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They don't have an exhaust skid solution that's compatible with the AEV bumper? That's unexpected / bizarre. I did, however, notice that NVM's rear exhaust skids add a grand to the cost cost of their setup.

Have you seen AEV's latest video? Pretty slick and even has Chris in it. Say Hi to him for me if you get a chance. He'll remember me since my wife was the one wearing a sleeping bag onesie ;)
Stay tuned. I know some inside baseball that I can’t give details on, but a solution is in the works.

Something I can talk about is that Artec is working on a skid for the exhaust resonators that I will be able to add to the belly pan. Looking forward to that.

Artec’s exhaust skid is the same price (give or take) as NVM’s. The box for just the exhaust skid weighed 45 lbs. Beefy.

I’ll tell Chris that Ratbert John said hi from his wife’s sleeping bag onesie. But if he looks at me funny, you owe me a beer. :)
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I added what (I hope) are to be the last few "mods" before the trip to Moab.

First, my Element E100 fire extinguisher arrived Monday (kudos to High Country Performance 4x4 for the quick turnaround on that). I was also able to get ahold of their mountable carrying pouch in a pinch from a local overland supply store (Spirit of 1876).

I mounted it to the roll bar right above the driver door. I figure it will be easily accessible there until I get a more permanent mounting solution and placement figured out. I am hoping I never need it, to be frank.

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Another item that arrived Monday was the Overland Kitted Spare Tire Maxtrax Mount. I'm playing around with locations, as well as positioning of the two plates that are bolted together. I tried it mounted on the driver's side at first, but it impedes access to the tailgate handle a bit. On the passenger side (pictured) it will make contact with (and probably break) the taillamp, so that is a no go. I will ultimately switch it back over to the driver's side position for the trip. I haven't figured out a better way to carry the Maxtrax outside of the Jeep without a roof rack, and without blocking the 3rd brake light and backup camera. There is one company that makes mounts that go on the side of the hardtop, using the rain gutter, and they will hold mini Maxtrax (which I don't own) or Rotopax, but whoever runs their social media is an absolute brain dead moron, and decided to jump into a comment thread with me and shit on Jeeps and the Jeep community all the while talking shit to me, so I will never order their product, even though I was strongly considering it before that interaction. And, yes, I bought another set of Maxtrax to go with the color theme of the Jeep, because if you don't flex with your Maxtrax colors, are you actually overlanding?

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Lastly, the Factor 55 UltraHook with Rope Guard arrived, so I got that installed, while also removing the removable front license plate mounting bracket that AEV installed on the Jeep. I thought (for a second) about leaving the license plate mounting bracket on, but the UltraHook would not clear it.

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I love the Factor 55 stuff. I ran their Thimble, and then their FlatLink on my JK, along with the HitchLink 2.0, and I ran the FlatLink E and a HitchLink 2.0 on my old JLU Rubicon. Now the UltraHook on the 392. I need to get a HitchLink 2.0 for the 392 as well.
 
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Today the DeepSleep4Jeep Solo Mat arrived, so I unboxed it and laid it out in the Jeep. I think once the foam core expands fully and it is able to inflate all the way (it's self-inflating), it will be a suitable solution for sleeping in the Jeep. I'm really trying to pack as light as possible for this overnight trip. Also, my Dometic CFX3 55IM arrived today, by surprise... It was early and also not supposed to be delivered to my house, so I'm glad I was still here.

i-sRp9N7c-X2.jpg
 

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Today the DeepSleep4Jeep Solo Mat arrived, so I unboxed it and laid it out in the Jeep. I think once the foam core expands fully and it is able to inflate all the way (it's self-inflating), it will be a suitable solution for sleeping in the Jeep. I'm really trying to pack as light as possible for this overnight trip. Also, my Dometic CFX3 55IM arrived today, by surprise... It was early and also not supposed to be delivered to my house, so I'm glad I was still here.

Jeep Wrangler JL 2023 Sarge Rubicon 392XR AEV JL370 i-sRp9N7c-X2
That looks slick, but where are you planning on putting all of your gear while sleeping?
 

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Good morning Jeepers & Jeepettes.
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That looks slick, but where are you planning on putting all of your gear while sleeping?
I'm packing very light. This trip is a quick one for me, so I will have only the basics, and my kit is going to be inspired a bit from my motocamping gear. I have some very compact / lightweight gear, and learned some creative ways of making the most of the space in a tool roll from packing a tool roll for motorcycles.

All of my gear will easily fit in the cargo area of the Jeep with the rear seats up, and will fit beside the DeepSleep4Jeep Solo Mat with both seats laid flat.
 

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OOPS!! Wrong thread. A bunch of us regulars hang out on another forum. Sorry.
 
