wreckdiver1321
Overlander
Sure you can
Haha that's one way to do it, but then I'd have to move everything around in the back all the time.
Is that a first gen rack on that second gen? That looks interesting.
"Lola" - WreckDiver1321's 2005 Frontier CC/SB Nismo Build and Adventure Thread
- Thread starter wreckdiver1321
- Start date
Haha that's one way to do it, but then I'd have to move everything around in the back all the time.
Is that a first gen rack on that second gen? That looks interesting.
wreckdiver1321
Overlander
I still have an old Hillary dome tent that has been with my family since I was 5. It's a good size and I love it to death, but with the amount I move spots, I want a faster setup. Something larger would be really appreciated too. Hence the Oztent.
wreckdiver1321
Overlander
Time for a little non-truck related update!
I think I've finally got my sleeping setup dialed in. While I wait for my tent, I have received my new Kamp-Rite double cot. This thing is super cool. Sets up fast, rated for a lot of weight, and very comfortable. It's the dimensions of a queen mattress and even has a net hanging underneath to store things. Love this thing. It's the perfect size for me and the missus.
On top of that I set my Cabela's sleeping mat. It's kind of like the large Thermarest, but a little cheaper.
And on top of that, my Cabela's Mountain Trapper 20* bag. Rectangular, heavy duty materials, and lined with flannel. Like sleeping bags should be.
I've been looking for a good camping pillow to use. Thermarest sells them, but they are $25 each and not very comfortable. I was walking around Cabela's today, headed to the tackle shop, when I spotted these:
These things are awesome. They stuff into a bag of a reasonably small size, and are plenty comfortable. Plus, the 20x20 was $15 and the 10x20 was $1. I can stuff both pillows into the large bag. I love them.
This is about as plush as easily-collapsible camping gets.
I think I've finally got my sleeping setup dialed in. While I wait for my tent, I have received my new Kamp-Rite double cot. This thing is super cool. Sets up fast, rated for a lot of weight, and very comfortable. It's the dimensions of a queen mattress and even has a net hanging underneath to store things. Love this thing. It's the perfect size for me and the missus.
On top of that I set my Cabela's sleeping mat. It's kind of like the large Thermarest, but a little cheaper.
And on top of that, my Cabela's Mountain Trapper 20* bag. Rectangular, heavy duty materials, and lined with flannel. Like sleeping bags should be.
I've been looking for a good camping pillow to use. Thermarest sells them, but they are $25 each and not very comfortable. I was walking around Cabela's today, headed to the tackle shop, when I spotted these:
These things are awesome. They stuff into a bag of a reasonably small size, and are plenty comfortable. Plus, the 20x20 was $15 and the 10x20 was $1. I can stuff both pillows into the large bag. I love them.
This is about as plush as easily-collapsible camping gets.
bijanjames
Adventurer
Perfect setup.
wreckdiver1321
Overlander
Thank you sir!
I made a couple of cargo system adjustments yesterday. Primarily, I bought a couple lengths of shock cord to help keep things in the overhead cargo net nice and tidy.
The bowline hitch, endlessly useful!
I went from this:
To this:
I also swapped out my rather large kitchen tote to a much smaller box that easily holds everything. It's a medium size Plano Sportsman Trunk, about $25. Since it would be towards the front of the truck, I drilled a couple holes in it and added a grab handle out of the softest and smoothest rope I could find. It works pretty well, I don't have to climb in the back to get at it.
Since I underestimated the size of my kitchen boxes (both would have had this problem), I wouldn't have been able to use my steel tiedown I made. So I came up with this:
It's a length of ratchet strap with a small cut at one end. I put the utilitrack mounting bolt through the strap and voila! Instant soft tiedown. Since I had all this stuff together, I figured I might as well do a dry run with all the camping gear in the truck. This is with everything needed for up to a week of camping with my fiancee and two dogs. I'm very pleased with the storage I get and how neatly everything fits. There's no "lost space" and I have plenty of room for other stuff should I need it. Excellent!
Up in the net, I've got two sleeping pads, my bag, her bag and my pillows. On the driver's side, we've got the kitchen box, our dry food box (breads, crackers, snack foods, PB, sauces, etc.), and the cooler, all held down with my makeshift tiedown point. Peeking out from behind all that is a really neat collapsible bucket I bought in Bigfork.
In the middle, I've got the cot (yeah, it's pretty bulky) and our two chairs.
And on the passenger side, all I have is the jerry can at the front and a water can at the back. I like how efficiently everything fits and how easy it all is to get to. I'm still working on making everything a bit smaller. I still need to get the fridge, which is smaller than the cooler in both width and length. I also like that all the gear is held down by one strap. It's rock solid and won't go anywhere, but it's also easy to access and doesn't take forever to get to stuff because you're undoing straps. I just need to make some tiedowns for the water can and I'll be good to go.
