Missing that "jeep" thing

Quick backstory. I owned a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 with a 6inch BDS lift and 35 inch Toyo MT's. Aftermarket bumpers (no winch) as well as 20 inch wheels. Truck looked great and was super fun in the dirt and mud (no rock climbing). I moved to Austin and caved to what I call parking pressure (from myself) and got a small SUV a year ago. Well, I realize I don't just dislike my vehicle but hate it. Always wanted a Jeep so here we are.

I've been looking at 2015 Jeeps (JK and JKU Rubicons) and haven't pulled the trigger yet. Been difficult finding the configurations I want (Tank color is popular) especially when I was first looking for a JK with a manual. Then I decided I wanted a JKU with an auto with everyone telling me how much more "practical" they are for me..... Well, I'm not married and I have no kids. When I go camping I either go with one other person or a group of people and rarely do I take people in my SUV. In fact, in a year I've counted the times I've had someone in the back seat and thats 3 times including family visiting which a 2 door Jeep would be fine for. So I really think a JK with a manual is what I want and should get. The problem is I'm at a cross-roads so to speak and I'm looking for some suggestions.

I've found a 2012 JKU with low miles and after market lift, tires, bumpers, rock sliders, and winch. With it being a 2012 and all the upgrades I'm probably saving about 10-12k. But here's my issue, I was REALLY looking forward to doing a lot of the upgrades myself. Obviously there are some things I would leave to professionals (I haven't welded anything since High School) but I thought it would be fun and a great learning experience. Now this Jeep doesn't have the top of the line stuff so there is some things I can do to make it a more capable rig but....

1) Am I glorifying the build process too much
2) If you could do it all over again, would you buy a Jeep with a lot of upgrades already done
3) Is building your Jeep more of a Journey then a destination? I.e. there are always a lot of small upgrades or perhaps you do a cost effective upgrade first?

I think buying used would be a good idea for me since I've never owned a Jeep. I get a good experience into the life style at a lower price point and if I want to take it to a higher upgrade level I can then do those myself.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

B

atxbold said:

1) Am I glorifying the build process too much

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Short answer is its up to you. Everyone's build is different to them. Some take years to complete and some do it all at once.

atxbold said:

2) If you could do it all over again, would you buy a Jeep with a lot of upgrades already done

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Nope I'm glad I bought new and would do it again. But that's me and what I wanted. You need to decide what you want.

atxbold said:

3) Is building your Jeep more of a Journey then a destination? I.e. there are always a lot of small upgrades or perhaps you do a cost effective upgrade first?

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For me it was a little upfront but where it's taken me has been amazing. I've met so many great people and have so many lasting friendships because of my jeep it's blown my mind. I will never be "done" with my jeep.

crippledpetey said:

For me it was a little upfront but where it's taken me has been amazing. I've met so many great people and have so many lasting friendships because of my jeep it's blown my mind. I will never be "done" with my jeep.

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^^This^^.....I couldn't have said it better myself......it's been an amazing experience so far :yup:

~Woodrow~

I have a white 2014 JKR.

Bought it new, built it up over the last seven months or so, made some mistakes but not one regret, not one.

I knew precious little about certain things and my build has taught me many things, which is the way I like to do things. Each mistake has cost me AND taught me something, it's been and continues to be an awesome experience.

I have also met many new friends, several of which I know will be life long friends. The sense of community amongst jeepers/wheelers is awesome.

Get it man, go now and get it, no matter how you buy you will not be sorry...

....more is lost by indecision than the wrong decision...go get that jeep!!!

atxbold said:

1) Am I glorifying the build process too much

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I don't think you are. Buying any vehicle is a big decision, and buying a Jeep and coming up with a plan for aftermarket upgrades is an even bigger decision. I think I went about 6 months between saying "I should get a Jeep" to driving one off the lot, and I made sure I had a clear idea of what I want & need and how I was going to use and upgraded it before going in to buy.

2) If you could do it all over again, would you buy a Jeep with a lot of upgrades already done

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Just to give you something to compare to, my Jeep is the first Jeep I've owned, I've only had it 6 months and I'm only just starting to upgrade it. I bought it new and don't regret that one bit. I intend to keep my Jeep for a long time, and I thought there's nothing better than starting with a blank canvas. That said, I did spend the extra for a special edition (Rubicon X - it's the same as this year's Hard Rock) that came stock with steel bumpers, upgraded rock rails, vented hood, etc. I bought that package because like the how these extras all go together, they're sturdy (though not quite as bullet proof as some of the aftermarket bumpers, etc that you can get) and it saves me some time and additional purchases down the line. It's not quite the same as choosing between a new stock vs used modified Jeep (particularly because it costed me more up front), but I thought it was worth the money for what I want to do. I bought an Unlimited (even though I'm single and with no kids) because I'll be using it for long trips with friends and plenty of gear, plus it gives me room to "grow" should my situation change (as mentioned, I intend to keep it a long time). I got a manual as well and don't regret that decision either. There are a few threads comparing the two, but one thing to keep in mind is the auto will still allow you control the shifting between gears and gives you one less thing to worry about if your crawling through really difficult rocks. Ultimately though, I say try out both and go with what you like more.

