2015 Jeep JK Rubicon Rig Profile
Name
Bob B.

Overland Bound Member
#0447 – Founder 500

Home Base
Culver City, CA

Occupation
Retired Police Sergeant

Overlanding Since
I think I became an Overlander in 2015 when I started venturing further ‘off the grid’ and it became about the journey and not just the destination.

What modifications have you made so far?

Front and rear LOD bumpers, RockHard sliders, Frontrunner ½ roof rack, Off-road Elements Limb risers with Rugged Ridge hood hold downs, Vector Dock (spans the dash and I can attach my phone, GPS and IPad), Kenwood stereo with Garmin navigation, front and rear cameras.

Suspension: Rubicon Express 3 ½” lift with a TeraFlex steering stabilizer.

Tires: BFG Mud Terrains, KM2, 35×12.50×17 on stock Rubicon wheels now painted black, Spidertrax wheel spacers.

Shelter: ARB awning attached to the rear of the roof rack.

Electrical: Factory inverter and I carry a Noco Genius Boost GB40 battery jumper. I’ve used the jumper twice for friends and both times it started first try.

Lighting: KC LED spot and driving lights, and I replaced interior lights with LED lights. Huge improvement.

Grand Staircase-Escalante, UT

Storage: Action Packers and duffle bags.

Recovery: Smittybuilt 9500 winch, various straps, Max Traxx ramps, shovel, HiLift jack. I also have a mounted 10lb PowerTank and I carry a portable Viair 400P compressor.

Security: Factory Jeep.

Nav/Comm: DeLorme in Reach and MotionX on dash mounted IPad/ Cobra 75wx CB with a Yaesu 7900 VHF/UHF ham radio.

Mechanical: Chrysler 3.6 motor with automatic transmission and manual transfer case. Front and rear electric lockers with an electric front sway bar disconnect.

Camping: Basic tent/sleeping bag and now a TemboTusk Skottle.

What process did you go through selecting your rig?

I was never a Jeep guy before, always Toyota. After watching many videos and thinking of the situations my rig would get me through; flat terrain, climbing, rocks, types of weather etc. I rolled the dice on a 2015 Jeep JK Rubicon and haven’t looked back.

What influenced your Overland vehicle choice?

With front and rear factory locking differentials, it seemed like the Jeep could get me into and out of many locations.

What are 3 things that you *really* like about your rig?

Front and rear locking diffs, the ease of working on it whether it’s adding aftermarket parts or maintenance, and the tons of aftermarket parts available.

What would you add or improve?

I’m running out of things to improve! Maybe the factory lighting and definitely the gas mileage. To be fair, I happily trade the mileage for a capable rig.

Rooftop or ground tent?

Ground, I’d like to have a RTT but don’t want to deal with the extra weight up top.

When did you first hear the term Overland?

I first heard of it several years ago but never put it into perspective until last year when I started exploring more.

North Rim, Grand Canyon

What is it about Overlanding you enjoy most?

I enjoy getting out and seeing new things that are way off the beaten path. I’ve also met some great people and made good friends having this common interest.

Longest trip completed/planned?

My longest trip so far has been the Overland Expo West in Flagstaff Arizona, Grand Canyon, and Grand Staircase in Utah. This trip definitely gave me the itch to explore more of Utah and to explore Colorado.

Have you ever had to make a trail repair – If so what? If not, what are you prepared for?

I’ve been lucky so far to not have any notable trail issues. I’ve tried to outfit my rig to be self-sufficient just in case. I like to be equipped to help myself or others I’m travelling with whether it’s lending a tool or helping jump a dead battery.

What’s the one piece of overlanding equipment you can’t live without? (Besides your 2015 Jeep JK Rubicon.)

I can’t say I have any particular piece of equipment I can’t live without. I will say that my Powertank makes life so much easier by airing up my tires in a couple minutes and not waiting on a compressor.

North Rim, Grand Canyon

What’s your favorite destination?

My favorite destination is Death Valley. In one day, depending on the time of year, you can go from the dry desert floor to snowy mountains with so much to see in between.

Tell us one time when your rig saved you, or you were really impressed by it.

It always impresses me, kind of like a Billy goat the way it takes trails.

What else should we know about your rig?

I’ve done all but the suspension myself. Aside from enjoying the work, it keeps me hands-on and the maintenance up to date.

Gratuitous water splash. Just because.

5 Comments

mmnorthdirections on October 27, 2016 at 9:13 am

Great article Bob, Proud to call you Friend and having the chance to Overland with you and see this monster in action. Your rig is purpose built with lean and mean attributes. I have learned so much thank's. You already know I want a JK (yours) built like yours because "AWESOME", that being said I'm keeping the FJ (forever). Your OB famous BUDDY!!!!! Thank's to Corrie and Michael for making these articles and rig walk Around's possible! Overland Bound ROCKS!!!!!
stoney126 on October 27, 2016 at 11:09 am

Ive totally built my rig Like Bobs….well most of the way anyway. I wanna see this platform your building inside.
NorCalCrisp on October 27, 2016 at 11:49 am

I wish they made the Vector Dock for Toyota's. I've sat in the cockpit of [USER=2370]@Narbob[/USER] 's JK and its really awesome and convenient to have all your toys within reach and sight without having to drill holes or come up with three or four mounting options.
Narbob on October 27, 2016 at 1:00 pm

Thank you [USER=1]@Michael[/USER] and [USER=2161]@Corrie[/USER] for the great rig feature and the community you've built. Also thanks for all the fantastic people I've met and become friends with.
Jeremy Michael on April 16, 2017 at 5:57 pm

Awesome rig Bob! We have very similar tastes in aftermarket parts. I too have the KM2’s on stock wheels. Trying to find a second matching spare wheel. How did you mount your various attachments to the vector dock? I couldn’t find any vector attachment devices.