Sarge Green 392XR AEV JL370 Conversion

Sorry to steat the thread but Marriott is not what it used to be . I also have titanium status with Marriott and Diamond with Hilton, travel 300 plus days a year. Im really starting to like Hilton better. Marriott after COVID 19 has been shitty.

Marriott after the merger (in 2018) has been shitty. I always felt Starwood was better than Marriott when they were separate entities (I earned my status through SPG, not Marriott), and while they still have some very nice properties and excellent service, it is a far cry from what it used to be about 10 years ago where they would really roll the red carpet out for you. They've just gotten too big through the merger.

I have heard other friends that still travel frequently also comment that they are liking Hilton better now.
 
Hey, quick question for ya. Do you know if the bash plate amber bar light and the rear bumper back up light can be added after the fact?

I see that on the AEV site they have brackets for them and list which lights they use.
 
Hey, quick question for ya. Do you know if the bash plate amber bar light and the rear bumper back up light can be added after the fact?

I see that on the AEV site they have brackets for them and list which lights they use.

They can, but it requires some disassembly of the bumpers. Having installed the bumpers myself on my last Jeep, the disassembly you'd need to do (especially on the front if you don't add the brackets for the light bar at the time of installing the rest of the bumper) isn't exactly fun. It's not hard, it's just a bit tedious.
 
Well, the AAL mounting brackets arrived last week while I was jet-lagged out of my brain, so this week I will be working on installing the ARB Twin compressor and the Midland MXT575 under the seats.

Yesterday, I started extending the ARB compressor’s power harness, and cutting up the switch and solenoid harnesses to shorten them and get rid of the solenoid bits because I have no need for them. Luckily, I had some spare wire from my past wiring projects on my old JLU Rubicon, but I had to go to West Marine today for some additional wire (I cannot bring myself to use red wire to extend the ground). It is frustrating how difficult it is to find high quality, stranded copper wire locally. The only place that seems to sell quality stranded wire for automotive applications is West Marine, and they’re a bit of a drive for me.

As I got blocked by needing more wire yesterday, I went ahead and modified one of the mounting brackets and the Midland mounting bracket and now the brain of the MXT575 is mated to the AAL bracket.

If all goes well, I’ll finish up working on the ARB harnesses this evening and may even get the compressor and radio installed later this week.

I have an appointment to get my Artec aluminum belly pan skids installed early next week. In the process of looking through the installation instructions for the rear exhaust / muffler skid, I did notice something of importance to those of us with the AEV rear bumper on our 392s… the exhaust skid, in its current form, is incompatible with the AEV rear bumper; at least, without modification of the brackets that mount to the frame near the wheel wells that the skid hangs from. The AEV rear bumper’s corner tubes interface with the frame at the same point, and there is not enough tolerance there to accommodate putting the brackets between the corner tubes’ frame plate interface and the frame. Also, the outside-most skid plate bracket has a bend in it with a tab that sticks out, and without some cutting / grinding of this tab, it definitely wouldn’t fit under the frame plate on the corner tubes.

After that, I’ll pack the Jeep with the essentials and head to Moab for the AEV Lockhart Basin customer run. I’ll be camping in a fairly spartan way, by recent overland standards (ground tent *gasp*, no fridge *gasp*, etc.).
 
So, I put in a little more work tonight to finish extending the compressor's power harness (I have not joined it back with the rest of the harness, as it would make it impossible to get through the firewall). I also finished modifying the switch / solenoid harness to a much cleaner version which will work better for my installation and keep me from having a bundle of wire tucked up under the seat.

If, for some reason, down the line I need the solenoid harness, I'll order a new one.

I also went to West Marine and Home Depot earlier today and got the necessary bits and bobs to finish up the installation. I think I may tackle the radio installation first. I forgot to order the cowl antenna bracket from AAL in my rush to order stuff before I left the country, so I guess I'll be mounting the antenna on the rear mast... for the third Jeep in a row.

Here are some pics of the prep work...

