2014 JKU Rubicon- Built for Adventure

jku, jeep, adventure rig, jeep rubicon, off-roading, off-road, overland, overlanding, vehicle supported adventure,

Here at TAP we love a well built rig, so as fellow Jeep owners we reached out to Justin Dowey of Oz-Tent USA to take a look at his 2014 JKU Rubicon. This is what Justin had to say about his passion for off-roading and his latest build.

Love of Off-roading has been in my system since the 90s. Over the years I have had many different types of 4x4s and they all had one thing in common, they got me outside exploring and meeting like-minded people. My love of Jeeps started about 10 years ago with the purchase of a 2005 Electric green TJ. This was the vehicle that spawned my addiction that spans two continents, five Jeeps and many friends who I have met along the way.

When I moved to America from Australia I was told that I could not bring any of my Jeeps in my suitcase. Besides that, the steering wheel was on the wrong side! As soon as my feet hit the ground, I began a new build. I chose a 2014 Silver JKU Rubicon. It was just two weeks old when it went off to get a Teraflex 3” suspension lift to make room for the 35’s. Fox remote reservoir shox stopped them and me bouncing. MCE fenders were installed to cover the extra rubber and since then I have gone to 37” BFG ATKO tires. Ten Factory chromo axles keep them turning. Teraflex Big Brakes were added front and rear to ensure stopping. When I was picking up the components for the first mods, I was lucky enough to get a look around the new Teraflex facility. I was so impressed that I also purchased a front and rear bar, a set of alloy sliders and the Teraflex spare tire mount, eliminating the worry of a spare coming off on the rough trails. The mount also allows us to carry a Rotopax 3 gal fuel can and provides a place to mount the CB Ariel. A lot of Teraflex product you say? Well, they make good gear.

Under the hood remains relatively stock with the addition of some electrical upgrades to handle the extra power needed for all the accessories. A Genesis off-road dual battery tray and two Optima Yellow Top batteries provides more than enough energy to run the fridge, the Warn 9.5 winch and a blend LED spot and spread lights. These include a Baja Designs 22” light bar and 3 sets of Squadrons to make sure light goes in the right direction. With all those, night driving was covered. Switching for these is via a SPOD switch system, making the connection of all my extra lights a breeze. Someone once told me, “The more you can see, the faster you can go.”, I thought that was good advice. Try navigating an off-road trail in the dark and you will get it. I am an avid off-roader and have some epic overland trips planned, so the next thing I needed was something that would make be airing up, quick and easy. I had an ARB twin air compressor fitted on a MORE bracket to keep it all under the hood. This makes the re-inflation process speedy.

As we all know, storage in any Jeep is a problem and we had to fit enough gear for 2 adults and a 2 year old. Its amazing how much extra you need to take for someone so small. After looking into it a bit, we decided to install a Rhino Rack Backbone system with a pioneer tray. It has an internal frame for extra support, giving our Oz-tent somewhere to live and allowing me a flat tray to move items about if needed. It also gave us a lot more space inside the Jeep. We also took the Subwoofer out and replaced it with an OE sub eliminator panel for that extra little bit of space.

The stock seat are comfortable and have warmers built in and are great for the cold days. We did however, protect them with some BARTACT Mil-spec seat covers both front and back. The Molle attachments are handy for keeping essentials in easy reach and not flying around the cab.

So far this Jeep has taken us all over the place. Moab UT to the mountains of CO, to the Redwoods of CA, the Grand Canyon and as far north as Washington. The biggest being a 330 mile off road trek on the Kokopelli Trail. Trips for 2016 are still being planned.

