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Taking the WK2 Overlanding…My Single Step…

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overland wk2
56K views 127 replies 29 participants last post by  echo7tango 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello everyone!

I decided to do my 1st Overland Tour this year. So in preparation for this adventure, I have started my build in an Overlanding Type of style. Especially since I enjoy hiking and camping. I thought a member on this forum (monarchco) summed up the build I am trying to do very nicely: “This is the rig that helps me explore our country, the outdoors, and ultimately get into areas others can not.” I too am not really interested in rock crawling or mudding. I am mainly interested in modifications and acquiring skill sets that can get me from City Point A to remote outdoor places in Point B and then BACK to City Point A in one piece to tell the story and to share my experiences in order to entice more people to venture out and explore the outdoors!

So with all of that said, I am planning to do my very first overlanding journey on May 7th, 2017 with an overlanding touring company called New Mexico Backroads which will be led by Jake Quinones. At the end of this overlanding backroads journey, we will end up in Flagstaff, AZ for the Overland Expo which begins May 12th. So this 5 day journey will hopefully be a great way of introducing this newbie into this new world of overlanding…

In order for me to be able to come back and tell the story to you guys, I have started on this Overlanding Style of build.

I know there are many ways to accomplish this type of build but here is the way “Student4Life” is approaching it so don’t flame me too bad! LOL!

The 1st thing I needed to do was to get proper undercarriage protection. So I decided to go with the following parts:

1) Chief Products (www.chiefproducts.com.au )
a. WK2 Lower Front + ACC Guard (Part # N/A)
b. WK2 Sump Protection Plate (Part # N/A)
c. WK2 Transmission Protection Plate (Part # N/A)
d. WK2 Rear Bumper Guard (In design phase)
[Side Note: I really like how Chief Products are designed compared to products from other third party companies. ]​

2) Mopar Skid Plates ( www.mopar.com )
a. Transfer Case Skid Plate (Part # 82211994AB)
b. Front Axle Skid Plate (Part # 82211995)
c. Fuel Tank Skid Plates (Part # 82211999)
d. ordered from SteveWhiteParts.com
3) Shield Product (www.shieldproductions.com )
a. WK2 Full Harness & Def Injector Skid Plate for EcoDiesel Jeep Models (Part # WK2A4-FD)​

4) Uneek Rock Rail Sliders ( www.uneek4x4.com.au )
a. WK2 Rock Sliders (Part # WK2-S-ASM0)​

So everything on the above list I was able to get EXCEPT for Chief’s Transmission Protection Plate which is currently out of stock and Chief’s Rear Bumper Guard which is currently still in the design phase.

The attached photo loosely shows how all the parts are laid out… What you don’t see are the Uneek Rock Rails which have already been installed prior to me taking this photo as well as for Chief’s Transmission Protection Plate which is currently out of stock. :(

Another thing that was really helpful to this newbie was Chief’s Undercarriage Protection Diagram on their website! It helped me visualize what I needed and what areas certain parts protected.

So like the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” And this is my single step! :)
 

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#3 ·
So on Friday, March 17th I finally finished installing the skid plates from Chief Products and Mopar. Due to social obligations I wasn’t able to install the Def Shield until Wednesday, March 22nd. So from Saturday, March 18th to Sunday, March 19th, I tested my installation of the Chief and Mopar skid plates. Everything worked great! There were no rattles or new funny noises. The only thing was the jeep felt a little heavier. My Fuel economy pretty much stayed the same with the added weight since I have a diesel. The hardest part of the install was the removing the Lower Fascia from the front bumper. Because I have Summit, I am finding that Summit owners will have a more challenging time and will have to be more creative when making modifications due to certain decisions the designers at Jeep made. Anyway that is whole other rant! LOL!

I was a little worried about the bumper flapping and the frabric wheel well liner getting damaged at highway speeds because of how much of the Lower Fascia was removed on the Summit BUT based on my highway test there was no issue with this. It looks like the Chief's Lower Guard does a good job of wind deflection and keeping the Wheel Well liner in place. I also installed Chief's Tow hooks as well. The build quality of the Chief Products I have used so far is REALLY GOOD!!! Hopefully Chief’s Transmission Protection Plate will be in stock before my trip...

So on Wednesday, March 22nd I installed the WK2 Full Harness & Def Injector Skid Plate from Shield Products. Unfortunately, six of the screws that came with the plate were too short to screw into the u-clips for the pinch weld holes. So a quick run to the hardware store fixed that problem. When installing this skid plate some of the photos with diagrams are somewhat difficult to see if you are a person who has problems with small print. So a recommendation to the manufacturer would be to revisit the format of the instruction document and make it easier to read the diagrams when the instructions are printed out.

