Rubicon for Mostly Highway Road Trip Travel?

[bravelion]

Thanks for the awesome replies. It was better and cheaper than a therapist. I feel like I'm slowly descending from my manic cloud of thinking and that the "rational pragmatist" side of me is back. This response sums it well:

Reason 1. You already own it and it’s a really nice vehicle capable of off-roading.
Reason 2. It will be an easier drive compared to any Wrangler. GC makes for a nice cruiser.
Reason 3. Buying a Wrangler for a backdoor table seems a little silly. You can have the same amount of fun without it really.

My initial unplanned "blurt" to my wife when all of this 'maybe I should get a Wrangler' started was:
"you know, some hotel nights are going to be for nothing but sleeping then departing right away next morning. That seems like a waste of money. What if we threw a tent in the back and mixed in some camping nights?"

I was ball-parking out a budget for all of our planned road trip travel for 2020 and it was a legitimate observation. Lodging is the highest cost. Also, it would get us out into nature more than just day trip drives.

Then the "idea creep" dominos started falling and I fell down the YouTube rabbit hole, becoming fascinated with all of the "overland" videos and rig/gear options, watching hours of them. (My manic infatuation aside, there are some outstanding, enthusiast-produced info-videos out there). It doesn't pass the "spreadsheet" test though. I'd spend way more up front than we'd save on the first 2 or 3 years of hotel nights assuming $150/night, even at 100 nights a year (which is a doubtful number of nights).

We will keep the GC, get some basic cheap/used camping gear, throw it in the back as I initially thought, see if we actually use it and if we actually enjoy overland camping, then rethink the "rig" question after putting some road travel miles and camping nights behind us.

Thanks again, great forum. I may hang out and lurk.

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[aldo98229]

If you were to embark on 1+ years of road trip travel across the US, about 70% hotel nights and 30% tent camping, would you deem a Rubicon a road worthy vehicle for highway travel, or is it too noisy and unrefined?

I currently own a 2016 Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4. It's a great road trip vehicle, plus daily driver, and has allowed me to dabble on some 4x4 roads above Ouray Colorado when passing through. I'm contemplating a switch to a Rubicon because it is more "camp ready" and can be incrementally optioned and customized to suit our travel needs.

And not just tent camping, but reduction of eating out where we can just pull off at a scenic overlook, open the back and fix a tail gate meal instead of eating out as much as we would have to otherwise.

So, to rephrase the question, is the diminished driving comfort vs the GC Overland a fair trade for the gained Utility of a more "camp/cook-ready" rig?

Thanks for any insight, feedback.

For years I owned two Wranglers: a 2-door Rubicon and a 4-door Sahara with a rear LSD: the Rubicon was my off-roading vehicle; the Sahara was my road trip vehicle. The Sahara was especially good when having to cover long-distances in winter driving conditions.

A Rubicon will serve as a good road trip vehicle, albeit never as comfortably as a Grand Cherokee.

Having said, a Sahara may offer a better option between a Grand Cherokee and a Rubicon, especially if you plan on doing mostly on-road driving. A Sahara with Selec-Trac would give you as much year round, all-weather capability on-road as your Grand Cherokee, plus greater off-road capability when needed.

Good luck.

 

[HeavyUser]

If you don't need lockers or electronic disconnect sway bars then don't get a Rubicon. Also, if you don't know what lockers or sway bars are then don't get a Rubicon. Save your money and get something that drives like a dream on the road or get a Sport/Sahara if you insist on a Wrangler.

 

[Dogboyslim]

Having driven my JLUR on multiple 800 mile one-day trips, both stock and lifted with 315s, It is NOT a nice highway vehicle. Wind noise is loud, which is easily fixed by turning up the radio, but when you stop, you do feel a bit shell-shocked. Its similar to riding a motorbike a similar distance with no earplugs. On my last trip I used earplugs and it was MUCH better. (Yes, this may or may not have been legal). I'm a fat 5'11" and have no issues with space or cockpit, and my Jeep doesn't wander, but any hint of a crosswind does move it out of your desired driving lane and requires adjustment. The range sucks too. In the honda or the subaru, I can go 450+ miles a tank. In the Jeep, its more like 250. MPG over 70 is like 15-16, (stock) 13-14 lifted with 315s. My usual leg on a road trip is 300 miles. It was strange that the vehicle needed fuel prior to my need for a bio stop. I also found myself panicked a few times when I was not paying attention to the fuel gauge, just my usual stopping points and realized I wasn't going to make it and needed to stop sooner.

