Before I Buy My Jeep Questions

[char05]

Hey guys, I'm new to the community and the Jeep life. I wanted to ask some questions to validate what I've learned from reading past threads.

I'm looking to buy a 2021 Jeep Wrangler with the goal of it being my daily and weekend camping vehicle. Originally I was looking to get the one sky touch but settled down into choosing a 3 piece hard top because it made more sense financially and for all the roof rack mods (campers and etc).

Wrangler Talk

So here's what I'm thinking in terms of what I want:

• Jeep Wrangler Sport S (because it comes with the upgraded 7" infotainment and allows for more upgrades than the standard Sport)
• 4 Door (is that called unlimited?)
• 3 Piece Hard Top
• Trailer Tow Group (for the additional aux switches and to facilitate future mods/towing)
• Automatic with the V6 etorque engine

Questions

From what I hear the v6 eTorque is superior to the factory default v6 in the Jeeps since it's a lot smoother. is it as reliable?
Is the LED Headlamp/Fog Lamp upgrade worth purchasing or would you guys recommend just getting an aftermarket kit for $200-500?
I'd be mostly driving this in the city. Do you guys recommend the safety group? The Advanced safety seems unnecessary but thoughts on this would be great.

The biggest question:

This seems like a pretty standard Jeep. Should I wait for a similar spec to come across a dealers lot pre-built and try to get a deal on it or should I custom order it with a Jeep dealership? I don't mind going out of state to pick it up. I saw you guys highly recommending Gupton and that's something I might look into since South Florida dealerships are insanely expensive.

Camping

I'd like to eventually use the Jeep to go off the grid with my pup on the weekends. I've seen tons of these youtubers set up their Jeep/camp in the middle of nowhere and it looks amazing.

Question is, how do you know where you can set up? Assuming it's not private property how would I know it's safe to sleep there overnight. Maybe there's a policy/booklet/website for this stuff that you guys can recommend.

Thank you! Your posts have been really helpful and I'm hoping to meet some cool people within the community.

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[iamstillvince]

i say yes to led, lighting is way better. you could do after but just save yourself the trouble. also remember on a sport s, its only headlights and fogs, your fenders will not be led. (i just swapped to led bulbs)
trailer tow yes, just for switches even.
i have v6 non etorque so can't comment on that, i had full safety on my renegade and i don't miss it

 

[LongTimeListener]

The only thing I might suggest is that you consider a Willys instead of a Sport S. You get more trail-friendly tires, the limited-slip diff standard, rock rails, fogs, and some handsome appearance improvements for not a lot of money. If you're interested in taking your Jeep on trails, the Willys is a terrific value. (I am not talking about the Willys S, which is a stripper model.)

 

[Deleted member 59498]

You might look at the Willys also, little more expensive but if you are going off-road it has many of the features you are going to be replacing on the Sport S.

 

[Xcoaste]

I had a JK with the 3.6 and now a JL with 3.6 and eTorque. I prefer the eTorque as the start stop is very smooth. The 8speed auto if very nice as well. I had LED on my JK and didn’t get them this time. I was constantly being flashed by oncoming traffic and this was after having my lights adjusted professionally and several times by myself. You will get different opinions on both those options so it is best to just go with your gut. Enjoy the new Jeep!

 

[aldo98229]

Welcome to the forum!

I’d get the factory LEDs. You will find, once everything is said and done, that installing aftermarket LEDs is neither cheaper nor as easy as it looks. Don’t ask how I know...

I’d also say yes to the Safety Group; the backup sensors and blind spot monitor are worth it.

I don’t have the eTorque but we just don’t see issues posted on here. That says it must be working well. Those who have it swear by it.

Good luck!

 

[MaineBumpkin]

Welcome to the world of endless possibilities and spending

First your Jeep questions:
-If you can’t find exactly what you want, order it. Don’t compromise for the sake of quick fulfillment.
-The two biggest things I hear ‘wish I got’ is the towing package (happened to me) and the proximity locks. I also wish I got the off-road camera. I’d have no interest in additional nanny features (aka safety).
-LED package is good but I personally chose to go standard and replace the headlights and fogs myself (easy and less expensive).
-I went with V6 (no eTorque) and 6 speed. Towing a 2k camper(https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/off-road-campers.67787/page-3). I actually wish I went diesel for mileage and performance.

As far as camping goes it depends where you are going. Start by simply Googling the location and camping. There are tons of resources available such as the Dyrt and a billion YouTube channels, blogs, websites. My nephew has one called DrivinVibin https://drivinvibin.com/category/free-camping/

Hope this helps, good luck!

 

[dalema]

Welcome! Sounds like you’ve done a bunch of research on the forum, and you’re almost there.

Yes - order it and save yourself some dollars (very hard currently to find what you want on a lot and you’ll pay for it).

As people have said - Willys would be a good route.

id get LED and base safety group, but not the advanced safety group. But thats just personal preference.

oh and yes - it’s called an unlimited but most just say 4 door

 

[SlowPoke21]

I will like to add….

When you ask about camping off grid and if it’s safe? My pistol and/or AR would accompany me on any such outing.

