"Budget" Installs... Switch Panel

So I am a fan of sticking with a name that has served me well over time. Brand loyalty is an important thing but it is something that gets built over time. You may have personal experience with a product or a good friend does, whatever the history, you know you can count on those manufacturers to build a high quality product and stand behind what they built should something go wrong.

This is why I like to shop KC HiLites, AEV, ARB, Bestop, and other such vendors that have delivered quality products over the years. Now, very typically, with a high quality "known" brand name you will be paying a premium for that product but you are "investing" in something that you plan to have for a very long time and that will stand up to the trials and tribulations it will definitely see on the trails.

Having shared this, I am by no means a Jeep parts "snob" and I do not specifically look to find the most expensive thing to put on my Jeep (they just find me). Seriously, I am all about bargains and that is why I love the open box sales that Quadratec hosts and I shop Amazon.com as much as possible. Even when I do buy something that is an expensive "name" brand, I try to find a sale or discount that can help out.

This brings me to my first "Product Review". I added quite a few lights and accessories to my JK over the years and had been wiring each one individually all along. Several folks suggested the S-Pod to me but as it was not a brand I knew too much about AND it carries an extremely high price premium, I was very hesitant to purchase one. Instead I found on Amazon.com the Apollointech Jeep Wrangler JK & JKU 2007-2018 Overhead 6-Switch Pod/Panel with Control and Source System Red Back Light.



I purchased this back in December of 2017 for $179.77 (it's now only $165.99) so have had a full years worth of "history" and experience with it. The main reason I finally decided to buy this was because I had heated seats wired in that were directly connected to the battery and every time I forgot to turn them off, I came out to a dead battery in the morning! As you can imagine, this got really old fast (not to mention the damage it did to my battery).

The install was very straight forward. You run a single bundle of wires through your firewall and up along your window trim to your rear-view mirror. Here you mount the switches. Next, you basically install an extra "fuse box" on the drivers side of your engine compartment and run this to your existing fuse box (small drilling required here) and then connect it to your battery. The directions were decent and covered exactly what you needed to do here and there are also several good videos on YouTube. Once you have completed this step, you can begin connecting your lights and accessories. You no longer have to run all the wires through the firewall and find locations for your switches. Instead, connect them to the new "fuse box" in the engine bay and you are done, this makes life so much easier. Once I get my JL, I will purchase a similar product (I would buy this specific one again but it does not say it is compatible with the JL yet).

Now I am sure the S-POD is also an awesome product as is the new Lynx from ARB but the price for these two systems is still quite high and with a year's worth of experience and zero issues with the Apollointech system, it is hard to pay more.

Happy "Smart" shopping! Jeep Ideas

Tops - Pros & Cons

There are two basic choices when protecting you and your Jeep from the rain, you either use a hard top or a soft top. Some of you are lucky enough to have both options available so this blog might not be too useful to you but for all of us forced to have only one, I am hoping this will give you some things to consider when making your choice.

Now to be clear for me, I did not really have a choice. I want a hard top but my wife thinks it is a waste because it would not be used much of the year so my options were limited. For those of you still wearing the pants at home, here's what I have found...

Hard Tops come either in the textured black of color match to your Jeep from the factory. They both have the freedom tops in the front if you are looking at JKs and JLs and come in either 2 or 4 door versions. Here's what I like about hard tops:

• Protection from weather
• Removable Freedom tops
• Better insulated than the soft top
• Much more resistant to damage from tears
• Windows don't scratch as easily as the soft top windows
• Really the only good option for mounting racks (unless you also buy a full rack cage for your Jeep)

Here's what I don't like:

• Can't put it down for the day and then put it back up easily
• Storage options for the top
• Weight of the top
• Cost of an aftermarket top
• Costly to replace if you damage it on the trails

For the soft tops, they also come in a few flavors from the factory. There is a basic top and a premium top. I have had both and prefer the feel of the premium material and the improved way it folds when you put it down. They also come in two colors, a black and a tan. Here's what I like with the soft tops:

• Ease of putting them up and down
• Storage when it is off
• Flexibility to have it partially open or fully
• Lighter weight
• Less costly to replace

For the Cons:

• Colder in winter
• Snow loads in winter
• Louder - more road noise than the Hard Tops
• Less protection and rips easier
• Ease of scratching windows
• No good options to easily mount an awning without a full rook rack

Outside the factory options there are many choices for tops, here is a list of the more interesting ones...