A build is never finished but here is the list so far:

– Teraflex 3” Lift short arm lift, including track bars
– Teraflex Steering Dampener, Fox
– 2.5 Remote Res shocks
– 5 X 37” BFG AT KO, 2 tires
– 5 X 17X9 Rugged Ridge wheel with color matched rim guards
– Teraflex Big brake kit Front and Rear
– MCE Fenders
– Teraflex Front and rear Bar
– Warn 9.5i winch
– ARB Twin compressor mounted on a MORE bracket
– Genesis Dual battery tray with 2 Optima Yellow Tops
– 6 Switch SPOD
– 22” Baja Designs Light bar
– 3 Sets of Baja designs squadron pros (2Pillar, 2Bar and 2 in the fog light holes)
– Rhino Rack Back bone with a Pioneer tray
– CB Radio
– Ram mounts for phone and i-Pad mini

The wish list
– Borla climber exhaust
– 4.88 gear set
– 10th Anniversary Hood
– Roll cage upgrade
– Head light upgrade
– Cargo system

For more overland and off-road capable rigs, CHECK HERE

Wilco Off-Road’s Tiregate VT

Lori Palmer

TAP always advocates safety when off-roading. Check out this write-up on Wilco Off-Road’s Tiregate VT. Don’t get caught out without a full-size spare. Read on and TAP into your next adventure!

Large tires are typically first on the list when outfitting a rig for more serious off-roading. The classic rookie mistake often made is to upgrade to four larger tires with a more rugged tread, but skimp out on the full-size spare. It’s all fun and games until things go wrong. Wilco Offroad wants to prepare you for the inevitable.

A flat tire without a full-size spare could mean limping along for hundreds of miles on a puny spare. Potentially doing damage to your gearing and suspension. Not to mention losing out on all the fun of using your vehicle to it’s full potential.

Anyone seriously looking to head into the backcountry knows carrying a full-size spare tire is essential. Trouble arises, however, when you try and fit that over-size spare in the stock location. It either doesn’t fit, or drastically reduces ground clearance and departure angle. Or to add insult to injury, maybe you have come prepared with a spare, but your truck is stuck in an all too common position where the spare tire is too close to the ground to be removed without massive amounts of earth moving.

Some turn to a roof-mounted solution, however, for many individuals lifting a 100+ pound spare overhead and thrusting it up onto the roof may not be in the cards. Others may opt for throwing it in the bed of their truck or back of an SUV. The obvious downfall to these solutions is the loss of precious cargo space. Whether on an overland adventure or just carrying your weekend toys, no one wants to lose half their cargo space for a spare tire.

Wilco Offroad has been manufacturing a solution to this problem for the past nine years with the Tiregate spare tire carrier. The Tiregate replaces the factory tailgate with a welded steel carrier that bolts into the bed of the truck with no drilling required. When it comes time to sell your rig the factory tailgate is easily re-installed with just a few bolts.

The patented swing-away design of the rack allows you to maintain all the functionality of a truck bed.

Wilco Off-Road’s Tiregate VT also has an available Hi-Lift Jack mount to safely secure your Hi-Lift and save precious bed space.

Wilco Off-Road’s Tiregate VT is sand blasted and powder coated for maximum corrosion resistance. Wilco Offroad backs all of their products with a lifetime warranty on the structural integrity of the product, and a one-year warranty on the powder coat finish.

Wilco Offroad ambassador Max Daines was recently filming for Overland Journal in collaboration with BMW Motorrad. Max covered 900 miles of the Utah Traverse in his Tacoma 4×4 loaded to the brim with filming equipment and camping gear. Being the sole four-wheel vehicle, Max had to be entirely self-reliant. On a time-sensitive high-profile film shoot, Max can’t afford to be unprepared.

Wilco Offroad’s general manager Luke Wronski: “Adventures like Max’s are why we do what we do. To equip individuals for whatever they may encounter, prepared for the worst case scenario. Built to endure the harshest conditions, where failure is simply not an option.”

Everything Wilco Offroad builds is proudly made in the U.S.A. and held to a standard of excellence. From the first bend of the tube to the final weld, to the last spray of powder coat, these products are made by a diverse team of individuals who truly believe in the products and stand behind them. Outdoorsman themselves, they understand the value in a product built to endure.

Because not everyone lives in sunny California, the Tiregate VT is also compatible with most camper shells to protect your gear from the elements. To check compatibility call 714-547-2000.

