Box Rocket '03 DC Tacoma Build

[EXP-T100]

Hey Adam a couple things for you. So I told you the 55ll for a small bulb that still pulls the right amps. Well its not the 55ll its an 89, just found my old package. Also I just put the same bumper on my 04 DC and found that the 89 wont work at all. The 89 is a 1156 replacement (push and twist type) not a 3157 replacement (push in). As for the bumper I don’t know if you test fitted a winch before bolting it up but with my smittybilt 8000 (1st gen) I cant bolt my fairlead to the bumper!! The winch is flush against the holes for it. I ended up welding ½” grade 8 studs to it last night so I could bold a fairlead to it. Looks like it would work fine if you put a comp winch on it or maybe any other winch but the 1st gen smittys.

Josh

 

[Box Rocket]

Hey Adam a couple things for you. So I told you the 55ll for a small bulb that still pulls the right amps. Well its not the 55ll its an 89, just found my old package. Also I just put the same bumper on my 04 DC and found that the 89 wont work at all. The 89 is a 1156 replacement (push and twist type) not a 3157 replacement (push in). As for the bumper I don’t know if you test fitted a winch before bolting it up but with my smittybilt 8000 (1st gen) I cant bolt my fairlead to the bumper!! The winch is flush against the holes for it. I ended up welding ½” grade 8 studs to it last night so I could bold a fairlead to it. Looks like it would work fine if you put a comp winch on it or maybe any other winch but the 1st gen smittys.

Josh

Thanks for the heads up. With the winch, were you trying to use a roller fairlead? I know the bumper is only designed for a Haws style fairlead. I've seen a few different options that should work well, and even one from Sky's that will work with wire rope in case you don't want to use synthetic.

 

[EXP-T100]

Yep I am using a roller fairlead (still on wire) and it fit great but the issue is that the winch is flush against the holes for bolting up a fairlead. In order to make it work with this winch I would have to move the winch back about 3/8". It might just be a design issue with the 1st gen smittybilt winch which is what I am leaning towards. At one point this winch was on my old 85 4runner truggy and I had the fairlead welded to the mounting plate but I can’t remember why I welded it. I do have a T-max on my t100 and I will take some measurements tonight and compare them. Again i think it just this winch and if i would have put my t-max or any other winch i think it would work just fine.

 

[UltimateAdventures]

Awesome rig Adam! It's good to see some good old home ingenuity! Love the rear bumper!!!!

 

[Box Rocket]

A few updates. First, a couple older interior pics I've forgotten to post up.

Alpine Deck, Uniden CB/ext speaker

Scosche iPod/iPhone bracket that is tension mounted in one of the cupholders

Not a great photo, but I found some 'cheapo' seat covers at Autozone. Came as a set with both fronts and one for the rear seat. Overall pretty good fit for some generic off the shelf covers.

Fire extinguisher behind driver seat in rear passenger footwell

Found a sweet deal on a DeeZee bed mat. It was for a fullsize but I just cut it to fit. Nice added protection for the bed (even though its already lined)

 

[Box Rocket]

Next up. I got the Trail-Gear lightbar welded up and painted on the Trail-Gear Low Profile bumper.

 

[Box Rocket]

I've also meant to show some better photos of the SnugtopXTR and a couple simple mods I've made to it. First I used some 2" conduit brackets to attach a couple of the extra Thule load bars that I had lying around.

Then I used a Swagman Bike clamp with a ubolt to mount the shovel.

Couple more ubolts and the Hilift was mounted on the other side.

Now just a few photos (hopefully better than the cell phone pics I posted earlier) of the top.

 

[rickashay]

man, i love your truck...

 

[juicebox]

Maybe I missed it, but what steel did you use for the bed rack you built? I think I remember you saying 2"x1" and 1" squre tube, but how thick? I am going to attempt to build a bed rack strong enough to put an RTT on. I am not a very good welder, but the welds on the .120 I was practicing on looked pretty good, but I would imagine it would be super heavy after all is said and done. I was blowing through the thinner steel unless I was very careful.

Also, just out of curiosity, what welder and setup are you using? Flux or solid wire, CO2? Gas mix?

 

[Box Rocket]

Maybe I missed it, but what steel did you use for the bed rack you built? I think I remember you saying 2"x1" and 1" squre tube, but how thick? I am going to attempt to build a bed rack strong enough to put an RTT on. I am not a very good welder, but the welds on the .120 I was practicing on looked pretty good, but I would imagine it would be super heavy after all is said and done. I was blowing through the thinner steel unless I was very careful.

Also, just out of curiosity, what welder and setup are you using? Flux or solid wire, CO2? Gas mix?

Truthfully I'm not 100% sure of the thickness, but the majority of the rack was all built with 1" square tubing probably .060 thickness. Not the heaviest stuff, but if you design the rack well to spread out the load you should be fine. The legs on mine were some 2.5" square tubing that I cut in half to give me some 2.5 x .75" C channel. Pretty sure that was some 1/8 wall left over from my trailer project.

I've been really pleased with how mine turned out. I haven't weighed it officially, but it can't be more than 50* max. probably closer to 40*. It handled nearly 1000 miles of dirt roads with a RTT just fine last summer. No reason to go overboard.

 

[rickashay]

Im also just curious, when loading up your bed-rack for the RTT did you ever find the bedsides start to spread apart from the weight? I know guys with 2nd Gen Taco's that had the bedsides bend outwards when they built a rack that anchored on the top of the bedsides vs. the floor of the bed itself. Just curious???

 

[Box Rocket]

I haven't had any such issues.....yet. Granted I don't keep a tent mounted permanently. Lots of guys leave their RTT's on their trucks all the time and the constant pounding of daily driving and trail duty will undoubtedly accelerate any problems like this.

The longest stretch i've had the tent mounted was 4 days and nearly 1000 miles of high-speed desert driving last summer. It was the first real test of the rack and tent setup. It worked out much better than i thought (with the exception of the cheap mombasa mounting feet that are riveted to the base of the tent. I broke two mounts off.) Still worked fine but if you look back at pics from that trip you'll noticed the tent secured with a couple ratchet straps in some of the pics.

But the short answer is the bedsides are still straight.

 

[Willman]

Adam....

Your truck is looking killer man! Looks like mine but in tan....Love it!

What size rubber are you running now?

Keep up great work!

We need to get a meet and greet together....

:ylsmoke:

 

[Box Rocket]

Adam....

Your truck is looking killer man! Looks like mine but in tan....Love it!

What size rubber are you running now?

Keep up great work!

We need to get a meet and greet together....

:ylsmoke:

Thank you sir. Long way to go still to be in the same ballpark as yours. Maybe if I throw some Sierra Expedition graphics on the side, I can get a little help on some gear? It would create the Sierra Expeditions Tacoma Trifecta afterall.

tires are 33x10.50.

 

[Willman]

Thank you sir. Long way to go still to be in the same ballpark as yours.

Your there amigo! Looks killer!

.....Maybe if I throw some Sierra Expedition graphics on the side, I can get a little help on some gear? It would create the Sierra Expeditions Tacoma Trifecta afterall.

tires are 33x10.50.

You got to take that up with the boss.....

33's look great....I would run that size but then i couldn't run tundra brakes..

Keep up the great work!