Ragnar! Stingray Rubicon Build

[N83]

Hello, all!

Hoping this is the start of a long and adventurous build thread. After four Wranglers and a pair of full-size trucks, I finally have acquired what I always wanted: a modern Jeep truck. I learned a lot of lessons along the way, one of the greatest being to not compromise in something you really want. So, in September of 2021 I picked-up a lightly-used 2020 stingray Rubicon with everything I wanted minus the trail cam. I’ve even been surprised by a couple options I never knew I wanted: proximity keyless and adaptive cruise.

My vision for Ragnar is the following: a comfortable daily driver that is adventure-ready. I commute into DC but have family in WV and try to go out once a month for camping and trails. The trails out here aren’t too crazy so a stick Rubicon is more than enough. Most changes will be for aesthetics as well as utility to fit my style of camping. Below is my mod list and I’ll try to keep it updated as I acquire them.

Mods:
35’s
2.5” lift
Warn Evo VR 10S [X]
ARB Stubby Front Bumper [X]
Rock Hard 4x4 Rails [X]
Desert Does It Seat Slammers[X]
Rokblokz Front flaps [X]
ARB compressor
Tazer JL
Amber trail lighting
Bed rack
Bed lighting (illuminating camp sites)
GMRS radio
GoPro dash mount

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[N83]

First order of business was removing the star decal off the doors and a couple extra Gladiator stickers of the rear. Just too much branding for my taste.

Phase one was easy. A little heat from a blow dryer made removal quick. However, all the residue left was a pain and I used a friend’s industrial strength remover, lol.

Much better!!

 

[N83]

Next-up was adding rock trails. For whatever reason it didn’t have rails at the dealer. I think the first owner had aftermarket rails and took them off prior to trading. Oh well, that meant I could upgrade!

I went with RockHard angle down. I wanted US steel because of horror stories with Chinese-grade. I plan on using them and didn’t want to get anything that would deform. I like the angle up version because they’ll also serve as door-ding guards.

Isn’t that such a beautiful sight!

Body mount bolts off and ready to install!

All done! Looks great. Now that long body is protected from rocks. Speaking of which-time to try them out on the trail!

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/flagpole-knob-va-trip-was-a-blast.51149/

 

[N83]

Now for the more recent stuff. Because I plan to do a fair amount of wheeling on my own, and because some of it will be snow-covered trails in WV, the wife agreed I should invest in a winch. I decided on the Warn Evo VR 10s thinking it well be enough power for my needs. The bumper search was a huge pain because nothing out there really had everything I wanted. The ARB has everything minus holes for fog lights. Oh well-I’ll add something even better later.

Please don’t mind the blurry pic or cluttered garage.

Public service announcement: make sure you have 18mm deep sockets BEFORE you start, lol. After that removal was relatively painless. It was sad removing the steel skid plate knowing I don’t have one to replace it. I’ll watch out for that sway bar disconnect motor in the meantime…

All mounted up! I almost stopped here because my back was killing me. Note to self: don’t turn wrenches on a deadlift day, lol. I ended up pushing through and finishing the license plate bracket, adding the hook, wiring the winch, and testing by pulling three of my kids, lol.

Very satisfied with the look. And it should function at least as good as it looks. Still undecided as to whether I want a different end link. Not sure if the fancy Factor 55 pieces are just trendy or if they make a huge difference. I’m open to anyone’s thoughts on this…

 

[Mtpisgah]

Good move on removing the stars. They look silly.

Heck, I removed the ‘Gladiator’ text from the side and ’Jeep‘ emblems may come of soon. The only reason they are still there is because they have orange highlights.

The sliders look good.

 

[ScottHarr_JT]

Solid build! Dig the color and the removal of the stickers. Also, fantastic work convincing the wife on the need for mods... Probably the hardest part in all this.

 

[N83]

Haha, exactly. She’s pretty awesome- she’ll watch a couple Jeeping YouTube channels with me and “gets it.” She has seen the importance of a winch, especially with snowy trails.

 

[ScottHarr_JT]

That’s good. My plan is to take her out and get horribly stuck on purpose in the snow somewhere... that should help persuade her right? ?

 

[N83]

I added a 10” Voodoo rack (bought here off a fellow member) a month or two ago as well as a RTT. I didn’t want to have it installed the whole time so I also fashioned a lift system in my barn so I can remove/install easily.

The rack is great- very solid. I also have tonneau brackets but they’re either the wrong tire or I’m missing something. Either way, it’s good enough for right now.

Yeeeeeeesssssss ?

Ok, let’s get it on.

My little helper

And that’s why I wanted a mid-height rack. Love that the tent isn’t poking up above the roof very much.

Heading to WV in 5 days so I’ll finally get to use the tent. It’ll be a chilly couple of nights but I’ve got some nice sleeping bags to keep me warm.

 

[John in the Woods]

Nice rig, and great that your wife gets it and you’ve got helpers in the family. I hope to get down to WV this summer, so I may try to pick your brain for trail and camping recommendations.

Until then, enjoy!

 

[N83]

Thanks! I'd be glad to offer recommendations for WV. We try to make it out there once a month so I'm building my experience base, lol.

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