GraniteCrystal build thread

Rotopax Review

Rotopax Review
Original Writeup:
http://wayalife.com/showpost.php?p=711283

I'm pretty disappointed with these. I live at 5,500' and often go up to more than 10,000'. This trip we went to 13,000'. Before the trip, I did my best to fill up the Rotopax gas can as full as possible. This should limit the expansion of whatever vapor is left inside at higher elevations or when subjected to heat (i.e. the sun). It's pretty hard to get all the air out though so there was a small pocket of air still in there. Just with that small amount, I still found the can to be swelling as we climbed. I did my best to relieve the pressure, but that's a huge pain to do when your cans are mounted by weaving a tie-down through them on the roof rack. A couple days in I relieved the pressure and then went to mount the can again. It leaked. This isn't the first time this has happened where it develops a slow but steady trickle leak. I cranked down on the sucker are hard as I could, but as soon as the can inverted it started dripping. Not sure what's going on there. Only seems to happen at higher elevations after it's been expanding. Seems like a lot of money for a can that develops a leak fairly easily.

Conclusions: I need to find a way to bleed the pressure off the can in real time so it isn't swelling. I think I'll
1) Call Rotopax and see if I can get them to send me a new one, explaining that this one leaks
2) Mount the cans vertically. I'm thinking on the tire carrier or vertical mount on the side of the roof rack. Then I can drill/melt a suuuuper tiny hole in the top that will bleed the pressure as I drive
 
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Removable Rear Storage Review

Removable Rear Storage Review
Original Writeup:
http://wayalife.com/showpost.php?p=714221

By far the biggest disappointment of the trip, only because it also did the most trail damage to the Jeep (ironic). The problem is three fold:
1) The boxes aren't held together tight enough by the butterfly clips. The clips are too close together so there is insufficient downward pressure
2) The boxes move quite a bit in the back of the Jeep in the front/back direction
3) There is quite a bit of metal on the end of the box in the form of the handle, butterfly clip, and edging

All that together meant that by the 3 day after going through Taylor Pass, this is what my gate looked like:
IMG_20160823_145301.jpg

Yep, those suckers actually scratched all the way down to metal. Thankfully it's inside the Jeep and I can probably cover it up or do a spot fix but still sucks.

Conclusions: I need to either replace the boxes entirely with something plastic or
1) increase the distance between butterfly clips so top and bottom boxes are more securely mounted
2) Plasti-dip the handle and butterfly clips
3) secure the boxes in the front/back direction as well

They fit my gear really well and I like small projects so I'm leaning toward just further modifying them. We'll see...
 
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Evo ProTek Skid Review

EVO ProTek Skid Review
Original Writeup:
http://wayalife.com/showpost.php?p=718728

So glad I had these. They now have one or two more good scratches on them and it was huge peace of mind that they were under there protecting me when wheeling alone at 13,000' and going over some challenging sections. I highly recommend putting something under there if you'll ever be in a situation where a tow out could be expensive. It only takes once and these things are paid for.

IMG_20160826_153143.jpg
 
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Hammock Hanging System Review

Hammock Hanging System Review
Original Writeup:
http://wayalife.com/showpost.php?p=735653

This worked awesome. The first night we slept by the lake, which you can't reach by Jeep. The third night we opted for sleeping in a grove of trees as there was a big storm coming (never actually hit us). So we only used them for one of the three nights but that's long enough to know there are no issues here. Each of the hangers had no trouble suspending a 185lb man in a hammock for the entire night. Never heard one creak or groan from the metal. Really happy with this setup.

