What makes Jeeps so much fun is the endless customizing that can be done. Mine is built for Jurassic Park...Will I ever go to Isla Nublar? No, LOL! I built mine for camping and exploring. I like the fact I can pack it up, and with the parts I have put on it go almost anywhere comfortably.

 

You can tour Jurassic Park! Go to Kauai and rent a Jeep. You can even see Manawaiopuna Falls from the movie. I went there two years ago and rented one. Came home and then bought a Wrangler.

 

Here is my JK.

I wouldnt say its up to par with Expedition modded, yet... But the ultimate goal for me is to build it to take on extended wheeling/exploration trips.

 

This is a really great question. I hope in my answer below that I don't hurt anyone's feelings or gore any sacred cows. Heck, we all build our own rigs as we want them to be, not as some hoser (me) wants it to be. And we all enjoy different things in what we do--rock crawling, expeditions, trips to the hunting cabin, getting the wife and kids safely to work and school, or just mall crawling. So, please take what I offer below with a big grain of salt--it's a reflection of what I enjoy about my Jeep, which may be entirely different from what you enjoy (though if you're reading this thread, I hope you appreciate where I'm coming from). So, with that ..

First off, not everyone lives in the States--check out Marksdsv's portfolio of runs in Borneo and Dubai. But, back to the question: Playing on rocks is rather like being in a playground. You're restricted to a small area and don't get to stray too far. After you spend a half day or so day doing that, you go find another playground and play in it. It's rather why I never have liked lake boating or dirt bikes or ATVs: I grew out of playgrounds a long time ago.

I like to go see things. I like to travel, and have put 115K miles on my JK in the past seven years (considering I'm retired and don't drive to work daily, that's a lot of miles). In those travels, I like to be prepared for the worst "road" conditions. So, that's what I've built my Jeep for. 35s were overkill, but I did it because I like the look (ran 33s for many years, and even did some rockcrawling with them keeping up with 35-equipped JKs).

Yes, it is difficult to get away from civilization here in the States, but difficult isn't impossible. Earlier this year did three days and 165 miles on the Ozark Overland Trail. We did see one gas station on one of two highways that we crossed. So what? We acted as if it wasn't there and used fuel we carried to complete the trip. We did about the same number of miles at Big Bend National Park, and yes we did refuel at the gas station and we ate at the restaurant in the Chisos Basin--but we camped three nights on the trail and weathered a pretty hairy storm during the process. We planned a two night trip into the Sans Bois Mountains of OK--not very many miles at all, but still some very heavy rains and mud that we had to drive through to continue our explorations--a challenge not to log miles, but just to log a mile (had to winch a half dozen or so times, for example). We are going on a week long, 400-mile off-road trip that will include White Rim Trail, Cathedral Valley, Grand Staircase Escalante and BLM land on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Will we see small towns and gas stations? Sure. We even plan to stay in a hotel one night. But, it will still be a heck of an adventure, as opposed to heading out to Disney, OK yet one more time and climbing the same hill one more time and then crawling out through the same river one more time. A lot better than going to Sun Dog Trails and paying a fee to play around on dirt trails on a few hundred acres of land with the ATVs for a few hours when I'd much rather be logging a few hundred miles and living off the gear and supplies I've transported in my vehicle. So, in that vein, here are my thoughts on what makes a build expedition:

1. Tires should be 33s or so ATs. Yes, I violate this one. 35s hurt gas mileage, and gas mileage is crucial in an expedition build. But, as has been pointed out, finding a gas station isn't really a problem here in the States (well, most of the time--you can still do it when your GPS lies to you about a gas station that closed six months ago--I experienced it in Colorado!). AT tires because you'll be traveling a mix of on highway and off-road in all manner of weather. I've gone on trips in dust storms, heavy rains, blizzards, ice storms, etc. Weather that would have kept the rockcrawlers at home. Consider: On a ten day trip, you don't decide to not continue the trip because Mother Nature decided to dump six inches of snow in the mountain pass (unless the highway patrol beats you to it and closes it). You head on through. Not so for rockcrawlers. They just cancel their trip to the playground. Or spend the night at base camp.

When the highway patrol closed I-40 in Flagstaff because of a blizzard, we had to find an alternate route or miss our target date to begin the Mojave Trail. So we headed south out of Winslow into unknown conditions ...


2. Lift should be no higher than needed to accommodate the tires. Excessive lift reduces drivetrain reliability, and a driveshaft failing while 75 miles from civilization is a pain in the rear. Or front. 4" lift and 37s are rockcrawlers, not really expedition rigs.

