100 Series (R-Equipt) Land Cruiser. New Bern or Bust.

[Yuman Desert Rat]

Back in May of 2014 the skies parted and the Equipt 100 series Land Cruiser was back up for sale. Only this time there was one small problem.... It was in Southern California and I was in Frickin NC AND I already owned (quite possibly) the most awesome Wrangler LJ EVER, created for back country living... So, being the problem solver that I am, there was only one thing to do; buy a plane ticket to Ontario, CA and deliver a couple of checks to @jjstahl3 , sign some papers and begin the journey home...

The first stop, the dreaded gas station (this was back when gas was $4 a gallon) then onward to Yuma, AZ to eat at Ronnies, check on the house, see my old neighbors and get some shut-eye. The next leg would be a stop in Prescott for a quick reunion with Paul May, a quick photo shot and the addition of an Eezi Awn table with roof rack mounts. The ink on the title was still damp, I had a couple thousand miles of road separating myself from home and already, I was making modifications.....

The remainder of the trip was rather uneventful. After departing Prescott, I bee lined it for New Mexico where I stayed the night in a VERY seedy motel and hit the road dark and early, ultimately stopping in Ft. Smith, AR staying the night in far better accommodations. Waking the next day I hit the road greeted by the rising sun; not yet knowing that this would be the final leg of the journey home. Exactly 24 hours later I arrived in my driveway amazed that I had just driven 24 hours straight. (My secret weapon; a steady flow of Joe and my rose tinted prescription BC (birth control) glasses. Now that I was home the REAL journey was about to begin....

The early years (Equipt flagship / Paul May 2004 - 2013)

​

This next section will chronicle the years where Paul May took the Hundy from stock Land Cruiser to World Class Expedition Vehicle. From being the show-boat of Equipt Expedition Outfitters to rally races South of the Border, trade shows, Expo's, Rendezvous Events, weekend family jaunts and continuously evolving modifications which provided inspiration to many in the overlanding community. (long before "overlanding" became cringeworthy buzz word to many here at AAV)

In 2004 the Hundy was a Daily Driver for Pauls wife, Heather. In early 2006 it began its transformation from bone stock to the face of the fledgling Equipt Expedition Outfitters. I feel a sense of pride that the company we have all come to know and love www.equipt1.com was essentially built around this vehicle.

Here she is Circa 2008 for 4WDTO Magazine​

As of September, 2011 here was a list of modifications:​

Suspension / Drivetrain
• 4.7L V8 EFI engine
• Rear and center differential locks
• 4.88 gears with ARB front air locker
• Front Runner auxiliary 45-gallon fuel tank, 72-gallon total capacity
• Old Man Emu 2.5-inch suspension lift with Old Man Emu Nitro shocks, longs on rear
• Old Man Emu 864 coil springs
• Old Man Emu heavy-duty front torsion bars
• Slee Off Road differential lowering kit
• BF Goodrich All Terrains, 295/75R16 on black powder coated factory rims

Electrical
• National Luna DIY dual battery system, w/ in cab remote controller
• Slee Off Road second battery tray with Diehard Platinum deep-cycle battery
• Dual Hella auxiliary fuse blocks, switched and unswitched
• Auxiliary Hella relay block

Interior
• All available factory options
• Remote start / alarm
• Alpine IVA-W200 6.5cm double-din LCD DVD/CD/Ipod/Nav/Sat receiver
• Cobra 75WXST Sound Tracker CB mounted in front center dash
• Icom HM-133 two-meter VHF radio with remote face, located in front center dash
• Ram Mount cockpit laptop mount, with Toshiba laptop and Bluetooth GPS receiver
• Magellan Crossover GPS for day to day and backup
• Spot Satellite location and emergency recovery system
• Custom, removable two-drawer, rear hatch storage system with fitment side panels
• Cobra 800W peak 120V power inverter
• Three auxiliary full-time 12V power outlets
• National Luna Weekender 50 Liter Split in Stainless Steel
• Platinum drop down fridge slide
• 10-pound Power Tank CO2 tank, with gauges and quick-release,
• Custom driver-side rear-door-entry dog platform, padded, of course.

Exterior
• ARB Sahara front bumper with IPF fog lights
• IPF 900S XD driving lights
• Warn M12000 winch with Viking Off Road Synthetic Line
• Custom 2 x 5 x 3/16-inch steel rock-sliders/steps
• TJM rear bumper with swing-out tire carrier
• Front Runner Wind Cheetah 2.2-meter roof rack
• Eezi-Awn Series 3 1600 roof/top tent, beige w/ beige fly
• Eezi-Awn Series 2000 2.5-meter awning
• Eezi-Awn 2.5-meter Rec Vee awning enclosure panels
• Shovel and axe
• ARB Safari Snorkel
• Warn rear receiver D-ring recovery shackle.