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OOPS!! Wrong thread. A bunch of us regulars hang out on another forum. Sorry.
Am I gonna start having to check your coffee for “the good stuff” in the mornings? :CWL:
 

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Am I gonna start having to check your coffee for “the good stuff” in the mornings? :CWL:
Don't give away my secret, please. :CWL:
 

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That looks slick, but where are you planning on putting all of your gear while sleeping?
So, I went out to the Jeep to see how the DeepSleep4Jeep Solo Mat was looking. The foam looks to have expanded pretty nicely. I decided I would try to take a little nap on it to see how it felt, and I was able to get a 30 minute nap in pretty easily. As it is essentially a foam core air mattress, it is best to leave them out before a trip (and if you have the room, store them unrolled / inflated), so that they inflate faster during a trip. So I'll be leaving it like this until Saturday night before departing Sunday morning.

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To @Ratbert and his question about gear, ignoring the huge cardboard box on the left, this (plus the DeepSleep Solo Mat stored in its stuff sack) is representative of the total footprint of the gear I'm bringing, and I'm hoping to actually leave one of the two smaller Step22 bags behind through some consolidation.

That's also with the sleeping bag in its long term storage sack. In its stuff sack, it's just slightly larger than a 2L bottle of Coke.

i-mWSXQ9c-X2.jpg


- Sleeping bag and Exped Mega Pillow
- 4 Gal of water (2 gal of water per passenger per day is required by AEV; Dometic GO Jug (2.9 Gal) plus YETI 0.5 Gal Water Bottle... I will also be carrying two 32oz insulated thermoses that fit in my cupholders up front)
- Step22 Pangolin Tool Roll with almost every combination and socket wrench I can think of that I would need to work on the Jeep, plus various pliers, JB Weld, Loctite, QuikSteel, safety wire, cutting tools, duct tape, electrical tape, valve stem cores, etc.
- ARB Premium Recovery Kit + Factor 55 Shorty Strap
- NEMO Stargazer Luxury Recliner
- Air up / down kit (in red / black Husky bag... I may move the kit to one of my smaller bags since there is quite a bit of extra space in that bag, which may allow me to stuff it under the front of the passenger seat
- 2x Step22 Stingray Flat Box Minis (these will hold camp kitchen, food, snacks) - both of these will fit neatly in one of my Zarges cases if I decided to pack them that way.
- Step22 Tamarin Trunk (my Exped Mega Pillow and sleeping bag liner will go in here, along with a breaker bar and paper towel roll, trash bags, and some Ziploc bags)
- Small clothes Duffle
- GO Anywhere Portable Toilet (Wag-Bag style toilets are a requirement by AEV; this will stay in its box, because if I don't end up using it, it will be returned to REI).

It looks like a lot spread out on the floor, but it packs and stows nicely.
 

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Have a great trip!
 
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Got back from Moab yesterday evening and, boy oh boy, we had a lot of fun. I’m going to do a trip write up today and post some pictures. Stay tuned!
 
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AEV Customer Run Day 1: Lockhart Basin

I'm breaking this writeup into two posts (day 1 and day 2), but the only way to describe this trip in a single word is "epic."

It was an early morning, as we were up before the sun and at the Spanish Trail Shell station south of town in Moab at 5:15AM for a drivers' meeting to go over the route, ground rules (spotters), etc.

We rolled out of the Shell station around 5:30AM and headed south on 191 toward 211. We hung a right onto 211 and headed west in the direction of Canyonlands National Park eventually hanging another right on Lockhart Road, which eventually intersects Lockhart Basin Road.

Once on Lockhart Road, we aired down and were treated to a stunning sunrise over the sheer red rock walls in the distance.

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Sarge green is right at home surrounded by the colors of the Utah desert.

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While airing down, AEV's videographer approached me about doing something special... More to come on that.

After we were all aired down, the convoy rolled out in search of our intersection for Lockhart Basin Road. The scenery, as always in Moab, was jaw dropping. The early morning sunlight playing all over the rock formations was a treat. Quite the sight to behold.

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Lockhart Road was a mix of hardpack dirt, some washboard, and whoops. The AEV suspension with the Bilstein 8100 reservoir shocks ate it all up. It also helps that I have refined and lightened my gear load over time. I actually brought more than I was planning to bring, as I was going to brew some fresh coffee for the group on Tuesday morning, but everything was still light and organized in my Zarges cases and Step 22 boxes / tool roll and fit neatly in the cargo area with the rear seats up, and a cargo strap over it all to keep it securely in place ensuring I didn't hear gear rattling or bouncing around in the back.

