Equipped for Everywhere: Inside AOE4x4’s Ultimate JK Build

A JK Built for Unknown Adventure

Overlanding was a foreign word to Alex Carvallo. Growing up along the Venezuelan seacoast, a 30-minute drive north of the capital city of Caracas, traversing tough terrain was a way of life. If you lived in La Guaira, and had to take care of business in Caracas, you rode the La Guaira-Caracas highway, but going anywhere else required honest assessment of your vehicle and driving prowess—of the wear-and-tear it could withstand, and of your ability to navigate rapidly changing landscapes.

With Venezuela being one of the ten most bio-diverse countries on the planet, and a place where automotive parts and resources are scarce, vehicle owners don’t order equipment to modify rigs; those wishing to visit other corners of the country build vehicles with the parts available and all terrains in mind. The same rig that carries your family safely to the capital is the same rig you use to crawl over what is left of the Carretera Vieja or the Medanos de Coro in the northwest. To navigate the diverse landscapes of Venezuela with any success, one must build with jungles and deserts in mind.

Confident in the build, Carvallo said, “It could go anywhere—the desert, Alaska, Baja, Australia—it doesn’t matter.”

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American Overland Expedition

It makes sense that the parts and products Carvallo sells today are known to withstand tough terrains. As the owner of American Overland Expedition, Carvallo has built a successful business designing, manufacturing and selling premium off-road equipment, specializing in body armor (bumpers, rocker guards), recovery gear and equipment.

However, while his products are top shelf, it’s the vehicles outfitted with his equipment that garner the most attention. Such is the case that, in 2016, Carvallo and his team at American Overland Expedition (AOE4x4), were asked by a customer to build the most durable, trail-worthy JK that money could buy.

The customer also requested that Carvallo’s latest product, the Model X-plorer XL Family Off-Road Trailer, be included in the modifications. If the vehicle were outfitted to withstand any environment, then the Model X-plorer would allow the passengers to travel and sleep comfortably almost anywhere they desired.

The Model X-plorer XL

The customer (who wishes to remain anonymous) presented his 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon with the instructions to make the rig durable and livable. Fortunately, for he and Carvallo, the AOE4x4 Model X-plorer is not your average trailer.

Featuring an aluminum body, the entire trailer only weighs 800 pounds, making it durable and easy to tow. At 12-feet long and 70-inches wide, the trailer offers plenty of space for multiple uses, including cooking, storage and sleeping.

An integrated Ursa Minor Vehicles camper pop-up roof tent allows two to sleep above; as is the case with the JK, all four passengers can fit comfortably in a tent, thanks to the Ursa Minor J30 pop-up camper that is attached to the roof, as well. Ursa Minor’s campers have become very popular with the Jeep crowd recently, and for good reason. Its low profile adds only six-inches to the JK’s height, while minimizing wind noise and maintaining fuel economy.

The infused composite hard top saves weight, insulates the interior, dampens noise and will not corrode. The camper can also be outfitted with any number of factory-offered options, including roof racks, solar chargers and internally mounted power outlets.

A fridge and stove compartment, in addition to a 28-gallon water tank, make it easy to prepare and cook food. Perhaps most impressively, however, is a product called twin isolation material, which is packed in between the aluminum and inner wall of the tent, allowing for warmer evenings and cooler mornings. If you want to sleep until 11 a.m. in the trailer, you can do it. In the summer, in any other tent, you will feel like a sunny-side-up egg by 7 a.m.

Another notable feature is the trailer’s deployment time: Undo the latches, and the trailer will be operational in two minutes. And when moving, the trailer sports a “rock n’ roll” three-axis hitch, electric brakes, and an independent suspension featuring Bilstein shocks 2.0. It’s built to go anywhere and bring some of the comforts of home with it. Impressed? The modifications to the Jeep are even better.

Smart Suspension

By now, the JK was definitely livable. But was it durable—able to go anywhere? The main challenge of modifying the JK was finding the right suspension.

However, not knowing where the customer intended to take the JK, or what kind of expeditions were in the making, led Carvallo to remove the factory suspension and replace the system with a 3.5-inch RS DualSport suspension from AEV.

The new suspension was perfect for the customer’s desire to sweep long distances both on and off the road. By optimizing the proper geometry of the JK’s control arms, track arms and steering, the RS Dual Sport suspension would offer unparalleled cornering and braking capabilities, as it accommodates the JK’s new height (the 3.5-inch suspension can house 35-inch tires).

The coil springs have also been tuned so they oscillate together, allowing for a balanced ride on the road, or far away from it. Altogether, the suspension truly offers a “dual” existence for the JK—the perfect system for any overlander open to the idea of adventure anywhere.

Stealth and Armor

Water tanks are essential when overlanding; unlike typical tanks, which may be installed where a rear tire should be kept or hog up space in the trunk, Carvallo installed the custom 13-gallon AOE4x4 Water Tank near the JK’s muffler, where you typically don’t find spare water tanks. This brilliant move saved enough storage for a 50-quart ARB Fridge, Partner Steel Cook Partner dual burner stove and JK aluminum propane bracket.