Drawer System
The drawer set that I used to have in my truck was one that I built out of the spare plywood in my garage and about $40 in carpet, handles and edging. It was a complete experiment. A temporary prototype for better designs to come. No drawer slides, no latches, etc. Just a couple boxes slid into a bigger box. Half a dozen years later is was still working fine.

Last fall I helped Ben Edmonson build a pretty nice set of drawers for his 40th Anniversary 80 Series. A double stack with a fridge box design. It turned out pretty darn good. You can see his build thread here.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...What-next-quot

Well, within a month I had a pretty good case of drawer envy. It was time for a new set for myself. We were driving to Cabo, and a new set would be very handy.

So here is what I built for the 100. It is a side by side drawer set, made of 3/4" cabinet grade plywood, with Accuride 9301 drawer slides, and Southco drawer latches.

A custom fit trim set was built to level the plane across the back of the truck from side to side. The panels are tight enough to stay in place, friction fit. We store recovery gear driver side and fluids/air hose passenger. Heavy duty speaker carpet covers the entire set, with matching paint on the interiors. The requisite bottle opener fitted as well.

Driver Clam Shell​

In the driver side rear door, we created storage clam shell / dog bed. Dezi, our black lab, is our company mascot and she travels with us where ever we go. She was going to Baja with us, so she needed a good spot to ride. The box is built with about 4-1/2" of storage in it, and topped with a custom made dog bed. The storage area is our marketing materials locker for Equipt. A 3-D cell Maglight and a Halon fire extinguisher are always close at hand. The clam shell is removable for the return of the second row seat when necessary.

Passenger side clamshell​

The passenger side rear door opens to another clam shell enclosure. This one took a bit longer to put together. It is built a bit taller, at 12" inside. It encloses our on demand hot water shower system, air compressor, and electrical inverter. The water tank for the system dictated the height for the clam shell, and subsequently the rear drawer set.

The hot water system provides pressurized, temperature adjustable hot water for showers, and cooking. It draws from a 40L water tank also located in the clam shell. The tank is an early model Front Runner 40L Roof Rack tank. I connected it to a prefilter and then to a Sureflo Marine Grade Pressure Sensitive Water Pump. The pump draws the water through and into a 1.5 gallon electric water heater that can heat the water to 180 degrees. The hot water is then blended with cool water at a shower valve, and fed through a 12' line with a shower nozzle. We use a Eezi-Awn Series 2000 2.5 meter awning and Rec Vee panel set to create a very large shower room on the side of the truck. It works really well. Also on the front of the clam shell is a gravity flow water valve for tank water access without having to use the shower head.

Tembo Tusk LoadSpotter
The Tembo Tusk LoadSpotter is a work of art. Everything about it over built. The Accuride slides are rated at 500 lbs for the fridge and 150 for the cutting board. 12 and 14 gauge steel throughout. The handles and mechanisms are high quality and substantial. It operates effectively, and there isn't a rattle to be found. It is the most robust piece of equipment in the truck by far.

The tray lower just shy of 12 inches. The top handle moves out of the way for easy access to the fridge. The Cutting Board slides out for additional counter space, whether the fridge is in or out of the truck. Very handy. The Buffalo Straps hold the fridge in place very well. They are beefy enough to do the job right, with heavy webbing and metal buckles.

Here is a fantastic trip report! Page 10 is where it starts to get really good with photos
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...Equipt-s-quot-Central-America-Expedition-quot
Some teaser action photos.....

NOW I know why there was copious amounts of earth buried in random parts of the vehicle

The original For Sale Listing February 2013
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/95579-Equipt-s-Toyota-Land-Cruiser-100-Series-For-Sale​

When @jjstahl3 owned it (March 2013 - June 2014)

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/123736-100-Series-Land-Cruiser-(Equipt-Built)

"I bought the truck off of the owner in Vegas that bought the truck off Paul only weeks after he took possession of it. I was looking for a turn key overlanding truck and Paul spent many years putting together a complete package so I happily took the keys. Over the past year I have put on 9000 miles on the 100 series. I have changed a few things over the past year. "​

I replaced the fuel pump and the entire ABS brake cylinder both failed in the past year.

I changed the top of the laptop tray to fit a panasonic toughbook.

I sourced a 6th rim for a second spare.

I replaced the 2 front tires with a couple tires - rears could use tires soon.

Changed the Alpine head unit with a Pioneer Double Din AVH-K8500BHS with XM radio/backup camera/ipod/handsfree bluetooth calling - Polk speakers all around also

I added a 120 watt solar panel and charge controller

I found a set of thule bars for the rack

Changed the dual filler to the factory toyota part to pass california smog

New Fog light relay to get fogs up and running again

New U-joints and rear drive shaft balance

Hot Water / Shower setup and Magnum Compressor are no longer available.

I have the 3rd row of seats and brackets and the 2 additional boxes if you want to remove the second row seats along with the box for around the fridge (had to be removed so the second row could latch)

Current Mileage is 277805

​

In Summary: The Hot Water / Shower system, and Extremeaire Magnum Compressor were removed and sold (BOO!) BUT the Brake Master Cylinder and ABS was replaced along with the Power Steering Pump and Fuel pump. Solar was added and some Thule roof rack crossbars.

