Black Betty - Our Main Overland Adventure Vehicle
I wanted to tell you more about a key member of our team, Black Betty our main Overland Adventure Vehicle. Betty is a 2014 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited. We bought her used in 2014 with about 74,000 miles on it, but she was in great condition. She was everything that I wanted; my favorite color black, leather interior, hardtop, and a Rubicon model with front and rear lockers, sway bar disconnect, 4 to 1 gear ratio, and other armor and suspension upgrades. It was a match made in heaven.
This vehicle was purpose-built specifically to fit our needs. It needs to be self-sufficient and carry everything that we need. It needs to be capable and able to take us wherever we want to go, even if the going is challenging. Finally, it needs to be reliable. We travel alone and often remote, it just has to work, period. We made these changes slowly over time once we had a chance to see what she could do. While she will always be a work in progress, here is a summary of the major changes and an update on where she stands today.
We left her stock for the first year or so and drove it as is. The Jeep Rubicon is extremely capable in stock form. We then made our first round of modifications in 2019; Arb Stubby Front Bumper, COMEUP SEAL Gen2 9.5s 12V Winch, Gobi Stealth Rack, Baja Designs 50” Lightbar, and sPod BhantamX with Touchscreen.
While a do a lot of my own work when possible, the only other people that touch my Jeep are the local Jeep Dealer, Franklin Chrysler, and Main Line Overland. The dealer handles general maintenance and repairs that either I don’t have the time or capability to handle. Main Line is my go-to partner for all of my aftermarket upgrades. Main Line Overland (MLO) is a full-service 4x4 and expedition vehicle outfitter. Their original location is in West Chester, PA but has since added locations in Bow, NH, and Charlotte, NC. I have only dealt with the people in Bow, NH and they have been fantastic. Main Line did the first modifications that I mentioned above. If you ever are in need of help check them out, we can’t recommend them highly enough.
Other than adding a set of Rock Sliders, that’s how it sat until 2020.
The next major changes came in 2020 just as COVID was breaking out. The first major change was the Teraflex 3” Base Lift Kit. The suspension stayed basically the same until earlier this year I changed the springs over to AEV High Capacity 4.5” Springs. The Jeep was riding a little soft and was sagging a little in the rear, and I planned to add a rooftop tent. Next up were tires and wheels, I installed 35” Falken Wildpeak MT’s on Black Rhino Arsenal Wheels. I am a long-time user and fan of Falcon Wildpeaks and have been very happy with them. Knock on wood I am yet to get a flat while running them.
For More Details Check Out The Overland Vehicle Build Sheet
One of my favorite additions came next, the Titan Trail Trekker II. It lets me carry 12 gallons of extra fuel behind the spare tire on the rear door. This has come in extremely handy and I have used it multiple times in the North Maine Woods.
I also spent a lot of time working on my rear storage solution. It has worked out extremely well, I couldn’t be happier. It includes a 70% rear seat delete. While a lot of people go with the Goose Gear solution, I decided to go custom (I did use their seat support bracket though). We have two large dogs, Abbie and Bailey, that travel with us most of the time in our Jeep. Once there is a fridge back there, I wouldn’t have much room for additional storage. So rather than go flat plate style, I decided to go up about 8 inches. It gives me two long drawers in the back and considerable storage under where the other half of the passenger seat used to be. It gives us considerable storage. We keep food dry goods in one drawer, and all of our cookware and camping gear in the other. The storage area holds all of our tools, air tools, and survival gear. It also acts nicely as an armrest and helps to keep a rear passenger in their seat.
At the end of 2020 came two new changes, the Genesis Offroad Dual Battery Kit, and a Curry Antirock Front Sway Bar. The Genesis dual battery kit and Odyssey Batteries have given me peace of mind in the backcountry. I have also used the jumpstarter feature once to save my butt. The Curry Antirock Front Sway Bar replaced the stock Sway Bar Disconnect Actuator. I loved the Sway Bar Disconnect option but I kept having issues with the actuator. There is a flaw in the design and the seals let water in and it kept shorting out. I could have replaced it but it is expensive and I had I didn’t have any confidence that it wouldn’t happen again. The Curry Antirock doesn’t need to disconnect. It adjusts to your driving and tightens slightly on road at speed, and is extremely flexible offroad.
The last major changes were made this spring in preparation for this year’s camping season. First up was our Dometic CFX 75 Fridge. This unit is slightly larger than we needed but it fits our needs. Our initial preference was the 55, however, with the raised floor from our custom storage solution, it wouldn’t fit behind the rear seat. The 75 fits perfectly sideways in the back of the Jeep. The 55 would also have fit this way but the remaining space wouldn’t be too usable. So we went with the larger unit giving us more space. We can now keep more food and drinks in it since we have limited interior space this is always a good thing.
Next up is our favorite modification by far, our Tuff Stuff Overland Alpha Roof Top Tent. One of the tasks that got old fast for us was setting up our tent and camp. Especially if you want to move around, it isn’t always easy. The tent sets up in 2 minutes and is ready to go, and closes almost as quickly. It also has space to keep all of our bedding, including full-size pillows in the tent which also saves on space in the Jeep. This allows us to easily change camp every night. We will be sharing more details and a comprehensive review of the tent shortly.
That is most of the major items as it stands today. If you want more details make sure to check out our full Overland Vehicle Build Sheet. There is more currently planned so stay tuned for updates.
