Building My Overland Tacoma: Plans, Progress, Perplexions

[Overland Hadley]

I have driven Hadley through these places.

(Last updated October 2009)



Ancient Bristlecone Pine NBA
Arapahoe NF
Badlands NP
Bandalier NM
Big Bend NP
Big Bend Ranch SP
Bighorn NF
Bisti Badlands
Bridger-Teton NF
Buffalo Gap NG
Canyon de Chelly NM
Canyonlands NP
Capitol Reef NP
Carlsbad Caverns NP
Carson NF
Cedar Mesa
Chaco NHP
Chiricahua NM
Colorado NM
Coronado NF
Custer NF
Death Valley NP
Devils Tower NM
Dixie NF
Gallatin NF
Glen Canyon NRA
Grand Staircase-Escalante NM
Grand Teton NP
Guadalupe NP
Inyo NF
Jemez NRA
Kaibab NF
Las Vegas Strip
Lincoln NF
Little Missouri NG
Moab
Moab UT
Mono Lake SR
Monument Valley
Mt Saint Helens NVM
Olympic NP
Oregon Coast
Paria Plateau
Petrified Forest NP
Petroglyph NM
Redwood NP
Roosevelt NF
Saguaro NP
San Isabel NF
San Rafael Swell/Reef
Santa Fe NF
Seattle
Shoshone NF
Sitgreaves NF
Teddy Roosevelt NP
Three Rivers BLM
Tonto NF
Valles Caldera NP
Valley of the Gods
Vermillion Cliffs NM
The VLA
White River NF
White Sands NM
Yellowstone NP
Yosemite NP
Zion NP



This list will be on the first post of this thread along with the build synopsis.

 

[keezer37]

So here is the updated bulb that I am using in the dome light. It is very bright.
Link

Did this work out okay for length? I noticed it is 31mm vs 38mm of the OE bulb and I believe your first LED dome selection.

 

[Overland Hadley]

Did this work out okay for length? I noticed it is 31mm vs 38mm of the OE bulb and I believe your first LED dome selection.

It is shorter than the OE bulb, but so far it has been working. It's really close to not fitting though.

 

[Overland Hadley]

Found another truck camper that I am going to use as inspiration for my camper build. I especially like the skylight.

Check my FWC Build thread for updates.

 

[keezer37]

Dogpatch! Should have knocked on the door. You never know who might have answered.

 

[Hill Bill E.]

Found another truck camper that I am going to use as inspiration for my camper build. I especially like the skylight.

Now that's a Hill, Bill E. Hotel!:coffeedrink:

 

[Overland Hadley]

My girlfriend at the wheel during an afternoon adventure.

 

[Photog]

The "Girlfriend" mod can be a great mod to any overland vehicle. Yours really makes your rig look good.:wavey:

 

[Overland Hadley]

The "Girlfriend" mod can be a great mod to any overland vehicle. Yours really makes your rig look good.:wavey:

Thanks. She was actually the one who helped me decide to get the Tacoma, instead of another Subaru.

Good find.

 

[Overland Hadley]

I have an electrical question on the Gen 2 Tacomas.

(I do not know much about electrical stuff, so keep that in mind.)

I have the Xanrex Powerpack, it does what I need out of a battery for the camper.

Can I charge the powerpack off the electrical outlet in the bed of the truck? In other words, can I take the wall charger for the powerpack and plug it into the outlet in the bed of the truck? And safely charge it for a few hours while I drive?

Thanks for the help. If I can provide any info on the powerpack or the truck bed outlet please let me know.

 

[Petrolburner]

Powerpack looks awesome, also looks like you can charge it from a 12v DC or 120 AC source, so take your pick.

 

[Overland Hadley]

I have an electrical question on the Gen 2 Tacomas.

(I do not know much about electrical stuff, so keep that in mind.)

I have the Xanrex Powerpack, it does what I need out of a battery for the camper.

Can I charge the powerpack off the electrical outlet in the bed of the truck? In other words, can I take the wall charger for the powerpack and plug it into the outlet in the bed of the truck? And safely charge it for a few hours while I drive?

Thanks for the help. If I can provide any info on the powerpack or the truck bed outlet please let me know.

So, I am assuming that there is no problem with pulling power from the outlet in the bed for a few hours?

Is the 100W that I can pull from that outlet while driving a good enough amount for charging the battery?

 

[Dave Bennett]

So, I am assuming that there is no problem with pulling power from the outlet in the bed for a few hours?

Is the 100W that I can pull from that outlet while driving a good enough amount for charging the battery?

Good question. Truth be told, I have only ever used the bed outlet once or twice in 5 years... in camp for a blender. IIRC, the engine needed to be running for max juice.

 

[ntsqd]

What is the max current rating for the bed outlet? Assuming that you aren't exceeding that rating you can pull power from the bed outlet until the truck's battery is dead. If you are exceeding that rating then I'll guess that a fuse will blow or a breaker will pop open.

Just in case: Volts * Amps = Watts; so Watts/Volts = Amps. 100Watts/12.5Volts = 8Amps

*Note: 12.5 Volts is worst case current draw and is a nearly dead battery. Some would call it dead or deeply discharged and not a happy place for the battery to be. A fully charged battery will be at a higher voltage level, so the current needed to get 100 Watts will be less. For instance, with the engine running the alternator should be putting out around 13.6 Volts, so the current would be 7.4 Amps in that case.

 

[Overland Hadley]

Thanks for the info guys.

I was able to do a little testing this afternoon, and it should work good.

I know it is not the most sexy of setups, but I just need to charge the powerpack, to keep the power up on the laptop.

I am working on a small solar system to keep the powerpack charged while I am parked for a few days. :ylsmoke: