So I retire soon, 5 months 20 days, but who's counting.... My plan is to buy a Unlimited Rubicon for my retirement gift. The only options I care about is the cold weather group, led lights, auto transmission and tow package. I will buy most likey in the spring of 19 as I will be traveling so much and there is no reason for it to sit over the long michigan winter plus it will give Jeep a little more time of building experience with the new model.
So this is where I need the advice. In retirement, my wife and I plan to use our motor home as a base camp and then use the jeep to explore mountain passes and trails from AZ to Ak. We plan on parking the motorhome and then taking off from there with the Jeep. I want the Rubicon because of the locking diffs and the swaybar disconnect. I plan to not use them to get somewhere, only to help get out of trouble if I find myself in it. I will mod the jeep in hopes that I never have to make the wife walk 60 miles out of the mountains.
I plan on sticking to easy and or moderate trails and passes. I DO NOT want to tear up a new vehicle, but I do understand the risk of it happening. We do not have a time limit and plan on just moving from state to state until we gone from AZ to Ak. Leave in March and come back to Michigan about early October.
So I am leaning towards 37 in tires, but think that there is a lot of added expense to go to 37 in tires over 35 in tires. I will have bead lot wheels. I just want to do it right the first time. Is the extra tire size worth it for easy to moderate trails? I am also looking at it like insurance as I want the Jeep built so that I only use about 70% of its capacity leaving room to ensure that we are not walking out.
I want a quality lift and shocks. There are so many suppliers of lifts and shocks that they are hard to sort out. I am looking more for quality and durability and function. Once again trying to avoid the long walk.
I have pretty much decided on the Warn 12,000 pound winch unless someone can sway me in a difference direction. I am open minded.
I will need an air compressor also. Thinking on-board air is the way to go, but not against having a compressor in a bag. Once again, there are so many of these, that it is hard to pick out the best.
I have about 5 grand set aside for mods and will do the work myself and with the help of a friend. I have 25 grand set aside for the down payment, and if I wait until spring of 19, I will probably have a little over 30 to put down. My goal is to have an under 400 a month payment and then just put cash to it to pay it off as soon as possible. I will have a little over two years to sort the Jeep out do all the mods and be ready to head out. The two year wait is waiting on the wife to retire. Yes, I will be slacking around the house while wifey brings home the Jeep money...... The 36 ft motor home is paid for and the aluminum trailer for the Jeep is paid for. Might even start buying the mods before I get the jeep.
If you can suggest web sites or products that you think would be useful in my quest, Please post a link and give me feedback. I want to hear from people that are actually doing what we want to do.
So this is where I need the advice. In retirement, my wife and I plan to use our motor home as a base camp and then use the jeep to explore mountain passes and trails from AZ to Ak. We plan on parking the motorhome and then taking off from there with the Jeep. I want the Rubicon because of the locking diffs and the swaybar disconnect. I plan to not use them to get somewhere, only to help get out of trouble if I find myself in it. I will mod the jeep in hopes that I never have to make the wife walk 60 miles out of the mountains.
I plan on sticking to easy and or moderate trails and passes. I DO NOT want to tear up a new vehicle, but I do understand the risk of it happening. We do not have a time limit and plan on just moving from state to state until we gone from AZ to Ak. Leave in March and come back to Michigan about early October.
So I am leaning towards 37 in tires, but think that there is a lot of added expense to go to 37 in tires over 35 in tires. I will have bead lot wheels. I just want to do it right the first time. Is the extra tire size worth it for easy to moderate trails? I am also looking at it like insurance as I want the Jeep built so that I only use about 70% of its capacity leaving room to ensure that we are not walking out.
I want a quality lift and shocks. There are so many suppliers of lifts and shocks that they are hard to sort out. I am looking more for quality and durability and function. Once again trying to avoid the long walk.
I have pretty much decided on the Warn 12,000 pound winch unless someone can sway me in a difference direction. I am open minded.
I will need an air compressor also. Thinking on-board air is the way to go, but not against having a compressor in a bag. Once again, there are so many of these, that it is hard to pick out the best.
I have about 5 grand set aside for mods and will do the work myself and with the help of a friend. I have 25 grand set aside for the down payment, and if I wait until spring of 19, I will probably have a little over 30 to put down. My goal is to have an under 400 a month payment and then just put cash to it to pay it off as soon as possible. I will have a little over two years to sort the Jeep out do all the mods and be ready to head out. The two year wait is waiting on the wife to retire. Yes, I will be slacking around the house while wifey brings home the Jeep money...... The 36 ft motor home is paid for and the aluminum trailer for the Jeep is paid for. Might even start buying the mods before I get the jeep.
If you can suggest web sites or products that you think would be useful in my quest, Please post a link and give me feedback. I want to hear from people that are actually doing what we want to do.