Stolenheron's 04 D2 thread

[Chazz Layne]

I think it's off to a good start. Frankly, spending $250-900 on some aluminum poles and a sheet of canvas (yes, I know there is more design/effort put into these fine products) seems a little nutty to me if you have the means to build something yourself. That is money that could go towards armor/bumpers/gear... or motor mounts. :jump:

I'm not fond of the pole-to-rack mount either, but admittedly I'm still staring at mine trying to figure that part out. In the end I will probably pick up some 3-4" sections of slightly larger diameter tube to bolt/weld onto the rack that I can then slip the poles into (mine is smaller, and will hopefully be without vertical supports)... should end up sturdy - might help with your setup too.

Also, if you are interested in switching out the tarp for a canvas version, I've found a couple good sources for quality surplus...

NEW, lots of options, good prices: http://speedytarp.com/default.aspx
Surplus, OD green (a bit lighter actually): http://www.armysurplusworld.com/display.asp?categoryID=42

 

[chris snell]

I think it's off to a good start. Frankly, spending $250-900 on some aluminum poles and a sheet of canvas (yes, I know there is more design/effort put into these fine products) seems a little nutty to me if you have the means to build something yourself. That is money that could go towards armor/bumpers/gear... or motor mounts. :jump:

I'm calling XXXXX on you. You don't have to spend $250 for a quality tarp and poles. Snow Peak and many other fine manufacturers sell these sets for well less than $200.

The Snow Peak Ponta Light Tarp

Cost: $70 (tarp) + $40 (two shock-corded aluminum poles) = $110 (probably less than you spent at Lowe's and Wal-Mart)
Source: MoonTrail

That's a quality setup that goes up in minutes and will last a lifetime. Properly guyed, this tarp will withstand much more wind and rain than that yard sale contraption that you've hacked together. It even comes with a nice little stuff sack and you don't have to dangle it off the sides of your truck everywhere you go.

What's more, it's a real shelter and you're not limited to sitting right next to your truck. You can shift your chairs to match the sun. With your shelter, you'll have to disassemble your shelter and move your truck as the sun moves across the sky. This is why vehicle-mounted shelters make no sense at all.

 

[Chazz Layne]

You don't have to spend $250 for a quality tarp and poles. Snow Peak and many other fine manufacturers sell these sets for well less than $200.

I agree with you there, my favorite being the ultralight one sold by Brooks-Range (which I keep in my ditch kit). My post was referring solely to the vehicle-mounted units.

This is why vehicle-mounted shelters make no sense at all.

I can't agree with that one, but that may simply be a difference of climate/camping method. In the desert, where still air can suddenly turn into a 50+MPH gust without warning, it seems foolish to completely ignore the 6000-pound anchor sitting right next to camp... at least when car camping. This is especially true if your setup is vehicle-dependent (for example, my sleeping quarters and half of my kitchen are in-vehicle).

As I can see the usefulness of both shelter types, I can also see how much nicer a home-built system that uses a tarp/canvas can be over a pre-fab unit, as you can always remove the tarp/poles and reconfigure them to be used without the vehicle.

 

[JSQ]

I like utilizing the truck as a sensible anchor for the awning, but I also like light and fast.

I've run this simple set-up for some time with good success:

Aaron liked it so he did the same thing:

It's provided decent quick shade for trail lunches or the occasional motorbike repair:

 

[muskyman]

KISS

"keep it simple stupid"

Look at the simple functional awning there in Jack's pics.

There are no pipe fittings that will fail and closet hangers that will scratch up the rack and promote rust. Nothing scabbed on at all. The support comes from the triangulation of the lines where it belongs not in rigid PVC pipe fittings at the corners.

 

[michaels]

KISS

"keep it simple stupid"

scratch up the rack and promote rust.

it's aluminum. :coffeedrink:

i agree with the KISS method though.

 

[Alaska Mike]

Honestly, I've been known to bolt together something that was far too heavy and complicated for the task at hand, only to realize that I could have gotten a superior product for less money. Many parts of my own Home Depot monstosities have ended up refined in a smaller version on some other project. Part of the journey, I guess. I still cruise the aisles looking at weird fittings and pondering various uses.

If he's happy, it doesn't seriously impact safety, and it does what he wants it to do... cool.

 

[stolenheron]

it works fine for now. it was cheap and when the opportunity comes along for a REAL awning, then i will jump on it and scrap my DIY ghetto rig.

 

[RBBailey]

Awning -- what JSQ has there is exactly what I have as well. Except for some light weight mounted, retractable system that I spend a lot of money on, why would I want anything more? I made it myself, and it works just fine.

 

[stolenheron]

well just got the truck back from Land Rover Austin.

brought the truck in for a motor mount swap from my (what i thought was one) broken D-side motor mount to new QT mounts from Lucky8 that justin over-nighted me after a trip to Hidden Falls ORV.

the dealership found my D-side rear hub leaking and my t-case had lost alot of fluid on my road trip, so i let them dig in..... only because i have an extended aftermarket warranty plan . new transfer case seal and axle seal runs $1800 with labor included... I paid my $100 deductible .

the service was great. the Service manager, Paul, was fantastic and he has a nicely rigged D1 too.

here is what my motor mounts looked like after they were taken out.... and here are the new ones installed.

QT mounts

Passenger side mount, cracked but still holding together

driverside mount. . . LOL

 

[dcwhybrew]

...new transfer case seal and axle seal runs $1800 with labor included... I paid my $100 deductible ....

Did you ask them to rebuild the transfer box while they had it open? It would not have cost that much more. You probably could have paid the difference between the $1700 ($1800-$100 deductible) and the cost of the rebuild. Just a thought.

 

[stolenheron]

Did you ask them to rebuild the transfer box while they had it open? It would not have cost that much more. You probably could have paid the difference between the $1700 ($1800-$100 deductible) and the cost of the rebuild. Just a thought.

no, just the seal.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Do you feel or hear any extra engine vibration with those? Maybe through the steering wheel? I suppose the fact the engine is mounted to the frame, but the body is further isolated by the body mounts might reduce the vibration I'd expect you'd get?

 

[stolenheron]

Do you feel or hear any extra engine vibration with those? Maybe through the steering wheel? I suppose the fact the engine is mounted to the frame, but the body is further isolated by the body mounts might reduce the vibration I'd expect you'd get?

at idle you feel a big difference, or when u just step on the gas. but at interstate cruising speed its very smooth.

if some vibes are a negative thing, the benefits of such a mount should still outweigh them.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

If it were possible to bump up the idle speed, that could help. That's what I had to do on my car with a polyurethane motor mount.

Is there any long-term information from these mounts? Sure, the factory mount eventually failed. I might have replaced it with another OEM one. The vibrations being transmitted could cause other problems over time. Could fatigue the chassis side engine mount, etc. I guess what I'm asking is, the QT mounts are assumed to be better. Do we know that they are in fact going to last longer than new rubber mounts?