Glamisdude's Do it all Frontier

[glamisdude72000]

I am rapidly approaching the build date for my frontier, and I am still torn on the med vs hvy duty springs. What has your impressions been so far?

Unless you will actually be carrying the extra 440lbs all the time go with the medium. When empty the HD ride is pretty stiff, but when loaded up they ride like butter

stoic: Thanks! I wouldn't call 5.6" inches of travel up front stock awesome, but its still a great truck Even at 7" right now I feel like more would be better, I still raise a wheel pretty often...

 

[stioc]

I've been out with a 2nd gen Frontier (NISMO edition) and the way it was stuffing its rear tires into the fenders impressed quite a few folks. Of course, if you want 10+" wheel travel on a stock truck the only option is the Ford Raptor

 

[glamisdude72000]

O gotcha, for some reason I thought you were referring to the front (which has a horrible factory design) I'll agree with you on the rear though, I was quite impressed myself the first time I took mine out.

Sent from my T7575 using Tapatalk

 

[Kuma632]

Nice Frontier, dude. I appreciate how your mods haven't sacrificed capability in any way, really .
I'm going to put a truck cap on our '05 and considered incorporating a rack.
How much weight do you figure the cap/rack combo can handle configured like that? Thx!
Keep us updated.

~Ben

 

[glamisdude72000]

^Thanks. If you do plan on getting a cap and want to put a decent amount of weight up there (100-200lbs) I'd recommend not getting a fiberglass top. Mine is rated for 250lbs and I have never even gotten close to that yet I'm getting some cracking around the front boot area and the rear window frame. My rack weighs about 75lbs and is typically empty unless I'm camping. Off road kills fiberglass is what I've learned. The bumps and vibrations just shake it constantly and the weight of the rack on top does not help matters. I plan on building an internal frame to make it more rigid and support the rack weight on the bed rails vs the cap itself, but if I were in your shoes, I'd get an aluminum cap. Much stronger, can handle more weight, and can be easily drilled into and such.

 

[SDDiver5]

x2 on the cracking shell.

Glamis- any idea how your going to build an internal cage? I want a roof rack on my shell but am having the same cracking problem...

D

 

[glamisdude72000]

I was thinking that 2 trapezoid shapes (missing longest segment on bottom) one in front one in rear. In the upper corners would have some beefy gussets welded in, those corners would bolt to front to back C channel members that are bolted to the roof track bolts. And the bottoms of each corner would have a welded piece of plate that bolts to the frame rail bolts that hold the shell on. So it would be 4 main pieces, the 2 trapezoids, and the 2 front to back pieces of C channel. I think the traps would be thin wall 3/4" square tube steel and the C channel would be like 1" aluminum.

This is all just what I had in my head, things may change when I actually get around to building it....

 

[SDDiver5]

Make sure you post pics if/when you build it

Any reason you wouldn't just switch it out for an aluminum shell? I kind of want to do that for A. the strength and B. I want barn doors in the back.

D

 

[SDDiver5]

Make sure you post pics if/when you build it

Any reason you wouldn't just switch it out for an aluminum shell? I kind of want to do that for A. the strength and B. I want barn doors in the back.

Also, I dont remember if I have asked you yet but where in SD are you (if you dont mind making it public)? I live in PB and work/play in Encinitas.

D

 

[glamisdude72000]

I will if it happens, I see it happening before the end of the year. I want to just fix what I have mainly due to money constraints. I bought the shell new about 2 years ago for a pretty penny and know that I probably wouldn't even get a third of what I paid for it if I tried to sell it. Also the aluminum ones are quite spendy new (with options, about twice that of fiberglass). My truck has and odd bed size so the shells have to be made specifically a Frontier, and used are VERY hard to find in any style for a reasonable price, if at all. My uncle also has a welder and it would make for a good project, so there's that

I live in Escondido and work in Rancho Bernardo, so I'm a little ways from you.

 

[glamisdude72000]

The solar shower build up
The idea: http://www.roadshower.com/

Start:




Testing the pressure and checking for leaks, before paint (not actually mounting location):


Painted:


Pressure check cap/ filler and air fitting:


Mounted it works great other that the removing and attaching of the hose. I need some kind of quick disconnect for the hose, thinking like an air fitting but for water, any ideas? I need it to be 1/2" pvc thread on one side and a 5/8" hose barb on the other.






What do you guys think? I tried to make it as least intrusive as possible

 

[wreckdiver1321]

I love it! I'm totally ripping it off for my Fronty! Haha

 

[skibum315]

Awesome work on the shower reservoir ... I'm pretty sure I've seen garden hose quick-disconnects at Home Depot or Lowes; and a quick Google shows they may not be too expensive. Maybe not exactly what you're looking for, fitting wise, but maybe adaptable ...

https://www.google.com/search?q=qui...:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb

 

[glamisdude72000]

Thanks guys, I went to home depot today before class and found the disconnect you were talking about. Unfortunately all the new fittings I got are brass... They did not have the correct sizes in nylon, so $15 later it now has a bulletproof brass quick disconnect. I filled up the tank at about noon today to test how well the heating works and 2 hours later it was nice and warm already. I plan on testing the temp again at about 6 today. So I'll report back on how it goes.

wreckdriver: Did you have a chance to look over what I said about the fuse blocks?

 

[stioc]

Nice work! there're a couple of other PVC pipe showers floating around here on ExPo similar to the one you made. Is that a 4ft section of a 4" PVC pipe? How much water does it hold?