Another update on the truck’s progression. It’s late July and a lot of the trails in my area of Colorado are still covered in snow so it has given me some time in my small garage and driveway to work on the truck. However, I have found some time to get out and camp on some remote Colorado creeks and throw a fly in the water in search of trout!
With a two week trip coming up to run the Rubicon trail in California I have spent some time making the truck more comfortable to live out of. My goal was to have everything i needed in the truck so I could leave after work and head out to fish and camp. I think I succeeded.
I got a screaming deal on a roof mount fly rod carrier that I couldn’t pass up, the problem was that I didn’t have a rack to put it on. Not really a problem though since I have a welder so I built one. The only problem was that my Tepui Autana didn’t fit with rod rack! So I bought a Tepui Ayer which is one of the smallest RTT’s on the market. It’s awesome and fits perfect. The only downfall is that it now sits above my roofline. Small compromise in order to have my fly rods all rigged up and ready to go at a moment notice.
Another thing I did was build a swing out tire carrier. I was no longer able to stand up my 35” spare in the bed with the tent on the new rack. With it laying down flat in a 5’ bed it ate up too much space. I ordered a kit from 4xinnovations because I liked how it latched and the hinged side is super bomber. I think it turned out pretty alright.
I chose to keep my stuff mounted inside the bed to keep it out of sight, so I built the tire carrier to accommodate fuel cans mounted on the inside. I also mounted an Outer Limit Supply first aid kit and a fire extinguisher inside the bed. I’m psyched with how well it turned out.
And with the tire carrier closed:
Also added one of my favorite mods which is mud flaps. May sound stupid but I have been pulled over for not having them. So I searched for months to try to find some that “fit the truck”. Found some never mounted flaps made in 1978 that fit the bill. Still looking for some vintage “colorful Colorado” flaps but these will do in the meantime. See above pics to see how they turned out. A flatbed truck just looks right with mudflaps! Big Wonderful Wyoming, who doesn’t want a bronc rider bringing up the rear of their truck. Way cooler than chrome naked girls or Yosemite Sam!
Now go play, build your truck as you go, and then go play some more!
If there’s any interest I will be posting various pics of where my Toyota’s take me on Instagram at #coloradoadventuretruck