Tent in stowed position

Yes, you can stow any tent on the top of your Jeep, but do all of those tents simple unfold and set themselves up? How many of those tents automatically offer you ground clearance when you are in an area where wild animals have no fear of humans or heavy rain is a possibility? The last thing you want to do is find a curious rattle snake or an inch of water in your tent in the middle of the night.

8 minutes to set up.

In order to set up a rooftop tent all you have to do is remove the cover, flip a couple of straps and pull the ladder down. As the ladder is pulled down, it erects the tent. Install a few flexible rods and your rain fly and windows are open and you are ready to climb in out of the elements.

These tents are designed to withstand winds gusting up to 60 mph and have been tested in the Arctic Circle. The PVC fabric and wax impregnation shed snow like a champ. Since you are elevated, you do not have to worry about melting snow or pooling water when it rains.

If your goal is to get off-road and away from people, cell phones, or just commune with nature for a few days, a rooftop tent is your best companion. Easy setup, durable construction, and space saving. What else could you ask for other than a Jeep Rubicon that is at least 12 inches longer in the cargo area?

Installs on your trailer as well

The 2012 Jeep JK Wrangler has the eternal soul of its bygone brethren, but has been updated for modern tastes. The biggest improvement is the available 3.6L VVT Pentastar V-6 engine that comes straight out of the 2011 Grand Cherokee. This engine is a logical replacement for the lackluster 3.8L of recent years. The 2012 was designed with specific outcomes in mind: capability, refinement, fuel economy, and enhanced performance.

How were those goals accomplished? First, with the V6. The engine is 90lbs lighter and the alternator has been moved back to the top of the motor to allow for water fording. The lighter engine helps the new Wrangler add 13% to its fuel efficiency, while adding another 40% in horsepower. That is a jump from 202 hp to a top end of 285hp. Horsepower alone is meaningless if you do not increase torque. How about another 10% over the 2011? Add the right transmission to the added power and torque and you get a winning formula. The 2012 Jeep Wrangler slaps an A580 five speed automatic to the power plant. This is a transmission that shifts like silk, further improves fuel efficiency, and controls noise levels in the cabin at highway speeds.

Off-road enthusiasts have a few other ideas about what makes a good Wrangler. The 2012 has seen the addition of skid plates and steel rock rails. The approach and departure angles have been improved to allow better clearance. With all of these improvements, it is easy to see that Jeep may be around for another 70 years.

2012 Jeep Wrangler

The line up includes more than 250 accessories ranging from $18 door handles to a $12,000 camper trailer. Here are a few more that could be of interest to many of you:

• First off, there is a Warn 9.5ti Thermometric Winch. This winch has a 9,500-lb pull, temperature feedback, extreme duty water proofing, and 125 feet of 5/16 inch steel cable. To top it off, the winch features a remote control
• Don’t like the top? Mopar is offering several soft top and hard top options along with sun bonnet options.
  Tubular and standard factory running boards in chrome and flat black.
• There are complete chrome dress kits including, rear door hinges, fuel filler caps, door handles, mirrors, and grille or the parts can be bought individually.
• Tow hooks, roadside safety kits, and skid plates for off road enthusiasts.
• The Ecometer helps make you aware of how fuel efficient your driving is. Interested in saving a little gas? This is the device for you.
• Garmin nav system or a complete media center with Sirius radio, nav center, and much more.
• Last is an electronic vehicle tracking system just in case your Jeep attracts some unwanted attention.

In addition to these items, Jeep is offering some of the more popular add-ons like 17 and 18 inch wheels, bike racks, and seat covers. For a complete list you can stop over at mopar.com and shop to your heart’s content.

2012 Jeep Liberty Arctic Edition

The Arctic Edition is based on the Liberty Sport 4×4 platform. It can be ordered in Winter Chill, Bright Silver, Bright White or Mineral Gray. This edition offers a unique hood decal, deeply tinted windows for more comfortable driving in glare conditions, tow hooks, blacked-out headlamps, and standard fog lamps. The P235/70R16 OWL all-terrain tires wrap comfortably around 16-inch aluminum wheels that are finished in semi-gloss black. Power is provided by a 3.7L V6 engine that furnished 210 ponies for the four-speed automatic transmission to disperse as it sees fit.

The interior is somewhat common place in Jeep models. You can find the same trim in the Wrangler Arctic Orange edition. The front bucket seats are heated and fully powered. They are trimmed in black vinyl with a Gortex embossment and an Arctic logo. Facing you is a set of special gray-faced gauges and a Media Center 430 touch-screen with a nine-speaker Infiniti sound system. Jeep thought of everything when it added specially designed floor mats to keep you carpets clean and dry.

The 2012 Jeep Liberty Arctic Edition will be going on sale starting later in November, 2011 with a starting MSRP of $27,465. Considering that the average MSRP this year is a touch over $30,000 that is fairly affordable. If you are interested in a Jeep that will meet all of your performance needs on road, this is the model for you.