The ARB power harness extension... I extended it about 6 feet to give myself a little working room. Easier to cut wire down than to extend it while working in a tight space. Extended the four AVS-5 wires with 10 AWG, which is roughly equivalent and is what ARB recommends when doing this. The smaller 5th wire is roughly 18 AWG, so extended it with the same.
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The modified switch / solenoid harness. I also extended the red/yellow and blue/white wires which provide illumination for the switch (blu/wht) and only allow the switch to function if the ignition is on (red/yel). I extended this with red 18 AWG wire so that I would be able to reach the power harness in the passenger footwell which provides power. I chopped probably 8 to 10 feet out of this harness. I'll cut the red wire down when I know the exact length of my run.
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The Midland MXT575 brain mounted to the AAL under seat compressor bracket using the mounting bracket Midland provided with the radio. I drilled out 1/4" holes in the mounting bracket, as well as matching holes in the AAL bracket to mate the radio brain with the under seat bracket.
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The ARB Twin compressor mounted up and ready for installation. I'll be using the AAL connection kit on the side of the driver's seat which will provide mounting for the air chuck and the power switch. If I was so inclined, I could order a connection kit for the passenger side and have an air chuck on either side of the Jeep.
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Well, I got after it this evening and got the Midland MXT575 GMRS radio installed. As I mentioned above, I forgot to order the cowl mount bracket from AAL, and since I'm going on AEV's private customer run in Moab In a little over a week, I'm pressed for time to get comms up and running, so I had to fall back to putting the antenna on the mast.

Luckily, I've run an antenna on the AEV tire carrier mast on my previous two Jeeps, one of which was also a JLU Rubicon, so the process was nothing new. I used AAL's ARB Twin underseat compressor bracket to mount the radio brain.

It's a super clean install... You cannot see any wires (except the mic extension wire that I have temporarily run... I have a panel mount passthrough extension on order that I will be putting into the side of the center console, but it's not here yet and it's an easy swap out). You cant even tell the radio is under the seat, nor can you even see the bracket from the front or side, and you can barely see it from the rear when the seat is all the way back. I was able to put my rear Mopar floor mat back in, with the front of it flipped up. Like this, you cannot even tell anything is different than stock.

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I tested the radio in the garage with one of the weather channels and the ducky antenna on, and it worked perfectly. I'll do a little more testing this weekend with a friend.

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I'll do the compressor install this weekend.
 
Yesterday, I tackled the compressor install and I am very happy with the results. All wire runs are loomed and all connections and terminations are soldered and secure. Since the compressor was going under the driver seat, I ran the harness across the back of the engine bay and secured it with some half-inch rubber-insulated loop clamps, and then through the firewall by drilling a wallowed-out half-inch hole in the factory grommet that covers the hole that the clutch cable would go through if the Jeep was a manual. This process was familiar to me, as it is (mostly) the same process I used on my old JLU when I installed American Adventure Lab's rear cubby compressor / aux battery system.

This also leaves a wiring option down the passenger side of the Jeep for when I eventually add something I have planned to the Jeep.

From the driver footwell, I then soldered the ARB harness to the harness extension I created earlier in the week, which I had already run under the carpet and under the trim paneling on the driver side. This left enough slack to easily plug in the compressor before pushing it under the seat.

I then finalized the switch wiring at the switch, connected the hose to the air chuck, and ran the consolidated ignition / illumination wire over to the passenger footwell and connected it into factory harness there, so that the compressor will only operate if the Jeep is running (and not even if it is "on" while under remote start).

Then I slid the compressor under the seat and bolted it down and bolted the connection kit to the mounting plate.

Super clean, hidden install. Just like I wanted.

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As I was wrapping up the compressor install, Amazon dropped off my RJ45 panel mount passthrough. I put it in the approximate location that a friend of mine did, knowing that this location would have the depth needed, that nothing was behind the trim at this position, and it would thus not require disassembly. The only interference is when moving up the passenger seat (which I do not do often), and it is easy enough to remember to disconnect the mic from the plug when doing that.

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As I was wrapping up the compressor install, Amazon dropped off my RJ45 panel mount passthrough. I put it in the approximate location that a friend of mine did, knowing that this location would have the depth needed, that nothing was behind the trim at this position, and it would thus not require disassembly. The only interference is when moving up the passenger seat (which I do not do often), and it is easy enough to remember to disconnect the mic from the plug when doing that.

