Trail Chat: Ursa Minor J30 1-Year Field Test Review. Is it Good for Overlanding?
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- Опубліковано 12 бер 2022
- *We are not sponsored by Ursa Minor Vehicles. It is just a product we have really enjoyed.*
In this video, we wanted to share our experience of what overlanding with the Ursa Minor J30 over the last year has been like. From ground tents to rooftop tent options, we talk about why we chose the Ursa Minor rooftop replacement option and then discuss the field-tested pros, cons, and overall experiences of this overland sleeping system so far.
The Ursa Minor J30 is a complete replacement top for your Jeep JKU or JLU that converts it into a micro camper.
Link to Ursa Minor Vehicles:
ursaminorvehicles.com/
Get the offroad trail details and download a GPS route today at:
www.trailsoffroad.com/ - Авто та транспорт
The best review I've seen yet, and I've been looking at this for many years too.
We love our Ursa Minor's. Simply a great way to go.
Nicely done and some great information. Here in AZ, a definite advantage for a vehicle-mounted sleeping system vs a ground tent is the rocky ground. No more looking for smooth level dirt for a ground tent.
Thanks Wade! This is definitely true, being on the ground sometimes has its advantages, being elevated has its own as well...until its 50 mph winds and the canvas is blowing all night long lol
Great beach destination: Texas coast! Specifically North Padre Island National Seashore. Literally over a hundred miles of drivable and remote sandy beaches for you to pop your Ursa Minor!
Great suggestion!
Great chat guys. I'm sure John and Kris will appreciate the review. I'm in the home stretch of my year long wait for mine to be built. Really excited after having spent about 30k miles with a nice RTT over the last year. Looking forward to a faster setup and teardown time.
John and Kris are great guys! They got both Todd and I in and out within a few hours at the Chula Vista location. I think you will be very pleased with the Ursa Minor. We have really enjoyed ours so far. Make sure you post some trail reviews with your new setup when you get it! We would love to see it!
I love randomly finding video's like this. Now I need to find some Trails Offroad patches.
Those are a rare find but do show up once in a great while.
Great video would love to go that route
The Ursa Minor has been a great addition to our Jeeps. If you prioritize capability, it's a hard setup to beat.
Nice videos, been watching you since you got the Ursa Minor. Great videos and nice editing/shots. Keep it up.
Thanks for watching and super glad you enjoyed it!
Great video.
Thanks for watching!
I am happy with mine
So are we
Definitely an awesome thing to have but you guys should have alluded more to the price also. If I am not mistaken they start at $9K and go up to over $16K. That is a lot of money that could be spent on traveling with just minor invonceniences. Another thing that people buying this will have to remember, your Jeep is no longer a convertible that you can take the panels off or the whole top. It sure is nice tho. I have been looking at the Campteq version for the 80 series Land Cruiser but I just don't think spending that much money is worth it. Great vid.
They certainly are not cheap. You can spend a lot less and have the same experiences with just a ground tent. Also very true, the Ursa Minor will not be great for someone who likes to remove the top on their Jeep. It's all about compromise, and there is no perfect overland vehicle. This fits the bill for now, but who knows what future needs look like. Thanks for watching!
You could stay at four star hotels for much less
15:15 fyi: there are lots of other campers in this form factor which actually CAN sleep 4 ppl, e.g. the Volkskwagen California. I once tried to sleep in the back of my JLU - that was no fun at all.
Hi Andy, there are a lot of campers that can sleep 4 or more, but the limitation is capability. The Ursa Minor does a great job of balancing comfort and capability. Im sure the other options are much more comfortable than the Ursa Minor, you're just not going to be able to access the more remote campsites.
There is also a company called Hatchet Overland producing a similar replacement top. You go up inside the back instead of the middle. This minimizes the nuisance for a sleeping companion. The issue for me is going in and out through the tailgate. There's always compromises.
I have the Gladiator version of this. It's called Go Fast Campers.
The GFC campers are awesome! There are so many great options for trucks now, not so much outside of the RTT for Jeeps and SUVs, which makes the Ursa Minor replacement top very unique. Thanks for watching! If you run any trails, post some pics of your rig in a trail review, we'd love to see it!
Great video. Do you know if the Ursa Minor is able to support a case like ROAM Adventure Rugged Storage Cases?
Thanks for watching! Are you asking if the roof can support the weight?
It's definitely better constructed then my Sportsmobile top which is mediocre at best. I wish Ursa Minor made a product for the old econolines and eseries.
Thats crazy to hear that! The sportsmobiles are so iconic, seems like a great option to adventure in. Has it always been this way? Or has it been since the whole split off into Field Vans? Thanks for watching!
How are you going to bring four people with you if you have no back seat? Lol. Just thinking out loud. Great review btw! I would love to have one of these but they're just super pricey and hard to justify the added cost vs my current roof top tent setup. Yes, ursa minor is way more convenient and better form factor, but costs almost 10 TIMES as much as my current setup, when I configure it on their website.
Ha! I didn't even think about that. The common setup is the 60% seat delete with one rear passenger and then the ability to sleep 3. They are not cheap and you can have awesome experiences with a Coleman tent and cooler! Its not about the rig, its about the experience, it is nice to have a quick and easy setup. Make sure you post a few trail reviews on the website of your rig, we would love to see it! And thanks for watching!
My only hold up is the loss of going topless. Do you miss your panels or removing the whole top? Also, if windy, does it drive you nuts? I currently lay down my seats and sleep in the back w/ me dog.
If removing your top is something you do semi-regularly, the Ursa Minor will not be for you. Its a permanent, one-piece fixture that is over double the weight of the standard top. And yes, sleeping in the wind with anything canvas is definitely noticeable. Sleeping in the back of your rig is a great solution if you have the room! Thanks for watching!
The biggest downside seems to be the wait...I bought mine in September 2021. Still waiting and can't get anyone to respond in mid April 2022. I've never seen any reviews or any other indication that I wont get it eventually, but the wait is still killing me.
You will be happy once you do get it.
Does having this make for a quieter ride at highway speeds?
In our opinion, it's a much more streamlined setup compared to the rooftop. I dont know if all rooftop tents are noisy, but this setup is rather quiet and makes highway driving rather easy because of the shape. Thanks for watching!
The mattress looks thin. Can you add a thicker and still close?
Yes, you can. Ursa Minor actually offers a 3" mattress now instead of the 2" mattress.
What suspension are you running on the white Jeep?
I am running the Clayton Offroad 2.5" Overland Plus kit and I have been extremely pleased with it over the last 2 years.
@@Trailsoffroad thanks. What size tires you running?
315/70/17
@@Trailsoffroad thanks for all the replies. Makes my decisions a little easier.
Tell us about your build when done