After installing the WK2 Full Harness & Def Injector Skid Plate, I noticed the following issues:
1) I started hearing the sound of the diesel engine a lot louder.
2) I could hear rattling underneath where the skid plate was installed.

I think Issue #1 may be due to the plate reflecting the engine nose back into the Jeep’s cabin because there are no open slots like there are in Dom’s Def plate. Again it’s just a theory…

Issue #2 maybe fixed by using 3M double sided tape between the Shield and chassis as suggested by the instructions at the very end as a side note… I wish this step was included in the main install steps because now I have through the trouble and remove the shield. The other thing I noticed was the shield was slightly touching the exhaust pipe so I wonder if I will have to grind down the areas where the shield makes contact with pipes in order to help stop the rattling noise…

Hopefully this weekend I will have time to work on the Def shield in order to fix the rattling noises. Not sure what I will do about the louder diesel engine noise… :(
 

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#4 · (Edited)
On another note…

Some of the other items that I will be using for this trip are:
1) Second Battery: Ark Pak – The purpose of this is to have a second battery for jump starting purposes as well to power some of my electronics. (https://www.arkportablepower.com/pages/about-the-arkpak )
a. Battery in the Ark Pak: Exide XMC-31 (Exide MegaCycle® AGM Marine / RV Batteries )

2) Tire Carrier: Wilco HitchGate Solo – The purpose of this is so I can carry a 2nd spare tire. (https://www.wilcooffroad.com/shop/hitchgate-solo/ )


The hard shell roof top tent (SkyCamp) that I ordered off of Kickstarter will not be ready for my trip will not be shipped until the middle of May 2017 which will be too late for my trip so I am going to have to come up with a plan B…

Hard shell roof top tent: SkyCamp (https://www.kickstarter.com/project...top-tent-for-travelers-on?ref=profile_created )
 
#6 ·
Yes, the Summit is going to present more challenges for this build because it isn't marketed for more "overland" type modifications. Whereas the other trim levels have easily removable front fascia, the Summit does not, as you have found out. It's the same JGC underneath, however... ;)
 
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#7 ·
I'm looking at the picture again, looks like the side skirts were removed and replaced with metal side steps. Makes me wonder, why do this to a summit? Un-summiting the summit. Yes, same car underneath but not the same price. Unless the car is financed and owes more than the car is worth, then I guess he might be "stuck" with it, if not I would def. sell it and repurchase another GC like an overland or limited and do all this to and possibly have some cash left over.
 
#8 ·
I kinda agree with you, text. A loaded Overland or Limited would be a better base for this kind of build, but the OP may have his/her own reasons for starting with the Summit.
 
#10 ·
Subscribed! I too will be building a rig similar towards the later part of this year.

I do already have some what could be called "overlanding" in my life (8-10 day multi-state off-road trips and such) and if there is anything you need other than first aid an water, is two spare tires, a good quality star tool or tire iron and a jack (not the factory junk). Sometimes folks think I am a bit paranoid about this however, I have had my share of tire issues. These were all good condition, all-terrain tires.

2013: Cut a tire sidewall on Hancock Pass, Colorado, about 15 miles or more from pavement. Put on the spare but could not find that size in the town nearby and it would take days to get, could not wait, so drove all the way back to Texas with no spare.

2016: Cut a tire above Bonanza, Colorado (destroyed it) a good 10-15 rough miles from pavement. Put on the spare and got back to town only to have a 2nd flat by then...had to replace one and get the tire store to fix the other...1 day delay.

2017: Cut a tire in Big Bend National Park, 2 hours from pavement (but was able to plug this one and it held).

For me, it is two spares for sure. :thumbsup:
 
#21 ·
2017: Cut a tire in Big Bend National Park, 2 hours from pavement (but was able to plug this one and it held).
There are a lot of places to cut tires in Big Bend. I cut a brand new Wrangler there a number of years ago on a 1978 Bronco. We had a permit to take the River Road the next day, but I had to drive about 100 miles to get a new tire and, while we were gone, they had torrential rain there which flooded the camp ground we had been staying at and people were stuck on the River Road because parts of it were flooded out.

Unfortunately, I've never gotten back there to do that drive.
 