• Bestop
• DV8
• Cliffride (they have some cool camper tops coming out)

NJ Jeep Invasion - Wildwood NJ for Father's Day Weekend

As the weather has turned and it's cold and dark by 4:30 here on the East Coast, my mind wanders back to a better time. A time of warmth and long sun filled days sitting on the beach among like mined individuals surrounded by over 1000 Jeeps from all walks of life. If this scene sounds good to you then allow me to tell you about the NJ Jeep Invasion that takes place every Father's Day weekend in June. For three days, Jeeps descend upon Wildwood NJ and take over the beach for fun in the sun. Money and food are collected for charities, vendors come out, and you get to spend three days living nothing but Jeeps, Beer and Seafood!

 Each year the event gets a little larger and more people come out with their rigs. Rausch Creek always is on hand to build out and support an obstacle course and the city of Wildwood does a really great job of hosting the event.

Even as I wright this post, I am looking forward to attending next year's Invasion with my new JL Rubicon to see and be seen. I encourage you to check out their website NJ Jeep Invasion and register for next year's event if you can.

2018 NJ Beach Invasion

Hope to see you out there!

Throwback Thursday...

My 1980 CJ7 Golden Hawk

I wanted to share where my love for Jeeps began. The guy who was dating my sister (I am pleased to say, my brother in law now) when I was a kid had/has several brothers. One of them had just purchased an older Jeep CJ7 for a friend of his who was heading out to Arizona, luckily for me, that friend had already found another 4WD and my "soon to be CJ" went up for grabs. Scott sold it to me exactly as he found it for a fair price and the rest was history. It needed some work but drove well and I loved it.

It had two different colors for wheels (Black in front and Gold in the rear), quite a bit of rust, and reverse was a very elusive gear but it was mine. This was really before I knew much about off-road driving (not that I am any expert now) so I would mostly play with it on trails but left it pretty much stock. If my memory serves me correctly it had:

• 258 cu in (4.2 L) AMC I6 99.4 PS (73 kW; 98 hp), 261 N⋅m (193 lb⋅ft)
• Borg-Warner T-4 four-speed
• Dana 300 Transfer Case
• Dana 30 Front narrow track axle
• 2-Piece AMC 20 Narrow track rear axle
• Manual Locking Hubs
• 3.73 gears

Dimensions

• Wheelbase 93.3 in (2,370 mm)
• Length 148 in (3,759 mm)
• Width 68.5 in (1,740 mm)
• Height 67.7 in (1,720 mm)
• Curb weight 2,707 lb (1,228 kg)

I had more than one occasion where I needed the help of "Shop Buddies" to fix this or tweak that and I was lucky enough to always have good friends willing to pitch-in and help me. I only had this Jeep through my college years and sadly traded it for a pickup truck when I got a "real" job out of school but this is where the Jeep Bug bit me all those years ago. As it is today, I think it represented freedom and capability. It always brought a smile to my face when driving it and I loved the Jeep Wave when I passed by others equally as lucky as I.

My best memory with my CJ was that I would park it in the faculty parking lot when the student lot was too crowded which was always. The two lots were separated by two long telephone poles lying on their sides. The faculty lot had a gate that you needed a key card to use so I would pull into the student lot and when no one was watching drive over the telephone poles and park it! I miss the days before traffic cameras...

What's your fondest memory of your first Jeep and when did the "bug" bite you?

Adventure Awaits! 2020 Jeep Gladiator

WOW!!!

What else can you say? Loved the live broadcast of the Jeep Gladiator release. Here are some images form the video if you did not have a chance to see it live. I think Jeep really hit it out of the ballpark on this one.  GLADIATOR

 SHUT UP and TAKE MY MONEY!

This looked to be the Overland model and was the first one to hit the floor and the last at the end.  

 Rubicon model pretty well equipped - can't imagine how much the price will be but I am guessing in the $60K range. Has a new front facing off-road camera to keep track of the terrain as you approach obstacles along with a removable speaker.

The Gladiator will be available in 4 trim levels, the Sport, Sport S, Overland, and Rubicon. The Overland seems to be similar to what the Sahara Trim is in the current JLs. I have to say I am a fan of the Gobi, Gator, and Bright White color choices. Gator (similar to Tank) looks really nice on the Overland with color matched hardtop.

 Really like this version and color and the Fox Shocks peaking out underneath. Also really like the look from behind, "baby's got back"!