3. Front bumper should be one of those hideous ones that provide protection for the entire front end--brush guards, as it were. I hate the looks of those, so went for a rockcrawler bumper and suffer the branches taking on the paint. Also, stingers, front or rear, are definitely for rock crawlers. On expeditions, they are more likely to get hung up in trees and brush and such, making life a little more difficult. And their primary reason for existence (ignoring that some folks think they look cool) is that they keep you from rolling forward or backward while crawling over boulders. That's not something expedition rigs are built for.

2:22 and 5:38 for some pretty heavy brush.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQHYl2Kp5ww 4. Stock fenders are plenty satisfactory. They are the best looking fenders and while flat fenders are needed when you add large tires to provide clearance, they are not a expedition build need.

5. Cold air intakes are a no-no. You'll be traveling on dusty roads and maybe crossing streams. If you want the CAI for improved breathing on the highway, opt for something that lets you reconfigure it quickly for a snorkel (RIPP makes one).



6. You need to carry extra gas. That probably means a rear bumper that accommodates it.

7. You may be traveling at night--you'll want lights high up to be above any streams you may be fording at night. And, illuminated lights below water line have been known to crack--allow lights that will be underwater to cool. This also allows the differentials to cool and reduce the chance for them to suck in water during the fording. And, remember, there really is quick sand out there and you might find yourself in deeper water than you had planned!

This guy got stuck yahooing out there the night before and had to abandon his truck. We are all standing on quicksand, and it doesn't take much motion to sink up to your knees in about 10 seconds.


8. An overhead rack and trail rack allow you to carry extra gear. You need to be prepared for most anything that could happen on the trail, but at the same time using the overhead rack means you'll be hitting more trees and more susceptible to the wind. If at all possible, avoid using it, but it's there if you must.



9. Self-sustainment also includes carrying your food, cooking and camping gear. Some folks prefer all-terrain trailers. I've traveled with them and while they look super cool and provide incredible comfort at camp, they do slow down the trip on rougher roads/trails. If it gets muddy or wet and rocky, expect to have to winch them more. I prefer to go more the backpacking route (having years of experience at it, as well as the gear), so sleep in a small tent on the ground.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4075267640966&set=vb.1260697505&type=3&theater This trailer rolled while attempting to reach camp after darkness. Winches were used to right it and it suffered very little damage (a testament to the strength of these trailers).


10. Everyone needs a winch. It can be a major pain to get a vehicle at the front turned around and back to the middle on a very tight trail, costing lots of daylight hours (and making those risky night river crossings that much more likely).

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=3985195109209&set=vb.1260697505&type=3&theater 11. Someone needs a land anchor. Not every place has a convenient rock or tree to winch off.

12. You'll use your shovel, axe, pick axe and machete on occasion, depending on the trail. Carry them.

13. Sand ladders and bridges should be in the group. I like the MaxTrax.

14. Water. And more water because in a proper group someone is carrying a shower and it's sure nice on day three or four to be able to take one. So carry extra propane for that purpose (one propane bottle will heat the water for a shower quite nicely).

15. Refrigerator. Or a Yeti Cooler, if you must have ice. Because you'll want your beer/white zinfandel to stay chilled for three or four days.

7:49-8:33 on the video. It doesn't get any better than that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4TZkduhlRM 16. A reasonably quiet muffler. You're out there to see the wildlife, not scare it away. And there will be people out there hiking and backpacking and such who'll appreciate that they don't hear the steady drone of you coming and going for an hour or two.



17. Topo maps. Because while you may be out there to get lost from society for a few days, you don't really want to be lost!

Bottom line, we go because of the challenge of it. Sure, we can't get away from civilization much of the time, but that doesn't mean we must suffer it. We'll get back to it soon enough, and in the meantime we can let the pace of modern society go about its own business while we enjoy a few days appreciating this great country of ours.

 

Very well said Mark! I saw that trailer flipped you posted on facebook, crazy stuff. I totally agree about the gas! Anywhere you can put a rotopax is a good place, LOL! I have been looking into a diesel conversion, a cummins that gets 30+ is a GREAT thing

 

I added it there so I could link to it for my response above. I figured that a few pic's and videos would be more interesting than just reading my dissertation in one sitting. LOL.

 

Thanks for this, very informative, fun to read even if I never go to such lengths embracing the expedition lifestyle. Also enjoyed seeing the picture of the Grand Canyon, in the Toroweap (sp?) area if I'm not mistaken.

 

Great post mark! I just thought it would be a good convo in this thread since I believe a lot of people don't understand what the difference is!!! Well said brother!!

 

Nice post Mark. Specifically, what set-up are you, or your group using to heat water?

 

Speaking of overland, anyone know some good links to some expedition/overland series videos?

I've seen the AEV one on dangerous drives. And xoverland has a cool series.