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A few weeks ago my DIY awning came to the rescue again in mixed weather. I'm still anxious on how this awning performs in strong winds. But when the gusts picked up, I discovered I could bring in the leading edge of the awning to reduce the surface area. In sailing, I think this is called...

The second ammo can i used to store utensils, spices, and miscellaneous kitchen supplies. I use Akro-Mils 05905 Storage Cases because 3 fit snugly inside the ammo can leaving just enough for two 12oz MSR fuel cannisters and some olive oil. I store regular charcoal lighter fluid in one MSR...

I guess 18 years is long enough. Its time to remodel the kitchen... The "kitchen" in this case is three M548 ammo cans. They snap in the bed of my Tacoma like Legos™. On longer expeditions, when I need extra fuel and water, they also snap like Legos™ but between the wheel wells. I...

Here's a demo showing how my 360° 9 switch console works. Each switch position corresponds to the geometric position of the light on the truck: Top center: Front LED light bar Top corners: Left and right cornering lights on the bumper Sides: Left and right side lights on the A Pillar Rear...

Today I upgraded the attachments for the tank. The old Super Quick Fist® never worked very well so the tank would rotate or slide back and forth. Not a lot but enough to be a nuisance. Then one broke part way and it was time to revisit the whole problem of mounting the tank to the rack. Now...

Well 6 years has taken its toll on my original DIY propane fire pit. This time I took the easy way: Which meant using a 90 fitting through a hole in the bottom instead. The valve isn't necessary but I had it on hand so wanted to try it out. The new burner has twice as many holes...

Here's my updated after several years of use. I posted this thread looking for something better. In short: Overall, it worked pretty well but it had a couple drawbacks: 1: There was no housing so I didn't like to leave it on all the time. 2: Unless I was careful, any metal parts that rubbed on...

I decided to give it one more season. I made a big improvement after my last camping trip. I upgraded the attachment points to the truck so I didn't need Bimini fittings with quick release pins. The new mounts snap onto the rock slider tube and tube on the rear bumper. Old rock slider...

My old DYI awning earned it's weight on our most recent trip to Anza Borrego. Although it takes a few extra minutes to setup, it proved it's worth on a recent desert trip when it rained. The rain was coming in from the North West so we angled the awning down to create a rain shadow. I don't...

Although it takes a few extra minutes to setup. It proved it's worth on a recent desert trip when it rained. The rain was coming in from the North West so we angled the awning down to create a rain shadow. I don't know if this is possible with traditional awnings that appear to be designed...

Last year I installed the VLEDS foot well lights and they are awesome. Chloe Kuo does a great review of them here: I noticed that the kit has an unused female connector and that got me thinking about adding puddle lights to the bottom of the doors. The install is pretty straightforward since...

Got a chance to test the new table and awning this weekend. The awning is still a two person job to setup and I have not added mounts for the support legs to attach directly to the truck like on my old setup. I just wanted to get a feel for setup and take down time. It is just as sturdy and...

Today I figured out a stupid easy way to rig a table for cooking off my Yakima HD Rack We always take this 2'x4' sheet of plywood to use a kitchen countertop on existing campground picnic tables or our folding aluminum table. Years ago I made a DIY awing that mounted the table in a similar...

I did this many years ago. https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/campfire-container-for-restricted-areas.193437/post-2487375 Stupid simple. Galvanized trashcan lid. The 1/2" aluminum tubing has 1/16th inch holes drilled every 2 inches to let the propane out and the end is hammered flat...

A few snap shots from summer camping trips. All made possible by our Tacoma: It's been a great Summer. Looking forward to Autumn...

Here's my 2022 Tacoma Access Cab build thread: https://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/switchs-2022-tacoma-access-cab-build.233840/

10 years ago, I made this DYI awning Overall, it worked pretty well but it had a couple drawbacks: 1: There was no housing so I didn't like to leave it on all the time. 2: Unless I was careful, any metal parts that rubbed on the tarp would cause holes. And it needed to be secured so it did...

I finally got the parts to finishing the aux battery project. The Hellroaring auxiliary battery isolator has an LED indicator and uses remote switch for connecting the aux battery to the primary. I needed a place to mount that LED and switch and realized I could also add voltage meters for...

After all of my work to add lights inside and outside the bed of my truck, my wife pointed out that she couldn't see the tailgate itself or use it effectively as a table with just the LED lights inside the truck cap. She asked if a light strip could be placed on the truck cap hatch. I could...

Here is how I mounted my NOCO Boost Lithium Jump start battery to my Desert Does It Multi Mount Panel. I had tried using Velcro™ but that didn't work The magnetic strips worked great, but the Desert Does It Multi Mount Panel is made out of aluminum. So then I used bungie but it was a real...