#11 ·
@text - Not that it matters for this topic but Nope not stuck... Back in 2015 at the time I was searching for used 2014/2015 Diesel WK2 in Texas and there was none to be found. Apparently used diesel WK2s were pretty hard to come by back then however I lucked up and a used 2015 WK2 popped up at a great price with all the options I was looking for so I decided to take the deal. Now the modifications I am making and the WAY that I have made them so far allow me a way to easily revert back to the stock look of a Summit if and when I decide to sale. For example, the side skirts were not merely ripped off they were removed in such a way that I can bolt them back on once I remove the Uneek rock rails... Since about 90% of the year I am not camping with the WK2 but doing events with my social coordinators, I have to figure out ways that will allow me to reconfigure the WK2 for date night activities, day trip activities and then onto my camping activities... For example, the tire carrier is removable, the second battery is removable, the fridge is removable, etc... Agreed a loaded Diesel Overland or Diesel Limited would be a better choice for installing modifications for doing overlanding activities than a loaded Diesel Summit however there were no used ones during my purchase window. Now if I was doing it all over again a Used Trail hawk would be the way to go! BUT I am sure I would have a hard time finding a slightly Used Diesel Trail hawk with all the trimmings… With all that said, my journey continues! :) I will also try to give some reasons on why I selected certain modifications over others in order to help other people who may be thinking about doing an overland journey in a WK2 as well… Again as I have said in the beginning, there are many ways to do what I am doing, this is how Student4Life is approaching it. :) If you have a different way that you are doing your Overland journey please start a new thread and share it us! Or reply with an Overland experience you have had in your WK2 and how you prepared or NOT prepared for it… LOL! I am always interested in learning from others who take the time to put together information to share with others! A special thanks goes out to JMessick82 for sharing his build as well as to others who have posted their builds on this form!
 
#12 ·
You are welcome Student4Life! I love what you are doing with your build. I hope that some of my choices and/or mistakes help you with your decisions. I wish all the Chief Products stuff was available when I started my build because I like the front-end stuff you are doing better than mine. I also stupidly leased mine, so I don't want to make changes now when I only have 9 months left on my lease, lol. In my defense, I had no idea I would want to do all this stuff when I leased it.

I might try to make it down to the Overland expo also. If I do, we'll have to meet up and have a beer or something. Good luck on the build!
 
#20 ·
All in, what do you think you've spent on your mods? I looked at the Uneek site today. Very cool stuff. As I have a white overland diesel, their video was perfect in showing me exactly what my rig could look like if I went all in. I have a wrangler rubicon that I use for fun, but now that they aren't releasing a diesel for 2017 (or so it seems), when my lease is up in August, I am likely going to buy my 2014 and may do some mods to it as well. It's my daily driver. I already have 20" BFG KO2 on it, but I'd like to maybe do some more to it like you are doing. Thanks again.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Very nice. I am very interested in overlanding as well, which is why I ordered a 2017 Trailhawk (Originally with the Diesel but the EPA ****ed that all up, so now it has a Hemi). I plan on adding the Chief products armor as well, that guy makes some good stuff!

Once I add my armor and some other modifications, I just need the OK from the wife to take it overlanding!

EDIT: Is that your Wk2 on the Hitchgate website modeling the spare tire carrier?
 
#23 · (Edited)
IMPRESSIVE ENDEAVOR . . . WAS MY 1ST REACTION. Then oddly, I was thinking, hmmm new kid on the block challenging my thread, 'Show & Tell . . .' but then I realized, that was dumb of me ! More is Better, diversity rules, yes ? Yes ! So, "WE" have another WK2 "OVERLAND-ER," and that is very cool to Me . I say welcome aboard and I hope that you will start to share some of your adventures on the 'Show & Tell . . .' thread too !
Funny, as I was reading, seems we share an interest in Ark Pak (as opposed to Goal Zero). The 730 seems the way to go (for me) along with one of the better AGM's or Lithium batteries . I am leaning toward a towable vice a RTT now that I am closer to MY 1st Overland Trip to Colorado (also) come May, as I stated recently on My thread ('Show & Tell') . You "sound" young & enthusiastic, as well as not restrained by finances; where as I am on the other "side of Life," at 66 and a mere retired Navy E-6 (which you may be clueless as to that? - NOT a derogatory thought by the way).
ENJOY your Life, your Adventures and try to keep everything in perspective ! Above all else be reminded (somehow) that every day is a GIFT and it can be gone "in an instant" !

You will experience the "challenges" of Your thread morphing into areas unforeseen that will make you wonder why (?), as I have . You've done a Better job of Naming your thread than I had, even though in my 1st intro I tried to explain where I wanted IT to go !