My best advice is not to feel like you're settling for something, particularly if it's going to be your daily driver (and so long as your budget allows for it). If you're not completely happy with it when you roll off the lot, you probably won't be happy in the long term and end up selling or trading it in in a few years when you didn't intend to. If you're going new, I wouldn't be afraid of having the dealer order you a Jeep with all the options you want if they don't have it on the lot. If you buy used, I'd worry about the factory options you can't upgrade first, and then look at what the previous owner did aftermarket because you can still change that on your own if you decide to later, and you can even sell the take off parts you swapped out to get some of that money back.

Also, not all lifts are created equal and they play a huge part in how the vehicle performs. I'd pay particular attention on what kind of lift and shocks were installed, and how that makes the Jeep ride and handle. If you're not happy with how it feels behind the wheel during your test drive compared to a stock vehicle, I'd wouldn't buy it, particularly if it's not a bolt on kit that you can swap out on your own.

If you are going used, I'd recommend getting a 2012 and later since they have the 3.6L Pentastar engine. They have better performance than the earlier JKs, so they're worth the money.

3) Is building your Jeep more of a Journey then a destination? I.e. there are always a lot of small upgrades or perhaps you do a cost effective upgrade first?

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Definitely a journey. I agree with crippledpetey that no one is really ever "done." Even the people who buy a shiny new Rubicon and drive it straight to Off Road Evolution or Trail Jeeps to have it completely rebuilt right away continue to tinker with it. The biggest thing is to get an idea of how you intend to use your Jeep and what kind of budget for upgrades you have, and then you can plan out the build. Also, keep your plan flexible enough so you can adapt it if you start doing different kinds of trails or should your financial situation change, since that's all part of the journey too.

As far as what to upgrade first, there are a few threads on this but I think what most people recommend is an oil pan skid and a transmission skid if you have an automatic (these should really come with a skid plate from the factory), rock rails (if you don't get a Rubicon), then a winch.

I hope that helps. Cheers

Wardell gave some great advice. This forum can offer advice on pretty much any aspect of a build or offroading that you can think of. Reading that advice (and following it) will save you time and money in the long run. Knowing yourself, your budget and what you want to use the Jeep for will be your starting point. Pretty much everyone spends more than they expected because owning the Jeep can be a very personal thing and your build will go in unexpected directions (but again, the advice here can save someone from buying 33s one year, then 35s the next and then ending up with 37s, for example). The destination is worth the journey. Life is ridiculously short, it is best to enjoy as much of it as you can.

I've owned 1 CJ, so many TJ's I lost count and now my first JK and all ranged from bone stock to 35" tires w/ a 5" lift. One thing I will say is that if you get one that is already modified make sure it's what you want on it... otherwise you're better off buying stock and modifying it once. My last few have also only be modified slightly. It's suprising how capable off road they can be stock... it might be worth trying that out first before deciding what you "need" to upgrade.

Just personal preference here, but I bought a manual 2 door 2015 JK. Surprisingly rare. For the trim level and color I wanted they had to order it as there were none like it on the East coast to ship in... I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing that the four door auto's are so much more common. For one it will be easier to re-sell b/c that's apparently what everyone wants now, but I like mine the way it is and I'm a big fan of keeping manual transmissions relevant. Just one man's opinion, but I will say that the reason I sold and bought so many Jeeps is b/c I eventually missed the one I had and bought another to replace it. Get it now and when you get a family get a second family hauler that gets good MPG... It's America. We are supposed to be decadent and have multiple cars :clap2:

Good luck!!

Its just the wife and I and we have had several YJs, one XJ, and two JKUs. I have always loved the four doors, whether that was the XJ or JKUs. I carry a lot tools and stuff all of the time, it has came in handy that I have had it more times than not. In the YJs that made them a two person vehicle, which the two door wranglers pretty much are. Take the back seat out and put it in storage. Some people still use their backseat however. The four doors are just a little longer obviously but it really isnt so much longer that it hinders the jeeps performance. I dont know what you plan to do with yours but if you watch videos, especially the Wayalife videos, you will see primarily four doors and you'll see what they can do. Not saying the two doors are crap, they are still a great vehicle. We are thinking about getting another JK and i am having the two door vs. four door debate in my head.

I probably wouldn't buy one modded already, unless I either knew the jeep or knew where it was built and if it was done right etc. Most people that do anything around me have theirs built for looks not function. So its usually cheap crap. Plus if you purchase through a dealer you pay a lot more for the mods than what they are worth usually. I have bought and installed cheap crap to get me by until I can get better stuff but I know what it is and how much it cost.

Don't settle on one either though. Get what you want and what you can afford and build it how YOU want it. There are a lot of great products/brands of stuff out there. Most people here are very helpful and will try to steer you towards the better products. They have their reasons and most are from experience. This has been the best forum I have ever been a part of. Most forums are just a website with a bunch of idiot fan boys who wont admit they spent more money on stuff than what its worth.

Thanks everyone for the detailed responses. Appreciate the effort and it actually has helped.

Decide if you're mating for life or not. If you are, I'd probably buy a new one.

Rent or borrow one and take it camping for the weekend. I rented one down in baja and that allowed me to embrace the JK's downsides in return for everything its amazing at.

I started this thread a while back. You might find it useful.
http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?7353-On-owning-a-jeep-the-stuff-your-parents-never-told-you

Get an unlimited! Idk if anyone's addressed this yet but I think that they have but if you plan on having kids you're definitely going to need the extra room!