[dmc]

So after posting my dual battery set up in the 80s section i've decided to start a thread here as I finish the prep for my trip.

In addition to the dual battery I made 3 other changes last week to the truck. I replaced my indash dvd with a different system. yep I'm a dork but a solo trek requires good tunes and cool technology. Oh and I got the deck at distributor price.

I swapped out my rear upper control arms for some adjustable arms to minimize the vibration and save my ujoints. I took a 2300mile trip over the weekend the smoothness on the highway was noticable.

lastly I painted my fender flares with some simple spray on bedliner. i like it because it isn't as rough as the real stuff and it looks good. my flares were trashed from my poor driving skills and i like the contrast against the paint.

this weekend i'll be redoing my drawers after selling my old set. pics on monday. hopefully.

[SOCALFJ]

Nice rig Dave. Whos upper arms are those? They look like hydraulic rams..

I dig your website and will be checking in periodically.

[Mickldo]

Cool website

Looking forward to reading the updates

[1tontoy]

Man, your trip stokes me out. It is a trip of a lifetime!!!!


Have you travelled down south before?

[Dan2722]

Wow!!! That is the dream trip of a lifetime.

Judging by the timing you're trip and the SCORE sticker on your rig I assume you will stop to watch the Baja1000.

Great website.

[dmc]

Originally Posted by Dan2722

Wow!!! That is the dream trip of a lifetime.

Judging by the timing you're trip and the SCORE sticker on your rig I assume you will stop to watch the Baja1000.

Great website.

the 1000 still remains to be seen. i'm trying to work out the details on getting down there and ferried across in time to pick up a friend in Cancun who is riding to Costa Rica with me. ideally i'll be there.
dmc

[dmc]

I spent the weekend working on new storage for my truck. i sold my old drawers to a local guy a few weeks ago. i took a bit of a different approach to this build and had a few goals in mind when i started building.

1- simple. my wood skills and tool availability is limited
2- deck height. make it level with the fridge so in a pinch i would have no problems sleeping in the truck
3- save weight (my truck will be rather heavy once loaded)
4- i wanted to have enough storage to have everything locked up, nothing out and visible

So with those goals in mind I decided it was okay to lose a bit of storage space in lieu of weight savings. Because a set of drawers 18 inches tall would have been extremely heavy i decided to build shells for containing lighter weight containers. i know i'll be gone for almost 10 months but i'm still only one guy. i shouldn't need that much space.

i started with the box to run parallel to my fridge. underneath i'll be able to place 3 small action packers, or one small and one medium sized depending on how parts and tools shake out. these will contain emergency materials for the most part, alternator, waterpump, start contacts, birfield etc. the rear most action packer will probably hold my 'kitchen.' stove, dishes, spices, utensiles etc. above this i built a 6in deep box that should be able to hold longer items as well as more readily access items, pry bar, ax, camp chair, tow strap, d rings etc.

so...

The blank canvas...



the build...



in place...



i need to attach the gate latches but you can see the cover over the actionpacker area.



more to come.

[dmc]

so as part of my goal to save weight and stay organized the box behind my fronts seats will again be little more than a shell for holding containers. after researching at Outdoor Retailers Show here in SLC i settled on these bags.
two of them (and thus 6 individual pods) will fit inside the box. this will allow me to keep my stuff organized and not buried inside huge duffle bags and still remain very light. clothing, camera gear, laptop etc will go into these bags or on top of them. i don't have pics but should in the morning of the brackets i used to secure this box using the rear seat mounting bolts.

the stucture...



with the bags installed...



now in the truck...



view from the front...



all loaded up...



i need to finish up the trim around the edges, add some handles, and carpet the rear box. then find a way to attach the 2 together for stablity purposes. luckily i have some nice washboard and potted roads nearby so after final assembly i can load up and go rally a few hundred miles and see how they do.

any comments would be appreciated. i felt like i was reinventing the wheel when it came to strengthening the structures. i'm clueless. i have a bunch of steel 90s i am going to screw into the corners to add some rigidity. right now the whole thing feels very stout.
dmc

[dmc]

Originally Posted by SOCALFJ

Nice rig Dave. Whos upper arms are those? They look like hydraulic rams..

I dig your website and will be checking in periodically.

they are arms that a local guy had machined by a friend. a group of 8 of us went in and got a decent deal. they are threaded, you just can't see them in the pics.
dmc

[dmc]

Originally Posted by 1tontoy

Man, your trip stokes me out. It is a trip of a lifetime!!!!


Have you travelled down south before?

does Baja count as down south? nope i'll be learning on the fly. part of the excitement lies in not knowing what lies ahead of me. ignorance is bliss or some crap like that (or the reason i'll end up broke and in jail by thanksgiving)
dmc

[Farmer_Fred]

hey dmc,
great finish with the carpet. Have a good trip,
Fred

[Moody]

Very nice. That Ray is a nice guy Giving me ideas for a box build on my end...good luck.

[Trunk Monkey]

I stopped by on Sat. to see the progress. Those Mountain Smith bags that Dave's using are very cool. One big bag, three smaller bags, color coded - nice.

[Box Rocket]

Nice work table. What the knob for? Boxes look good dude.