Sounds like you are More "hard core" (must be the age ) than me; I will be keeping my 2016 trail rated 75th Laredo pretty much stock (better tires soon for off roading) .

That's it, I tend to ramble . . . stay safe out there . FlyFinaticLou
 
#24 ·
@bobholthaus - I have attached a couple of photos I took over the weekend. I also attached two that I took with my old camera phone while I was parked near another WK2 so you can get a little comparison... However remember that I have Summit version, so I had to remove a lot more of my bumper compared to the Non-Summit owners... So I think, the Chief product will look even better on a Non-Summit WK2. I am still please with the product BUT I will look into doing some type of sheet metal cover after the trip to help give it a cleaner look on a Summit... Non-Summit guys will not have to worry about that!

As far as what I have spent so far in mods preparing for this trip, I started out last year buying a piece here and placing an order there. After the completion of trip, I will try to put together an itemized list of what I purchased to complete this journey so others can get a sense of what they may or may not need to for their journey that may be similar to mine. I would recommend start purchasing items in such a a way where you can transfer to your next vehicle for example Hi-Lift, Ark Pak, fridge, etc. That way you can spread the cost over a longer timeframe. Also the sooner you start the better! Because sometimes parts are on a waitlist! I placed an order for Gobi Stealth Rack at the start of February and I am a little worried that it might not be shipped in time for my trip. I am keeping my fingers crossed!
 

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#25 ·
@KJDevilDog - You should be able to outfit that Trailhawk nicely! Sorry to hear the EPA Jacked up (I know you were referring to something more colorful! LOL!) your diesel plans... Yes so far I have been extremely please with all the Chief products I have purchased and would definitely purchase them again...Chief’s team pays a lot of attention to the details for the product in my opinion!

Also since you are getting the gasoline version, you can get a second tank that will fit in the same area that the DEF Tank does on the Diesel version.
Link: Long Range tank WK2

The Long Range Tank is one modification drawback us Diesel guys can't get due to the DEF Tank.
Good luck with laying the ground work in order to get clearance for your overlanding activity!

Yes the guys at Wilco were kind enough to use a couple of photos I sent them after receiving their Hitchgate Solo tire carrier. Hopefully the photos were helpful to WK2 people who were on the fence about whether or not it would be a good fit on their WK2. I decide to take a gamble and it worked. It’s definitively an excellent solution if you want to carry a 2nd spare for an Overlanding adventure. So far I have been pleased with the Wilco hitch I will see how it works out on this trip! HOWEVER now I have to figure out how I can modify the Solo in order to carry some extra Fuel containers for this Overland journey...I am trying to avoid placing fuel on the roof.
 
#44 ·
Fantastic thread, Student4Life, nice build, I like what you're doing, and there's been some good info here. Thanks!

@Student4Life,

Agree about Shield, they make good products. I'm looking to add their front guards to mine. Thanks for all your pics.

About storing extra fuel, or even another spare tire, one idea is going with a front hitch mount: http://www.jeepgarage.org/f222/curt-front-hitch-94239.html. Just an idea I am considering. The front radar may need to be relocated, though. A consideration.

For sleeping, instead of RTT or towing, I'm sleeping in the back of the JGC and stowing my gear on the roof in a cargo box. I do like the RTT concept and yours is a nice one. I may eventually go with RTT though. As for towing a TT, that can be very nice but what I don't like about here in CA, once you're towing, your max allowable speed is 55 MPH. And for me, a 70 MPH limit is already too slow. :) These Diesel rigs cruise effortlessly at 90, 100, and faster. Comfortably, too.

After you go to Overland Expo, let us know how you liked it. I've never been and am interested.

Gobi makes a great product! If you are close enough to Colorado Springs, you might schedule a visit with them...? Might that get them to install a rack in time for your trip? Possibly? Depends on how far away they are. I stopped in while on a long road trip and took a nice long look at their products. Top notch, I'm confident you'll be very satisfied with your rack.
The Long Range Tank is one modification drawback us Diesel guys can't get due to the DEF Tank.
I don't follow, because Uneek shows an option to order a tank if you have the Diesel...?
Here: Long Range tank WK2

I like your tire shine test, too. Looking forward to the results.

I look forward to your build updates. Looks great so far, nice!

@MrClortho,

Man, dude, that's a lot of cut tires and some bad luck! (@schmieg too) I have been very lucky indeed to avoid that. But that is a reason why I will want a second spare with me. And when I drive to the far north of Deadhorse AK, I will want a third spare with me. That will go either on the roof or on a front hitch mount. It might be cool to put it on the front hood like the old Land Rovers!

