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Mud Flaps and Entry Guards

I'm bouncing through dust, dirt, and pebbles with razor-sharp edges, which kick up and tear up your paint. Enter RokBlokz Quick Release Mud Flaps (Front and Rear) ($185 for both in size XL Long), which are amazing. I got XL because of my 35" tires, and long because.... well why not? These things are thick and sturdy.
IMG_4961.jpg


Rokbloks even cuts a hole in the front mud flaps so that they'll fit with a standard Rubicon rock rail. See that rock rail poking right through to say hi?
IMG_4960.jpg

Note how that front mud flap fits on in the picture above, with the one high part inside the wheel well, and the rest behind the wheel well. That took me a minute or two to figure out.

I drove without mud flaps, then drove with the mud flaps, and I can tell you that the sides of my truck seriously notice the difference.

While I've never bothered to use the quick disconnect screws to remove them for cleaning, I HAVE needed to remove these mud flaps while I'm installing yet more fun stuff on the Jeep (like my on-board air), and so I still appreciate how easy they are to remove and re-install.

I also really like that you can adjust how far out the rear mud flaps stick, depending on the size of your tire and your wheel's offset. (Sorry, at the time I took these pictures they were DIRTY, but isn't that the whole point?)
IMG_4964.jpg



ENTRY GUARDS

You're stepping in and out of your Jeep with dirty shoes. You're GOING to scratch the paint in the doorways. So you need Entry Guards.

I installed a set of Rugged Ridge Front & Rear Entry Guards ($45)
IMG_4900.jpg


I looked at all the different Entry Guard options (and there are a bunch of them). But I think Rugged Ridge has the clear winner. Why? Because of the top lip.

See that top lip, the thin part that curves upwards then stretches a short distance across into the vehicle? Rugged Ridge is the only one who has a strip of tape up there. Every other brand only has tape on the large bottom platform, and just trusts you not to catch your feet on the lip. Seems like a design flaw, one Rugged Ridge wisely avoided.

Remember from the Headliner post, that I told you to purchase a pack of 3M Adhesion Promotor Liquid Primer wipes? Well, the downside to the Rugged Ridge Entry Guards is that they tell you to use this during the install process but they don't provide any. Aren't you glad you saved a couple?
Hey thanks for posting. I tried to install the front RokBlok mudflaps on our JT Overland, but found that the 2 higher holes on the flap didn't quite align with the mount holes. Did you put the flap completely behind the 2 mount holes (the 2 holes sorta on the fender)? It seems like no matter how I oriented the flaps, they don't seem to quite go high enough. Thinking maybe it's the fender on the Overland.
 
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Fantastic thread. Thank you for sharing and providing usable information. I live in Salt Lake and would love to reach out to Kent in Idaho. Would you have contact information for him or the name of his dealership? Thanks again.
You'll find all the details on this forum thread. Lots of discussion of how to contact Kent, how the process works, etc. I found e-mails worked best, car dealers rarely just sit at their desks waiting for phone calls.
 

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You'll find all the details on this forum thread. Lots of discussion of how to contact Kent, how the process works, etc. I found e-mails worked best, car dealers rarely just sit at their desks waiting for phone calls.
Thank you.
 
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Hey thanks for posting. I tried to install the front RokBlok mudflaps on our JT Overland, but found that the 2 higher holes on the flap didn't quite align with the mount holes. Did you put the flap completely behind the 2 mount holes (the 2 holes sorta on the fender)? It seems like no matter how I oriented the flaps, they don't seem to quite go high enough. Thinking maybe it's the fender on the Overland.
RokBlok MudFlaps (Part 2)

Okay, I just pulled my front passenger mud flap off and took some pictures in the hopes it could help answer your question.

