Sleeping in an XJ

[Prepmech]

Tied it once, put the rear seat down and threw some sleeping bags and pillows back there. Took a long time to finally fall asleep and woke up with a sore neck and back.

Anyone have any tips for staying comfortable?

How about heat, or staying cool? With gas prices the way they are, leaving it running overnight is no longer an option.

[Blkxjkrawler]

Anyone have any tips for staying comfortable?

How about heat, or staying cool? With gas prices the way they are, leaving it running overnight is no longer an option.

Whiskey, Lots and lots of whiskey.:D

the few times I slept in mine I just used a foam eggcrate mattress pad, and a cheap Walmart sleeping bag. I stayed reletivley comfortable and warm, but I had drank alot of whiskey.
-Ryan

[BigG]

With gas prices the way they are, leaving it running overnight is no longer an option.

You mean at one point it was? Besides the fact that you have nasty exhaust gasses building up around your rig...

I did this a few months back in my '96 4dr. Took the bottom of the rear seat out, pushed the front seats up as far as they would go, put a queen sized inflatable mattress in back. I managed to fit my 6'2" frame in diagonally. I think that if I were to put 2dr front seats in with the tumble forward lever that I could get enough room to lie straight. then you could sleep 2 with the center console separating your heads. It's a hard sleep, but it works.

[WaXJ_Skier]

I just sleep in the back seat and roll down the window @ my feet so I can put them outside. Works great and I don't have to tear down a tent in the morning.

[CommandoXJ96]

I think that if I were to put 2dr front seats in with the tumble forward lever that I could get enough room to lie straight. then you could sleep 2 with the center console separating your heads.

Brilliant.

[xjtrailrider]

The trick is taking out the back seat bottom, gives you a few more inches and its easy to take out and put back in.

[sgtmack]

My son just curls up in the pass seat with a pillow. He'd rather sleep there than in the tent.

But He's a teenager.
Kids.

[shortxjdoug]

last time i slept in the xj it was in the 20's outside and i woke up every 5 hours freezing, then just turned it on and baked the heat and then turned it off and went to sleep again.... it was nice to just wake up and drive it 20 yards to the campfire

[WaXJ_Skier]

last time i slept in the xj it was in the 20's outside and i woke up every 5 hours freezing, then just turned it on and baked the heat and then turned it off and went to sleep again.... it was nice to just wake up and drive it 20 yards to the campfire

Rock on, Ive done that a few times on the way to Ski races. Roll into a ski area parking lot @1am when its in the low teens outside. Always good times

[zachxj01]

i am only like 5'7 so i fit fine i just lay on a sleeping bag and a couple blankets and a pillow and for coolness roll down the windows and just be ghetto and tape screen over them so i dont get eatin alive and im all set for the night or if im drunk i just pass out in the back to prevent getting a dui lol

[GSequoia]

At 6' in order to comfortably sleep in the XJ's I have to remove the seat bottom and toss it on the roof (or in the front seats if rain is threatining me). Once I do that I can get pretty cozy (assuming, of course, nothing is back there with me).

[GrimmJeeper]

i agree on pulling the rear seat bottom. it gives you just a bit more space. ive done this every year for the past 5 years when i go to glamis and its fine for me, and im 6'2.... although as stated above i do drink quite a bit when im out there :D

[slider]

the last time i even tried sleeping in the jeep, was about 3 yrs ago. there were 3 of use on a search and rescue mission for a 75 yr old man. at about 3 am the boss decided to scale ops back till morning. instead of going all the way back to base camp. we stayed there with lights running incase the guy wondered out. needless to say there isn't enough room for 3 sar equipt people to sleep in 1 jeep. i think i still have aches and pains from that night.

by the way we ended up finding the guy in the morning from a helo.

[GSequoia]

I don't even try to sleep in the Jeep unless I'm alone.

One thing to think about is the carpet runners. If your Jeep is equipped with carpet runners (the polish aluminum strips in the carpet) you're going to want to pad well to keep those out of your back.