Wilco Offroad is located in Santa Ana, CA and manufactures everything in-house. The Wilco Offroad product line has been around for close to a decade, however founder and president Paul Wilkins has been fabricating parts for aerospace, Porsche, BMW, and the military special forces for over 30 years. They are no strangers to building for applications that demand perfection. Both as fabricators and soldiers, the Wilkins family has deep roots in the military special forces. “Wilco,” which in military speak means will comply, pays homage to their special forces heritage.

The Tiregate VT is available for most full and mid-size pickups including F-150 and Superduty, Ram, Titan, Tundra, Tacoma, Frontier, and more. To see all applications and other Tiregate models visit WilcoOffroad.com

Author: Luke Wronski
Photos: Max Daines
Editor: Lori Palmer

Overland Expo – An Overlanding Community Event

Lori Palmer

All lifestyles need a “Gathering of the Tribe” and overlanding is no different. Last year was our first OE and we had a fantastic time, met some great people and made new friends. TAP reached out to Roseanne Hanson, founder of Overland Expo for some background information about the event and here is what Roseanne had to say:

LP: How would you define Overland Expo?

RH: Overland Expo is an annual event that I founded in Arizona in 2009, that brings together overlanding enthusiasts and the rapidly growing industry that serves them. There are now two Overland Expos: the original and larger WEST show, in May in northern Arizona, and a new EAST show in October in North Carolina. Each three-day weekend is designed to educate and inspire people to get out and explore their world—there are hundreds of session-hours of classes, workshops, and roundtable programs for four-wheel-drive and adventure motorcycle enthusiasts; a large trade exposition with exhibitors, vendors, authors, and filmmakers; and evening inspirational programs and music.

LP: What was your motivation for starting Overland Expo?

RH: At the time it was founded (2009) the overlanding industry was barely an infant in the U.S. (though obviously it has longtime roots in Europe, Australia, and South Africa). Companies like Adventure Trailers and Equipt were just starting, and so were magazines like Overland Journal and ADV Motorcycle Magazine. The only events at the time were 4×4 focused, like Easter Jeep Safari and rock-crawling events. And the adventure motorcycle world was also just getting going and the meets were largely marque specific, mostly for BMW enthusiasts. Overlanders are not so much into “trail running” or conquering obstacles on the bikes or in their vehicle solely for the purpose of conquering obstacles, so we decided to create our own event. The first one was in Prescott, Arizona, and we had 900 people attend, both adventure motorcycle and four-wheel-drive enthusiasts. It’s grown over 20% per year since.

LP: What makes Overland Expo stand out?

RH: No other event combines intensive education modules with social opportunities to visit with thousands of other enthusiasts and share information and experiences, as well as a wide array of product and service vendors—in a professional trade-show setting—just for overlanding related activities. Overland Expo was founded by and is owned and run by Roseann & Jonathan Hanson, longtime overlanders who are committed to sharing their passion for travel, exploration, and conservation of the world’s natural and cultural heritage. Proceeds from Overland Expo in part support the sister charity ConserVentures.org.

LP: Do you have an anecdotal story you would like to share with our readers?

RH: Overlanding is about exploring and connecting, with nature and with other people. It’s also a community. We didn’t realize just how special this community was until two epic weather events in 2015 impacted both out WEST and EAST shows. One-hundred-year-level rain and snow fell during our May show outside Flagstaff, flooding everything and freezing us all. In Asheville in October, a Category 4 hurricane pummeled North Carolina and the governor declared a state of emergency two days before the show. Nearly 8 inches of rain fell on our venue and despite extreme preparation on our part it just overwhelmed us. But the community was amazing—the people who came and who stayed had a fantastic time, and not only made the best of it, they made it some of the best shows we’ve had. Not in terms of numbers, but in terms of camaraderie and stories and helping each other. It was epic. And it was amazing. It was best summed up by this gentleman from England: It’s far more about people. It’s far more about making contact—making friends. And I must admit that every time I’ve been [to Overland Expo] I’ve made friends, created real genuine friendships . . . Friendship, networking, it’s about people. It’s what makes that show unique. And the way I know this is true, is that despite all that terrible, terrible weather very few people left. They stuck it out in the slush, mud, and freezing snow. Just to be together. It’s actually quite remarkable.” ~ Andrew St. Pierre White, 4XOverland.com

