Joinin' the Montero Club with a Gen 2.5

[jlocster]

To Vent or Not To Vent

I got to reading this thread about roof vents here and thought it might be a cool (no pun intended) and practical mod...pressurizing the cabin on dusty trails to keep the interior cleaner as well as allowing bug-restricting airflow when sleeping in the rig. The second issue actually came up when I was last sleeping on the platform and tried cracking the rear vent windows, a bunch of mosquitoes started getting inside. I've read about people screening the rear windows but I thought a vent is a more elegant solution.

This seemed like it might work.


Opens both fore and aft with the lever/knob.


Vent is bug-resistant and smaller screening could be easily added to keep out the annoying little guys.


The latch/hinge mechanism does hang down a little far...a potential headbanger.


There is another model that sits up about 2 1/2" inches above the roof-line with the latch/hinge raised up into the vent body so it sits flush on the passenger compartment side. Would look kind of funny sticking up out of the roof but it might be a more practical design in use as it conserves interior space.

Here's the underside with the recessed handle.



Option one is to locate it ahead of the sunroof around where the map lights are. This would allow easy adjustment while driving but would make it hard to reach while sleeping.

Option two is to put it at the very rear of the truck, behind where the sunroof retracts into the roof. This placement, of course, would be impossible to reach while driving but accessible while sleeping. Right now I'm kind of leaning towards the latter solution since I've already encountered a need for easily adjustable bug proof ventilation while in sleep mode.

Or I could install two of them.

Now I just have to decide if I want to go ahead and actually cut the roof. I have to think about this one before I commit.

 

[off-roader]

"I've heard" you can just put filters over the HVAC intakes (which are at the base of the windshield where the washer ports are) and you can run the HVAC system w/out issues. Doing so on high also provides sudfficient positive pressure that dirt won't come in.

 

[Sabre]

Wow, I'd be very concerned about water incursion with that vent. Unless it's gasketed and screws down tight, it's going to leak. It would be far, far less work to fashion a set of framed screens that fit in the windows, which are rolled up against them to snug them in tight. Using an awning would keep out the rain, or it would be simple to fab little awnings that close into the top of each door just to be able to keep the windows open at night.

When I was a callow youth we just used little pieces of sticky-back velcro to hold up the window screens and privacy curtains that we'd made for the old Datsun wagon. Less elegant but utterly simple and dirt-cheap.

 

[jlocster]

Utterly simple and dirt cheap? What's that?

This particular roof vent is popular with the Subaru rally crowd, but its actually marketed for use in step vans, big rigs and horse trailers. I've seen pics of it both under-mounted and over-mounted. Over-mounted would be more waterproof I think, but under-mounted looks cleaner installed.

I bought the vent from a Step Van website here which recommended this for sealing it up so I bought a tube.


Only then did I come across a horse trailer site here that sells pre-cut gaskets and plastic interior trim pieces. I'll order that stuff from them if I go through with this.

Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely concerned with leaks, too. If there's one thing I've learned it's holes and roofs don't mix.

 

[mapper]

You mentioned getting 19+mpgs early on in the thread. What kind of economy has the truck been returning through all these mixed uses...I love real world numbers.

Nice work on the truck thus far your upgrades are keeping me inspired. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a nice monty, no rush just waiting for the right truck.

 

[jlocster]

Real World Economy

Mapper, sorry for the slow reply.

Here is the mileage I've been getting since I bought the rig.

For comparison's sake:

-30x9.5 AT tires @ 26 psi
-4.27 gearing
-no roof rack
-stock bumpers
-no extra armor
-fresh plugs/wires
-synthetic oil
-manual hubs unlocked
-I'm not an aggressive driver.

Format is:

date / miles driven / gallons to fill tank / miles per gallon


1/2-1/8 Los Angeles to San Francisco RT at 75-85 mph

2/17-3/27 Commuting in Los Angeles (50/50 street/freeway)

3/31-4/1 Los Angeles to Santa Cruz RT at 65 mph

 

[DESTRO]

plasti dip it.. i did mine for under $100 bucks.

 

[off-roader]

plasti dip it.. i did mine for under $100 bucks. View attachment 158693

Nice! How long ago did you do it and how's it holding up to the sun/weather? One thing car painters have said is the UV light will damage most flat paints. I can't imagine rubber would hold up much better to it but perhaps they've added a UV stabilizer to Plasti dip. It's definitely held up well on various items I've painted although it does sometimes peel off easily even when I've used it with an epoxy primer. The primer stayed. The Plastidip came off.

 

[Mudrunner]

Plasti-dip way better than any Flat paint job I have ever seen!

 

[loremordred]

Jlocster

Welcome.

You are a beast my man. I love all the walk throughs and information you have. I'm going to follow your steps for adding another fuse box.

I am down in Orange county with SoCal Monty (Sean). I am looking for leather front seats and our the heating unit for the front seats.
I have Grasscat's old rig with bouncy seats, but my wife wants heated seats which I don't have the unit since he tossed them long ago.

I am planning on re-upholstering the bouncy seats to add the heating unit and the tan color for grey leather, or even painting the interior grey or black. Unless someone wants to trade interiors (seats).

The bouncy seats work awesome. You don't feel much, but sudden bumps or drops, you will feel the secondary spring kick in, like a elevator slowing down the speed or hard drop. It's quite a different experience. My wife loves them.

Note: I weigh 175 lbs, so it handles my weight just fine.

I would also be looking for the jump seats to. I don't use them yet, but I will be making a Baja run with a full family soon.

My rooftop clear coat is baked too. Thinking of Rhino lining (or some other coating) it and adding some solar panels and a second battery.


Keep up the good work. We should get a wrenching session. I need to get a ham radio to install, a cb would work temporarily.

~ sent from a infamous dark galaxy

 

[jlocster]

Nice to hear from ya Lore, I hope you're enjoying your new rig! Yeah, it'd be great to go on a SoCal run with you and Sean and any other locals.

 

[jlocster]

Message from Above

I was walking back from my car after lunch and saw a mail truck. What's so special about that, you say?


Look closer...


Look very close...


Whoaaaa...It's the same vent I've been staring at in my living room for the last month trying to decide if I want to install it on the roof of my rig.

If its good enough for the USPS, its good enough for me. I guess I have to do it now. Clean install on the mail truck, BTW.

 

[At1Maverick]

I love how you have somewhat an abundance of recyclers around your area and that you're taking advantage of it. And so cool that they do have Monts, I wish I was back in Ca for those kind of things so I can Shop for my gen 2.

 

[off-roader]

I love how you have somewhat an abundance of recyclers around your area and that you're taking advantage of it. And so cool that they do have Monts, I wish I was back in Ca for those kind of things so I can Shop for my gen 2.

Car-part.com

 

[At1Maverick]

yeah, i go there, but it's more fun when you can take em off yourself, isn't it? I use to go almost weekly when I was building up my mustang