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Meet SHERPAH my overland rig

smlobx

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I built the Gladiator to specifically take us well off the beaten tracks and to be able to stay out for an extended length of time.

In the following posts I’ll highlight some of the things I’ve done to it but here she is getting ready for our shakedown trip to Colorado and Utah coming up in a few days…

Jeep Gladiator Meet SHERPAH my overland rig 7BB69F46-767C-42F1-BCDD-182690289598
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smlobx

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I bought the Rubicon specifically for the reason that I would not have to change much to go where I want to go. I believe that the Jeep Engineers did a pretty good job and certainly know better than me when it comes to automotive engineering so I have left the rig pretty much as I ordered it.

in other threads here I have commented on why I started with the Alu-Cab awning, basically it’s relatively lightweight, very strong and have awning doors on all 3 sides which makes for easy access to everything inside.
on the passenger side we have the pantry which holds my flexible solar panel, the FrontRunner utensil set, our griddle, coffee cups and my primary first aid kit.
On the left side of the pantry I built the area to house all the wiring for my REDARC BCDC Solar controller.
Above the door is our OVS 270 Awning and our Roofnest RTT

Jeep Gladiator Meet SHERPAH my overland rig EC1C7277-1AB2-4102-9882-9A0850B67BA8
 
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smlobx

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In the back you can see several things that we did. At the very front is a 30 gallon water tank which may seem like a lot and most of the time we will only carry 10 gallons or so but if we know we’re going to stay someplace for an extended time we have the capability to carry more.
In front of that is our Truck Vault custom drawer set which houses the cooktop, canned goods and other non perishable items as well as other long term storage things.

To the right up against the front is a 100 AH BattleBorn battery. Aft of that is a 20# propane tank and then our 38L fridge which can be accessed either from the back or the side.

To the left of the drawer are 2 spigots; the lower one is gravity fed and the upper one is powered by a 12 volt pump to a spray nozzle for taking showers etc.

On top of the drawer is our propane fire kit, the ladder to the RTT and a bag for our dirty laundry.
Jeep Gladiator Meet SHERPAH my overland rig 83533EC0-E733-468E-931D-2E7025F00E09
 
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smlobx

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In the back we did a rear seat delete and are using 4 FrontRunner boxes to store our clothes, camera gear etc. between the boxes we have our day packs. In the rear of the area we have some Maxtrax and our 2 camp chairs..
Behind the drivers seat is another first aid kit And fire element fire extinguisher.

Jeep Gladiator Meet SHERPAH my overland rig C282D367-0823-44AF-B16E-B6587B3B3C53
 
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smlobx

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In the front we haven’t done much except to add a Kenwood HAM radio with a remote head and a Garmin InReach.

Jeep Gladiator Meet SHERPAH my overland rig 6E3B19A9-A979-48BE-B606-87D40332A686
 

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smlobx

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As far as the truck itself we did two things which were documented on the forum previously.
We added a 17 gallon auxiliary fuel tank and a pair of 1000# Airlift airbags to help manage the weight..
Speaking of weight…

OK the moment of truth has arrived! One of the primary concerns was weight so I carefully chose what to install and what to leave out. While I’m not a weight Nazi by any stretch I am a firm believer in doing everything possible to keep the rig within its design parameters.
As I said above we are leaving later this week for a 3 week trip out to Colorado and Utah that should give us a great idea on how things work and what needs to be updated/changed.

I decided to weigh the rig as it will run down the road as follows:
1. Full main gas tank and about 14 gallons additional fuel in the LRA tank.
2. 10 gallons of fresh water.
3. BattleBorn 100 AH battery controlled by the REDARC 1240 BCDC controller.
4. 20# propane tank full
5. All food, cooking utensils, clothing, recovery gear and personnel.

My trucks stats and weights are as follows:

Front axle rating - 3100, actual weight - 2780#
Rear axle rating - 3750, actual weight - 3480#
Total GVWR - 6250, actual weight - 6260#

So technically I’m 10 pounds overweight. I will probably use some of the auxiliary fuel up before I go and that will keep me under and only fill it up when I either need the range or am going into a high cost area..
 

