Overland Jeeps

[wibornz]

That is awesome on a lot of different levels; the forethought, planning, making it possible to be on the road for that long away from work, family and friends etc.. I am so jealous. I'd love to check out what your doing as you come through California. If you need a place to clean your rigs and reset for a day or two I can help out with that.

Thanks for the offer. I think the closest that we will get to you is when we are the Sequoia national forest area....maybe. We will probably take the General Sherman's Pass from the Hot Springs area back towards Death Valley while we are in California.

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[Av8Chuck]

I'd recommend looking at M101 CDN (canadian) or M416. The M1101 is very big and designed for full size vehicles. I built an m416 up for camping and works great. Having weight up high has downsides but reversing out of a trail is a lot easier than with a trailer. I don't like having weight up high for the offcamber and low hanging branches I go thru. I have had some very challenging situations snow wheeling and reversing a long way down a narrow trail on an edge of a steep hill. With how many people i see struggle with reversing trailers (even people who tow them all day long like gardeners), trailers are clearly not for everyone.
An M416 is about 6ft bed and just shy of 3ft wide. With my lid I think I have about 2.5ft height (I can't quite remember if that height is correct). I have 3 young kids, a wife and dog(s) so the jeep fills up fast. For a trailer I prefer to keep is simple and have a special wiring set up so I can charge its battery thru the 7pin w/o needing separate connectors. All I run is a fridge in the trailer and some lights. I'm currently revamping it to match my JL, since this one was built to match my JK. I don't have many pics from the trail because I'm really bad about that, I get so wrapped up in the fun I don't stop and think about getting pics. All my shots are from the campsite or when I travel with someone and they got a shot for me (many back shots).

inside

pre-trip

one of my favorite shots, Mojave Road in SoCal

I'm currently building an M416 and it makes me appreciate how nice this is.

 

[brewski]

I'm currently building an M416 and it makes me appreciate how nice this is.

Thanks, it was a lot of work. But a work of passion to match a fantasy I didn't think I'd every actually do. Nice thing about a trailer like this is it doesn't take much work once done. Some basic hub maintenance and occasional cleaning. I like working on trailers, they're really simple and there is no CanBus or anything you have to worry about; its like working on old cars. Any electronics are just simple power draw calculations and tapping into other lines does not cause errors if you don't overload a circuit.

If I was going to 100% rebuild it, I think it would nix the axle and find a good set of those axleless suspension hubs (can't remember what they're called) that would hold up to offroading and have adjustability for spring weight and ride height.

 

[Krondor]

If I was going to 100% rebuild it, I think it would nix the axle and find a good set of those axleless suspension hubs (can't remember what they're called) that would hold up to offroading and have adjustability for spring weight and ride height.

Timbren axles

The trailer has more clearance than my Jeep. Though there is no adjustability or springs for that matter. I'd be interested to hear which axle-less setup you are describing.

 

[brewski]

Timbren axles

The trailer has more clearance than my Jeep. Though there is no adjustability or springs for that matter. I'd be interested to hear which axle-less setup you are describing.

I don't know if it exists. I was more just sahying what I would want if I was to go that route. I would need them to be robust enough for offroad. Setting ride height could be done with a shim/plate system designed into how the springs are mounted onto the frame. If those springs are an elastomer, spring, etc it would be nice if there were firmness options to tune the ride quality for the weight.

 

[FrostQ]

1. I have a 2020 Rubicon w/iKamper RTT, 270 degree Batwing awning, a refrigerator, drawers for utensils and a burner, tailgate table, toilet and privacy tent and you can see for yourself how the Jeep is configured.

2. If we're traveling and stop for the night to camp and then move on in the morning this setup is great. I would still like to figure out how to include a hot shower. But the downside, like it is for everyone, if I want to stay in one location and explore then you have to breakdown camp and as a photographer that happens a lot. This has not been a deal breaker but this is where the appeal for an expedition trailer comes in.

3. I think my desire to build a trailer is a result of two things a) we really enjoy doing this and it hasn't taken long to sort out what we need vs what we don't. And b), because of that I think by adding additional creature comforts; hot shower, better energy - solar and a generator, better kitchen setup I'm confident this will provide a more active lifestyle while at the same time be able to accomodate my passion for photography.

4. Probably the Jeep itself. We have an F150 with a shell that we could "camp" out of if I didn't want the hassle, of which in CA there is a lot, of taking our 25' ROO trailer. It really provides the freedom with a lot less anxiety to go just about anywhere more cost effectively. I also have a Ford Transit 148 with a medium roof that I will probably convert.

5. I travel a lot. I think Overlanding provides way more opportunity than camping in the wilderness. The mobility it provides makes producing images, videos and stories easier in all settings. Yep, you guessed it, another video...


We've been all over the Western US and hope to travel to the remaining parts as well. I'd also like to ship the rig to New Zealand and spend a year there.

6 & 7, Sleeping is in a SkyKamp 2.0 and currently using a Coleman but thinking about getting a Jetboil.

8. I just want to continue to document and share the how amazing this country is. Far too much attention is being paid on the negative. I love traveling, meeting people and exploring new places with a camera in hand.