I'm thinking that I'm just gonna do the Jeep sleeping thing for Sierra Fest. Put all my gear in the trailer and crawl in the back.

[IXNAYXJ]

I do it a lot and find it pretty comfortable, and I'm about 5'10".

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/ixnayxj/NWFest%202007/NWFest2007II008.jpg

It helps if you can recline the Cherokee, too:

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/ixnayxj/NWFest%202007/NWFest2007015.jpg

-----Matt-----

[zachxj01]

if u can do the dirty back there you can sleep back there and ya u can def do the dirty back there hah

[WaXJ_Skier]

u can def do the dirty back there hah

I have yet to find any takers on that(in the back of the jeep) yet. First girl I find that takes me up on that offer will be staying around a while.

[GSequoia]

By that logic I can sleep in the passenger seat of a 1984 Chevrolet Camaro. :shhh:

[WaXJ_Skier]

By that logic I can sleep in the passenger seat of a 1984 Chevrolet Camaro. :shhh:

I hate you guys. I always get "lets go back to your place" they like my bed for some reason. Can't a guy with a jeep fetish just get it once in the jeep?

[sw_mi_xj]

slept in mine during winterfest 07 , not the most comfy but still 5 star accomadations . ( since there were no hotel /motel rooms available because of the road rally )
tequilla and some carharts help when it gets down in the low 30's overnight.

[Jay VT]

By that logic I can sleep in the passenger seat of a 1984 Chevrolet Camaro. :shhh:

Or the backseat of an 73 Trans Am:lecture:

[88xjchief]

if u can do the dirty back there you can sleep back there and ya u can def do the dirty back there hah
Yes you can.

[MongoXJ]

I am a pretty big guy, and stand around 6'4. I actually found that sleeping in the back of my XJ was the best camping experience ive ever had :P I stuck a twin sized air matress in the back, which actually hangs out over the edge a little bit, then left the rear hatch up, and took some ground tarp material and some clips and created an enclosure from the hatch. The break down and set up is pretty damn quick and it was nice and comfy and no worries about rain etc. Planning to build an extension with a step that will plug into my rear reciever and sewing a custom tarp for the hatch.

[WB9YZU]

Ist time I slept in the Cherokee it was bad times. I arrived late and didn't feel like dumping the tire, tools and seat and I had two dogs with me.
It was winter and I had along the electric heater, but the campsite was overloaded and could only get it to work on the 500W setting, then one of the dogs parked their arse infront of it and that was it for heat. I slept, but it wasn't real comfortable.

2nd time, well, I guess there wasn't one ;)

If I have time enough to empty the Jeep, I have time enough to throw my 2 man REI tent up and stake it down. Takes 5 minutes to set it up and even less to take it down.

I have seen folks go as far as to put up cardboard "curtains" in the windows, remove the rear seat bottom and otherwise empty the Jeep. It appears there is enough room to do the matress mombo as I have seen more than one Cherokee rocking at night and sheepish grins from the couple in the morning when asked if they heard any sounds like someone screaming "Oh Yes!" in the morning.

[Gerr]

Im 5 foot 6 and fit near perfect with the seat folded down. sleeping back there with the wife was way to cozy.

My best suggestion is to get one of those foam camping pads to help with softening the floor. still very little time to setup and take down but a huge improvment in comfort.

[Steve_Moore]

I have slept in the back of mine twice now, last time being Saturday night (2 nights ago) . I pit an air mattress in there and leave the hatch up . It wasn't raining , so no worries about that , but it's not bad , really . I don't mind , but haven't had to share with the wife ... yet .

[Waterhammer]

I almost completely forgot this, ha. The last time I was going to sleep, (more like pass out) in the back of my jeep was out in CO. It was late fall, sorta cold and this chick felt bad for me so she took me back to her place. Now she's my wife... And there you go.

