My New (AEV) American Expedition Vehicles Jeep!!

[nwoods]

Dendy, your math related to curb weight is a bit ... creative. The LR3 weighs about 5400 lbs, your JKU is around 4200. Heavier yes, but not 2x.

 

[clcoyle]

love the new ride, it looks great.

 

[Hilldweller]

Hey Dendy,
I'm new to the forum and been lurking around for awhile. I've owned many Jeeps from XJ Cherokees to old Wranglers. I'm looking at purchasing a JKU after the first of the year. I would like to buy an AEV Rubicon but after seeing your JKU I'm thinking of purchasing a sport that has been outfitted by AEV from a dealer not far from me. To get to the point I wanted to know your opinion on buying an AEV sport and slowy upgrading the axles, transfer case, etc. Or having a Rubicon version built. The sport is definitley less expensive initially but my thought was I would be further ahead building a Rubicon. Is there any advantage/savings upgrading a sport vs. building a Rubicon with AEV? Is installing a new transfer case needed in the sport? My XJ is perfectly capable for what I do close to home but I would like to get out and explore the West with my family. I'm not into rock climbing but would eventually like to hit the Rubicon Trail someday. Is an AEV sport capable of running the Rubicon? Your or anyone elses input is much appreciated.

This is what I'd do.

Buy a '12 JKU Rubi with 4.10 gears and manual trans. Use the Tread Lightly discount and pay 1% under invoice.

Lift it with a Rock Krawler 2.5" Max Travel w/Bilsteins ---- around $1700 or so.

Rugged Ridge or Smittybilt bumpers; Smittybilt winch. From 4WheelParts, around $1200 during a sale.

Sell the OE wheels and tires. Buy Procomp alloys for about $100 each during a sale; mount Hankook Dynapro MTs on them in a 295/75-16 ---- the 33.5" tires will work fine with that motor, gears, trans.

Total investment is under $40K.

 

[MOAdventurer]

Hilldweller,
How do I go about getting the Tread Lightly discount?

 

[Dendy Jarrett]

You have to sign up for a three year membership (which is $70 - I think- maybe $75) They send you a letter which you turn over to the dealer and he takes you online to verify your purchase. He gets his discounted money back from Chrysler direct.
It is a pretty sweet deal. Got both of mine that way.
D

Hilldweller,
How do I go about getting the Tread Lightly discount?

 

[Hilldweller]

It is a pretty sweet deal.
D

They also offer rebates on a few brands of tires from time to time; it pays to keep an eye on the website.

 

[CACHE KRAWLER]

Hey, Akecj7- Those are my designs. I have them made up. You think folks would be interested in them if I made them available for purchase? I have had several PM regarding them. Hmmm

I am very interested in a set or two. Please let me know if you decide to make them available to the masses. I searched for something like your on Google but came up with nothing that looked like yours. So yes, I'm interested.

 

[4Rescue]

MOA Adventurer:
There were several factors that typically lead AEV to start the build with a Sport - the biggest of these is price. I paid for some upgrades on mine that technically allow it to exceed what a Rubicon can do- 1) 4 to 1 Atlas T-case- allows you to run in 2 wheel lo- something you cannot do in a Rubi 2)Installed Dana 44 front and rear- with Eaton E-lockers 3) Installed manual release sway which allows almost twice the travel as the E release sway 4) Because I have 35" KM2s and am towing, installed 5.13 gear and reset with Procal to make up for power loss. The main reason that I did mine the way it was: 1) It was 98% done to my desired stats to begin with - i.e.: right color, out-fitted, etc. 2) When done by the dealer on a new truck prior to taking delivery, the add-on/up-grades are covered under warranty and 3)all add/ons were able to be financed in the 2011 at 0% interest.

4Rescue: The LR3 weighs in at about twice the weight of the JKU. It is also much more top heavy. Trust me, it was "lumbering and huge" compared to the experience driving the JKU. While, yes, it did have way more HP than the JKU, at twice the weight, the perception of off-the-line start is almost the same. But yes, she most hated the graphics. You were for sure not going anywhere in that truck incognito! And just so you know- we had owned 3 LR3's and 3 MKIII Range Rovers. The JKU loses the luxurious feel of the Range Rover, but It doesn't lack many of the creature comforts, and I was able to purchase both JKU's for the price of a new RR and have money left over!

