If you own a Jeep JK Wrangler (any Wrangler from 2007 to current) then you may be new to off-roading and 4x4 owning. It’s a fact that many new Jeep Wrangler owners are also new to the whole four-wheeling thing; we see it every day as veteran off-road guys. Lots of new Jeep owners buy a JK because it can fit the whole family and is sporty and adventurous, and they’ve always wanted a Jeep. Also, as a new Jeep owner you may not know that it’s cool to wave at other Jeep owners, take your new Jeep off-road, and work on it yourself. There are plenty of 4x4 shops that will gladly work on your Jeep for you, and we fully support you doing that, but we also want new and old Jeep owners to realize that there are a lot of things they can do themselves in their garage or driveway. For example, we just installed a Jeep lift kit in two days in our driveway with minimal hand and power tools, and so can you. Don’t feel bad if you’d rather support your local 4x4 shop, but also don’t be scared to try and wrench on your junk at home.
(By the way, junk isn’t derogatory; it’s an affectionate term for someone’s 4x4).The Jeep Wrangler with OEM Hard Top is 71” tall (1.8 m or 5’-10.8”.) Mounting a J30 or J180 will increase the height by 6" depending on options selected: With racks (J30 Only): As there are a large number of attachments offered by Thule & Yakima, the best resource for total height of rack + attachments is the Thule or Yakima website. For a rough idea, Many modern suburban garages are 7’-6” or more, leaving sufficient room for a Jeep with camper, but you may need to remove the racks depending on your choice of accessories. Note that we are unable to mount racks on the J180 (Habitat) due to the impact on the torsion spring and possible interference when opening. For the J30 with optional rack mounts and rack: The JK Habitat is AT's name for the J180 top, there is no difference in the core camper. The J30 and J180 fit: The J30 and J180 will NOT fit:
We evaluated the potential to design a camper top for a 2 door jeep, and do not at this time expect it to be feasible. The LJ had a very limited production run, and the 2007 to 2014 JK 2 Door is just short enough that we don't have a good way of adding standing room or an access way, and the bed would be quite short. If you have a 2 door, the best choice for vehicle based camping is a external rack with a roof top tent. Installing a J30 or J180 does not require utilizing any parts or components from the OEM Hard or Soft tops. If you are buying a new Jeep, the base Jeep will come with a soft top. You can upgrade to a hard top at purchase for $995, but a new one from Jeep is about $2500 plus shipping. This difference in price means an OEM top could be sold for $1500 - $1750, which nets $500 - $750 to apply to an Ursa Minor top. Soft tops are a bit harder to sell, but you still might get $300 - $500 for a brand new one. Check ebay, or your local craigslist to see what prices are for used tops in your area.
The easiest place to see a camper is our facility in Chula Vista, CA where we build and install them. For those outside Southern California, that can be challenging. It's straightforward to remove the camper, but calling it easy relies on having the team, skills and equipment needed on hand. While the steps are similar to removing an OEM hard top, the weight and awkward size of the camper tops makes installing or removal a task that involves preparation. We convert Honda Elements into pop-up campers - but that's the only other vehicle we are working with at this time. As we develop other pop-up camper conversions, don't worry - it'll be big news on our website! We elected to go with gray as a neutral color that hides the dirt & grime that seems to accompany outdoor adventures. You'd be surprised how much room we squeezed out of the Jeep. The sleeping area is 7 feet long and is 4 feet wide at the widest point. Due to the sloping roof, the height of the sleeping area changes over the length of the car.
At the front of the car where your feet go, the height is 12". At the back of the car where your head goes, the height is 42". With the top raised, standing room in the access way is about 6’6”. The Jeep as a camper base is fantastic for off road adventures, but it is not a van. The camper has an access way to enable entry/exit from the bed and to provide standing room, but the size of this access way is limited by the OEM roll cage. We do not modify the roll cage as part of the conversion. With limited space inside, one approach to add cooking capabilities is similar to a tear-drop trailer. A stove, refrigerator,storage drawers and table are added at the rear to create a galley, and used while standing at the open tail gate. While this is a fair-weather kitchen, it is also recommended that in bear country you cook some distance from the camper to avoid having an ursa major check out your Ursa Minor! Installation of a rear galley can be quoted, sourced and installed on request.
Yes, the interior of the J30/J180 is fully lined with black carpet. The area above the driver/navigator seats can also be customized with our Navigator map pockets and storage.Though you can move the Jeep around in a camping spot if it's less than 50 feet of distance or so. Due to changes in the engine over the course of production, the mpg rating for the Jeep differs depending on year. We can say that the addition of a J30 or 180 camper will not impact your mileage significantly, if at all. Adding racks will cause a 1 - 2 mpg loss, and we recommend removing the cross bars if you will not be carrying a load for best mileage. Yes, we can ship domestically or worldwide. There are two cost elements to shipping a hard top: Typical crating charges run about $450, but you will have enough wood to build a workbench, tree-house or have a nice bonfire (after removing top!) Transport cost varies widely, especially as the price of fuel goes up or down. For international shipments, crating costs increase due to the need to use heat-treated lumber for the crate to meet regulations.