact that the link ends don't fill the hole on the sway bar. They are undersized, so you're reliant on the clamping force of the bolt and they end up rattling around after some time. I'm going to replace them when I beef up the rear swaybar frame bracket.

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