GMT800 People - Opinions wanted on upgrades/mods

[Mericas_Meuth]

look at the back bone roof rack system off of a FJ, the roof is curved so the mounts also have to be curved. That was the idea I based my design off of. The steel was cut by a computerized plasma cutter and then bent. It is in two pieces per side. Its a pain in the ass but replace the nutserts in the roof or they will spin when you try to tighten up the bolts, ask me how I know.

Any way you can share/sell the files you used to have these brackets cut? I am 100% about diy, but my CAD skills are non-existent...

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[Overlandtowater]

They also offer these for CHEAP because they are in pre-production stage

Now those Move bumpers are alright!

 

[bigdogyj]

Shouldn’t that be “DZL KON”? Great looking rig.

Once a burb... always a burb.


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[Mericas_Meuth]

Those are a new design. Who manufactures those?

Move bumpers.

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[ejwebb]

Any way you can share/sell the files you used to have these brackets cut? I am 100% about diy, but my CAD skills are non-existent...

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The shop I went to made templates out of thick paper and then scanned it into the computer, If I had a file I would send it to you.

 

[Mericas_Meuth]

No problem, I appreciate the information!

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[ExplorerTom]

The biggest frustration for me when I owned mine was the lack of bumper options, particularly for the rear with a tire carrier. It's very easy to say 'just go to a fabricator', but not nearly as easy in practice. Right off the bat, finding a good and reputable welder / fabricator, if you aren't in the industry or happen to already know one, is not necessarily difficult but can be very time consuming. Getting recommendations, checking out reviews,, vetting those to weed out fanboys and 'fake' reviews, talking to those that look promising to see if they're even interested or available.. I mean, unless you want to just pick one that has a cool yellow pages ad, and hope for the best... Actually finding someone you can trust with thousands of dollars of custom work, especially on parts that can be very critical from a safety perspective, is anything but easy.. At least in my mind.

Now, once you found that one, you then have to come up with a design.. If the plan is purely function over form, then that isn't too bad, but don't you also want it to look good? Maybe I sell myself short, but I have trouble believing I would be very successful with the very first bumper I have ever designed. Perhaps the fabricator would do better, but if my options did not include one that had actually fabricated a bumper like this before, who's to say his or her design would be any better?

I just have way too much I have to do, or prefer to do, to want to spend that amount of time for a set of bumpers. There is nothing that special that I needed or wanted out of them, recovery points, winch mount, some additional clearance.. So aside from the simple lack of off-the-shelf options, why would I want to bother with all of that? I mean, if I wanted to make some one of a kind, uniquely practical, or an otherwise highly specialized application, going the custom fabrication route just isn't worth it unless I already have resources in place. The Ranch Hand bumpers I went with worked well. They provided the additional approach and departure clearance I desperately needed and I especially liked the amount of flat surface both front and rear provided. What I didn't like was the weight. They are built very strong, no doubt, far stronger than I needed. The cost of that strength, was the weight. They also did not have a winch compatible front, which I would have liked.

The other big one that was lacking when I owned mine, were lift options. I did have the Z71, and I made do with the options I had, but short of ripping everything out to sas it, ford keys and rear spacers were about my best option for a minimal amount of additional clearance without sacrificing the ride or blowing the budget. I didn't want some brodozer with 6 inches of lift, but a couple inches more than stock would have been nice. Especially since a month after I bought it, the front and rear bumper covers were ripped loose during my first trip.

As for drawers.. Nope, I can easily make those myself, and have in the past. I actually did not want, nor need drawers in the Suburban, though I did built a platform to replace the middle captains chairs, making the floor flat, that I would swap in for longer trips. That way our two dogs didn't have to ride all the way in the back. And no, creativity was not my problem, as I do a significant amount of customization to every vehicle I own, and I don't mean by just buying and bolting on off-the-shelf stuff other people design. I have always done nearly all of my work myself, and often make my own version of products that are being commercially sold, but ridiculously priced.

Besides, if I do lack creativity, so what? That invalidates my desire to have production options for my vehicle mods? Everyone's situation, needs and wants differ. Just because all you needed was a roof rack, drawers and lights for your intended use, does not mean that is all that I needed or wanted.




I think a lot of the things people post clearly illustrates that they cannot see beyond their own wants and needs. Nor do some seem to understand that just because someone's intended and desired use may differ from their own, that does not mean one is wrong and the other is right. Nor does it give anything close to sufficient information for you to draw the conclusions you are.

You guys seem to have a pretty egocentric way of looking at things.. You really should try and consider the perspectives of others before jumping conclusions and making assumptions.

Really my point was: what all do you really NEED in order to go camping with your truck? If you give that an honest assessment, the list is quite short. And what is on that list, how vehicle specific is it really?

Do you NEED a bumper? I doubt it. I’m sure your front bumper already offers tow points that are bolted to the frame. Rear bumper- again it probably has a receiver bolted to the frame for your rear recovery point. Spare tire carrier? I thought in the cavernous Suburban you could carry all your gear, your buddy’s gear AND spare tires for everyone......

