This is my exact same car! 5.7 and limited.....it’s my first car. I it bought from my uncle for $1,500. It needed a bit of work but has been an awesome car for me. The comfort of the limited trim is truly impeccable for an off-road vehicle
Thank you all for your comments and especially thank you for this video I just bought a Jeep commander and I feel like I needed a emotional support group this fit the ticket thank you so much I do
I ❤ my ‘08 Commander! 2 weeks ago, I was at a Jeep geocaching event in MI and was offered a straight swap from a guy with a Patriot (40k miles). My Commander has 305k miles on it! I turned him down
I love your commander! Beautiful!! I just bought mines a month ago and I’m in love with it. Plan to do major upgrades to mines as well like this. Slowly but working on it! I get compliments on mines now and It’s pretty original stocked I can imagine how much more compliments and head turns it will give once I start modifying mines
Hey 207, this is 603! What's up bud?? Love your build. I am in the process of making a one of a kind 2002 Jeep Liberty Sport. So, in due time sir I will be coming up there and trail ride. My goal is to go out to the Pacific Northwest and Midwest and do out there. Doing this overland living/ camping and fishing and cooking. I am a chef by trade so, ANYONE out there in Overland World look out for the elusive Yard Yeti. Anyway man,.love that whop son! Looks.like a beefy Cherokee. Oh and don't let these people out there say anything. Remember a Jeep is a Jeep. Hope to ride with you sometime. I just started this build a couple weeks ago so, I have way to go
Nice Commander! I choose my Limited with the 5.7 for the similar reasons. Ended up towing a 26ft travel trailer from Ohio to the Adirondacks and back. Commander handled it with ease. Only issue I found is hitching up. It wants to go, so I really have to feather it in reverse.
Epic commander! I have an '09 WK Hemi with QDII and its the perfect package for me. I feel like this platform is super underrated, especially for how affordable you can buy them these days.
I’ve only been stuck 2x with it and I can’t blame the Jeep at all. The first time was in a 3 foot snow drift that I simply didn’t have the speed to make it through. The only other time was thick deep mud that the BFG MTs I had on at the time just didn’t have the self cleaning ability to get me though. That same mud hole with my current tires is a cake walk.
That is a beautiful rig you've got there. Good to see the Commander is still alive and well. It's a very underestimated Jeep for sure. Your 2006 QDII has both front and rear ELSD. It's a very capable and reliable overlander for cheap..shhhh don't let the masses know lol
nice lovely commander i also have kitted one living in the uae made it a real pain to do bu have gos a 4inch lift kit from superlift, exhaust air intake roof rack, second batt and solar :-) loving it
I enjoy seeing how people take a vehicle & "make it theirs." Customization and creativeness. I just got a 2010 Commander Limited a month ago. I'm playing with mine now. I'm not going to put lights on the top rack. Do you recommend a particular rack? I have to address the "service 4WD" message that just came on.
Appreciate your comment on quadra drive II. In some ways its better than the Rubicon as being full time AWD. Up through 2010 it can go from open axles to full 4x4 all wheels locked in less than one revolution. They bought a patent license for those e-lockers. They are essentially hydraulic. The electronic part was a Chrysler add on. Anyway thanks for that. I've got a 2006 limited hemi with qdII and it has proven unstoppable in some really tough situations. Sad part is that after 2012 they came back with it and took out the front elocker. Still call it qdII. False advertising in my opinion. It's not the same when you brake one wheel. The 06-10's are rare gems. Unappreciated as noted.
I’ll absolutely go more in depth soon but to summarize it quickly for you, the lighting is all attached via tube clamps to the rack with the front bumper bar bolted into the bumper itself. The two ditch lights are secured via custom brackets made by The Steel Armadillo. All the wiring was made simple by the control panel mounted inside. There is a single connection between that and a junction box under the hood that has the positive connection from all the lights plugged into it. The grounds are all run to the closest or most convenient point per light. No extra batteries here. I have a slightly upgraded alternator over stock and an AGM battery under the hood which is more than enough power to supply everything I have going here, including my Iceco fridge/freezer combo.
Thanks for making the video! Wife and I have a 2007 Commander that we won't let go off because we love it so much. Doing (spending) whatever it takes to keep it running. We have a JL as well, coupled with the Commander, plan to start taking the kids on some overland adventures. Love the tire and wheel combination. What kind of lift kit did you have to install to fit those tires!?
It’s just the 2.25” RRO lift actually. While I’d love to go higher, any more than this on the commanders introduces all kinds of other issues and drivetrain upgrades that would need to be done.