THE bargain of the century!!
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...box-amp-Outback-Extreme-Magnum-Air-Compressor​

My Turn: June 2014 to present
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...ipt-100-series-the-adventure-begins-continues

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/67246-Equipt-s-Land-Cruiser-100-Series

SO. I have been a busy boy since the moment I was handed the keys. Here is a short list of modifications and upgrades I have made (so Far...)
​

GEAR

• Eezi Awn Table and rack mounting system
• Eezi Awn Spoyla awning (with custom SLO enclosure)
• Eezi Awn 2000 Awning
• Eezi Awn Hi lift and Axe mounts (not installed)
• Autohome Overcamp tent.
• Thule Quick release crossbars (for mounting the tent and Kayak mounts)
• ARB Jerry can swingout.
• Dual Worthington propane tanks with powertank propane tank mounts.
• Adventure Trailers custom water tank with whale pump and shur-flo faucet.
• Labrak CB antenna mount
• Kaymar telescoping rear work light with custom mount
• ARB Dual air compressor with SLEE Mount/Dual Battery Tray
• Slee Group 31 battery Holder
• Alu Box (2) roof boxes with hinged solar panels
• Wagon Gear tail gate lid with SS latches

Electrical

• Blue Sea fuse box for rear vehicle power distribution (Fridge, inverter etc.)
• Blue Sea power outlets and dual USB outlet
• Rigid industries Specter fog lights (front)
• Rigid Industries Dually (difused) rear facing lights wired to reverse lights
• New Polk Audio speakers
• Diamond C213SMA 2M antenna on K9000 motorized mount
• Mounted Cobra 800 Watt inverter and 3 way power switches
• New solar controller and monitor
• New headlights and side marker lights (OEM Toyota)

Mechanical

• Radflo 2.5 remote reservoir adjustable shocks (front and rear)
• Total Chaos Upper control arms
• Metal Tech adjustable trailing arms (upper and lower)
• DC Power 270 AMP alternator
• New tensioner and idler pulleys
• New steering rack and steering shaft
• Front and rear propeller shaft U-joints (new rear shaft)
• Replaced Center Transfer Case
• New rear oil seal and bearings
• New power steering bushings and hoses
• New fan Clutch
• New aux tank fuel pump
• New sway bar links
• New rear brake calipers/rotors and ebrake
• Slee wheel spacers (front and rear)

Replacement of the dual outlets.
As you can see the housing was pretty busted up. The entire thing would fall out anytime something was unplugged... This would not do.

I made a plastic template to ensure accurate placement of the outlets. The opening in the rear was very small so everything had to be precise.

The final bracket is aluminum. Primed and ready for paint.

Final product, wired up and ready to use. Eventually I'll put some different screws in....

Replacement of the trailing arms.

Replacement of the rear brakes.

Replacement of the rear bumper swing out bearings.

Wagon gear tailgate lid.

Tailgate before.

Cutting lines marked using provided template.

First cuts made... point of no return.

Cutting complete.

Lid bolted in.

Finished produt.

Disclaimer:​

( I am going to build this thread in an attempt to chronicle the history of the vehicle to present day. I'm not a computer or forum wizard, so please bear with me I have a LOT to pull in from the "other" forum. For this reason I will be keeping this thread closed for comments. I know that links to other sites are taboo but there's just WAY too much history and information not to. I'm pulling the highlights, basically )

TO BE CONTINUED......

 

[Dave]

Well well... we've been waiting for THIS build thread

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

Well well... we've been waiting for THIS build thread

I've been slacking long enough.... it was overdue, for sure.

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

Front Runner Auxiliary Fuel Tank
(Carried forward from Paul May days)
As promised, here are some photos of the auxiliary fuel tank we put in the truck. It is a 170 Liter tank, which comes out to about 45 gallons. Add that to the main tank of 27 gallons, and that give us a total range of 72. SLC to LA on a fill up.

The top of the tank is contoured to the space available up under the rear of the truck when the spare is removed. All the lines to the main tank are replaced with flexible line. Breather lines are in there, and a line that runs from the pivoting draw point on the bottom to a fuel pump to an inlet that pours the fuel into the top of the main tank filler line.



You will see that it fits up in there pretty well, and with the tapered bottom it actually sits up tighter than the spare tire did.

There isn't a gauge system on this tank. It's a matter of memory, I guess. The general rule of thumb I use is that I can fill the main tank from the empty light on to just over 3/4 tank twice while driving. It's a low pressure pump, but as long as it flows faster than I use it up it's all good.