[BigG]

Here's a thought I just had. Does anyone know if the pontiac Aztec tent kit would fit on a XJ? It's a bit higher quality than your typical rear SUV tent attachment.
http://www.pontiacmall.com/prodinfo.asp?number=PT6316

[WaXJ_Skier]

Here's a thought I just had. Does anyone know if the pontiac Aztec tent kit would fit on a XJ? It's a bit higher quality than your typical rear SUV tent attachment.
http://www.pontiacmall.com/prodinfo.asp?number=PT6316

anything is possible with enough duct tape :wave:

[Big Red]

Or the backseat of an 73 Trans Am:lecture:

Wow, very nice, do you still have that car? That is probably one of my favorite cars especially a Buckeneer Red SD 455 one!!!! :guitar:

Slept a few hours in the front seat after a 19 hour Fordyce run in 04' I think it was with the Sierra Crew. Good times. I had way too much crap in the Jeep to even think about sleeping in the back. I can attest to there being a good amount of room in the back of a 2 dr with the bottom cushion removed and the front seats moved all the way up and folded down.

[ColoradoJeepXJ]

Having one of the few XJ's that does not drip oil, I just sleep under it with a nice foam pad. You only get up once quikly.

[TRSCobra]

I'm 6' tall and I sleep just fine in the back seat. Yes, alcohol helps out a bit.

[ILLXJ]

I removed the back seat completely & installed a flat floor that buts up against the front seats. It adds a couple more inches & increases the amount of crap you can stuff in the back. JIM.

[IllianaXJ]

I've slept in the back of a 2 door S-10 Blazer enough times I have never tried sleeping in the XJ. I have storage boxes bolted to the floor in the rear, so it would cramp up the room quickly. It's not that hard to set up a tent quickly, even in the rain, but if it came down to it, I'd probably just recline the driver's seat as far back as it could go and sleep there.

[Lodi Jim]

If you are caged, you can string a hammock between the 'A' pillar and the 'C' pillar. You don't have to remove all the stuff in the back. Am 5'10" and running D and C cage.

[whatevah]

internal hammock... pretty ingenious.

I've had to sleep in my XJ before after my alternator died, I tried both front seats and the bench seat. spent the most time in the front passenger seat.

I know there's enough room in the back for two, but with a spare tire, tools and gear, it's tight even for one person. some great ideas in this thread, though :)

[streetpirate]

so far the xj is the most uncomfortable place ive ever slept, partly due to having junk in the back and the wonderful non-reclining seats

[CommandoXJ96]

even parked on ground thats not quite level, the internal hammock idea sounds the best to me - self leveling and clears whatever junk you have in the rig.

[XJedi23]

If you are caged, you can string a hammock between the 'A' pillar and the 'C' pillar. You don't have to remove all the stuff in the back. Am 5'10" and running D and C cage.

Just be careful whats under you and dont rollover in your sleep.

Ive slept on the back seat with my legs hanging out the door on a drive to Colorado last year. On the way back from Reno I slept in the back with my dog, Not to bad. Im 6'1".

[streetpirate]

wow, totenkopf for an avitar. let yer hate out brotha!
lol


im plannign a road trip for a week, taking out the back seat bottom, queen size air bed in the back, girlfriend, sleeping bags, and bringing a tent to throw all the gear in at night.

[Steve_Moore]

I got a little hammered the other night and just pulled the XJ down a creek , threw the seats down , aired up my queen size mattress and was good to go .


'Till I woke up the next morning wondering where the hell I was at ..... :shiver:

[IslanderOffRoad]

I tried to sleep in mine once. I'm 5'9". I was in a mummy bag and still woke up pretty damn cold. I've found setting up my little REI dome tent is quick and incredibly comfortable and warmer than the Jeep. I do alot of sand dune trips, and if I use the Jeep as a windblock the tent is fine.

[Gerr]

last weekend I towed a fiends xj out to the MDR race and ended up sleeping in the front seat of my chevy all streched out and comfy he slept in the back seat of his xj and said it was comfy, granted he is 17 and still flexable enough to get in the back seat of a 2dr but he looked like a hamster all curled up.

[rokclimbertx]

all i've ever managed to get is a coupla uncomfortable hours of sleep at a time on road trips... drivers seat back as far as i could get it which wasn't far... tried stretching across front seats no good either (stick shift)... lesson learned, don't pack so much crap in the back seat...