I'm glad your tire plug held, in BBNP!

@schmieg, I've run the River Road, East and West, in BBNP. Without any permit...? Is a permit required, was that a mistake? I did not see any signs about that. Fortunately for me I got through there with all tires intact. It's a long way to any nearby towns, Terlingua, Marathon...

@FlyFinaticLou,

We meet again! Your off-road thread is one of the best threads here. I just pinged it to get others to share their trails exploits. Hopefully we'll hear from some. The weather, it gets better...

The stock JG street tires do okay on the trail. Watch for the sharp rocks. And if the trails are very muddy, well, the stock tire's don't do that to well. Don't ask me how I know, white-knuckling it on a slippery hill, when you're slowly sliding uncontrollably, it's a reminder of freshman Physics and Isaac Newton's laws of motion. Fortunately no harm no foul.

Between you and Student4Life, I am going to have to check out Ark Pak. It looks great.

@Governor, I like that aluminum hitch rack. 500 LBS capacity and yet it only weighs 15 LBS, that is nice. One concern when overlanding, though, is that it would seriously reduce the departure angle, right? I think so. But with a hitch riser, for example, it could be raised 6". Here's an example: https://www.etrailer.com/Accessorie...xa0qnkbQXUADtBYqD3-SmOqDcSkGchzgbQaAkTL8P8HAQ. Still, that's a great piece of gear, like for tailgating.
 
#26 ·
@FlyFinaticLou- LOL! No way could I or would I challenge your thread!

Starting a Show & Tell thread is a great idea!!! I think our threads have different purposes in this community. I am trying to get to point where I can post some “proof” photos on your thread regarding an experience with my WK2. LOL! A lot of the trip photos members have posted in that thread have also inspired me to embark on this journey. After seeing a trip photo from a member, I often wondered about part of their story that got them to that location in order to take that photo to share with us and how could I do the same!

YES I agree! More DIFFERENT stories is always better! I think having additional DIFFERENT stories on a topic allows you to see that same topic from different angels!

I don't intend for my thread to keep going since its purpose is to chronicle a particular journey I am hopefully lucky enough to complete and possibly meet some good people along the way.

I think it would be great to see another member start his/her own separate thread in order to share their journey from "Single Step" to finish like I am planning to do. And YES I am definitely going to post some proof photos in your thread! LOL!

Yes the Ark Pak has promise! Hopefully it will work well for this trip… I looked at the Goal Zero BUT decided to go with the Ark Pak because I can use it to Jump start the WK2 and I can replace the battery by simply going to the nearest Auto parts store. The battery I went with was the EXIDE XMC-31 because I needed a certain level of cranking power for the Diesel engine… Unfortunately, it’s a LOT heavier than a lithium battery…

Regarding the RTT (Roof Top Tent) you might want to check out the SkyCamp. Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/project...top-tent-for-travelers-on?ref=profile_created
It appears the designers are designing it such a way that it will not be a one trick pony by giving the tent owners the option of being able to switch out the tent’s canvas for a mesh one when needed…

I found that being able to sound young & enthusiastic has always been a state of mind no matter how old you are! LOL!

66 and Overlanding! That is Awesome!!! You do realize you are doing much more than people half your age! So your actions depict you as being young and enthusiastic! LOL!

Retired Navy! Nice! Thank you for your service sir! I am sure you have a lot of great stories!

You are absolutely correct that every day is a GIFT and that you should ENJOY your life and the adventures you get the chance to experience!

Yea I know unfortunately there will be thread challenges but hopefully folks can filter those out and pull out some small nuggets of knowledge that may help them with their journey.

Trust me, I am not even close to being hard core! I am just trying to make sure me and the WK2 make it back in one piece in order to finish telling the story… LOL!

I can’t wait to read about your Colorado Overland journey! Hopefully someone else will start a thread about their Overland journey as well after listening to us ramble on!!! LOL!
 
#27 ·
I am impressed by the front end lower guard by Chief in that it allows the ACC to be retained. With that, I could remove the lower fascia and leave it in my garage, then drive 1500 miles to where I want to off-road rather than removing it when I get there and having to either store it in the back or somewhere else.

Unfortunately, they are out of stock and I am leaving in 6 days on my next trip to Utah, but I put in a request for notification when they are back in stock and, hopefully, it will be here before my next trip.
 
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#30 ·
You're only as old as you think you are. My wife keeps asking me when I'm going to grow up between the Jeep and the MX5, but she goes with me every time I go.
 
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