ShredAZ
TJ Enthusiast
I've been playing with solutions for the past few years in my TJ. My main goal is to take my family of 4 on a 2-4 day camping trip with a comfortable amount of space in the Jeep. This means carrying the load externally as much as possible.
Few things I've learned along the way:
Few things I've learned along the way:
- This suggestion might be the hardest pill to swallow, but lower your expectations on what gear is REQUIRED to camp or overland. If I can survive in the backcounry for 4-5 days with a 65L back pack, than you SURE AS HELL can do that with a Jeep. This means disregarding half the crap that gets shilled to you by "influencers" on social media. BE SMART WITH YOUR GEAR CHOICES. Think compact camp chairs, backpacking stoves, nesting cookware, etc.
- Ditch the hard coolers. Soft cooler tech is as good as (if not better) than most of your standard hard coolers. With various, malleable shapes, it's the perfect solution for a TJ. The Yeti Hopper 30 and 40 fit perfectly in the trunk of a Jeep.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/cooler-behind-a-tj-rear-seat.10776/post-209381https://www.yeti.com/en_US/coolers/soft-coolers/tote-bag/m30/YHOPM30.html - If you have a swing out, carry luggage on that. Trasharoo is a good option, but durability is questionable. The Ferro Concept TruckRuck is superior in every way (but slightly more expensive)
https://ferroconcepts.com/products/truck-ruck - Hitch racks are an economical solution, but if departure angle is important, you will be sacrificing all of it. I carried one for a while, and you're constantly dragging it over any sort of terrain modulation.
- Get creative! For $50, I rigged up a harness that secures a full size duffel to the spare tire. I'm able to fit 2-3 folding chairs in there plus other gear.
- Worst comes to worst, get yourself a roof rack. Gobi is my personal preference, but lead times are currently 6 months (thanks Covid).