DO IT YOURSELF

What to do, if your dream is a special pickup which does not exist at all? Build it yourself! Dieter Rieke, a professional architect and industrial designer fell in love with an Jeep Wrangler TJ. This model is known to be an excellent offroader but it is difficult to deny that the cargo bed is quite small. So Mr. Rieke decided to build his personal pickup al-la-carte.

A proud owner of an vintage Volvo convertible first tried his hands at the conversion of an Opel Campo into a mobile home. Starting with the idea, Mr. Rieke in Germany did exactly what jeepers should do, he planned the conversion down to the smallest details. First he invested few Euros into a toy Jeep Wrangler TJ and a sturdy timber saw and build the 1:16 model. This was followed by a „domestic opinion poll”: Mr. Rieker’s wife generously gave her consent to the project without knowing how much work and money the implementation would involve later on.
His friend Franz Josef Schiemann, a skilled body mechanic working for the Karmann body manufacturer company supported the project without any reservations and considered it a big challenge. The team opted for a 7-year old well-maintained Jeep Wrangler TJ Sahara 4.0 as donor vehicle for the conversion. They shortened the body behind the B-pillar by 60cm.
Aluminium profiles were used for the new frame for the cargo bed, the chassis was extended and welded to the profiles. Heat treated ash-wood planks were used to cover the cargo bed. As a result of this preservative treatment timber becomes  resistent to fungal decay and therefore more durable. The 1,75 meter long cargo bed was designed and manufactured by a skilled carpenter.
The result of the conversion was an elegant and rustic cabrio pickup. The extended wheelbase ensured a smooth ride even at higher speed, with sufficient traction on dirt roads. Beside lengthening the wheelbase, the ground clearance of the original vehicle was also increased.
The converted cabrio pickup was inspected and certified by TÜV. The authority emphasized the professional and painstaking conversion process and declared the vehicle road legal and approved 405kg maximum curb weight.