Land Rover ideas for Jeeps

[jscherb]

Found this random photo in Land Rover Owner, it wasn't part of an article so there wasn't any explanation of any of the details. Some interesting things - the rear window has been replaced with diamondplate. For security? The small windows on either side of the rear door have mylar insulation inside them. For security, insulation or both? There's a plywood cargo platform in the rear receiver. But no cargo on it? Spare on the roof, I do that often. Jerry can on the side? Common in the Land Rover world but not so much in the Jeep world. And what's that bag hanging on the ladder for?

The writing on the bag is "Ocean Pack 30" so I searched that and it's a dry bag:


I wonder why it's hanging on the ladder? Anyone have an idea what might be in it that caused them to hang it out there?

Dry bags show up regularly in the Land Rover magazines:

A week or so ago I received a sale email from Major Surplus featuring several dry bags:

Anyone use dry bags as part of their overlanding kit? Anyone hang them outside like the photo above?

 

[2.ooohhh]

We use an old sealine dry bag as a laundry hamper of sorts on trips. Though I don't generally hand it off the vehicle's ladder.

 

[pith helmet]

I use a seal line bag lined with a plastic bag for garbage. No leaks/smell.

 

[pith helmet]

I’m guessing they sleep in the rover and the plywood is a stoop for entry and exit. The rest for privacy and security.

 

[Correus]

Found this random photo in Land Rover Owner, it wasn't part of an article so there wasn't any explanation of any of the details. Some interesting things - the rear window has been replaced with diamondplate. For security? The small windows on either side of the rear door have mylar insulation inside them. For security, insulation or both? There's a plywood cargo platform in the rear receiver. But no cargo on it? Spare on the roof, I do that often. Jerry can on the side? Common in the Land Rover world but not so much in the Jeep world. And what's that bag hanging on the ladder for?

The writing on the bag is "Ocean Pack 30" so I searched that and it's a dry bag:


I wonder why it's hanging on the ladder? Anyone have an idea what might be in it that caused them to hang it out there?

Dry bags show up regularly in the Land Rover magazines:

A week or so ago I received a sale email from Major Surplus featuring several dry bags:

Anyone use dry bags as part of their overlanding kit? Anyone hang them outside like the photo above?

Oh WOW!!! I know Vicky T - we serve on a vintage LR club board together.

 

[jscherb]

Land Rover/Mahindra style soft tops for Wranglers?

Exmoor offers replacement frames and canvas for Land Rover soft tops. These soft tops don't fold down like Jeep soft tops, but they do have roll-up sides, which is a feature I really like.

Very similar to the Land Rover soft top, the Indian Mahindra Thar came with a fixed frame top over which a non-folding canvas top was fitted.

Armoro, an Indian automotive aftermarket company, offers an openable version canvas top that retails for only $245 US. It fits over the factory frame and has roll-up sides: https://armoro.com/collections/mahi...oducts/mahindra-thar-openable-canvas-soft-top

The Thar being very similar in size to the CJ/YJ/TJ, I thought perhaps a Thar soft top could be adapted to those Jeeps so I looked for a source for replacement factory soft top frames for the Thar. I didn't find any, probably because in India it's easy and inexpensive to have something like that fabricated.

Seems to me an inexpensive soft top like this with roll-up sides for the Wrangler would be popular.

 

[jscherb]

I'll leave it to you guys to comment on this idea from the June issue of Land Rover Owner and whether it has any applicability to Jeeps (or to any practical vehicle):

A little searching turned up more images of the concept:

Another idea from the same designers... if you don't have your back seat in, would a tool panel installed behind the door be useful?

Not sure any of the above are practical but they are interesting to think about.

 

[Charles R]

Looks like an attempt to follow in the VW Doubleback's footsteps.

The Coolest Camping Van You Can't Buy In The USA

The Danbury Doubleback has been around for a couple years and seems like a wonderfully spacious, fuel efficient recreational vehicle. But if you live in the USA there's a good chance you haven't heard of it -- because you can't buy one.

gearjunkie.com

 

[1000arms]

I'll leave it to you guys to comment on this idea from the June issue of Land Rover Owner and whether it has any applicability to Jeeps (or to any practical vehicle):

A little searching turned up more images of the concept:

Another idea from the same designers... if you don't have your back seat in, would a tool panel installed behind the door be useful?

Not sure any of the above are practical but they are interesting to think about.

Hey @ReluctantTraveler, maybe you can make use of the "soft-topped expanding back of the vehicle" concept? At least during rainy weather when it will only be so cold?

or perhaps:

Looks like an attempt to follow in the VW Doubleback's footsteps.

