Technical > Installation Guides
The Xxxpedition Vehicle
A different kind of expedition rig
story and photos by Sven & Magdalena Schlogl
We have had this dream of driving to Alaska, discovering the wilderness and experiencing the remoteness — somewhere not everybody can go. To live this dream we knew we had to build a vehicle that could stand up to this task.
Most likely, you have read about cool show trucks, marveled upon extremely built rigs, and admired a handful of stories about expedition vehicles. But you probably haven’t seen a combination of the last two. This article describes exactly such a vehicle. Of course there has to be a certain compromise — you cannot go rock crawling with a full bathroom and a king size bed in the back.
After some research we decided to use a Jeep Cherokee as our base vehicle and purchased a used one to start our custom modifications. This rig has ideal outside dimensions, decent interior space and the aftermarket is considerable.
An air quick disconnect is conveniently mounted on the hood for easy access to inflate tires, etc. Air pressure is provided by dual air compressors. |
Custom fabricated insect screens protect us from mosquitoes and other unwanted critters. |
Some readers might recognize our rig as featured in the Crosscountry USA articles in earlier issues. Since then it has become even more suited for our kind of traveling. It was specifically built up for a journey through the extreme areas of Alaska and the four wheel trails and absolute remoteness of America’s northernmost state — the 2005 Alaska XXXpedition. With the help of many sponsors we were able to modify the vehicle to its current stage.
The dash mounted gauges monitor the air pressure in the air bags on the rear axle. The switches control the lights on the roof rack and bumper. |
These custom-built compartments store clothes, food and miscellaneous items. |
The CB antenna is located between the wipers just in front of the windshield to keep it out of reach of branches. Maybe an odd location, but it has proven to work.
The interior was the first to undergo transformation. We have spent many nights in tents and after experiencing sand, rain and snow storms we decided it was time for a hardtop shelter. Additionally it was quite time-consuming to erect and take down our tent every day. I took out the back seat and built two compartments — one which fits the trunk area, and another that can fill the void of the removed seat. Together they create a platform for a foam mattress. The storage compartments offer plenty of space for clothes, food and miscellaneous items, and with the foam mattress as insulation from underneath and plenty of warm blankets we will be ready to challenge the cold nights in the surrounding glaciers. Generally we prefer backcountry camping but every once in a while the amenities of campgrounds are a welcome alternative. For more privacy in civilization, all rear windows were limo-tinted, and the back doors were equipped with insect screens to keep out annoying bugs (we had heard that Alaska’s mosquitoes are gigantic). And Air Visors allow us to open the windows about five inches even in unpleasant weather conditions.
The rear Air Lift Load Controllers keep the truck level under full load. The brackets are stock Cherokee and the bags are for a full size truck to accommodate the additional suspension height.
In the cockpit, a ceiling-mounted CB radio helps the communication and a GPS provides geographical information. An overhead shelf stores little items which we like to keep handy. The ARB Air Locker controls are in the center console next to the parking brake for easy access. Additional switches on the dash work the off-road lights on the bumper and roof rack. AC and DC outlets were distributed throughout the dash and trunk area for convenience. After all, we have to keep a laptop, camera, phones, portable fridge and all kinds of gadgets charged and power outlets are hard to find in the wilderness.
The exterior received major modifications to tackle the rough terrain, starting with a 6-inch Skyjacker Rock Ready lift to gain elevation. This makes room for 33-inch ProComp Xterrain tires on black Rock Crawler wheels. Even when traction is lost they keep spinning through ARB Air Lockers in the rear Dana 44 and front Dana 30, both stuffed with 4.56 gears. The driveshaft angle problem was solved by installing a Skyjacker Slip Yoke Eliminator Kit and a Tom Wood’s driveshaft. All fenders had to be trimmed, especially the front ones, to prevent tire rubbing which occurs under extreme flex of the Skyjacker suspension. Underside protection is guaranteed by Skidrow and custom skid plates; the front and back end are equipped with Durango 4x4 bumpers. The engine is mostly stock but inhales through a Safari Snorkel and exhales through a Borla header and cat-back system. Cooling is managed by a four-core radiator and a hood-mounted heater core with fan. Cherokee owners are familiar with the overheating issues, and since we often play in the desert heat, this set-up is not overkill — although in the northern regions we should not have to worry about that too much. The engine compartment also houses two batteries and dual compressors. A third compressor is located on the roof rack. This provides enough air for the tires and the Air Lift Load Controller which keeps the truck level even if loaded up.
The Borla exhaust tip had to be modified. On stock vehicles the tip sits just below the leaf springs. Obviously, this does not work on this lifted truck, so I whacked off the S-bend and re-welded the tip so it is ducked out of harm’s way. |
A two-row heater core provides additional cooling for those hot desert days. |
The front bumper holds a Warn winch to help out in those unpreventable situations while the rear carries a spare tire, a gas can and a Hi-Lift jack. The hood was covered with rubber paint to limit reflection when driving into the sun, and to create a non-slippery surface for a convenient table. To top off the vehicle, a Con-ferr roof rack was modified by George from 4xFlyin in Chatsworth, CA. It provides space for a second spare tire, storage boxes, fire extinguisher and Pro Comp lights to illuminate our surroundings once the sun goes down.
The front fenders were trimmed radically. The tremendous flex of the Skyjacker suspension lets the tire travel far beyond the stock wheel well opening.
With a lot of time and effort we were able to build a rig that fits our requirements perfectly. Our XXXpedition 2005 to Alaska will be the hard reality check for this new set-up. Look for a full report about this upcoming trip from Los Angeles to Alaska and back.
If you want to find out more about the progress of the vehicle and our trips, visit our website: www.xxxpedition.com.