For more information on Overland Expo and how to sign up for the events, go to: https://www.overlandexpo.com

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/overlandexpo

Twitter: @overlandexpo

Instagram: #overlandexpo on

Pull-Pal Remote Recovery Device

Lori Palmer

Here at TAP we rarely travel alone, however plenty of people do. If so, ever been alone on the trail and got stuck in sand, mud, or snow? You look around for an anchor point for your winch, but there is nothing around you. Traveling alone in this circumstance, you risk getting stuck. That’s where a remote anchoring device comes in. One of the better known brands is the Pull Pal, so here’s some information on it and some reasons to consider adding one to your recovery gear list. Note: TAP has no affiliation with Pull Pal and has yet to personally use one.

What is a Pull Pal? The Pull Pal is a remote anchoring device that can be placed just about anywhere. It’s portable and well-suited for a wide range of environments particularly when winching in sand and mud. It’s design relies on the rules of physics and is a hefty plow blade that sets firmly and safely into sand, clay, mud and hardpan soil and snow.

The Pull Pal is designed to get you up and over hill stalls and minimize dangerous situations. It gives you more control — even when you are alone and saves you time, transmissions, and tires.

Why use a remote anchoring device?

Using one gives you the maximum pull from your winch by allowing you to unspool the cable to the layer that gives maximum pull power. You lose considerable pulling power (up to 20% on some units) with each layer of cable left spooled. So when you’re really stuck and you need all the power you can get from your winch, a recovery anchor, like a Pull Pal comes in handy.

Pull Pal Specific info:

– It’s designed to be used with winch-equipped vehicles.

– Pull Pal is constructed with a forged chrome-moly plow assembly, welded construction overall and assembled with Grade 8 bolts for strength and quality.

– Simply insert the plow point into the soil. As the winch cable tightens, the point embeds itself deeply and firmly into the ground and frees your rig with the assistance of the wheels in motion.

– The Pull Pal folds compactly to the size of an ordinary bumper jack for easy storage. It can be mounted inside or outside or stored in Pull Pal’s custom carrying case.

– A FourTreks mounting system can be used to secure your Pull Pal to round or square-tube roll bars and bumpers.

A Pull Pal mounted on a 2014 JK Wrangler along side the hi lift jack mount. Spade in cargo area, secured with NRS cambuckle straps.

Pull Pal Specs:
RW 16,000 “Extra Heavy Duty” Pull Pal- Has two 2″ detachable wings that make an 18″ spade. It has a heavy duty down tube and a 45″ shaft: this Pull Pal is made for vehicles weighing up to 12,000 GVW.
RW 14,000 “Military-Size” Pull Pal for Suburbans, large trucks and Hummers, GVW 10,000 and under
RW 11,000 Pull Pal for Jeeps through mi-size trucks, GVW 6000 and under
RW 6,000 Pull Pal for light buggies, the Suzuki Samurai, sand rails, ATVs and UTVs

Any vehicle weighing more than recommended for any size Pull Pal, should use 2 Pull Pals in a “Y” with a snatch block or a clevis. This gives you more than double the pulling power of the 2 pull pals.

Pull Pals need to be drilled specifically for AEV bumpers: Call AEV 248-387-4100

The Pull Pall remote anchor device can be seen at www.pullpal.com

Photos and specific product information obtained with permission from Pull Pal

Ethos Off-Road

Lori Palmer

Ethos means: the characteristic spirit of a culture or community as manifested in its beliefs or ambitions to create something. I got on the phone with Co-owner Will Herring of Ethos Off-Road trailers, based out of Lago Vista TX, and found out why he chose this particular name for his company. Here is his story describing the evolution of Ethos Off-Road trailers, the company he and his partner Gary Fiveash have created. Check out the unique, user-friendly components on these trailers and the story behind their creation.

