Builds Heritage Blogmobile Build Thread (3 Viewers)

[BloggerL]

Well, today I completed construction of a cord with two female ends and a GFCI unit in the middle to turn the power inlet into an outlet. Of course, at the power station side, I also replaced the female connector on the inlet cord with a male connector. Blurry nighttime cell shot below:

This task caused a lot of confusion and worry for me, because on my various meters and testers, I kept getting ground faults. Also, I got voltage when the red multimeter probe was in the long outlet slot and the black in the short slot, as well as vice versa. I wasn't sure if any of this was okay. But I talked to my brother, who's an electrical engineer, and he said all was fine. Something about a floating neutral ground and the fact that the test button on the GFCI unit was working.

Here's an earlier shot from when I first tried a connector with a light that indicated power status. Note the red light in on, which indicates a fault. That was the beginning of my plunge down the rabbit hole--running to Home Depot to buy various testers and honing in on the ground fault. All my devices are working properly when I connect them to the cord, I have GFCI protection, and my brother says it's okay. So this shall be my setup now.

 

[greynolds]

How easy or difficult is it to gain access to the back of the center console where you have that cable coming out? I’m thinking about replacing the 12V socket with USB charging ports or installing a separate USB charging port somewhere on that panel. I’m not sure I’m up for running a new power cable to that location, so I may just use the existing wiring for the 12V port.

@greynolds I wasn't able to open up that piece. The method wasn't obvious to me as with other panels throughout the car. I'm sure someone here must know how to do it, but I settled with partially dislodging the side panel and pulling back the edge of the strip above the cigarette lighter.

To close the loop on this... After getting the factory service manual, I was able to figure out how to remove the cover on the back of the center console and it turns out that it's embarrassingly simple to take off. A few photos for your reference in case you want to do anything else in there:

Here's what the service manual shows for removing it - no other panels need to be removed to take this off. Just make sure your floor mat is out of the way or it will get in the way of pulling the panel off.

RearCenterConsole.png

• greynolds
• Aug 30, 2020

A couple shots of the insides:

That open channel on the driver's side is pretty much wide open until you reach the cup holder area. At that point, you need to work cables around the emergency brake mechanism. The similar channel on the passenger's side appears to have stuff in the way, so isn't a great place to try passing cables through.

Rear Console Cover Off.jpg

• greynolds
• Sep 7, 2020

This is what is underneath the rear console cover panel.

Here's the backside of the rear center console cover with the blank panel that contains the rear seat entertainment controls on non-HE models removed for drilling holes:

Rear Console Cover Back Side.jpg

• greynolds
• Sep 7, 2020

Shows what's on the inside of the rear console cover panel.

And a shot showing the USB charging socket and switch for turning the power on and off (these will be hard wired to he battery) that I added:

Rear Console New Outlets and Switch.jpg

• greynolds
• Sep 7, 2020

New USB charging ports and switch.

Running power through the center console to this location was pretty easy, especially since I wasn't running thick gauge wire (I have no plans to install anything else there so I just ran a 12 gauge wire; if plans change, I'll run a thicker wire later). I used the same grommet on the passenger side of the engine compartment that everyone uses for running power cables through, ran it under the glove box and then through the center console, being careful to ensure I didn't impact operation of the emergency brake. Having the 3D printed replacement cup holder helped make things pretty easy because I can just pop that out which provides a great view of the cables running through that section of the console. The driver's side of the console is pretty much wide open for running cables with only one corner to work around just behind the cup holder section.

 

[BloggerL]

@greynolds Thank you for sharing this. Might come in handy for me down the road if I run more wires there.

 

[BloggerL]

Some shots today in better light.

Molle panels:

Yeti 1500X tied down to anchors fixed to the seat bolts, with battery charging cable running through console and custom power-out cable running through area near seatbelt.

Water tank inlet for shower system, with a new clear cap, showing itself off in its niche under the lower tailgate.