I’ve got the standard and Overall, no complaints. I have had an issue where overtime the washers holding up the swing hitch wear out causing that part to droop slightly but so far Wilco has stood behind it and sent me new parts. Only time will tell!
I love what you've done with your commander! I hope to get mine to that level soon! I especially loved the switch panel over the cubby on the left side of the dash. Also what roof basket is that?
Thanks! The switch panel was a game changer. Just one wire to run through the firewall and everything else is in a junction box under the hood. The roof basket is the biggest one Arksen makes, available on Amazon.
Sorry to hit you with so many questions but I just noticed the aftermarket radio in yours, my head unit just crapped out on mine, what did you go with as a replacement?
@@jimbo11596 no worries. I can’t remember which model but it’s a boss audio unit with CarPlay built in. Works very well! Only thing you lose in commanders going aftermarket is the steering wheel controls.
@@jimbo11596 after swapping out the old nav unit, I’ve forgotten they were there. The new options you can put in its place have so much more going for it these days. Having gaia gps on my screen as I’m overlanding is amazing
Great video. I'll getting new tires for my 06 commander hemi 4x4 soon (currently 265/70/17 w/ 2" lift). I may have missed it, but what size are the tires on your Jeep?
I bought a commander back 6 years ago low miles 4wd loaded with the 4.7 in it and I had so much electrical issues with it, the headlights would randomly shut off and come back on and I couldn’t ever get it figured out so I sold it
Electrical issues are common for these unfortunately. However a lot of the time it comes down to a bad ground connection messing with the onboard computers. We are just driving home in ours from a weekend of the craziest terrain I’ve ever taken it on and it performed flawlessly.
Hey Charles, so pricing for the commander is all over the place right now with the majority of the best deals being once’s I’ve seen private party on Facebook marketplace or even commander related groups there. While some years can be better than others, they are all capable machines that if maintained well by the previous owner will provide years of fun! I would expect you could find a really decent one in the 5-7k range and maybe even less if you aren’t afraid to fix some minor things people chose to get rid of them over.
There’s a couple ways to go about doing it and they really depend on what you are looking to do with it. If you spend a lot of time off road and want a quiet smooth lifted ride with the best components available, go with an old man emu setup, front and rear. In my opinion, this is the very best there is but if you want something more bucket friendly, look at a spacer style lift for the tops of the springs. If your front suspension is old and sagging, this is a good time for new struts up front either way.
Hey Justin I’m new owner to jeep commander , you could share the parts you used, how much front and rear lift, what is the size of your tires and wheels.
The setup I’m using is a 2.5” rocky road lift kit with 265/70R17 tires on Jeep JL wheels. The only thing I did in addition was to add load adjust struts to the rear to handle the extra weight I have back there.
Does the cylinder deactivation actually make for better gas mileage? I rented a 2009 Suburban and got a legit 23mpg between LA and SF and back, amazing!!
@@felixbaum48 20mpg would be a big stretch. Best I’ve ever seen with my setup would be in the 17-18 range on the level Highway with a very gentle foot.
That’s a really nice jeep, a cuestión. Your Spare tire is Blocking your license plates, Did you move your license plate somewhere else? and you never have a problem with police pull you over for that?
Hi!! Can you tel me where did you buy the dog separation grill? y have just buy a commander and I have a wolf dog.. and Im looking for some thing like that.
@@207overland I had the RRO kit and 1" wheel spacers, and with 265/65/17 it was already rubbing the right front wheel in the wheel arch, in the area of the aacc tubes. As a curiosity, removing the spacers, it rubs less. Now I have Bilstein 5100 and OME springs (similar elevation) and the rubbing is similar. I have not tested 265/70/17 but it has to rub a lot more. There is a video on UA-cam of a guy who has your same setup and says it rubs a lot , and that a smaller wheel size is preferable.
@@je1966 It depends a lot on the tires too. With ATs there shouldn’t be any rub except at full flex turn. With a very aggressive MT tire like I have, there will be occasional rub at the pinch welds if you don’t correct them but one place I don’t have any rub is where the AC lines are. The only other modification I have done is to trim the front of the wheel well liner some.
@@207overland Thank You. I think I remember that the aacc lines are more exposed than pinch weld. I will check it again. in the front it does not rub, only in the rear side.
Nice overland rig! I just bought a 2010 Commander last month and have lots of parts on order including an OME lift and JBA UCAs. What lift do you have and what tire size are you running? I cant tell in the video if its 265 or 285, but assuming 265?
265/70R17 The lift is the RRO 2.5 which allows me to keep stock components elsewhere incase I ever needed a part quick. In addition to the lift, I also run the Munro load levelers in the rear to help with the extra weight back there.
