AUSJEEPOFFROAD.COM Jeep News Australia and New Zealand - View Single Post - Thinking of buying a JKU to replace my Patrol
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Old 16-11-2017
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Turismo07  Turismo07 is offline
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Plenty of really good info in this thread so far.

Just to throw my 2c in.

Storage has already been covered. The JKU is on the small side, but I personally have found the space more usable than a typical big open cargo space in a wagon. I manage to stuff a bunch of stuff up around the roll cage, and there are aftermarket bins that you can get that sit in the dead spots over the rear wheel arches, I have my 2nd batt on one side and compressor on the other. Whereas in previous vehicles all this stuff was just flying around the cargo area. When we go away I put my 40L Waeco on the back left seat and strap it down there, as we don't need to fit 3 passengers on the back seat losing one to the fridge is no big deal.

Roof racks will generally cost you more than an equivalent size rack on a wagon. This is becuse the JK needs the rack to transfer the weight down to the chassis/tub/rear bumper/a-pillars depending on which type you get. Most of the decent full length roof racks will have a exo-cage style mounting system onto the a-pillars and rear bumper/chassis. I have a RhinoRack 3/4 length roof rack with their backbone system made specifically for the JK that has an internal structure inside the hardtop that transfers the weight done to the tub, is rated to carry 120kg dynamic weight, I am not sure what the other full length racks a rated to carry.

Other's have touched on the massive aftermarket support. But also when it comes to servicing, there are so many passionate Jeepers out there that there is always someone else who has been there done that, so it's very easy to diagnose and fix anything that might break or have funny symptoms.

What lift and tyre setup does your Patrol currently have? Has your Patrol ever struggled on a track offroad due to needing more lift or bigger tyre? Has your Patrol ever struggled onroad to drive it's tyres and weight say uphills or reaching your fuel economy target?

Do you expect that the JKU will perform better in any/all of those situations? Or are you happy to just update your vehicle and take it from there? I am not sure what your expectations are, but if you watch Ronny Dahl's vids on youtube, his dad's 2007 JKU on 33" tyres and stock driveline (i.e. open diffs + traction control, standard gearing, standard front D30 diff and housing), auto, front swaybar still connected (usually the first mod for most Jeep owners is to fit disconnects)) goes everywhere with little to no fuss that Ronny and co's 79 series Cruiser's with 35" tyres twin locked etc goes, and carries all the camping gear that he and his passenger/s need.

I have a 2009 JKU CRD. Like you my last 4wd had done 316,000kms when I sold it and I did all the work on it myself. Serviced every 5,000km as well. I knew it very intimately. I also loved it to pieces, what started out as just a bunky 'cheap' 4wd to get me to my fav camp spots while I didn't have a job, ended up being the longest I've ever owned a vehicle and the most reliable, it had got me all over WA without any probs. But so far with the new (to me) JK so good. I love it heaps. I have done all the work on it myself as well apart from things that I can't such as dyno tune and ECU remap etc. I find that it is a simple vehicle, very easy to work on (the CRD's engine bay is more cluttered than the petrol), simple susp, simple steering, simple driveline, I also service it every 5,000kms and its very easy. JK's are built like lego, everything simply bolts on and off, no weird hiding places for bolts that you can't get to like every 2nd bolt on any Toyota vehicle. My only purpose for owning a 4wd is to get away and explore, and ideally to remote places, not so much hardcore social wheeling (which is what most people all over the world seem to use Wrangler's for and less so for touring/overlanding). My longest trip so far is 12,000km Perth to SA to NT and back again with many kms spent on dirt outback roads where we could, it takes time to build the confidence up in your vehicle after the last one has done so well but for me I'm almost there again with this one, as no issues at all and it just handles everything so well.
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Last edited by Turismo07; 16-11-2017 at 04:44 PM.