A Ford guy's Silverado build

[JumpinFord]

More progress today. Got the electric panel installed and wired. Tied it in to the main harness with a 60a fuse. Should run everything I have installed just fine. Inside the box I installed a fuse panel with individual fuses for all the accessories.

Here's the installed box

Here's the driver side flood light pointed in

And out.

This way I can have lights to unload and setup camp without having to crawl through the truck for anything. Flashlights are always hard for me to keep in one place

 

[JumpinFord]

I like the suv tent idea. I may add something like that to serve as sort of a mud room. I'm gonna have to price that out.

 

[k9lestat]

it would be like a mud room social hall and diner...lol

 

[RangeBrover]

How are you planning on sealing the tailgate? From what I understand they are notorious for letting dust in.

 

[JumpinFord]

There are a couple different seals available aftermarket. I'm gonna pick one and see how it goes. I also have some holes (both factory and not) that I need to seal as well. Most of those I plan on covering with vanfastik (sp) which is a self adhering aluminum used for quick repairs to semi trailer skins. Its durable, cheap, and removable if need be.

 

[JumpinFord]

Just a quick little update. The other reason I built this truck is so I can go to our local drive in movies. Well you gotta have tunes to really enjoy the movies. I got a no-name amp from a buddy the other day, and some boxed 6x9s on KSL for cheap today, so an hour later......

The kids are lovin it!

 

[JumpinFord]

Quick little update folks....

I added a tailgate seal from Lund. It went on easy, and after 3 days of camping out of the truck, I cant tell its not new. I suppose time will make fools of us all, but so far, its holding up well.

Here it is all loaded up for 3 days fishing.

I have a 4'x2' folding table I used as a cargo divider. Keeps all the heavy cargo on one side of the bed, so the kids have a clutter free area to travel in. Also allows for better cargo securement, in case of an accident.

And lastly, here it is all setup with the bed inflated. We moved the speakers up next to the cab so we could still have music. We slept great! Nice and cozy, still room to get dressed in the morning. Although honestly, as good as I slept, it was hard to get out of bed.

All in all we had a great trip. I did some fishing, caught up on some reading, and had percolated coffee. God I love this truck!

 

[RangeBrover]

That looks like a comfy setup. Good job with the build.

 

[JumpinFord]

Thanks! Its not done by far. But at least I can use it now. I still have the Espar heater to install. I need to redo the rear flood lights. They dont articulate the way I would like. Also plan on adding a set of 235/85R16 tires to gain a little more ground clearance and cut through snow better. The trucks a v-6 so a lift and huge tires are out of the question. Im also torn on the idea of a roof rack on the shell. More room is always nice, but as it is I can feel the weight with a bedload of gear. Time will tell!