Don't take my statement above to mean I dislike my Jeep. To the contrary, I love it ... at speeds up to 55 mph. I also love the ability to go top-down/doors off, and the off-road performance is really spectacular. But in the situation you described, You are likely not going to have the top-down flexibility anyway, and it didn't sound like you were really going to be tackling gnarly trails, more just rough/rutted fire-roads. For what you describe (assuming I accurately understood it), if I were buying, I'd get a Tacoma with a bed-rack that allows mounting a tent/awning and call it a day.

 

[Willcbooth]

I’ve put over 41k miles on my JLUR in about a year. I’ve driven from TX to WV 3 times and from TX to NC once and those drives were straight through with just stops for a couple short naps. This is by far the most comfortable vehicle I’ve ever had. I used to make it about 100 miles in my Lexus before my back and ass would hurt. When I do need to nap, I have a 3” thick twin size memory foam mattress topper that I throw in the back with the back seats folded down and it works perfect. I would travel all year in this thing if I had the ability to.

 

[cosine]

i went from a 07 grand cherokee larado to a 2 door sport stripped and stock. so here are my views, yes it a big downsize between the two, however that what i wanted. no power options, manuel window, manuel locks. the only options i got was the hardtop, a/c, auto, and xm radio.

the 3.6l in the jl is far better than the 3.7 in the gc. i've notice a difference in fuel, power and responsiveness. the 8 spd auto by far the best trans when its mated to the 3.6. mpg in the gc was ok, but a bit of a gas guzzler. the mpg in the jl is awesome, highway driving at 70-75 mph will get me any were from 25.5 - 29.6 mpg. i've managed 400 to 460 miles on a full tank of get.

the ride comfort in the gc was nice, however i do felt tired from driving it on long runs. i feel that the jl is better ride comfort than the gc. yes its can be a little rough but its tolerable. wind noise in the hardtop is not all that bad, i can comfortably talk to other without yelling. crosswind, yeah you'll feel it. i have taken 2 1800 mile trips and a couple of 500 trips and have no complaints. in fact, i would not even think twice in road tripping the 2 door jl cross country, even with 3 people. and i'd volunteer to sit in the back. speaking of the back seat, it is comfortable, rode in the back on a 100+ mile round trip. cargo area is small but if you pack light and arrange the baggage, you would be surprise how much you can fit without folding the backseat down or out.

not only that its my daily driver and i am very happy in down sizing / grading to a jl. i'm one of those guys that want a plain and simple ride without all the crap. also keeping the cost down and mod it to my liking.

you have mentioned in looking at a rubi, i would consider looking at the sport, sport s or the sahara. they might be a better pick since 70% of the time is on the road. they will preform just as well off road. the jlu will give you plenty of cargo space.

i would also take some of the other option from other members into consideration when you decide in which ever direction you go.

sorry for the long post. hope this give a good view from my point of view in going from a gc to a jl.

 

[G13]

Seems like you have already made a decision, but here is what I know of switching from GC to JLUR.

We had 2017 GC Summit with HEMI on lease for 3 years. It was an amazing vehicle for road trips. We had 4 days one way trip with our 7 years old daughter once a year, staying in motels every night. The drive was just as comfortable as it can be, set adaptive cruise control to a bit above posted speed, and GC drove almost by itself. It was all smooth ride and acceleration thanks to HEMI. When I needed to pass slower cars, power is there no matter how fast you are going.

As the end of lease term get close, I have decided to switch to Wrangler. GC was great, but I got bored and sleepy while driving, and I didn’t need that much power for everyday use. Ordered 2020 JLUR 3.6 at the end of August, and picked it up at the end of September.

In November, we had 2 days road trip. It was just 5 hours of driving mostly on highway, and JLUR did great. It was a little noisier than GC (with noise cancellation), but not as much as our 2008 Mazda MX5. Adaptive Cruise Control behaved differently on JLUR. When I came behind slower cars, JLUR slowed smoothly, but when I change lane and there was no car in front, JLUR down shifted quickly and accelerated like I floored it. It was easy to get used to, though.

