Maria and Derik have always had a passion for stepping into the wilderness. 4x4s have long been a part of these adventures, including weeks of cross-country drives and driving to the edge of mountain trails in search of epic ski lines. In the late 2000s, the pair hit the market for a new adventure his vehicle just as the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited hit the market. After test-driving, they found themselves falling in love with his four-door Wrangler’s roomy cargo and rear seating area, as well as his Rubicon’s off-road package’s legendary prowess. Maria and Derrik brought home her 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, not knowing their SUV would eventually become her 4×4 RV.
hooded solar
The 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited arrived at them with a few miles, 37″ tires and a 5″ lift already installed. Defective hood he addressed the latches and did the necessary maintenance to the suspension arms then they added the armor, upgraded the dampeners, installed a bumper on the end of the jeep and a winch on the front . But it wasn’t until after reading the forum posts that Maria and Derrick realized just how luxurious their camping experience was. can They have it in their jeep.
The Ursa Major J30 Pop-Up Camper is JKU’s replacement hardtop that offers many qualities, including standing room inside the jeep, interior access to the pop-up tent, and sleeping space for two adults. Maria and Derrick knew they needed a camper as soon as they learned of its existence. When they were assembled and ready, all that was left to do was arrange for pickup in Chula Vista, CA. Maria and Derrick live in Washington, just down the road from the Canadian border, and Ursa Major was completed by her in April 2016 (read: Cold the weather there). They decided to get the camper themselves, forgoing shipping and other complicated logistics. So they removed the factory hardtop, donned as much weather gear as possible, and drove topless across the West Coast of the United States. Read below to find out how Maria and Derrick rigged his Unlimited 2008 Jeep Wrangler for epic backcountry adventures.
slick suspension
sturdy bumper
DIY drawers
2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Build Specs
- Engine: Pentastar 3.8 liter V6
- Transmission: 42RLE 4-speed automatic
- Transfer Case: NP241 Rock-Trac
- Low frequency ratio: 4:1
- Crawl Rate: 54.7
- Front Axle/Differential: Dana 44, Teraflex 8 Lug Full Float Conversion Kit, 4.88 Gears/Factory Electronic Rocker
- Rear Axle/Differential: Dana 44, Teraflex 8 lug full float conversion kit, 4.88 gears/factory electronic rocker
- Front: Fabtech 5″ long arm kit, AEV 4.5″ coils, Teraflex Falcon 3.3 shocks
- Rear: Fabtech 5″ long arm kit, AEV 4.5″ coil, Teraflex Falcon 3.3 shocks, Hellwig anti-sway bar
- Tires: Falken Wild Peak A/T3W 37×12.50R17LT
- Wheels: Raceline Avenger 17×9″
- Steering: Fabtech 4″ drop pitman arms, Falcon Nexus EF 2.2 steering damper, Steer Smarts Yeti XD tie rods, Synergy MFG HD track bars
- Lighting: Truck-Lite LED headlamps, reverse LED lamps, KC Lights side flood lamps
- Armor: Ace Engineering rock slider, ARB front bumper, AEV rear bumper
- Cool stuff: Ursa Minor J30 pop-up camper, Eezi-Awn Manta 270 awning, Cascadia 4×4 100 watt solar panel, AT Overland propane tank mounts, custom rear seat delete platform/drawers, ARB refrigerator/freezer, Dominion Offroad high-clearance catback exhaust , Dual Odyssey Battery System with Genesis Offroad Dual Battery Kit, 10 Gallon AEV Auxiliary Fuel Tank, Cobra CB Radio, Garmin in Reach
Watch full episodes of Dirt every day! Combining a Range Rover and a Ford Ranger — Huh??
When hosts Fred Williams and Dave Chappelle tried to build a single vehicle that could traverse all terrain, the results were crazy.In episode 51 of everyday dirtthey combine an old Range Rover and a Ford Ranger to build an Overlanding pre-runner that can even play in mud and rock crawls. Please give me everyday dirt,even more!