Looking back from the front tire, the mud flap is held on my three bolts, two on the top and one off to the side.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_5036


But when you take the mud flap off, only the top two holes have screw thread clips on them.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_5037


The third, lower screw thread clip fits onto the truck itself
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_5039


When you look forwards, towards the tire, at where the top two screw go, you sure could be fooled into thinking that the mud flap goes BETWEEN those two layers of plastic. You'd be wrong, unless you're planning to drill out the holes in those two fins of plastic and make them bigger
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_5038


Instead, install the mud flap behind both layers of plastic. Here's the same view, looking forwards towards the wheel, with the mud flap installed
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_5040


Then screw in the lower, rear thumbscrew
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_5041


All the while, making sure that the top wing of the mud flap is on the other side, inside the wheel well, separate from the rest of the mudflaps.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_4960


If any of that helps, awesome. Otherwise, sorry, it's what I got, and as you can see, it's all based off a Rubicon fender flare. Best of luck!
 

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love these posts!! I'm the same as you, my steering is fine - do you like the addition of the adjustable steering stabilizer? Worth the $300?
Honestly... ehhh. It's neat, but I don't know that it's worth the $300 if your steering is already good. If you don't currently have any steering issues, I'd say wait 2-3 years, and if your steering starts getting a little loosey goosey, then, yeah, this might help and be well worth the expense.

However, if you do a long Interstate drive and find that you have any trouble at all staying in your lane. If you have any trouble at 85mph wobbling a little through the curves. If you find yourself having to pay attention to your steering wheel during that long drive. Then heck yeah, it's worth it. I just did 3 hours each way on 80+mph interstates with my Falcon Teraflex set to "Firm", and had no troubles whatsoever with my steering. It was nice and tight, no wobbles, no looseness. That combined with my automatic "smart" cruise control, and the drive was a piece of cake.
 
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Overlanding/Camping Gear Part 1 - Cooking

Okay, I'm going to veer away from the Jeep itself for a minute and focus on using the Jeep to go camping. A lot of this is newer gear just because before I went camping with a child I did a whole different level of ultra-light camping, so most of my gear just doesn't cut it for the level of glamping my wife and three-year old are expecting.

I'll try to discuss packing the Jeep later, but for now let's focus on something we all need to do: eat.

NOTE - This is not meant to be a shopping list that someone should follow blindly. This is just what I'm using right now. None of these are affiliate links, I get absolutely nothing if you purchase any product linked from any comment in this entire thread. Some of my gear is up to 20 years old, but I'll try to link to comparable items available today. Feel free to use this as an ideas list. If you've got suggestions for better things, (or even just easier-to-pack things) let me know!

Stove - TemboTusk Skottle

A Skottle is a South African cooking device that's made its way into overlanding communities here in the States. It's basically a big wok. The center gets hot and cooks your food. The edges keep your food warm.

Here's mine cooking up some bacon while it keeps my already-done french toast warm
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_4710


TemboTusk now offers adjustable legs, but when I got mine the options were regular legs or tall legs. I'm 5'11", and regular legs are perfect. The legs are hollow, so I also packed marshmallow skewers inside them before leaving home.

I purchased my TemboTusk Skottle from Blue Ridge Overland Gear as an almost-complete kit that includes green vinyl bags to hold and protect everything. The only piece I'd recommend you add to it is the Skottle steam tray. The manufacturer also offers a free digital cookbook in Word format.

I almost got one of the standard big two-burner Coleman stove-type stoves, but this seemed cool, and I'm all for trying new things. I loved it. It's a bit awkward to pack, but I didn't need to pack stove plus pots and pans, just a stove. I did bring along a little chain mail scrubber for cleaning.

I haven't tried pastries yet on the steam tray, but so far this has been fun and easy to use (albeit still weird to pack due to its shape).

What fuel it takes depends on what stoke you attach to the bottom of it.

Note - Three screws hold a stove against the underside of the skottle. I cut an inch off all three screws because they came way longer than needed, and it was easier to pack that way.


Stove - JetBoil
No matter what type of stove you use to cook your food, I'm a big fan of using a JetBoil to boil water. I have the old, original model, but it's essentially a Jetboil Flash Cooking System. You get a large metal cup with a neoprene cover. The stove, a fuel canister, and a set of support legs all fit inside the cup when not in use. It boils water in ~100 seconds. It doesn't boil a lot at a time, but it's lightning fast. Plus, you never get the Jetboil cup dirty, because you're only ever using it for water.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build 1107427_family01


If I ever want to spend a lot of money and get a "full size two burner" stove, I'll probably get a JetBoil Genesis Basecamp stove.


