Lykos
Super Trucker
That's funny and a good pic.
The dark tint is a real hindrance driving at night in the middle of nowhere when you need to back up. You'll look back and see nothing but the reflection of your headlights ahead. You need extra / brighter backup or ditch lights if you choose a darker tint.
Also helps me to have added an aftermarket entertainment unit and shoehorning a double-DIN in-dash DVD player and optional rear camera in. I still intend to do the Z-71 roof rack rear backup spots. Tie them to the factory backup lights with a relay so they go on when I put it in reverse, and maybe with a manual switch for camp use.
Been chasing my tail with a failing driver window regulator / motor / switch lately and a few other fiddly things. Still need to tidy up my trans cooler upgrade with some proper compression fitting hard-line plumbing. still need to build my rooftop solar mount hardware. Rear Liftgate LED strip lighting has crapped out / needs a better replacement. Doing a bunch of MkII / MkIII sort of stuff, so nothing really new to show.
Been plagued with some rear tire slow leakage, thought it was due to having the vehicle overloaded a few times lately, repeated inspections for nails etc. nothing turned up, until last Monday when washing the vehicle when I got a close look at the rims and valve stems and found them cracked near their bases. That or finely cut. can't tell. Given that my vehicle majorly keyed right in front of my house a year ago, may be sabotage. shrug. can't tell, could just be 3-1/2yrs on cheap rubber valve stems. Anyway I took it in and got new / metal valve stems.
But that also triggers another issue. I went with factory tire size when I bought it, needed 2 tires immediately and I hadn't done much shopping and have I meantioned I'm cheap? Anyway the tires I bought have worked fine for my needs, but a background plan has been to sell them off at soem point and upsize, probably to 285s, with the re-sale helping offset the costs. I barely drive the thing 5k mi a year, so the tread is still healthy. BUT I've been reading anecdotes online about how many chain tire stores are now refusing to repair or re-mount tires that are more than 4yrs old, with liability as the rationale (but more an excuse to force an upsale of new tires). I'll have to look up the 'born on' date codes, but it's been 3-1/2yrs since I bought them. I'm probably running out of time to sell them to someone else. A couple more months at most. And I don't really want to divert ~$600-700+ to a new set of tires right now. By the time the 'Man Holiday' sales come up, they'll be too old to re-sell around here.
I'd only gain 1/2" of ground clearance from the tire upsize. That sure ain't worth a $1000 to me.
For many years we've been buying new tires by the pair on the missus' Tahoes. Put them on front, move the last pair to the rear, keep on driving. With some occasional rotations as the miles rack up. But always the oldest / baldest pair goes when there's a need to buy new. Helps level out the costs a bit. And hers are 99.9% highway miles anyway. So I guess I'll be doing the same with the Sub as time goes by.
I feel you on the window tint. They only time though that I really notice it is when I'm making a left hand turn. I sometimes have to roll the driver window down for a better view. I'm already running JDM astar 1200 lumen led reverse lights and they do a nice job. Same as you I plan on installing floods on the factory roof rack locations.
Perhaps it's the trucker in me but I rarely if ever use my rear view mirror. If it didn't have that handy little thermometer in it I would remove it in lieu of a switch panel, back up camera or maybe a gmrs radio.
Speaking of your suggestion regarding a new head unit with BUC I do in fact have that on the list. A nice little Kenwood with all the bells and whistles. Next week after the body work gets done a local installer is putting in a remote start. I should probably get the head unit first but this is how it's worked out. The head unit will come later in the summer.
Tires of quality are a real ********** to buy all at once. I buy four for at a time and run them until they are falling apart. The 285 ko2s are pricey at around $230 a piece. You might laugh but I budget one tire a paycheck and order online from whomever has the best deal at the time. I've got three and will order number four this week. It works for me and keeps me within my means.
I'm piecing together my aux battery setup. I think you'll like what I'm planning. That write up will come when it's finished.