Within a couple months of buying my 2018 Jeep Wrangler JK Unlimited Rubicon, I installed the 67 Designs JK Mount 2-Ball Base and used that for my phone mount for just short of three years.
The 67 Designs dual mount served me well as my phone holder while driving, but I also found it limiting in that it was restricted to the devices being mounted in the center of the dashboard and only had two mount points.
While an easily adaptable mount point, the 67 Designs dual mount also wasn’t the ideal place for my sPOD Bantam HD Smart Panel.
I had become aware of the Vector Off-Road JKE-Dock shortly after I acquired the 67 Designs dual mount, but didn’t feel the need for it at the time. But as the past couple years rolled by, my desire for the flexibility of the Vector Off-Road platform grew and I decided to order it in January 2021.
The Vector Off-Road JKE-Dock is essentially a 1″ diameter tube that extends most of the length of the dashboard on the Wrangler JK, with a ‘loop’ at the center. The JKE-Dock has a black, textured powder coat finish which gives the dock a nice look.
It is actually quite easy to install. There are only three fasteners to install: two (2) posts which are placed on threaded studs within the dashboard and one bolt that is placed in the center where the factory tray was secured.
But as you can see above, the Vector Off-Road JKE-Dock still needs other accessories in order to actually mount device to the JKE-Dock. This is where 67 Designs comes into play.
67 Designs manufacturers clamps for various diameter tubes which have their ball mount solution. This in turn allows you to use 67 Designs mounting arms which will have the appropriate device mount for you to use.
The clamps are similar to scope rings for a firearm scope. Two halves secured together by two bolts to clamp them around a tube.
I do have one tip for anyone using 67 Designs clamps: Make sure they ball is tightened to the top halve of the clamp. If it is loose in anyway, the ball will rotate ever so slightly and you will be wondering why there’s play in the mounting arm when you have it all tightened up.
If you do find a ball that is loose (it tightens a little more when you put a bit of torque on it), I suggest un-threading the fastener for the ball and putting fresh threadlocker (high strength / permanent) since you don’t want the ball to ever come loose.
Anyway, after it’s all said and done, installing the Vector Off-Road JKE-Dock provides a much larger “surface area” to play with for mounting all your devices (e.g., phones, tablets, GPS, control panels, etc.).
I have mine currently setup for the sPOD HD Smart Panel, phone, GoPro, and Garmin inReach Mini. But I have a couple extra 67 Designs clamps and various length 67 Designs carbon fiber arms so I can add and rearrange my device layout.
The sPOD HD Smart Panel on the direct left hand side of the steering wheel gives me quick access to my auxiliary controls. The phone placement on the direct right side of the steering wheel gives me the immediate visibility I need and allows me to touch the screen quickly without having to reach far from the steering wheel (and not obstruct the operation of the steering wheel).
The GoPro mount is specifically for the ability for in-vehicle vlogging, specifically when driving off-road and/or to the range.
Mounting the Garmin inReach Mini on the center-right of the dashboard is more of an active experiment. I carry the inReach Mini as an emergency communication device in case I need help and in an area with no cellular coverage (which is frequent). I don’t really need to mount it, but I want to see if there’s any benefit of having it on the dock, especially when out on a trail and keeping it within line of sight of the sky (since it is a satellite communicator).
While very versatile, this setup is not inexpensive.
The Vector Off-Road JKE-Dock currently runs for $170 and the costs start to stack from there as a single 1″ 67 Designs clamp currently runs for $35, a 67 Designs carbon fiber arm is $20-$35 depending on length, and then the cost for the actual mount adapter for the given device.
Potentially, you will spend around $75 or more for each device you want to mount.
There are alternatives to 67 Designs including the well-known RAM Mounts products. So you can shop around for budget and you can also shop around for style of mounting solution.
But it is hard to argue against the fact that the Vector Off-Road JKE-Dock combined with 67 Designs hardware offers a very versatile platform for mounting accessible accessories within a Jeep Wrangler JK. If you have a Jeep Wrangler JK or JL or the Gladiator JT, Vector Off-Road makes docks for all of those vehicles.
Josh
Are you using the Vector Off-Road JKE-Dock with a aftermarket head unit? If so does it still work fine?
Jonathan Ocab
Yes, the last photo in the write-up is of my dash with an aftermarket head unit (Kenwood DMX7706). You will be fine with any aftermarket head unit that doesn’t restyle the top dash. If you do have one, then you need to look at the other variant of the dock Vector sells specifically for the Alpine headunit users.