Jeep XJ Pop Top Camper Build

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Xj Mid Frame Stiffeners Burned In. Tied in to the existing rocksliders, which are also connected to the cage (old work by my fab guy)
 
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Happy New Year.
Yes, the build is still around. Life just got busy.
Little odds & ends in free time.

Finally got it on the road and in for smog & registration.

The previously completed AX-15 manual swap required a "new" PCM for the OBD II to be happy & smog-ready.
PCM / hardware is the same but programmed / flashed differently (you could send off & reflash the existing pcm)

I ended up sourcing a second-hand Mopar PCM (rebuilt/refurb) and sent it off to Christuned (chris@christuned.com) for the flash.
Chris was able to flash it the same way a dealer would (presumably with DRBIII) from the 1634 (AW4, Fed, 2000 XJ) to 1667 (M5, Fed, 2000 XJ) with E-VIN & Mileage.

The 32" tires, AX15 & 3.55 Gears have proved a pretty happy combo on the road & freeway.
65mph in fourth at the low 2000RPM's. Cruise 75 - 85mph in 5th (overdrive) at the same (~2,000 - ~2250)
 
Great work on everything. Always neat to get an idea of people thoughts, processes, and skills reading through build threads.

How did you affix the solar panel brackets to your fiberglass top? I assume an adhesive but which one?


Loctite PL S30 - A urethane sealant

Started using this stuff after replacing the windshield with the spec 3m windo-weld urethane.
PL S30 is a much cheaper construction adhesive but seems to share many of the qualities.
Scuffed & prepped both surfaces real good.

(There's some RV brand adhesives on the market too, never messed with them $$)
 
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LordHappyPants

New member
Somebody higher up had thrown an idea out that I'd like to second. If you were to sell those pop tops for others to install on their own rigs I'd buy one for sure.
 

Nikkormat

New member
How are your DIY lizard skin products holding up? Was the white product you sprayed on the interior also a 1:1 with enamel paint or another product?

I’ve been following your build as a lurker for several years now and it has inspired me to start on my own Cherokee camper! Hoping for a bit more interior room I’m going to build a flippac style shell to cover the rear of my roof chopped XJ. On that subject, do you have any advice for someone converting a Cherokee to a camping rig? Anything you’d do differently next time?

Going to transfer my cage from the XJ pictured below, to an older XJ with federal emissions (the current roofless 2000 is CA emissions) and keep the full rear doors this time. Hoping to build my flippac from aluminum, with a removable soft/canvas portion above the drivers and passenger seats. Maybe land rover esque canvas safari sides for the back.
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Anyways, thanks for inspiring my build. It will definitely be the most ambitious project I’ve undertaken and I wouldn’t have even begun without watching you. Thanks!
 

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