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$1000-2000 to invest...what to do first?

mac6898

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Rusty's has a great full skid plate set-up for the 2.0 for about $1100. Cool part is that it has modular skids, so you can also just buy the pieces one at a time if you prefer and add to it later. Metalcloak seems great too, but unless I'm mistaken, it's not sold as individual skid plates.
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SmilesPerGallon

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LOD rock sliders and a winch. You don't want to see the repair bill for rocker panel repair. Everything else you will learn as you go out as others have said. Good luck wheeling and enjoy the modding!
 

Beowulf

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Aux fuel tank.
Dual Batteries
Onboard Air
Maxtrax.
Adequate sliders and Dif Covers
Winch and recovery gear
Upgrades to suspension
Long duration offgrid livability upgrades
additional skids as needed

Honestly, just save your money. Take adventures for a year or so. Determine what you need for "your needs". All of us will chime in with what we'd do for our needs.

Kitting out a vehicle is definitely part of the fun. Self control would be hard for me, but if you can do it, you'll end up with less buyers regret since you'll buy what you need when you determine you need it.

Have fun..... that's the biggest thing.
 

Mr.BoJangles_91

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1. On board air or in my case, I went with the ARB portable option.
2. Winch / recovery gear
3. Skids (even the smallest rocks can do a lot of damage, like the rock below that "totaled" my old rig)

9kfdswDBwCsNiMiMfYxM66gw=w3400-h1913-no?authuser=0.jpg



And then gonna echo what beowulf just mentioned, Have fun!
 

Aonar

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Going to answer 1st WITHOUT reading any other replies to see how I/WE compare:
-1st aid kit
-Self recovery gear (Items I am sure are in many other threads and probably in this thread as well)
-Fire extinguisher(s)
-Comms if in a group that can communicate with the group
_Comms back to civilization and chargers
-Maps/mapping apps/etc of the area
-Trash bag/receptacle to carry out what you carried in
-Way to carry water/Purify water in case get stranded
-Food in case get stranded
-Emergency tools like Gorilla Tape, wire, tool kit,
-Tire repair kit
-Small portable air compressor
-A way to jack up your vehicle
-Way to make fire
-Lighting like headlamps, flashlights, work lights, etc.

FREE STUFF
-ANOTHER vehicle...try not to wheel alone if you can help it
-Knowedge. Know your vehicles capabilty. Know your capabilty.

Much much more but this is a start!

HAVE FUN!
 

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cosine

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i agree with the above suggestions. if it was me, winch / recovery gear would be first on the list. then under armor. fine tune the suspension. everything else will be personal preference like aux lights, on board air, etc.

something to keep in mind. think of what you want to do to the jeep. do the research and then plan accordingly. for example, dont go out and buy a winch first, if you know you want to get a winch bumper. look at the bumpers first and see what you like and want. then see what you need to fit a winch into that bumper. some bumpers will have a built in winch plate. other will require a plate.

the best thing is to enjoy the jeep and hit the trails. see what other jeepers have and see what works and what doesnt work. this will help in fine tuning your jeep to your needs.
 

BillWorkbench

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So far, my best investment has been Smittybilt 2781 5.65 CFM Universal Air Compressor. https://amzn.to/3sEQ5lQ

I have the stock tires on my Sport, and this compressor fills them up in about the same time as it took to air them down. I am also ok with it not built-in as I can use it in other vehicles.
 

1quick1

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Some of my favorites (minus the essentials like food, water, first aid)

Sunrider top
JeepSleep mattress
Bartact seat covers
 

nyvisual

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Hi all. I'm fairly new to the off-road world and recently bought a 2021 JLUR with the 2.0L engine. I installed the Mopar 2" lift and have 35" Falken MT tires. I'm wondering what other Rubicon owners would do first if they had another $1,000 or $2,000 to invest. So many options! I plan on doing trails in Arizona (such as Schnebly Hill Road & Broken Arrow which I've already done) and possibly Moab in 2021. I appreciate your thoughts and guidance!

Jeep Wrangler JL $1000-2000 to invest...what to do first? 9kfdswDBwCsNiMiMfYxM66gw=w3400-h1913-no?authuser=0

Awesome Rubi - 1K to 2k to burn I went with mats for the interior, side steps, dash cam. That was probably just under 1k. I personally never look at any money I spend my Jeep as an invested, because it’s never going to appreciate. I know you didn’t mean it that way. My Jeep money is my burn money. Once all the other buckets are filled, it’s play money...and boy we all like playin’
 

Oncorhynchus

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Spend it on gas, food and lodging for an epic first road trip to a wheeling destination. The Rubicon is well equipped enough to tackle your first off-road adventure.
 

