Cool stuff that makes our trip better.
Ultimate Adventure is a great way to test the parts and products that companies have put time and research into, but we've also seen many home-brewed tricks that made the trip that much easier on drivers. Here is a mix of cool new products and ingenious ideas that could be future products. Feel free to copy at will.
Super Fred!
With a name like Fred he has to be smart, and Fred Perry proves it again with his new stretched Jeep TJ. His favorite trick? Using a Chris Durham Motorsports (CDM) fiberglass Good Hood, and lowering the grille and radiator so that it sits down even lower over the engine. From the driver seat Perry doesn't even see the hood, just the dash and the trail ahead of him. To keep the CDM Good Hood from disappearing while visiting the seedy parts of town, Perry went and installed these hood-lock kits (PN 1472) from Mr. Gasket instead of vulnerable hood pins.
CJ Secret
Got a square-headlighted Jeep YJ, but want a round-headlighted Jeep CJ? Rather than start over, just cover the square holes with round holes and insert lights. You'll keep the stronger YJ frame and modern dash yet can sneak onto the CJ-only runs.
Holy Flat Belly!
Stephen Watson rotated his 203-205 Off Road Design doubler and was able to give his Blazer buggy a belly almost as flat as Pw after a week of camping with no Corona. Thus even with a 120-plus-inch wheelbase he rarely got high-centered.
Safe Shafts
When on Ultimate Adventure you never know what spare parts you'll need. John Hughbanks brought spare front and rear driveshafts and mounted them to his cage using a bracket for his CV flange to bolt to, and a pinion yoke welded to the rollbar at the other end. This kept them close at hand, but still protected from bobbling heads in a rollover situation.
Say "Wipe"
Jeeps are notorious for wipers that are either too slow or too fast with no intermittent setting. Keith Bailey put a floor-mounted momentary switch next to his high-beam switch, and he can now have hands-free voice-activated wipers. Just say "wipe," tap the button, and you get one clean sweep.