Utensils
If you've got 2-4 people, I highly recommend getting a FrontRunner Outfitters Utensil set. This thing is awesome, and it's almost good enough on its own. To make it perfect, I added:
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_4832


It folds in thirds for packing, but it has hooks so you can hang it in camp while cooking


Cutting Board
The FrontRunner Outfitters Utensil Set comes with a plastic cutting board, which I reserved for meats. I also wanted one for veggies, and found the Snow Peak Packable Cutting Board (Large).

This is a wooden cutting board that folds in half, hiding a chef's knife inside it.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_4834


The knife is held in place by magnets. Note that the wood does not come ready to use! You will need to oil and condition it before your first use, and then oil it occasionally going forwards, just like any decent cutting board.


Dishes
I picked up a Wealers 24-piece mess kit, with 4 small bowls, 4 big bowls, 4 small plates, 4 small deep plates, 4 medium deep plates, and 4 large deep plates. They all fit together in a nice little kit bag. They're stainless steel, so they're easy to clean... but that also means they get hot when it's hot out and they get cold when it's cold out.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build 91j3-RqWllL._AC_SL1500_



Cups
First, I picked up a 4-pack of Wealers Stainless Steel Tumblers. I got the small size because of my toddler. The good: removable multi-colored silicon sleeves mean you can hold them when cold or warm and can tell each person's apart. The bad: that lid is horrific to drink through. Without the lid they're great.

Then, I needed coffee cups. Wife and I want our coffee in the morning and our hot chocolate at night. After searching around for something cheap but decent, I came across these Simple Modern 12oz Scout Travel Mugs. The top seals completely so you can turn it upside down and shake to mix your hot chocolate without dirtying a spoon.


Coffee
Speaking of coffee, I'd like to introduce you to the wonders of single-serve pour over coffee. You can buy empty bags and fill them with your own grind, but I enjoyed Kuju Medium Roast, which are each sealed in their own separate bag. A little sugar, a little milk, a spash from your bottle of Torani Dark Chocolate Sauce (because why not), and these are delicious.

The trick is to hold the edges over the outside of your cup while you pour your water, and to pour slowly. This is fancy pour-over coffee, after all, let the water take its time.

So why not a french press? There are a million french press camping options. They're also all a PIA the clean. This you just throw away, no mess, just a cup of delicious coffee.


Washing and Drying Dishes
I picked up a collapsible cutting board to use as a sink, and a collapsible drying rack to hold stuff while it was wet. In the future I want a second sink (1 for soap, 1 for rinse), and I could do without a drain plug, which only ever leaked.

I also brought along:

Basic Cooking Supplies
  • Collapsible Measuring Cups
  • Fresh Ground Sea Salt (available at your grocery store)
  • Fresh Ground Pepper (available at your grocery store)
  • Can Opener (why use your tiny backpacking one when you've got a truck?)
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Collapsible Collander
  • Large rubber spatulas
  • 1 cup plastic measuring cup for liquids (you can find a better one at your grocery store)
  • Steak Seasoning (available at your grocery store)
  • standard box of Aluminum Foil (available at your grocery store)
  • standard box of Press-and-Seal Wrap (available at your grocery store)
  • spare zip-lock bags in a variety of sizes
  • Small plastic bottle of cooking oil (available at your grocery store, I found Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a plastic bottle in the perfect 250ml size)
  • Non-pressurized cooking oil spray bottle (available at your grocery store, I use Pompeian 100% Grapeseed oil because it's a pump spray with no propellants that might cause leakage at altitude, and because grapeseed oil is good for high temperature cooking)
  • Roll of paper towel
  • Silicon Cooking Tongs (they came as part of the silicon spatula pack I purchased above, to go with the utensil set)
  • 2 gallon (13" x 18") zip lock bags to use for trash. I use this because I want to seal the food trash away, and you'd be amazed how big these actually are
  • Matches, Matches, more matches to light your stoves
  • packets of sweetener (eg Splenda, sugar, etc)

Hanging Organizer
I found the HTTMT Hang-N-Haul Storage Bag immensely useful, although it's a bit annoying to pack in the truck.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_5087


You store it rolled up
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_5093


Then you just unroll it and hang it up near your camp kitchen when you set up camp.