We started Ethos Off-Road last September. It came about out of the love I have for camping, fishing, hunting and off-roading; life-long passions that I now share with my family. Years ago, my wife and I purchased a Jeep Wrangler TJ and found that as our family expanded, our ability to carry necessary camping gear contracted. A trailer seemed like the logical solution to our storage needs. The idea of building an overland style camping trailer came from a friend of mine who created one out of a M416 military tub, then mounted a roof top tent on the lid. He brought it on one of our camping trips. I really liked it, and decided that I would make my own. All that storage space and the idea of having a tent off the ground, was extremely appealing. The only problem with the tent set up on my buddy’s trailer was that in order to access the contents of the trailer, he had to move the tent up at an angle because it was mounted directly on the lid. For me and my family, this meant that early morning coffee could not be made without everyone waking and exiting the tent. That wasn’t going to happen. The weight of the tent also made opening the trailer lid difficult. A couple of other things I wanted were to be able to mount a roof top tent high enough to walk under it once it was open and to have the ability to use a vehicle awning without having to elevate it above the trailer. All of this, led me to design and build a rack system for the tent and awning mounted to the lid of our trailer. The rack had to be adjustable because we wanted the trailer to have the lowest center of gravity possible while on the trail, but have the ability to be elevated in order to maintain head clearance once we opened our RTT.

All of this being said, I designed and built an exterior mounted rack system for the tent. When we took it out camping for a test run, we found that the rack was very difficult to raise. My wife, who is 5’3”, had a terrible time trying to lift 180 lbs of tent and rack up. After a long day of driving and dealing with my tribe of yelling, restless kids, this one little hurdle of raising the tent became the straw that was about to break the camel’s back, literally. We did not want to have to struggle to set up camp, so….another problem that needed to be solved.

I built a telescopic, self-lifting exterior mounted rack for our trailer. The rack I had previously designed was retro fitted with 80 lb. lift assist gas shocks. A synthetic winch cable was added in order to lower the rack once it was raised. A hand crank winch was installed at the rear of the trailer where the cables were run. We now had the ability to raise and lower the rack system with one person and very little energy.

My family and I took this modified trailer all over the place. I added a barbecue pit to the rear as we wanted a large cooking surface for family and friends during our outings. Soon, I began to get inquiries from people wanting to have a trailer like ours. During one of our outings, my friend Gary Fiveash and I were sitting by the lake fishing and I told him that I wanted to build a new trailer (remember, my original trailer was made of an M416 military tub) and asked him if he would be interested in helping. Gary is a structural metal fabricator with a large shop already set up for anything we would need; CNC drill, welding equipment, large grounded work tables, band saws etc. I wanted to build high quality trailers to sell to the general public. So, with Gary’s many years of experience, his fabrication shop, and my design ideas, Ethos Off Road was born. We began production of our prototype; a modified version of my M416 built trailer. We posted the prototype on Facebook and it was purchased before we were done building it!

Our designs are always evolving. With Gary’s knowledge and years of metal working experience at our disposal, we’ve been able to create new and better ways of constructing trailers for our customers. We redesigned the tub and lid, matting surfaces to resemble a truck tool box type lid, thus improving upon the weather proof design. We have added metal X breaks to the lid as well as front and rear trailer tub panels to insure the tub is rigid. This creates structural integrity to those areas as well. The x break application has allowed us to build a frameless tub and lid combination using 14 gauge steel that is extremely strong. The chasis of the trailer has a 3 x 4 x 1/8^th inch full length tongue and fully welded 2 x 4x 1/8^th square tube framing.

Our trailer, the Travois X-1, comes with our patented self-lifting roof rack system to lift the RTT high enough to open the lid without disturbing the tent. It’s got a 600lb. hand winch quipped with 6 thousand lbs of synthetic winch cable to allow the user to lower the rack with no assistance. This model has a cooler rack for your perishables, a 20 lb. propane tank mount, Timbren independent suspension system for 3500lb applications, 31×10.50×15 mud tires, matching tow vehicle wheel lug pattern so you don’t need to take a spare for the trailer, a removable sliding smoker/bbq mounted on the rear of the trailer on our custom-built cooking rack that was constructed to ensure good trail clearance. All trailer wiring is enclosed inside the frame to keep it from getting damaged on the trail. We also offer many other options such as water storage and 12 volt power systems installed as well.