Never really needed it. When riding alone, we don’t really push our luck to much and when in a group we carry enough other recovery gear to pop us out of any situation. That being said, we did just pick up a winch for our other build.
This is my exact same car! 5.7 and limited.....it’s my first car. I it bought from my uncle for $1,500. It needed a bit of work but has been an awesome car for me. The comfort of the limited trim is truly impeccable for an off-road vehicle
Love the build! The Commander with front and rear electronic lockers are amazing offroad!
Thank you all for your comments and especially thank you for this video I just bought a Jeep commander and I feel like I needed a emotional support group this fit the ticket thank you so much I do
Hope you enjoy yours as much as we have ours!
Great video, information, and Commander!
Nice Rig!
I love my commander haven’t made any modifications but it’s gotten me everywhere literally
They are so underrated!
Love it. We just bought an 07 commander for the exact same reason. We def have the same mindset
I ❤ my ‘08 Commander! 2 weeks ago, I was at a Jeep geocaching event in MI and was offered a straight swap from a guy with a Patriot (40k miles). My Commander has 305k miles on it! I turned him down
Great video
I love your commander! Beautiful!! I just bought mines a month ago and I’m in love with it. Plan to do major upgrades to mines as well like this. Slowly but working on it! I get compliments on mines now and It’s pretty original stocked I can imagine how much more compliments and head turns it will give once I start modifying mines
Which one did you get?? Picking up my first one tomorrow!!
Nice build. Love my Commander, like you say perfect vehicle for family adventures
Nice overlander , I was considering a Grand Cherokee but this has made me have a second think, I like the lighting control pad 👍👍👍
That’s a sick ride brother.
Hey 207, this is 603! What's up bud?? Love your build. I am in the process of making a one of a kind 2002 Jeep Liberty Sport. So, in due time sir I will be coming up there and trail ride. My goal is to go out to the Pacific Northwest and Midwest and do out there. Doing this overland living/ camping and fishing and cooking. I am a chef by trade so, ANYONE out there in Overland World look out for the elusive Yard Yeti. Anyway man,.love that whop son! Looks.like a beefy Cherokee. Oh and don't let these people out there say anything. Remember a Jeep is a Jeep. Hope to ride with you sometime. I just started this build a couple weeks ago so, I have way to go
Nice Commander! I choose my Limited with the 5.7 for the similar reasons. Ended up towing a 26ft travel trailer from Ohio to the Adirondacks and back. Commander handled it with ease. Only issue I found is hitching up. It wants to go, so I really have to feather it in reverse.
This channel needs more subs and likes , great video, these are selling for $9K right now
Love it man I have a 5.7 sadly rwd buts lifted and I have a winch and a light bar on the way
Epic commander! I have an '09 WK Hemi with QDII and its the perfect package for me. I feel like this platform is super underrated, especially for how affordable you can buy them these days.
Couldn’t agree more! If my dogs weren’t as large, I’d go for a WK in a heartbeat
That a nice commander! I can’t wait to do that, I have a 2009 overland.
Awesome! Enjoy that newer hemi design!
Did my 07 overland almost the same.... love the quadradrive2... have never been stuck once. ...
I’ve only been stuck 2x with it and I can’t blame the Jeep at all. The first time was in a 3 foot snow drift that I simply didn’t have the speed to make it through. The only other time was thick deep mud that the BFG MTs I had on at the time just didn’t have the self cleaning ability to get me though. That same mud hole with my current tires is a cake walk.
I had my commander for 10 years.... other than some minor jeep quality issues it was a nice rig
That is a beautiful rig you've got there. Good to see the Commander is still alive and well. It's a very underestimated Jeep for sure. Your 2006 QDII has both front and rear ELSD. It's a very capable and reliable overlander for cheap..shhhh don't let the masses know lol
Thanks! It’s been very capable for sure and a secret gem for overlanding.
nice lovely commander i also have kitted one living in the uae made it a real pain to do bu have gos a 4inch lift kit from superlift, exhaust air intake roof rack, second batt and solar :-) loving it
I enjoy seeing how people take a vehicle & "make it theirs." Customization and creativeness. I just got a 2010 Commander Limited a month ago. I'm playing with mine now. I'm not going to put lights on the top rack. Do you recommend a particular rack? I have to address the "service 4WD" message that just came on.
