Expedition Overland 2013 Tacoma Build

[john101477]

Interesting. . .

That's kind of what I am thinking.

Hey Clay, You said something about a roof rack earlier, with the addition of this rig to the arsenal of rigs you will have headed to AK, is there a real benefit to the rack? I Know you are "kind of particular" about what goes into your vehicles and how they are used/maintained. Just wondered if this is part of the reason behind needing to add the rack.

 

[buel09]

Can't wait for this trip

 

[Husky Overland]

Cool

 

[ExpeditionOverland]

The answer to those questions are yes, and very quickly. Putting it back in takes a bit longer but extracting the rifle is a push of a button and sliding it out. very cool system and its been proven in police applications for years! And yes you can use it from the drivers possition.

how quickly can you deploy the AR from its locked carrying position? and can you use it from a driving position?

 

[Sgt Grunt]

What's up with the fender hanging in the shop?

 

[ExpeditionOverland]

That's kind of what I am thinking.

Hey Clay, You said something about a roof rack earlier, with the addition of this rig to the arsenal of rigs you will have headed to AK, is there a real benefit to the rack? I Know you are "kind of particular" about what goes into your vehicles and how they are used/maintained. Just wondered if this is part of the reason behind needing to add the rack.

Great question! If there is one thing that has stuck with me through Bradys writings and traveling with the grand master is that roofracks improperly used are inherently dangerous. Picture yourself on the highway having to make a high speed defensive menouver when a truck in front of you for no apparent reason comes to a complete stop in silky dusted roads and you have to throw your vehicle around the obsticle ( que Brady technical term for this and yes Scott and I had this happen to us in Russia). Long story short is that light loads to zero load on a roof could be the difference between executing a precision move and going about your way or disaster and potentially loss of rig or life. Having as little on the roof as possible is ideal. That being said at times you have to use a roofrack and sometimes completely overload it. (Manufactures often times stick on a 150 pound roof limit. Not because thats all the roof can hold but its the weight threshold that when exceeded will start to alter the safety of the vehicle (ak CG) when placed on the roof. So... stick a rooftop tent on there with a rack and your already tapped! Now consider that you have already added height to the rig by a lift and bigger tires. That weight might actually be less than 150lbs. So all that being said we are going to kill this weight limit with our setup. The baja racks shipping to us will be our platform for our rooftop tent. We will also have the rack over the cab where we will be carrying some easy access camera gear and MAXTRAX. We hope to avoid putting our Hi lift up there as well but we will see. They arrive this wednesday. We will utilize the roofrack with the mentality of as little as possible but as much as necessary. We will use the roofrack as a function of organization and camera man utility. I hope that helps!

 

[NetDep]

Sweet
View attachment 160128

Similar looking setup. I have a single Big Sky rack mounted in my 2011 Tacoma TRD OR Access Cab -- shown is an S&W M&P AR15 with Eotech & Surefire vertical grip light. It can be delpoyed from sitting and rides securely. I really like it and had to do some shopping to find the right rack -- looks like you have a locking variety. I bought the rack and took it to my local "we can install that" guy and they did -- I swear I can do pull ups from that cross support (runs side to side) -- that is -- if I could do a pull up!!!

 

[ExplorerTom]

Mind if I ask what you're worried about?

When you have an AR and a shotgun.... you don't worry about much. Maybe ammo shortages.

Great looking build. Really looking forward to reading about your trip to AK and watching the shows when they come out.

 

[Scott Brady]

Picture yourself on the highway having to make a high speed defensive menouver when a truck in front of you for no apparent reason comes to a complete stop in silky dusted roads and you have to throw your vehicle around the obsticle ( que Brady technical term for this and yes Scott and I had this happen to us in Russia). Long story short is that light loads to zero load on a roof could be the difference between executing a precision move and going about your way or disaster and potentially loss of rig or life. Having as little on the roof as possible is ideal.

