tdesanto
Expedition Leader
Wow, that's quite a list of stuff to be stored in a $25 storage system. I'm looking forward to seeing that.
top mods for the price
- Thread starter frumpy
- Start date
Wow, that's quite a list of stuff to be stored in a $25 storage system. I'm looking forward to seeing that.
Mr. Leary
Glamping Excursionaire
I think beef jerky should be named as the official expo food!
superpowerdave
Adventurer
I'm with Stump on the dome mirrors ... just can't love those things enough. Tight trails, maneuvering in traffic without craning my neck, backing up a trailer, all sorts of awesome uses.
Back to the original question though; let's bear in mind that top mods for the price for me means less than $100. I'm sure we could all talk about armor, lockers, axles, tires etc as being the 'top mod for the price' but then the thread just turns into a conglomeration of what everyone has done to their truck
On our rigs I'll reiterate some of what others have said; recovery gear has almost always been a great addition to our rigs for cheap. Costco compressor, tire repair kit, straps, shackles ... all of these can be had for less than $50 which is a pretty good deal considering their importance - appropriate recovery gear is the difference between getting unstuck or having to call in friends, tow trucks; both of which cost something in the long run, whether it's writing a check or paying friends off with beer to stay quiet
I added a 3-socket 12V power source in the Disco to power all the seemingly essentials, which has proven invaluable. Shawna had me build a stowage shelf for the back of her Classic for those items that need to be instantly accessible. Both of these additions have proven themselves to be wise decisions and have paid for themselves many times over.
I'm quietly waiting to hear what other simple, out of the box type things other ExPoers have done along the way.
Back to the original question though; let's bear in mind that top mods for the price for me means less than $100. I'm sure we could all talk about armor, lockers, axles, tires etc as being the 'top mod for the price' but then the thread just turns into a conglomeration of what everyone has done to their truck
On our rigs I'll reiterate some of what others have said; recovery gear has almost always been a great addition to our rigs for cheap. Costco compressor, tire repair kit, straps, shackles ... all of these can be had for less than $50 which is a pretty good deal considering their importance - appropriate recovery gear is the difference between getting unstuck or having to call in friends, tow trucks; both of which cost something in the long run, whether it's writing a check or paying friends off with beer to stay quiet
I added a 3-socket 12V power source in the Disco to power all the seemingly essentials, which has proven invaluable. Shawna had me build a stowage shelf for the back of her Classic for those items that need to be instantly accessible. Both of these additions have proven themselves to be wise decisions and have paid for themselves many times over.
I'm quietly waiting to hear what other simple, out of the box type things other ExPoers have done along the way.
matt s
Explorer
Craftsman Mechanics tool kit <$100 on sale and fits in my wheel well like a glove.
MV-60 air compressor. Awesome little 12V compressor. $50-100 depending on what model/store/deal you get. I have enough room in my engine bay that I am thinking it may get a permanent mount.
Hi quality velcro <$10 Mounted my stereo remote next to my right hand, garage door opener above the windscreen, etc.
Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror with compass and exterior thermometer. ~$200 but free to me as a gift. Can be found via cabelas.
Steel ring bolted to my roll cage to quick connect my dog leashes to. Works perfectly, I needed this for when I run around in the summer with the top off. ~$2
Hat Brim Led Headlamp. Just happens to clip perfectly to the lip on my console and therefore is always within reach. ~$5 and at the moment one of my most useful little tools (I don't have dome lights)
Rustoleum- Rattle can painting my topper and wheels has really spruced up my rig. What like $5 a can?
There are other mods on the truck, but I inherited most of them (and some bad ones too) so I kept my list to things I have done that were cheap but useful.
MV-60 air compressor. Awesome little 12V compressor. $50-100 depending on what model/store/deal you get. I have enough room in my engine bay that I am thinking it may get a permanent mount.
Hi quality velcro <$10 Mounted my stereo remote next to my right hand, garage door opener above the windscreen, etc.
Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror with compass and exterior thermometer. ~$200 but free to me as a gift. Can be found via cabelas.
Steel ring bolted to my roll cage to quick connect my dog leashes to. Works perfectly, I needed this for when I run around in the summer with the top off. ~$2
Hat Brim Led Headlamp. Just happens to clip perfectly to the lip on my console and therefore is always within reach. ~$5 and at the moment one of my most useful little tools (I don't have dome lights)
Rustoleum- Rattle can painting my topper and wheels has really spruced up my rig. What like $5 a can?
There are other mods on the truck, but I inherited most of them (and some bad ones too) so I kept my list to things I have done that were cheap but useful.