Ethos Off-Road’s goal is to be as self-contained as possible. My family and I go down to the Texas Gulf Coast quite a lot so it was important for me to design a “break-in proof” trailer. I also needed our trailer to be completely weather proof. We love camping. Ethos Off-Road makes products that enable people to get out there without having to take a lot of time setting up and breaking down camp. Our trailers are custom-made, user-friendly and have evolved out of our love for getting outdoors and playing in the simplest, safest way possible.

You can check out Ethos Off Road Trailers at www.ethosoffroad.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ethosoffroad
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ethosoffroad

Author: Lori Palmer
Photos: Dana Herring
Editor: Lori Palmer

2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser

Lori Palmer

FJ Cruiser, FJ, overland, overland, over land, off-road, off-roading, off road, vehicle supported adventure,

The TAP crew are former FJ owners. We recently spoke to Kevin Clark about his 2012 nicely modified and capable FJ. Here is Kevin’s rundown on his rig.

Over the years I’ve had my fair share of motorcycles, fast cars and big 4×4 trucks. I’ve always been an avid outdoorsman and although I still love motorcycles and traditional American muscle cars, I found that my 1970 Dodge Challenger was not the best suited vehicle for my adventures, so I started off-roading in big 4×4 F250’s and Ram 2500’s; finding new places to camp, fish or hunt.

In 2007, I got my first look at the Toyota FJ Cruiser and just knew that someday I’d have to drive one. Six years later, I bought my 2012 FJ Cruiser and the rest is history!

I had been going off-roading for years, so I knew that I needed to add some upgrades to ensure that my vehicle was well equipped to safely tackle challenging terrain. My goal was to be able to go on a variety of expeditions into remote areas for fishing, kayaking, hunting and camping. I asked a lot of people what sort of modifications I would need to ensure safe travels, and got some solid advice. The modifications I made to my FJ are listed below.

Modifications:2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser

-Icon Vehicle Dynamics V.S. 2.5 Series Coilovers & Shocks & V.S. 2.5 Series RR Rear Shocks-Camburg Upper Control Arms – Uni-Ball Set
-Old Man Emu rear coil springs: heavy
-Toyo Tires: Open Country 285.75.17’s

-FJ Cruiser Trail Series Diamond Style Front Bumper w/ Hella Optilux lights
-TJM Stealth Series 9000 Winch w/ Synthetic Winch Rope
-BudBuilt stainless steel skid plates and sliders w/bump Out
-BozTec rear diff skid plate and Falcon Fab lower link amour.

-Rhino Rack Back Bone w/ Pioneer Platform (84 x 56) and assorted Pioneer Brackets
-Assorted gear for recovery (straps, tools, shovel, Hi-Lift, etc.)
-Swift Major Emergency Medical first aid kit
-Fire Extinguisher
-Finally: 2015 Turtle back trailer with all the good stuff

Up Coming Projects
– Total Lighting Package
– 30” KC C-Series offroad LED light bar. 1-20” KC C-Series offroad LED light bars
– 6” KC C-Series offroad LED light bars w/ 3″ C3 LED Pair Pack System
– 2″ Cyclone LED Single Light
– The Hood Project: top secret at this point
– A rear door drawer system.

I’d like to give recognition to some great individuals for their knowledge, time and experience.
My build credit goes to William Kuhns and his crew at Sierra Expeditions. Thank you.
My friends and members of AZFJ.
Dave Munsterman at Turtleback Trailers.

Article and photos: Kevin Clark

Editor: Lori Palmer

For more overland and off-road capable rigs, CHECK HERE

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The Adventure Portal

2014 JKU Rubicon- Built for Adventure

A build is never finished but here is the list so far:

For more overland and off-road capable rigs, CHECK HERE

Wilco Off-Road’s Tiregate VT

Overland Expo – An Overlanding Community Event

For more information on Overland Expo and how to sign up for the events, go to: https://www.overlandexpo.com

Social Media Links:

Pull-Pal Remote Recovery Device

Why use a remote anchoring device?

Pull Pal Specific info:

Pull Pal Specs:

Ethos Off-Road

2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser

Modifications:2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser

For more overland and off-road capable rigs, CHECK HERE

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