2013 Silverado Adventure Build
- Thread starter wrmmt
- Start date
wrmmt
Adventurer
Couple weeks later took a labor day trip up into the Tobacco Roots and explored some new terrain. Ended up setting up camp a little lower than planned, but ended up with a great spot and had a great weekend relaxing, swimming in mountain lakes, and climbing a peak.
I think we eat better at camp than we do at home sometimes...
Lex apparently likes our beds better than his...
I think we eat better at camp than we do at home sometimes...
Lex apparently likes our beds better than his...
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wrmmt
Adventurer
Thanks! Glad to provide inspiration, I've certainly taken a lot from here too!
As for the photos, I'm not sure what's going on. They show up fine on my phone, but I pulled up the page on my work computer and they're not showing up. I have been using google photos the last few months since photobucket is such a pain in the a**. I'll look when I get home, maybe it's some sort of permissions thing, anyone have suggestions? Really odd since the same photos show up fine over on the Overland Bound forum...
TexomaPowerboater
Adventurer
Great thread man, enjoyed the read. My auto's were getting pretty high mileage so just sold my 4x4 van and traded old z71 truck in on new 18 Chevy Z71 crew cab so the read has been helpful.
Curious, if you had to do it over would you go with spray in bedliner? That is a first priority for me and after reading this thread seems there was a problem getting tailgate to seal due to spray in bedliner. Or perhaps I could ask them to leave a bare metal lip to help with seal??? Not really sure what the sealing problem is, but was planning on going with a topper as well eventually and would like it sealed as much as possible. Also, you said your running 275/70R18s, did those not fit in the spare tire holder under the bed?
Did you look at Topper EZlifts? Where the topper raises and lowers with a switch and you can get a canvas tent inserts to basically make a pop up tent topper when fully lifted? Seems like a good option for you in light of expensive RTT's and also allows you to carry bigger stuff if there is a need.
Curious, if you had to do it over would you go with spray in bedliner? That is a first priority for me and after reading this thread seems there was a problem getting tailgate to seal due to spray in bedliner. Or perhaps I could ask them to leave a bare metal lip to help with seal??? Not really sure what the sealing problem is, but was planning on going with a topper as well eventually and would like it sealed as much as possible. Also, you said your running 275/70R18s, did those not fit in the spare tire holder under the bed?
Did you look at Topper EZlifts? Where the topper raises and lowers with a switch and you can get a canvas tent inserts to basically make a pop up tent topper when fully lifted? Seems like a good option for you in light of expensive RTT's and also allows you to carry bigger stuff if there is a need.
General Automag
Adventurer
\Finally getting around to getting a few pictures up from the last update and trip. Got 6 rigid duallys mounted up on the bumper, have 2 spots, 2 floods, and 2 amber floods right now. Would love to upgrade to some baja designs, but just not in the cards or the bank account right now. Got to try them out the next weekend on a little hunting trip up into the mountains, didn't go anywhere as planned but had a great trip. Lights worked great though, left after work and were driving in after dark so got to give them a good shake down. Think I need to do a little fine tuning of the aim, but so far happy with how it all came out.
Ended up getting stopped less than half half way up the road by a couple trees fallen across the road, and since I am chainsaw-less right now and the area is seldom traveled with little chance of anyone else coming up, we were stuck. Ended up finding a great campsite though (if you ignored the sketchy serial-killer-esque camper left in the middle of nowhere) right by the creek. Zero luck on the hunting front, but had a good relaxing weekend which is all that really counts!
Anyway, here's a couple quick pictures of the lights and a bonus shot or two of the trip.
The view out the "front door," definitely worse views to wake up to!
Getting breakfast going.
Hiked up into the upper basin, was hoping to camp not too far from here, but mother nature had other plans...
Would you mind sharing how you wired your lights and sharing some interior pictures of the switches that you used? Let us know how you routed the wiring through the firewall if you did so. Thanks
wrmmt
Adventurer
Thanks, glad to provide some help/inspiration! Its a good platform, you can have a ton of fun with it! Sorry for not replying earlier, haven't been online much with the holiday craziness... As for the bed liner, I would definitely do it again, really think it's worth it. The problem with the tailgate seal I did is along the two sides of the bed in the top maybe 6 inches. The seal on the bottom went below the bed and the bed liner was no issue. The bottom of the tow sides was fine as well, but the higher you go, the less room you have to stick the seal (at least on the '13 body style). That is where the bed liner had been sprayed in a little to close to the edge and I had a hard time getting the seal to stick in a position where it would actually seal... If I had to do it again, I would line out the bed seal first and figure out where it needs to go, then maybe even mask that area off for the guys to avoid when they put the liner in.
I have looked at the EZlifts, definitely looks like a good solution. Had I known about them when I first set up the topper I probably would have gone that route. However, to do it now it looks like I would have to pretty much tear out my entire storage/bed system and start from scratch to get the EZlift installed. Just don't have the time and don't think its really worth the effort at this point...
wrmmt
Adventurer
I had a local shop do those lights, so I'm not really sure how they did the whole wiring. The switches are just the small rocker switches that come with the lights, the amber lights are wired to one switch, the whites are wired to a second. I'm not completely sure on how they wired through the firewall, but I think they went through the rubber sleeve at the far back drivers side corner of the engine bay. Its where some of the stock wiring enters. I used that route when I wired up my dual battery system and its really pretty easy. Its easier to get in there if you remove the support bracket and I ran them in from the engine bay into the cab, had to do a little jiggling to get them through, but overall easier than I expected. I will try to get some pictures of the details in the next few days!
TenaciousDave
New member
This was an awesome read. Very inspiring to me to get out there. I haven't been 4 wheeling or out on back roads in maybe 20 years. Recently bought a 2017 Chevy Colorado crew cab, first 4 wheel drive I have owned in those 20 years, and I really want to get out there.
I see you have been sleeping in the back of the bed. I think "yikes" that cant be too comfortable. But must be working for ya. I was thinking of tent camping when I get out there but even that seems like it will hurt at my age. lol
Anyways, good read and keep it up! Stay safe out there...
I see you have been sleeping in the back of the bed. I think "yikes" that cant be too comfortable. But must be working for ya. I was thinking of tent camping when I get out there but even that seems like it will hurt at my age. lol
Anyways, good read and keep it up! Stay safe out there...
wrmmt
Adventurer
Glad you enjoyed it! Hope you can get out on some back-roads and tracks soon! You'll have to put up some pictures of the new rig, that looks like a nice platform.
Haha yeah, sleeping in the back has its challenges, but its actually quite comfortable. I have a 3" air pad that I use and its actually quite cozy once you get in (just don't sit up too quick or you'll get a bit of a headache...).
wrmmt
Adventurer
Well, things are about to get more interesting. Pulled the trigger on the BajaKits 4WD prerunner kit today! Excited to get it all together, now I just need to figure the rest of the set up out. Hoping to get the suspension work completed for a trip down to Utah later in the spring, but well see how it all goes!
wrmmt
Adventurer
I am looking forward to seeing your new suspension under your rig. Please take some detailed pics of your install. I also love the shots of your off road campsite. Looks like you had fun. Cheers, Chilli...
Thanks, definitely been having some fun with it recently! I'm going to have it done at a shop, so I won't have install pictures but I will definitely try to post up some good pictures. Just don't have the time to do it myself right now and hoping to get it ready for a trip to Utah in a couple weeks so it will have to be a shop job. Hopefully I get the kit here in time though!