The "tech" is in no way confused. He was able to share with me some internal documents showing some of the troubles with the 3.6 verses the 3.8 that has been tried and true. What I kept rationalizing was - for years the 3.6 has been the standard. It is a big improvement in the 95' disco I had been driving and towing with- along with much more reliable, and finally the incentives to take the 2011 verses the 2012 sealed the decision for me. (it also helped that in researching, the AEV's are holding their own in keeping value for re-sale).
Also, when I started down this path, the 2012 Procal had not come out, and I wanted to make sure I could run the larger tires and gearing without the worry of computer syncro being off.

D

ps: I typically do not buy a new model change the first year it comes out. This is usually the "work the bugs out" year. (this holds true for just about any type of technology, ie: cars, computers, tvs, etc.)

I fully agree with avoiding the First year of nearly ANYTHING, but seeing as it's a proven motor in an already proven chasis I would feel alot easier then I would typicaly. MMYV so whatever aye.

As to the "twice the weight" I'm a bit suspect of your math, but yes I know it is marginaly heavier. I would argue though that it's also ALOT more compotent on it's feet the the F/R live axled Jeep (in fact I KNOW it is having driven both) so that's where the root of my comment comes from aye. I DEF> like the looks/features/intention of the Jeep over the LR3, but as a soccer mom mobile the LR3 is more in line with that use aye. Still, if your wife's happy, who cares right... I mean A WIFE IS HAPPY!!!!!!!! That should be marked on the calendar as it is a minor miracle aye HAHAHAHAHA Glad she likes her truck. I'm currently trying to convince my fiance that she needs something with 4wd so I don't have to come and get her every time it snows. maybe you could let me in on your sectret (or did you just get a smart one from the factory HAHAHAHA)

The Tech thing. We'll just have to "agree to dissagree" I've found that some of THE most uninformed and damaging people to talk to are dealer techs... Having owned more then a few jeeps in the past and using the local Jeep dealers I can tell you that they did more damage and got more things wrong then they ever did right. Their "info" is just plain incorrect as you've relayed it though FYI. The new truck is a revelation compared to the first gen JK plain and simple. that's simply a function of them "not throwing the baby out with the bath water" meaning they just replaced the bad motor with a better one and didn't change the things that make the JK/U a success namely the drivetrain/off-road equipment. I can understand that there are different people in every dealership you'd visit so MAYBE you got a knowledgeable one but the odds are severly stacked against you. In my experience there is usualy like one or two guys who are really compotent and then there are a bunch of "wrench monkeys" who act as extra hands for the good guy... the wrench monkeys do alot of the talking to customers IME...

Anyway, back OT: I LOVE the AEV Jeeps. Yours looks so cool and so well thought out aye. ALMOST makes me think about another Jeep, now if I could get a Diesel/6-speed manual without selling my first born it'd be even harder to stay away. The new 4dr. ute is looking amazing...come to think about it, I don't think I've EVER seen an AEV product that I even SLIGHTLY disliked... simply a GREAT company and I'm glad to see folks supporting them and getting the trucks they WANT versus what they try to push on us. Nice rigs.

Cheers and No Worries

Dave

 

[Dendy Jarrett]

Hey, Dave: I'd agree with much of what you say- I guess the main point of my switch from Land Rover to the AEV- was that FOR ME (anyways), it had become more about the Land Rover than it did about the original reason I got into this to begin with (to enjoy the great outdoors). When I realized I was forcing this on my wife, and that she wanted to make her own choice as to what to drive, ... it was then that she indicated that she wanted a jeep. Getting in a new jeep did me in- it was elegantly simple yet had all the bells and whistles. My wife would NEVER back up the LR3 (not even a few feet on our driveway). Now she will back the entire 250(plus) feet of our driveway.
As to the 2011 vs. 2012. Your assessment of most techs is true, however, the tech I dealt with is also the service manager and came highly recommended by AEV as they build lots of trucks for the upstate NY area. Truly if you do the math, the 2011 made the most sense from me, because if I decide I can't live with the motor- I'll simply do a HEMI- (something I wouldn't want to do on a 2012).
See you on the trails!
Thanks
D

 

[4Rescue]

