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Toyota is a bit odd that way. On our 4Runner they offer rear lockers but only on the Trail Edition. The 4Runner is my wife's car and she insisted on having heated seats (we are on the Canadian prairies and it can get pretty cold in the winter so I understand her point - I enjoy them too). Toyota...

I forgot to mention that the empty space above the fridge will become a pull out drawer. That's where my dishes are going to live.

Thanks for the kind words. I hope that my posts encourage others to try their own builds. To be honest, none of this is rocket-science. It just takes some ideas and a bit of thought. All of these builds could have been done with very basic tools. I just want to encourage folks to give it a try...

So lets move on to the build part of this little project! The plan was simple enough: build a sliding tray that holds the Engel. When I wanted something out of the fridge, I slide it out, get what I want, slide it closed. How hard can that be? Oh ya, as long as I'm at it, I may as well surround...

Me too! My buddy the aviation sheet metal tech is off riding his Harley in Texas for the winter. I'll tap his expertise when he gets back. It's amazing what those guys can make with a sheet of aluminum!

Time to move on to the final project from last summer, replacing the fridge! Just to recap, we bought our Grandby with a Dometic electric fridge. See above for the grim details on how that worked out. Essentially, it used way to much power. I either had to add more solar panels which meant more...

The blind rivets are Huck Magna-Lok in 3/16". I picked aluminum to reduce the chances of galvanic reaction between the frame of the FWC and the plates I made (all aluminum). The rivets are rated at 700 lb shear strength and 580 lbs tensile strength. Obviously not your average Pop rivet. I got...

I used Lee Valley table top mounting clips (#13K0101) but only because I had some and they happened to be exactly the right thickness (pure dumb luck - not planned). If they hadn't worked, I probably would have just made a Z-shaped clip that screwed to the bottom of the access panel and caught...

A bit of background first. I would love to have had the genius to come up with this totally on my own but to be honest, most of the ideas were blatant pirated from the folks at Goose Gear. I haven't seen an actual Goose Gear platform but from the pictures, it looks like their access panels are...

It's late winter here on the Canadian prairies. The warming sun and the latest issue of Overland Journal half read got me to thinking about travelling again. Thinking about travelling resulted in a bulb lighting up in what I call my brain - "I never finished writing up the last of the Tundra...

I HAVE NOT BEEN LAZY NOR PROCRASTINATING . . . Well, maybe a little. Anyway, after the last entry above, I decided to wait until each of the three build projects was complete before doing the writeup. The storage system for the back of the Tundra is nearly done. It's off at my LineX dealer now...

Summer certainly is busy. The build projects get fitted in with all the family stuff and that's the way it should be. My apologies but I'm going to be jumping around a bit on the three build projects I've got on the go. I'm waiting for supplies on some and 'time management' means that things...

Once every six years, I have to apply a coat of finish to our house. This was the year. A tedious job and one that I don't look forward to but it needs to be done. Four weeks of works. Gad! And now I have six years to goof off. Back to the fun projects. I've been busy getting all the parts...

If you fear a tool, don't turn it on. 'Respect' - Absolutely! In my opinion, fear comes from a lack of understanding and experience. If you are uncomfortable with a tool (or anything else I guess) find a mentor. I believe any true craftsman will be glad to pass on his wisdom. I'm excited for...

Thanks for the kind comments billlebob! I hope that the bit of effort I put into these threads will give others the confidence to try create their own personalization stories. I admit my passion for 'old-school' and part of that is doing things for myself, my way. I want to encourage others to...

Thanks Boston! I looked at your site. Lots of useful information there. I will be following up on some of the leads especially the larger fuel tank. The 100 litre tank they used back when ours were built can be a little problematic. I am planning a trip which has some pretty long stretches...

Dometic CoolMatic CR-110 Refrigerator - This is a compressor refrigerator not a propane evaporative unit. It runs only on 12/24 VDC or 120 VAC. The compressor is the respected Secop (Danfoss) BD35F. Low power consumption - 5.5 amp. Volume is 108 litre (Freezer 10.2 litre). Dimensions H=745 mm...

I'm doing the same project on my Tundra and posting it a couple threads above. This is going to be fun to see how we solve the same problems. Should learn a lot from each other.

Thanks for the suggestion Dan. I am thinking about the Highlift and shovel. The Highlift is a bit too long to go vertical so I will need to think horizontal. Having a 30 lb piece of steel right behind my head gives me a bit of a twitch should I ever get into an accident or roll-over. If it ends...

Thanks SG1. It looks like my calculations are reasonable based on your experience. I agree that many upright fridges are thin on insulation. On my Dometic, stuff in the door was barely cool on hot days. To be fair, I think the two configurations are designed for different markets. The uprights...