I think though in the big cities one would do fine; the municipal services do a fine job clearing up the streets, but what, if you are on of those like me, who don’t feel that the winter is the time to settle to sitting cozy inside at the fireplace, but instead want to enjoy all the advantages that the winter has to offer, going to the mountains, cross-country skiing, fishing in some desert scenic places… I thought I’d share with you some of the very hip accessories that you can use on your Jeep for extreme winter fun.

* One of the very cool features to install on your Jeep is a self-lowering snow plow. This way you can clear your and your neighbour’s driveways and make a little extra cash, as many places pay for the cleaning of the parking lots and their subdivisions. Now I’ve heard some negative comments from some people, who thought Jeeps were too light for this kind of job, or that they some folks had to do a major over-haul of the front suspension, due to the use of the snow plow. My experience and that of the people I know, tells a different story. Jeeps manoeuvrability is unparalleled for this kind of job and as long as you avoid hitting hard the frozen snow banks, you will not bend or break anything. I actually know people who have a total of 26,000 documented plow miles.

* Chains. This is for the really hardcore weather conditions, where you have to encounter lots of ice on the road. Most of the time your 4WD equipped with winter tires will do fine in most conditions, but if you are in the mountain area or if an ice storm is coming your way, the chains may be the only thing keeping you off the cliff or from getting stuck in the snow. Available from a variety of stores, as well as online, just remember to not go faster than 45 km an hour and to engage the low-range in the transmission.

* Grille covers are a must in the really cold areas. The serve well preventing the cold air from putting the big freeze on your engine and trapping the warm air and heat under the hood. They will also facilitate the faster start up of the engine after being left in the cold for awhile. Nor will you have to sit freezing inside, waiting for the temperature to go up to turn on the heater.

* And the last, but not the least accessory in the list is a set of windshield covers. Don’t know why is it that not everyone is using them nowadays, when it is such a basic idea to keep yourself from the exercise of scrapping off ice and snow of the windshield.

Well this seems to be all with the most fashionable ideas to upgrade to a new set of winter accessories for your Jeep. Will see you at the other end of the winter!

Are your ready for this?

Winter is fast approaching and some areas have already seen snow. It is still warm enough that you may not have noticed any issues with your Jeep, but if you do not properly winterize your vehicle, you could be setting yourself up for a breakdown on a cold night. Here are eight essential winterization tips that all Jeep owners should heed, even if yours is brand new.

• Consider switching to a winter tire if your area receives significant snow each year. Even if you have off-road tires, a winter specialized product can give your Jeep a better grip in snow and slush.
• Look in your owner’s manual and change your tire pressure to maximize grip in the snow. A little spongier stance often helps traction.
• The battery is the most common culprit when you get stranded in cold weather. Change yours if the power windows are moving slowly or your headlights seem dim. It is definitely time to buy a new battery if yours is more than three years old.
• Have your brakes inspected.
• Have your anti-freeze tested and/or replaced. If your Jeep is several years old, you may want to consider having the coolant system back-flushed.
• Replace your wiper blades and top off the wiper fluid reservoir with a product that includes a de-icer.
• Check all belts and hoses for wear. Look for cracking, bulges, or fraying. Replace any item that looks a bit dodgy.
• Run your four wheel drive in all settings. You will want to make sure it operates smoothly and that you do not hear odd noises when it is engaged.

Driving in the wintery conditions is often a source of anxiety and frustration. The only thing that you can do to alleviate some of the stress is to insure that your Jeep is ready for what may come. A proper winterization regimen should keep you driving all winter without having to call for assistance at any point.

Should you be so bold as to take your Jeep off the asphalt, you may find yourself in a jam. Just driving in the winter, you could come across someone in a ditch. When that happens you are going to want a winch around to tackle the situation. Warn has been producing top of the line winch systems for over 50 years. You are going to want to buy a winch that is rated to pull in the 8,000 to 10,000 pound range to insure you have enough capacity for whatever comes your way.

Every Jeep comes with a decent amount of clearance. That doesn’t mean that it is enough for certain conditions or attitudes. In many off-road situations, the more clearance your Jeep offers the better your chances of not bottoming out. Then there is the added factor of just lifting a Jeep purely for the sake of lifting it. The average kit will offer you an additional 2.5 inches of clearance and you can put a 16 inch tire underneath it. Why stop there? Move up to the 4 inch kit. That will allow you to travel over some seriously rutted terrain and plenty of room to add 35×12.5 tires.

Now we come to performance enhancement. Superchips has been working on a product called the Flashpaq Programmer for years; tweaking this, changing that until the unit now works with a wide variety of Jeep models. Using a convenient hand held remote, you can change engine and drivetrain settings to enhance the way your Jeep performs in changing situations. Want better fuel efficiency, press a button. Want to shave a little time in the quarter, press another button. The unit offers such a wide spectrum of features that you may wonder how your Jeep ever performed without it.