​

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

My Turn (June 2014 to Present)

(29 June 2014) Well, I've been a busy boy putting my touches on the 100. So far I have sand blasted and repainted the front runner rear tire step. New ratchet strap is going on soon. I also replaced the outlets in the dash with a new panel and a blue sea dual USB and standard power outlet. I finally got my kayak mounts installed and went for a trip, re-installed the clamshells / doggie bed, removed the sunroof visor and repositioned the wind deflector (huge decrease in noise) and repositioned the solar panel. Oh and started mocking up the spoyla awning mounts.....

Before...

After....

Kayak mounted and solar panel relocated.

Outlets R&R'ed
Before........

After........

(07 July 2014)
I've been pret
ty busy over the past week or so. I mocked up the second spoyla awning on the side, (It will go back on the Jeep)
mounted up the rotopax first aid kit, fire extinguisher, some quick fists and the power inverter.

Okay.... So Late Saturday I thought it would be a good idea to replace the rusty bolts that secure the snorkel to the windshield pillar, with some stainless hardware..... it should only take a couple of minutes, right? WRONG!! Both bolt heads snapped off! So I had ro remove the snorkel so I could extract the bolt shafts. That was going along pretty well until the "easy -out" snapped off inside one of the drilled out bolts. So I just drilled out the other one and tapped new threads. The one with the hardened steel center (easy out) heated up enough trying to drill it out that it made the plastic soft enough that i was able to remove the entire bolt anchor and install a new one. So in summary; 2 bolts and a couple of minutes turned into quite a few hours of cursing. in the end i busted a lot of rust, repainted a couple of brackets, taught myself how to remove and install a safari snorkel and had some quality bonding time with my vehicle

(11 Aug 2014)

Got rid of the "golden sombrerro"

Painted it textured black with matte clear coat and put black frelective tape behind it.

Oh, and did a sweet wrap job on the LoadSpotter handle.

Removed the 3rd row seat belts. So much better not having those in the way. Also remounted the fridge enclosure making it easier to remove and reinstall by using threaded inserts and stainless steel hardware. Before this removing the fridge enclosure was a 2 person job, requiring removal of the drawer and having someone shimmy inside to hold the nut while thing#2 turned the screws topside. I also scooted the fridge enclosure forward a few inches. Hopefully this will allow me to install all of the second row seats without having to pull the fridge enclosure. We shall see.

(26 Sept 2014)
New RADFLO 2.5 remote reservoir adjustable shocks and Total Chaos UCA's

Finally got them installed. Only took us 4 hours! ! And redid all 4 sway bar links. Now I just need to align the front end and install the DC POWER alternator. 270 amps of AWESOMENESS.

(21 Oct 2014)

UPDATE. Last week I took a super long road trip to Atlanta to pick up a new (to me) RTT. I reconfigured my kayak mounts and re added a few recovery items that sold with the Jeep. installed the SLEE group 31 battery tray. still need to add the battery though...
I had a brand new set of Rigid dually specter lights sitting in the garage so I mocked them up as rear facing lights. I'll wire them up when time allows. ..
Today I finally installed the DC power alternator I picked up months ago (long story...)
Also got the front wheel spacers in yesterday and installed today. Thanks, SLEE. Last week they sent me the wrong front spacers but made it right and rush shipped the replacement. great customer service!

for the hell of it I decided to install new spark plugs as a baseline. I only got 4 of them in before I lost daylight. not as easy as I thought it would be... tomorrow ill finish the other 4 and install the new O2 sensors.... I'm heading out for the Appalachian rendezvous on Thursday so I better hurry things up!

Loaded up and ready to head to AAV 2014

So the Appalachian rendezvous was a BLAST! It was great to catch up with old friends, make new ones and enjoy the company of like minded people.. The venue was outstanding and a good time was has by all. My neighbor, Mario helped rescue my culinary creations with some spices from his impressive arsenal in his equally impressive JK habitat. I went on a relaxing fun filled kayaking adventure became an honorary member of the A.R.S.E.S. There was an impressive array of vehicles, camp setups and gear to geek out over as well. The Dutch oven cook off and potluck dinner brought out the foodie in everyone who participated as well as those in the consumption category. The nightly bonfires kept everyone warm and engaged in conversation as well as serving as a landing beacon for spacecraft. For those of you who haven't been to an American Adventurist Rendezvous event you need to hop on over to their site and makes future plans.

http://americanadventurist.com/Forum...ry-in-pictures
http://americanadventurist.com/Forum...-Thread/page40

Late night arrival....

(09 NOV 2014)

Recent round of upgrades. ..
Added the die hard platinum group 31 battery
Removed the CB and 2M antennas, moving them to the rear of the vehicle.
Replaced the IPF lights with rigid led. Doesn't look as cool but throws more light more efficiently and allows
the engine to breathe a bit easier.
Cleaned up some wiring under the hood
Mocked up the rigid D2 diffused lights on the rear of the roof rack. Just need to wire them up.