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Do you have a link for that panel mount jack for the mic? I prefer that setup & location as opposed to a circular bulkhead mount mounted up higher.

Once I get to installing my ARB compressor, I may reach out to pick your brain about the harnesses. That’s some nice and clean work you’ve done so far!

Thank you!
 
Well, yesterday I got another couple of "mods" (LOL) done...

First, I checked the mail and my blackout plates had shown up, either Friday or Saturday. Not bad, considering I ordered them last Thursday... 9-10 day turnaround. It's bittersweet losing the OG plates that have been on the two previous Jeeps, but the blackout plates look way better with Sarge Green.

Second, I chopped down and re-gripped a shovel to fit the AEV tire carrier. AEV is requiring everyone carry a shovel on the trip, and this one had been sitting in my garage waiting on me to chop it down to size.

Got a couple more goodies for the trip inbound this week. Dropped the Jeep off this morning for the Artec bellypan skid install. Don't have the time or desire to do that myself; I did them on my old JLU and wish I had just paid someone.

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Well, I just picked up the Jeep from the shop and the Artec skids look fantastic. Wish I could have gotten the exhaust skid to work, but I'd rather have the AEV rear bumper and tire carrier, and I am currently working on a different solution for that.

While they were at it, I had them Fluid Film the underside of the Jeep and get rid of that bracket that Jeep added in mid-2022 in the passenger wheel well that looks like it will just get hung up on things on the trail. They did a great job on removing it. Can't even tell it was there.

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Well, I just picked up the Jeep from the shop and the Artec skids look fantastic. Wish I could have gotten the exhaust skid to work, but I'd rather have the AEV rear bumper and tire carrier, and I am currently working on a different solution for that.

While they were at it, I had them Fluid Film the underside of the Jeep and get rid of that bracket that Jeep added in mid-2022 in the passenger wheel well that looks like it will just get hung up on things on the trail. They did a great job on removing it. Can't even tell it was there.

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Looks nice and stout! I checked their website, the product description says 2022+ 392 but the pics show aluminum oil pan. Guess they didn’t update the pics?

It also says their skids increase 3/4” ground clearance, do you have an idea how could this be?
 
Looks nice and stout! I checked their website, the product description says 2022+ 392 but the pics show aluminum oil pan. Guess they didn’t update the pics?

It also says their skids increase 3/4” ground clearance, do you have an idea how could this be?

They recently redesigned the skids to account for both oil pan designs while improving the ground clearance versus the original design. Maybe that's what they're referring to.
 
I added what (I hope) are to be the last few "mods" before the trip to Moab.

First, my Element E100 fire extinguisher arrived Monday (kudos to High Country Performance 4x4 for the quick turnaround on that). I was also able to get ahold of their mountable carrying pouch in a pinch from a local overland supply store (Spirit of 1876).

I mounted it to the roll bar right above the driver door. I figure it will be easily accessible there until I get a more permanent mounting solution and placement figured out. I am hoping I never need it, to be frank.

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Another item that arrived Monday was the Overland Kitted Spare Tire Maxtrax Mount. I'm playing around with locations, as well as positioning of the two plates that are bolted together. I tried it mounted on the driver's side at first, but it impedes access to the tailgate handle a bit. On the passenger side (pictured) it will make contact with (and probably break) the taillamp, so that is a no go. I will ultimately switch it back over to the driver's side position for the trip. I haven't figured out a better way to carry the Maxtrax outside of the Jeep without a roof rack, and without blocking the 3rd brake light and backup camera. There is one company that makes mounts that go on the side of the hardtop, using the rain gutter, and they will hold mini Maxtrax (which I don't own) or Rotopax, but whoever runs their social media is an absolute brain dead moron, and decided to jump into a comment thread with me and shit on Jeeps and the Jeep community all the while talking shit to me, so I will never order their product, even though I was strongly considering it before that interaction. And, yes, I bought another set of Maxtrax to go with the color theme of the Jeep, because if you don't flex with your Maxtrax colors, are you actually overlanding?

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Lastly, the Factor 55 UltraHook with Rope Guard arrived, so I got that installed, while also removing the removable front license plate mounting bracket that AEV installed on the Jeep. I thought (for a second) about leaving the license plate mounting bracket on, but the UltraHook would not clear it.