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Buckzona

Buckzona

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Rusty's has a great full skid plate set-up for the 2.0 for about $1100. Cool part is that it has modular skids, so you can also just buy the pieces one at a time if you prefer and add to it later. Metalcloak seems great too, but unless I'm mistaken, it's not sold as individual skid plates.
I'll check out both brands. Thx!
 

SteadyC

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Your Rubicon has sliders, beat those up and use that money elsewhere. i would do the following.

1. Transmission skid plate
2. Front diff skid plate, the front diff is way more vulnerable than the rear, with the position of the drain plug.
3. Air compressor
4. Tire patch kit
5. Sunrider top
6. Front lower control arms
7. Steering damper upgrade and relocation bracket
8. winch
9. Lights
10. Recovery gear

sorry, list got long
 
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Buckzona

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Going to answer 1st WITHOUT reading any other replies to see how I/WE compare:
-1st aid kit
-Self recovery gear (Items I am sure are in many other threads and probably in this thread as well)
-Fire extinguisher(s)
-Comms if in a group that can communicate with the group
_Comms back to civilization and chargers
-Maps/mapping apps/etc of the area
-Trash bag/receptacle to carry out what you carried in
-Way to carry water/Purify water in case get stranded
-Food in case get stranded
-Emergency tools like Gorilla Tape, wire, tool kit,
-Tire repair kit
-Small portable air compressor
-A way to jack up your vehicle
-Way to make fire
-Lighting like headlamps, flashlights, work lights, etc.

FREE STUFF
-ANOTHER vehicle...try not to wheel alone if you can help it
-Knowedge. Know your vehicles capabilty. Know your capabilty.

Much much more but this is a start!

HAVE FUN!
Thank you for the great advice!
 

wibornz

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For the type of wheeling you say your going to do, your Rubicon is already set up for. It has skid plates already on it. The biggest thing to remember is that the expensive stuff is in the middle. Run over rocks with the tires or drive around them.

Things I would add or have added for the money you want to spend. I will put them loosely in order by my preference.

First aid Kit
Fire extinguisher with a mount
Recovery gear. winch, shackles, straps, and tree saver, gloves.... and know how to use them.
a way to add air to tires and a tire repair kit. and know how to use them.
maps, mapping software compass and know how to use them. Tip of the day, download the map of the area you are going to wheel with google maps.
basic set of tools.
A good knife.

Then let your needs dictate what else you should add.

When adding skids, start with the diff skids.

There are 5 JLURs that routinely travel with me. Two of them have just the stock rock sliders and no additional skid plates. They have done the Rubicon Trail, many trails in Moab and places back east like Rauch Creek and WIndrock.

Marketing to Jeep owners is a strong business. Just know that your Rubicon is good to go when it is stock, yours is already lifted with 35s. So you are ready for all but the most extreme trails. My impression is that you are going to go trail ride with the family and just have a good time. Go do that. Traveling with kids and showing them that life is way bigger than their home town is one of the best things a parent can teach a kid.
 

Stormin’ Moorman

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First thing you need is a roof top tent and a 270 awning, just kidding.

If i could go back in time and start over, I would approach the problem differently. I would put Jeep expenses in two categories, 1) Big ticket items that you might need to save up and purchase, and 2) small items that you can just grab off of Amazon or you may already own.

1) As far as big ticket items i always get bumpers and a winch first because of what i do, how i do it and where I do it most. Self recovery is always first on my list. Especially with the Rubicon because it will get you into places you have no business going. Trust me. There's a million bumpers to choose from and just as many winches. The price range is large so you can spend a lot or a little. We just put a Quadratec bumper and Badlands winch on my son's Jeep for $600 total.

As @wibornz stated, the rubicon already has skid plates but they leave a lot to be desired in my opinion. I wish i had gotten my Metal Cloak skids before i broke a bunch of shit. C'est la vie.

I think those are the 2 big ticket items you should "invest" in first.

2) The second category is pretty broad, like my sister. I would start by getting a first aid kit because you'll need it. At least a couple hand held walkie-talkies, OMG that's a whole can of worms but you need some sort of comms. You should start assembling a Jeep specific tool kit. You don't need to be the tool truck but you'll definitely need some tools. Flashlight, gloves, snatch blocks, jack pedestal (have you checked to see if your factory jack will lift your jeep up high enough to change a tire?), etc. The list is endless.

Good luck
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