Speaker of shower, I unboxed the Front Runner shower arm today and was profoundly disappointed in the product. More than disappointed: quite angered, really. It's a big, heavy piece of metal that attaches over someone's head by sliding loosely into a bracket on the roof rack. What were they thinking when they decided to hang that piece of metal over the head of a person pulling on a shower hose and moving around without security attaching it to anything. Moreover, because the arm just rests in the bracket loosely, you have to take it off and store it in the car. No thanks, no thanks. Off to the scrap metal yard.

 

[BloggerL]

Got my shower hose and nozzle set up with the quick disconnects. Nozzle matches the bronze accents of the vehicle fairly well.

Looking now for a shower stall. I wish the rack-mounted ones were more aerodynamic. So many of the rack accessories out there are basically big squares and rectangles that just bolt on like open wings on a plane.

 

[BloggerL]

[3/3/21 EDIT: See later posts for updates photos and info]

New Indel TB15 and the Yeti 1500x nestled perfectly in their behind-the-seat niches, both strapped down to the seat bolts.

 

[Jeriel Guerrero]

Well, it's been a busy few days of additional customizations.

The first was a near copy of @Eric Sarjeant's real light setup: two Rigid scene lights affixed to the underside of the spoiler. I angled mine a little outwards for a wide illumination area.

View attachment 2402456

View attachment 2402457

These are the perfect brightness for general usage. They light both the road and the space behind the vehicle. In my opinion, they lack the necessary diffusion, however, to serve as actual scene lights in a dark environment.

To install these lights, I removed the spoiler, temporarily mounted the lights for wiring purposes, drilled a 1.25" "fishing hole" near the middle of the spoiler's backside, and fished my wire through the interior of the spoiler and out the hole. I then drilled a tiny hole in the frame of the vehicle to align with the larger fishing hole in the spoiler, lined the hole with a grommet, re-attached the spoiler, permanently attached the lights with sheet metal screws and a lot of silicone adhesive, and ran the wire through the new frame hole, down through the rubber pass-through into the area under the headliner, down the rear quarter panel, across the footwells, and up into the firewall of the engine bay for connecting to the Switch Pros.

View attachment 2402458

View attachment 2402461


Once through the frame hole, where my priority was minimizing hole size, I used Flexo F6 split braided sleeving for most of the run.

View attachment 2402462

This was a lot of work, though none of it was terribly difficult.

Any tips on getting the rear wing off?? i also bought the same scene lights as eric and wanted to install these, but the rear wing just didnt want to budge and i didnt want to break it.

 

[BloggerL]

Any tips on getting the rear wing off?? i also bought the same scene lights as eric and wanted to install these, but the rear wing just didnt want to budge and i didnt want to break it.

I've been doing so much, I don't remember the details, but it was pretty easy. There were just a few screws to undo. Then you pull really hard to free some strong clips and a stripe of double sided tape. Someone has a post on here somewhere showing the screws. That was helpful to me; I just don't have it bookmarked.

 

[BloggerL]

@Jeriel Guerrero Actually, Amazon is showing my rear camera being delivered next Tuesday. So I might be taking off the spoiler again to run the wire, as I intend to mount the camera under the spoiler too. If I do, I'll let you.

 

[radman]

Another rear camera?

 

[BloggerL]

Another rear camera?

Yes, I'm putting one under the spoiler and connecting it to a mirror screen that fits over the existing rear-view mirror. My rear window has a 5% tint, so it's very hard to see out of it during the day and impossible at night. I need something that's on all the time. It will also offer recording features for a bit of security.

I'm also currently gearing up for trips with a lot of gear in the back. I expect the hatch window to blocked on some trips. (I'm also working right now on protecting the glass.)

 

[radman]

cool idea. Have a link to the camera?

 

[BloggerL]

cool idea. Have a link to the camera?

I already tried a couple of the mirror screens that have front cameras built into the body. Even the biggest ones were too small to perfectly cover the factory mirror, and I was unhappy with the aesthetics for that reason. So I have this one on order now: Amazon product ASIN B08CXGMDR4. It has a separate front camera unit that I may or may not install. The "disadvantage" of this unit is that not 4K, but 4K on a screen this small is just consumer trickery anyway, unless you need every last pixel to try to identity a distant license plate on a bigger screen later.