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I love the Factor 55 stuff. I ran their Thimble, and then their FlatLink on my JK, along with the HitchLink 2.0, and I ran the FlatLink E and a HitchLink 2.0 on my old JLU Rubicon. Now the UltraHook on the 392. I need to get a HitchLink 2.0 for the 392 as well.
 
Today the DeepSleep4Jeep Solo Mat arrived, so I unboxed it and laid it out in the Jeep. I think once the foam core expands fully and it is able to inflate all the way (it's self-inflating), it will be a suitable solution for sleeping in the Jeep. I'm really trying to pack as light as possible for this overnight trip. Also, my Dometic CFX3 55IM arrived today, by surprise... It was early and also not supposed to be delivered to my house, so I'm glad I was still here.

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So, I went out to the Jeep to see how the DeepSleep4Jeep Solo Mat was looking. The foam looks to have expanded pretty nicely. I decided I would try to take a little nap on it to see how it felt, and I was able to get a 30 minute nap in pretty easily. As it is essentially a foam core air mattress, it is best to leave them out before a trip (and if you have the room, store them unrolled / inflated), so that they inflate faster during a trip. So I'll be leaving it like this until Saturday night before departing Sunday morning.

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So, I went out to the Jeep to see how the DeepSleep4Jeep Solo Mat was looking. The foam looks to have expanded pretty nicely. I decided I would try to take a little nap on it to see how it felt, and I was able to get a 30 minute nap in pretty easily. As it is essentially a foam core air mattress, it is best to leave them out before a trip (and if you have the room, store them unrolled / inflated), so that they inflate faster during a trip. So I'll be leaving it like this until Saturday night before departing Sunday morning.

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Mattress looks interesting. How easy is it to remove air for compact storage while not using?
How comfortable, similar to an air mattress?
 
Mattress looks interesting. How easy is it to remove air for compact storage while not using?
How comfortable, similar to an air mattress?

It's similar to most other inflatable bedrolls, most similar to Exped MegaMats. Easy enough if you know the technique (and DeepSleep is actually one of the manufacturers that is nice enough to include the proper technique in their instructions, whereas a lot of manufacturers don't).

Feels very similar to an Exped MegaMat. If you haven't tried one, go to REI and check one out. They'll let you try it out.
 
AEV Customer Run Day 1: Lockhart Basin

I'm breaking this writeup into two posts (day 1 and day 2), but the only way to describe this trip in a single word is "epic."

It was an early morning, as we were up before the sun and at the Spanish Trail Shell station south of town in Moab at 5:15AM for a drivers' meeting to go over the route, ground rules (spotters), etc.

We rolled out of the Shell station around 5:30AM and headed south on 191 toward 211. We hung a right onto 211 and headed west in the direction of Canyonlands National Park eventually hanging another right on Lockhart Road, which eventually intersects Lockhart Basin Road.

Once on Lockhart Road, we aired down and were treated to a stunning sunrise over the sheer red rock walls in the distance.

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Sarge green is right at home surrounded by the colors of the Utah desert.

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While airing down, AEV's videographer approached me about doing something special... More to come on that.

After we were all aired down, the convoy rolled out in search of our intersection for Lockhart Basin Road. The scenery, as always in Moab, was jaw dropping. The early morning sunlight playing all over the rock formations was a treat. Quite the sight to behold.

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Lockhart Road was a mix of hardpack dirt, some washboard, and whoops. The AEV suspension with the Bilstein 8100 reservoir shocks ate it all up. It also helps that I have refined and lightened my gear load over time. I actually brought more than I was planning to bring, as I was going to brew some fresh coffee for the group on Tuesday morning, but everything was still light and organized in my Zarges cases and Step 22 boxes / tool roll and fit neatly in the cargo area with the rear seats up, and a cargo strap over it all to keep it securely in place ensuring I didn't hear gear rattling or bouncing around in the back.

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As the convoy splintered off onto Lockhart Basin Road, the terrain became rockier and a little more technical, but nothing difficult - yet - just a little slower going. I dropped the transfer case into 4Hi and pushed the sway bar disconnect button to allow the front axle to articulate more and let the remote reservoir shocks up front eat up the terrain. Smooth sailing.