[fizassist]

I think that if I were to put 2dr front seats in with the tumble forward lever that I could get enough room to lie straight. then you could sleep 2 with the center console separating your heads. It's a hard sleep, but it works.

That's the first part of my plan. I've already put in YJ seat hinges that flip forward (probably the same as the 2dr xj hinges). The next step will be a sleeping platform that sits above the wheel wells and extends to the rear of the front seats.

[jimgrms]

I use a tent cot from cabellas have had it for 6 or 7 years and is easy to set up comfy warn also have a tarp that i attact to the lift gate , just park get the cot out and unfold it and sleep to easy Jim

[streetpirate]

if you bring a small tent to keep your stuff in, the air mattress in tthe back worked wonderful. (2 door fold forward front seats a must!) even cozy sleeping with the girl, but she was miserable from the 2nd degree sunburn.

[Prepmech]

If you are caged, you can string a hammock between the 'A' pillar and the 'C' pillar. You don't have to remove all the stuff in the back. Am 5'10" and running D and C cage.

I know a few people have done this now, does anyone have any pictures?

[Fish'nCarz]

all i've ever managed to get is a coupla uncomfortable hours of sleep at a time on road trips... drivers seat back as far as i could get it which wasn't far... tried stretching across front seats no good either (stick shift)... lesson learned, don't pack so much crap in the back seat...

Just ran my kid to college a couple of weeks ago and this was how I slept in the XJ. I'm 6'3" so it ain't too comfortable, but it beats not sleepin' when you hit the wall. I think a roof-top tent would be the bomb, but I put so much stuff up there.

[derrickdrew17]

Well Ill let yall know how I feel about sleeping in the jeep. Im going to Barnwell this weekend and Im sleeping in my jeep. But im not packing a whole lot of stuff. Maybe coulple of stuff but thats it.

[ZacSquatch]

Well Ill let yall know how I feel about sleeping in the jeep. Im going to Barnwell this weekend and Im sleeping in my jeep. But im not packing a whole lot of stuff. Maybe coulple of stuff but thats it.

Barnwell SC?

They have a big skydivin boogie there every year.

[WaXJ_Skier]

My GF and I just put an air matress in the back last weekend, worked great.

[Roxtar]

My GF and I just put an air matress in the back last weekend, worked great.Whadaya both Remi sized?
You two just curl up in the console when things get cold?

[derrickdrew17]

Well its Barnwell Mountian.. in gilmer Texas its been in the 40's at night.

[Jimbo_1321]

Whadaya both Remi sized?
You two just curl up in the console when things get cold?

no kidding. there's no way I could sleep with another person back there...
though I am 6' 4" and 240 lbs...
not so good for the back of the jeep.
I'm thinking of making a roofrack and some simple tent to toss on top of it. anyone ever make one?
got pics?

[WaXJ_Skier]

Whadaya both Remi sized?
You two just curl up in the console when things get cold?

I'm 5' 10" and she is 5' 7" we just slept diagonaly in the back.

[selarep]

I got a 98 2dr, its one hell of a fit back there. I took out the rear butt seat and folded the back down, thre the front 2 seats forward and loaded the back with about 6 blankets.
There was plenty of room for my and my lady... then again she is 5" tall. I'm 5'9" so I was on a angle. I twas 40* out side and it was cold inside, windows up under 2 blankets.

Next step is to get an air mattress and sleep with my head at the hatch and feet up on the back of the seats... should keep me warmer with my bloodflow controlled.

[Steve_Moore]

Just leave the hatch up ....

http://repeatoffendersite.freepgs.com/Steve/Family/Picture%20007.jpg

[WaXJ_Skier]

Next step is to get an air mattress and sleep with my head at the hatch and feet up on the back of the seats... should keep me warmer with my bloodflow controlled.

thats what we did the second night, works great until you have to take a piss in the middle of the night.

[selarep]

thats what we did the second night, works great until you have to take a piss in the middle of the night.

hah, yeah i know. she hated it, I dont think she ever popped a squat before... there's plenty of room for getting dirty though!

