SEMA 2024 – Jeep had four off-road ready builds that ranged from aggressive trail conquerers to overland getaway vehicles to weekend joyriders. Here’s the full gallery along with build sheets and mod lists for each, from Wranglers to Gladiators to Wagoneers!
Jeep Wrangler Lowdown
The Lowdown is what happens when you lose the front bumper, fit massive 42″ tires, and cram a 6.4L V8 Hemi into a Wrangler.
Custom carbon-fiber front fenders and hood add clearance and hold a plexiglass center section to show off that Hemi.
A red tinted “bikini top” lets light through.
Tires are 42×14.5R20 BF Goodrich Krawler T/A on RBP bead lock wheels. Axles are upgraded to handle the extra power and rotational weight.
The goal was to create more ground clearance and better approach/departure angles without raising the vehicle’s suspension. It’s a modern take on the ’09 Lower 40 concept, which did something similar with a 2-door version on 40″ tires.
Jeep Gladiator High Top Concept
On the other end of the spectrum, this Gladiator High Top concept uses AccuAir adjustable suspension to let you lift the vehicle on demand to gain even more ground clearance.
It also gets a few prototype JPP parts, including flat fenders and…
…these killer swiveling lightbars. Each side can rotate and pivot, letting you aim them wherever you need while offroading, then tuck them back into a flat, forward-facing position on the road. Tucked in, they provide a full-width light bar thanks to the fixed center section, but both sides are adjustable.
The AccuAir adjustable suspension replaces the coils all the way around with air bags. A remote compressor and control switch. (See it in action in our Overland Expo East suspension roundup)
An adjustable Panhard bar lets you set it mostly level at your typical ride height…or adjust on the trail if you’re going to be out for the day and keep the suspension maxed out.
Jeep Willys Dispatcher Concept
This Jeep Willys concept is built on the all-electric 4Xe platform, but with a retro paint and design scheme harkening back to the originals.
It gets big 36″ tires, a Warn “Epic” series winch kit with massively oversized spool on a retro-styled bumper.
While we’d recommend reinstalling the headrests, it’s an otherwise solid nod to the past without giving up any of today’s safety and performance. It also gets a bit of a lift from the JPP suspension kit at the bottom of this post.
Jeep Wagoneer Vacationeer Concept
While the Wranglers all skewed “Off Road”, this Wagoneer Vacationeer concept is pure overland. In true overlander style, the 2nd and 3rd seats have been removed to make room for more gear, but also to make it easy to access the roof top tent from the inside:
The carbon fiber, hard-sided Skyloft rooftop tent has thus far only been available from Redtail Overland as part of a complete custom van build.
The rear of the tent has a pass-through into the inside of the vehicle, which makes it a permanent addition to the van, er, Jeep. The rear has sliding windows, and the side panels pop open for air flow, with smaller windows for a wider range of visibility.
The tent’s front hinge articulates slightly, adding a couple inches of extra foot room. The tent is big, with a 106″ interior length, plenty long enough for even the tallest people. Mattress is 78″ x 55″ x 3.5″.
On Redtail’s vans, the pass through opening is at the front (short) end of the tent, but here it looks to be at the back (tall) end. Presumably, once you climb inside, you should be able to cover the opening to slide the mattress to the taller part of the tent.
Here’s hoping this means Redtail will start offering their pass-through tent as a standalone option!
35″ tires on Method Bead Grip rims provide plenty of traction and improve ground clearance, with a 1.5″ lift helping out, too.
The seat upholstery has leather trim with custom fabric centers featuring various Jeeps inside the plaid.
Yeah, we’d drive this.
JPP Bilstein 2″ lift suspension upgrade kit
While most of the JPP “upgrades” are cosmetic, they are offering authorized 3rd party performance upgrades, too. This Bilstein 2″ Lift Kit adds the expected longer shocks and springs, but also adds travel thanks to a few other mods.
Longer lower control arms and sway bar connects correct the angles, and stiffer bushings help handle the loads from larger tires. There’s also a kit with Fox 2.0 shocks.
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