We would hang this and the Utensil Set from the underside of our Skycamp Roof Top Tent, then take them down at night so they didn't blow around or attract animals.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_4745



That's really it for cooking supplies. Pantry food goes in a small spare tupperware-type container I had lying around. Still looking for a better solution for that. Cold food goes in the ARB Elements refrigerator. Anything that could leak (oil, chocolate sauce, soap, etc) goes in its own zip lock bag, just to be safe.

Okay, with that done I can move on to... camp furniture!
 
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Overlanding/Camping Gear Part 2 - Camp Furniture

It's not enough to have a stove and some dishes. Your family is going to want to sit down to eat. They're going to want a prep table. And you're going to want chairs for lounging around and enjoying the fire.

Chairs
Nothing beats FrontRunner Outfitter camp chairs for packability and easy of setup. There are lots of tiny chairs out there that pack really small, but they also take 5 minutes to set up. There are lots of more comfortable chairs out there, but they're huge and take up all the space in your truck. This chair seems to be the sweet spot. It folds small, flat, and is short enough to store upright under your tonneau cover.

Do NOT ask me why the storage bag for these is sold separately. That's how the chair stays clean during a long day of driving across dust and dirt!
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build 2020%2F06%2Ffront-runner-expander-chair-CHAI007-16

(Image linked to from sleeoffroad.com, since I don't have a good one of my own)

I have to bring 3 chairs with me, and that can take a ton of space. These have bene the best option I've found so far.

Prep Table
You don't just have to cook food, you have to prep it. Cut the veggies. Season the meat. And after dinner you need a place for your sink, your drying rack, etc.

Someday I'd love to get a FrontRunner Outfitters Pro Stainless Steel Camp Table. They're expensive as all heck, but they can be stored directly beneath a SlimLine II rack, meaning they'll take up zero space inside your truck bed. That would be awesome.

For now, though, I pickup up a GCI Outdoor Slim-Fold Cook Station.
That's it, off to the left, with the green sink on it
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_4809


Lots of shelves, plus it folds down flat. The center area is aluminum slats so you can have a hot camp stove there. The side shelves (2 on each side) are plastic.

Kitchen Table
Perhaps someday I'll get some fancy table that mounts to my rack and that's the right height to use my FrontRunner Outfitter expanding chairs. For now I grabbed a cheap roll-up aluminum picnic table with benches off Amazon. (seen centered in the photo above)

The darned thing is damned-near impossible to fold up and store correctly, but when you get it right, the bench legs fold in, then two benches fit together like a big black briefcase with everything else stored between them. It really does pack small, and only weighs 22lb.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build 41d0iYCDVbL._AC_SX425_



Hammock
I'm a big fan of bringing a hammock along for mid-day relaxation. All you need is one tree and the bed rack on your truck to hang it.

Currently I'm packing a Kammok Roo Double Hammock and using an ENO Atlas Suspension System, but I might need to start carrying a second one so the family doesn't steal mine!

These things pack up really tiny, so there's always room for one in the truck.


Well, that covers camp furniture. We've got a picnic table and benches for eating at, chairs for sitting around the fire, a hammock to swing in, and a prep table for food preparation and cleaning.

Guess that means it's time to discuss poop!
 
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Overlanding/Camping Gear Part 3 - The Bathroom

Birds do it. Bees do it. (I think.) We all have to poop. But our truck took us somewhere that's nowhere near a bathroom, not even a pit toilet. So, what options do we have?

Option 1: Dig a hole, shit in the hole. This is a pretty simple one! You can set up a log to hang your butt off of. But you need to be constantly putting a bit more dirt on each time to avoid being swarmed with flies because of last night's poop. Also, your wife may not like this option. Also, it can be messy.

