007's Expedition Build
- Thread starter 007
- Start date
007
Explorer
And squeaky UCA's you can hear from 10 miles away...Good hunting this year?
Ha Ha! that actually turned out to be my shock bushings from the Donahoe shocks! I feel bad for cursing out Total Chaos this whole time...
Hunting - The wolf has become a valid (and welcome) competitor to these parts, so it took more work than normal, but it all worked out.
007
Explorer
It is 13" off the bed rail.
sn0wspyder
Observer
Nice an simple, I like it!
007
Explorer
If you own a T-top style RTT, then you know how awesome the lower annex is... And you also know what a pain it is to unpack, unfold, sort, attach, remove, fold, and pack...
It seems most the time you just leave the thing packed up because it isn't worth the time and effort to install for one stay.
I was very tired of this:
So I decided there must be a way to attach the walls and store them up with the tent. (There is)
I went to the hardware store and purchased 1" nylon strap and 8 sets of plastic buckles ( the same stuff the cover uses).
I attached the walls and left them unzipped.
Then at each wall, I threaded 2 pieces of strap between the plywood and the aluminum support that the wall slides into, and attached a male and female buckle to each end of both straps.
Now I can roll up the walls and buckle the straps. When I deploy the tent, its a simple matter of unbuckling 8 straps and letting the walls roll down. Or, I can just leave them rolled up.
It all stows under the cover
And the wife loves having a changing room - every time A Mr. buddy heater and a dvd player is also a great addition.
Thanks to Wade with http://www.oao4x4.com/ for helping me with this project!
It seems most the time you just leave the thing packed up because it isn't worth the time and effort to install for one stay.
I was very tired of this:
So I decided there must be a way to attach the walls and store them up with the tent. (There is)
I went to the hardware store and purchased 1" nylon strap and 8 sets of plastic buckles ( the same stuff the cover uses).
I attached the walls and left them unzipped.
Then at each wall, I threaded 2 pieces of strap between the plywood and the aluminum support that the wall slides into, and attached a male and female buckle to each end of both straps.
Now I can roll up the walls and buckle the straps. When I deploy the tent, its a simple matter of unbuckling 8 straps and letting the walls roll down. Or, I can just leave them rolled up.
It all stows under the cover
And the wife loves having a changing room - every time A Mr. buddy heater and a dvd player is also a great addition.
Thanks to Wade with http://www.oao4x4.com/ for helping me with this project!
J
JWP58
Guest
I just finished a 9 day trip with the Dakar ADD-a-leaf in place, It made a huge difference
Another nice addition to the truck was a 12 volt bunk heater I found on ebay for $50. its 46" X 60" and just pins to the mattress under the sleeping bags and down comforter that I keep stowed in the tent.
It has a control switch that stays in the tent with settings 1-7 and supposedly has its own thermostat inside the controller to maintain the heat setting.
A 12-volt heating blanket is nothing like a 120 volt! it doesn't get hot, its actually hard to tell its working if you don't put something over it to capture the warmth. You can certainly tell its working after its been on a while and your laying on it.
It only got down into the 20's but the heating blanket kept the chill completely out of the tent, I didn't have to use the propane heater at all which is good because those create so much condensation that I've had it get completely wet underneath the mattress and ruin it with mold. Sneaky condensation doesn't appear on the roof where I could notice it, but it was certainly accumulating on the floor!
Now I can delete the propane heater (and bottles, since my lighting is electric and stove is unleaded) and make room for a 60 watt solar charge kit. The electric blanket does suck the juice (3.6 amps max) so it would need recharged every 2nd or 3rd night if its really cold and the truck isn't moving.
So did you have to add a second battery? Or do you just run this off of the trucks battery? Do you run it all night?
I want a RTT but worry about the cold, this would fix that issue.
007
Explorer
I do have a second battery that is isolated with a LUNA dual battery setup.