IMG_20160820_190850.jpg

IMG_20160820_192631.jpg
 
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Driver's Seat Storage Review

Driver's Seat Storage Review
Original Writeup:
http://wayalife.com/showpost.php?p=738283

This worked great as well. Doors and top off for 4 straight days. Drove 75mph down the high way. Drove it on some nice sideways slants. Neither the charger nor the flashlight ever fell out. I'm really happy with it
 
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Fire Extinguisher Mount Review

Fire Extinguisher Mount Review
Original Writeup:
http://wayalife.com/showpost.php?p=740239

Another really disappointing one. One of the first things I did when we got back was unbolted it and worm clamped it to the rear roll cage again. Even with both drivers being tall guys and not moving the seat back and forth, I find it to be slightly in the way. The real break is that I don't want to have to rely on everyone being tall that drives it. Even with the fire extinguisher removed, the seat still catches on the bracket when you try to slide it forward.

Conclusions: side mounted fire extinguisher doesn't work well with 2.5lb extinguisher. Two things to do:
1) mount it on the rear roll cage (done)
2) I may purchase a 1lb extinguisher in the future and mount it along the drivers seat. I don't think it'd have any issues

Here is the tear in the seat that it actually caused when trying to move the seat forward:
IMG_20160826_145928.jpg

And here is how I have it mounted now:
IMG_20160826_145915.jpg

Anyone ever had issues with it coming out of that mount? It does make me a little nervous that it could fly off sometime when the top is off.
 
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Next Mods for the Jeep

My buddy and I sipped cocktails at Ajax Tavern at the foot of Aspen Mountain, having just completed this epic journey and discussed what each of us would want next in the Jeep. Here is what we came up with:

1) Bigger tires - 35s ok, 37s even better
It's easy to want other things: a cargo net or some new mirrors, or a sport cage or...but when you're up on a trail and the only thing between you and your camping spot/civilization/safety/etc is giant rocks, ALL you want is bigger tires. I don't think I'll do a single other mod to the Jeep until I'm on 37s. Seriously. We saw a few other guys up there; everyone was on 35s or larger and they were walking through stuff that we were skidding through.
2) Sliders - LOD or EVO
It would be really nice to be able to focus on the line in front of me without looking out my door so much to see if I'm hitting something next to me. These fall in the category of only needing something to happen once and they're paid for. One bent in door and I'll be wishing I put $400 into some LOD sliders (wife needs a step if we're going to 37s). This is possibly the only thing I'll do before 37s.
3) Trasharoo
This will go on the Christmas wish list. I hate dealing with plastic bags that are prone to ripping and just having those taking up room or leaking in the rear of the Jeep. Would love to put the spare tire to better use and have it carry my trash.
4) New Rotopax mount
This needs to get addressed before I try taking those with me again. Not sure what the long term solution is here.
5) Fix the Removable Rear Storage boxes
Again, this needs fixing before those go back in.
6) EVO Rock Star skids - http://www.offroadevolution.com/product/evo-mfg-rockstar-skids-jk-jku/
Hit the bottom of the rear lower control arms a fair bit. Getting another 1.5" of clearance and some more protection would be great. Less of an issue if I'm on 37s though.
7) Cargo net
A nice to have for peace of mind that things aren't flying out of the Jeep as I cruise down the highway with the top off. I'll keep watching Craigslist for a steal.

What about thoughts from others? Pretty much agree with those priorities?
 
BFG KO2 Tire Review

BFG KO2 Tire Review
Never did a write up for this one, but I wanted to call out how much I love these tires. My buddy remarked several times how he couldn't believe the abuse they were taking as he spotted me up the trail. Because we didn't have onboard air, we ran Halfmoon Creek with these at street pressure (34psi). Not a single flat on that trail or any other time on the trip. I really could've kissed my tires when we got home. They gripped everything I put them on, often times while still wet from a river crossing. They didn't pop or tear a sidewall. They just crawled. I don't know what to say beyond that. It'll be hard to convince me to go to a different tire, even once I go up to 37s.

