New Jeep Wrangler Truck Cab Kit Is Giving Me All Kinds of Bad Ideas

The arrival of the Jeep Gladiator pickup in 2018 didn’t stop the faithful from clamoring for a two-door version, nor the aftermarket from building them out of Jeep Wranglers. Now, there’s a new “bolt-on” pickup kit for the current JL-generation Wrangler Unlimited from a longtime Jeep shop, and I think the best thing about it is that it doesn’t actually come with a bed, so it gets delivered with just the bare frame out back as seen in the photo above. Just try not to smile at that little cab! Bet it’s a handful, too.

Based in South Carolina, GR8TOPS is a longtime Jeep parts producer. Starting out in 2003, the company built full-length hardtops for Jeep CJ-8 Scramblers. Today, its product catalog still includes hardtops for those ’80s-era open-bodied off-roaders but also numerous kits, covers, and accessories for the CJ-7, every Wrangler generation that followed, including the LJ, and the current-gen Gladiator.

One of the coolest conversion kits from GR8TOPS is the JTRUK, which transforms four-door Jeep models into a single-cab truck with a 6-foot-long divorced bed—which the shop fashions out of a Ford Ranger bed (not provided), or they’ll build you a custom flatbed.

The JTRUK truck cab kit is currently available for JLU and JKU Wranglers, as well as JT Gladiators. The kits range in price from $4,900 to $5,400 and, according to the company, can be fitted within a day. That’s because there are no modifications done to the frame, brake line, fuel line, or driveline; it’s all bodywork. GR8TOPS says its goals with the JTRUK kit were twofold: make the install easy and make it look good. Achievement unlocked then.

The JTRUK was designed to be used with Jeep’s Freedom Panels or equivalent aftermarket accessories. If your vehicle is a soft-top, you’re not out of luck, but you will need to purchase the removable hardtop to make the JTRUK compatible. That’s something GR8TOPS can obtain for you at an extra cost to the overall kit, of course. Because the cab back and roof are bolt-on fiberglass, the conversion supposedly can be done by the average person without needing major tools. 

Or you can bring your Jeep to their shop for a turnkey installation. You can drive in and out that same day, but it’ll cost you more than twice as much as a standalone kit. The JTRUK kit-plus-install price starts at $11,500.

The newest menu item is just as rad and meant to be paired with a JTRUK installation on Wrangler Unlimited models. The Personalized Overlanding Den, or JPOD, is true to its name in that it’s essentially a camper box. The fully customizable camper top is 7 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4 feet tall and includes off-the-grid necessities like a pull-out sofa bed, integrated storage cabinets, climate control, a small refrigerator, and a canopy. 

Unlike the JTRUK kit, though, the JPOD does require cuts and modifications to be made to the Wrangler body, but not the frame. Also, the cradle and box combined weigh 475 pounds. However, when factoring in the amount of the original Jeep sheet metal that has to be removed, the converted vehicle safely remains within the GVR.

The GR8TOPS team is working on adding a pass-through window between the camper and the cockpit. Due to safety reasons, the camper is not intended to carry passengers while the vehicle is in motion. The addition of a pass-through is merely for air flow (i.e., traveling with pets) and for visibility from the camper when parked.

Still in its prototype phase, there isn’t a final spec sheet or pricing available yet for the JPOD. But those interested can register their interest at this link. 

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