One of the nice things about owning a Jeep Wrangler is how easy they are to modify and trick out. Indeed, there are numerous companies in business today which cater specifically to Jeep Wrangler owners. Nearly everything in the interior, exterior and suspension can be modified in some way to change the look and functionality of your Jeep. Sure, some are pretty pricy and some are a complete waste of money, but others really enhance the look and functionality of your Jeep. Here are some modifications and improvements we’ve made to the interior of our TJ.
Seat covers are one popular modification for those buying used. Our seats were in excellent condition when we bought our Wrangler last June and we wanted them to stay that way. We looked at several brands and styles of seat covers and mulled over getting, leather, cloth, or neoprene. They all have their pros and cons, but we really liked the look, functionality, and feel of the neoprene seat covers by Coverking. In case you’re not familiar with the fabric, neoprene is the fabric used in wetsuits and insulate extremely well. Coverking’s neoprene seat covers are durable, water resistant, fit well, and look great. Even better they can be removed and washed in your washing machine. Coverking offers a one-year warranty so there is little risk if they don’t work out for you. As you can see in the pics below, we ordered ours with the classic Jeep logo.
View of the neoprene front seat covers.
The rear neoprene seat covers.
Another addition well worth the cost and effort are a set of form fitting rubber floor mats. Off-roading can put you in very wet and muddy environments so having a good set of water resistant floor mats is a must. As you probably already know, floor mats can be a hit or miss affair. Many don’t fit well or are so cheap and flimsy they’re not even worth installing. After carefully researching our options on the internet, we opted buy a set of Rugged Ridge rubber floor mats. I don’t impress easily, but I can truly say these are great floor mats and are well worth the cost. Each mat is perfectly contoured to fit the shape of the floor and seat fittings. They look great in our TJ Jeep Wrangler.
The driver’s side Rugged Ridge floor mat.
The roll bars found in most Jeep Wranglers are tailor-made for modifications. All kinds of accessories can be purchased which can be mounted to these roll bars. One popular addition are grab handles. We bought four Rugged Ridge Grab Handles for our Jeep. They are extremely easy to install and mount using velcro strips. We put one on the passenger side, one on the middle roll bar between the front and rear seats, and on both sides in the rear. We figured having one on the driver’s side wasn’t too practical and so far we have been right. We haven’t missed having one in that location at all. Rugged Ridge also makes numerous roll bar accessories such as cup, fire extinguisher, and flashlight holders. We opted to buy a flashlight holder for our large 2D Maglight. We placed it on the driver’s side over the driver’s left shoulder. It looks and works great!
Rugged Ridge Flashlight Holder.
One of our Rugged Ridge Grab Handles.
Our Kenwood AM/FM/MP3 Stereo System.
Finally, we get to the entertainment system. Electronics have come a long way since 2004 when our Jeep Wrangler was built. The explosion in popularity of smart phones and MP3 players have revolutionized the way we communicate and listen to music. If you enjoy listening to music or want to hear your phone calls over your speaker system (Bluetooth), then having an AM/FM radio with USB and/or audio input jacks is a must. Pictured below is our Kenwood AM/FM/MP3 Stereo System. The faceplate can be removed when the vehicle is parked to deter theft.
Mello Mike is an Arizona native, author, and the founder of Truck Camper Adventure. He's been RV'ing since 2002, is a certified RVIA Level 1 RV Technician, and has restored several Airstream travel trailers. A communications expert and licensed ham radio operator (KK7TCA), he retired from the U.S. Navy in 2004 as a CWO3 after 24 years, holds a BS degree, and now runs Truck Camper Adventure full-time. He also does some RV consulting, repairs, and inspections on the side. He currently rolls in a 4WD Ram 3500 outfitted with a SherpTek truck bed with a Bundutec Roadrunner mounted on top.
My dream JEEP! 😉
Well, I need to mark this. We hope to eventually replace our Polaris RZR with a Jeep Wrangler. Thanks for the tips.