My Overlanding Build!

[BoverW]

Now a battery system in that lower storage is an amazing idea! I carry around a 700W portable power station to power the fridge. I have a solar panel that mounts to the roof rack that recharges the battery as it's powering the fridge. I can go like this indefinitely as long as I get good sun every other day or so. A bigger battery that is hidden underneath would be awesome. I'll add it to the list!

Show us when it is done. You can hide all the wiring underneath the drawer. Looks neat.

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[doyouglas]

The side panels are really terrific. Super beefy. I'm confident that I could carry two 4 gallon stacked Rotopax on each side if I needed. I don't recall having the ability to slide that front fairing up and down. It bolted into a fixed spot. But maybe I missed that? I don't have a lot of weight up top that often, but if you have a rooftop tent, that's probably a good idea to combine the RCI fix with the JCR support. That certainly can't hurt. I'll be adding the JCR supports if I see even a hint of roof sag. Let me know if you see a way to adjust that fairing when you're install yours.

I'm looking at the installation instructions and the rack itself. There is definitely half an inch of vertical adjustment you can do.

A photo on their site also shows that it sits lower than yours

I''m installing mines next week. I'll let you know.

 

[Superstition]

I'm looking at the installation instructions and the rack itself. There is definitely half an inch of vertical adjustment you can do.

A photo on their site also shows that it sits lower than yours

I''m installing mines next week. I'll let you know.

Awesome! I don't know how I missed that. I'll see what I can do to adjust it.

 

[ElonMuk]

Question is can your buddy build one for my 2DR Bronco? I am local in Phoenix

 

[desibull]

Really nice build! I live in the East Valley and would love to see your platform in person some time. I am a beginner woodworker and have all the power tools to build but would just like to check the design much close. Awesome job!!

 

[Tacnav#1]

After being inspired by a lot of the work y'all have done on your Broncos, I thought I would share progress on my 2023 Badlands overlanding build. I do a lot of offroading on the Arizona Strip to access Grand Canyon and the roads can be really rough. I wanted to be able to sleep on the roof rack in summer and sleep inside the Bronco in winter. I had a buddy who builds custom cabinets build a drawer system in the rear that also levels the floor. I did a run through of the build so far in the video below:

Badlands 2.7/SAS/MIC/LUX
Mickey Thompson Baja Boss (stock tires punctured twice in two trips)
RCI roof rack with side panels for fuel and water
Trailgater table
rear saddlebag storage
Custom sleep platform and drawer system

Video of the solution here:

Great looking Bronco, looks well thought out and functional!

 

[KermitBronco]

Nice job! Really loved the idea about molle panels and sleeping on the roof! I'm Trailrax up top and RCI underneath but that rack looks great.
1. American Adventure Lab uses sliders rated above 500 pounds to achieve double slide-outs so they exist.
2. They also have a "flip-up drawer" to allow for access underneath.
3. I currently have 4 x 18Ah batteries buried in the jack space w/ 40-amp RedArc BCDC and 2000w inverter. Unfortunately, Dakota Lithium "upgraded" that battery to 20Ah and says they're the same size but they are slightly larger and no longer fit. Not sure how to solve that. Bummer! Meanwhile, I'm adding 7 x 25AH "hidden" under the shelf and just above the fridge bringing the total to 224 Ah which is more than enough to power full induction cooktop, rice maker, espresso, etc. We wheel hard but then like our food.

Hope this helps! FWIW, I'm love the Modular Front Bumper. It's the plastic rear bumper that I was happiest to replace.

 

[Superstition]

Question is can your buddy build one for my 2DR Bronco? I am local in Phoenix

He might if you're willing to bring it to his shop in Prescott where he can take measurements and look at it. Does the 2 door have the lower floor in the back like the 4 door? It it the same height?

 

[Superstition]

Really nice build! I live in the East Valley and would love to see your platform in person some time. I am a beginner woodworker and have all the power tools to build but would just like to check the design much close. Awesome job!!

Happy to help out a fellow Bronco owner. I'm around this week and can show it to you. Bring a camera and tape measure! I suspect you'll be able to learn a lot about how to build yours, and I'd be happy to share a few lessons learned as we went through the process.

 

[Superstition]

Nice job! Really loved the idea about molle panels and sleeping on the roof! I'm Trailrax up top and RCI underneath but that rack looks great.
1. American Adventure Lab uses sliders rated above 500 pounds to achieve double slide-outs so they exist.
2. They also have a "flip-up drawer" to allow for access underneath.
3. I currently have 4 x 18Ah batteries buried in the jack space w/ 40-amp RedArc BCDC and 2000w inverter. Unfortunately, Dakota Lithium "upgraded" that battery to 20Ah and says they're the same size but they are slightly larger and no longer fit. Not sure how to solve that. Bummer! Meanwhile, I'm adding 7 x 25AH "hidden" under the shelf and just above the fridge bringing the total to 224 Ah which is more than enough to power full induction cooktop, rice maker, espresso, etc. We wheel hard but then like our food.

