Vehicle Model
2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk
Primary Category
Best SUV
Secondary Category
Best Home Built
Instagram @Venturethe395
Additional Info
We camp. We hike. We bike. We swim. We run around in the darkest hours of the night and we usually don’t pull into camp until the early hours of the morning.
I started the Jeep build with the intent to get us to far out places and wake up in the mountains for early morning sunrises and the darkest skies you can find. It quickly turned into a matter of convenience and comfort all while learning and performing all the installs I could.
I built the Jeep to help find campsites in the dark; first outfits were flashlights accessible all around the cab, power for auxiliary lights and a roof rack with 360 degree lighting. For 2 years, it’s been a game changing addition.
The WK2 platform has relatively limited aftermarket support so I ended up relocating the spare tire on a swing out in order to fit the auxiliary battery. After that, it became an organization game and I eventually fitted a self-made custom drawer unit in the interior. This has definitely taken a good amount of space and added some weight but keeps me from bringing too many superfluous camp items. Especially if we’re going out for just a weekend.
Having lived out of the car for weeks without any of these additions when I first got the car, made me realize how little we actually need. I did realize that I needed a new set of tires after I popped all the stock tires in Death Valley in 120 degree heat. Of course, I still like to go over the top so I went and fitted some 33″ tires without an aftermarket lift (seeing as there are no options for the air suspension). This involves knocking back the pinch weld, and some trimming of the front fender flares and a little bit of hammering back some fender flare tabs.
In short, I hope to keep the Jeep as close to stock for reliability as possible while still gaining the advantage of extra ground clearance and interior comforts. Otherwise, the Jeep is as it was, almost everything was bolt on, and the rest is an organizational game of Tetris.
Mod list:
-Chief Products Skid plates and Rock Rails
-Wilco Offroad Hitchgate solo hi-clearance Tire carrier
-Front Runner outfitters Drop down table
-Gobi Roof Rack
-Molle Platform Solutions molle panels
-Custom Drawer Unit
-Chief Products tie down reinforcement
-Custom Aux Battery and switch panel setup
-KC Hilites Gravity Pro 6 LEDs
-360 degree roof lighting (6x 3600lm floods + KCs)
-Black Rhino Trabuco 18″ x 8″
-Falken Wildpeak AT3w 275/70r18 (33″x11″)
