Custom JL Rubicon Overland Camper Build - Refuge II Camper
 

Hi Everyone,


After driving the length of the Pan-American Highway in a TJ, right around Africa in a JKUR and around Australia in a JT Gladiator, I'm embarking on my next major build and expedition.

For where I want to go in the world I've decided that interior living space is the number one priority, but of course I don't want to be limited as to where I can go (no vans for me).


An incredible Aerospace Engineer named Michael Fuchs (Instagram here: https://instagram.com/wabi_sabi_overland/ ) reached out about a project he was cooking up, and one thing lead to another and we've been working together on this for quite a while.


The plan is to cut a JL Wrangler off directly behind the front doors and then graft on a composite living box that provides enormously more living space.

The box here has interior dimensions of 6 feet wide by 7.5 feet long... which means you could put two Gladiator beds in there turned sideways side by side and still have a foot strip down the side to spare.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jk-...61bb6dbdaa.jpg




The first step was to cut my new-to-me 2021 EcoDiesel Rubicon JL in half, which was not easy to do!





and now we have permanently mounted the camper box onto the Jeep





I will post more updates here as the build continues. In the mean time fire away with any questions you have!


-Dan

For anyone that's curious, I also filmed all of the reasons this is being built on a Wrangler rather than a Gladiator - there's many technical reasons and one major philosophical reason for the choice.


-Dan

You could compare the Gladiator the same as you cut off the back doors of the JLUR. If you did the same to the Galdiator and gor rid of two rear doors, as mentioned in the movie, you would have a longer camper than the Unlimited.

Right, but as I said, you have to deal with the frame flex, and nobody really knows if it would tear itself in half.

I'm sure it CAN be done, and I'm excited to see someone try!

-Dan

In this week's video we bond in the rear floor and add a ladder for quick access before I spend a ton of time wiring up all the rear lights and connecting them with factory plugs to the original Jeep harnesses.

At the end we take it for a test drive to make sure we didn't fry any computers when welding, and to make sure I got all my wiring correct!

This has been an enormous project and I still have hundreds of hours of footage on all the parts we fabricated and worked on to get it where it is today.



Fire away with any questions you have and I'll be sure to answer them on YouTube or cover them in future videos.






-Dan

Hi Everyone,

The build continues!

In this update we make a custom moulded fibreglass part to join the Jeep forward cab to the camper box, bond in the forward floor, finish off wiring and add a raised air intake with dust pre-filter.

It's really coming along!




The build on the JL Camper continues, this time we modify a Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform and make a custom mount for it that goes directly into the roll bar through the freedom panels.

I also install a new front bumper, LED Light bar, driving lights and a winch.



We're getting there!






Let me know if you have any questions, happy to answer,



-Dan

Hi All,


The Roof of the camper is 6 feet wide and 7.5 feet long, and on this episode @wabi_sabi_overland teaches me a ton more about working with composites as we custom make a roof to meet our needs - as light as possible while also being rigid and have a really good R insulation value.



We need to join to gather two honeycomb core composite panels, make and attach an aluminum outer trim piece, install and wire up all the marker lights and install latches and bumpers to keep the roof closed and in position.



We also tackle the fuel filler, dealing with the main fill neck, the DEF filler, the diesel tank breather line and a big relay. There's a lot of stuff we need to pack into a tight space back there.



Join us as the build of the Dream Overland Camper continues!




-Dan