Hope this helps! FWIW, I'm love the Modular Front Bumper. It's the plastic rear bumper that I was happiest to replace.

Dayum! That's a helluva cool overlanding build. Terrific work on that! I'd love to see a photo of your battery solution under the floor. Your rig is about as clean and functional as any I've seen. Well done!

I'm a EE, so the electrical stuff is easy to do, but I can't help but think the pre-made power stations are sure easier to use. You don't need a separate MPPT for the solar, all of the regulation is in the unit, and all of the different standards are there too (12V cig, USB micro, USB C, AC power). I'm pondering whether an off the shelf power station might fit in the under floor storage and then I just wire an extension to a panel of all of the USB, DC, and AC power options. While easy, this approach surely doesn't allow as big a battery capacity as you've put in your solution with the 4x18Ah batteries. More pondering .... which sure makes these build fun

 

[desibull]

Happy to help out a fellow Bronco owner. I'm around this week and can show it to you. Bring a camera and tape measure! I suspect you'll be able to learn a lot about how to build yours, and I'd be happy to share a few lessons learned as we went through the process.

Thank you! I am getting ready for a trip next week but once I return I will be sure to contact you!!

 

[CalvinT]

Dayum! That's a helluva cool overlanding build. Terrific work on that! I'd love to see a photo of your battery solution under the floor. Your rig is about as clean and functional as any I've seen. Well done!

I'm a EE, so the electrical stuff is easy to do, but I can't help but think the pre-made power stations are sure easier to use. You don't need a separate MPPT for the solar, all of the regulation is in the unit, and all of the different standards are there too (12V cig, USB micro, USB C, AC power). I'm pondering whether an off the shelf power station might fit in the under floor storage and then I just wire an extension to a panel of all of the USB, DC, and AC power options. While easy, this approach surely doesn't allow as big a battery capacity as you've put in your solution with the 4x18Ah batteries. More pondering .... which sure makes these build fun

Justin McBride used the under floor storage for batteries. Here's a video where he talks about the Bronco he built for Orlando Bloom. The battery install starts at 10:00.



Here's his first post about the build, but not as detailed.

 

[Demon4x4]

Nice job! Really loved the idea about molle panels and sleeping on the roof! I'm Trailrax up top and RCI underneath but that rack looks great.
1. American Adventure Lab uses sliders rated above 500 pounds to achieve double slide-outs so they exist.
2. They also have a "flip-up drawer" to allow for access underneath.
3. I currently have 4 x 18Ah batteries buried in the jack space w/ 40-amp RedArc BCDC and 2000w inverter. Unfortunately, Dakota Lithium "upgraded" that battery to 20Ah and says they're the same size but they are slightly larger and no longer fit. Not sure how to solve that. Bummer! Meanwhile, I'm adding 7 x 25AH "hidden" under the shelf and just above the fridge bringing the total to 224 Ah which is more than enough to power full induction cooktop, rice maker, espresso, etc. We wheel hard but then like our food.

Hope this helps! FWIW, I'm love the Modular Front Bumper. It's the plastic rear bumper that I was happiest to replace.

How much space in under that cutting board in the fridge slide?

 

[KermitBronco]

How much space in under that cutting board in the fridge slide?

Great question. A little over 2".
nough room to store our induction cooktop and cooking tools. BUT, not enough, for instance, to fit a Cook Partner stove. I actually contacted Cook Partner and explained, with all due respect, your stuff hasn't updated for 30 years and would benefit from new burners and could be thinner. I even offered them $$ for a custom version. Nope, they weren't interested.

But, Induction is better if you have the power since it is not affected by wind!

 

[Demon4x4]

Great question. A little over 2".
nough room to store our induction cooktop and cooking tools. BUT, not enough, for instance, to fit a Cook Partner stove. I actually contacted Cook Partner and explained, with all due respect, your stuff hasn't updated for 30 years and would benefit from new burners and could be thinner. I even offered them $$ for a custom version. Nope, they weren't interested.

But, Induction is better if you have the power since it is not affected by wind!

Nice, thanks. I see another Smithey fan as well. Love that stuff.

I was surprised the AAL listing doesn't show the inside of that drawer at all (without the cutting board 'lid')

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