 

[BloggerL]

420Watts incoming via the direct-to-battery charging cable this morning. (Occasionally dips into the 300s).

Note that I also inserted another layer of feet at the bottom of the four corners of the 1500x inside the bag. This raises the unit up about 1/8" inside the bag. That may sound petty and silly, but it's critical to keeping the USB cables plugged into the unit while it's inside the bag without the lip of the bag pushing against the cables and straining them.

 

[BloggerL]

Installed the Pormido 12" mirror screen today, along with the rear camera. I wired the camera under the spoiler, in between the lights I had already placed there.

This system is great! the mirror screen is the first of 3 screens I tried that actually fit on top of our mirror. This is because the screen is both large and free of a protruding front camera element. There is a separate front camera that comes with the screen, but I didn't mount that. My only interest in this device is in using it as a permanent rear-view screen. My tints made the our glass mirror useless at night and close to useless during the day.

I now have a wide view of the road behind the vehicle. If I turn on my spoiler lights, I get an excellent view in total darkness. My current approach to the camera mount (just 3M tape) leaves about a 5-foot blindspot behind the hatch. That's fine for me. That's only relevant for parking in my case, and the car's regular camera handles that just fine.

@jerbintennissee, you were asking about removing the spoiler. It's very easy. Just pull off the trim inside the hatch, unplugging the harnesses, and unscrew the spoiler bolts that then become visible. There were 4 of them on my car, I think. Then tug to dislodge the adhesive tape and clips, and the wing will come off. The clips and tape are strong, so tug hard.

Today, I also finally started getting into camera-mount explorations. I started with a headrest bracket from Cinemilled. This is an incredibly well made, super-strong, still mount designed for heavy gear and professional use. This is light years beyond any of the consumer mounts you might find on Amazon. I will be using this for film gear; but if anyone needs a strong headrest mount for a television, computer mount, or what have you, I believe this is the best you can buy.

Next up, I'm putting a polycarbonate panel and bringing the car to the mechanic for the first part of some custom creative welding. I'll be putting in some motion control robotics, and these will require strong, stiff, non-flexing brackets support by the sheet metal.

This weekend, I will finally be picking up my AirDownGearUP platform from the upholstery shop too. Very excited about that piece!

 

[radman]

i've been waiting for this update. I've had my eye on this unit, but I like yours better (no integrated front camera).
Amazon product ASIN B0811Q28N6
Last question. Does the LC have gate/gate opener buttons one the factory rear view mirror? I use mine and hate that I wont be able to access them with a screen like this.

 

[BloggerL]

i've been waiting for this update. I've had my eye on this unit, but I like yours better (no integrated front camera).
Amazon product ASIN B0811Q28N6
Last question. Does the LC have gate/gate opener buttons one the factory rear view mirror? I use mine and hate that I wont be able to access them with a screen like this.

No worries there. I have the buttons on my mine and can still easily press them while the mirror screen is attached to the original mirror.

BTW, I tried that one you linked to. It won't fit. If you look at it from one angle while mounted it will seem fine, but the other side will not be right.

 

[radman]

Just ordered!

 

[BloggerL]

Just ordered!

You might also want to get a battery wire for it. It comes only with a cigarette lighter power cord.

I got this one and cut off the trigger/fuse cord, since I'm using my SwitchPros:

Amazon product ASIN B085ZM6RF5


Also, if you do get the battery wire, I'll be curious how you choose to route it from the mirror to the battery. I went horizontally behind the edge of the headliner to the driver's side pillar, then down the back of the pillar. It was difficult to get the wire into the back of the pillar trim, and a little longer of a run, but I wanted to avoid obstructing the airbag.

 

[radman]

Thanks, grabbed that as well. Did you get the gps unit?
That's the same way I would run the wires; however, I might go crazy and mount it at the bottom of the windshield or just below the stock mirror (not over the mirror).