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etbadger
Adventurer
Best cheap tweaks that I can think of are:
Industrial strength Velcro (hook-side) strips down the back of all counter-tops, inside cabinet doors, etc. Then anything that needs to be held in place while bumping around either gets a patch of the fuzzy side on it, or is wrapped in the "one-wrap" double-sided velcro straps. All of our cables, wires, camera-gear, laptops, electronics, and even some dishware, are secured this way.
Dry-Z-Air chemical de-humidifier to reduce the moisture in a van when 2 people live, cook, and sleep in such a small space. Even after we have been "stationary" in the desert of Utah and the van is unused for a week or two it can collect a few ounces of water out of the environment in there. Refills are cheap, and it works. When we wintered in the Cascades it would gather at least a cup of water a day.
Bag of random hardware we picked up along the way. Sheet-metal-screws (stainless and non), handfuls of grade-8 hardware for about 4$/lb from a farm supply in ID, pins, o-rings, clips, etc. We carried a couple gallon-sized zip-lock bags of this random stuff and were always finding uses. Still use it around our real "house" and a few bits of it even ended up in the motorcycle I built.
-e
Industrial strength Velcro (hook-side) strips down the back of all counter-tops, inside cabinet doors, etc. Then anything that needs to be held in place while bumping around either gets a patch of the fuzzy side on it, or is wrapped in the "one-wrap" double-sided velcro straps. All of our cables, wires, camera-gear, laptops, electronics, and even some dishware, are secured this way.
Dry-Z-Air chemical de-humidifier to reduce the moisture in a van when 2 people live, cook, and sleep in such a small space. Even after we have been "stationary" in the desert of Utah and the van is unused for a week or two it can collect a few ounces of water out of the environment in there. Refills are cheap, and it works. When we wintered in the Cascades it would gather at least a cup of water a day.
Bag of random hardware we picked up along the way. Sheet-metal-screws (stainless and non), handfuls of grade-8 hardware for about 4$/lb from a farm supply in ID, pins, o-rings, clips, etc. We carried a couple gallon-sized zip-lock bags of this random stuff and were always finding uses. Still use it around our real "house" and a few bits of it even ended up in the motorcycle I built.
-e
seashore
Observer
Not a vehicle modification, but it is cheap and effective.
I added 2 Sterilite containers to the top of the Engel basket, and keep them in place with cut off zip ties that act as pins to keep them in place.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GzU5WL3tRTgaH1z5iD99UA?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cTS1P4NH8yjkX26hljzTfQ?feat=directlink
look carefully and you can see the tabs of the zip ties. these keep the sterilites from falling down. adds a lot of capacity and improves access to the bulkier items (like beer-very important) at the bottom of the fridge....
I added 2 Sterilite containers to the top of the Engel basket, and keep them in place with cut off zip ties that act as pins to keep them in place.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GzU5WL3tRTgaH1z5iD99UA?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cTS1P4NH8yjkX26hljzTfQ?feat=directlink
look carefully and you can see the tabs of the zip ties. these keep the sterilites from falling down. adds a lot of capacity and improves access to the bulkier items (like beer-very important) at the bottom of the fridge....
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What a neat site Joanne! Loads of good stuff there!
As for cheap mods, we used to get the mercury-switched lights mounted under the hoods of many GM cars at the local auto wreckers for $1 each. A couple of self tapping screws and a hot lead and you had an instant on night light or two under your hood for only a couple of bucks.
atavuss
Adventurer
Sylvania Dot It lights mounted on the inside of my Snugtop lid. don't want to run 12v wires all the way back there.
instead of road flares I carry several blinking red LED lights that have magnets so you can stick them on the back of your vehicle during an emergency stop.
jumper battery, I have used it several times to get other motorists going.
shorty shovel, fire ext., Hi Lift jack, axe.
instead of road flares I carry several blinking red LED lights that have magnets so you can stick them on the back of your vehicle during an emergency stop.
jumper battery, I have used it several times to get other motorists going.
shorty shovel, fire ext., Hi Lift jack, axe.
winkosmosis
Explorer
No true. K&N filters flow air easier by filtering less. 45x as much dirt gets through a K&N than a paper filter.
http://duramax-diesel.com/spicer/index.htm
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jim65wagon
Well-known member
Best cheap mods:
Homemade bed rack...it was fun to build and cheaper than buying a real rack...
Donahoe coilovers, low-mileage used for just 200 bucks!
Homemade bed rack...it was fun to build and cheaper than buying a real rack...
Donahoe coilovers, low-mileage used for just 200 bucks!
winkosmosis
Explorer
If you need more cuphoders, for things like cell phones, wipes, cup-shaped inverters, etc, you can screw bicycle cupholders to your interior.
matt s
Explorer
Genius! I love "mods" where you take something made for another purpose and use it in a "Better" way.