[cruiseroutfit]

Solid work!

[dmc]

Originally Posted by Box Rocket

Nice work table. What the knob for? Boxes look good dude.

well you know, why would i want a flat work surface when i can use an old warped door?

[dmc]

well i'm pretty much done. i need to add some rope handles to each lid but for the most part time to move on to my oil leaks and 4:88s.

carpeted and locked at the back...



the brackets i used to bolt the front box to the floor. i think they are thin enough that they will flex but rigid enough to keep the box secure...



and finally i added some legs for a bit more stability.



if time allows i will be adding a book shelf to the front of the box for my guide books and 'escaping from central american guerilla camps for dummies'
dmc

[lonezuk]

Looks like you are working on the out-of-site theory.

Do you have a way to prevent access of the interior from the sunroof ?

Asking this based on having traveled in mexico, belize, guatamala, honduras, el salvador, costa rica and panama. A sun roof was an easy access point on a vehicle with good locks. The only problem we ever had was in costa rica.

[cruiser_guy]

Stop on by when you pass through Guatemala City.

[dmc]

Originally Posted by lonezuk

Looks like you are working on the out-of-site theory.

Do you have a way to prevent access of the interior from the sunroof ?

Asking this based on having traveled in mexico, belize, guatamala, honduras, el salvador, costa rica and panama. A sun roof was an easy access point on a vehicle with good locks. The only problem we ever had was in costa rica.

my roofrack will cover most of the sunroof so unless they want to send a 3 yr old child into my truck i should be okay. the thinking is just as you said. out of sight. if someone really wants my stuff they can get to it. however the quick smash and grab will not be an option. it will take a good amount of effort to to get to it.
dmc

[Brian894X4]

Nice build.

[All Four]

Great Job. Looks very sturdy to me.

[dmc]

i've added one last item to the boxes. designed around my huge stack of lonely planet guides but will work great for recreational reading too...



just a little bookshelf to fill in what i thought was wasted space behind the front seats.
dmc

[Max.Powerzz]

I've been trying to convince the we "need" a storage system in the back of the cruiser. She said the book rack just sealed the deal for her...

[dmc]

Originally Posted by Max.Powerzz

I've been trying to convince the we "need" a storage system in the back of the cruiser. She said the book rack just sealed the deal for her...

i'm glad i could help persuade the misses. this is my second set of storage. i loved my drawers but i think this system will work out very well. honestly i'm very happy with the bookshelf. it holds dvd cases also. from a convenience stand point it will be nice to have the guide books so handy as well as journal, dictionary etc. i had been thinking about tying them in a hammock across the back but safety concerns got the better of me. Filling what i viewed as wasted space was nice to.
dmc

[dmc]

did some more PM on the truck this weekend...



valve adjustment, actually just checked the valve tolerances. all were within spec...



next came the throttle body. it was filthy. before and after with brake cleaner then the hello kitty brush to finish up...







not pictured but also done was the EGR VSV and new valve breather hoses...



5 weeks from tomorrrow i hit the road. oilpan gasket, fan clutch, 4:88s and all fluids is all i have left on the plate mechanically.
dmc

[Silverscout]

If you get to San Francisco swing on buy and I'll buy you a beer. Good luck!

[Grolar]

Hats off. I will follow your trip closely as I'm dying to to the same. Wondering if you had posted a tentative roadmap somewhere?

[dmc]

Originally Posted by Grolar

Hats off. I will follow your trip closely as I'm dying to to the same. Wondering if you had posted a tentative roadmap somewhere?

actually i'm using good old fashioned paper maps. I guess my mind just has a hard time letting go of the old habits. i have access to a 42in scanner at work and wil be scanning them in. i need to get a digital map made up just for safety reasons. it would be easier for me to get help if others know my route. i had an agenda posted on my blog including cities, roads and time frame. i decided it wasn't the best plan for me to be telling the whole world (okay like people who read it) where i was goign to be all the time. like an invitation to get robbed.

all i can say if you're dying to do the same find away to make it happen. i'm walking away from a great job and spending a lot of cash in the process but i haven't once second guesses the decision to leave.
dmc

[Grolar]

Originally Posted by dmc

i decided it wasn't the best plan for me to be telling the whole world (okay like people who read it) where i was goign to be all the time. like an invitation to get robbed.

all i can say if you're dying to do the same find away to make it happen. i'm walking away from a great job and spending a lot of cash in the process but i haven't once second guesses the decision to leave.
dmc

Fair enough. Can you just elaborate about the countries you're going to cross and about how you're going to go past the Darien gap and Colombia? I assume you'll drive in Chile, if so don't miss the obvious (Atacama, Valparaiso) but also the Valle del Elqui in between, which is a great hideaway, far from the Panamerican (feel free to PM me if you are interested about cool spots in Chile). And do you plan to have the rig shipped back to the US, or will you be traveling all the way northbound?

And about making the big splash: I'm really thinking about it and it's not about money and time (I'll have both in two year's time), but two young children in the back seats might add a little to the payload, as well as the burden when it deals with safety. I'm all the more anxious to see how well you travel down there. Your blog is in my bookmarks already, looking forward to reading you. I'm impressed by your dedication. All the best.