DrJohn
Observer
Good idea on padding the interior of the ammo box. I think I'll also bolt it down lower for visibility, and so it doesn't crash through the window in case of a wreck
eepwall:
Building an Expedition-Worthy 2005 4Runner
- Thread starter DrJohn
- Start date
Good idea on padding the interior of the ammo box. I think I'll also bolt it down lower for visibility, and so it doesn't crash through the window in case of a wreck
eepwall:
CYi5
Explorer
Good idea on padding the interior of the ammo box. I think I'll also bolt it down lower for visibility, and so it doesn't crash through the window in case of a wreck
Not to mention keeping that COG low
.
Overland Hadley
on a journey
Wow!
(Can we see a photo of the whole truck from the side)
(Can we see a photo of the whole truck from the side)
DrJohn
Observer
ttora4runner
Expedition Leader
That's a beefy bumper. How much does it weigh?
DrJohn
Observer
About 200 lbs.
DrJohn
Observer
Electrical
Got some electrical work done to power the fridge, laptops, recharge batteries, etc.
The fridge was having trouble getting enough amps from the auxiliary plug in the back of the runner, so I got a new fuse panel and three cigarette lighter wells at Autozone. I wired this directly to the battery using an 8-gauge wire wire from Car Toys (advertised for powering amplifiers). The guys at Car Toys fabricated a case for the three ports, and then it was bolted under the drivers seat. Now I've got full-time power for the fridge and inverters:
I also wanted to ensure a safe battery charge, and decided to go solar (for now), without a second battery. My Sunforce 60-Watt Solar Charging Kit just arrived, which was an easy install. I bolted the charge controller to the fuse box under the hood (next to the 8-gauge wire leading to the auxiliary ports) and wired that to the battery. Then I wired the extension cable plug to the winch clutch access in the front bumper:
The Sunforce Kit comes with four 15-watt solar panels that bolt onto a PVC stand. For now I'm going to keep this portable so I can park my rig in the shade and put the panels out in the sun:
For storage and transportation, the panels almost fit completely under the RTT mattress. I'm going to see how effective the four panels are over the next 8 days when I'll be camping on a survey in Western Colorado. If they keep the battery charged with little effort, I may take one of the panels off the rack and cut it down so it will fit entirely within the RTT:
The Sunforce kit also comes with a nice power inverter, which I'll plug into the new auxiliary plugs to keep the laptops and radios charged during the survey:
So we'll see how this all works on the Uncompahgre Plateau, where I'm heading tomorrow.
:archaeolo
Got some electrical work done to power the fridge, laptops, recharge batteries, etc.
The fridge was having trouble getting enough amps from the auxiliary plug in the back of the runner, so I got a new fuse panel and three cigarette lighter wells at Autozone. I wired this directly to the battery using an 8-gauge wire wire from Car Toys (advertised for powering amplifiers). The guys at Car Toys fabricated a case for the three ports, and then it was bolted under the drivers seat. Now I've got full-time power for the fridge and inverters:
I also wanted to ensure a safe battery charge, and decided to go solar (for now), without a second battery. My Sunforce 60-Watt Solar Charging Kit just arrived, which was an easy install. I bolted the charge controller to the fuse box under the hood (next to the 8-gauge wire leading to the auxiliary ports) and wired that to the battery. Then I wired the extension cable plug to the winch clutch access in the front bumper:
The Sunforce Kit comes with four 15-watt solar panels that bolt onto a PVC stand. For now I'm going to keep this portable so I can park my rig in the shade and put the panels out in the sun:
For storage and transportation, the panels almost fit completely under the RTT mattress. I'm going to see how effective the four panels are over the next 8 days when I'll be camping on a survey in Western Colorado. If they keep the battery charged with little effort, I may take one of the panels off the rack and cut it down so it will fit entirely within the RTT:
The Sunforce kit also comes with a nice power inverter, which I'll plug into the new auxiliary plugs to keep the laptops and radios charged during the survey:
So we'll see how this all works on the Uncompahgre Plateau, where I'm heading tomorrow.
:archaeolo
FourByLand
Expedition Leader
WOW, I didn't really think this could get any better and you pull out a solar panel set up!
Great build!
Great build!
DrJohn
Observer
DrJohn
Observer
Glad you guys like it :victory:
It's funny, I've been thinking about all of this gear for years now, mumbling to myself in the field about how nice it would be not to bottom out the rig, and to have a full charge on the GPS units and radios, and cold food/beverages, and a tent that doesn't blow away. It was just getting over that initial hump of the suspension-tires-front bumper. Then the flood gates were open :coffeedrink: