Kahiltna - Sarge Green JLUR Build Journal

[Tpom]

Quite a bit has been done to the Jeep now, and I still have a huge list left to accomplish. Figured I would start up a build journal and document the progress.

2021 JLUR
Sarge Green
Dark Saddle leather
3.6 E-Torque, Automatic
3-Piece hard top - Black

• Integrated Trail-Cam
• Cold Weather Group
• LED Lighting Group
• Safety Group (standard not advanced)
• Steel-Bumper Group
• Trailer-Tow and Heavy-Duty Electrical Group

Ordered September 5, 2020
Picked up October 26, 2020

Name: Kahiltna. Kal for short. The name originates from the Kahiltna Glacier, which is part of Denali. The name is personal and has multiple meanings. My cousin was a leading glaciologist in Alaska and accomplished significant work on Kahiltna Glacier to monitor climate changes. My cousin embodied the word adventure. The landscape of Denali is massive and challenging - leading to the discovery and exploration aspect.

Build type: Overall the Jeep is being built with an expedition mindset, meaning an emphasis on discovery, exploration, and capability. Suppose you could say the build is more for ‘overlanding’ although personally I have tried not to throw that word around as much. A few of my passions guiding the build are landscape photography and adventure travel. I picked the Wrangler due to many reasons, the main being its capability and ability to individualize. As a Lego fan, having my own full size lego machine is a dream of mine! I have tried to be very purposeful with my build, selecting items that not only aid the capability part of the build, but also being mindful of weight and functionality, along with staying aesthetically pleasing. Weight is obviously a big factor with using a Wrangler for this type of build. I try to have a bit of a backpacker mindset with my selections, while focusing the weight on certain key parts (and cutting w/ others).

Stock	Current build (as of April 2023)

Current build items: General list not all included/Updates will be posted in this list as well.
*Updated list as of 6/5/23

Exterior/Suspension/Drivetrain etc:

Clayton 2.5” Overland + Kit

Falcon 3.3 Fast Adjust Piggyback Shocks

TeraFlex Falcon Nexus EF 2.2 Adjustable Steering Stabilizer w/Relocation Bracket

Steer Smarts Yeti HD Tie rod and Draglink

Dynatrac HD BallJoints

Dana AdvanTEK 4.88 Gears

ARB Diff Covers - Front and Back

Tires - Mickey Thompson 37X12.50R17LT - Baja Boss A/T

Wheels: Fifteen52 - Traverse HD - Bronze

McGard Wheel Installation Kit, 23-Piece, M14X1.5 - Black

Mopar 392 Emblems and hood decal

Redline Tuning - Hood struts

Gobi Stealth Rack - Multi-Light Setup w/ Driver Side Ladder

AEV Rear Bumper and RX Tire Carrier w/ Flare ext, Splash Guards, Aux light mount

LOD Destroyer rock sliders

Maximus-3 JL Winch Mount kit

Maximus-3 Max Glide Fairlead - Black

Fishbone Offroad Aluminum Hawse Fairlead License Plate Mount - Black

Factor 55 Flatlink E - Grey w/Flatlink rope guard

Utah Design Foundry Stubby Bumper Closeout Panels

Colorado 4x4 Nimbus Hardshell Roof Top Tent - with Cloud comfort bedding

AWE Trail cat-back - AFE MACH Hi-Tuck muffler

Interior:

Hotheads Headliner - Black

AAL (American Adventure Labs) ARB Compressor Remote Bracket - Texture Black

AAL Jeep JL Dual ARB Compressor Mount Bracket

AAL Jeep JL M.A.S.S. Storage Platform - Bare Metal ** Upgraded to the M.A.S.S + Platform

Carolina Metal Masters JL/JLU Grab Bar Ball Mount

Vehicle OCD center console organizer tray

Vector Offroad JLE-Dock Contour Full Width w/ 1 extra ball

67Designs 4.9" arm matte, SPod Touchscreen Mount

AAL Overhead molle platform - Texture Black

TACCOM Compatible Heavy Duty Aluminum Sun Visor Clips

Tailgate table from Outback Adventure

Element fire extinguisher - Mounted to driver side seat using flashlight mount

Desert Does it - SHORTY FRONT SEAT JACKERS

Electrical/Comm’s:

ARB Dual Air Compressor

Rear hatch light: KC HiLiTES 1353 Red Cyclone LED Accessory Light

Rear hatch light: KC Hilites 1351 Diffused Cyclone LED Accessory Light

S-Pod BathamX w/ Touchscreen

Bumper lights: KC Pro6 Gravity Driving lights (pair) w/ Amber light covers

Z Automotive Tazer Mini

WARN 62132 Power Interrupt Kit

Rear bumper light: Baja Designs - Squadron Sport - Work/Scene light

Terra Acoustics front Soundstage speakers w/ Black Anodized Tweeter ring

Wouxun KG-1000G Plus GMRS

Genesis Offroad Dual battery setup Gen 3 w/ 2 FullRiver Full Throttle FT75025 batteries

Recovery/Gear Misc:

Superwinch SX10SR - 10k Winch, Synthetic line

DIY tire inflation system with Haltec Lock-On Air Chucks and Flexzilla Air Hose

ActionTrax recovery boards - OD green

Gerber Strap cutter

Misc bags and kits for medical, recovery, tools, etc. Blue Ridge Overland and MyMedic

Jetboil - Genesis Basecamp Stove/System

Dometic GO Hydration Water Jug 11L

Dometic GO Hydration Water Faucet

Dometic GO Compact Camp Bamboo Table

Front Runner Expander Camping Chairs

Current focus items/areas/pending purchases:

• Storage - Currently planning on building a drawer system from AAL, joined with the fridge Flipn Slide from AAL.
• Misc - Fridge 40-45L
• Electrical - thinking of adding a second SPod Bantam X in the rear and tying it to the front Bantam X.

Sponsored

 

[Tpom]

Replaced my American Adventure Labs MASS platform with the new MASS + platform. Much prefer the new design. Having the door/hatches to access the rear cubby with the air compressor is very nice. There are braces that fit the back side of the platform. The two front braces have a section that shows behind the AAL logo. I used some Rust-Oleum metallic paint in Champagne Bronze to match the the other bronze/gold accents around the Jeep. Very close in color.

Will be most likely adding the fridge slide and drawers to the rear as well. Have not decided on the drawer layout yet though.

Previous platform (AAL MASS)

New/Upgraded platform (AAL MASS +)

 

[Tpom]

Also... "Assembled" my new HF badlands floor jack. Really only required installing the wheels and the clamp to hold the optional extension.

So far, very impressive build. The main structure has got to be 7/16 to 1/2in think steel. Also really like the carrier for the optional extension. It fits securely in it's housing when not in use. Easy to add the extension as well, and even includes an Allen key (that has a mount on the jack). For $300 I would say it's a very good buy vs the competition (pro eagle).

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

Quite a bit has been done to the Jeep now, and I still have a huge list left to accomplish. Figured I would start up a build journal and document the progress.

2021 JLUR
Sarge Green
Dark Saddle leather
3.6 E-Torque, Automatic
3-Piece hard top - Black

• Integrated Trail-Cam
• Cold Weather Group
• LED Lighting Group
• Safety Group (standard not advanced)
• Steel-Bumper Group
• Trailer-Tow and Heavy-Duty Electrical Group

Ordered September 5, 2020
Picked up October 26, 2020

Name: Kahiltna. Kal for short. The name originates from the Kahiltna Glacier, which is part of Denali. The name is personal and has multiple meanings. My cousin was a leading glaciologist in Alaska and accomplished significant work on Kahiltna Glacier to monitor climate changes. My cousin embodied the word adventure. The landscape of Denali is massive and challenging - leading to the discovery and exploration aspect.

Build type: Overall the Jeep is being built with an expedition mindset, meaning an emphasis on discovery, exploration, and capability. Suppose you could say the build is more for ‘overlanding’ although personally I have tried not to throw that word around as much. A few of my passions guiding the build are landscape photography and adventure travel. I picked the Wrangler due to many reasons, the main being its capability and ability to individualize. As a Lego fan, having my own full size lego machine is a dream of mine! I have tried to be very purposeful with my build, selecting items that not only aid the capability part of the build, but also being mindful of weight and functionality, along with staying aesthetically pleasing. Weight is obviously a big factor with using a Wrangler for this type of build. I try to have a bit of a backpacker mindset with my selections, while focusing the weight on certain key parts (and cutting w/ others).