Option 2: Be fancy and bring a camp potty. You need something small. Something that packs easily. Something that's easy to use. And, if at all possible, you want a solution that doesn't require you to pack your poop back out with you. (Note - that will also depend on the terrain and local rules!) Most of all, you want something that isn't too gross and doesn't smell like a filth pit.

I picked up a CleanWaste Go-Anywhere Toilet. It folds up like a briefcase, but is strong enough to hold your 500lb drinking buddy.

With the toilet open, a mesh bag hangs underneath. DO NOT POOP INTO THE MESH BAG. You place a biodegradable plastic bag under the toilet seat, the mesh bag merely holds the plastic bag off the ground and prevents it from tearing under the weight of last night's ribs.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_4807


CleanWaste sells plastic bags that already have special powder in them that is intended to gel liquids and to keep it all from smelling. Sadly, they are crazy expensive. It just shouldn't cost that much to poop.

HOW TO SAVE MONEY
Instead, hop over to Amazon and pick up a cheap roll of biodegradable plastic poop bags and a package of waste gelling and deodorizing sticks. (Note - in that link for deodorizing sticks, a quantity of 1 means 1 package of 10 deodorizing sticks, not 1 stick.) Doing it this way saves a TON of money, and I think it works better.

I store a roll of poop bags and a handful of "1-per-bag" sticks of waste-handling powder right in the toilet at all times, along with a roll of toilet paper in a ziplock bag. That way, when I open up the toilet, everything's right there, ready to go.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_5081


First, you lift the seat and place a biodegradable plastic bag underneath. Then you tear open one of the sticks of waste handling powder. Sprinkle a little in. Now fold the top of the packet of powder over and leave it with the toilet paper. Each time someone uses the toilet (pee or poop), they sprinkle a little more of the powder in.

Keep the lid closed if possible, to keep flies at bay. The powder gels the pee and keeps the poop from stinking. Smells a little minty.

Now, once a day (or whenever you need to pack the toilet up and drive away) dig a hole with your shovel, tie the bag off, drop it in the hole, and cover it with dirt. Within a few months the whole mess should have degraded and be gone.

It's not something we like to talk about, but let me tell you, toddlers aren't good at pooping in the woods, and just because wives can put up with sitting on a log in the woods doesn't mean they really want to. You're overlanding now, you've got a truck to drive these things, you're not ultra-light backpacking. Might as well take advantage of it!
 

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Impressively detailed write ups.any chance you have a diagram for your solar setup? I’ve been wondering if I could pull the stop start battery, disable ESS, increase the wire size and run it to the Same battery in the bed, thereby allowing the alternator to charge the new “ESS” battery.
im gonna run the full height Rebel off-road rack so I can run a 36 cell hard panel vertically and deploy them on both sides when parked with struts like you did on the hood, if that makes sense
 

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Overlanding/Camping Gear Part 4 - Fire! Fire!

We're out in the wilderness. It's getting dark. We want a fire. It's a primitive need, we all have it.

Look, there are a MILLION collapsible fire pits out there. It seems like every overlanding or outdoor company has at least one with their brand name etched through it, glowing in the flames. Most are a made up of a few flat sheets of steel that fit together to create a 'V', with some end caps. They're all basically the same.

Well, not all. I decided to try out one that's quite a bit different.

Fireside Outdoor Pop-Up Fire Pit

This is very different and very cool. The logs sit on a steel mesh floor that is off the ground. Mesh means that air can rise straight up through your fire from underneath. I've never seen anything quite like it. It even includes a heat shield so that (theoretically) you can set up your fire pit on top of green grass or a wooden deck and not worry about burning what's underneath.