A Rock Hard 4×4 oil pan, transmission skid plate, transfer-case skid plate and fuel-tank skid plate protect the vitals underneath the JK, while  a set of ARB diff covers protects the differentials. For protection along the center of the JK, AOE4x4 rock sliders were welded into place.

In the front, for looks just as much as for protection, an AEV Premium Bumper and AEV front skid plate serve as armor against debris and other unwanted bumps that may arise on any given journey. You’ll also notice a Warn 9.5cti-s winch mounted in the bumper for potential recovery needs. Beefing up the rear is an AEV bumper and tire carrier.

AEV’s versatile rear bumper can be equipped with everything from a Hi-Lift jack, Pull-Pal winch anchor, CB antenna, shovel and more. It’s seen here with their Fuel Caddy and Hi-Lift mount. The AEV Fuel Caddy, seen behind the spare tire, is stealthy and provides 10.2 gallons of extra fuel for those long excursions far from a filling station. Its high-mount position protects it from impacts and makes gravity feed into the main tank a breeze.

While the engine didn’t receive extensive modification, it did get an IBS dual battery system with an LED battery monitor and Odyssey batteries. Plus, an AEV snorkel was added to help the beast breathe when it has to ford a river.

Helping put the factory 24-valve V6’s power to the ground are 17-inch AEV Pintler Beadlocks, wrapped in four beefy BF Goodrich KM2 35 x 12.5 R17s. To top them off, a Vector Off Road JKE-Dock secures a dual band Yaesu FT-857D ham radio, a 2,000-watt power inverter, ARB dual air compressor and AEV seat covers.

Discreet, forward-facing auxiliary lighting was mounted to the Jeep: A Wurton 50-inch light bar sits up top, and a pair of Wurton Scout LED Cubes rest at the base of the A-pillars. The fog lights located in the front bumper are by Vision X.

Altogether, the JK certainly met the customer’s request for a machine that could last and be lived in. Some might suggest the extent of modifications was superfluous, but those who have ever been on extended excursions know better. When the JK is your only home for a stretch of months, and the only thing that keeps you, your loved ones and belongings safe in a foreign country or on some unknown trail, all mods and equipment that make life easier are welcome.

“[The trailer is] built to go anywhere and bring some of the comforts of home with it. Impressed? The modifications to the Jeep are even better.”

Where to Next?

For Carvallo, the answer to that question is easy. The American Overland Expedition team is already geared to descend upon the 55th Tierra Del Sol Desert Safari. Expecting roughly 5,500 guests, the team is looking forward to hitting the Red Earth Trail, and mixing it up with fellow trail enthusiasts in the San Diego area. As for the beautiful, blue Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 2016, the answer to that question is not as clear.

Carvallo drew on his automotive know-how and experience growing up in Venezuela to build the JK to handle anything, and to go anywhere, and that’s hopefully what it will be used for. When the customer came to pick up the JK, he left no clues as to where the JK would meet its first adventure. Confident in the build, Carvallo said, “It could go anywhere—the desert, Alaska, Baja, Australia—it doesn’t matter.” And truly, as long it goes anywhere, in any way, with no end in sight, it really doesn’t matter.

UPGRADES

2016 Jeep wrangler Unlimited Rubicon

ENGINE: Jeep 3.6L V6, AEV Snorkel, IBS Dual Battery System with LED Battery Monitor, Odyssey Batteries

SUSPENSION: AEV 3.5 RS Dual Sport Suspension, Rear Air Lift AirBag Helpers

DRIVETRAIN: Dana 44 Front & Rear Solid Axle, 4,88 Gears and Factory Lockers, 4.1 Rock Trac Transfer Case, 4 Wheel Disc Brakes, 6 Speed Manual Transmission

WHEELS & TIRES: 17-inch AEV Pintler Beadlocks/BF Goodrich KM2 (35×12.5 R17)

ARMOR: AEV Premium Front Bumper, AEV Front Skid Plate, Rock Hard 4×4 Oil pan and Transmission Skid Plate, Transfer Case Skid Plate, Fuel Tank Skid Plate, ARB Diff Covers, AEV Rear Bumper & Tire Carrier

LIGHTING: Wurton 50-inch Light Bar, Wurton Scout LED Cubes, Vision X Fog Lights

ACCESSORIES: Warn 9.5cti-s winch; AEV Heat Reduction Hood; AOE4x4 Rock Sliders; AOE4x4 13-gal. Water Tank; Ursa Minor J30 Camper Pop-Up Tent; Vector Off Road JKE-Dock; Yaesu FT-857D; 2,000W power inverter; ARB Dual Air Compressor; AEV Seat Covers; AT Combo Slider Fridge and Stove; ARB 50-Qt Fridge; Partner Steel Cook Partners Dual Burner Stove; JK Aluminum Propane Bracket and 5-lb. Propane Tank

TRAILER: AOE4x4 Model X-plorer XL Family Off Road Trailer equipped with; Ursa Minor Pop-Up Camper; AOE4x4 28-gal. Water Tank; Electric Brakes; AOE4x4 Drawer System; 3-axis hitch; Tepui Awning; 1.5 gallon propane tanks