Fun time today.... went to tighten the bolts on the tire carriers and couldn't get it tight enough and they didn't operate as smoothly I thought they should. SO I took them apart to grease the bearings and this is what I found inside what was LEFT of the bearings was a seized up rusty mess.... hope its not too hard to source new ones... On the bright side the land cruiser is about 8 lbs lighter from the amount sand dirt and rocks. Quite a bit of the southwestern US was packed into the crevices of the rear bumper.

After a lot of banging and cursing I was able to free the races and other parts jury kind of fell out in pieces.
Thanks to Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters, I was able to source all new bearings answer seals. I used RTV on the seals to keep them in tight and to add extra protection to keep the crud out.

Next up, Metal Tech rear upper and lower control arms..... should be here Monday or Tuesday.

(15 Nov 2014)

Replaced the rear upper and lower control arms with Metal Tech's. These are way stronger, fully adjustable, rebuild able and the lowers are offset so they won't hang up on rocks or obstacles out on the trail.

The stock arms were completely FUBAR!

While working on this I noticed that my driver side rear axle seals were leaking. I thought it should be a pretty easy fix, it wasn't so bad on the Jeep.... BOY was I wrong... Welcome to the Toyota Land Cruiser!!


(23 Dec 2014)

Installed the new NEW Rear Radflos. The ones that they originally sent me were for a 200 series. They worked great but the adjustable remote reservoirs didn't really have any decent mounting options. The fine folks at Radflo built me a new set with piggyback reservoirs and shipped them to me (gratis) along with a return label for the old (new) ones. Thanks Radflo. Very classy!

Also removed the rear sway bar. If and when I can score some extended sway bar links ill reinstall it. In the meantime ill scrub the rust repaint it and score some new hardware.

(05 Jan 2015)

Got the labrak antenna mounting brackets on order. Looking forward to getting the antennas remounted. Working on getting the license for 2m so that i can actually use the dang thing. Also have some new headlights inbound as well as some inner fender well plastics. The headlights are pretty humble theres water damage and condensation inside them. The absence of the inner fender plastic is beginning to take its toll on a few things so I figured id nip it in the bud BEFORE it gets worse.

(24 Jan 2014)

New headlights go on today. Also have been repairing some wires on the fog lights and turn signals. Ive neve encountered wire casings that were packed with mud! I was rather impressed. Either way; all of my turn signals are now functioning again. Replaced some blown bulbs too.... after that I'm installing my new ARB jerry can swingout. Of course it won't hold just a single measley jerry can.... I'm having a 12 gal water tank fabricated by AT. I'll also be mounting my propane tank to it...

...and maybe another clever mod or two.....

It was a bit of a pain but i look forward to putting it to use. The directions make it sound SO simple..... just SLIDE it in....
Now i need to get the propane tank mounted up.

(03 Feb 2015)

(13 Feb 2015)

2nd propane tank... because 2 is better than one and there's nothing worse than running out of propane; especially when you have a tent heater, stove, Campfire in a can add an aquacube......

The tanks are 11lb Worthington and the mounts are powertank propane mounts. I used heavy duty rivnuts and stainless steel tamperproof torx bolts. Very solid.

(25 Feb 2015)

After waiting almost 2 months I finally got my custom water tank from AT. Good things are supposed to come to those who wait? Right? Well as with many of my plans, murphy came with the package and the faucet was broken when I opened up the box....

...
Luckily, I'm dealing with the fine folks at Adventure Trailers and I know Martyn will make it right.

The tank holds about 11.5 gallons. Features a 12v whale water pump, shur-flo faucet, a 3" filler cap that I can also drop the intake pump through for the aquacube for on demand hot water (and showers)
Now that the tank is here, I have to figure out how to secure it to the carrier. A cargo strap or the metal strap AT was offering just won't do. This thing was NOT cheap. I need something solid and secure....
Time to hit the ol drawing board and tap into the creativity that I used on the LJ....

On the bright side my MAXTRAX were delivered unscathed! Once the crappy weather subsides I'll figure out how to
get them mounted up.

(28 Mar 2015)
Got the metal cut and mocked up. Just needs to get welded when my friend has the time.

Rough framing all welded up. No more masking tape welds.... getting the holes drilled to set the rivnuts.
The lid is being formed at a local fab shop. I don't have the metal bending skills or tools for that.

While tinkering, I figured that a rotopax fuel can would fit perfectly on the back side of the tank.

It has a nice low profile and actually is about even with the spare tire.

The wheels continued to spin and I came up with three idea of fold down shelves that would rest on the propane tanks and double as a way to secure the lid when closed. Now I just had to make it a reality.

Now the long wait for the lid to be finished and the powder coating fiasco.... in the meantime some other things transpired...... including knee surgery......

(29 Mar 2016)

Installed the wagongear tailgate lid on yesterday and rearranged the roof rack today. Moved the RTT to the passenger side anthe solar panel, maxtrax and kayak mounts to the driver side. Better weight distribution especially after removing the second spare wheel and adding the water tank.