Appreciate your comment on quadra drive II. In some ways its better than the Rubicon as being full time AWD. Up through 2010 it can go from open axles to full 4x4 all wheels locked in less than one revolution. They bought a patent license for those e-lockers. They are essentially hydraulic. The electronic part was a Chrysler add on. Anyway thanks for that. I've got a 2006 limited hemi with qdII and it has proven unstoppable in some really tough situations. Sad part is that after 2012 they came back with it and took out the front elocker. Still call it qdII. False advertising in my opinion. It's not the same when you brake one wheel. The 06-10's are rare gems. Unappreciated as noted.
Can you please add links to your gear?
Do you have an amazon market acct?
Love those wheels and tires !
Great choice for an overlander
Great review, I would like to know more about the exterior lighting installation. Connections, wire running, extra batteries? Etc.
I’ll absolutely go more in depth soon but to summarize it quickly for you, the lighting is all attached via tube clamps to the rack with the front bumper bar bolted into the bumper itself. The two ditch lights are secured via custom brackets made by The Steel Armadillo.
All the wiring was made simple by the control panel mounted inside. There is a single connection between that and a junction box under the hood that has the positive connection from all the lights plugged into it. The grounds are all run to the closest or most convenient point per light.
No extra batteries here. I have a slightly upgraded alternator over stock and an AGM battery under the hood which is more than enough power to supply everything I have going here, including my Iceco fridge/freezer combo.
Thanks for making the video! Wife and I have a 2007 Commander that we won't let go off because we love it so much. Doing (spending) whatever it takes to keep it running. We have a JL as well, coupled with the Commander, plan to start taking the kids on some overland adventures.
Love the tire and wheel combination. What kind of lift kit did you have to install to fit those tires!?
It’s just the 2.25” RRO lift actually. While I’d love to go higher, any more than this on the commanders introduces all kinds of other issues and drivetrain upgrades that would need to be done.
Can you tell more about your lift? What you like, don’t like.
Nice ride!! Any complaints about Wilco rear tire mount? Did you get the Solo Standard or High Clearance? Also, how was the install? Thanks!
I’ve got the standard and Overall, no complaints. I have had an issue where overtime the washers holding up the swing hitch wear out causing that part to droop slightly but so far Wilco has stood behind it and sent me new parts. Only time will tell!
I love what you've done with your commander! I hope to get mine to that level soon! I especially loved the switch panel over the cubby on the left side of the dash. Also what roof basket is that?
Thanks! The switch panel was a game changer. Just one wire to run through the firewall and everything else is in a junction box under the hood. The roof basket is the biggest one Arksen makes, available on Amazon.
Sorry to hit you with so many questions but I just noticed the aftermarket radio in yours, my head unit just crapped out on mine, what did you go with as a replacement?
@@jimbo11596 no worries. I can’t remember which model but it’s a boss audio unit with CarPlay built in. Works very well! Only thing you lose in commanders going aftermarket is the steering wheel controls.
@@207overland I was actually just reading that, kinda sucks but I guess I don't really use them as much always
@@jimbo11596 after swapping out the old nav unit, I’ve forgotten they were there. The new options you can put in its place have so much more going for it these days. Having gaia gps on my screen as I’m overlanding is amazing
Its time for an update!
Nice Jeep, i have one, wich roof rack do You recommend
Great video. I'll getting new tires for my 06 commander hemi 4x4 soon (currently 265/70/17 w/ 2" lift). I may have missed it, but what size are the tires on your Jeep?
265/70R17
Hey man the rear tire mount whats the name and where did you buy it
I bought a commander back 6 years ago low miles 4wd loaded with the 4.7 in it and I had so much electrical issues with it, the headlights would randomly shut off and come back on and I couldn’t ever get it figured out so I sold it
Electrical issues are common for these unfortunately. However a lot of the time it comes down to a bad ground connection messing with the onboard computers. We are just driving home in ours from a weekend of the craziest terrain I’ve ever taken it on and it performed flawlessly.
Can I ask what are the specs on the wheels you’re running? 17x? And what offset? I love the look of these wheels/tires on this XK.
They are stock Jeep JL wheels which are 7.5 wide I believe. Lots of people selling them!
@@207overland Are you running a wheel spacer? Would a stock height xK be able to run those wheels without spacers?
These had limited slip differentials, front and rear. Not electronic locking differentials.
My diffs have electric pigtails on each one. I can toggle each one electronically. They did indeed have electric locking differentials.
How did you look for your commander? How much did you pay for it and how many miles when you bought it. Really appreciate the video.
Hey Charles, so pricing for the commander is all over the place right now with the majority of the best deals being once’s I’ve seen private party on Facebook marketplace or even commander related groups there. While some years can be better than others, they are all capable machines that if maintained well by the previous owner will provide years of fun! I would expect you could find a really decent one in the 5-7k range and maybe even less if you aren’t afraid to fix some minor things people chose to get rid of them over.