The Coolest Camping Van You Can't Buy In The USA

The Danbury Doubleback has been around for a couple years and seems like a wonderfully spacious, fuel efficient recreational vehicle. But if you live in the USA there's a good chance you haven't heard of it -- because you can't buy one.

gearjunkie.com

This Brazen Volkswagen Doubleback Campervan Is Built From Aircraft-Grade Components

This introduction from Doubleback, Ltd. takes the camper conversion to the next level. See the VW Doubleback Campervan. Hello Innovation!

www.doityourselfrv.com

or

No Wheels Needed: Expandable Camping Pod Attaches To Your Hitch

It's like a teardrop trailer—with no wheels!

www.doityourselfrv.com

 

[Charles R]

You know, that hitch pod gives me an interesting idea...

What if you made a slight extension that uses a rear hatch/liftgate as it's "roof"? What I'm imagining is... you open up your rear hatch. you take a pod structure that then uses the hatch latch as a bottom anchor and seals up to the open hatch area. You then partially close the hatch down into the pod structure, and use its half of the latch to lock the pod structure into place.

Of course I can see it still being weak and flimsy. But an extension to a receiver hitch to take the weight. And then just using the hatch latches to help with the sealing might make it all work a bit better.

 

[JDaPP]

https://m.facebook.com/Crewbedcom-118435214894981/

I looked pretty heavily at the crewbed. If you google imagery there are a couple of ideas. Their web page no longer works not even sure if they are still in business.

 

[1000arms]

You know, that hitch pod gives me an interesting idea...

What if you made a slight extension that uses a rear hatch/liftgate as it's "roof"? What I'm imagining is... you open up your rear hatch. you take a pod structure that then uses the hatch latch as a bottom anchor and seals up to the open hatch area. You then partially close the hatch down into the pod structure, and use its half of the latch to lock the pod structure into place.

Of course I can see it still being weak and flimsy. But an extension to a receiver hitch to take the weight. And then just using the hatch latches to help with the sealing might make it all work a bit better.

What if the receiver-hitch-"pod" was kept kept fairly thin and vertical behind the vehicle for travel (like a Murphy Bed, or "RTT", mounted vertically behind the vehicle), but was opened up for camping?

If one was willing to put some screw-snaps in to the vehicle (and "pod"), it would be pretty easy to sew a fabric outer-seal that connected the vehicle to the "pod" while travelling (and while camped). One could even design the seal to also use shock cord to help tighten the seal on the vehicle and on the pod.

Just design it so that one would open the rear-hatch/liftgate in to the opened-for-camping "pod".

One could also include a ground-touching fabric-awning for dressing/standing/bathing/waste-elimination/...?

Put the needed lights on the pod, use supporting-legs on the pod, and have a good mattress wherever one goes!

This type of design would minimize modifications to the vehicle, and keep the security of the closed rear-hatch/liftgate while away from the vehicle.

 

[pith helmet]

Some neat ideas. I hate to further gum up mr scherbs thread but it’s related….



I have posted this elsewhere. A work in progress kind of along the lines of @1000arms ideas…the gate opens within. Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to try it out yet but I figure that a dusty tailgate gate may be an issue.

 

[Winterhawk]

The dozens of small mods listed in this thread are what I think people might be interested in doing to their Jeeps. This thread is more about those things than about Alpine windows and rear "barn doors". But some Jeeps do have those things too .

If people don't find this thread interesting and possibly useful, I'll be more than happy to stop posting ideas here, just let me know. But with 124,000 views so far as I write this, I suspect people are finding it at least interesting if not actually useful as they plan mods for their Jeeps.

Thought I'd chime in after following this for some time. Please keep posting, I find these ideas very interesting and they spur creativeness. I must admit though that I dearly miss my old Land Rover and because of this thread I'm actively looking for another, and will probably sell my Jeep down the road after finding what I'm looking for. I've owned 3 Jeeps and love them, but my best off road memories were in a Landy.

 

[jscherb]

Thought I'd chime in after following this for some time. Please keep posting, I find these ideas very interesting and they spur creativeness. I must admit though that I dearly miss my old Land Rover and because of this thread I'm actively looking for another, and will probably sell my Jeep down the road after finding what I'm looking for. I've owned 3 Jeeps and love them, but my best off road memories were in a Landy.

Thanks. Every time I think this thread is getting old and maybe I should stop I get another issue of one of the Land Rover magazines in the mail and almost always there's something in there I think will be of interest to Jeep folks, so until interesting ideas stop showing up in the LR magazines I'll keep posting .