At work when suddenly a wild XJ appeared.

 

What a elk weight no way id put that much weight on the roof of anything.

 

500 -1000 pounds haha... dont think id put it in a hitch basket either.

 

I've had some ideas over the past couple years, I'll throw them out there for you to consider. Unlike my '89, you've got a metal hatch which leaves you with more options.

1.) Mount the top to the tubular rack frame so that it pivots, mount the bottom to the hatch using a bracket and cross pin. Hinge the ladder in the middle so that it can fold (slightly) when the hatch is open to compensate for the slightly altered geometry.

2.) Same as above only use slip-fit telescoping tubes in the ladder uprights. One advantage to this is that you can slip helper springs into the ladder upright tubes that attach to the inner telescoping tube and to the lower ladder supports. This would compensate for the weight of the ladder. Aluminum pipe is lightweight and relatively inexpensive.

 

I really like the telescoping idea with the helper springs.

 

I've killed more than my share of elk over the last 40 yrs never missed a season. I hunted from Montana to New Mexico, in Montana we used mostly Willis Jeeps back then and horses in Colo. for 15 yrs with pack mules to go with them. In all the places I have hunted I can think of no where that we carried out a whole elk even to base camp at 9,000' they were all at least quartered the larger ones more.

I tried to get my 33x12:50x15's/steel wheels into my roof rack a couple of times and it was not a single man operation lol. I could do it but I'm 6'5"" and 345" still not an east task but could do it. A real pain in the back on any XJ but lifted even more so.

I bought a HD rear swing out tire bumper for mine and use the rack for what it was intended. Lightweight things where you do not raise you center of gravity increasing chances of a rollover.

 

Gobi does make a ladder that attaches to the hatch but it has a 250lbs weight limit on it.

 

You could hinge it at the top and make it it's own hatch and put struts on it. Just a thought

 

forget the hatch, mount swivel to a roof basket and the latch to a strong bumper. you could use struts to keep the ladder up or just let it flop onto the roof basket so you can open the hatch.

if that sounds too difficult, you could always hinge it at the bumper and let if flop down, but i think that would be more of a pita when using the cargo area.
you could also just have it hook to the roof basket and latch to the bumper or trailer receiver and have it removable and only use it when needed.

 

Guess no one is going to look at the picture I posted. It's basically your exact idea.

 

did some googling, looks cool and i guess you could pick a side to mount on?

http://www.eadoffroad.com/gobi-gjcla...ee-rear-ladder

that happens to me alot LOL

 

I have more metal scrap sitting in my back yard and I know what to use it for. I dont buy pre-made items when I can build them myself, ten times stronger, at a fourth the price.

 

I like that tire carrier, but I am still uncertain as to how it stays up. Looks hinged at the bottom but where is it latched to? Do you know the brand and/or where to find it online to look at the design more closely?

 

I think it's home brew. No idea I saw it while working. Drive by photo. It looks like it rotates to the side out of the way too me.

 

After thinking hard what about https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f10/je...-700-a-176971/ Looks like you could stand on the tire carrier maybe use some bedliner on the tubes for safety.