It said in the closing "Coming 2019" so it should be order-able sometime relatively shortly at your local dealerships. I will be calling mine to figure out just when is likely today.

I will update as I learn more, until then - check out Jeep's FB Page

The Bumper(s) of my dreams...

HAPPY JEEP GLADIATOR ANNOUNCEMENT DAY!!!

One thing I have noticed over the past few days coming through all the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales is that they are all looking exactly the same. From about the Wednesday before Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve, everyone is running a similar sale with similar discounts. Do your research and you can still find good deals though. Don't give up!

Another thing I noticed is that I can't find the exact bumper I am looking for. I like many aspects of several manufacturers out there today but not everything. I am sure this is a common problem many of you have so I figured I would take a shot at putting together a list in the hopes that someone with a shop sees it and decides to build it. It will be my "Holy Grail" Bumper and the search will be EPIC!

Here goes:

FRONT BUMPER

• Light weight but durable - thinking Aluminum gusseted but without that hefty price
• Round light mounts for the factory fog lights
• Recessed winch mount
• Provisions for a front license plate
• Integrated welded-in 1 inch shackles
• Stubby to mid-width for ample tire clearance
• Bull bar with integrated light mounts
• Optional skid plate
• Jack mounting points

REAR BUMPER

• Light weight but durable - thinking Aluminum gusseted but without that hefty price
• Designed to work with the factory hitch
• Accommodations for the factory towing connector
• Compatible with the rear backup sensors
• Provisions for a rear license plate
• Backup LED lights (round) to supplement what the Jeep already has (round to match the fronts)
• Ability to accommodate up to a 37" tire
• Optional Tire Mount
• Optional accessory mounts for gas cans and such

If I am really creating a "wish list" there will also be provisions front and back to attach a rack system that can be used with or without my soft top and easily removable. These attachment points could also be used for the poles to mount an awning to a soft top Jeep!

If any manufacturers would like to discuss or collaborate on any of my ideas, I would be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss the finer points.

Tuesday Trends...

I think I will start a series running every Tuesday on a Jeep specific topic and see where it takes us.  This weeks inaugural post will focus on the much anticipated Jeep Gladiator. From all accounts, this vehicle will be one of the most capable that Jeep has ever produced and will be priced accordingly! If you read my previous posts, you will know that I had been planning to trade my JK in on the Gladiator until it shifted to a 2020 model year. This was when I decided to order the JL Rubicon. Now, with November 28th's pending release at the LA Auto Show, I have moved to a wait and see attitude. I have decided that if the Gladiator comes in within $3000 of the JL Rubicon price then I will wait, anything much more than that and I will buy the JL as planned and pickup (pun intended) a Gladiator in a few years.

Now, what do we already know about the Gladiator? From Jeeps "leaked" release, we saw:

• It will have two engines:
• 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine with Auto Stop-Start and a choice of eight-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission
• 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 with ESS with an 8-speed automatic transmission (2020)
• Towing capacity of up to 7,650 pounds
• Payload capacity of up to 1,600 pounds
• 30-inches of water fording and Crawl ratios similar to the Rubicon I would expect
• Command-Trac and Rock-Trac 4×4 systems
• 3rd generation Dana 44 axles with Tru-Lock electric front and rear axle lockers
• Trac-Lok limited slip differential
• Electronic sway bar disconnect
• 33-inch off road tires
• Durable 5 foot bed
• Fold Down front windshield
• Removable Doors
• Soft Top

All of this information comes from the Jeep Gladiator Forum and you should definitely check out their site to get the latest information and updates.

So why do I care??? I have always loved my Jeeps but also really like the concept of a pickup truck for everyday life. This puts the best of both worlds together and while it might only have a 5 foot bed, the 7,650 lbs of towing capability will really be awesome pulling my NoBo 16.5 trailer!

Decisions, decisions...

Shop Buddy

Who do you count on to help out when you need to lift that heavy bumper into place or figure out how to make those new steps fit when they are missing some bolts or mounts? Most likely this is one of or the same people you wheel with. They are always willing to lend a hand, tools, or a garage to get you back up and running.

For these awesome folks, I raise my beer and extend my gratitude for another job well done. I have a friend I can always count on to help out who is great with all things mechanical and since I am good with electrical, we can cover most things we encounter in the shop. Finding a buddy to work on your Jeep with and help when they need a hand too, is a big part of the Jeep community. This camaraderie is an important part of the experience, we all learn from each other and share that new knowledge with someone else. In this way we all get a little bit more capable.