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Brian's AEV Hemi-swapped JKU 350 on 37s was super cool.

One thing that was really neat to me was seeing all of the various AEV rigs. There were JLUs, Colorado ZR2 Bisons, JKUs, and Gladiators. Such a treat to get to see and be part of that.

As we moved toward the intended camping spot, we took a couple of breaks from driving to stretch the legs and take in some scenery.

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Left to right: My buddy Zig's JKUR (homebuilt JK350 on 37s), my 392 JL370, Matt from AEV's JL370, and Rich Waitas's (from MagnaFlow) JL370. It was great seeing Matt in person again, and really nice finally meeting Rich in person after having interacted with him via Facebook for a while in the AEV group. It was also nice to meet John from AEV, who was riding along with Matt. He and I had some great conversations, as he rode with me a few times along the way.

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A wider angle of the convoy stopped to stretch the legs. Left to right: My 392 JL370, Matt Feldermann's (from AEV) JL370, Rich's JL370, Jackson Ellis's (from Glendale DCJR) 392 JL370, Nick Psoma's (from Peak Suspension) Colorado ZR2 Bison, Michale's Colorado ZR2 Bison, Brian's AEV Hemi-conversion JK350, Ben Hedrick's (from HEDRICK Speedsports) JL370, and Chris Wood's (from AEV) JL370.

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I was pretty impressed that the Overland Kitted Spare Tire Maxtrax mount did not budge an inch for the duration of the trip. I'm not really a fan of the hardware they provided to put the Maxtrax mount on the plate that interfaces with the spare tire, but I'll swap that out. The provided hardware uses Allen head bolts and nylock nuts, but the nylock nuts seem to seize up and Allen head bolts suck for things that need to be torqued down nice and tight. I'm going to swap to some stainless hex head bolts with lock washers instead of nylock nuts and see how that works out.

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Nick (middle), Michale, and Jackson climbing up the road.


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Rich and Matt following the convoy.

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Stopped for an early lunch.


Before lunch, the trail did get a little more technical but nothing the rigs couldn't easily handle. These Jeeps and Colorados on 35s and 37s with theAEV suspensions are just so capable, it takes a lot to slow them down. Once lunch wrapped up, the convoy got moving again and we continued in search of our intended camping location.

Just before 2PM, we arrived at what was supposed to be our camp location for the evening. Unfortunately, the location is pretty exposed and, while the temperature wasn't much of an issue (a little cool), the winds were howling and occasionally sandblasting us with dust and dirt (and the occasional small stone). AEV circled up the group and asked what we wanted to do: stay there, or press on down the trail to look for a less exposed location to camp (thus, pressing through into the sections of the trail that were supposed to be completed on day 2 of the trip). I pointed out that it was six in one, half dozen in the other, and chasing a better location might be a fool's errand. Ultimately, the majority of the customers voted to press on, so we did.

From there, things on the trail got more fun and technical. Some great little down hill sections as we descended into a small canyon to get to a lower bench in the basin below.

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Jackson spotting Chris down through a technical section.

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A great shot of me coming down the obstacle that Matt from AEV snapped.


Eventually, we were down on the bench below along the Colorado River, and the AEV trip leader asked again about staying here to camp. The other option, at this point, was returning to town. When polled, it seemed that about half of the customers in the group had back-up accommodations in town (*booooo* *hissssss*). The wind was still ripping and blowing dirt, dust, and sand around, and AEV then put the decision to a vote of their customers and said "we'll do whatever the majority of you want to do." I thought that was great of them, being willing to brave the weather if the vote favored doing so. Ultimately, the majority of the customers (not me and not Zig!!) voted to return to town. On our way back into town, I pointed out a few spots that we could camp in, in a last ditch effort to save camping for the night.

After arriving back in town, a few of us split off and went to a campground north of Moab to secure some camping spots, and then we headed to dinner where Matt and Jackson joined us. Matt from AEV then joined us at camp for the night. We shared some libations and some great conversation about AEV history and some of the cool rigs that have been built and used over the years, then hit the hay as we had to regroup at 7AM the next morning for the now updated second day of the trip.
 
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