Expeditions West 2004 Tacoma

[blupaddler]

I have heard nothing but good things about the bed rugs too.

A good friend of mine has one in his Ford. He's had it for years, and it's gone through Baja trips, dogs, surfboards, salt water, etc, etc.

Good purchase!!! Now that you are done, you will need come out to CA for a while and help me finish.


:gunt:

 

[Desertdude]

Very clean and cushy So no issues with water dripping below?


Brrr it is too cold to work on the trucks

 

[Desertdude]

meaning water from the outside ( not the plumbing)

 

[Scott Brady]

Very clean and cushy So no issues with water dripping below?


Brrr it is too cold to work on the trucks

Pasquale,

I do get a little leakage, but it is minimal. The tool box seals to the front of the bed, then the platform seals to the toolbox (though that seal needs some more consideration). The platform is above the rails and above the tailgate.

Not totaly dust and waterproof, but pretty good.

And the cool thing is, the BedRug is marine grade and can sit soaked for weeks without mildew.

Oh, and you are right about the cold. Not very motivating.

 

[awalter]

I've actually had mine for over 5 years. The only real wear spot I have is where an old metal toolbox was hitting the left wheel housing. When the toolbox got stolen, I replaced it with a fabric toolbag, but the wear spot remains.

 

[Desertdude]

Somehow I new you had it all figured out

I look forward to seeing the rig in full regalia!

Pasquale,

I do get a little leakage, but it is minimal. The tool box seals to the front of the bed, then the platform seals to the toolbox (though that seal needs some more consideration). The platform is above the rails and above the tailgate.

Not totaly dust and waterproof, but pretty good.

And the cool thing is, the BedRug is marine grade and can sit soaked for weeks without mildew.

Oh, and you are right about the cold. Not very motivating.

 

[Ursidae69]

Nice bed rug Scott! Me like! Have you done anything to stop dust from under the rails? I seem to have a lot of dust entering from under the rails. Didn't MrS seal the holes up under his rails in his Taco? I forget.

 

[p1michaud]

Dusty/Dirty bed!

A late happy B-Day to you Scott!
:clapsmile

Nice looking bed rug. I wonder how they would work in our Canadian weather with lots of variation in the temperature (i.e. freeze/thaw cycles in less than 12 hrs). I think they might hold too much moisture, not a real issue for the bed rug, but it might be a problem for the sheet metal long term.

Have you done anything to stop dust from under the rails? I seem to have a lot of dust entering from under the rails. Didn't MrS seal the holes up under his rails in his Taco? I forget.

I'm interested in the response since I have the same issue. It's real noticeable when I hose off the uderside of the truck after some serious mud. I open the back to find a buch of dirt/mud pushed into the back and on the sleeping platform!

Cheers :beer:,
P

 

[awalter]

Nice bed rug Scott! Me like! Have you done anything to stop dust from under the rails? I seem to have a lot of dust entering from under the rails. Didn't MrS seal the holes up under his rails in his Taco? I forget.

There are 6-8 openings, inside under the side rail, on each side plus 3-4 along the front rail. There are also 2-4 drain holes along the front of the bed. I've used ductape to cover these openings with pretty good success in controlling dust.

Pretty tough to tape these up with bedrug in place.

 

[Scott Brady]

Great suggestion Al. And thanks for the clarification on the # of years of owning your BedRug.

 

[Nullifier]

Happy B-Day scott! I would make one suggestion if your not done with the install. Upgrade your velcro to dual lock. Velcro does not work when wet or dirty. Dual lock will and is super easy to clean. Plus dual lock is 100 times stronger. It's made by 3M and is available at some hardware stores. We use it in the paddling world for various things. It comes in a self adhesive backed strip but you can sew through it since it is a plastic material. It is pretty expensive, I think about 4$.00 per foot if I remember correctly but totally worth it.

here is a pic http://multimedia.mmm.com/mws/mediawebserver.dyn?mmmmmmWUeyAmGQnm_Qnmmm61zypMMMML-

http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/en001/manufacturing_industry/engineered_adhesives/node_GSCHJ8BM1Ybe/root_GST1T4S9TCgv/vroot_WHG0MWH6QPge/gvel_QM7L6GDVFXgl/theme_us_adhesivetape_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html

 

[Scott Brady]

Cool, thanks Brian. Good idea.

I worked on the tank mounting today. A little overkill, but then again, it is 200 lbs of water.

I also changed back to a sideways mounting configuration. I mocked up all of my equipment, and just could not make it work running lengthwise. This configuration also helps with the connections too.

This first picture shows the gear storage mock-up: If you look closely, you can see the hot water heater to the left of the tank. I am finishing the mount for that, but need a few connectors.

This next picture shows the brackets I welded up. You can also see the pressure pump. This unit is a big daddy, and intended for a larger RV, but what the hell, it will be quiet and provide nearly 60 psi for great showers. It is also self starting and self priming. The large white housing is for the anti-hammering assembly. That keeps the water from pulsing.

 

[BajaTaco]

Scott, I have you scheduled at Prescott Brewing company for 12PM today. Meet us there in the alley behind the brewery - we're gonna fill that tank with Petrified Porter and test it out.

:elkgrin:

 

[Scott Brady]

Here is a quick update before the Baja trip:

This shows the one gallon hot water heater mounted and plumbed to everything but the shower unit, which is in the platform.

This shows the vent outlet on the left, the flojet pump and connections to the hot water heater.

This shows the three switches which operate the bed systems. from the left is the inverter on switch, the water pump switch, and finally the hot water heater switch.

This shows the platform reinstalled and the view of all of the plumbing and brackets. The two stormcase units fit just perfect, with space on each side for items like the speargun, shower enclosure, etc. On top of the water tank and cases, the freedive fins slide on top, along with the Biotoilet and collapsible trash bin.

This gives a little better perspective on the storage space, and also shows the rear faucet connection and on/off valve.

Yes, it all works, and greatly exceeds my expectations. The pump has better pressure than my house, and provides a strong stream of water. The hot water heater also works excellent, and heats the gallon of capacity in less than 15 minutes. I increased the thermostat temp to get the water nice and hot (about 170 degrees), which will make the gallon last a long time. The heating element does pull about 60 amps. It will be interesting to see how many showers the hot water heater can support without the heating element running.

 

[Desertdude]

You have truly out done yourself! Plumbing a complete mobile system such as this takes tremendous courage and time. I can see your attention to detail with your bracket fabrication. Nice Nice very Nice :bowdown:

Next up - camp water fights at 20 paces :ar15: