That's a Jeep thing.
Nah... my 4Runner could go topless. Now the Bronco can too so...
The Grey Mouser: Reboot
- Thread starter Haggis
- Start date
Nah... my 4Runner could go topless. Now the Bronco can too so...
Scott B.
Adventurist
Surprised @Gallowbraid didn't just steal your keys! 
Surprised @Gallowbraid didn't just steal your keys!
Lol, Tacoma twins for sure.
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
Ah, a fine spring day in NW PA. We got a solid 2” just after you left.Thanks for the deal on the cap @Haggis. Probably could have done without the snow though.
View attachment 56250
Truck looks off without the cap...
As it has stopped snowing I did mount up the tonneau @Gallowbraid left for us. It will do for now until the camper is done.
From here it’s time to get the truck ready for the GFC...seal the bed rail covers, add bed stiffeners, stuff like that. Gonna wait on build outs until we have the camper, use it a few times and we get a feel of what kind of storage will meet our needs. Until than we’ll be camping out of the BaseCamper or hanging in hammocks.
As it has stopped snowing I did mount up the tonneau @Gallowbraid left for us. It will do for now until the camper is done.
From here it’s time to get the truck ready for the GFC...seal the bed rail covers, add bed stiffeners, stuff like that. Gonna wait on build outs until we have the camper, use it a few times and we get a feel of what kind of storage will meet our needs. Until than we’ll be camping out of the BaseCamper or hanging in hammocks.
In order to have the truck ready to go on impromptu local adventures, minus the storage boxes on the missing cap, I threw the drawers back in.
All the stuff that lived in the cap boxes has room to spare in the drawers. It will do for now.
Looking at the drawers got me contemplating how I wanted to arrange the truck bed when the wedge camper goes on. My theme here is as lightweight as possible and my first thought was building some wooden benches/chests to ride on top of the drawers . I would want them to be accessible from either the interior or exterior of the camper. But a wood structure that’s will be strong enough to stand on for my petite wife to access the sleeping platform is going to be heavy. What to do?
Well I already own some nice Rigid boxes. They’re water and dust proof, have a pretty efficient use of space and are plenty strong to sit or stand on. They’re also comparatively light to a wood equivalent. I’m seeing a modular system where boxes are added or subtracted depending on the trip. So I stacked the 3 I had in the bed and pondered.
This could work. I’d need to build a small shelf to overlap each side of the drawers and mount some rings to strap them down while in transit. It’s pretty easy to open them from the inside and leaves a decent isle in the middle. They need raised up some to be easier to open from the outside but not too much where you can’t see in them. Like this...
That’s a 3 1/2” lift courtesy of a treated hunk of wood.
I can see making raised shelves on either side supported by L-brackets off the bed rails and spacers on top of the drawer deck. Make enough room underneath for storing our telescoping tarp poles and other small things or even some gun cases when the truck goes into hunting trip mode. I’ll need some shorter straps of some kind. I think that would be easier to deal with then say turnbuckles.
Any thoughts?
All the stuff that lived in the cap boxes has room to spare in the drawers. It will do for now.
Looking at the drawers got me contemplating how I wanted to arrange the truck bed when the wedge camper goes on. My theme here is as lightweight as possible and my first thought was building some wooden benches/chests to ride on top of the drawers . I would want them to be accessible from either the interior or exterior of the camper. But a wood structure that’s will be strong enough to stand on for my petite wife to access the sleeping platform is going to be heavy. What to do?
Well I already own some nice Rigid boxes. They’re water and dust proof, have a pretty efficient use of space and are plenty strong to sit or stand on. They’re also comparatively light to a wood equivalent. I’m seeing a modular system where boxes are added or subtracted depending on the trip. So I stacked the 3 I had in the bed and pondered.
This could work. I’d need to build a small shelf to overlap each side of the drawers and mount some rings to strap them down while in transit. It’s pretty easy to open them from the inside and leaves a decent isle in the middle. They need raised up some to be easier to open from the outside but not too much where you can’t see in them. Like this...
That’s a 3 1/2” lift courtesy of a treated hunk of wood.
I can see making raised shelves on either side supported by L-brackets off the bed rails and spacers on top of the drawer deck. Make enough room underneath for storing our telescoping tarp poles and other small things or even some gun cases when the truck goes into hunting trip mode. I’ll need some shorter straps of some kind. I think that would be easier to deal with then say turnbuckles.
Any thoughts?
Steve & Deb
Adventurist
I use the same RIDGID boxes for my gear, along with the same size baskets and thinner toolbox (recovery stuff.) I like that they can be stacked and clipped together as needed.
One thing to keep in mind in your planning is how far the boxes need to be from whatever is behind them when open. I had cleats to keep mine from shifting in the 4Runner, but had to lift them out of their pocket to open the lid if the pocket behind was occupied. I know that you already know this from previous use, but then, so did I before I added the cleats...
I wouldn’t get too keen on filling up the bed before getting the GFC. Once you get to have standing and sitting room indoors you will miss interior floor space. I really enjoy having open space to change clothes, take a field shower, or set up the wag bag throne to sit and think about life in relative comfort. Add in the ability to make morning coffee while sitting in the warmth of the little buddy and interior space becomes heavenly.
Yeah, when we eventually get it we are just gonna use it for awhile and see what works and what doesn’t. Ain’t making any real plans and definitely not investing time or money on build outs until we get a real feel for it.
Picked up a cheap molle panel from Amazon for the interior rear roof section of the cab. Ugh, I usually steer clear of tacticool stuff, but we were wanting to free up some space from the seat and floors when travelling. By the end of a trip the backseat looks like a yard sale. I didn’t want a saggy net or a drop down shelf so I figured this would work and be less unsightly. Picked up a couple of molle bags (14”x6”x4”) also off Amazon to try out and they fit about perfect on the rack. Can’t see them in the rearview mirror and loaded up drop down just a bit over the top edge of rear side window sightline. The bags easily hold our mid weight jackets and in the pic they each have our camping hammocks and tarps in them. Might order two more for extra shoes as we usually keep them in the rear floor area for easy grabbing.
It will work and after a test drive tonight on our local dirt roads there were no annoying rattles or bumps like I feared there would be. After looking at the pictures I see that I need to do some patch maintenance, ones a bit dangly, lol.
It will work and after a test drive tonight on our local dirt roads there were no annoying rattles or bumps like I feared there would be. After looking at the pictures I see that I need to do some patch maintenance, ones a bit dangly, lol.
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
Inquiring minds would like to know which molle bags you ordered. You know, just in case they have the same panel currently installed in their truck and the molle bags they have didn't quite fit...
Here ya go...2 bags for $20.00.
AMYIPO Tacticool Pouch Molle Admin... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GYTJVTG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Got off work today and felt like doing some truck stuff. This time it was the tan truck’s turn. As it is the sidekick truck it doesn’t get its own thread yet.
Since we got it we haven’t liked the chrome covers on the rear bumper. Did some checking around and found a fair price on some color matched replacements on the Amazon. Quick project despite having to pull off all the plastic garnish on this gens “bumpers”. But it was a big improvement visually.
Truck from factory...
Tear down of rear plastics...
Chrome goes in the bin...
Finished project...
Since we got it we haven’t liked the chrome covers on the rear bumper. Did some checking around and found a fair price on some color matched replacements on the Amazon. Quick project despite having to pull off all the plastic garnish on this gens “bumpers”. But it was a big improvement visually.
Truck from factory...
Tear down of rear plastics...
Chrome goes in the bin...
Finished project...
