EL PROPO
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- Feb 24, 2018
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So as the last few months have gone by I was slowly gathering goodies here and there lol , told the wife it needed “maintenance “ lol .
This truck is equipped with a camping shell …. But not an ordinary fiberglass shell. This is an RLD designs from South Africa it is retailed around 4500 bucks and is all stainless steel and powder coated to match. These shells claim to have the highest load rating so attaching a roof rack or tent or both will be no problem .
Next The gladiator was due for a butt lift. A rear high clearance bumper from dv8 was installed. The Install took about 1.5 hrs and a few Coors lights . I went on fairly easy and it accepted the rear park sensors which was a huge plus.
Next we bought a few trinkets red grill insert and some storage boxes and a buddy surprised me with a rough country cooler/ refrigerator . River Dave has seen it in action I am impressed with it battery power, solar, or plug in ability’s . This is mounted to a decked tool box system mounted to the bed floor.
Next I worked my way up front and installed a stubby fab fours front bumper 3/16th Steel with winch mount and fog lights. This took about 2 hours and some more beers lol . But the end result imo is an aggressive yet functional look. After the bumper install I finished it off with a Fab Four skid plate and a rough country 9500 lbs winch. So far so good loving the look and the winch works great from the tests I have done in the drive way.
Some of you may be wondering why I chose to do accessories first or bumpers or trinkets. Well to be honest supplier chain shortages took a toll on this build. I ordered a new wheel design from TIS offroad with a patented bead lip and waited over 3 months for a full set as I was only able to get my hands on 2 and needed 5 . As I waited till august when I was told July I was over waiting and with the help of a friend in bullhead Robert Ensly help sent the rod back and get me outfitted with 17inch KMC Beadlocks. And recommended the cooler discovery stt m/t 40/13.50/r17 tires.
Now the fun begins!
I got the tires mounted, sealed and balanced. Now my friend of many years the hero of this story comes in clutch at the 13hr. Steve Chubbuck owner of The Accessorie House in Montclair Ca. Provides everything from bed covers, wheels, tires, lifts to full builds.
I called and said I’m ready to go what are we doing? With the guidance of Steve and one of his knowledgeable associates Jason, we settled on the 4.5” evo mfg stage 4 overland enforce Hd kit. Upon asking when I can get an appointment, he said give me a few days we will make it happen.
So then comes the next hurdle I never planned to go insane with a jeep build , if you are familiar with jeeps it means “ just empty every pocket” I just wanted something functional that I could go trailing with and and hit some rocks if i choose to and mall crawl in style . So I was originally going to try the rough country shocks. Steve advised I go with falcons as they were a better option and more suited for what I wanted to do. But things don’t always go as planned. Falcons are not available now.
When you work with reputable businesses like The Accessorie house and the people who make it all go round , you sometimes get lucky . When I say lucky I mean it! I honelsty can’t say enough how excited I am for this build now! I get a phone call from the owner steve and he says I got some good….. I went head and got you the King Shocks 2.5” with reservoirs. WOW!!!!!!! I am floored kings are months if not a year out , I have asked may friends in the industry. The Accessorie House , Steve , and ,Jason made it happen!
So a week later her I am in the shop ready to help where I can and get this Jeep gladiator ready for the mall , desert, and ,mountains. Stay tuned for more progress. https://www.ahmotorsports.com/
+19096215953
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