The all-new JPOD from South Carolina Jeep outfitter Gr8tops turns an everyday Wrangler into an all-out tour de force of overland exploration. Gr8tops chops off the rear cab of the Wrangler Unlimited, creating space for what it bills a “Personlized Overlanding Den” (POD). Beautifully simple in execution, the resulting truck becomes a nimble, go-anywhere Jeep that carries its own squaredrop accommodations on its chassis.
For nearly two decades, Gr8tops has been working hard to fill in the unofficial Jeep order sheet with the type of vehicle options people want but Jeep doesn’t make. That work has long included creating half-top and pickup bed kits for various generations of Wrangler, turning the iconic 4×4 into the maneuverable mini-pickup Jeep itself wasn’t making.
The Gladiator Jeep introduced in 2018 isn’t exactly the same tiny pickup that Gr8tops offers, but it’s certainly taken a bite out of that particular market. Still, Gr8tops has continued to offer smaller, more integrated two- and four-door pickup conversions for older Wrangler generations. It’s also launched a “JTRUK” kit for both the Gladiator and newer Wrangler Unlimited models, which shaves off the rear cab area to leave a two-door cab and bare rear chassis.
On the Gladiator, that open chassis affords room for an extended 8-foot (2.4-m) bed, while on the Wrangler JLU/JKU it provides space for a 6-ft (1.8-m) bed. Either way, the kit offers a pickup alternative unique from what Jeep offers with the four-door-only Gladiator and its 5-ft (1.5-m) bed.
It’s that JTRUK conversion that opens the door for the JPOD, which might just be Gr8tops’ most impressive piece of kit yet, at least for the camping and overlanding crowd. It fills another major hole in the Jeep universe: a lack of full-blown off-road motorhomes built on a Wrangler platform.
The 218-in-long (554-cm) Gladiator pickup, of course, offers various camper and topper options, but the shorter 188-in-long (478-cm) Wrangler Unlimited isn’t a particularly natural RV conversion candidate, leaving options pretty minimal. And some of those that are available look a little less than comfortable.
Gr8tops
So Gr8tops gives buyers another reason to consider a JTRUK Wrangler Unlimited conversion in place of a two-door Wrangler buy, using the extended JLU or JKU chassis as the foundation of the JPOD build. In the process, it creates what might be the most striking little Jeep expedition vehicle we’ve seen since the Earthroamer XV-JP. The new build reminds us of a large expedition vehicle like this Bimobil, only shrunken down to maneuverable, two-track size.
Gr8tops keeps the JPOD about as compact and cozy as it can while maintaining a livable interior. Still in the prototype stages, the unit measures in at 7 x 6 x 4 ft (2.1 x 1.8 x 1.2 m, L x W x H). That height figure is of particular interest because, much like the style of small squaredrop trailer that seems to have inspired the design, it doesn’t allow for standing room. Instead, campers will have to crouch while moving around the interior and sit or lie down during their stay.
An alcove and/or pop-up roof like we saw years ago on the Action Camper could take care of that limited height but would also add complexity, weight and price. Instead, Gr8tops keeps it as simple as it can.
Gr8tops ultimately plans to work with individual customers on custom interior builds, but the prototype features a basic layout with sofa/bed, chest fridge, overhead storage and a few hanging organizers. Buyers will be able to spec it out in solo or double configurations, but the two-seat Jeep cab naturally negates any need to make a larger family version.
The JPOD’s all-composite construction keeps weight down between an estimated 475 lb (215 kg) for the empty shell and 550 lb (249 kg) for a model with basic floor plan. That’s about as lightweight as truck campers get and is further aided along in this case by trading out the weight of the rear Wrangler cabin.
Gr8tops says it’s planning to add a front pass-through window on the camper module to work in conjunction with the one it adds to the back wall of its Jeep cab, similar to what you’d find on pickup shell or camper. The Jeep cab and seat spacing won’t allow for a full walk-through so the window will be aimed primarily at pets riding in the JPOD and airflow between cab and camper.
We like how Gr8tops is keeping things simple rather than trying to replicate a home’s worth of amenities inside a tiny composite life POD. A teardrop trailer module on the back of a Jeep seems about as fancy as backcountry 4×4 camping needs to get.
Gr8tops is still testing and developing its JPOD prototype, which it previewed at the Southeast Adventure Vehicle Expo (SAVE) last month. We look forward to seeing the finished prototype and will publish more details on final specs, floor plan options and pricing once they’re available. We do know that the JTRUK conversion necessary for adding the camper starts at US$4,900.
In the meantime, you can take a quick look at the current interior layout in this short video and register interest at the link below.
Source: Gr8tops