As for the comfort, I miss ventilated seat, and built in sunglass holder. My wife said that the rear seats were upright and less comfortable, so I installed the seat recline kit I bought from Amazon. Overall, my daughter and I are much happier in JLUR, my wife not so, but she has BMW X3 for herself.

 

[CJ SCION]

If you were to embark on 1+ years of road trip travel across the US, about 70% hotel nights and 30% tent camping, would you deem a Rubicon a road worthy vehicle for highway travel, or is it too noisy and unrefined?

I currently own a 2016 Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4. It's a great road trip vehicle, plus daily driver, and has allowed me to dabble on some 4x4 roads above Ouray Colorado when passing through. I'm contemplating a switch to a Rubicon because it is more "camp ready" and can be incrementally optioned and customized to suit our travel needs.

And not just tent camping, but reduction of eating out where we can just pull off at a scenic overlook, open the back and fix a tail gate meal instead of eating out as much as we would have to otherwise.

So, to rephrase the question, is the diminished driving comfort vs the GC Overland a fair trade for the gained Utility of a more "camp/cook-ready" rig?

Thanks for any insight, feedback.

Maybe think about a Sahara with the new diesel powertrain. With the diesel option it is equipped with Dana 44s front and rear geared at 3.73. The rear comes with limited slip. Thinking about 28-30 mpg on the highway makes a full tank of fuel good for close to 500 miles. If by chance it gets lower 30s, even more drive time in one sitting. You can probably imagine all of the advantages of the diesel powertrain.

If you think ya might need the 4:1 transfer case, then the Rubicon is your huckleberry. The Sahara's transfer case is 2.72:1.

 

[guarnibl]

If you were to embark on 1+ years of road trip travel across the US, about 70% hotel nights and 30% tent camping, would you deem a Rubicon a road worthy vehicle for highway travel, or is it too noisy and unrefined?

I currently own a 2016 Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4. It's a great road trip vehicle, plus daily driver, and has allowed me to dabble on some 4x4 roads above Ouray Colorado when passing through. I'm contemplating a switch to a Rubicon because it is more "camp ready" and can be incrementally optioned and customized to suit our travel needs.

And not just tent camping, but reduction of eating out where we can just pull off at a scenic overlook, open the back and fix a tail gate meal instead of eating out as much as we would have to otherwise.

So, to rephrase the question, is the diminished driving comfort vs the GC Overland a fair trade for the gained Utility of a more "camp/cook-ready" rig?

Thanks for any insight, feedback.

I'd actually buy a Gladiator sport in your case and throw some take off Rubi wheels on it.

 

[guarnibl]

Having driven my JLUR on multiple 800 mile one-day trips, both stock and lifted with 315s, It is NOT a nice highway vehicle. Wind noise is loud, which is easily fixed by turning up the radio, but when you stop, you do feel a bit shell-shocked. Its similar to riding a motorbike a similar distance with no earplugs. On my last trip I used earplugs and it was MUCH better. (Yes, this may or may not have been legal). I'm a fat 5'11" and have no issues with space or cockpit, and my Jeep doesn't wander, but any hint of a crosswind does move it out of your desired driving lane and requires adjustment. The range sucks too. In the honda or the subaru, I can go 450+ miles a tank. In the Jeep, its more like 250. MPG over 70 is like 15-16, (stock) 13-14 lifted with 315s. My usual leg on a road trip is 300 miles. It was strange that the vehicle needed fuel prior to my need for a bio stop. I also found myself panicked a few times when I was not paying attention to the fuel gauge, just my usual stopping points and realized I wasn't going to make it and needed to stop sooner.

Don't take my statement above to mean I dislike my Jeep. To the contrary, I love it ... at speeds up to 55 mph. I also love the ability to go top-down/doors off, and the off-road performance is really spectacular. But in the situation you described, You are likely not going to have the top-down flexibility anyway, and it didn't sound like you were really going to be tackling gnarly trails, more just rough/rutted fire-roads. For what you describe (assuming I accurately understood it), if I were buying, I'd get a Tacoma with a bed-rack that allows mounting a tent/awning and call it a day.

