100 Series Family Adventure Rig
- Thread starter Bretthn
- Start date
Bretthn
Explorer
Thanks! Hopefully I can get things installed this weekend.
Bretthn
Explorer
I just completed the install on the Parrot MKI9200 bluetooth integration system. It was extremely simple since I ordered the plug and play harness.
I pulled the radio and disconnected the factory wire harness. Plug the new harness into the radio and connect it to the Parrot blue brain and the other end plugs back into the Lexus.
It is that simple. The most time consuming part is doing a good job of routing the wires for the 30 pin/usb/headphone input, running the microphone cable, and routing the screen wiring.
There is plenty of space behind the climate controls for storing the blue brain and all the extra wiring.
I pulled the radio and disconnected the factory wire harness. Plug the new harness into the radio and connect it to the Parrot blue brain and the other end plugs back into the Lexus.
It is that simple. The most time consuming part is doing a good job of routing the wires for the 30 pin/usb/headphone input, running the microphone cable, and routing the screen wiring.
There is plenty of space behind the climate controls for storing the blue brain and all the extra wiring.
Bretthn
Explorer
Bluetooth install continued
I had a difficult time deciding where to mount the screen but decided to mount it just below the hazard and CDL switches for now. I may move it later after living with it for a while. It is on a pivoting base so I can still easily use the CDL even though it looks like it is blocked in the pictures.
Here is the view of the drivers seat. Everything can easily be seen at a glance and is within easy reach.
I routed the 30 pin/usb/headphone jack out through the ashtray for now. I will eventually mount a factory style flush mount aux input pane for the usb and headphone input and route only the 30pin close to the iPhone mount.
Song titles show up while playing music through bluetooth.
Album artwork shows when playing music through the 30 pin connector.
I have the controls mounted to the steering wheel but will probably mount it to the dash later.
The noise canceling dual microphone is just above the rear view mirror.
Music sounds great over bluetooth and my wife said she could hear me loud and clear when I called her. I am extremely happy. Now I need to get all of my speakers up to par so I can crank the music past halfway without hearing all of the crackling.
It allows for my phone and the iPad to be paired at the same time so when playing music through the phone it will mute for navigation instructions from the iPad. I know it is not the most "expedition style" mod but it will make my travels more comfortable and safe. :1888fbbd:
I had a difficult time deciding where to mount the screen but decided to mount it just below the hazard and CDL switches for now. I may move it later after living with it for a while. It is on a pivoting base so I can still easily use the CDL even though it looks like it is blocked in the pictures.
Here is the view of the drivers seat. Everything can easily be seen at a glance and is within easy reach.
I routed the 30 pin/usb/headphone jack out through the ashtray for now. I will eventually mount a factory style flush mount aux input pane for the usb and headphone input and route only the 30pin close to the iPhone mount.
Song titles show up while playing music through bluetooth.
Album artwork shows when playing music through the 30 pin connector.
I have the controls mounted to the steering wheel but will probably mount it to the dash later.
The noise canceling dual microphone is just above the rear view mirror.
Music sounds great over bluetooth and my wife said she could hear me loud and clear when I called her. I am extremely happy. Now I need to get all of my speakers up to par so I can crank the music past halfway without hearing all of the crackling.
It allows for my phone and the iPad to be paired at the same time so when playing music through the phone it will mute for navigation instructions from the iPad. I know it is not the most "expedition style" mod but it will make my travels more comfortable and safe. :1888fbbd:
Bretthn
Explorer
Lates project
We have had the LX for a while now and I am sick of living out of totes when we are camping. We have basically narrowed our gear down to two action packers. One is the kitchen kit and the other is tools, parts, rope, and anything else that may come in handy but not used as often as the kitchen gear. They are handy for being able to quickly load up or unload for trips but we usually have to unload everything to get to them. So we held out for a while so we could get a good feel for what kind or storage system would work best for our needs. I would really like to have two separate drawers but I do not want to raise the fridge much higher as it is already difficult for my wife to reach into at it's current height. I am keeping each side a separate unit so I can go back and change the fridge side configuration later if needed. The passenger side drawer is as large as I can make while still being able to fit my little dog's crate on top.
Let me start off by saying I am scared to death of woodwork. It is not one of my better skills.
I am using 3/4 inch maple plywood, Tribond III wood glue, 1 5/8 inch wood screws, and 30 inch drawer slides. The drawer slides are rated at 220 pounds. They are full extension with ball bearings and actually separate for easy drawer removal and installation, unlike a lot of the other heavy duty slides I have seen at over double the cost. Since I am not a woodworker and normally avoid it at all cost I did not already have a set of sawhorses so my 5 year old helped me throw together a simple set of sawhorses this morning. The have so far been a huge help and I do not know why I have gone so many years without any. It is nice to be able to work while standing rather than from the ground.