[Fergie]

no kidding. there's no way I could sleep with another person back there...
though I am 6' 4" and 240 lbs...
not so good for the back of the jeep.
I'm thinking of making a roofrack and some simple tent to toss on top of it. anyone ever make one?
got pics?
Exactly what I did here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v176/bergferg/1995%20XJ/rack1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v176/bergferg/1995%20XJ/rack2.jpg

Full length, full width rack, big enough for a two person tent between the side rails. Just make sure to use a sleeping mat, as the air gap between the roof and rack gets chilly, and robs you of warmth.

[WaXJ_Skier]

hah, yeah i know. she hated it, I dont think she ever popped a squat before... there's plenty of room for getting dirty though!

Mine had no problem taking a squat, had to on the side of the trial I just used the jeep to shield her from everyone else.

[mojojojo]

Mine had no problem taking a squat, had to on the side of the trial I just used the jeep to shield her from everyone else.

:wierd: not everyone.....





:D

[mojojojo]

i tried the whole jeep sleepin thing for the first time last weekend. worked out great, although it was a lil tight. my feet fit almost perfectly in the lil cubby hole on the passenger side.

note to those who hate the crawlin out to take a leek part: i used a bungi to close the rear hatch. made for easy access in the middle of the night. and you thought that was a mud puddle under the rear of my rig, lol.

[Roxtar]

I really don't see the point in trying to sleep in the Jeep.
Buy a good tent and faggetabodit.
I have a two person Marmot that goes up in 5 minutes in the dark and packs to 5" dia X 20".
A self inflating pad, good down sleeping bag, and you're gold.

Leave the cargo area to hold cargo.

[FitchVA]

it worked great for me last year when we went to bed in the rain and woke up to snow. it was really nice to simply sit up and turn the xj and heat on when it was snowing and not have to get out of bed :worship:

[WaXJ_Skier]

:wierd: not everyone.....





:D

You were leading the other group you tard. :looser:

[HaleYes]

Why do you need to be worried about sleeping in your Jeep Trav?

You just end up sleeping with Mark anyway........


Hale

[selarep]

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=915114

[ZacSquatch]

5'9, 175.... fatty

[selarep]

5'9, 175.... fatty

I cant see my toes.

[onetallmj]

Solution:

Trade your XJ for a long bed MJ with topper, plenty of room to sleep in the back with equipment.

Yes I am talking from experience!:lecture:

[jdogg4]

5'7" and I took out the back seat. With out that thing in there you can push one if not both seats forward if needed and sleep just fine back there. I just air up a thermorest and kick out the sleeping bag.

[Domino]

JC whitney used to sell a tent for an XJ that attached to the back end with the hatch up...<$200 as I recall....

[90Blue_XJ]

JC whitney used to sell a tent for an XJ that attached to the back end with the hatch up...<$200 as I recall....
A search of the current JC Whitney online catalog fails to show the aforementioned tent. If you happen upon a link to it I for one would be interested.

[BlueGerbil]

Spent some nights trying to catch some sleep in the back of my ´90 XJ or sitting in the reclined driver seats - but not for me anymore, thanks.

Now `m a happy camper and my wife like´s it, too.

http://www.liska.de/bilder/tentrax_17.jpg

[XJ Eric]

Dude, Tentrax' are pretty bad ass. but the $5500 price tag is a bit steep.

[Trail-Axe]

Spent some nights trying to catch some sleep in the back of my ´90 XJ or sitting in the reclined driver seats - but not for me anymore, thanks.

Now `m a happy camper and my wife like´s it, too.

http://www.liska.de/bilder/tentrax_17.jpg

Very cool!

[xL8 APEKSx]

Planning to build an extension with a step that will plug into my rear reciever and sewing a custom tarp for the hatch.
This is genius! :clap: If it's made out of aluminum, you could stow it up on the roof rack when you aren't using it. Should be light enough. Great idea!

