Goal: To build an ultra mild, cheap camping rig out for use in a 3500 mile roadtrip scheduled for early next month (Sept 2018)
Truck: 1994 Dakota SLT Club Cab, V6, RWD, Open Diff (!), auto
Background: So this is my first truck, but not my first build. Here are a few links to some of my current/past projects:
Current Garage Build Outs on Garage Journal
3800 Sq Ft Warehouse Apartment Build Out
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Story: Typically I tow everything with my 95 S6 Avant; My sleds, my boat, and my utility trailer. I've never owned a truck and honestly the brodozer culture here in the midwest made me hate most trucks. However, my S6 blew a headgasket and I'm rebuilding it with a bigger turbo, so I needed a tow rig that could also haul building materials. I searched for months. I tried fullsize trucks (F150s, 1500s, Rams) and found them way, way too big, way more truck than I need or ever want, and I tried compact trucks like Rangers/S10s and found them cramped/tiny. I really, really wanted a Tacoma, but living in the salt belt has seemed to make this dream impossible, for now. I looked at so many, but all of them were rotten garbage or way out of my price range.
Enter the Dak.
I picked up this truck back in March of 2017 for $1800. It was a one owner truck, garaged it's entire life, owned by a Pastor near Milwaukee, WI. He wound up being put in an old folks home, so his family donated the truck to charity where it was sold at auction, purchased by a dealership, who then sold it to me. The paint is in amazing shape, and so was the interior. I think the truck was sitting a while, so I immediately changed the fluids, filters, shocks, etc. The A/C wasn't working, so I recharged it with a kit from wally world for $22 that included some sort of sealant, and it's still working great 1.5 years later.
Last year, I had a trip planned out to CO and I wanted to take this thing up into the mountains on some mild roads, so I had built a plywood raised floor/2x4 cross beams, but unfortunately that trip never happened: My GF was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer and we had to cancel our trip, she had to start chemo immediately, surgery, radiation, all that fun ****************. The past year has been pretty rough, but she's fixed/repaired/recovering and we are continuing with the plan a year later.
So I liked the truck, but was really hoping to find a clean V8/4x4 version. Again. Rust belt. Most of these trucks are beyond trashed. I gave up late last fall/early winter, since I knew I would be towing my sleds a few times, and wound up getting some Kuhmo AT51 all terrains.
Stoked about these! They're also 'snow rated', and I've had bad experience with regular all terrains in the white stuff, but these things are awesome. BARELY louder than stock, great grip in any condition so far, boat launches, 1ft of snow, etc. With some sandbags in the back and these tires I honestly didn't feel like I needed 4wd.
Recently, I had a gas tank strap fail, and my gas gauge never worked anyway, so I decided to pull the bed, replace the straps, and replace the pump/sender. This rapidly spiraled out of control. I built 2x4 scaffolding, and raised the bed a corner a time, raising some cross beams. Hood AF but hey if it works it's not stupid, right?
I then aired out the rear tires and drove the truck out from under the bed:
And since I had the bed off, I might as well wire wheel all the scale/corrosion off the frame, right?
And then paint it all with rust reformer...
And then paint 2 coats of thinned out, semi gloss black rustoleum:
And put it back together:
Anyway, that's the truck so far. In terms of plans, I'd really like to locate an LSD that would bolt in, but it seems like most places want $600 to install it. I hate the idea of spending $4-500 on an LSD or auto locker, then another $600 to install it, but I might just bite the bullet. I figure a good LSD/locker and maybe a recovery winch should get me most places, I'm not going to go anywhere too wild.
So far, here are the rough plans, gentlemen:
- Raised Bed + Storage (done)
- Cut to fit yoga mat material on raised bed
- Dog friendly screen material in the rear sliding windows, WITH regular bug screen
- Transmission cooler
- Relay for headlights (melted a headlight switch already, sucked to replace it)
- 12v Battery in the bed with solar array on the top of the cap, charge phones/run fan/mini fridge
- Light Bar
- Recover points in the front/rear bumper (D rings, I think they are called?) with a recovery ratchet. I thought about getting a front winch, but nobody makes a mount for this thing and I'm not sure I'll have time to fab something.
Thanks for looking, and stay tuned for more updates over the next few weeks.
