Pongo, The story of our 2016 Tacoma

[dorton]

I agree CBI's rack is awesome and visually is the best looking out there. I have just been concerned about theft of items if I leave the vehicle for an extended amount of time in a more populated area. I thought the soft-topper would allow a little bit of a deterrent.

The softopper is very nice for being able to keep things out of sight. I currently have a deck/platform that runs from the front wall to the tailgate, and from side to side. Only cut out is so that you can
see the fridge temperature. I usually keep things I don't want walking away, safe and sound underneath the platform.

 

[ExDementia]

The truck looks awesome, man. This is one of those cases where I really love the color, but would probably stick to something boring if I bought it myself, so kudos to you for that!

So how much extra time does that solar panel give your fridge? I'm looking into solar solutions for my project right now, and the slim integration here is fantastic.

 

[Accesstacoma]

I have a quick question. Do you have more info on you solar setup?

Thank in advance

 

[dorton]

The truck looks awesome, man. This is one of those cases where I really love the color, but would probably stick to something boring if I bought it myself, so kudos to you for that!

So how much extra time does that solar panel give your fridge? I'm looking into solar solutions for my project right now, and the slim integration here is fantastic.

I don't really know. Previously I had gotten 2 full days, and 3 nights before the fridge auto-cut off. I'd hope that it would be enough to help with the brunt of the discharge during the day, and then really only discharge at night.
I'd like to think it would double that, but the truck never sits still for very long.

I have a quick question. Do you have more info on you solar setup?

Thank in advance

http://www.swps.com/22670.html
It's a panel I purchased over a year ago but wasn't sure how long I would keep the FJ cruiser so I didn't install it. It's only 14 watts, but it should be able to extend times between needing to run the truck to regenerate the battery for the fridge.

They(Streamlight) has since stopped offering the panel. I'm sure there would be a similar offering from other companies though.
http://www.streamlight.com/products/product-series/streamlight-solarstream-trade

 

[dorton]

Pongo, has been getting some attention lately. The bed rack, rock sliders, and rear bumper have been changed out for
CBI Off Road Fab products http://www.cbioffroadfab.com.

I'm loving the rear bumper w/swingout. I initially wasn't sure which way I wanted to go, but now have their setup coming to
mount a 4 gallon Rotopax carrier. I'll most likely use it for water, and a a ball valve on it to help with kitchen duties in camp.
The i'll still have both sides of the bed rack for mounting additional Rotopax if needed.

The CBI sliders have a wider platform compared to the RCI's. That makes them more usable and appreciated in day to day use.
I got them with the top plates, and love the looks, and the peace of mind knowing that my daughter, and dog will not have their
feet dropping through while getting in/out.

The rack is very nice, and will work great for our purposes. It goes together super easy, and is a one man assembly job. They really thought it
out well, and have added many extra tie-down points on multiple planes, and designed and incorporated mounting points for roof top tents.

 

[soonenough]

Pongo, has been getting some attention lately. The bed rack, rock sliders, and rear bumper have been changed out for
CBI Off Road Fab products http://www.cbioffroadfab.com.

:drool: Looks amazing

SaveSave​

 

[ACFaulk]

Love your truck....question about the softtopper? are they water tight?

 

[Benc]

Very nice! Cbi builds some awesome products.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dorton]

Love your truck....question about the softtopper? are they water tight?

The softopper itself is watertight. When I first put it on, I had water enter on both front corners where the bed sides meet the center. There is a small gap at
their intersection, that I needed to fill with sealant(silicone, or in my case I used Toyota FIPG). After that, I felt comfortable enough with it's water resistance, that
I would regularly carry expensive items in the back, uncontained without fear of damage.

The softopper is a very, very handy item.

 

[dorton]

I decided to go ahead, and trim back the exhaust on my timeline, instead of being forced to fix it on the trail.
Even though it wasn't intentional, this created a dramatic drop in the cabin noise from the exhaust. It's really similar to
factory volume, but a much better tone.

I added AVS vent shades, as I was tired of opening the windows and having water drip inside. These fit in the window run channel,
and are low profile. They work well, and look good.

My team mate James stopped by work last week in his sweet 5th gen 4runner(He's @sfjphil in IG), so we had to get a shot of
my 2 rigs and his together.

 

[mosovich]

What kinda antenna mount are you using on the 4runners? Thanks..

 

[dorton]

What kinda antenna mount are you using on the 4runners? Thanks..

He finally stopped lurking around here, and started posting:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...nd-adventure-of-my-2016-4Runner-Trail-edition

 

[dorton]

Pongo clicked a little milestone a few days back. 7 Months have flown by for sure. It's hard to believe the truck hasn't celebrated its 1st birthday yet, and has taken us to
15 states. :beer: Heres to another 15 states in 2017'

In central North Carolina last weekend we were treated with an early January snow fall, and we made sure to take full advantage of it. There were many hours of playing both by the little ones and the adults. I'm optimistic, that its a good sign for the rest of January, and February snow falls.

 

[NetDep]

Pongo clicked a little milestone a few days back. 7 Months have flown by for sure. It's hard to believe the truck hasn't celebrated its 1st birthday yet, and has taken us to
15 states. :beer: Heres to another 15 states in 2017'

In central North Carolina last weekend we were treated with an early January snow fall, and we made sure to take full advantage of it. There were many hours of playing both by the little ones and the adults. I'm optimistic, that its a good sign for the rest of January, and February snow falls.

Congrats!! Amazing and beautiful snow shot!!

 

[dorton]

I recently swapped back to an DSLR Canon camera from the Sony A6000 mirrorless I have been using for the last couple years. I decided to take Pongo
out for some night shots to test out the new equipment.

A couple days later, Pongo's look was changed up. A T3 bumper with hood and grill protection for the tight east coast trails from CBI Offroad Fab, TRD PRO grill,
Gzila Designs hawse fairlead, and some of the trick KC HiLiTES Flex Cubes rest on the CBI Off Road ditch light brackets were installed. I'll be adding a KC HiLites
FLEX led light bar shortly.

I think it has changed the personality of the truck.