A winch? I bet you can mount it ahead of the AC condenser in between the frame rails behind the factory front bumper. I’ve done tons of truck camping and only used the winch once- and what it was used for could have been done without it. I mostly use the winch when I’m just out 4wheeling (and mostly in the snow at that).

I stand by my original statement.

 

[leftfootmoe]

Really my point was: what all do you really NEED in order to go camping with your truck? If you give that an honest assessment, the list is quite short. And what is on that list, how vehicle specific is it really?

Do you NEED a bumper? I doubt it. I’m sure your front bumper already offers tow points that are bolted to the frame. Rear bumper- again it probably has a receiver bolted to the frame for your rear recovery point. Spare tire carrier? I thought in the cavernous Suburban you could carry all your gear, your buddy’s gear AND spare tires for everyone......

A winch? I bet you can mount it ahead of the AC condenser in between the frame rails behind the factory front bumper. I’ve done tons of truck camping and only used the winch once- and what it was used for could have been done without it. I mostly use the winch when I’m just out 4wheeling (and mostly in the snow at that).

I stand by my original statement.

Though OP did ask for opinions, I don't think your original comment helped move the thread along. It only brought the focus on you. But to give you some attention, I have used my winch while truck camping many times. It totally depends on where you camp. I have pulled many vehicles out of the sand that don't belong there. I only ever charged beer. My F350 was quite useful in that nature. I have wheeled many miles in my XJ and TJ and never used the winches on them. Skilled driver I guess. My point is, please create a thread to have the DIY vs Bolt on discussion or use this forum for what it is for and help the betterment of offroaders/campers/overlanders.

 

[Chili]

Really my point was: what all do you really NEED in order to go camping with your truck? If you give that an honest assessment, the list is quite short. And what is on that list, how vehicle specific is it really?

Do you NEED a bumper? I doubt it. I’m sure your front bumper already offers tow points that are bolted to the frame. Rear bumper- again it probably has a receiver bolted to the frame for your rear recovery point. Spare tire carrier? I thought in the cavernous Suburban you could carry all your gear, your buddy’s gear AND spare tires for everyone......

A winch? I bet you can mount it ahead of the AC condenser in between the frame rails behind the factory front bumper. I’ve done tons of truck camping and only used the winch once- and what it was used for could have been done without it. I mostly use the winch when I’m just out 4wheeling (and mostly in the snow at that).

I stand by my original statement.

Look, you really don't need anything but a backpack, if that, so lets agree that your whole 'need' argument is very relative.

Did I need bumpers? Yes.. On my first trip in the 2005 Suburban Z71, i destroyed both front and rear bumper covers because of the lack of clearance. Did the factory front bumper have recovery points? No, thourh there were frame recovery points. I didn't get a bumper for that purpose, and the Ranch Hand I got did not have them either but I could still use the factory points. Room for a spare tire? Meh, mine still fit underneath, but if I went larger it would not. Have you ever put a 35" tire in an SUV? it eats up a huge amount of space in even the biggest vehicles.

Honestly, you are making some very myopic and uninformed assumptions and statements. Once again, everyone's needs and wants are different, and only ignorant people are so entrenched in their own argument that they cannot see beyond their own limited experience.

 

[XJLI]

Idk man, I put my truck thought some hairy stuff and I was very surprised the front bumper was not a hindrance, the wheelbase and rear hitch were. I dragged framerails a LOT. The trucks have big tow hooks already from the factory as well.

 

[ExplorerTom]

Did I need bumpers? Yes.. On my first trip in the 2005 Suburban Z71, i destroyed both front and rear bumper covers because of the lack of clearance.

sounds like a hell of a 4WHEELING trip.

I think I would have gone with a better vehicle for 4wheeling trips though. You should try overlanding with your Suburban. I think it would excel in this realm better than 4wheeling.

 

[Mericas_Meuth]

Can we get an update on the roof rack templates? Have you made any progress?

 

[stomperxj]

Can we get an update on the roof rack templates? Have you made any progress?

I've got the set I had made last fall sitting in the shop. Work consumed my fall and my winter so far. That project will be back on the front burner this spring. I'd like to refine them just a bit more and then depending on who's interested I'd like to do a run of them.

 

[02TahoeMD]

Bumping this to see if the bracket project came to fruition or not. StomperXJ you out there???? Hello?☎??

 

[stomperxj]

Bumping this to see if the bracket project came to fruition or not. StomperXJ you out there???? Hello?☎??

It's been a weird year and a half I have a prototype set of brackets on my bench in the shop. So many other things took priority over that. It's on my list of things to complete this summer. Just finishing up a bunch of work on the house so I'll actually have room out by the shop soon to get some things done, including the off road trailer and this bracket set. I haven't forgotten about it I promise