Thinking of building a Jeep Gladiator Overland Rig? Need some inspiration? Look no further, because in today’s episode of Dude, I Love (Or Hate) My New Ride, Andre takes us for a tour of a spectacular Gladiator overlanding rig.
The Jeep belongs to Joey Parent, and he’s done a lot to his truck to make it both very capable and comfortable while off-road. Joey mentioned that he previously off-roaded in Nissan Xterra’s, but he wanted to switch to something with a longer wheelbase with a solid front axle and lockers, so the Gladiator platform was a no brainer.
The Basics
The first thing that stands out about this rig is the color. It’s called Hydro Blue Pearl, and is a factory Jeep color, but its by far my favorite color available. Joey also opted for the EcoDiesel engine in his Rubicon because he liked the additional torque that engine provides. The truck also has a 4.5″ FOX 2.5 suspension lift, and is fitted with 37×13.5 Cooper Discoverer STT Pro tires on Method wheels. Joey also re-geared the axles to 4.88s and added a FOX steering stabilizer.
The front bumper has been replaced by a Hefty Fabworks stubby front bumper, which has a Warn winch, off-road lights, and recovery points built right in. The rear bumper is still the factory unit, but Joey plans on swapping that out soon to match the front. Underneath you’ll find Metalcloak skid plates, which fit well and have a unique color to them.
The Alu-Cab!
The centerpiece of this build is the Alu-Cab camper mounted in the bed. It’s a fully aluminum pop-up camper that expands/collapses extremely easily. When you climb inside, you have a small living area where Joey keeps all his off-road and camping gear. There’s a platform bed that can be pushed up to create more standing room when nobody is sleeping. Inside there’s a diesel heater which pulls fuel from the Jeep’s factory tank, so Joey doesn’t need to worry about an auxiliary diesel tank. There’s integrated interior lighting and mesh screen windows to seal the whole camper off while still allowing airflow. Also, the side panels can be flipped up to create a patio area with even more fresh air.
Attached to the outside of the Alu-Cab camper is a 270-degree awning for some quick shade. On the roof of the camper Joey has a 160-watt solar panel to charge the marine battery, which runs the fridge/freezer and all the lighting. Joey said he’s run the fridge for a week with no issues running the battery out of charge.
Joey’s Gladiator is near the top of the line being a Rubicon, but it’s missing some features like leather seats and some of the safety tech. The truck had an MSRP of $63,500, and he then spent about $16,500 on the wheels, tires and suspension. The Alu-Cab the way its set up was about $21,000 including labor, which puts the total price for this rig right around $100,000. The Alu-Cab camper might be expensive, but it seem like the best way to go. We’ve used rooftop tents in the past, and nothing looks as easy or as well built as the Alu-Cab. Big thanks to Joey (@IKNOWBLUEBERRY) for bringing in his Jeep for us to take a look at. Don’t forget to head over to TFLstudios so you don’t miss any more awesome builds like this!
