Expedition Modded Jeeps - Let's see 'em!!
JK Junkie
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,498
Likes: 5
From: Long Island, NY
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 388
Likes: 0
From: Salt Lake City, Utah
JK Junkie
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,498
Likes: 5
From: Long Island, NY
First off, good looking rig. I have friends who run and really like those tires.
Second, really good subject for discussion. I used to carry a lot of my gear up on the top rack. This was before organizing the interior with a rack, drawer and fridge slide. To be honest, having gear on the top rack means that instead of getting down the piece of kit you need (say a pot to cook dinner), you ask your trail buddy to just use his. It's a pain in the rear to store almost any gear up on top. On top of that, gear up on top adds to COG, and causes the Jeep to sway quite a bit, especially when driving in windy conditions and at high speeds. It's just not a very good answer. So, I reorganized my interior, adding the interior rack, and fridge slide, and a drawer. Once I did that, almost all of the gear on top came down into the interior, was much more easily accessible, meaning that now I'm that trail buddy who gets asked to borrow a pot. LOL.
However, that does not mean that the overhead rack is useless. First off, it provides support for the windshield lights. Of course, some may argue that you don't need them. However, since I've been known to ford rivers on occasion, rivers that would put my other lights underwater, having a set up high just in case I ever had to do that at night (generally I avoid night wheeling--that's a risk I need not take doing what I do in the remote places I go, so I leave that for the folks who enjoy wheeling in playgrounds instead of the wilderness). While I might not want to night wheel, the situation could come up, and it could involve a river ford. An unlikely combo of unexpected events, but the Boy Scout in me says to "Be Prepared!" The overhead lights sometimes come in useful at camp when setting up late. Just driving down the road or trail, I find the overhead lights a distraction because the hood and hood-mounted gear is lit up.
Second, an overhead rack is a great place to carry a set of MaxTrax. Yes, they could easily fit inside the Jeep somewhere, but they'd probably need to be removed to access other gear, and once used and muddy or icy or whatever, better to have a place to just strap them out of the way outside the passenger compartment. And, something to consider is if you're stuck, can you get such-and-such a door open to get at recovery gear inside the Jeep? Since I rarely need to get at them, having them up on top isn't like it was before with, say a pot, when I needed it at every campsite.
Third, during one run a few years ago I managed to slash open the sidewall of my tire. Here I was on the first 100 miles of a nearly 500 mile off-road trip looking at doing the last 400 miles with no spare. Not a very pleasant feeling. That's when I decided to start carrying a second spare on those trips where we'd be really far away from support for long distances. It goes up on the overhead rack, now secured to a rack that a friend and I fabricated up for it (okay, he did the fabbing and I did the sanding and painting, LOL).
Finally, what do you do if your buddy's Jeep breaks down and you decide that the best course of action is to abandon it? In my case, that buddy may be carry $10-20K worth of camera gear, and along with his personal gear, we're going to try to fit all of that into one Jeep. The overhead rack gives some flexibility in rearranging things. Not ideal to load up the top, but better than abandoning lots of expensive gear temporarily.
So, what do I recommend from all of this?
First priority should be to organize the vehicle interior so that everything you need day-to-day is easily accessed. If it can't all fit, keep working at it, go smaller, delete something or buy a four door (if you own a two door). But, with all that I carry, including a ton of camera gear, I doubt anyone running a four door has any problems fitting everything with a few organizing bits of kit (drawer, slide, etc).
Second priority should be an overhead rack for those just-in-case scenarios. It should not be used for the gear you need daily. Do consider the second spare if you go on extended trips like described above. Do consider overhead lights. And definitely carry a set of MaxTrax up there.
Finally, a few pics (because these threads are always more interesting with pictures) ...
It's a long story, but the wrapped up package on the overhead rack was a bit of cargo (a tent) that I was carrying for a friend from Washington whom I was meeting up with on this trail in Utah. Was light and wasn't needed during the trip, so carried up there so it would be out of the way.
Second, really good subject for discussion. I used to carry a lot of my gear up on the top rack. This was before organizing the interior with a rack, drawer and fridge slide. To be honest, having gear on the top rack means that instead of getting down the piece of kit you need (say a pot to cook dinner), you ask your trail buddy to just use his. It's a pain in the rear to store almost any gear up on top. On top of that, gear up on top adds to COG, and causes the Jeep to sway quite a bit, especially when driving in windy conditions and at high speeds. It's just not a very good answer. So, I reorganized my interior, adding the interior rack, and fridge slide, and a drawer. Once I did that, almost all of the gear on top came down into the interior, was much more easily accessible, meaning that now I'm that trail buddy who gets asked to borrow a pot. LOL.