[GhostDakota]

Not reading any replies I've done a few different things. Fold down the rear seat. Move the front seats forward as much as you can. I like to use an inverter, take my air mattress (it's a single or double, I forget) and fill it up. I then put it inside the Jeep and it's great! Just make sure it fits. Only issue is, toolboxes, gear, spare parts, etc., have to be relocated out of the way. I also recommend bringing some towels to hang from the interior to cover the rear, sides, and front window. Or window tint. Privacy is nice!

[FlexdXJ]

I did it a couple weekends ago. I took the bottom of the back seat out and laid it across the front seats that gave me another foot. I need a foam mat though. That crack will hurt ya after a while :D

[n1ywb]

Taking the bottom of the back seat out is a good idea, wish I'd thought of that a few times. At 6'1", I just can't quite stretch out with it in there.

Now I have roll-out drawers that I can't easily take out and chuck under the jeep. I have a plan though. I want to get 2 door front seats that flip forward, and build an elevated sleeping platform. I want to make it just high enough to clear the drawers, which is about 8". Yeah it will cut out some head room. I will make a section that unfolds forward so that when the front seats are pushed and flipped all the way forward, with the extra height, I can probably make the platform a foot longer.


\
\
\ hinge platform
\=========0=============================
\ +--------------+
\ / drawers |
------ ========= /----------------+
front seat folded
backseat
Something like this. This drawing is not to scale. The idea is you flip the front of the platform up so the front seats can be moved back. Obviously some sort of vertical supports would be needed. I was also thinking of removing the back seat entirely and using the space under the platform for gear (or beer) storage.

Unless the weather really sucks, I'd generally rather sleep in a tent, it's just more spacious and it avoids having to move gear in and out of the Jeep every day. My tent only has two polls, fits a queen size mattress with room to spare, and takes 10 minutes to set up. Maybe a bit longer to blow up the mattress and make the bed. For one night trips though, especially if it involves a late arrival and early departure, I'd rather save the trouble of the tent.

I'd rather sleep on the ground than in one of the seats.

[stumpXJ]

I removed all of my rear seat stuff in my XJ, and could easily sleep on the new platform.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n257/topfuel443/Jeep%20pics/DSCN0429.jpg

I have a roof top tent though, so thats where my wife and I sleep.

Here is the tent on top of my roof rack. Total weight is 90 pounds.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n257/topfuel443/Jeep%20pics/DSCN0537.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n257/topfuel443/Jeep%20pics/DSCN0470.jpg

I dont have any pictures of it open on the Jeep, but here it is on my old truck. Takes about 2-3 minutes to open and "set-up" and about 5 minutes to fold it back up. Works like a champ and sleeps wonderfully. Some of the best money ive spent, but we do a lot of camping.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n257/topfuel443/Truck%20pics/DSCN0218.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n257/topfuel443/Truck%20pics/DSCN0217.jpg

[n1ywb]

Is the roof tent really faster to set up than a regular tent?

Whats the real advantage to a roof tent? I guess if the ground is wet the tent is probably dryer. Also you don't have to have as big a flat spot, just enough to park the truck. Anything else? How much does a setup like that cost?

One disadvantage to a roof tent for me would be that I normally keep a lot of stuff on my roof, like my fullsize spare, hilift, shovel, fluids, camping gear, etc. Sometimes I envy my buddies with long bed tacomas, they can haul so much more camping stuff so much easier. At least I don't have a TJ though, I don't see how you can take one of those on a long camping trip without a trailer.

I like sleeping inside the vehicle mostly for heat, radio, security, dry, and out of the wind. Of course then you have to move all your stuff in and out a lot.

I like my ground tent setup because I got everything for super cheap at walmart. It's held up well too, I've had that tent for 4 years now and it's still in great shape. It doesn't rain often in San Diego so no problems with wet ground.

[stumpXJ]

Yeah, its MUCH faster than a conventional ground tent. Once you get the pvc cover off the tent, I can literally be laying down and nodding off to sleep in about 1 minute. About the same time it takes to figure out what poles go where on a ground tent. I got my setup, the tent, lower changing/shower room, and 8 foot awning for about $700 dollars new here in Germany (I picked it up instead of having it shipped). Its the same company that makes them in the states. I beleive they are around $700 for just the tent in the US. Expensive? Yes, but when you camp as often as I do, it makes a big difference. When we go camping, we go all out. Here is the camp kitchen I built to give you an idea of what my version of camping/overland travel is...