I usually turn the bunk heater on before crawling into bed, then shut it off after I'm warmed up. If its really cold I'll leave it on the low setting. the battery will last two nights on low.
I still use my Mr. buddy heater to warm the annex when changing clothes, cooking, watching movies etc., but the bunk heater is all I use at night.
you didn't mention...
...How the bit of RTT that sticks up affects the drag/wind noise of the truck. Also, did you change out to anything bigger than 4.30 gears for this truck? I also have almost the same ride, but with ABS and and extended cab, and will be creating a similiar rack setup (including the one foot deep tool box) for the RTT that my fiance and I buying ourselves for our wedding present (I know she's great) so that we will have a nice spot that doesn't cost anything on our honeymoon trip to Nova Scotia. I will be getting a Tepui and was just wondering, great truck.
Brandon
...How the bit of RTT that sticks up affects the drag/wind noise of the truck. Also, did you change out to anything bigger than 4.30 gears for this truck? I also have almost the same ride, but with ABS and and extended cab, and will be creating a similiar rack setup (including the one foot deep tool box) for the RTT that my fiance and I buying ourselves for our wedding present (I know she's great) so that we will have a nice spot that doesn't cost anything on our honeymoon trip to Nova Scotia. I will be getting a Tepui and was just wondering, great truck.
Brandon
007
Explorer
The RTT does affect wind noise, it isn't terrible, but I notice it for a bit. The drag doesn't seem too bad either, I think much of the wind has already been deflected upwards by the cab.
The biggest thing I notice is the weight, and where its at. The tent and rack aren't over 300lbs, but its up high and has a lot of leverage on the truck. The previous rack version I had was several inches taller, the bottom of the tent was flush to the top of cab. I hated it, the handling was horrible. Getting the tent as low as possible is very important.
moroza
New member
Howdy!
I like your style - how you write and how you keep the rig light, compact, and simple. What part of MT if I may ask? I lived west of Missoula for a while. And I had a BMW track car once whose numbers were 008...
I'm slowly getting into building my own expedition vehicle, also on a Toyota but much older. The idea of a tent has been pitched (no pun intended) to me a few times, but having lived and wanting to spend more time in places like southern Manitoba, Iceland, and eastern Europe, I'm leaning in favor of rigid walls full of high-efficiency insulation (rigid boards of polyurethane or polyisocyanurate), even if that means cramped quarters and a little extra weight. What's the coldest you've camped in yours, and how has it fared?
I read the OP and saw that you were carrying propane, but using gasoline for the cooking stove. I've been using the latter setup, and questioning continuing to do so. Propane is cheaper, doesn't smell, and doesn't need to be hand-pumped for longer meals. Tanks are a little more awkward than gas cans, but there's plenty of room underneath to mount one. And I realize the logistical efficiency of having one type of fuel for everything, but is there another reason you're using liquid vs. gas for cooking?
I like your style - how you write and how you keep the rig light, compact, and simple. What part of MT if I may ask? I lived west of Missoula for a while. And I had a BMW track car once whose numbers were 008...
I'm slowly getting into building my own expedition vehicle, also on a Toyota but much older. The idea of a tent has been pitched (no pun intended) to me a few times, but having lived and wanting to spend more time in places like southern Manitoba, Iceland, and eastern Europe, I'm leaning in favor of rigid walls full of high-efficiency insulation (rigid boards of polyurethane or polyisocyanurate), even if that means cramped quarters and a little extra weight. What's the coldest you've camped in yours, and how has it fared?
I read the OP and saw that you were carrying propane, but using gasoline for the cooking stove. I've been using the latter setup, and questioning continuing to do so. Propane is cheaper, doesn't smell, and doesn't need to be hand-pumped for longer meals. Tanks are a little more awkward than gas cans, but there's plenty of room underneath to mount one. And I realize the logistical efficiency of having one type of fuel for everything, but is there another reason you're using liquid vs. gas for cooking?