(06 April 2015)

Over the weekend I wired the rear facing lights on the roof rack to the reverse lights. I'd also like to be able to operate them from the drivers seat and independently from the rear of the vehicle.

Today, the new goodies came for bringing the 2M HAM back to life. K9000 motorized mount, NR770HB antenna and a C213SMA cable. I got the antenna mounted and the wires temporarily routed. Next step: permanently route wires and hard wire the up-down switch to the factory antenna switch. after that spend my down time getting my technicians license to operate said radio.

(18 April 2015
Added a rotopax mount to the storage box behind the passenger seat. It was a unused space..so I filled it in.

(07 May 2015)
FINALLY got the lid back from the fab shop.... unfortunately everything is on hold until I finish recovering from knee surgery.
If I'm lucky I might be able to sneak it in next week to get the lid welded, hinge cut, riveted and mounted.... after that, its just powdercoat, latches and DONE!!

(09 May 2015)
Hobbled into the driveway to run the engine for a few minutes.... I was having separation anxiety....

(07 June 2015)
Spent some time yesterday investigating a strange noise coming from the drivers side rear wheel. Turns out part of the E brake came apart and there was a bit of a mess in there. Also discovered that the rear calipers had ZERO lubrication in them. (unless you count rust dust as lube) so I gave them some love and lube until I order replacements or a rebuild kit. Also installed an inner fender well liner on the drivers side. When I removed what was left of the old one, there was enough dirt and rocks lodged behind it to fill a cereal bowl. It was densely packed an wet to boot. I had to break it up with a screwdriver. When I did I found insects living in my mobile ecosystem. I found a drain hole at the bowels of my excavation that was blocked by the vehicle wrap on the lower section of the body. I fixed that too. I'll do the other side when I put the ebrake back together.

I'm getting new tires next week, too!

(10 June 2015)
Mystery solved! The spacer had a couple of loose bolts this caused a ghastly creaking noise when the vehicle would roll.

(19 June 2015)
Added some new shoes today. I stuck with the BFG 295/75r16 AT KO. I was going to switch to the Toyo AT2 extreme but they're not in stock so maybe next time. What a difference!! Next up, new rear brake calipers, rotors, pads and ebrake hardware as well as an oil change and tranny flush and fill.

New Shoes!

(21 June 2015)
Spent the day rebuilding the parking brake and adding new calipers, pads and rotors on the rear. Got the alignment from the new tire install, too. WHAT a day!

​

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

(30 June 2015)

Small victories! I replaced the fuel transfer pump for the aux. Tank. AND replaced the power steering air control valve.Its nice to be able to steer at idle with little to no effort. The crummy power steering mystery has been solved! Two wins in one night!!...and it got rid of the check engine light!

(12 July 2015)

Finally got the rear fuse box wired up to the house battery. Now I have the fridge, aux outlets and inverter powered up. That leaves me with 3 fused circuits still. One for the work light, one for the rack lights and one for...... ?

I added these outlets a while back. Now they're wired into the rear fuse box along with the fridge.
I still need to wire the work light and rear rack lights.


(08 August 2015)

Just finished a 2000 mile road trip to NY and back. The cruiser drove like a champ! My wife and dog both slept comfortably in the back for most of the driving. Avg MPG about 12.5..... could be worse I guess.
Even without the rear sway bar it drove and handled 100 times better than it did
on its maiden voyage from California a year ago.

Here's the water tank contraption all installed. I have to say the powdercoating job is by far the worst I've ever seen. It took almost a month and when I got it back it had tons of flaws, runs thin spots thick spots, bubbles, you name it. Oh and I asked for semi gloss and they did GLOSS black.... whatever... thats what you get when you live in a crap town with only one place that does powdercoating. Other than the lackluster powdercoating I'm extremely happy with the finished product.

(18 September 2015)
Hit 300,000 miles... ON MY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY, TOO!!

(22 October 2015)

Yesterday I installed (2) 3 way switches under the inverter. Now for the fun part; wiring everything! I also installed the new solar controller that came with the solar panel and AluBox set-up that I picked up from Jeff (Overlandtheworld). I modified them slightly, of course. I have a hard time leaving well enough alone. SO I put hinges on the mounting brackets so that I can angle the panels to optimize the sunlight. The boxes and panel setup can be removed relatively easy if needed.

While I was taking the side wings apart to run wires I decided to improve the way they were bolted on. Instead of having a nut and bolt with a screw cap cover, I put threaded inserts in the wing to that it's easier to remove and install and there is a cleaner look to it as well. I just need to redo the carpeting to cover the holes. I'm probably going to do the same for the drawer catches. I almost forgot, I will also be installing the display for the solar controls on the left wing of the drawer system. I just need to pick up an arbor for the hole saw.

Okay.... NOW its finished. Finally affixed the AT badge. Thanks Martyn.

