Florida offroading build setup

[CFLgladiator]

Hey guys, about to be a new owner and I'm undecided while staring at my order sheet.

On the fence about options that are central florida specific. I know select trac/ rock trac is helpful in the snow but seems unnecessary here. Any good reason to order it? Also I still am not sure about the rubicon vs mojave. Most of my offroading in the past has been sugar sand and dirt and I've never had the option of a front locker or sway disco.

Also I have a really bad back issue so the more compliant suspension of the mojave is appealing. Hoping for a little help from more experienced jeepers.

My current plan is to get a rubi with a mopar lift or other 2.5 lift that rides similar to mojave and 37s. Steel bumper with winch to give confidence to explore more by myself. Towing fishing boat.

I'm in east Orlando/oviedo so ocala will probably be most of my offroading with hopefully some short trips to other southern states. But honestly the appeal of the mojave sucking up speed bumps and other usual city bumps that hurt my back and forest road bumps sounds nice. It will be a daily driver but I have a work truck so usually just used for errands/ around town.

Let me know if I can provide more info to help. Thanks

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[toflo]

Hey guys, about to be a new owner and I'm undecided while staring at my order sheet.

On the fence about options that are central florida specific. I know select trac/ rock trac is helpful in the snow but seems unnecessary here. Any good reason to order it? Also I still am not sure about the rubicon vs mojave. Most of my offroading in the past has been sugar sand and dirt and I've never had the option of a front locker or sway disco.

Also I have a really bad back issue so the more compliant suspension of the mojave is appealing. Hoping for a little help from more experienced jeepers.

My current plan is to get a rubi with a mopar lift or other 2.5 lift that rides similar to mojave and 37s. Steel bumper with winch to give confidence to explore more by myself. Towing fishing boat.

I'm in east Orlando/oviedo so ocala will probably be most of my offroading with hopefully some short trips to other southern states. But honestly the appeal of the mojave sucking up speed bumps and other usual city bumps that hurt my back and forest road bumps sounds nice. It will be a daily driver but I have a work truck so usually just used for errands/ around town.

Let me know if I can provide more info to help. Thanks

I live in CFL and went through the same process and had similar concerns. I decided on the Mojave but the reality is that it's more truck than I will ever need. That's totally ok, I bought it because it makes me smile when I drive it. I don't have any regrets and I have never thought "I wish I had bought the Rubicon". That said I think the Rubicon will give you more options for suspension mods to accommodate your back and towing and will handle tooling around in the CFL sand just fine. If I had to do it again I would buy the Mojave.

 

[ScottBeach]

Hey guys, about to be a new owner and I'm undecided while staring at my order sheet.

On the fence about options that are central florida specific. I know select trac/ rock trac is helpful in the snow but seems unnecessary here. Any good reason to order it? Also I still am not sure about the rubicon vs mojave. Most of my offroading in the past has been sugar sand and dirt and I've never had the option of a front locker or sway disco.

Also I have a really bad back issue so the more compliant suspension of the mojave is appealing. Hoping for a little help from more experienced jeepers.

My current plan is to get a rubi with a mopar lift or other 2.5 lift that rides similar to mojave and 37s. Steel bumper with winch to give confidence to explore more by myself. Towing fishing boat.

I'm in east Orlando/oviedo so ocala will probably be most of my offroading with hopefully some short trips to other southern states. But honestly the appeal of the mojave sucking up speed bumps and other usual city bumps that hurt my back and forest road bumps sounds nice. It will be a daily driver but I have a work truck so usually just used for errands/ around town.

Let me know if I can provide more info to help. Thanks

I live at the beach but visit Ocala park. Just this past weekend. Even a sport s can handle it. If going "high trim" mojave makes more sense. We see sand. No rocks. Unless you plan road trips.

 

[CFLgladiator]

Thanks for the responses so far. I wasn't sure how useful a front locker would be in the mud. Like I said, I've never had the option to try it. Also I'm not sure how much rock crawling the southeast has to offer, but I'd love to have the option to do it. Also since I mainly just want the mojave for the suspension and plan to lift it immediately I would think there would be a shock/spring package available that could mimic it's ride. I don't need stiffened chassis or knuckles or bolsters. Also I don't like that the mojave loses a thousand pounds of towing.

 

[CFLgladiator]

Also I'm more wondering if any of these features can help, not that they are needed. I grew up in the north ocala area so I'm no stranger to sand. I've helped pull out a guys 4x4 truck stuck in deep sugar sand road while he is in the process of telling me it's impossible to drive any further an IROC Z bobs and weaves past us and goes down the road. So damn near anything is possible with skill and experience just wondering which is more capable/useful locally.

 

[KevinC]

If you plan on lifting the Jeep with a kit that replaces the coil springs and/or shocks, you would be wasting money on a Mojave. Teraflex has a 2" kit that retains the coils and shocks and replaces front lower control arms.

I have a Rubicon. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Even in Central Florida I have been on trails where I have had one front tire off the ground and the front locker saved me.

KevinC

 

[JeepRitz]

Hey guys, about to be a new owner and I'm undecided while staring at my order sheet.

On the fence about options that are central florida specific. I know select trac/ rock trac is helpful in the snow but seems unnecessary here. Any good reason to order it? Also I still am not sure about the rubicon vs mojave. Most of my offroading in the past has been sugar sand and dirt and I've never had the option of a front locker or sway disco.

Also I have a really bad back issue so the more compliant suspension of the mojave is appealing. Hoping for a little help from more experienced jeepers.

My current plan is to get a rubi with a mopar lift or other 2.5 lift that rides similar to mojave and 37s. Steel bumper with winch to give confidence to explore more by myself. Towing fishing boat.

I'm in east Orlando/oviedo so ocala will probably be most of my offroading with hopefully some short trips to other southern states. But honestly the appeal of the mojave sucking up speed bumps and other usual city bumps that hurt my back and forest road bumps sounds nice. It will be a daily driver but I have a work truck so usually just used for errands/ around town.

Let me know if I can provide more info to help. Thanks

I am in Palm Desert (SoCal) but intend to mo e to Central Florida when I retire. The Mojave was a no-brainer for me because I will get to use my Juck as intended.

However, if I had lived in Florida the Willys would have been my first choice. It had everything I needed in the mud and none of the crapni didn't. It's way cheaper and that coat savi go would be me a suspension superior to the Fox 2.5 in the Mojave.

I vote you lock down a Willys.

 

[CFLgladiator]

Thanks for the recommendations guys. I just ordered my truck with Gupton in tennessee. Decided on a damn near fully loaded Rubicon. The msrp of 64 and change was hard to swallow but Daniel is coming in substantially less making it a little easier on the wallet. I was really on the fence with the two trucks. To be honest if I planned on leaving it stock, the Mojave would be a no-brainer. It is amazing as is. But I want the capability of the rubi and just the ride of the mojave. I should be able to replicate that with one of the fine lifts on the market. Also the hit to towing was bad.
Really wanted to get the diesel for torque alone, but with my very short usual drives and long durations between driving sometimes the v6 will have to do. Don't need a 392 nor did I want to wait for that option or possible 4xe.

I'll be flying out to pick it up in a couple months then hopefully get it dirty and maybe meet some of you guys on the trails.

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