If you want to talk about Jeep accessories, you have to start with performance enhancement first. Changing your top or adding seat covers is nice, when your Jeep is tuned correctly, but what good will they do you if you are stuck in mud or sand? Performance over pretty always makes sense.

Cold Air Intake for Jeep

If you are like many Jeep owners, you are always on the look out for ways to to tune your ride. It is like a sickness with some owners. Not one that needs cured, but a sickness nonetheless. One way to add a few more ponies and squeeze an extra mile or two out of every gallon is a cold air intake system.

If you are not familiar with how or why a cold air intake works, it has everything to do with density. Cold air is more dense than warm, allowing it to potentially carry more oxygen molecules. The more oxygen that is available for combustion, the more forceful each piston firing can be, while using less gasoline to achieve combustion.

Now, for the nitty-gritty of the numbers. A cold air intake system can add between 8 and 25 horsepower to your Jeep’s top end. While adding the extra ponies, the system can add as much as 15% to your fuel efficiency. Depending on the model you are driving, that can mean as many as four extra miles(6.4 km) to the gallon.

There are dozens of brands of cold air intake systems for your Jeep. Your best bet is to trust a kit from a well known company: K&N, AEM, and Edge. There are a variety of kits from each manufacturer. Do a little research so that you balance potential horsepower increases with fuel efficiency bonuses. These kits are all easy to install even for the first time do-it-yourselfer, so there is no reason to put this project off.

As a word of caution, a cold air intake can have a few potential detracting factors. The main one being that it can potentially void any warranty that you have on your Jeep. Also, there is no sound reducing material in these systems, so you will have an increased amount of noise from the intake. That shouldn’t matter to a tuner, but it is nice to know ahead of time. Good luck with your project.

Assembled AEV Brute Conversion

1992 spelled the end of production for the Jeep Comanche and ended Jeep as a production pickup, much to the chagrin of many Jeep fanatics. There have been an abundance of rumors of a new production pickup from the off-road titan, but none have come to fruition. That leaves Jeep owners sort of on their own if they want to combine a pickup with their favorite ride. The only option is to purchase a conversion kit. There are several companies offering them, but they are not necessarily the same. Here are two popular Jeep conversion kits compared side by side.

AEV Brute

The AEV Brute Jeep conversion kit is designed for the Jeep TJ Wrangler SWB, LWB, right or left hand drive. The kit includes mid-frame extensions, an assembled cab closeout, rear frame extension with a winch mount, the bed assembly includes a tailgate and all parts are 14 gauge steel, a hard top, brake and fuel lines, body mounts, and the all important instructions. The shock of the $8,995 price tag should wear off after the conversion is complete.

MOPAR Conversion Kit

MOPAR conversion kit

The MOPAR designed and manufactured JK-8 conversion kit will fit all of the same types of vehicle as the Brute. The kits contents are a little bit different, though. The kit includes a 50-inch cargo box floor, half a hardtop, a lower bulkhead, inner and outer rear body panels, several brackets and two bedrail extensions. Body, rollbar and floor modifications are going to be needed, then there is quite a bit of welding to be done. The sticker price of the kit is a little easier to swallow than the Brute’s. At $5,500, it a little more affordable.

With either Jeep conversion kit, you will void your Jeep’s warranty by installing the kit yourself. You will have to order the kit from a dealership or take it to one to be installed. This is a whole lot more project than most do-it-yourselfers can take on.

Jeep tops come in a variety of styles, ranging from fully covered hardtops to semi open tops, known as bikini tops. It is very common to have different tops for different seasons. Hardtops are known to provide the best protection from wind and rain; however you would need a hoist to take a hardtop off, if you do it by yourself, and also a place to store it. Soft tops, on the other hand, are very easy to store or to remove, but they’re not as secure as hardtops. Bikini tops represent a nice variation, allowing one to drive, basically, with the top down, while not being scorched by the sun.

If one is looking to replace an already existing soft top, it is a good idea to see the make of the top, in the first place. Some soft tops were designed to fit over the original hardware, while other will come with their own hardware that you would need to install. When opting for a top, and the tops are not that cheap, if you haven’t already noticed that, it is very important to go with trusted names that had been in a business for a long time, those that earned their reputation for consistent production of quality products.

One of the companies that have long been supplying Jeep Corporation with high quality tops is the Bestop. This company works hand in hand with Jeep and understands very well Jeep specs. The other ones that are also known for their craftsmanship are Rugged Ridge, Pavement Ends and Mopar.

And once you defined the brand that you wanna go with, it is very important to choose the right model. There is quite a lot of variation in the tops, for instance you have the standard soft top, the flip-top, the bikini top and the additional accessories, such as the windbreaker and the duster, which are aimed to give your Jeep different appearance and looks, while keeping away the wind, the dust and the debris.