(18 December 2015)

Been slacking a bit.... Last month a had the old (non functioning) autopage remote start gutted and a new Avital 5303 remote start/alarm system installed. WOW! What a difference! I HIGHLY recommend this upgrade! Especially if you live somewhere cold and snowy. OR, if like me you're lazy.... and want/need to run your vehicle for any reason while up in your RTT...

(29 January 2016)

Picked up an Eezi Awn 2M awning for the driver side.

(April 2016)

Output bearings on the transfer case are winchestered, had to replace that with a used unit. The shippers busted the electrical connectors on it so the dealership mechanics had to cannibalize that from the old unit. The folks at http://www.ebay.com/usr/tlsautorecycling?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2754 TLS Auto Recycling refunded the difference to cover the cost of the cannibalization labor. They also offer a 1 year warranty on their parts that they sell. A stand-up company.

(August 2016)

The most recent stuff.... new steering rack and steering shaft, new front and rear propeller shaft U joints.... Haven't had a whole lot of time to go out and play. Looking forward to the Appalachian Rendezvous next month and hopefully OEX East after that...

(22 August 2016)

Getting ready to play under the hood again..... new idler pulley and fan clutch on the way. I'm seriously considering that new (to me) Slee 2nd battery tray with compressor mount.... decisions....
What a difference a working fan Clutch Makes! More power, less noise, better MPG....I feel like a moron for not noticing it sooner. Feel free to point and laugh next time you see me...

I still need to dig into the antenna switch. Has anyone ever used it as a switch for anything else? I'm exploring using it to raise and lower my 2M antenna.

(14 September 2016)

Goodies from Slee.... new ARB dual compressor and 2nd battery tray. The 1st gen version has seen better days. Now I just need to find the time to do the R&R... Hopefully next weekend...

(22 September 2016)
Got the new 2nd battery tray and ARB compressor installed. Just need the proper battery and some wiring cleanup.

I'd like to get a new bussman fused relay box to consolidate the hodge podge thats going on.

That's it for now. Gotta go get groceries and load up.... Appalachian Rendezvous is next weekend....

(Appalachian Rendezvous 2016)

http://www.americanadventurist.com/forum/threads/2016-appalachian-rendezvous-photo-thread.4297/
​

(22 September 2016)

I replaced the lower half of the air intake box. 2 of the 4 retaining clips on the airbox have been busted off since I've owned the vehicle... so I finally remedied that...
I also sent the front seatbelts off to Safetyrestore.com to have the tensioning springs
in the inertia reels replaced. SO nice to have seatbelts that actually retract.

Water tank leak

After Hurricane Matthew rolled through, I noticed a steady drip of water coming from the water tank.... SO I drained it and pulled it apart to leak check it..

Those 3 little drops weeping through the bottom were going to be my new headache for the next few months. I figured I could just heat it up with the ol Snow Peak torch and be on my merry way ... nope! Just made it worse. I was going to be heading home to take care of my mom for a month so I figured it was a great time to send it off for repair.... after some emails back ad forth with Martyn at AT Overland, it was determined that a new tank would be in order... I requested that it be made a few mm smaller in width and depth so that the securing cage would slide on and off easier.... fast forward to...

(19 November 2016)

The SWAG-Fairy showed up while I was away taking care of Mom.

(10 December 2016)

Looking forward to the FedEx man bringing my new replacement water tank from AT.... TODAY!!
Correction....(AT shipped it to) FedEx delivered it to my OLD address.... FML!
I'll spare you the details of that goat rodeo....

(13 December 2016)

So... if anything could ever go right, I'd be amazed. Package came jacked up, faucet was busted, tank wasn't built to specs which made me have to force the cage on to it causing a weld on the cage to break....

SO, I had to use my HiLift jack to press it back out of the cage because it was so tight.... FML...
It kills me to say this because I love Martyn, Mario and the whole AT Overland crew....
BUT...I THINK that I'm beginning to lose faith in Adventure Trailers.... let's see where this goes next...
I'm already out a small fortune on 2 water tanks, this second one isn't to the same specs as the old tank and now I have to get my tank cage re-welded and most likely re-powder coated.... too....

(14 December 2016)

The original tank was fine until the leak... not 100% sure why it started leaking but I'll go with manufacturer defect seeing as I made an aluminum cage around it which secured the tank to the the swing out carrier. Nothing loose, no friction points.. just started leaking at the seam, that tells me a bad weld. BUT, seeing that I made the mistake of making it worse by trying to fix it myself, they needed to build another one, which sucks because I shipped the old tank in for repair and basically had to end up buying a whole new tank.... I requested that the new tank be built a few mm smaller in width and depth so that the cage would fit a littleless snugly and that one of the drain ports be deleted. That didn't happen... the package was shipped over a week after being completed (due to me having to contact them) it was shipped to my old address so I had to waste time tracking it down and having it rerouted. It did finally make it here but the box was soaked and caved in causing the faucet to be busted off. Not because of FedEx but because there was water left in the tank and it leaked out...! The side drain wasn't deleted, the other side drain wasn't centered, and the tank wax actually a few mm LARGER so I had to force the cage on to the tank. In doing so it busted a weld on the tank securing cage. So, now I have to fix that as well and have the cage rewelded and powder coated. I had to use my HiLift lift jack to press the tank out of the cage! Now I still have a tank that doesn't fit and my reply from Martyn at AT Overland was to contact FedEx due to the damaged box....