IMG_20160821_191321.jpg
 
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GraniteCrystal said:
My buddy and I sipped cocktails at Ajax Tavern at the foot of Aspen Mountain, having just completed this epic journey and discussed what each of us would want next in the Jeep. Here is what we came up with:

1) Bigger tires - 35s ok, 37s even better
It's easy to want other things: a cargo net or some new mirrors, or a sport cage or...but when you're up on a trail and the only thing between you and your camping spot/civilization/safety/etc is giant rocks, ALL you want is bigger tires. I don't think I'll do a single other mod to the Jeep until I'm on 37s. Seriously. We saw a few other guys up there; everyone was on 35s or larger and they were walking through stuff that we were skidding through.
2) Sliders - LOD or EVO
It would be really nice to be able to focus on the line in front of me without looking out my door so much to see if I'm hitting something next to me. These fall in the category of only needing something to happen once and they're paid for. One bent in door and I'll be wishing I put $400 into some LOD sliders (wife needs a step if we're going to 37s). This is possibly the only thing I'll do before 37s.
3) Trasharoo
This will go on the Christmas wish list. I hate dealing with plastic bags that are prone to ripping and just having those taking up room or leaking in the rear of the Jeep. Would love to put the spare tire to better use and have it carry my trash.
4) New Rotopax mount
This needs to get addressed before I try taking those with me again. Not sure what the long term solution is here.
5) Fix the Removable Rear Storage boxes
Again, this needs fixing before those go back in.
6) EVO Rock Star skids - http://www.offroadevolution.com/product/evo-mfg-rockstar-skids-jk-jku/
Hit the bottom of the rear lower control arms a fair bit. Getting another 1.5" of clearance and some more protection would be great. Less of an issue if I'm on 37s though.
7) Cargo net
A nice to have for peace of mind that things aren't flying out of the Jeep as I cruise down the highway with the top off. I'll keep watching Craigslist for a steal.

What about thoughts from others? Pretty much agree with those priorities?
Click to expand...

Good plan. Sounds like solid advice to people building.
 
GraniteCrystal said:
2) Sliders - LOD or EVO
It would be really nice to be able to focus on the line in front of me without looking out my door so much to see if I'm hitting something next to me. These fall in the category of only needing something to happen once and they're paid for. One bent in door and I'll be wishing I put $400 into some LOD sliders (wife needs a step if we're going to 37s). This is possibly the only thing I'll do before 37s.

7) Cargo net
A nice to have for peace of mind that things aren't flying out of the Jeep as I cruise down the highway with the top off. I'll keep watching Craigslist for a steal.

What about thoughts from others? Pretty much agree with those priorities?
Click to expand...

I'll help you weld on the sliders if you go EVO.

As far as the cargo net, PM Catahoula. He was telling me about making some or buying some cheap Safari straps
 
WJCO said:
I'll help you weld on the sliders if you go EVO.

As far as the cargo net, PM Catahoula. He was telling me about making some or buying some cheap Safari straps
Click to expand...

Thanks. Wife likes the Lod more and I think they'll work better as a step, so going that direction. May still weld them on though just for more security; if so I'll let you know. Maybe we can have a Denver area shop day and all get together to work on the Jeeps.
 
Thanks for the reviews. Just a couple of ideas for you.

Expanded metal is hard on anything you weave through it. Because of the way they make it it has a ton of sharp edges. You could use the bungees to secure things up there. Their hooks will fit perfect in the gaps. Or if you can find some tie downs that have hooks that will go through the holes.

Gas will expand no matter what. It's the nature of the beast. It's why when we get fuel delivered we have to check the specific gravity to make sure we are getting what they say was on the truck when they loaded it. Granted it's a lot hotter down here but we are also practically at sea level. So your rotopax is probably leaking because of the pressure it's trying to hold back. On the planes our fuel systems always have a vent to let the pressure equalize, usually on the bottom or trailing edge of the wing, which is why you sometimes see fuel dripping from planes. As for a small hole to vent them use a self tapping roofing screw to make it. The rubber gasket will seal it up for when you want it tight and when you back it off or take it out it will bless the pressure. They also make poring the gas out easier. We use them on all our ventless cans.

Hope these help some.
 
Excellent write up - Thanks! I took a lot away from it.

