RETIREMENT PLAN

FEATURE RETIREMENT Chris Perron traded his sedan for off-road selfsufficiency and never looked back T aking one last look at his Mercedes-Benz sedan, Chris Perron told the salesperson, “I won’t need this once I retire.” After 33 years in the military, Chris found himself at a Jeep dealership ready to trade the rigors of his career (and his sports car) for something geared for the dirt. To the bewilderment of the sales staff, he parted ways with the CLS 550, drove away from the dealership in an ’18 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Recon Edition, and never looked back. Although this was his first off-road vehicle, Chris knew he’d end up with a Jeep. He just couldn’t beat the vehicle’s ruggedness and the storage beneath the hardtop. Once the Wrangler was his, he methodically modified it to suit his specifications. Chris fine-tuned the Jeep’s suspension setup, matched tires and wheels to his off-roading style, augmented nighttime visibility, and tailored the cargo area to fit his needs. Once complete, the Jeep was a carefully honed tool for exploring far away from civilization and it has allowed Chris to travel from coast to coast with confidence. By Jered Korfhage jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com Photos: Four Wheeler staff PLAN

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-> AEV Borah beadlocks keep Chris’ 37-inch BFGoodrich mud-terrains seated no matter how low he chooses to drop his tire pressure. \> Rhino-Rack’s Pioneer Platform is a low-profile solution to storing cargo above the Jeep and it is paired with the company’s Backbone system that reinforces the hardtop from the inside. Chris sleeps above the ground inside his James Baroud Explorer rooftop tent.

<- -> Under the hood, the 3.6L V-6 shares real estate with a dual battery system and an sPOD six-switch relay box. sPOD’s design requires only one wire to be run into the cab and the unit can control up to six circuits with rocker switches.

<- \> ARB Intensity driving lights sit low on the front bumper and LED pods from Rigid Industries are on the cowls packing forward-facing amber light. Chris’ scene lights are red-lensed Rigid Industries LEDs for easier vision in the dark. There’s a Warn Zeon 10-S winch nestled behind the Rubicon’s stock steel bumper with a Factor 55 FlatLink.

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</ Inside, Chris stays on top of his location with his iPad and iPhone that are secured via mounts from 67 Designs. He keeps a Garmin inReach Mini on hand for emergency communication and he installed a Brandmotion infrared backup camera to aid in reverse operations.

</ Chris chose Old Man Emu remote-reservoir BP-51 internalbypass shocks that afford him adjustable control over compression and rebound damping. His coil springs support the Jeep’s load while offering four inches of lift.

AT A GLANCE

GENERAL

Vehicle: ’18 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Owner: Christopher Perron Stomping grounds: Sedona, Arizona Build time: 1 year DRIVETRAIN

Engine: 3.6L Pentastar V-6 Transmission: WA580 5-spd auto Transfer case: NP241OR 2-spd Low range ratio: 4.0:1 Crawl ratio: 70:1 Front axle/differential: Dana 44, Yukon Gear & Axle 4.88 gears/stock electric locker Rear axle/differential: Dana 44, Yukon Gear & Axle 4.88 gears/stock electric locker SUSPENSION

Front: Old Man Emu BP-51 remote-reservoir shocks, Old Man Emu 4-in coils, JKS Manufacturing track bar, JKS JSPEC Advanced Geometry Upgrade Kit for Jeep JK, Hellwig sway bar Rear: Old Man Emu BP-51 remote-reservoir shocks, Old Man Emu 4-in coils, Hellwig sway bar TIRES/WHEELS

Tires: 37x12.50R17 BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 Wheels: 17-in AEV Borah beadlock MISCELLANEOUS

Steering: Old Man Emu damper Lighting: ARB Intensity 9.5-in LED spotlights, ARB Intensity LED flood lights, Rigid Industries SR-Q Series Diffused LED light, DSS Pro LED lights, D-Series Pro Diff SM LEDs, AEV CHMSL 3rd Brake Light, Baja Designs LED red and clear dome lights, Vision X LED strip light, 279J Jeep Tail Light Armor: Rock Hard 4x4 transmission crossmember and aluminum skidplates, MetalCloak tube fenders and fender liners Cool stuff: Warn Zeon 10-S winch, Power Interrupt Kit, and Maximus-3 winch mount; Factor 55 FlatLink; sPOD JK six-switch panel; Goose Gear JK 2 Door Plate System, CampKitchen 2.3 system, Double Drawer Module, and Drawer Inserted Cutting Board; Partner Steel 22-in Propane Stove; 1.5-gal Manchester propane tank; ARB 50-qt fridge/freezer w/tie-down system, wiring kit, recovery kit, Portable Air Compressor, Hydraulic Recovery Jack, and Digital Tire Pressure Gauge; Genesis Offroad G Screen monitoring system and JK Dual Battery Kit; Rubicon Express driveshafts; Dynatrac ProGrip Brake System; JKS Manufacturing Exhaust Extension Kit; AEV ProCal module, Snorkel System, and Fuel Caddy; 67 Designs iPhone/GoPro/iPad mounts; weBoost cellular booster; Garmin inReach Mini; Maxtrax traction boards and harness; Northbound Expeditions G.A.R.B. and chainsaw bag; Stihl battery chainsaw; Fiskar axe; Bubba Rope recovery kit; Hi-Lift jack; 6-ton bottle jack; Rhino-Rack 84x56-in Pioneer Platform, Backbone 3, and RLCP legs; Alu-Cab Shadow awning and awning mount kit; James Baroud Explorer tent </ Knowing where things are is crucial for Chris, so he worked with OK4WD in Stewartsville, New Jersey, to fit the Jeep with organization and storage options from Goose Gear. There’s space for his fridge/freezer, a slide-out kitchen arrangement, easy-access drawers, and various options for securing additional cargo. All work at the tailgate can be done under easy-on-the-night-vision red LED light.

\> An additional 10 gallons of fuel can be stored in Chris’ AEV Fuel Caddy, and he carries a quartet of recovery boards and a Northbound Expeditions trail bag on his spare tire. fw