I truly hope to get a better response from them today....

(21 December 2016)

Honestly, I just want to keep things as simple as possible.... If they send me a new faucet and give me the green light to lightly sand down the corners of the tank (with the understanding that if it ends up leaking again they're on the hook to replace the tank,) I'm good with that.
I can also grind down the carrier to make the spigot piece work, too.
Maybe they throw me an apology and a bone towards having the powdercoating redone.
I can eat getting the cage re-welded. That's easy... I have a guy who welds miracles...
I finally got the green light from Martyn to do something sanding on the tank so that's all sorted and done, it's a snug fit but it will do. He's shipping a replacement faucet out, too. Once I get the busted weld squared away It will be good as new. Having AT agree to basically warranty it against future leaks really hit home for me.

(30 December 2016)

Got the replacement faucet from AT. THE WATER FLOWS once again. (Under the bridge)

​

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

(02 January 2017)

The thread is now up to date. I tried to pull all of the pertinent info from the threads over on ExPo. My plans for the upcoming year.
​

• Finally dig into the wiring and get the HAM antenna motor spliced in to factory switch.
• Source the new house battery.
• Cleanup the wiring under the hood and install a consolidated fuse/relay box.
• Pull the front bumper and repowdercoat, replace the hardware, rebuild the winch.
• Pull and repowdercoat the running boards.
• Bust rust and slap some POR 15 on the undercarriage.
• Maybe get it repainted... the paint is showing is age for sure.... possibly a vehicle wrap after That?
• Re-baseline all fluids.
• Install some proper skid plates.
• Timbren bump stops.

Due to time constraints I MAY not be able to tackle all of this and will likely seek out some estimates to have professionals do the work. If anyone knows of a place that can tackle the list, or most of it at least, for a reasonable price I'm open to recommendations.

THE THREAD IS NOW OPEN​

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

So, last April I had a new (used) transfer case installed. It was from TLS auto parts and had a 1 year warranty. The output shafts have some play in the bearings. This is causing a mild vibration/drone at 57 mph. I contacted them about this and they're sending a replacement free of charge, no questions asked. It's nice to see such good business and customer service.

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

The transfer case is scheduled to arrive tomorrow... much faster than I expected. TLSAUTORECYCLING (BENZEEN Auto parts) Class act!

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

So. I picked up the Land Cruiser from the Toyota dealership. It had an enjoyable 4 day vacation. Got the transfer case swapped, right front axle seal replaced, left rear axle seal, front and rear diff juice, tranny flush...

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

Flirting with disaster.....

So, I noticed a little bit of lateral sway of my roof rack when looking through the sunroof, while I was driving.... upon further inspection I found out why.... all 6 mounting feet were cracked along the welds!!
This one was completely cracked!

Paul May at Equipt Expedition Outfitters got me 4 new ones shipped out right away. I'm planning on having the existing 6 rewelded... after comparing the new and old ones I just may get all new ones....

The old ones look like they were only welded on the exterior then ground down causing a very weak weld. The new ones are made with thicker material and have a very stout bead on the welds. The base feet are also beefier than the original offering. Just adding the 4 new feet made an incredible difference. Once I have 10 mounting feet vice the original 6 I will be ridiculously stronger.

 

[woodienut]

Awesome/epic, build/rebuild/restoration!!
Don't loose the number of your welder [emoji67]‍[emoji555] My guess he can re-welded and gusset it way better than new.
Following...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

Thanks... seems like its a never ending work in progress.
Thats EXACTLY the plan I'll be dropping off the brackets to him tomorrow, if all goes well.

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

My friend, the welder, did a great job resurrecting the roof rack brackets. Now I have 10 mounting brackets, vice the original 6. It's stronger and more solid than Ever!

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

Got a good deal on a recVee panel set for my awning....
And today got to set up shop to give an impromptu off road vehicle safety talk to over 300 Marines. Now they all know about Tread Lightly principles in addition to the basics discussed.

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

Hit 320,000 miles Today!

 

[Dave]

That's a huge milestone! Ownry ina Rando Karusah!

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

Getting ready to head out to 36 Hours of Uhwarrie and see that my (second) custom built Adventure Overland water tank is leaking.... FML...
I contacted Martyn and rather than continue to chase ghosts and endure shipping nightmares and costs he offered a full refund. I'll use that money to see about repairing it on my end... Im DETERMINED not to give up on my design!

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

Got to do a little trail time at 36 Hours of Uhwarrie... good ol North Carolina trail slime....

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

Swapped out the old solartech 45 watt panels for 50 watt Renogy panels. They're actually slightly smaller, too....