Most importantly, it meets all USFS and BLM fire safety guidelines, which... let's be honest, most collapsible fire pits do not.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_7515


I also got from Fireside Outdoor:
  • Ember Mat. You know those silicon mats you put on your cookie sheet to keep the cookies from sticking? This is a massive one you can roll out underneath your fire pit. You will leave zero trace. Imagine, a fire in the wilderness, but no one will ever be able to tell that you even had a fire there, and the ground is 100% protected from any burning embers that might fall down
  • Thermal Protection Gloves. These are also good around my TemboTusk Skottle stove. They're gloves that allow you to reach in, grab a burning log with your hand, and rearrange your fire without getting burnt
  • Quad-Fold Grill Grate. This allows you to grill your food over the fire
The firepit comes in a carrying bag with shoulder strap. The Quad-Fold Grill Grates come in their own, separate carrying bag. I found that the silicon ember mat folds up and fits well in the bag with the Quad-Fold Grill Grates, and then that bag fits perfectly in the 60% side of the 60/40 under-rear-seat-storage of my JT.

I was pretty happy with the grill grates on top, they worked quite well.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build IMG_4741


And the silicon ember mat meant we truly left no trace afterwards.
 
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Impressively detailed write ups.any chance you have a diagram for your solar setup? I’ve been wondering if I could pull the stop start battery, disable ESS, increase the wire size and run it to the Same battery in the bed, thereby allowing the alternator to charge the new “ESS” battery.
im gonna run the full height Rebel off-road rack so I can run a 36 cell hard panel vertically and deploy them on both sides when parked with struts like you did on the hood, if that makes sense
Actually, I'm not sure I'm getting your drift. Talk it through. What I think you're saying is that you want to remove the ESS battery, then just move it and reuse it in the bed of the truck, so that the alternator can just handle charging it along with your solar panel arrays? How big is a JT ESS battery, is it really worth that? Or are you saying remove the ESS battery and use the wiring adapters that already exist in your Jeep for the ESS to charge your own, second battery, just with thicker wire since the distance and battery size would be greater?

At that point, why not just get a second (third, really, if we're counting the ESS) battery for the bed of the truck and get a DC-DC MPPT charger that works with smart alternators and will charge your spare battery from either solar or the alternator AND will trickle charge your starter battery whenever it has extra juice to spare?

I feel like the JT alternator can definitely handle a third battery, especially if you got the Max Tow package, or any of the other packages that increased the alternator size. I don't think we'd need to remove the ESS to be able to add a second (third) one. And I love your idea of having solar wings that can raise up on the sides of bed rack.

Here's an example wiring of that sort of thing:
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build _02__98162.1597631636


Like I started this with -- it might help to just talk it out. What's you goal cocerning removing the ESS? Why bother?

(Note - I have no inherent bias towards Renogy MPPT controllers, they just seemed to be the only ones making RV controllers that had the features I felt were important, and they're good examples to use. There are other companies with very similar products, but my research suggested that's many of them are just re-branded Renogy's)
 

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so my thought was just to increase gauge of the wire that normally goes to the ESS and swap in one or a pair of 100aH gel batteries. I get a healthy discount on lithium but since I want to involve the alternator, this seams like the best fit. The ESS battery itself I’d probably just sell for $25 to a local jeeper. I don’t want to do much if any wiring under the hood so it seems simple in my mind that this might work in conjunction with an MPPT in bed.

I hope that makes sense. I understand solar tech but I’ve never done vehicle integration, so I’m perhaps being over precautious. I’d like to run a single plate induction plus fridge. Plus lights plus twin arb compressor and keep all of that stuff confined to the bed.



Actually, I'm not sure I'm getting your drift. Talk it through. What I think you're saying is that you want to remove the ESS battery, then just move it and reuse it in the bed of the truck, so that the alternator can just handle charging it along with your solar panel arrays? How big is a JT ESS battery, is it really worth that? Or are you saying remove the ESS battery and use the wiring adapters that already exist in your Jeep for the ESS to charge your own, second battery, just with thicker wire since the distance and battery size would be greater?

At that point, why not just get a second (third, really, if we're counting the ESS) battery for the bed of the truck and get a DC-DC MPPT charger that works with smart alternators and will charge your spare battery from either solar or the alternator AND will trickle charge your starter battery whenever it has extra juice to spare?

I feel like the JT alternator can definitely handle a third battery, especially if you got the Max Tow package, or any of the other packages that increased the alternator size. I don't think we'd need to remove the ESS to be able to add a second (third) one. And I love your idea of having solar wings that can raise up on the sides of bed rack.

