Easter lilies sprouting from the rocks around Moab, Utah, aren’t exactly a common sight, but the slickrock still sees splashes of vibrant colors each spring when the annual Easter Jeep Safari event comes calling, as it has for almost the last six decades. The event is hosted by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers Inc. club.
2024 Easter Jeep Builds
For 2024, about 20,000 off-road and overlanding enthusiasts were expected to attend the week-long fest, which ends on March 31. Jeep owner Stellantis has once again joined the fun and debuted four custom machines (above). It also gives the carmaker a chance to bounce new ideas off a large group of Jeep enthusiasts at the off-road driving mecca. “Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, is the perfect venue for new Jeep concepts, ” Bill Peffer, senior vice president and head of Jeep brand North America, said in a statement. “From 4xe electrification to unmatched 392 power, this year’s Jeep 4×4 concepts illustrate how the most capable Wrangler ever appeals to such a wide range of people.”
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And if the custom Jeeps or elements of the builds strike a nerve, it’s certainly possible that model or feature could show up in production in the near future.
Willys Dispatcher Concept
Perhaps the most “not custom” but still very popular entry was a bright green reskin of the popular Willy’s trim by Senior Design Manager Chris Piscitelli, who called it the “Willys Dispatcher” in honor of the Willys workhorses from World War II that delivered men, materiel, and messages across the theaters of war in Europe and elsewhere.
Stripped to essentials but still stylish with a brown saddle leather interior, headrest-less rear seats, open bikini top, and blacked-out windscreen trim, the boxy Willys had a strong retro vibe but was anything but when it came to hard parts. Powered by Jeep’s popular and tech-heavy 4Xe hybrid powertrain that makes 375 horses and a very stout 470 lb-ft of torque, the Dispatch was also equipped with Dana 50 axles, 4:70 gears, and 36-inch tires mounted on 16-inch white-painted steelies – including the spare. Old-skool-look custom bumpers were ready to take on any hedgerows, but a Warn winch was also along for the ride, just in case. Retro score: 9.5. Maybe take the doors off for another +.25?
Vacationeer Concept
Sticking with the green retro theme was the Wagoneer-homage “Vacationeer” concept, complete with a hint of wood trim and a big-bucks Redtail Overland Skyloft hard-sided rooftop dwelling secured to the top rails.
Four phat 35-inch BFGoodrich tires mounted to 701 Method racing wheels give the ‘eer a nearly 2-inch lift, and keeping them turning should be no problem for the 510 horsepower twin-turbo six under the very green “Spearminted” paint on the hood. All of the seats behind the front two have gone away, replaced by a weatherized storage space with a step for the internal pass-through that doubles as a table for a meal out of the elements.
As for the two seats remaining? They are brazenly recovered in a solidly retro check pattern trimmed in brown leather. A future option in the configurator? Don’t say no too quickly. And a long strip of wood trim along the dash is likely not genuine veneer – it’s more likely genuine wood, Sir Brougham.
Low Down Concept
For those who saw their first Jeep as a Hot Wheels toy, the Low Down Concept based on the Rubicon likely has your full attention. Unavoidable in iridescent red metal flake with big “392” digits sprinkled about for a hint as to what’s under the transparent and ventilated hood, the Low Down is anything but low, even though it looks like it’s been chopped and dropped. It hasn’t, but that’s the illusion fitting 42-inch BFG Krawlers on 20-inch beadlocks will provide.
Carbon fiber-capped wheel wells contain most of the splashes, and besides some different Dana axles and 4.10 gearing for the monster meats, the Rubicon’s stock suspenders remain on task. The namesake 6.4-liter 392ci V8 making 475 ponies keeps the big wheels turning, and passengers get to listen to the roar of internal combustion without any musical interference since the fancy radio is back on a shop shelf somewhere.
While the seats are black cloth and leather, red is the color for the LDC, including for the soft top, which acts as a giant red sun scrim when in place. Got a sunburn? No one will be able to tell.
Gladiator High Top Concept
The popular Jeep Gladiator Rubicon made the cut for 2024 in a cookie-colored custom called the High Top, a sweet hauler from the team at Jeep Performance Parts (JPP). While the other customs were a bit more about the show, the High Top seems more about the go, and features AEV bumpers, Rock Slide Engineering chassis protection, and slide-out storage in the bed from Decked. The reliable Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 sends power through an 8-speed TorqueFlite auto to the Dana 60 axles and KMC Grenade Crawl beadlock wheels wearing 40-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 tires.
The soft top lets the sun shine in on demand, and those aboard can sink into seats recovered in custom quilted and perforated tan and black Alea leather. A Warn winch on the front bumper is ready to extract the High Top from any trouble the AccuAir adjustable air suspension can’t surmount.
While it looks like it’s from 1976, the High Top still wears some modern tech with well-hidden LED light bars tucked into the front bumper.
Overall, it’s a cast of capable customs that are sure to entertain and inspire Easter Jeep Safari attendees, and here’s hoping some if these ideas find their way into future models.