Between his three Jeeps, my current JK and other friends that we have helped out, we have installed:

• 3 lift kits
• 1 pair of electric running boards
• 3 full sets of bumpers, 1 with a tire carrier
• Four aftermarket soft tops 
• 2 sets of tires (my other friend has tire mounting and balancing machines)
• 2 Brake Controllers
• Built a roof rack from an old Trampoline set (this was all him)
• 1 Set of fenders
• a full set of skid plates
• a winch
• S-POD "like" wiring and switch system
• Too many lights to count
• and numerous oil and filter changes

About the only things we have not done ourselves were the gear upgrades and LSD I added to my Jeep. That work I took to a professional shop (Globex Performance) so I knew it was done right.

My point here is that, if you don't have one yet, find someone you can count on to help you out and make sure you are there to do the same when needed. Your local Jeep club is a great place to start. Google "Jeep Clubs Near Me" and take your butt to a meeting and meet the other members. Volunteer to help someone with a project even if it's just to supply the beer. Learn from watching others more skilled than you and then you will be better off the next time you need to add something or replace a worn part. The rest of the time enjoy the friendships you have and get out there on a trail!

Jeeps and Dogs

I have recently been seeing Subaru commercials that advertise their vehicles as "Dog Approved" but can anyone really claim to be Dog Approved if they can't take the doors and top off while driving around???

I have nothing against a Subaru and have owned several over the years including a 2016 Crosstrek we leased for my son that he drives to college. I am just stating that if I was a Dog and I had the choice to sit inside my son's car or in my Jeep and take a ride, the Jeep would win hands down. God forbid that I was just back from being neutered, after the shame I just endured would my owners also want to heap on top of that and put me in a car where I can barely see out??? No way, any true dog lover would drop the top, take off the doors and let me lick my woulds in full view of the whole world!

This is Astro and you can tell by the smile on his face that he is much happier in the Jeep, I could not even post the picture of him sitting in the Subaru as his shame was so great, it made me feel sad.

This is Levi and you can tell from his expression that we better not even try to put him in the Subaru or there will be trouble (he heard that we put Astro in and got pissed off immediately so we did not even try)

So there you have it, 100% agreement from the entire population of Dogs at my house, Jeeps are far superior to all other vehicles from their perspective with few exceptions - Mail/UPS/Fed Ex Trucks! They told me on the side that they would much rather attack a Mail/UPS/Fed Ex truck than go on any ride. Oh well, you can't win them all...

Please post in the comments some pictures of your Dog buddies enjoying their Jeeps and help me put an end to these ridiculous rumors!

Gift Ideas under $50.00 for the Jeep lover in your life...

Being that we just got through Black Friday and are quickly approaching the holiday shopping season, I wanted to offer some suggestions for those of you who might not know what to buy
someone of the Jeep persuasion.

Please keep in mind that the person on your shopping list may already have quite a bit of what I have listed here so I would say unless you have access to their Jeep or have a pretty good idea what they already have, a gift card to one of these fine establishments might be your best bet. I recommend the following companies that I have personally purchased items from over the years and received great customer service. There are many other great retailers out there, these are just the ones I typically check with and order from first:

• Globex Performance 
• Morris 4x4
• Northridge 4x4
• Quadratec
• Extreme Terrain
• Amazon.com

I also have personally purchased products from the following manufacturers direct:

• JCR
• ARB

Ok, so if you’re still reading that means that you want to give a gift or a stocking stuffer over a gift card so here’s my list of useful items under $50.00 - any of the above listed retailers will have these items as will your local shop if you have one in your area.

• Grab handles in the accent color of your choice 
• Small auto fire extinguisher
• LED flashlight in the accent color of your choice 
• First aid kit
• Tire inflation gauge 
• Oil filters for a JK
• Jeep Calendar 
• Jeep hats
• Jeep shirts

Completed my first “Black Friday” purchase Wednesday night when Northridge 4x4 posted their sale prices. As planned, I bought the Rock Slide Engineering’s Gen II Step Sliders. This is my first “official” build buy and will more than likely arrive before my actual Jeep does!

Just a word of caution that you should definitely do your research for the best deal possible before you place your order. I looked at many different websites including the manufacturer and other distributors for RSE. The manufacturer had the best sale price so if you are local to them, that might be your best bet. They are giving 15% off but shipping to me on the East Coast was over $200!

