DJ's Family Adventure Rig... Build Thread.

[DJ98cobra]

Hello everyone! I have started working on my 2006 100 series LC. The initial plan is to build a rig that can go just about anywhere you would want to camp or adventure to. I want to get a trailer as I will be supporting 5 during our adventure trips. I am new to overlanding and this type of vehicle builds but am not new to the outdoors, long range travel, our building cars. I was on the forum for a little over a year before I bought my LC and now the cobra is gone and a new begins.

Overall Plans / Ideas
- 2.5 inch OME heavy lift
- Slee torsion bars and diff drop
- 33+ inch AT Tires
- Power management
- Dual Battery
- On board air
- ARB Air Lockers
- Storage
- Refrigerator
- Dissent Off road front / rear bumpers
- winch
- Exterior lighting

These are in no particular order and I am sure the list will adjust as I get going. In the end I want to be able to pick a dot on a map and overland to it. I would love to explore the TAT and the KAT. Being from NC on the East Coast I would also like to get out to Western United States for an extended period of time to see what we can find.

DJ

 

[DJ98cobra]

Getting Started

I started off with getting rid of the marbling affect.



We took the LC on the first family trip. Still essentially running stock. The AHC is cool and works great around town but after running a few trails with not much additional weight it seemed to get tired. Not sure about adding a trailer, bumpers, recovery gear ect.... Looking forward to installing the OME lift and seeing the difference.

 

[DJ98cobra]

Lift

I ordered and received the OME 2.5 inch heavy lift from Slee Off Road. I also ordered the torsion bars, diff drop, and a arms. After doing a little research on the internet I thought this was going to be relatively straight forward.... Boy was I wrong. Getting all of the AHC components and plumbing off took longer than the lift install. The rear shocks proved to be the friction point. After a few hours and some busted knuckles I decided to do some accurate measuring and cut holes in my floor boards. This made quick work of removing the old shock, AHC hardware, and installing the new shock.



I spent a while looking at different tire options. I ended up going with BFG K02 AT in 305/65R18. I wanted to go a little bigger but did not want to run into any rubbing issues. I also found a good deal online for these tire and that is what made the deal. So far I am really happy with the stance, clearance, and tire performance. The OME Heavy lift does not ride as good as the AHC but it is not all that bad either.

 

[DJ98cobra]

Ski Vacation

The family and I head up to Wintergreen Resort in Virginia for a ski trip. I was finally able to test out the new lift and tires. We had fresh snow and I was absolutely impressed with the LC. Ride quality was good and excellent handling with the new tires, 4wd, and traction control.

 

[Bretthn]

Truck looks great. Since you just converted from AHC to OME lift I am curious, what is the height difference from AHC on high and the new lift? I have heard some say the lift is not as high as AHC stock High mode.

 

[DJ98cobra]

Truck looks great. Since you just converted from AHC to OME lift I am curious, what is the height difference from AHC on high and the new lift? I have heard some say the lift is not as high as AHC stock High mode.

Honestly, I only drove it for about a couple of hours with the stock tires and never really checked but I would have to say it was about the same or a smidge higher. I did do a lot of research on the benefits of AHC v.s. Traditional lift and for me it all comes down to what you intend to build your rig to do. While using AHC with nothing in the vehicle it was great. Once I started adding a lot of weight and traveling thru some rough terrain the AHC would sag or go to Medium for a little while and then back to High. This is not my daily driver and I want to add a lot of stuff to the vehicle, plus equipment, a family of 5, and a trailer so I decided to do the lift. If you are only going to go offroad once in awhile with not a lot of gear than the Slee Off Road AHC controller is a great choice at a great price. The AHC system is highly capable and a lot of experienced overlanders swear by it.

 

[DJ98cobra]

I purchased and installed a USB audio module from VAIS Technology. Really easy to install. Allows me to plug in my iPhone or iPod and stream music. I like the fact that all of the vehicle controls still work. The Radio thinks that there is a mini disc player attached. This allows for all of my stock controls to still work as designed. Install only took about ten minutes.

I also ordered an SPOD kit and a dual battery setup from National Luna. I plan on installing a dual battery bracket from Slee Off Road that will also house my ARB dual compressor. I am looking to get the Slee Group 31 battery tray upgrade. I would like to be able to rearrange my wiring to were my SPOD and accessories run off the group 31 in the stock battery location and the second battery which is smaller will be my vehicle start battery. This install has been put on hold and I hope to have it figured out by the end of June...

The wiring project was put on hold because I bought a Turtleback Utility trailer from another expo member. The trailer is exactly what I needed and the transaction was flawless!



So the LC projects are on hold so that I can get the trailer modified to get out and camp with it.

First update was the roof rack. I modified the original rack to house a RTT, 6 inch PVC pipe and holding area for full size tables or other odd and ends.

 

[DJ98cobra]

We put the Spare tire back onto the rear tailgate and moved the nose box back to the trailer base. I have a few components for the dual battery system. I plan on running dual 100Ah batteries with AC charging, DC (solar charging) and probably a 1600w inverter.

After I had the roof rack bolted on I got with Justin over at 23zero USA about getting a Sydney RTT from him. Justin was extremely helpful in getting me a Sydney RTT before it was even on his website. We have already used this setup and the Sydney was an excellent choice. We can easily get 2 adults and three kids in it. The lower area is great for changing and will easily house my dog, and I can do the setup and breakdown by myself relatively quickly.



The first adventure was during spring break. The LC had no problems getting the trailer into this nice little spot. It was a steep down hill, thru a small creek and a somewhat steep uphill to get in. A couple of other "4x4" trucks wanted to camp by us and had a lot of trouble getting thru the same obstacle.

 

[uscg2008]

Sub'd for a clean LC100 build

 

[DJ98cobra]

Ok, Sorry I have been away for a while and a lot has changed. I had to sell the trailer in order to be able to afford buying some land for my family. The new owner has impressive fabrication skills and I will try to get a couple of photos of the new tent mounts. I have made some upgrades to the LC and have a good amount of parts in the garage ready to get installed. I have a deadline now as the family is heading out to Portsmouth Island and the LC needs to be ready to go. Over the next mount I will post update photos and projects. Here are a couple of recent photos from a beach trip; we like to cook!

 

[DJ98cobra]

Todays project was to install new seat covers. I did a good amount of research and did not find exactly what I wanted. I came across Escape Gear and liked what I saw as far as material and fit. I did take a little bit of a gamble because I never saw them in person and do not know anyone that has them. The gamble paid off and I am super happy with the product.

After I ordered I received an email from Craig requesting a few photos of my interior in order to ensure they understood the layout of my LC. To my surprise they arrived quickly and fit well. If you are looking for a good fit, customer service, and quality stitching send Craig a message! craig@escapegear.co.za