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n257/topfuel443/Jeep%20pics/DSCN0486.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n257/topfuel443/Jeep%20pics/DSCN0490.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n257/topfuel443/Jeep%20pics/DSCN0514.jpg


Here is a great video from the company that sells them in the US (In california I think??). It also shows why the roof tent is better at the end. It shows how the tent opens up. When you open it, its already put together. the only thing you have to do is install the spring steel poles for the doors if you want them open. Its only 3 minutes long, but has good info.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otm50oCCgRI

RTT's arent for everyone. If you just camp on the occasional weekend maybe a once every few months, then the old faithful ground tent from walmart works just great.

[derrickdrew17]

I just dont see my XJ... roof holding up a 270lbs of me... just dont see it.

[stumpXJ]

Im 6'2" and weigh 305 pounds. My wife weighs about 130, and we easily fit up there. It is mounted on the the gutters, not the actual roof. Believe me, it will hold just fine if you use gutters as a mounting point.

~James

[n1ywb]

Thats a pimpin kitchen! I could never fit it in my XJ with all the other junk I take camping though. Where do you stow it?

[stumpXJ]

I put it on the passenger side of my rear storage. I just slide it in there when I leave, and tie it down. There is plenty of room left on the driverside rear for everything else. My fridge goes right behind my drivers seat. I can pack for a few weeks easily in the XJ, and longer if I want. There is plenty of room in the rear of these things, especially once you get rid of the rear seats.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n257/topfuel443/Jeep%20pics/DSCN0429.jpg

The beauty of having the kitchen is that everything fits securely inside, so I dont have to worry about finding a place for grills, pots, pans, utensils and dry food goods. My tent and sleeping materials (pillows, sleeping bags/blankets) all stay up in the tent. The only thing that really goes in the rear is the kitchen, fridge, recovery bag with all of my shackles/straps/pulley blocks/whatever, and my shower with its enclosure. I use a Zodi Extreme hot water shower. I usually have about 5-7 jerry cans that fit on the roof rack right in front of the tent that I usually carry gas, and water in. I remove them before doing any major wheeling though just to get some weight off of the roof. Its a good system so far!


~James

[97XJ2]

Stump: How is that in wind, or adverse conditions?

[stumpXJ]

So far so good, its not your typical tent material (think of a breathable canvas). Its much thicker, and the poles inside are beefy and sturdily mounted. (I have hung a flat screen monitor/laptop from the ceiling poles with no sagging or anything) I have been in some 30-40 mph winds when I was camping in sweden by a large lake, and it held up fine. No rain leaked in, and the tent stayed put, even with the small awning style widows/doors.

I would MUCH rather be in this type of tent when it comes to rain or wind.

~James

[97XJ2]

Thanks, just asking because recently I camped (in a conventional tent) on a west facing shore of Lake Superior, and a storm came up (It is that time of year for that lake, and they get bad) It wasn't the most enjoyable experience ever.

[iluv83vettes]

can you post some pics of your dash stump?

[stumpXJ]

can you post some pics of your dash stump?


Not to get this thread too far off topic, I have more pictures of the dash in my thread here:

http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=968082

Let me know if you need any specific pics or info. Thanks, James

[markw]

Tied it once, put the rear seat down and threw some sleeping bags and pillows back there. Took a long time to finally fall asleep and woke up with a sore neck and back.

Anyone have any tips for staying comfortable?

How about heat, or staying cool? With gas prices the way they are, leaving it running overnight is no longer an option.

Yeah, I did that to. Woke up freezing my arse off. So what I did was find a nice used 24 foot RV with a big motor and stuck it on the front bumper. :)

[Smittty9785]

lift it a little higher and throw a tarp under it and secure it, thats if you have oil leaks. if you dont then good sleepin