 

[BDinTX]

My .02 cents is get the LEDs and the tow package. As for finding trails, the interactive visitors map from the US forestry service is great and it’s free (link below). Another good free one is the Jeep badge of honor app. I just recently got a Gaia GPS subscription and I’m impressed with it.

https://www.fs.fed.us/ivm/

 

[Trainman]

A Sport S will do all you want in a Wrangler to do what you want it to do, but if you want LED headlight and will possibly upgrade your Sport S with other options I would go with the Willys model which for off roading will get just about any job done you want. When it comes to towing you can purchase a 2" receiver hitch for around $85.00 and the wiring harness for around $40.00 and install them your self from etrailer. Jeep options are usually very expensive and there are other aftermarket options available for notch less money. The eTorque V6 has not been proven to me that much better then the standard V6 without eTorque, in fact all the added options included with the eTorque will just prove to me more expensive for repairs down the road. I going with the V6 and stand 6sp manual trans over the eTorque and automatic trans, a $3700 savings. Look up the BLM on the internet and this should give you where you can camp on government lands for free. The roof top tent campers is the way I would go, pulling a small trailer off road can be a big pain in the A__ as you will be doing a lot a backup in your adventures off road. Check out YouTube on this type of camping, I think it will answer may of your questions, it call Overlanding.

 

[garyji]

May have been said, but you definitely want the eTorque version. NO aux Battery!!!!!!! As others have said, look for a Willys. (Not Sport) Absolutely love mine. Daily driver, and occasional trails.

G.

 

[JackA]

For camping check BLM site: https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/camping the Bureau of Land Management has property in every state. We saved over $100 a night in the Grand Canyon by staying on Bureau land that was a scant three miles from the park entrance. The site was beautiful. Usually these are non-prepared sites with no amenities but there are sites with toilets, and water like the King's Bottom camp near Moab https://www.blm.gov/visit/kings-bottom-campground this spectacular campground cost $10/night

 

[rcadden]

You will save several thousand dollars by ordering vs off the lot, but know that you might be waiting a few months.

If you decide to order, you might shop the next trim level up - that 6-8% discount could be enough to get you in there at the price you originally thought. For instance, I only paid ~$45k for my Sahara Altitude that had a $53.5k sticker. May help you jump up to Willys or another more comfy trim without hurting the budget.

Don't sleep on the 2.0L either - try to drive them both and see which you like. The 2.0L felt sportier to me.

The tow package is a must - not just for the hitch/wiring, but it also includes a beefier alternator AND factory-installed aux switches, which are a HUGE pain to add yourself.

Personally I skipped the LED package cause it seems easier/cheaper to do myself aftermarket.

 

[Bren]

Hey guys, I'm new to the community and the Jeep life. I wanted to ask some questions to validate what I've learned from reading past threads.

I'm looking to buy a 2021 Jeep Wrangler with the goal of it being my daily and weekend camping vehicle. Originally I was looking to get the one sky touch but settled down into choosing a 3 piece hard top because it made more sense financially and for all the roof rack mods (campers and etc).

Wrangler Talk

So here's what I'm thinking in terms of what I want:

• Jeep Wrangler Sport S (because it comes with the upgraded 7" infotainment and allows for more upgrades than the standard Sport)
• 4 Door (is that called unlimited?)
• 3 Piece Hard Top
• Trailer Tow Group (for the additional aux switches and to facilitate future mods/towing)
• Automatic with the V6 etorque engine

Questions

From what I hear the v6 eTorque is superior to the factory default v6 in the Jeeps since it's a lot smoother. is it as reliable?
Is the LED Headlamp/Fog Lamp upgrade worth purchasing or would you guys recommend just getting an aftermarket kit for $200-500?
I'd be mostly driving this in the city. Do you guys recommend the safety group? The Advanced safety seems unnecessary but thoughts on this would be great.

The biggest question:

This seems like a pretty standard Jeep. Should I wait for a similar spec to come across a dealers lot pre-built and try to get a deal on it or should I custom order it with a Jeep dealership? I don't mind going out of state to pick it up. I saw you guys highly recommending Gupton and that's something I might look into since South Florida dealerships are insanely expensive.

Camping

I'd like to eventually use the Jeep to go off the grid with my pup on the weekends. I've seen tons of these youtubers set up their Jeep/camp in the middle of nowhere and it looks amazing.

Question is, how do you know where you can set up? Assuming it's not private property how would I know it's safe to sleep there overnight. Maybe there's a policy/booklet/website for this stuff that you guys can recommend.

Thank you! Your posts have been really helpful and I'm hoping to meet some cool people within the community.

I’d get the LED. Base lights aren’t very good and proper aftermarket options can get just as pricy. It’s worth it. I upgraded my old JK to proper KCs and it was $700. (I saw proper because you want a bright light but also a quality housing with good focus that won’t blind others).

Trailer tow from factory will always be better than aftermarket.

Safety group I could take or leave but Advanced safety group will give you TACC, which is helpful in stop and go traffic. Also I might consider trail cam if you’re parallel parking a lot, helps with forward visibility in tight spaces.

We’re in the middle of a global chip shortage, so you’re not going to find any deals on the lot anytime soon. Inventory is super low. Would definitely recommend ordering custom if you’re able to wait for it. You’ll save thousands. Look for 4-6% under invoice deals, there are several dealer on here that’ll offer it.

Regarding camping, check out apps like Campendium and FreeRoam.

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