Quote:
Originally Posted by redgp
All of the following modifications and fixes will void your new vehicle warranty.
IMHO the standard CRD JK is not suitable as a tourer (especially towing a camper trailer)
Jeep assist is the most basic cover you can get, if you are touring with a camper trailer purchase a RAC ultimate cover, it will recover the trailer as well.
HOWEVER:
If you are willing to modify your Jeep, here are the modifications and fixes we have found so far, that are slowly getting our JK suitable to tour with:
1. Long range tank.
2. Snorkel. (use factory paper air filters as they actually filter better than oiled reusables)
3. “Stevill fix” the slow diesel fill, a must for busy fuel stops on the Gibb River road.
4. Dual batteries, install an isolator with override switch to start jeep with auxiliary when needed. (also helps when winching)
5. Remove battery blanket and watch factory fitted start battery when on long hot days. When it blows up get the factory to replace it and sell the new one and replace with a smaller lead acid (cheaper) one that leaves more room around the battery for cooling.
6. OME 2”lift, ours has a 1”body lift as well to allow more room for custom built long range tank and battery box under body.
7. Fit aftermarket front adjustable lower control arms to allow wheel aligner more adjustment.
8. We have chosen to fit aftermarket steel 16x8”wheels and 285/75/16 A/T tyres with a matching set on the trailer (allows two spares and all interchangeable) Its also important to make the track of the trailer match the Jeep for sand work.
9. We have Bestop Hardrock front and rear bars with a Warn “Powerplant” (9500lb winch and compressor combined) and on board air plumbed to front and rear bar.
10. Remove and replace both turbo hoses with good quality aftermarket stainless steel (or aluminium) with silicone end pipes and stainless steel good quality clamps.
11. We have fitted rear drawer system, a fridge on a slide and a cargo net as well as fitted a 40ltr water tank and filter system in the rear.
12. Some of the obvious extras that make remote driving safer are: UHF 40 channel with search function, various driving lights (although we avoid driving at dusk or dawn) (my wife likes Skippy) a dash mounted sat nav system, a satellite phone and a epirb.
13. Extensive tool kit, we spent a few hours before the first trip with the Jeep up on a hoist with a friendly mechanic making up a specific tool roll for the unusual array of bolt sizes used.
14. Extensive spare parts: both (long) top and bottom radiator hoses, serpentine (fan) belt, all filters incl. a fuel filter, all oils incl. Mopar coolant concentrate. We found the JK is not bolted together well so a lot of spare bolts, hose clamps, zip ties, nuts and bolts of various sizes are necessary to keep everything attached on corrugated tracks.
Our JK has been getting too hot when asked to climb long hills when dragging our 1 tonne home on wheels behind. Part of the problem is the big winch on the front bar reducing air flow but as we need the winch (so far we have recovered 3 Toyotas and 3 Nissans and 1 sunken boat trailer (yesterday) with the winch) we looked for a solution:
15. Install a EGT gauge (a digital one with alarms is better) use a dyno to set the alarms.
16. Install a auto box temp gauge and a boost gauge .
17. Install a DP chip with an installer that has a dyno to set it up and fit a free flowing exhaust.
18. Fit an auto box oil cooler.
Items 15 – 18 (and 10) have made a world of difference to the power delivery of the JK especially in sand, and especially when towing. Now climbing Greenmount Hill (WA owners will know) fully loaded incl. trailer, does not even raise the temp or drop gears back through the auto. This trip so far the computer has not switched of the A/C at all. Fuel economy has improved between 10-20% it has gone from 13.5ltrs / 100 when towing to 11.5ltrs / 100 and the 300klms we have done this trip without the camper on back has shown regular high 8s and low 9s.
The main difference is at a constant 100klms/hour (our limit when towing) the factory temperature gauge is showing below normal and it always was at or above normal prior to these mods.
Some of you know the trouble we have had dealing with jeep dealers and the factory and trying to get them to fix warranty items. We have totally given up on them and treat this vehicle as if it’s older that its 1.5 years and has run out of warranty. All of the above will void new vehicle warranty so don’t do it if you expect them to stand by their product. However if you’re going bush in a JK you will have trouble getting home every time if it’s standard. In our opinion the vehicle was never designed or tested in our harsh outback conditions. It’s not bolted together well (quality control) and the dealers we have dealt with have little or no knowledge of how it ticks. There is little or no factory spare parts kept within two weeks delivery time of our main capital cities let alone regional centres and the country mechanics just shake their heads when asked to have a look at a problem. You are very much on your own when you venture out with one of these.
All that said, we are having a ball with our JK and camper, there is just nowhere we cant go, we always get the best (out of the way) camp spots and many people stop and ask how the hell did you get that camper in or up or down there. The JK has allowed us to drive for miles along deserted beaches looking for the best beach fishing spots and just camp right there where the fish are biting, we have pulled a half dozen others out of sticky positions sometimes with the camper still in tow, we have driven around three hiluxes and one Disco3 hopelessly bogged late one night on a beach with the camper in tow, set up 100 m down the beach and walked back and asked if they needed our help, the water was lapping at their wheels and we just drove down and all around them to get the best position and snatched them out one by one (that night three cartons and one bottle of scotch were delivered to our camper – pity I don’t drink). We would not change the JK for anything else (can’t afford to now we have spent so much on mods) but have to say its not a vehicle you just purchase and drive away, you have to get to know it and fix everything wrong with it with aftermarkets stronger and better bits to make it useful for its task.
Now that’s taken one hour of my fishing time to write so I hope it has been helpful. I might also get the award for the longest post on these forums. I am now waiting for the regular knockers, but the fishing here is so good I will just ignor them.
Untill next time
Steve and Carol.
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Hi Steve and Carol,
We are new to the jeep clan (although my lad has an xj that is awesome off road)
We have just purchased a jk 4dr sport crd auto for touring and club trips. after selling an old 80 series cruiser.
some stuff you've said in your post worries me as i thought the jk would be fairly good out of the box (as it were).
I realise mods are required to any 4b to make it into a good tourer for the outback, and am in the process of doing mine now.
i have jeep bar work f & r, winch with plasma rope, long range tank and snorkel in the shop to be fitted, uhf , inverter , compresser fitted, and my old glind shower(to be installed), also my old draw set to be modified for the rear.
2nd battery tobe fitted.
i'm interested as to what auto cooler you have as this is on my list,and what brand lower control arms you have.
And a suspention lift is also on the shopping list, but i'm unsure which one as i like the hard club trips as well as touring. was thinking 4" lift but there are several to choose from. and this maybe to tall for touring. we will be towing our tvan so polyairs will prob go on to.
why are the turbo pipes an issue? will be leaving the engine standard.
Thanks for an informative post, especially for new jeepers.
our first trip is in july to the corner country.
cheers
steve n linda