Stock	Current build (as of April 2023)

Current build items: General list not all included/Updates will be posted in this list as well.

Exterior/Suspension/Drivetrain etc:

Clayton 2.5” Overland + Kit

Falcon 3.3 Fast Adjust Piggyback Shocks

TeraFlex Falcon Nexus EF 2.2 Adjustable Steering Stabilizer w/Relocation Bracket

Steer Smarts Yeti HD Tie rod and Draglink

Dynatrac HD BallJoints

Dana AdvanTEK 4.88 Gears

ARB Diff Covers - Front and Back

Tires - Mickey Thompson 37X12.50R17LT - Baja Boss A/T

Wheels: Fifteen52 - Traverse HD - Bronze

McGard Wheel Installation Kit, 23-Piece, M14X1.5 - Black

Mopar 392 Emblems and hood decal

Redline Tuning - Hood struts

Gobi Stealth Rack - Multi-Light Setup w/ Driver Side Ladder

AEV Rear Bumper and RX Tire Carrier w/ Flare ext, Splash Guards, Aux light mount

LOD Destroyer rock sliders

Maximus-3 JL Winch Mount kit

Maximus-3 Max Glide Fairlead - Black

Fishbone Offroad Aluminum Hawse Fairlead License Plate Mount - Black

Factor 55 Flatlink E - Grey w/Flatlink rope guard

Interior:

Hotheads Headliner - Black

AAL (American Adventure Labs) ARB Compressor Remote Bracket - Texture Black

AAL Jeep JL Dual ARB Compressor Mount Bracket

AAL Jeep JL M.A.S.S. Storage Platform - Bare Metal ** Upgraded to the M.A.S.S + Platform

Carolina Metal Masters JL/JLU Grab Bar Ball Mount

Vehicle OCD center console organizer tray

Vector Offroad JLE-Dock Contour Full Width w/ 1 extra ball

67Designs 4.9" arm matte, SPod Touchscreen Mount

AAL Overhead molle platform - Texture Black

TACCOM Compatible Heavy Duty Aluminum Sun Visor Clips

Tailgate table from Outback Adventure

Element fire extinguisher - Mounted to driver side seat using flashlight mount

Electrical/Comm’s:

ARB Dual Air Compressor

Rear hatch light: KC HiLiTES 1353 Red Cyclone LED Accessory Light

Rear hatch light: KC Hilites 1351 Diffused Cyclone LED Accessory Light

S-Pod BathamX w/ Touchscreen

Bumper lights: KC Pro6 Gravity Driving lights (pair) w/ Amber light covers

Z Automotive Tazer Mini

WARN 62132 Power Interrupt Kit

Rear bumper light: Baja Designs - Squadron Sport - Work/Scene light

Recovery/Gear Misc:

Superwinch SX10SR - 10k Winch, Synthetic line

DIY tire inflation system with Haltec Lock-On Air Chucks and Flexzilla Air Hose

ActionTrax recovery boards - OD green

Gerber Strap cutter

Misc bags and kits for medical, recovery, tools, etc. Blue Ridge Overland and MyMedic

Jetboil - Genesis Basecamp Stove/System

Dometic GO Hydration Water Jug 11L

Dometic GO Compact Camp Bamboo Table

Front Runner Expander Camping Chairs

Current focus items/areas/pending purchases:

• Comm’s - Wouxun KG-1000G GMRS Radio w/ Midland Ghost antenna
• Recovery - Finishing my recovery gear loadout and complimenting the winch
• Storage - Currently planning on building a drawer system from AAL, joined with the fridge Flipn Slide from AAL.
• Misc - Fridge 40-45L
• Electrical - Deciding on the route to go currently. About 75% on going the Genesis Gen 3 Dual battery setup. Other options would be going with a portable unit (for the fridge ect), or adding a house lithium battery in the rear. Also, thinking of adding a second SPod Bantam X in the rear and tying it to the front Bantam X.
• Lastly is sleeping quarters - Checking the RTT options out at Overland Expo PNW this year. So far the James Baroud Odyssey, Alu-Cab Gen 3R, and Roofnest Falcon Pro are the top contenders. Then I would like to do an awning.

Love this build and the ethos behind it Tyler! Looking forward to following your adventures.

