Gray Wolf - The low key, stealthy overlander

Covid gave me a near-death experience and in the months after recovery, I had a lot of reflection and self-prioritization. I have always loved exploring, hiking, and being in remote places in the wilderness. There was a calling to get into Overlanding and create priceless memories with my family (Me, my Wife and 2 school-age kids). I have always wanted to own a Jeep wrangler (been a fan of the Willys Jeep and the Mahindra Thar - growing up in India). In the fall of 2021, I bought a pre-owned 2020 JLU Sahara as it fit my max budget set for the base vehicle - did not have a need for the niceties in the Rubicon and wanted to stretch this as far as it can go and see if we would outgrow the Sahara in terms of capability. Since then it has been a cult-like obsession and a deeply invested way of life for myself and everyone in my family. This thread is a journal of how our build has evolved over time.

2020 Jeep Wrangler JLU Sahara
3.6 V6 ESS, 8spd Auto
Factory options: Rear Trac-Lok LSD with Dana M220, Body-color hardtop, Proximity Keyless Entry

Instagram:
Chauffer - https://www.instagram.com/subash.canapathy/
Jeep - https://www.instagram.com/graywolf.overland/

Wheels and TiresWheel: 17x8 Black Rhino Warlord - Gunmetal Gray
Tires: LT315/70R17 BFG KO2 C-Rated
Powertrain, Gears, Lockers4.56 Nitro Gears
ARB Front and Rear Lockers (RD100, RD245)
Suspension, LiftClayton Off-Road 1.5" Springs (Front and Rear)
FOX IFP 2.0 Shocks 2-3" (Front and Rear)
JKS Manufacturing J-Flex Adjustable Front LCA
TeraFlex Jounce bump stops - from 1.5" ST/1 kit
Metalcloak Front and Rear Adjustable Track bars
Apex AutoLynx Sway bar disconnects
SteerSmarts Tie Rod and Drag Link
SteerSmarts Sector Shaft Brace
RecoverySmittybilt X20 Gen3 12K Winch
Rugged Ridge Premium Recovery Kit
ARB Single Compressor
Exterior ModsDee Zee Hex Roof Rack
Smittybilt Overlander XL Gen2 Rooftop tent
Mopar Performance Rock Rails
Rugged Ridge Venator Front Bumper
Mopar Steel Rear Bumper
Mopar tailgate reinforcement and spare tire relocation bracket
Interior ModsEcoFlow River Pro
Lasfit JL Aux Switch Panel - for lockers, compressor
Tazer Mini
Trailgater table with pull-out cutting board
JL Cargo Rack/Shelf
Milwaukee Packout Drawer and Organizer
Voswitch Front dash camera panel with 3x 1" Ram ball mounts
Hood Decal - @pixeldecals
Hothead Headliners Full kit Headliner
Camping GearWoods Dual burner stove

Recent Pics (Current State):

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More pictures. I love the roof rack. It was a bit tricky to install without scratching the hard top. The clearance is tight but looks fantastic and i don't have the highway whistle noise at 60mph like the mopar roof rack i had before this.

The deezee rack has an air dam in the front cross rail that does well in reducing the wind noise.
 

jeeeep

Hooked
What's the data port for?
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Awesome build. How are you liking your switch panel?
Its looks stock and well integrated.. The switches are tactile, have night backlighting but I sometimes worry if they are durable.. it feels a bit thin when pressed and I have been babying it to not wear them out soon.

The functionality is terrific. The left side switches are connected to CANBUS. So when I engage lockers it has all the safety built in like Rubicons.. I can only engage lockers in 4LO and under some speed limit, then I can only engage Front locker after the rear locker is engaged. I like that its foolproof that way and I can always used Tazer to bypass enable rear locker in 4Hi if needed.

I wanted a clean stock like look, and this was the only thing that fit that criteria. I would have hated those flip switches or protruding mini screens that never look like they belong on the dash
 
Its looks stock and well integrated.. The switches are tactile, have night backlighting but I sometimes worry if they are durable.. it feels a bit thin when pressed and I have been babying it to not wear them out soon.

The functionality is terrific. The left side switches are connected to CANBUS. So when I engage lockers it has all the safety built in like Rubicons.. I can only engage lockers in 4LO and under some speed limit, then I can only engage Front locker after the rear locker is engaged. I like that its foolproof that way and I can always used Tazer to bypass enable rear locker in 4Hi if needed.

My compressor is connected to Aux A. I can pre-prime the lines (by running compressor for a second until it auto offs) so that the lockers engage stealthily when needed.
 

biosyn

Caught the Bug
My compressor is connected to Aux A. I can pre-prime the lines (by running compressor for a second until it auto offs) so that the lockers engage stealthily when needed.
That's awesome and sounds like a great setup. I didn't pick up the aux switch option, as I found my jeep on a dealer lot, so I have been looking into different options. Thanks for sharing!
 
From weekend camping trip. This was the first time driving in proper off-road conditions with the tent on. Wind noise was ok and bearable..

What concerned me the most was this floaty squishy feeling when articulating over bogs and obstacles with one tire up. May be it's in my head..i felt as if it was going to tip over.

Will update here if it feels any different after i install the Clayton springs and fox shocks. Currently it's still on the stock Sahara suspension.

On other news, i did use the front locker for the first time to get out of a spot without gunning it with gas as i was worried about toppling. Good to have that insurance.

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Sgt_USMC

Active Member
Sounds like a lot of fun! I have heard, but no personal experience, that RTTs make you a lot more top heavy and give the feeling of tipping more. That’s just what I have heard.
 
Sounds like a lot of fun! I have heard, but no personal experience, that RTTs make you a lot more top heavy and give the feeling of tipping more. That’s just what I have heard.
If it's just a feeling then it's something to get over. If for reals it suffers from higher CG and not offset by the crap ton of camping gear in the trunk then id have to be extra careful. I don't know how to measure this to test the limits though. 😃
 

Sgt_USMC

Active Member
I think given it’s adding a good amount of weight up high it may change the CG. Having more weight down low inside will help to a point I feel. The higher CG is why I haven’t considered getting a RTT myself.
 
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