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As the convoy splintered off onto Lockhart Basin Road, the terrain became rockier and a little more technical, but nothing difficult - yet - just a little slower going. I dropped the transfer case into 4Hi and pushed the sway bar disconnect button to allow the front axle to articulate more and let the remote reservoir shocks up front eat up the terrain. Smooth sailing.

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Brian's AEV Hemi-swapped JKU 350 on 37s was super cool.

One thing that was really neat to me was seeing all of the various AEV rigs. There were JLUs, Colorado ZR2 Bisons, JKUs, and Gladiators. Such a treat to get to see and be part of that.

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Michale's Colorado ZR2 Bison he drove down from Calgary, AB, Canada with his buddy Roger.

As we moved toward the intended camping spot, we took a couple of breaks from driving to stretch the legs and take in some scenery.

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Left to right: My buddy Zig's JKUR (homebuilt JK350 on 37s), my 392 JL370, Matt from AEV's JL370, and Rich Waitas's (from MagnaFlow) JL370. It was great seeing Matt in person again, and really nice finally meeting Rich in person after having interacted with him via Facebook for a while in the AEV group. It was also nice to meet John from AEV, who was riding along with Matt. He and I had some great conversations, as he rode with me a few times along the way.

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A wider angle of the convoy stopped to stretch the legs. Left to right: My 392 JL370, Matt Feldermann's (from AEV) JL370, Rich's JL370, Jackson Ellis's (from Glendale DCJR) 392 JL370, Nick Psoma's (from Peak Suspension) Colorado ZR2 Bison, Michale's Colorado ZR2 Bison, Brian's AEV Hemi-conversion JK350, Ben Hedrick's (from HEDRICK Speedsports) JL370, and Chris Wood's (from AEV) JL370.

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I was pretty impressed that the Overland Kitted Spare Tire Maxtrax mount did not budge an inch for the duration of the trip. I'm not really a fan of the hardware they provided to put the Maxtrax mount on the plate that interfaces with the spare tire, but I'll swap that out. The provided hardware uses Allen head bolts and nylock nuts, but the nylock nuts seem to seize up and Allen head bolts suck for things that need to be torqued down nice and tight. I'm going to swap to some stainless hex head bolts with lock washers instead of nylock nuts and see how that works out.

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Nick (middle), Michale, and Jackson climbing up the road.


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Rich and Matt following the convoy.

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Stopped for an early lunch.


Before lunch, the trail did get a little more technical but nothing the rigs couldn't easily handle. These Jeeps and Colorados on 35s and 37s with theAEV suspensions are just so capable, it takes a lot to slow them down. Once lunch wrapped up, the convoy got moving again and we continued in search of our intended camping location.

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Just before 2PM, we arrived at what was supposed to be our camp location for the evening. Unfortunately, the location is pretty exposed and, while the temperature wasn't much of an issue (a little cool), the winds were howling and occasionally sandblasting us with dust and dirt (and the occasional small stone). AEV circled up the group and asked what we wanted to do: stay there, or press on down the trail to look for a less exposed location to camp (thus, pressing through into the sections of the trail that were supposed to be completed on day 2 of the trip). I pointed out that it was six in one, half dozen in the other, and chasing a better location might be a fool's errand. Ultimately, the majority of the customers voted to press on, so we did.

From there, things on the trail got more fun and technical. Some great little down hill sections as we descended into a small canyon to get to a lower bench in the basin below.

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Jackson spotting Chris down through a technical section.

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Ben moving into position with Jackson ready to spot.

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A great shot of me coming down the obstacle that Matt from AEV snapped.

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A quick shot of my buddy Zig that I snapped as we were coming down the canyon.


Eventually, we were down on the bench below along the Colorado River, and the AEV trip leader asked again about staying here to camp. The other option, at this point, was returning to town. When polled, it seemed that about half of the customers in the group had back-up accommodations in town (*booooo* *hissssss*). The wind was still ripping and blowing dirt, dust, and sand around, and AEV then put the decision to a vote of their customers and said "we'll do whatever the majority of you want to do." I thought that was great of them, being willing to brave the weather if the vote favored doing so. Ultimately, the majority of the customers (not me and not Zig!!) voted to return to town. On our way back into town, I pointed out a few spots that we could camp in, in a last ditch effort to save camping for the night.

After arriving back in town, a few of us split off and went to a campground north of Moab to secure some camping spots, and then we headed to dinner where Matt and Jackson joined us. Matt from AEV then joined us at camp for the night. We shared some libations and some great conversation about AEV history and some of the cool rigs that have been built and used over the years, then hit the hay as we had to regroup at 7AM the next morning for the now updated second day of the trip.
 

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Great write up and photos. Thanks for sharing.
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