Taking one last look at his Mercedes-Benz sedan, Chris Perron told the salesperson, "I won't need this once I retire." After 33 years in the military, Chris found himself at a Jeep dealership, ready to trade the rigors of his career (and his sports car) for something geared more for the dirt. To the bewilderment of the sales staff, he parted ways with the CLS 550, drove away from the dealership in a 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Recon Edition, and never looked back.

Related: Rockcrawling With a Rooftop Tent?

Although this was his first off-road vehicle, Chris knew he'd end up with a Jeep. He just couldn't beat the vehicle's ruggedness and the storage beneath the hardtop. Once the Wrangler was his, he methodically modified it to suit his specifications. Chris fine-tuned the Jeep's suspension setup, matched tires and wheels to his off-roading style, augmented nighttime visibility, and tailored the cargo area to fit his needs. Once complete, the Jeep was a carefully honed tool for exploring far away from civilization, and it has allowed Chris to travel from coast to coast with confidence.

AEV Borah beadlocks keep Chris' 37-inch BFGoodrich mud-terrains seated no matter how low he chooses to drop his tire pressure.

Rhino-Rack's Pioneer platform is a low-profile solution to storing cargo above the Jeep, and it is paired with the company's Backbone system that reinforces the hardtop from the inside. Chris sleeps above the ground inside his James Baroud Explorer rooftop tent.

ARB Intensity driving lights sit low on the front bumper, and LED pods from Rigid Industries are on the cowls, packing forward-facing amber lights. Chris' scene lights are red-lensed Rigid Industries LEDs for easier vision in the dark. There's a Warn Zeon 10-S winch with a Factor 55 FlatLink nestled behind the Rubicon's stock steel bumper.

Reinforcements in the front include an aluminum tie rod and drag link, an adjustable track bar from JKS Manufacturing, and an up-armored differential cover. Skidplates from Rock Hard 4x4 protect the evap canister, rear differential, and other sensitive parts on the undercarriage, and the company's transmission crossmember adds additional heft. Chris opted for aluminum skidplates to reduce the sprung weight of his Jeep.

Under the hood, the 3.6-liter V-6 shares real estate with a dual-battery system and an sPOD six-switch relay box. The unit can control up to six circuits with rocker switches, and its design requires only one wire to be run into the cab.

Chris chose Old Man Emu remote-reservoir BP-51 internal-bypass shocks that afford him adjustable control over compression and rebound damping. His coil springs support the Jeep's load while offering four inches of lift.

Knowing where things are is crucial for Chris, so he worked with OK4WD in Stewartsville, New Jersey, to fit the Jeep with organization and storage options from Goose Gear. There's space for his fridge/freezer, a slide-out kitchen arrangement, easy-access drawers, and various options for securing additional cargo. All work at the tailgate can be done under easy-on-the-night-vision red LED light.

In episode 1 of the new video series 4x4 Garage, host Christian Hazel tears down the suspension of a 1988 Ford Bronco for a 6-inch Superlift system and dives into the axles to prep them for new 4.88 gears and Eaton TrueTrac differentials to support the 37x12.50R17 Falken A/T3W all-terrain tires for awesome performance. Want to see more? Subscribe to the MotorTrend YouTube channel!

In episode 1 of the new video series 4x4 Garage, host Christian Hazel tears down the suspension of a 1988 Ford Bronco for a 6-inch Superlift system and dives into the axles to prep them for new 4.88 gears and Eaton TrueTrac differentials to support the 37x12.50R17 Falken A/T3W all-terrain tires for awesome performance. Want to see more? Subscribe to the MotorTrend YouTube channel!