Yeah, it's an adjustment I think for many. I think a lot of us are just so used to it we don't think of this is a poor vehicle for highway. That's kind of what I thought when I first read your reply, but you're right. I was able to get over 425 miles every tank with the 2.0 stock, which was nice. Until the 37's went on, lol. I regained some keeping it to 60-65. Above that as you suggested, tanks.

 

[Deerhorn]

We had a 2017 GC Summit with the V8 and it was a great car. We decided to go with the Rubicon as we wanted to do a little more off road exploring and did not want to risk damaging the GC if the off road conditions were a little dicy. It was too nice a car to bugger up. As mentioned, we miss a lot of the creature comforts and execration. We made a trip from San Diego to Salt lake City to purchase a 2020 Rubicon that had the color and options we wanted and also a great deal. We were really impressed with the ride back on the Rubicon. The Jeep had plenty of power, handled great in a snow storm and easily cruised at 75 to 80 mph. It is no GC Summit, but for what we plan on using the Jeep for it is perfect for us! Have fun!!!

 

[Jimmy_jak]

I would go Sahara with all the creature comfort upgrades. I love my wrangler, its a joy to drive.

 

[jayteal]

I’ve put over 41k miles on my JLUR in about a year. I’ve driven from TX to WV 3 times and from TX to NC once and those drives were straight through with just stops for a couple short naps. This is by far the most comfortable vehicle I’ve ever had. I used to make it about 100 miles in my Lexus before my back and ass would hurt. When I do need to nap, I have a 3” thick twin size memory foam mattress topper that I throw in the back with the back seats folded down and it works perfect. I would travel all year in this thing if I had the ability to.

Agreed. I've driven from DFW to Virginia and back twice now in my JLUR and with a plug in seat warmer, it was surprisingly comfortable. My mpg was very reasonable at ~20mpg for the entire trip and lots of room if I needed a nap or places to store things.

 

[00Sebby]

Reading all of these responses, the Rubicon road-worthiness perspective seems to depend on what you are used to. Of the dozens of vehicles I have owned, my '06 Suburban 4wd and my '10 4Runner Trail were the most civilized, "luxurious", and refined vehicles I have had. And both were still very truck-like. I've never owned anything like a Lexus, other luxury car, or even a Camry, because I would fall asleep from boredom before I got out of the driveway. All of my cars have been old and slightly modern muscle & sports cars (Novas, Z/28, Trans-Am, 5.0 Mustang GT, MINIs, and several Miatas). Most of these are not what people consider great traveling cars.

But I drove all over and across the country in many of them and had lots of fun. I drove the Mini Cooper S from TN to Boston in a day, an NC Miata from TN to Roswell, NM in a day, and the 4Runner from TN to Sioux Falls, SD in a day... and many shorter trips of 500-600 miles in a day in those types of vehicles. It's not for everyone and with family in tow, the daily range is maybe 500miles max. From that perspective, the JLUR seems like it is on the luxury side of my list of vehicles and it does well on long drives (only about 300 miles is longest trip so far).

I also rent 40-50 cars a year because of business travel so I get to sample many really nice, fast, and luxurious cars and SUVs (I get all the upgrades). But I like my personal vehicles to be interesting and require some attention and involvement while driving. It just depends on what we're used to and willing to put up with.

 

[Snayte]

We love our Sahara as daily driver. But as as a highway cruiser, I can tolerate about 2-3 hours of being in the driver's seat before I start questioning my vehicle choice. It's not so much how the vehicle drives because ours drives quite well other than the one trip with the death wobble. But it's how tight the front seat area is. The seat doesn't go back far enough, and I have to recline the seat more than I'd like so I have the proper headroom. And I'm only 6'0". There's no dead pedal, so I keep my knee bent upright. But then when I turn the wheel 90 degrees, my hand gets caught between my knee and the wheel. Other than the two cup holders in the center, there's no where for the driver to have a water bottle other than his lap. And your windshield is sure to look like it has been shot up with a year of highways road chips.

Personally, I'm hoping the Bronco solves some of my first world problems. We'll use the Jeep for in-state and more hard-core off road use, and then use the Bronco for cross-country travels.

I just did a trip to Key West and back (27 hours each way) and thought the Sahara was great for a long road trip. I am only 5'10" but have the seat all the way back and up. I never even would have considered doing this in the JKU Sahara.

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