Midnight LJR Build

[Midnight LJR]

Put a receiver out the back for accessories, or additional stabilizer.
Drill bits, Tifco or Rockmount if you can order via their websites.

Thanks for recommendations on bits.

Once I see how the body mounts up, I will figure out a receiver for the back, mostly for recovery, but that’s a good idea to possible use it for an additional stabilizer.

 

[Midnight LJR]

Thanks for all the bit recommendations everyone I will get some ordered tomorrow, with some oil.

 

[lowranger]

Trailer frame looks great! Not wasting anytime! You'll be ready for JB's Lost Coast run easy.

 

[Indy]

Here's a couple of videos about drill bits and cutting fluid.

 

[Midnight LJR]

First time I have stripped the Jeep out and converted it to “Rock Mode”. Looking forward to doing my favorite trail this weekend and getting to explore a new one.

 

[Midnight LJR]

After trip report:

Ran Slick Rock Trail this weekend, my favorite trail, the last time I ran it was before I took the jeep down to Blaine's. I don't have much to say other than it was just amazing it was just a joy to drive. Refined I think it the best way to describe it, it just flexes and crawls over everything, I still have a long way to go to learn all of its capabilities. Also I don't know how I ever used to do hard trails without ram assist on the steering it just makes the whole process a lot more fun. It was an awesome trip. Great wheeling, great scenery and great people.

My wife also filmed a bunch and we put together a video of the run.



———————

Trailer update:
Got some more wire for the welder, finished welding on the spring hangers and all the body mounts. Then realized I didn’t have the spring seats, they are on the way. I was so close to having a roller.

 

[lowranger]

Looks like your smile is permanent in your Jeep..
Trailer is coming right along and looking good!
My wife and I have the same E-bike as you. They are great bikes and alot of fun!

 

[Midnight LJR]

Looks like your smile is permanent in your Jeep..
Trailer is coming right along and looking good!
My wife and I have the same E-bike as you. They are great bikes and alot of fun!

Yeah those bikes are great we just have the one I need to get one too that’s my wife’s she jams all over town in that thing.

 

[taylormade73]

Love the pics. #'s 1 and 7 are amazing shots and might get you more swag next month.

 

[Nickgsjeep]

After trip report:

Ran Slick Rock Trail this weekend, my favorite trail, the last time I ran it was before I took the jeep down to Blaine's. I don't have much to say other than it was just amazing it was just a joy to drive. Refined I think it the best way to describe it, it just flexes and crawls over everything, I still have a long way to go to learn all of its capabilities. Also I don't know how I ever used to do hard trails without ram assist on the steering it just makes the whole process a lot more fun. It was an awesome trip. Great wheeling, great scenery and great people.

View attachment 178340View attachment 178341View attachment 178342View attachment 178343View attachment 178344View attachment 178345View attachment 178346View attachment 178347View attachment 178348

My wife also filmed a bunch and we put together a video of the run.



———————

Trailer update:
Got some more wire for the welder, finished welding on the spring hangers and all the body mounts. Then realized I didn’t have the spring seats, they are on the way. I was so close to having a roller.

View attachment 178349

Mike, pic number 2 and 5 are pure gold!

 

[mvigo]

Loved the pics, the video and the fact y'all brought the kids...nice work!!

 

[Midnight LJR]

Friend invited me on a last minute overnight of Slickrock Trail. went and took my daughter this time. It was cool to do the trail two weeks in a row. Best part was I got redemption on winch hill. Took a better line and got through it one smooth shot. Rained about 2 hours in the afternoon at camp so there was barely any dust the second day. Not many Jeep pics on this one focused on my daughter since it was her first overnight wheeling trip. I was much more comfortable in the Jeep this trip, it still impressed me time and time again.

Also had a great time testing out are new JLU.

 

[Midnight LJR]

It’s been a Monday ritual to get the wash the Jeep. I took some time and looked over the damage from the past two weekends not too bad.

Little scrapes here and there, each one hurts, but that’s what the sliders are for and I suppose the Jeep has more character now.

 

[Midnight LJR]

Also had some time this afternoon to get the spring seats welded on the axle. It’s a roller! I took some measurements to show frame clearance and axle clearance. I just tacked on the jack in the front because I am not sure it’s gonna stay exactly there. Next step is to go pick up some wood for the floor of the tub.

 

[Nickgsjeep]

Friend invited me on a last minute overnight of Slickrock Trail. went and took my daughter this time. It was cool to do the trail two weeks in a row. Best part was I got redemption on winch hill. Took a better line and got through it one smooth shot. Rained about 2 hours in the afternoon at camp so there was barely any dust the second day. Not many Jeep pics on this one focused on my daughter since it was her first overnight wheeling trip. I was much more comfortable in the Jeep this trip, it still impressed me time and time again.
View attachment 179869View attachment 179870View attachment 179871View attachment 179872View attachment 179873View attachment 179874View attachment 179875View attachment 179876View attachment 179878View attachment 179879

Also had a great time testing out are new JLU.

Did you have to build that RC or did it come out of the box like that? I get such sick satisfaction watching RC rock crawler videos

 

[Midnight LJR]

Did you have to build that RC or did it come out of the box like that? I get such sick satisfaction watching RC rock crawler videos

It was a total impulse buy for the trip. So it was Ready To Run. I never had one before but it is very addicting. I also have spent more hours then I’d like to admit watching RC crawling videos.

 

[Apparition]

It was a total impulse buy for the trip. So it was Ready To Run. I never had one before but it is very addicting. I also have spent more hours then I’d like to admit watching RC crawling videos.

Got a drone? I impulse bought one in Denver on my way to Moab since I forgot mine in MN. Get a Mavic mini, they are awesome.

 

[Mr. Bills]

Putting the fridge on the tongue is a good idea. You need some tongue weight up front as the axle tends to be in the center of the trailer and likes to wag at higher speeds if you don't have some weight up front.

Ditto on the tongue weight.

When I restored my Bantam trailer I tried to come up with a packing arrangement that wouldn't put heavy items at either end, which in past experience had always resulted in wagging because the tongue was too light or the tongue being so heavy that it was difficult or impossible to lift by hand.

I had scored a horizontal propane tank for the tongue, so I ended up locating the the potentially heaviest item, a 15 gal. poly water tank, directly over the axle. The next heaviest items, my Engel MT-45 fridge and Group 27 marine battery, are directly in front of the water tank. My wooden cookbox, which is a bit lighter than the fridge/battery combination, is located directly behind the water tank. The remaining gear is packed around that core with about a 60/40 weight bias of that gear toward the front. I usually end up with about the right tongue weight. If not, I shift a few of the smaller items around.

Keeping something large and heavy like a fridge on the tongue will definitely provide tongue weight and allow for more variations of packing the trailer, but my trailer doesn't use a jack - one lifts the tongue by hand. The weight of a fridge on the tongue wouldn't work for me. You might want to experiment before welding in a permanent cradle for one to be sure that much weight that far forward works for you.

 

[Mr. Bills]

Put a receiver out the back for accessories, or additional stabilizer.

Easy Peasy for you - just more receiver tube.

Here's what I did, constrained by my rule that it must be bolt-on, not weld-on to preserve collectibility of the trailer:

 

[Midnight LJR]

Got a drone? I impulse bought one in Denver on my way to Moab since I forgot mine in MN. Get a Mavic mini, they are awesome.

I do “need” to get one of those.