Here's an example wiring of that sort of thing:
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build _02__98162.1597631636


Like I started this with -- it might help to just talk it out. What's you goal cocerning removing the ESS? Why bother?

(Note - I have no inherent bias towards Renogy MPPT controllers, they just seemed to be the only ones making RV controllers that had the features I felt were important, and they're good examples to use. There are other companies with very similar products, but my research suggested that's many of them are just re-branded Renogy's)
 

mx5red

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Ball Mounts

I needed balls. Lots of balls. Specifically, mounting balls for devices such as phone mounts.

I started with some stuff from Carolina Metal Masters.

They offer a side mirror mount for each side with ball mounts. Side mirror mounts are so you can see behind you when you take the doors off your Jeep.

I picked up:
Carolina Metal Masters JT Side Mirrors w/ Mall Mount and
1x JT A-Pillar Ball Mount (for the drivers side)
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build _02__98162.1597631636


Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build _02__98162.1597631636


and a JT Grab Bar Ball Mount
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build _02__98162.1597631636


Total price: $352.

That's all pretty awesome, but it still wasn't enough balls.


So I also added a 67 Designs Rail Mount Base in the middle of the dash for $89.

That rail became my main hub for electronics.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build _02__98162.1597631636


Trouble was, I'd made a mistake when purchasing my Carolina Metal Masters ball mounts, and had gone with 1" instead of 20mm because I didn't know any better. I wanted to keep the same size, but 67 Designs only sells 20mm ball mounts. So, I hopped on Amazon and purchased some RAM 1" ball mounts. Trouble again, the 67 Designs rail is shaped like a 'V', so the new RAM ball mounts with T-bolt attachment wouldn't fit. I used an angle grinder to just tear down the edges of the RAM T-track base plates a little until they slid into the 67 Designs rail.
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build _02__98162.1597631636


Now I needed a way to mount my iPhone and some way to mount my beloved Valentine One radar detector.

I started with simple RAM Track Balls with T-Bolt attachment. Then I added a short 3" RAM Double Socket Arm. That's what points towards the interior of the cab. Next I removed the RAM tightness adjustment knob and replaced it with a RAM Ball Adapter with 1/4"-20 Thread Hole and Hex Post. That allowed me to have yet another ball mount, this one facing sideway, low against the rail. Another ultra short RAM Double Socket Arm then a flat RAM Ball Adapter with AMPS Plate. That gave me a place to install a RAM Magnetic Plate for Radar Detectors. The final radar detector setup looked like this:
Jeep Gladiator True Trail Gladiator Build _02__98162.1597631636


There's a small indentation in the middle of that dash opening that the rail is installed in. I drilled a small hole through that, and ran the power wire for the radar detector down through the dash and hardwired it to one of the accessory wires in the passenger foot well, so that it has power whenever the ignition is on. The power wire for a Valentine One is just a standard RJ-11 phone jack, so you can run the wire very easily and then install a phone jack on the end of it once it's through all the tight spots.

The radar detector is held in place by a magnet, so I just have to pull it out of the center console, toss it up there, and plug it in.

For my phone, I needed a RAM Double Ball Adapter, another short RAM Double Socket Arm, and then a RAM X-Grip Large Phone Holder with Ball.

I did not run power for my phone, and instead am just using a USB cable plugged into the center dash Media port. I just prefer it that way, so my phone can stay plugged in even when I'm parked and pull the phone into my lap to use.
I wanted to rib you for your thousands of ball mounts, but you sir, win the build thread contest.
Perfect posts on how to be a man, build a sweet truck, and camp like a boss!
Thanks for all the links and info!
 

Moab

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@jsyn . Thank you for an entertaining and informative narrative. This is excellent as I want to get into Overlanding on a reasonable budget.
I appreciate your insight and your honesty on what doesn’t work.
Fantastic build! If this was in book form I’d have it on my bookshelf in a minute. Keep up the great work, look forward to more. Have fun & be safe.
Cheers mate!!
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