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Pretty impressive on the weight, little over, but not exceeding axle capacity, I can see why it is almost impossible to fully outfit a Glady and still stay below GVWR, you don't have huge tires, heavy bumpers, winch and have really minimal equipment, and deleted the rear seat for I think a70 pound savings after plywood! Thanks for posting.....Jack


EDIT: Also having the clothing and stuff in rear of cab transfers some weight to front axle, I like my factory Mojave Falkens, but think about going to the narrower 255/80 falkens, little bit taller at 33", higher load range, and ten pounds a tire less weight. The high load range is the only reason I have not, well and wife saying run them out before buying new tires!
 
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smlobx

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Pretty impressive on the weight, little over, but not exceeding axle capacity, I can see why it is almost impossible to fully outfit a Glady and still stay below GVWR, you don't have huge tires, heavy bumpers, winch and have really minimal equipment, and deleted the rear seat for I think a70 pound savings after plywood! Thanks for posting.....Jack


EDIT: Also having the clothing and stuff in rear of cab transfers some weight to front axle, I like my factory Mojave Falkens, but think about going to the narrower 255/80 falkens, little bit taller at 33", higher load range, and ten pounds a tire less weight. The high load range is the only reason I have not, well and wife saying run them out before buying new tires!
I looked at the weights of the Falkens and they are HEAVY! When these wear out I’ll be going to 285/75R17 KO2’s E load rating and I will actually save about 16 pounds doing so And get a heavier load rated taller tire to boot.
 

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In the back you can see several things that we did. At the very front is a 30 gallon water tank which may seem like a lot and most of the time we will only carry 10 gallons or so but if we know we’re going to stay someplace for an extended time we have the capability to carry more.
In front of that is our Truck Vault custom drawer set which houses the cooktop, canned goods and other non perishable items as well as other long term storage things.

To the right up against the front is a 100 AH BattleBorn battery. Aft of that is a 20# propane tank and then our 38L fridge which can be accessed either from the back or the side.

To the left of the drawer are 2 spigots; the lower one is gravity fed and the upper one is powered by a 12 volt pump to a spray nozzle for taking showers etc.

On top of the drawer is our propane fire kit, the ladder to the RTT and a bag for our dirty laundry.
Jeep Gladiator Meet SHERPAH my overland rig 6E3B19A9-A979-48BE-B606-87D40332A686
sweet build! is that an off the shelf or custom fridge slide? i have the same fridge and i’m looking at slides that don’t elevate the fridge too much since i still want it to fit below my tonneau cover. thanks!
 

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smlobx

smlobx

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^^^
Actually there isn’t a fridge slide. The fridge can be accessed directly were it sits from either the tailgate or the right side. My wife is short and this allows the best access for her. It works amazingly well.

the fridge (and most other items) are secured to aircraft tracks that I secured in the grooves of the bed. Works great and provides for a lot of flexibility.
 

ScottHarr_JT

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Amazing buildout! Can you elaborate on the aircraft tracks you mentioned for locking everything down? Interested in mounting options for a similar build out when I pick up my Rubi and my Go Fast Camper.
 
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Amazing buildout! Can you elaborate on the aircraft tracks you mentioned for locking everything down? Interested in mounting options for a similar build out when I pick up my Rubi and my Go Fast Camper.
These are what I used..
https://www.amazon.com/US-Cargo-Control-Powersports-System/dp/B00JKPFMKE/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1VDF64YK2HLM3&keywords=aircraft+track&qid=1640636155&sprefix=Aircraft+tr,aps,76&sr=8-5

I used a rivnut tool like this to secure the tracks to the bed.

https://www.amazon.com/Professional...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
 
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smlobx

smlobx

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Looking forward to your trip report. Great build, purpose-built, and nothing crazy.
Sorry for the delay.
This past fall we left VA and drove out west and did 3 epic routes in Colorado and Utah. These were the Alpine Loop, The Rimrocker Trail and the White Rim Trail. The Jeep performed fantastically! Here are just a few pictures…

Jeep Gladiator Meet SHERPAH my overland rig 97FD9CA6-72C4-4296-B6A9-AE7BB54EAD99
Jeep Gladiator Meet SHERPAH my overland rig D6E06629-070F-4E20-8B83-CB7612E6D712
Jeep Gladiator Meet SHERPAH my overland rig 487E7A85-CB61-4F93-B44D-2A521A52CBF7
Jeep Gladiator Meet SHERPAH my overland rig 1FBDACD9-362D-4B23-84EA-CA267A2B2292
Jeep Gladiator Meet SHERPAH my overland rig C14FA477-969E-4C9B-B93D-FA25C3FE42B4
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