Good times! That memory is seared in my cortex

 

[john101477]

Great question! If there is one thing that has stuck with me through Bradys writings and traveling with the grand master is that roofracks improperly used are inherently dangerous. Picture yourself on the highway having to make a high speed defensive menouver when a truck in front of you for no apparent reason comes to a complete stop in silky dusted roads and you have to throw your vehicle around the obsticle ( que Brady technical term for this and yes Scott and I had this happen to us in Russia). Long story short is that light loads to zero load on a roof could be the difference between executing a precision move and going about your way or disaster and potentially loss of rig or life. Having as little on the roof as possible is ideal. That being said at times you have to use a roofrack and sometimes completely overload it. (Manufactures often times stick on a 150 pound roof limit. Not because thats all the roof can hold but its the weight threshold that when exceeded will start to alter the safety of the vehicle (ak CG) when placed on the roof. So... stick a rooftop tent on there with a rack and your already tapped! Now consider that you have already added height to the rig by a lift and bigger tires. That weight might actually be less than 150lbs. So all that being said we are going to kill this weight limit with our setup. The baja racks shipping to us will be our platform for our rooftop tent. We will also have the rack over the cab where we will be carrying some easy access camera gear and MAXTRAX. We hope to avoid putting our Hi lift up there as well but we will see. They arrive this wednesday. We will utilize the roofrack with the mentality of as little as possible but as much as necessary. We will use the roofrack as a function of organization and camera man utility. I hope that helps!

Nice answer and Thank you. I suppose that one answer covers the why not and the why... I like the idea behind the camera man utility over the front. While I have never seen the absolute need for a "rack" on my runner, there have been times when it would have been nice just to have some things organized. I have how ever wanted a roof top platform for a different photography perspective. After watching people walk all over their rigs like the picture below it kind of made me sick to think of doing that to any rig.

 

[ExpeditionOverland]

Nice answer and Thank you. I suppose that one answer covers the why not and the why... I like the idea behind the camera man utility over the front. While I have never seen the absolute need for a "rack" on my runner, there have been times when it would have been nice just to have some things organized. I have how ever wanted a roof top platform for a different photography perspective. After watching people walk all over their rigs like the picture below it kind of made me sick to think of doing that to any rig.
View attachment 160256

Ansel Adams took the famous Teton Snake river photograph from the top of a car. (just sayin)

 

[Husky Overland]

I'm thinking about this style of gun rack

Ansel Adams took the famous Teton Snake river photograph from the top of a car. (just sayin)

Similar looking setup. I have a single Big Sky rack mounted in my 2011 Tacoma TRD OR Access Cab -- shown is an S&W M&P AR15 with Eotech & Surefire vertical grip light. It can be delpoyed from sitting and rides securely. I really like it and had to do some shopping to find the right rack -- looks like you have a locking variety. I bought the rack and took it to my local "we can install that" guy and they did -- I swear I can do pull ups from that cross support (runs side to side) -- that is -- if I could do a pull up!!!

 

[john101477]

Ansel Adams took the famous Teton Snake river photograph from the top of a car. (just sayin)

Yeah I know, he had a rack on his car. Check out 5:30 on the video. Adams is one of my faves. like he is with many...
I used to go to the spots in Lassen where he took a few of his images. Very brilliant. I am just trying to find the $$$ and the right design to add one to the runner.

http://www.openculture.com/2013/02/...sel_adams_revealed_in_19 58_documentary.html

 

[getoutside]

gps/mapping

xoverland,

I saw a number of pages back a gentleman asked about your GPS/nav setup. He noticed that it looked as though you guys had a ipad/tablet system fitted on the old taco. I bet he is still wondering and I am definately interested to know what your gps/mapping setup is going to look like in the new taco. I am currently contemplating what to do in my rig and would love to know what you guys have learned so far and why you are going with whatever setup you have planned. I appologize if I am asking about a post you already have planned for further along in the build.

Regards,

SFC Morgan Merrill

 

[cam-shaft]

[/URL]

I ment to quote pic with overhead mount, don't feel like messing with changing pic.

That is super sweet. I am never sure how people feel about guns these days, I suspected you guys were pretty sharp and understood them, since you are from Montana..... Now i know. I will be purchasing one of those mounts, not the lock I never leave a weapon in my vehicle unattended. I don't see you getting that thing across the border unless you know something I don't.
Some people say why do you need the AR, I say why don't you need it. Nice work.



Sent from my iPad using my tired fat pointer finger.