Yeah mate, sorry if I sounded like I was downing your rig, I think you've got one SUPER neat truck there aye. In re-reading my posts I sound a bit crabby and none too friendly so I apologize if I left any bad feelings. not my style and I don't mean to be a Richard Cabesa aye
As for the "techs" it souds like you got to talk to one of the few I'm refering to... They always seem to be (im my exp's) an older guy who's been doing it for years and is actually INTERESTED in the technology and mechanics of it all. It's something I'm sad to say is a generational deficiancy. At 32 I feel kinds dissapointed in my generation in terms of wanting simply know how things work. Maybe it's my upbringing, but I was always the kid who fiddled and tore everything apart and I had alot of older guys (uncles, dad and friends etc.) who helped teach me. Those are the kind of guys who always make the good techs you meet aye. Same the world and industy over... the guys at my local chain-saw/small engine shop are the same way. It part of what i really like about this site more then ANY other board on the web truck related or other, people here seem to be fiddlers and tinkerers like myself. Even the ones that say "I'm not the kinda guy who's real good with tools etc" is still better then the average joe IMO.

Anyway, I get off topic rather quickly and I talk too much so sorry for all that. I forgot or didn't see it in the specs, but are your diff's re-geared??? I like that you went base model and built up. With the crate axles to be had from the likes of Dynatrac and Ma Mopar (I'm a Mopar nut by blood, my first car being a 73 318 Dart sport with 43k original miles on the clock and I've had numerous Jeeps before I got to being a Toyota nut...) you really are ahead to do what you did unless you intend to leave the truck fairly stock (aside from like bigger tires etc). Your truck is so FAR from stock I can see your line of thinking on the build. Did the dealership; just order the truck from AEV and install the goodies or did it come from AEV's hands??? Good point on the motor swap too aye. I hadn't thought of that and I'll be interested to see if maybe AEV sees a drop of of engine swaps with the new motor and a shift to improving the factory engine. Currently I see ALOT of guys doing that hemi swap for the capacity as much as for the fun factor so like I say it'll be intersting to see if the new engine makes a difference there. What suprised me was how much the new 3.6 felt like the old (and my personal fav. motor ever in a Jeep) 4.0L I6... the torque delivery just felt really linear and like it came from a really low spot (confirmed by watching the Tach and feeling the pull. It felt alot more tuned to the type opf vehicle that it was pulling which is my major gripe with the old 3.8, as it feels wind happy/peaky versus tractor like/linear which I prefer in my truck motors (I'll admit that of all the things I will NEVER miss about owning a Jeep I WILL miss the 4.0L and it's torque forever ). Anyway, I really like the color of your truck too aye. White may be the "color de reguire" of Expo, but any "Sand" or tan type color holds the highest level of admiration in my book. I really want to find a way to justify painting my truck Tan with Rhyno-lined esctions/lowe skirts...

Glad to hear the wife can now back out aye HAHAHAHA my Fiance is STILL fighting with the little nuances of getting in and out of our little "maze" of a parking situation with our property and what not. Oddly enough she's better at parking and what not in my 4Runner then she is in her 04' Civic. She just likes the upright position and the view out. Can't WAIT till I convince her to get a truck of her own whatever it is. She actually LOVE the idea of letting me build her a mildly trail capable VW Thing or a Suzukii cause she thinks they're "cute... She had me at m ildly trail capable See I did it again I went on a rambling rampage!!!!

Cheers

Dave

 

[orangeTJ]

That is a very nice pair of Jeeps you have. Interesting on the Green one's interior, I've never seen the saddle tan interior (dash) with cloth seats. All saddle tan interiors I've seen are with leather seats.

 

[Dendy Jarrett]

OrangeTJ- Yeah, I love the look of her interior with the saddle/black. The seats have saddle stitching verses the grey in mine. I am using all GEAR Molle compliant interior components in mine in Olive Drab.

Here are some pics. I painted the wheels with the AEV texture paint. I added a trailer extension so I can open the rear door.
(the trailer looks a little skewed because I had backed it up on a leveling block.)

 

[SSF556]

Me likey a lot.....I get first dibs on the trailer if you ever sale it....

 

[Jwood]

Very nice rig!

 

[udoxx]

the Pentastar and new tranny are IMHO well worth the approx 4% of interest. In real world driving, the difference between my old '08 and the '12 (identical set-up, 4 door Rubi with auto and 4:10 gears) is much bigger than it appears just during the test drive.

AGREED!