I am running the AAL MASS Platform/Cargo Shelf/Fridge Slider and love their products. Do you find yourself using the + feature doors much? It seems like a great idea but my platform is covered most of the time. I'm on the fence about possibly upgrading.

I too am/was a huge Lego fan and appreciate that aspect of my Jeep.


-Steven

 

[Tpom]

Love this build and the ethos behind it Tyler! Looking forward to following your adventures.

I am running the AAL MASS Platform/Cargo Shelf/Fridge Slider and love their products. Do you find yourself using the + feature doors much? It seems like a great idea but my platform is covered most of the time. I'm on the fence about possibly upgrading.

I too am/was a huge Lego fan and appreciate that aspect of my Jeep.


-Steven

Thanks Steven! Appreciate the kind words.

I pondered the aspect that the platform will be mostly covered (w/ slide and drawers), which almost made me decide against it. I mean I already had the first MASS platform installed. Then, after seeing some video demonstrations by AAL, I could see that access to the doors was still possible after adding a fridge slide and drawers. It looks like the fridge slide, completely extended out allows access, without removing it. With the drawer side you would need to either extend out or remove them. The air compressor is on the left side which will be my fridge side, so having the ability to access it will be really nice. In a pinch you could access the right side under the drawers as well, but it appears it will be a bit more of a hassle. I'm hoping AAL will have some demos of this configurations at Overland Expo PNW in July.

Currently, without a slide or drawers im loving the MASS + platform. I never liked all of the dogbone holes on the first one, as it was easy to drop items under it. Also, since the air compressor fuses are currently in the rear cubby as well (will be moving up near the battery) it provides actual quick access, which the first platform required complete removal.

Personally, I think it's a bit cleaner of a design overall, and I did like the first platform as well. Having the attachment option similar to goose gear etc, now allows more options for add-ons too.

Definitely one of the pros and cons of AAL. They make some of the more innovative designs and products, but they're also constantly revaluating and improving. So you end up wishing you had the new version. I'm going to work with them on a possible custom solution for the drawers in the near future.

 

[rayzjeep]

Also... "Assembled" my new HF badlands floor jack. Really only required installing the wheels and the clamp to hold the optional extension.

So far, very impressive build. The main structure has got to be 7/16 to 1/2in think steel. Also really like the carrier for the optional extension. It fits securely in it's housing when not in use. Easy to add the extension as well, and even includes an Allen key (that has a mount on the jack). For $300 I would say it's a very good buy vs the competition (pro eagle).

Ooooo....I want one....need a second jack and this fits the bill!

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

Thanks Steven! Appreciate the kind words.

I pondered the aspect that the platform will be mostly covered (w/ slide and drawers), which almost made me decide against it. I mean I already had the first MASS platform installed. Then, after seeing some video demonstrations by AAL, I could see that access to the doors was still possible after adding a fridge slide and drawers. It looks like the fridge slide, completely extended out allows access, without removing it. With the drawer side you would need to either extend out or remove them. The air compressor is on the left side which will be my fridge side, so having the ability to access it will be really nice. In a pinch you could access the right side under the drawers as well, but it appears it will be a bit more of a hassle. I'm hoping AAL will have some demos of this configurations at Overland Expo PNW in July.

Currently, without a slide or drawers im loving the MASS + platform. I never liked all of the dogbone holes on the first one, as it was easy to drop items under it. Also, since the air compressor fuses are currently in the rear cubby as well (will be moving up near the battery) it provides actual quick access, which the first platform required complete removal.

Personally, I think it's a bit cleaner of a design overall, and I did like the first platform as well. Having the attachment option similar to goose gear etc, now allows more options for add-ons too.

Definitely one of the pros and cons of AAL. They make some of the more innovative designs and products, but they're also constantly revaluating and improving. So you end up wishing you had the new version. I'm going to work with them on a possible custom solution for the drawers in the near future.

Thanks for the feedback Tyler! I do like the cleaner design of the new system. I run a cargo mat in mine for daily driving duties. I'm going to reach out to Brit and inquire about the new design.

Looking forward to what comes out of your exchanges with Brit/AAL, I know he really takes feedback seriously. keep up the great work.


-Steven

 

[Blue Bear]

Love this build and the ethos behind it Tyler! Looking forward to following your adventures.

