The Jeep Comanche is a beloved pickup truck, in part because it takes a reliable and stylish SUV that everyone loves — the XJ Cherokee — and gives it the truckish form factor that America is obsessed with. Add the fact that the Comanche went out of production nine model years before the XJ and sold in relatively low volumes, and it becomes clear why MJ Comanches are worth more than both the truck’s Cherokee XJ sibling and its Jeep J10/Gladiator forebear. Many have dreamed of a four-door version of the beloved Jeep; those folks can stop dreaming, because the “Crewmanche” is here.
I used to own an MJ Comanche. In fact, it was a great spec — a 1992 long-bed with a bench seat. And even though it was an automatic, since it was 1991+ it had the venerable 4.0-liter Chrysler fuel injected engine, which not only lasts for ever but feels legitimately powerful in a reasonably lightweight truck. But I could only afford that truck ($500!) because it was completely rusted out; the truth is that MJ Comanches are not for the cheap. And while that may lead you to think that a custom four-door version would reach stratospheric levels of pricing, actually this one for sale is only $25 large. A nice stock MJ goes for similar money.
It’s called the Crewmanche, and according to its Comanche-obsessed seller, Nathaniel Lanken (a Jeep Comanche enthusiast since he was in high school, a former dealership owner, a marketing guru in the auto industry, and now owner of Off Grid Research “remaking Street Comanche parts and bringing back the race heritage”), the starting point was a 1998 Jeep Cherokee, which had a long bed Comanche grafted onto the back.
“Right where the door corner is squared is where the Comanche starts basically,” he told me over Facebook Messenger. “It has twin cross members and a two-piece driveshaft with a carrier bearing,” he said about how the drivetrain was elongated to handle all that wheelbase. Lanken says the “Crewmanche,” built in 2002 by Hilltop Customs from Lynchburg, Virginia, features a stock 4.0-liter straight six bolted to an AX-15 five-speed manual and NP231 “Command Track” four-wheel drive transfer case. “They did a wing window conversion up front as well. But it’s all stock late model Cherokee up front,” he told me.
“Then the backseat is the front benchseat of a Comanche reupholstered to match. It also has a custom grafted Oem+ headliner and power sliding rear window.” Wow; that’s extremely cool — a power rear window?! And I love that they kept the MJ bench, even though an XJ bench would have worked fine.
Per Lanken, the “Crewmanche” was hanging out in “the local show circuits for years and then was sold in 2017 to a fellow in Washington.” That’s whom Lanken bought it from. “I get stopped all the time and people ask if it’s a Concept, or Global model that was never offered in America. It’s extremely well done in and out down to the pinch seams. Turns heads everywhere”
You can watch Lanken’s journey buying the Crewmanche in the video above. “Drives extremely well,” he told me. “I did a 1000 mile road trip when I purchased it. Which can be seen on my youtube as well…I havn’t weighed it but it’s definitely more than a Stock cherokee! And it’s as long as a Full size Dodge ram crewcab.”
What do I, as a five-time XJ Cherokee owner, one-time MJ owner, and former Jeep engineer think about this? Well, on one hand the Jeep purist in me might call it blasphemy; the best things about the XJ and MJ were that they were relatively compact. Why ruin that?! I also have concerns about the structural integrity of welding two chopped up unibody vehicles together. Sure, this type of build has been done before, and the Jeep Cherokee XJ does have a “Uniframe” type construction that basically consists of two U-shaped unibody rails running the length of the SUV, with floors welded to those rails. The front end of the MJ — which was welded to the back of the XJ — features this very same construction. I’d love to know more how those bits were joined/stiffened.
Still, despite these reservations, I think the truck looks awesome, especially with those modern JL/JT wheels and that brow on the cab.
All Images: Nathaniel Lanken (Facebook Marketplace)
Dude had to register the rear plate in one state and the front plate in the next state over.
“the “Crewmanche,” built in 2002 by Hilltop Customs from Lynchburg, Virginia, features a stock 4.0-liter straight six bolted to an AX-15 five-speed manual and NP231 “Command Track” four-wheel drive transfer case”
Seems strange to me to go through all that trouble and not use an AWD/4WD Select Track instead of a part time only 4WD Command Track.
I have a 90 Comanche Eliminator, the one thing it could use is like 2 or 3 more inches to the length of the cab. I do like the proportions of a stock Comanche cab but it would do a world of difference for comfort to have just a bit more leg room, and I’m only 5′ 11″.
A full crew cab, I’m not really sure one needs that, just buy an XJ if you want to haul friends.
this is rad!
I had a 90 Comanche Eliminator (auto sadly) that had a lot of rust issues. Sold it for $900 about a decade ago. Miss that truck all the time. We all make mistakes.