9. I'm not sure. It's not just about the kit, it's more about the community. I'm sure the community aspect will sort itself out while discussing the stuff.

10. I have been trying to use Gaila GPS, and a few online sites. I'm kind of flailing at the whole navigation thing.

It's been a while since I've had such a homework assignment, kind of fun. I appreciate you taking the time to to ask these question.

Are you worried about the SkyKamper2.0 + Batwing awning going over the dynamic weight of the RhinoRack Backbone + Pioneer Rack?

 

[Av8Chuck]

Are you worried about the SkyKamper2.0 + Batwing awning going over the dynamic weight of the RhinoRack Backbone + Pioneer Rack?

No. There’s a recommended 70mph speed limit on the iKamper but I often exceed it. I thought about it yesterday when I was traveling around 70mph and the wind was gushing about 40mph on a right quartering headwind. The batwing is light and is mostly parasitic drag the iKamper is shaped like an upside down wing - straight bottom curved top, forcing the wind on the top to travel faster than the bottom creating a high pressure forcing the camper down on the roof. I think the Jeep would blow over before the camper would come off. But there are a lot of variables to consider. Probably slowing down would be the most obvious…

 

[FrostQ]

No. There’s a recommended 70mph speed limit on the iKamper but I often exceed it. I thought about it yesterday when I was traveling around 70mph and the wind was gushing about 40mph on a right quartering headwind. The batwing is light and is mostly parasitic drag the iKamper is shaped like an upside down wing - straight bottom curved top, forcing the wind on the top to travel faster than the bottom creating a high pressure forcing the camper down on the roof. I think the Jeep would blow over before the camper would come off. But there are a lot of variables to consider. Probably slowing down would be the most obvious…

What I meant was that the Backbone mounting system + Pioneer Platform only supports a dynamic weight of 191lbs for on-road and 138lb for off-road.

The iKamper 2.0 is 160lbs and the batwing is about 50lbs..making it 210lbs total.

https://assets.rhinorack.com/Instructions/Parts/FittingApplications/RJLB1.pdf

Reason why I'm asking is because I'm shopping for an awning...and this is one of my worries.

 

[Av8Chuck]

What I meant was that the Backbone mounting system + Pioneer Platform only supports a dynamic weight of 191lbs for on-road and 138lb for off-road.

The iKamper 2.0 is 160lbs and the batwing is about 50lbs..making it 210lbs total.

https://assets.rhinorack.com/Instructions/Parts/FittingApplications/RJLB1.pdf

Reason why I'm asking is because I'm shopping for an awning...and this is one of my worries.

Well all I can say is that I have had no issues with it. I’ve never driven this Jeep without the rack, RTT and awning so I can’t compare the handling or difference with the higher CG. The rack is really solid.

Here’s a video (I may have already posted?) of lots of similar iKamper setups. No one mentioned any issues being overweight..

 

[FrostQ]

Well all I can say is that I have had no issues with it. I’ve never driven this Jeep without the rack, RTT and awning so I can’t compare the handling or difference with the higher CG. The rack is really solid.

Here’s a video (I may have already posted?) of lots of similar iKamper setups. No one mentioned any issues being overweight..

I guess the manufacturer built in some tolerance. I wasn't worried too much about driving dynamics, but rather the structure integrity of the rack itself. Biggest fear would be cracked hardtop and the whole thing collapses in...LOL.

 

[brewski]

I guess the manufacturer built in some tolerance. I wasn't worried too much about driving dynamics, but rather the structure integrity of the rack itself. Biggest fear would be cracked hardtop and the whole thing collapses in...LOL.

While the pioneer platform has metal support structure, weight is still on hardtop. The rack is well designed and good quality; I wouldn't worry too much about the rack itself failing. I would not push your luck if its going to be well beyond their declared loads. A few pounds, 10 lb maybe not a worry. 20lb over their advised limit would make me hesitant. My experience with aftermarket companies is their testing is not as rigorous as OEMs and with sun age, material derogation over time, etc you might get a lower strength reliance out of your roof that develops over time. just my opinion, doesn't have to be yours.

 

[Av8Chuck]

I have approximately 200# on a 3-bar rack that supports 219#. Not sure the concern?

 

[FrostQ]

In your post on pg4, you said you have the pioneer rack (42108B).
So the on-road capacity is 191lb and off-road is 138lb.

Anyways, my initial question was really just asking if you ever worried about the dynamic weight capacity of the tent + awning combined (210lbs).

Based on your experience, it seems like there's no concern with your setup. So that's good news for people like me looking for a similar setup. Thanks.

 

[Granite Crystal Bandit]

For those that have mounted RTT on Vortex bars, we’re you able to use the RCL lower profile? I’ve purchased RCL + iKamper 2.0 … arriving shortly.

 

[Av8Chuck]

In your post on pg4, you said you have the pioneer rack (42108B).
So the on-road capacity is 191lb and off-road is 138lb.

Anyways, my initial question was really just asking if you ever worried about the dynamic weight capacity of the tent + awning combined (210lbs).

Based on your experience, it seems like there's no concern with your setup. So that's good news for people like me looking for a similar setup. Thanks.

Did you ever get your rack sorted out? Wondering what you decided on and how its going?

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