My experience packing the Gobi roof rack was a nightmare. I was so rushed before my trip, because of work, I didn't have time to problem solve. I have a Gladiator cargo net that has eyelets that let you customize the size to a certain degree. It comes with great toe down straps that have carabiners for the eyelets, but the hooks' diameter is too small/shallow for the Gobi frame bars. I ended up using a ton of lashing straps and loops, with some bungee cords thrown in (I was really paranoid about the long haul from TX to CO on the highway.). Took forever to get anything down. I purchased these as my next experiment:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FYG685U/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (shoot! I see Amazon is saying they aren't available, and I wanted to order more[emoji17]. The Amazon price was better than the manufacturer's website.)

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EP2936/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N5A4IYQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
I didn't catch that you rotopax is leaking...it very well could be altitude related. Where's it leaking from?
 
rtbksmith said:
Just read your whole thread. Thanks for the write-ups, pictures and reviews.
Click to expand...

My pleasure! Glad you found them helpful.

DWiggles said:
Some awesome feedback on the thread! Your trip was spectacular as well!
Click to expand...

Thanks; it really was spectacular. Can't wait to get back up in the mountains.

Goldeneagle1LC said:
Thanks for the reviews. Just a couple of ideas for you.

Expanded metal is hard on anything you weave through it. Because of the way they make it it has a ton of sharp edges. You could use the bungees to secure things up there. Their hooks will fit perfect in the gaps. Or if you can find some tie downs that have hooks that will go through the holes.

Gas will expand no matter what. It's the nature of the beast. It's why when we get fuel delivered we have to check the specific gravity to make sure we are getting what they say was on the truck when they loaded it. Granted it's a lot hotter down here but we are also practically at sea level. So your rotopax is probably leaking because of the pressure it's trying to hold back. On the planes our fuel systems always have a vent to let the pressure equalize, usually on the bottom or trailing edge of the wing, which is why you sometimes see fuel dripping from planes. As for a small hole to vent them use a self tapping roofing screw to make it. The rubber gasket will seal it up for when you want it tight and when you back it off or take it out it will bless the pressure. They also make poring the gas out easier. We use them on all our ventless cans.

Hope these help some.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the thoughts. I like the idea of simplifying the way I weave the tie-downs through and just putting the hooks on the roof rack. Bungee cords are an option as well; I just trust a tie-down more. As far as it leaking, it only start leaking after I remove it, open the cap, bleed the pressure, and put the cap back on. It's as if the plastic itself no longer forms a good seal and the tolerances are off due to the expansion.

Can you describe the self-tapping screw idea? You're saying screw that into the plastic, then remove it and put a rubber gasket in it's place? Seems like there could be a good idea in there but I'm not entirely understanding. Have pics?

USMC Wrangler said:
Great reviews! Thanks!
Click to expand...

Glad you liked! Your rig is looking good lately too. Jealous of your 35s.

Jegar said:
Excellent write up - Thanks! I took a lot away from it.

My experience packing the Gobi roof rack was a nightmare. I was so rushed before my trip, because of work, I didn't have time to problem solve. I have a Gladiator cargo net that has eyelets that let you customize the size to a certain degree. It comes with great toe down straps that have carabiners for the eyelets, but the hooks' diameter is too small/shallow for the Gobi frame bars. I ended up using a ton of lashing straps and loops, with some bungee cords thrown in (I was really paranoid about the long haul from TX to CO on the highway.). Took forever to get anything down. I purchased these as my next experiment:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FYG685U/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (shoot! I see Amazon is saying they aren't available, and I wanted to order more[emoji17]. The Amazon price was better than the manufacturer's website.)

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EP2936/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N5A4IYQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Click to expand...

Those look interesting. If you give them a try please post back and let me know how they worked. Always looking for ideas.

WJCO said:
I didn't catch that you rotopax is leaking...it very well could be altitude related. Where's it leaking from?
Click to expand...

See response above in this post. It's leaking out of the cap no matter how much I tighten it.
 
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