Automotive

Brute Double Cab four-door Jeep Wrangler pickup conversion

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The Brute Double Cab Jeep Wrangler Unlimited conversion brings five seats and a pickup bed for serious off-road people and cargo hauling
AEV builds a variety of parts and accessories designed specifically for the Wrangler
The Brute Double Cab Jeep Wrangler Unlimited conversion brings five seats and a pickup bed for serious off-road people and cargo hauling
The Brute Double Cab is the successor to the original Brute
Chrysler may or may not approve a production Jeep pickup, but AEV provides another option
The 61-inch (1.5 m) bed lets you carry tools, bikes and other gear all over the map
Unlike Mopar's kit, the Brute Double Cab puts the bed behind the Wrangler Unlimited's four-door cabin
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A Jeep Wrangler pickup just makes sense given that the Wrangler is a true off-road model. If you're out tackling trails and rock crawls in the middle of the desert, you're going to need supplies - big supplies, like gas cans, water jugs, tools, etc ... and a pickup bed is the perfect place to store those supplies. The Brute Double Cab bolts a pickup bed onto a modified four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, becoming the Jeep pickup for the 21st century.

Jeep itself had several pickup models in the past. In recent years, Chrysler has been toying with the idea of a pickup revival. It continues to be noncommittal in terms of a production model, but last year it did release an aftermarket Mopar Wrangler pickup kit. We suspect that if the Mopar JK Independence kit sells well, Chrysler will finally bring a production pickup model back to the Jeep line.

Of course, Chrysler isn't the only one in town that can transform a Jeep into a pickup.The Brute Double Cab is the work of Jeep Wrangler accessories and conversion specialist American Expedition Vehicles. Unlike Mopar's kit, in which the pickup bed displaces the rear seats, the Brute Double Cab keeps the four-door, five-seat configuration of the JK Wrangler Unlimited, strapping the 61-inch (1.5 m) bed behind the cab. To accommodate the bed, AEV lengthens the chassis by 23 inches (584 cm). That's obviously a big advantage for groups of 3 +, but it also gives you more hauling room when you fold the rear seats flat for more capacity.

While the Brute Double Cab should perform well for any type of off-roading, it was built with an eye toward overlanding trips. It promises more off-road ability than the average truck thanks to its Wrangler base vehicle and more cargo/people-hauling capability than any Wrangler, including the Mopar JK Independence.

AEV will offer the Brute Double Cab as both a complete vehicle and add-on kit. So, if you don't have a donor Wrangler Unlimited, you can just order the whole enchilada in one shot. Of course, that "you" will be limited to current AEV owners and certified AEV dealers when production first begins. AEV plans to open ordering to the public once things get rolling. Currently, there's a growing waiting list.

The 61-inch (1.5 m) bed lets you carry tools, bikes and other gear all over the map

The conversion specialist hasn't released a price on the kit, but says that production should begin by the end of the year. It is currently fine-tuning the chassis and suspension, and plans to develop a new rear spring to handle the modified weight and wheelbase.

The Brute Double Cab is AEV's second Brute pickup. The original Brute was developed in 2002 and transforms the last-generation TJ-platform Wrangler into a burly, two-door pickup. The original Brute is available as an aftermarket kit for just under US$9,000, which provides a little perspective as to how much the new Brute Double Cab might run.

Source: AEV Conversions

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6 comments
John Barwell
HO-HUM What's all the fuss about a twin cab? here in Australia we have MILLIONS of them, the first one I saw was a 1963 Datsun with a 1200 cc motor. Toyota and Nissan are the leading sellers here. (Don't see many Jeeps though, they apparently won't cut the rough in our outback) Cheers from Downunder. John
Leon Van Rensburg
Here in South Africa we share much of the same line of vehicles with Australia - "Bakkies" for people of Mzanzi (South Africans) - And I know what John means with there being as much MANY double cabs on the roads in our countries, but also, I can 200% guarantee there is no double cab (without significant modification) that can match the off road prowess of a similarly standard Wrangler / Wrangler Unlimited. With the added practicality of a proper load bin and capacity for 5 passengers this would be a lank hit if imported in our RHD configuration, IF it has a proper payload (read GCM - GVM = 900kg+).
Guy Macher
John, it must be a fact of poor distribution of Jeeps in Ozziland. They sure handle our Canadian bush. And that means snow to the headlights at times, on top of the stuff you confront. We also have to deal with moose, so our "roo bars" are substantially heavier than those you're accustomed to.
If you read the article closely, you'd note that it's a pick-up Jeep that's news. They've been out of production for awhile. Four door cab pick-ups are common in America; but not many are Nissan or Toyota, though they sure come in pretty colours for the ladies.
You should get out more.
Cheers from the Great White North
Guy
Steven Murphy
if you could add a multi- fuel diesel motor i saw in another vehicle (one that is able to run on diesel,bio-diesel ,kerosene or used motor oil) then that would be the stuff
Marty Fowler
Just today Jeep revealed the new 2014 Grand Cherokee...boring. Every Jeep guy is wanting cool stuff like the Gladiator/J12 pickup or even the crazy looking Mighty FC not another soccer mom SUV, wake up!!!! smell the coffee and put that 3 liter diesel in something cool instead of making Jeeps with 4 doors for Yuppies.
Layne Nelson
The 2004 extended Cab concept was better.
Why not a 2DR Compass, Liberty or best yet a 2DR GRAND CHEROKEE as Land Rover found with the popular Evoque?