I am running the AAL MASS Platform/Cargo Shelf/Fridge Slider and love their products. Do you find yourself using the + feature doors much? It seems like a great idea but my platform is covered most of the time. I'm on the fence about possibly upgrading.

I too am/was a huge Lego fan and appreciate that aspect of my Jeep.


-Steven

Steven,
I have the MASS+ platform, and I use the cubby doors a lot. I keep a few soft shackles, gloves, a Stop the Bleed kit, and a few other things in there. With a fridge slider, it's still easy to get to the left side. When I get drawers, the right side will go away. But until then, I still have use of both spaces. Maybe I can put the drawers on a slide?

 

[Tpom]

Steven,
I have the MASS+ platform, and I use the cubby doors a lot. I keep a few soft shackles, gloves, a Stop the Bleed kit, and a few other things in there. With a fridge slider, it's still easy to get to the left side. When I get drawers, the right side will go away. But until then, I still have use of both spaces. Maybe I can put the drawers on a slide?

Awesome to hear some real world use with the slide. I have not seen the drawers with the MASS + in person yet, but it almost looked like you could access the cubby still below the bottom drawer. In my current build plans I won't really need access to that right side, but wonder if you could still reach the cubby from the back side (with the drawer extended)? It also looks like the drawer can pretty easily can be removed from the rails too.

My preliminary drawer concept, being that AAL could work with me on a custom build, has the section where the bottom drawer is, removed. The space would be used for water storage (I have the dometic go containers) and extra camera, etc storage. I need some more time on the trail and camping with the current setup to confirm though.

Wish AAL was on the forms as a company account. Would be nice to get feedback with everyone. Really want the 60% delete to come out, I know they have been working on it for a few years now.

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

Steven,
I have the MASS+ platform, and I use the cubby doors a lot. I keep a few soft shackles, gloves, a Stop the Bleed kit, and a few other things in there. With a fridge slider, it's still easy to get to the left side. When I get drawers, the right side will go away. But until then, I still have use of both spaces. Maybe I can put the drawers on a slide?

Steven,
I have the MASS+ platform, and I use the cubby doors a lot. I keep a few soft shackles, gloves, a Stop the Bleed kit, and a few other things in there. With a fridge slider, it's still easy to get to the left side. When I get drawers, the right side will go away. But until then, I still have use of both spaces. Maybe I can put the drawers on a slide?

Thanks Matt for info.. I'm looking into switching to the MASS +. When I talk with Brit, I am going to ask if they have time to put someone on monitoring this forum.

-Steven

 

[Tpom]

Thanks Matt for info.. I'm looking into switching to the MASS +. When I talk with Brit, I am going to ask if they have time to put someone on monitoring this forum.

-Steven

That would be great. I see a lot of questions and builds with AAL parts. I think they would see a lot of traction.

 

[Fudster]

Hey Tyler @Tpom

...curiosity question: how noisy do you find the Gobi rack?

Thanks.

 

[Tpom]

Hey Tyler @Tpom

...curiosity question: how noisy do you find the Gobi rack?

Thanks.

So far, apart from a very slight whistle sound (from the placement of the wind deflector) I don't notice it at all. I'm having a custom vinyl done for the wind deflector and will spend some more time adjusting it on reinstall. I think I can eliminate the whisle completely. It's really only noticable at 60mph + though. Not annoying even with it though.

I'm assuming once I add whatever lighting I choose to the rack and the RTT I will hear a bit more, but that won't be the rack causing it.

 

[Fudster]

So far, apart from a very slight whistle sound (from the placement of the wind deflector) I don't notice it at all. I'm having a custom vinyl done for the wind deflector and will spend some more time adjusting it on reinstall. I think I can eliminate the whisle completely. It's really only noticable at 60mph + though. Not annoying even with it though.

I'm assuming once I add whatever lighting I choose to the rack and the RTT I will hear a bit more, but that won't be the rack causing it.

..thanks,

...but not hearing much metal bending sounds as you tackle the local errands of life?

 

[Tpom]

..thanks,

...but not hearing much metal bending sounds as you tackle the local errands of life?

Not sure what I would constitute "metal bending sounds". I definitely do not hear anything alarming. Truthfully apart from the very quiet whistle, there are no other sounds. Atleast from the rack. The rack is very solid, you can grab the rails and easily rock the entire jeep. No play at all. Especially after probably adjusting it.

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