Other distributors were unwilling to give me an idea what sales they were running so I had to keep checking back. Only David Johnson, president of Northridge, got back to me so he got my business. Just good customer service!

Anyway, I also wanted to mention that Artec Industries also had some great deals going on with free shipping and “swag” thrown in. I do like swag! Only reason I didn’t order from them was timing, I really like their JL bumpers but want to see what AEV will launch. Really like what they had at SEMA.

Hope you all find something fun and new for your Jeeps!

Northridge 4x4

Rock Slide Engineering

Artec Industries

BioLite camp products for Overlanding on Thanksgiving Day! Gobble...Gobble...

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are getting a chance to share the day with family and friends and taking the time to reflect on all that's happened over the past year, good and bad. The good times are what we live for and the bad times are what teach us, make us stronger and, hopefully, are few and far between.

For some this is a day of food and football but for me, I prefer food and Jeeps. Either out working on it, driving it, or planning for what I will do next to it, I am a big fan. In the spirit of cooking, I figured I would share my experiences with the BioLite family of products. To be clear, I am not affiliated in anyway or compensated by BioLite.

About 2-3 years ago I purchased my first BioLite product, it was their camp stove and I really liked what the company was designing but also giving back to impoverished people. Their camp stove combines a wood burning cooking stove with a rechargeable battery that you can use to charge a cell phone or provide some light. It very efficiently burns any scrap wood and because of the integrated fan, it produces very little smoke and heats up very quickly. I take this on all my overlanding trips.

Not too long after the stove, I purchased their BaseLantern XL from a Kickstarter campaign. This light is Bluetooth controlled and can also be used for charging cell phones and powering other devices.

With these two purchases under my belt and great use from both, I have since added on their SolarPanel 5+, SiteLight and SunLight products. I take all of these with me on our overland trips and love the light and power options they afford me. I am never without either!

Most recently, I participated in another of their Kickstarter campaigns, this one for their new HeadLamp. With it, I also purchased their FirePit which is something i have wanted for quite some time. Once I have more experiences with both, I will update here.

 Why am I calling out a specific company that I have no affiliation to? What is the benefit to me? Well, as it's Thanksgiving, I wanted to share some experiences with a company that I not only like the products from but also is concerned about their fellow humans. There are others out there like Goal Zero (have not tried any of their products yet) that also share a similar philosophy in the way they do business and it makes me feel like my money is going to a bit more than just my wants. Tomorrow is Black Friday and while you are out fighting each other for that TV or Toaster, remember that there are other options. I am a huge fan of shopping local where appropriate and you can also order online from companies like these that give back.

Lighting or How many can I fit?

When it comes to off-road lighting, you can never really have too much, or can you? If you are the first Jeep blazing the trail for all the others, then Holiday like illumination can be a good thing. On the other hand, if you are following the lead Jeep who is lighting up the sky then you might be running with nothing more than your daytime running lights. I have been in both situations and when you are following, blinding the driver in front of you is just bad form.

As I have stated in previous posts, I am a fan of retro looking lights and for me, nothing is as retro as the KC HiLites brand. They are the quintessential, lights when I think back to my youth and my old CJ7. They are the lights you saw in every magazine and on every Jeep and Dune Buggy back in the day. I am of course referring to the KC Daylighters. While I am not a fan of the original chrome lights, I love them in black. I feel that KC as a company has stayed true to the original design while modernizing all the working components. You get a really nice retro looking light that is a really high output LED with a focused reflector. Well Done!

Now there are many other light manufacturers out there with awesome products so this is not to say that only KC makes a great light. You have other venerable names like PIAA, Hella, and ARB's Infinity lights, along with more recent brands like Rigid and Rigged Ridge. All have some pretty interesting things to offer the Jeep enthusiast.

There are also many choices in shapes and styles to choose from and in every color you can imagine. He is what I am thinking right now, I am pulling my front two KC HiLites off my JK and saving them for the JL. I am not really sure if they will go on the new bumper or the A pillar. I also plan to install rock lights for off road viability at night but mostly because I really like the way they look when we are all parked somewhere grabbing a beer. I want the color changing LED for the rock lights and am currently thinking about these: KC C-series RGB Rock Lights but these are almost double the price of the other ones available.

I also plan to add additional back-up LED lights but they will be dependent on the new rear bumper so I will see where that direction goes. Feel free to post some suggestions if you have some favorite lights in the comments section and I will check them out!

Oh and I want to wish my sister a very happy birthday! Love you!