Meet SHERPAH, my Gladiator build...

smlobx

Adventurist
As mentioned previously, I placed an order for a Gladiator Rubicon the day the Sting Grey became available for order.
My goal is to turn this into a long range overland vehicle that we can spend an extended amount of time in, preferably in a place like Baja...

So without any further delay here are a few pictures as it sits in its stock form..
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The correct spelling of Sherpa was already taken so I took a few liberties with the spelling. I thought it was an apt name since this will be carrying our gear ....
 
Here is the build sheet..
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There were two things about the order that didn’t quite go the way I had hoped but they weren’t a big deal.

The first was that the factory steel bumper that would have allowed me to install a winch was not available, apparently due to a supplier issue and the second was a forced order of the spray in bed liner which I was going to have done locally so it wasn’t the end of the world..
 
GOALS...

My build goal is to mimic the 79 Series we have rented on our expeditions in Africa with a few differences...Here is what we used..

https://bushlore.com/toyota-land-cruiser-79-4x4-camper-cruc2/

The major differences right off the bat is that I have a gas engine and the 79 Series was a diesel. The reason I went this route and not wait for the diesel that should be here first quarter 2020 is that our emission control equipment in US vehicles is some of the strictest in the world, even more so than what’s mandated in Europe. In Africa there is none of that ...stuff... and that makes those engines very dependable and provides great mileage. Something that I’m going to have to address. We’re planning on taking this truck to Baja and the latest info is that some of México has ULSD but not all. .....

I understand that Alu-Cab is in development to produce a cap for this truck and I can attest to its strength and light weight. I hope to also install their 270 degree awning. They make a sweet kitchen cabinet that will be accessible through one of the side doors that contains all your cooking utensils & pots so we’ll be ordering that as well.

On top we’ll be installing our Roofnest hard shell tent...or... we’ll put kayaks up there and use our overland trailer to haul the other depending on our trip.

Inside we hope to install a drawer set. The two manufacturers that we’re investigating are Front Runner and Alu-Cab. The FR can be ordered in a shortened single large drawer that will allow a ~16 gallon water tank to be installed at the front of the bed...a perfect spot. This is also made by FR. Another thing making us lean towards the FR is that they offset the drawer a little bit to one side and this will allow the fridge to be installed on the bed floor near the side door. We used this in Africa and absolutely love how it works...My wife is 5’-4” tall and this allows her to easily access the contents. She does not like the fridge slides that tilt down..

Of course there will be other things as they catch my eye....;-)
 
Small update-

I did add the Mopar floor mats and threshold protector...no biggie there...
‘However I did decide to add a fire extinguisher but in my desire to keep my weight down as much as possible I ended up getting the Element Extinguisher...

https://elementfire.com/pages/models

It will last longer and doesn’t require it to be re-certified every few years... Also, it is smaller and takes up less space which allowed me to install it in a more convenient place. I used a Quadratec flashlight holder to secure it.
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This will be an interesting build to watch! How is the turning radius of the Gladiator compared to the 79 series? I haven't driven a Gladiator yet but felt the 79 series had the turning radius of an aircraft carrier.
 
I have never seen or heard of that fire extinguisher. Does it really stand up to the claim it carries a bigger punch than the 5lb extinguishers? Do you or anyone know any pitfalls to these vs. a standard extinguisher?
 
This will be an interesting build to watch! How is the turning radius of the Gladiator compared to the 79 series? I haven't driven a Gladiator yet but felt the 79 series had the turning radius of an aircraft carrier.

I agree about the 79 Series!
The Gladiator’s turning radius is much better and so far has not been an issue.
 
I have never seen or heard of that fire extinguisher. Does it really stand up to the claim it carries a bigger punch than the 5lb extinguishers? Do you or anyone know any pitfalls to these vs. a standard extinguisher?

I just found out about it a few weeks ago when researching the topic and as far as I’ve been able to tell there aren’t any drawbacks...
 
I just found out about it a few weeks ago when researching the topic and as far as I’ve been able to tell there aren’t any drawbacks...

Much appreciated, I'm going to have to look into getting one or two of those. I think they may just solve several issues and the whole maintenance free is a big selling point.
 
I have never seen or heard of that fire extinguisher. Does it really stand up to the claim it carries a bigger punch than the 5lb extinguishers? Do you or anyone know any pitfalls to these vs. a standard extinguisher?

I've heard good things about them :coffee
 
Just a quick update...
‘Element fire is having a flash sale through midnight tonight for 10% off with discount code..

CPPH5VC
 
I have ordered the Alu-Cab canopy and the dealer sent me a few pics of the unit being test fitted before they release them for sale...
Look great!
The one I’ve ordered will have some options that will be very helpful but you’ll have to wait a month or so...
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Well I finally received notification that my Alu-Cab canopy arrived at Asheville Vehicle Outfitters and went down there earlier this week to meet Eric Valdez the owner and a couple of his crew. They were almost as excited as I was to get this thing installed.
Here a couple of pictures of the install..

One thing that really impressed me was the design and strength of the load bars. Very well done!

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We also found out that the canopy has a dynamic load of 330# and a static load of a whopping 800#’s!

Here they are installing the custom stainless brackets and wiring for the brake light and the 3 led lights.

I also ordered their table and mounting bracket which attaches to the channels in the ceiling. We used this set up in Africa and it works great..The first thing you pull out when you stop for lunch or the night is the table right? So why not have it easily accessible without having to move anything else. Works great!
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The standard mounting for the load bars is directly on the roof channels with some L brackets but I needed about 2 inches to mount my Roofnest RTT so they installed some Alu-Cab risers which worked perfectly!

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Finally we ordered their smaller (750mm) side cubbard. We’ll outfit this with our cutlery etc. This leaves us with just the right amount of space for our fridge to be accesses from either the back or the right side without the need for a slide.
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Next steps will include a water tank with possible pump, the second battery system with a Redarc bcdc controller and a drawer system...if I can find or build something that will work...
 
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