Last week I took a lot of measurements and laid out what I wanted on paper. Once everything looked good on paper I made a cardboard mockup which I am glad for. After seeing the mock up in place I made a few changes to come up with the final plan. I found a cool app that allowed me to enter all my cut measurements and it then gives you the layout to maximize your cuts from each piece of wood. It was a huge time saver.
Using this, I made all of my cuts at once very quickly. The stack on the left is the carcass and the one on the right is the drawer.
My original drawing and measurements. I am less an artist than a woodworker.
Here are the 30 inch drawer slides I am using. They are pretty heavy so hopefully that is a good indicator of their quality.
This is where I stopped for the night. Hopefully I will get some work done in the evenings this week. Cheers:beer:
We have had the LX for a while now and I am sick of living out of totes when we are camping. We have basically narrowed our gear down to two action packers. One is the kitchen kit and the other is tools, parts, rope, and anything else that may come in handy but not used as often as the kitchen gear. They are handy for being able to quickly load up or unload for trips but we usually have to unload everything to get to them. So we held out for a while so we could get a good feel for what kind or storage system would work best for our needs. I would really like to have two separate drawers but I do not want to raise the fridge much higher as it is already difficult for my wife to reach into at it's current height. I am keeping each side a separate unit so I can go back and change the fridge side configuration later if needed. The passenger side drawer is as large as I can make while still being able to fit my little dog's crate on top.
Let me start off by saying I am scared to death of woodwork. It is not one of my better skills.
I am using 3/4 inch maple plywood, Tribond III wood glue, 1 5/8 inch wood screws, and 30 inch drawer slides. The drawer slides are rated at 220 pounds. They are full extension with ball bearings and actually separate for easy drawer removal and installation, unlike a lot of the other heavy duty slides I have seen at over double the cost. Since I am not a woodworker and normally avoid it at all cost I did not already have a set of sawhorses so my 5 year old helped me throw together a simple set of sawhorses this morning. The have so far been a huge help and I do not know why I have gone so many years without any. It is nice to be able to work while standing rather than from the ground.
Last week I took a lot of measurements and laid out what I wanted on paper. Once everything looked good on paper I made a cardboard mockup which I am glad for. After seeing the mock up in place I made a few changes to come up with the final plan. I found a cool app that allowed me to enter all my cut measurements and it then gives you the layout to maximize your cuts from each piece of wood. It was a huge time saver.
Using this, I made all of my cuts at once very quickly. The stack on the left is the carcass and the one on the right is the drawer.
My original drawing and measurements. I am less an artist than a woodworker.
Here are the 30 inch drawer slides I am using. They are pretty heavy so hopefully that is a good indicator of their quality.
This is where I stopped for the night. Hopefully I will get some work done in the evenings this week. Cheers:beer:
CreeperSleeper
Looking for bigger rocks.
x2 on the app...
Bretthn
Explorer
More drawer progress
I have been working all week and had to go in today but I got a little more progress done on the drawer today. I almost feel like I know what I am doing. If this turns out alright, I may have to redo my fridge slide and add a small drawer underneath of it...
Thanks for continuing to follow and as always, I work for comments.
I have been working all week and had to go in today but I got a little more progress done on the drawer today. I almost feel like I know what I am doing. If this turns out alright, I may have to redo my fridge slide and add a small drawer underneath of it...
Thanks for continuing to follow and as always, I work for comments.
spressomon
Expedition Leader
Ok...dumb question...sorry if its already been asked: Why not reverse fridge and drawer unit location so over-the-shoulder blind spot glance (with dog crate) is a little less interrupted?
Bretthn
Explorer
Good point. Hind site is 20/20 I guess. Not a big deal though since when the dog crate is in, every other nook and cranny is full of camping gear as well so it wouldn't make a difference.
A backup camera is on the list of mods. They are so cheap now but I have my eye on one that would send the camera video feed to my iPad mounted on the dash. It is slightly more and may not be worth it.
fireball
Explorer
I haven't build my drawer system yet, and don't have a fridge, but it looks like with that setup there wouldn't be a ton of extra room left for all your other gear?
How much space is there b/w the fridge and the back of the 2nd row seats?
What is your total depth of the draw? I think most I've seen are 40-41"?
How much space is there b/w the fridge and the back of the 2nd row seats?
What is your total depth of the draw? I think most I've seen are 40-41"?
Bretthn
Explorer
The only other thing that will not be in the drawers is clothes, water, and chairs. Clothes go in the tent. chairs fit easily beside the dog crate and water goes between the drawer and passenger window. Since it is only my wife, my 5yo daughter and I, we still have room for 2 more passengers with room to spare. I found a while ago that I carried way too many tools that did not actually fit a single nut or bolt on my vehicle. We have also eliminated a lot of unnecessary camping gear.
Oh, we also have a small folding PETT toilet and tent that take up about as much space as a briefcase.
Yesterday a friend and I were talking about building a custom dog crate/area that utilized the rear window space. This is something that I am seriously contemplating which would make the dog happier and give me a lot more room.