Insight needed from Rubicon owners

[Yellow Cake Kid]

I wish I had purchased some mud flaps for my Rubicon before I actually acquired the vehicle.

I added a set of front set RokBlokz XL laps to the front of our Rubicon to reduce the impact of gravel spitting into the doors and rear fender.

During the short interim between receiving the Jeep and selecting, purchasing, and installing the flaps, I regretted not having anticipated the need and having the flaps ready to install on the first day of Jeep ownership.

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[Whisky19]

I wish I had purchased some mud flaps for my Rubicon before I actually acquired the vehicle.

I added a set of front set RokBlokz XL laps to the front of our Rubicon to reduce the impact of gravel spitting into the doors and rear fender.

During the short interim between receiving the Jeep and selecting, purchasing, and installing the flaps, I regretted not having anticipated the need and having the flaps ready to install on the first day of Jeep ownership.

agreed 100%...on the way back from picking my ride up from the dealer I first heard the pings on my first trip up my dirt road. I have to thank these forums because I hopped on right away and many had complained about this very annoying fact. I ordered my Weathertec flaps without hesitation despite the ( I would never put mud flaps on my Jeep) crowd

 

[Notorious]

I am now more financially secure so I really have my eyes on ordering a 2 door Rubicon.

Do it. Yes to all the options. Get a winch.

 

[Jeep4Win]

Alpine w/ 8.4” screen( if you enjoy music this is a fantastic upgrade)

This is an instant check mark for me for sure!

 

[Jeep4Win]

agreed 100%...on the way back from picking my ride up from the dealer I first heard the pings on my first trip up my dirt road. I have to thank these forums because I hopped on right away and many had complained about this very annoying fact. I ordered my Weathertec flaps without hesitation despite the ( I would never put mud flaps on my Jeep) crowd

I must confess that I would be part of the never put mud plays on my Jeep crowd but this is something I will do more research on.

 

[Jeep4Win]

Do it. Yes to all the options. Get a winch.

The only option I’m really not interested in is the advanced safety group. I’m torn on the steel bumpers though from some of the input. If the Recon still ends up being part of the 2021 line up once Jeep updates the website that may be the route I go. Included steel bumpers and money saved from doing the same build on a regular Rubicon I wouldn’t feel so bad selling the steel bumpers if I ended up disliking them.

 

[vhfan5150]

JLUR here and have to echo a lot of what was said. I’d steer clear of the steel bumpers and go aftermarket. Even with the steel front, you still need to buy a winch plate to throw a winch on there. I didn’t get the aux switches, but added an 8 switch pod bank to the top of the a-pillar grab handle. Pretty easy install too.
As far as driveability, I couldn’t be happier. Have a 2” dynatrac lift with 35s on the stock wheels. Just got back from a 9 hour drive to a JJ, wife and kiddos had no comfort complaints.

edited to add:
I was getting the dings as well but step/sliders took care of that.

 

[Whisky19]

I must confess that I would be part of the never put mud plays on my Jeep crowd but this is something I will do more research on.

Truth be told, aesthetically... it’s not as bad as I thought. In fact I don’t even notice it much anymore. Protection wise... night and day

 

[Thinman]

hardtop, because you get the wiper plumbing
tow package, because the aux switches are a pain in the ass to install diy
plastic bumpers, because the rear steel sucks and you will likely replace them both anyway

everything else is gravy

 

[Notorious]

The only option I’m really not interested in is the advanced safety group. I’m torn on the steel bumpers though from some of the input.

Re the ASG, I don’t blame you. I didn’t check that option because I’m not a fan of overloading the Wrangler with electronic nannies.

Re the bumpers, you’re going to get a wide variety of opinions. I like the factory steel bumpers: quality, fit and finish. They’re much stronger than they look and are better than the plastic.

Perfect for around town.

 

[Hayseed_JLUR]

I wish I had purchased some mud flaps for my Rubicon before I actually acquired the vehicle.