However, that does not mean that the overhead rack is useless. First off, it provides support for the windshield lights. Of course, some may argue that you don't need them. However, since I've been known to ford rivers on occasion, rivers that would put my other lights underwater, having a set up high just in case I ever had to do that at night (generally I avoid night wheeling--that's a risk I need not take doing what I do in the remote places I go, so I leave that for the folks who enjoy wheeling in playgrounds instead of the wilderness). While I might not want to night wheel, the situation could come up, and it could involve a river ford. An unlikely combo of unexpected events, but the Boy Scout in me says to "Be Prepared!" The overhead lights sometimes come in useful at camp when setting up late. Just driving down the road or trail, I find the overhead lights a distraction because the hood and hood-mounted gear is lit up.
Second, an overhead rack is a great place to carry a set of MaxTrax. Yes, they could easily fit inside the Jeep somewhere, but they'd probably need to be removed to access other gear, and once used and muddy or icy or whatever, better to have a place to just strap them out of the way outside the passenger compartment. And, something to consider is if you're stuck, can you get such-and-such a door open to get at recovery gear inside the Jeep? Since I rarely need to get at them, having them up on top isn't like it was before with, say a pot, when I needed it at every campsite.
Third, during one run a few years ago I managed to slash open the sidewall of my tire. Here I was on the first 100 miles of a nearly 500 mile off-road trip looking at doing the last 400 miles with no spare. Not a very pleasant feeling. That's when I decided to start carrying a second spare on those trips where we'd be really far away from support for long distances. It goes up on the overhead rack, now secured to a rack that a friend and I fabricated up for it (okay, he did the fabbing and I did the sanding and painting, LOL).
Finally, what do you do if your buddy's Jeep breaks down and you decide that the best course of action is to abandon it? In my case, that buddy may be carry $10-20K worth of camera gear, and along with his personal gear, we're going to try to fit all of that into one Jeep. The overhead rack gives some flexibility in rearranging things. Not ideal to load up the top, but better than abandoning lots of expensive gear temporarily.
So, what do I recommend from all of this?
First priority should be to organize the vehicle interior so that everything you need day-to-day is easily accessed. If it can't all fit, keep working at it, go smaller, delete something or buy a four door (if you own a two door). But, with all that I carry, including a ton of camera gear, I doubt anyone running a four door has any problems fitting everything with a few organizing bits of kit (drawer, slide, etc).
Second priority should be an overhead rack for those just-in-case scenarios. It should not be used for the gear you need daily. Do consider the second spare if you go on extended trips like described above. Do consider overhead lights. And definitely carry a set of MaxTrax up there.
Finally, a few pics (because these threads are always more interesting with pictures) ...
It's a long story, but the wrapped up package on the overhead rack was a bit of cargo (a tent) that I was carrying for a friend from Washington whom I was meeting up with on this trail in Utah. Was light and wasn't needed during the trip, so carried up there so it would be out of the way.
Mark,
I just spent the better part of this evening watching your videos, reading a few posts and of course, looking at pics (because everything's better with pics)
You sir, know how to roll! Tape and roll, actually. Nice videos! I'd love to do one of these trips some day...it's on my bucket list. Don't get me wrong, I wheel the heck out of my JKU, but Northeast wheeling is different than what I'm watching you do.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to put that all up on video, pics and typed out.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 270
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JK Jedi Master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,800
Likes: 374
From: Midwest City, OK
Mark,
I just spent the better part of this evening watching your videos, reading a few posts and of course, looking at pics (because everything's better with pics)
You sir, know how to roll! Tape and roll, actually. Nice videos! I'd love to do one of these trips some day...it's on my bucket list. Don't get me wrong, I wheel the heck out of my JKU, but Northeast wheeling is different than what I'm watching you do.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to put that all up on video, pics and typed out.
I just spent the better part of this evening watching your videos, reading a few posts and of course, looking at pics (because everything's better with pics)
You sir, know how to roll! Tape and roll, actually. Nice videos! I'd love to do one of these trips some day...it's on my bucket list. Don't get me wrong, I wheel the heck out of my JKU, but Northeast wheeling is different than what I'm watching you do.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to put that all up on video, pics and typed out.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 112
Likes: 0
From: Asheville, NC
personally, I do not want to climb up a ladder to go to sleep at night. I can see a reason for an RTT in the outback or in Africa, but not sure here in the US. At 57, I will keep sleeping on my nice air mattress. I like what Mark has done in the back of his Jeep and plan to do something similar, but smaller draw so that the dog has a room back there. For the times I go with a friend or 2, I have a trailer and just added a roof top carrier to carry sleeping bags, and what else to keep the back of the Jeep clear. then cleaned up the front for water/gas tanks and propane. <img src="https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=632642"/> <img src="https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=632643"/>
