My rig is being built with a cross country trip in mind, nothing too extreme but capable of dealing with a wide range of situations. Storage is clearly an issue with the limited interior room and I've started to look into building a rear bumper similar in concept to the AEV bumper that holds water.

Being able to store a few gallons of water in the rear bumper frees up more space, and should fill the role of emergency drinking water nicely. I've been trying to figure out the best way of doing this and so far I haven't seen or heard of anybody building a xj bumper that holds water.

I know I most likely will sacrifice departure angle or clearance but I'm alright with that. I've been thinking that the best way to go about this would be finding a high quality rectangular water bladder that would fit inside of the rear bumper. I certianly would love to hear any suggestions that people may have on this, I'm going to research how aev did theirs more in depth to try and find a good starting point.

 

I apologize, I'm an idiot.

I don't think having water in the bumper is a good idea, its going to be more difficult than beneficial. I would reccommend something to go in the rear cargo area away from the elements, with maybe a pump handle to pressurize it and a hose so you can run the water to places that might need it. Water is a neccessity for any cross country expedition, and unfortunatley you need to sacrifice cargo space to carry it. Have you considered taking out the rear seats?

 

Double post by accident

 

Why do you feel it'd be more hassle then its worth? It would be away from the elements hidden inside the bumper shell. No I have no plans or desire to remove the back seat.

 

Getting the casing into the bumper is going to suck, filling it would be slow, there's a sharp edge inside rectangular tube, capping the tube, capacity wouldnt be very much (a 54" bumper that's 5x3 only has a capacity of 3.5 gallons), and also I don't like straight rectangular bumpers (that's just my preference though)

 

There's LOADS of alternative water tanks available for expedition rigs. Honestly, I think I'd come closer to sticking 3 gallons of water in the cargo area before I put it in the bumper.

Make a wide, tall skinny tank and mount it against the back of the back seat. It should only take up about 4 inches of cargo space.

 

Here is a good option for you.

http://www.jcroffroad.com/product/XJ/XJ-R-DX.html

 

Saw this set up at Overland Expo 2013 would be simple to build and not costly either.
4" abs black pipe with caps attached to the roof rack had a ball valve w/ garden hose attachment cemented in the pipe as well as an Schrader valve stem(for pressurizing the system) & another garden hose fitting for an outlet w/short hose end & spray nozzle attached. This was designed to be a hot water shower but I don't see why it couldn't as water transport also.
Everything available at your local Home Depot & one on each side of the roof rack would yield quite a bit of useable h2o storage. Simple huh?

 

Like this.
http://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com...LONS-p108.html

 

 

Yes! That's perfect!

 

How long of an expedition? Considered a snall trailer? In some cases it may be more fuel efficient than loading crap up on the roof, and you certainly get greater range with the added space, and less likely to roll over.

Niiiice!

Great idea for a shower. However sorta toxic for drinking water. There's a reason PVC and ABS piping at Home Depot is only for sewer line use

 

now that is perfect for my needs nice link

 

cross country trip does not equal expedition. unless youre backcountry wheeling for weeks just buy a case of bottled water at walmart and toss it in the back.

source: experience.

 

A life straw is like 20 bucks fits in your pocket and will make any water safe to drink.How far back in the woods you want to go and for how long?