I added a set of front set RokBlokz XL laps to the front of our Rubicon to reduce the impact of gravel spitting into the doors and rear fender.

During the short interim between receiving the Jeep and selecting, purchasing, and installing the flaps, I regretted not having anticipated the need and having the flaps ready to install on the first day of Jeep ownership.

Had same rock issue with both the stock KO2's and the 35" KO2's - they are notorious for slinging gravel.

Switched to an aggressive MT and almost zero slinging.

 

[Dkretden]

The only option I’m really not interested in is the advanced safety group. I’m torn on the steel bumpers though from some of the input. If the Recon still ends up being part of the 2021 line up once Jeep updates the website that may be the route I go. Included steel bumpers and money saved from doing the same build on a regular Rubicon I wouldn’t feel so bad selling the steel bumpers if I ended up disliking them.

If you are getting a 2021, OP, I think that one of your biggest decisions will be if you want the full-time 4WD or not.

as with anything, folks here will love it or hate it. Personally, I would have bought it on a Rubicon if it was offered in 2020. Good luck.....

 

[Mikester86]

Recovery Gear, winch, front mud flaps, Trailer Tow package, Premium Audio Group, LED Lighting Group, and Steel Bumper Group if you have no desire to replace them any time soon.

If you are doing more serious rock crawling, then a quality lift, rims, tires and armor will be a great investment. Best of luck on your purchase.

 

[steelponycowboy]

Well I have made the decision awhile back to end my 10 year relationship with my JK Sport to order a new JL around February. I have modified it throughout the years to stay within the budget I had at the time. I am now more financially secure so I really have my eyes on ordering a 2 door Rubicon.

I am just seeking out some insight on a few things from Rubicon owners considering this will share the responsibilities of daily driver and off roader as my JK does. Mainly highway daily driving and trail with some moderate rock crawling when off road.

•What are your impressions so far bone stock?
•What mods do you think are absolutely necessary if any for a stock Rubicon for driving habits I mentioned above?
•What are your personal thoughts from experience on the factory aux switches and steel bumpers?
•What winch recommendations do you have? Not going to be used heavily just there for those just in case scenarios.

Aux switches a must if you are going to run lights, etc. Why fool around with installations when the factory puts them there for you.

No mods needed from stock. Ready for the road or off road right off the showroom floor.

Factory Steel Bumpers ? Nope, go with an aftermarket bumper like the Rugged Ridge Venator or Rugged Ridge HD bumpers. Both great bumpers that look good too.

Winch - as you might expect, lots of opinions there. Get one with a synthetic rope line, 10K or 12K capacity. Do you need to pay the premium price for a Warn? No. I've had great service from Rugged Ridge, Warrior and others that are half the price of a Warn. Warn does have a great warranty of 7 years on electronics and limited lifetime on hard parts. Warn is assembled in the USA with foreign (Asia) parts. My Rugged Ridge has a 5 year warranty. If you want to go cheap, Harbor Freight 12K winch beat the Warn and others a few years ago in one of the 4WD magazines and is less than $300

 

[me109stock]

Bone stock or not, easily the most comfortable and well-mannered wrangler yet.

Doesn't sound like anything would be really absolutely necessary, assuming your rock crawling isn't too extreme.

Factory aux switches are great, definitely worth it. Steel bumpers on the other hand are the one option I wish I'd skipped - the front is good, but the rear is next to useless. For the money, I'd go aftermarket for both.

I don't have a winch, but the Harbor Freight ones seem to be a popular budget-friendly option here.

Totally agree with these comments - go with the AUX switches and skip the steel bumpers. The steel bumpers cost more, coast another $200+ to add a winch carrier, and more if you want a place to attach clevises. I did a lot of custom work to my factory steel bumper to get a unique look and get the bumper to function like I wanted it to. In the long run all teh mods cost me about as much as if I had just bought an aftermarket bumper, and was a lot more work. But NOBODY has a bumper that looks like mine I can guarantee - which is worth something...

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