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mortonm
Expedition Leader
For those support ropes for the cargo net, try a taught-line hitch on the one end (google it, very simple) It will allow you to easily tighten and loosen the strings on the net without worrying about tying the knot in the exact right position for it to be tight
Looking good and well organized!
Looking good and well organized!
wreckdiver1321
Overlander
Don't need to, it's bungee cord
Otherwise I would have used exactly that.Thanks Mike!
jbumx2
Observer
Really nice job on the truck. I like your camping setup. I've strapped my jerry cans for gas and water in same spot as you, but I'm trying to figure out a way to attach jerry can mounts to make loading and unloading easier. And the strap attached to the utilitrack bolt is genius!
Do you get a lot of dust where you are? That the only thing I haven't been able to figure out. I have a softopper at the moment and whenever I drive on dusty roads, my camping gear is covered in dust by the time we get to the camp site. Also, I'm curious where you store your tools. I recently, installed a Contico SUV tuff bin to told some tools, compressor, straps, etc. I have the short bed so I didn't want to take up too much space with typical truck box.
Do you get a lot of dust where you are? That the only thing I haven't been able to figure out. I have a softopper at the moment and whenever I drive on dusty roads, my camping gear is covered in dust by the time we get to the camp site. Also, I'm curious where you store your tools. I recently, installed a Contico SUV tuff bin to told some tools, compressor, straps, etc. I have the short bed so I didn't want to take up too much space with typical truck box.
wreckdiver1321
Overlander
Thanks for the compliments! I imagine you could get a regular jerry can mount and use countersunk self-tappers to screw them to the bed. That could work fairly well. I'm sticking to this setup because I know I'll be putting windoors in the cap at some point, so it should get easier to take the can out eventually. Hopefully I can go back to a hard tiedown when I get the fridge, but the strap works for now.
I get tons of dust, especially during the summer. I'm planning on getting a tailgate seal kit. That's where most of the dust comes from. When I look through the back window, I can see daylight around my tailgate. Best solution I can give is climb in there and close yourself in. Anywhere you see light, find a way to seal it. I lucked out and only have the tailgate. Once that's done, it should drastically reduce the amount of dust ingress I get. I can imagine it's kind of a losing battle with a Softopper though.
I keep my tools in a tool roll that stays behind the rear seat with the factory jack. I only carry basic metric tools. A metric 3/8 socket set, metric ratchet wrenches, one ratchet, pliers, channel locks, vise-grips, srewdrivers, etc. All I figure I need is in that tool roll. These trucks are well built enough that I only carry enough tools and spares for simple, common repairs. Stuff like u-joints, hoses, belt, fuses, hose clamps, JB weld. I'm still working on where to put that stuff. I'd like to keep it in a large ammo can that I can store behind the rear seat, but I also need to save room for my Mossberg 500 Security.
Let's see some pics of your truck! And you should head out my way sometime. I'm only like 18 hours away haha
wreckdiver1321
Overlander
Time to check a few more things off the mod list, as well as change a few things...
Suspension
Nisstec Adjustable Coilovers w/600lb springs - done
265/75R16 General Grabber AT2s - done
Old Man Emu Dakar MD leaf packs
Old Man Emu greaseable shackles
Bilstein 5125 rear shocks
Diff breather mod - done
Armor
ARB front bumper - done
ARB rear differential cover
Shrockworks engine skidplate - ready to be bolted on
Shrockworks transmission skidplate
Shrockworks radiator skidplate
Shrockworks transfer case skidplate
Shrockworks gas tank skidplate
White Knuckle rock sliders - done
ARB rear step bumper
Interior
Cobra 19 CB radio - done
Blue Sea power distribution strip
WeatherTech floor mats
OTRATTW air compressor switch
OTRATTW bumper lights switch
OTRATTW fog lights switch
RAM mounted iPad navigation system
Scangauge II
Spare parts bag - gathering parts
Tool roll
First aid kit - done
SPOT tracker
Micro Start XP10 jump pack
Mossberg 500 12ga
.40 SIG Sauer
Exterior
eBay snorkel - en route
ARE canopy - done
Canopy roof rack - done
Front bumper mounted Hella Rallye 4000 driving lights
IPF fog lights for bumper cutouts
Front bumper mounted 3' red Firestik CB antenna - done
Rear bumper mounted lighting
Hi-Lift mount - done
Nissan Navara badging - in my garage
Accessories
Indel B 40 Liter fridge
ARB air compressor
Access battery-powered LED bed lights
Superwinch X9 or Warn VR8000 winch
Ironman 2m awning
Electrical
Xscorpion battery terminal - done
Blue Sea fuse block - done
Odyssey group 34 battery
Hella relay block w/relays
Decided on a couple things...
- I'm going with the Ironman awning instead of the ARB because the Ironman has a black cover. Not super important but I think a gray cover on an all black truck would look silly. I'm going with the Ironman over the CVT because the CVT costs a bit more and they charge more to ship. Overall the CVT would cost $50 more by the time it got to me. Also, the ironman has a built-in LED strip
- I'm going with the ARB rear bumper. I like the way it looks, and the protection it offers will be welcomed.