@@207overland I have one for sale now
Picked up my cammander a year ago. Looking to out fit it over this next year. Any tips on lifting? I'm only lookt for about 2".
There’s a couple ways to go about doing it and they really depend on what you are looking to do with it. If you spend a lot of time off road and want a quiet smooth lifted ride with the best components available, go with an old man emu setup, front and rear. In my opinion, this is the very best there is but if you want something more bucket friendly, look at a spacer style lift for the tops of the springs. If your front suspension is old and sagging, this is a good time for new struts up front either way.
207 are you in Maine bud? Cause that's where I live and I own a 2008 commander.
Sweeet righ! QD-II?
How many antennas do you NEED bruv? LOL What's your comms setup thats using all them aerials?
We’ve toned it down a little after getting rid of the CB antennas. Currently running dual GMRS and the weboost.
Any sunroof leaking? Exhaust leaks?
lots of these on sale. just noticed it. I may buy one for cheap and rip the seats out.
Where did you get the wheels from
Hey Justin I’m new owner to jeep commander , you could share the parts you used, how much front and rear lift, what is the size of your tires and wheels.
The setup I’m using is a 2.5” rocky road lift kit with 265/70R17 tires on Jeep JL wheels. The only thing I did in addition was to add load adjust struts to the rear to handle the extra weight I have back there.
AWESOME COMMANDER !!!!! WELLDONE.
Does the cylinder deactivation actually make for better gas mileage? I rented a 2009 Suburban and got a legit 23mpg between LA and SF and back, amazing!!
It does. Nothing crazy but every little bit helps.
@@207overland If it ever got 20s I would buy one. Best offroader with family seating bar none!
@@felixbaum48 20mpg would be a big stretch. Best I’ve ever seen with my setup would be in the 17-18 range on the level Highway with a very gentle foot.
That’s a really nice jeep, a cuestión.
Your Spare tire is Blocking your license plates, Did you move your license plate somewhere else? and you never have a problem with police pull you over for that?
I do have a relocation mount just below and to the left of the tire
Hi!! Can you tel me where did you buy the dog separation grill? y have just buy a commander and I have a wolf dog.. and Im looking for some thing like that.
www.travall.com/products/travallguard-tdg1146-html.html
Where did you get the switch plate from?
If your talking about the one to the left of the wheel, steel armadillo!
How have you done to fit 265/70/17 wheels? they do not fit in the front right wheel arch because there are four pipes for the rear aacc.
The Jeep is lifted with the 2.5” kit from RRO which allows the wheels to fit when combined with 1.5” wheel spacers all around.
@@207overland I had the RRO kit and 1" wheel spacers, and with 265/65/17 it was already rubbing the right front wheel in the wheel arch, in the area of the aacc tubes.
As a curiosity, removing the spacers, it rubs less.
Now I have Bilstein 5100 and OME springs (similar elevation) and the rubbing is similar. I have not tested 265/70/17 but it has to rub a lot more.
There is a video on UA-cam of a guy who has your same setup and says it rubs a lot , and that a smaller wheel size is preferable.
@@je1966 It depends a lot on the tires too. With ATs there shouldn’t be any rub except at full flex turn. With a very aggressive MT tire like I have, there will be occasional rub at the pinch welds if you don’t correct them but one place I don’t have any rub is where the AC lines are. The only other modification I have done is to trim the front of the wheel well liner some.
@@207overland Thank You.
I think I remember that the aacc lines are more exposed than pinch weld. I will check it again.
in the front it does not rub, only in the rear side.
Where to buy the base of the additional tire?
This one is made by Wilco
What are the cb antenna mounts?
They are just universal rotating fender mounts
Where did you get your spare tire carrier?
Wilco off-road!
@@207overland ok thanks
What's your MPG like?
My overall average including trail mileage is 13. Highway is closer to 18 if I keep my foot out of it.
Nice overland rig! I just bought a 2010 Commander last month and have lots of parts on order including an OME lift and JBA UCAs. What lift do you have and what tire size are you running? I cant tell in the video if its 265 or 285, but assuming 265?
265/70R17 The lift is the RRO 2.5 which allows me to keep stock components elsewhere incase I ever needed a part quick. In addition to the lift, I also run the Munro load levelers in the rear to help with the extra weight back there.
No winch really?
Never really needed it. When riding alone, we don’t really push our luck to much and when in a group we carry enough other recovery gear to pop us out of any situation.
That being said, we did just pick up a winch for our other build.
Estos americanos solo tienen dientes.