- I decided against the ARB Intensity knockoffs for bumper lighting. I've been driving this truck a fair amount in the dark and I can say for certain that I need a bit more distance with my lighting setup. The lighting I put on the bumper needs to throw a fairly wide beam, but more importantly it needs to throw the beam farther than the headlights. Living in deer and elk country, this is kind of a must for me. I don't find myself on the trail too often at night, so distance is probably more of a priority in that regard. That being said, I'm working on figuring out an all-around good solution. One that gives me immediate area lighting for low speeds on the trail and can throw a beam when on the highway in deer country. It's looking like the factory ARB bumper lights aren't super expensive and people have good things to say about them, and the best option for the bigger driving lights may be the tried-and-trusted Hella Rallye 4000 in Euro beam. Still researching.
- Cabela's no longer stocks the winches I was looking at! However, I can still get what I was looking at off Amazon with free shipping. I did the math too, and the Warn VR8000 may be a good fit for me. And at $500, it's tempting.
That's about it for now. I should be ordering the tent soon, as well as the awning. Next up after that is lighting, followed by the rear bumper. And then, and then, and then...
Suspension
Nisstec Adjustable Coilovers w/600lb springs - done
265/75R16 General Grabber AT2s - done
Old Man Emu Dakar MD leaf packs
Old Man Emu greaseable shackles
Bilstein 5125 rear shocks
Diff breather mod - done
Armor
ARB front bumper - done
ARB rear differential cover
Shrockworks engine skidplate - ready to be bolted on
Shrockworks transmission skidplate
Shrockworks radiator skidplate
Shrockworks transfer case skidplate
Shrockworks gas tank skidplate
White Knuckle rock sliders - done
ARB rear step bumper
Interior
Cobra 19 CB radio - done
Blue Sea power distribution strip
WeatherTech floor mats
OTRATTW air compressor switch
OTRATTW bumper lights switch
OTRATTW fog lights switch
RAM mounted iPad navigation system
Scangauge II
Spare parts bag - gathering parts
Tool roll
First aid kit - done
SPOT tracker
Micro Start XP10 jump pack
Mossberg 500 12ga
.40 SIG Sauer
Exterior
eBay snorkel - en route
ARE canopy - done
Canopy roof rack - done
Front bumper mounted Hella Rallye 4000 driving lights
IPF fog lights for bumper cutouts
Front bumper mounted 3' red Firestik CB antenna - done
Rear bumper mounted lighting
Hi-Lift mount - done
Nissan Navara badging - in my garage
Accessories
Indel B 40 Liter fridge
ARB air compressor
Access battery-powered LED bed lights
Superwinch X9 or Warn VR8000 winch
Ironman 2m awning
Electrical
Xscorpion battery terminal - done
Blue Sea fuse block - done
Odyssey group 34 battery
Hella relay block w/relays
Decided on a couple things...
- I'm going with the Ironman awning instead of the ARB because the Ironman has a black cover. Not super important but I think a gray cover on an all black truck would look silly. I'm going with the Ironman over the CVT because the CVT costs a bit more and they charge more to ship. Overall the CVT would cost $50 more by the time it got to me. Also, the ironman has a built-in LED strip
- I'm going with the ARB rear bumper. I like the way it looks, and the protection it offers will be welcomed.
- I decided against the ARB Intensity knockoffs for bumper lighting. I've been driving this truck a fair amount in the dark and I can say for certain that I need a bit more distance with my lighting setup. The lighting I put on the bumper needs to throw a fairly wide beam, but more importantly it needs to throw the beam farther than the headlights. Living in deer and elk country, this is kind of a must for me. I don't find myself on the trail too often at night, so distance is probably more of a priority in that regard. That being said, I'm working on figuring out an all-around good solution. One that gives me immediate area lighting for low speeds on the trail and can throw a beam when on the highway in deer country. It's looking like the factory ARB bumper lights aren't super expensive and people have good things to say about them, and the best option for the bigger driving lights may be the tried-and-trusted Hella Rallye 4000 in Euro beam. Still researching.
- Cabela's no longer stocks the winches I was looking at!
However, I can still get what I was looking at off Amazon with free shipping. I did the math too, and the Warn VR8000 may be a good fit for me. And at $500, it's tempting.That's about it for now. I should be ordering the tent soon, as well as the awning. Next up after that is lighting, followed by the rear bumper. And then, and then, and then...
Last edited:
bijanjames
Adventurer
Talk to Chris at Hefty about a CVT, he is now a supplier of the tent and is trying to get some traction in the market. As far as lighting goes I think rigid industries lights are a good deal for what you get.
Weekender41
Ready to Learn
You think RI lights are a good deal? Hahaha that is a bad joke friend! Extremely expensive for no better light output. The internal build is a bit higher than ebay bars but output is no better.