100 series DIY solutions (1 Viewer)

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Part 2: Mounting the Tank & Pump

The tank is mounted to the same cross-member that the spare tire winch is mounted to. The cross-member needed a couple of 8mm holes drilled for my tank mounts to work. I used 80/20 aluminum extrusions for tank mounts. M8 holes are tapped into the sides of each extrusion (that's how they are meant to be used).
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Here is the spacer I turned out of Tecamid-66 (Nylon) for the long center bolt that re-uses the winch mount on the crossmember.
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Here is the full water-
tank assembly that mounts to the truck with 4 M8 bolts. The spacer shown above goes on the bolt in the center (not tightened in the pic below). The straps are bent aluminum flat bar, 2"x1/8" thick from the hardware store. Each strap is preloaded to 200lbs (yes, I stood on it before the bolt holes could line up, LOL), so that tank isn't going anywhere. Used stainless steel M8x35 bolts with a flat and spring washer. I will be keeping a close eye on the straps since aluminum can fatigue and break quite easily in this application. In the long term I would re-do these in 1/16" steel.
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The water pump is mounted to the center extrusion using a simple tapped 6061-T6 plate and screws. I mounted the pump to the top of the tank to minimize road debris, damage etc. I had a NorthStar 1GPM 12v pump lying around so I used it.
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Uhh this is bad ass! Nice work and cool idea!
 
Part 3: Mounting the Tank

I wanted the tank to be as high up and tucked away as possible. So I made some spacers for the cross-member bolts. Sorry I dont have pics of those but I think the front ones are 1/2" and the rear ones are 1.5" long, so it makes the rear of the tank much higher for departure angle.

Final Mounting:
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You can see here how the rear 1/4 of the tank is well above the muffler. The entire tank sits above where the spare tire used to, so I think this will be good enough.
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Part 3: Mounting the Tank

I wanted the tank to be as high up and tucked away as possible. So I made some spacers for the cross-member bolts. Sorry I dont have pics of those but I think the front ones are 1/2" and the rear ones are 1.5" long, so it makes the rear of the tank much higher for departure angle.

Final Mounting:
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You can see here how the rear 1/4 of the tank is well above the muffler. The entire tank sits above where the spare tire used to, so I think this will be good enough.
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That is so awesome, I always wanted to take advantage of all that space in there with a water tank set up. My mind was wondering on the side of large PVC pipes for strength instead of a tank (several layered up with 90 angles) and using the spare tire bracket as well. I don't' think they would hold as much water though. I'm going to do a test.
 
Way TO GO! It looks well thought out and well executed.

I would only suggest selling the CB and the new radio and going straight to HAM. It's the only true long range radio for our uses.
 
Thanks @REZARF . I have a HAM extra license but felt the GMRS is more than adequate for my purposes. If I need more than a few miles of range I just use the Inreach for texting. Which specific band are you using, HF?

Part 4: Plumbing & Electrical still to come....
 
Part 4: Plumbing & Electrical

I will admit this part was a bit hastily done, given that I had a big trip coming up very quickly. I literally finished plumbing on the day I left. I might refine some of this when I have time, but it still works without any issues.

Here is the tank vent on the drivers side, zip-tied to the backside of the tailgate striker bracket. There is no level indicator on the tank. We filled up the tank every 3-4 days for 2 people (cooking, drinking and cleaning only, no showers).

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This is the ghetto part, a toggle switch zip-tied to a bracket that is under the tailgate. Because this is an exposed location, I bought a heavy-duty outdoor rated toggle switch, took it apart, and potted the internal contacts with silicone. You can also see the fill hose which connects to the tank and simply lays across under the tailgate rubber seal.
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This is the quick disconnect bulkhead fitting on the rear bumper - unfortunately it isnt self-sealing but this hasn't been a problem. If the fitting gets gunky then all I have to do is turn on the switch, water flows and it cleans itself!

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This is everything I use with the tank. The Gardena 3-way spray nozzle on the left with quick-disconnect that hooks to the bumper. A fill hose and "water bandit" on the bottom to fill from any city-water supply (we filled up at AirBNBs, gas stations, campgrounds, you name it). On the right is a 12V Seaflo submersible pump that can be used when city-water isnt available. At the center is a HydroLife filter that is used when filling the tank. I also use the same filter on the output side when filling up drinking water bottles. The quick-disconnects on everything make it super easy to switch out configurations as needed.

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Part 5 - Parts List and Cost (This isn't 100% everything but I did the best I could)

For those interested, just copy the below in Excel and it should look a lot neater.

Yeah, if someone offers a water tank system for the 100 series commercially, definitely buy that instead!!

Item Source Price
Valterra R8030 ABS Fresh Water Tank - 15 Gallon Amazon $82.92
Reflectix R-3.7 Reflective Insulation 4' x 25' Menards $35.59
Gardena 36004 Garden Hose Quick Connector Starter Set Amazon $14.46
The Hillman Group 59736 Spring Action Hose Clamp, 5/8-Inch Amazon $9.00
Universal Boat Fuel Pick-Up Tube | 1/4 & 3/8" NPT Ebay $13.50
1/2 Hose ID Barb to 3/4" Female Garden Hose GHT Fitting Ebay $5.53
3/8 Hose ID Barb to 3/4" Male Garden Hose End GHT Thread Ebay $5.62
Aluminum Barbed Hose Fitting Straight, 3/8" Hose ID, 1/4 NPT Male End 5357K36 McMaster $4.20
Brass Barbed Hose Elbow 90 Degree Angle, 3/8" Hose ID, 3/8 NPTF Male End 53525K18, 5-Pack McMaster $12.12
80/20 Inc T-Slot 40mm x 20mm Aluminum Extrusion 40 Series 40-4020 x 1220mm Ebay $35.62
10Pcs 80/20 Inc T-Slot Hardware 40 Series M8 Slide In T-Nut Amazon $10.34
NorthStar 12V On-Demand Diaphragm Pump #2681040 Northern Tool $59.99
2 in. x 96 in. Aluminum Flat Bar with 1/8 in. Thickness, 2-Pack Home Depot $52.52
1/2 in. x 36 in. Plain Steel Round Tube with 1/16 in. Thick Home Depot $7.62
Maxbrite HEAVY DUTY TOGGLE SWITCH 20/15A Amazon $7.81
MASTERKLEER PVC CLEAR TUBING 5233K133 McMaster $11.80
10mm 3/8" ABS One Way Water Non Return Check Valve Amazon $6.79
Brass Quick-Disconnect Garden Hose Coupling with Single Shut-Off 71095T11 McMaster $10.95
Brass Barbed Hose Fitting 3/8" Hose ID, 3/8 NPTF Female End 5346K55, 5-Pack McMaster $12.12
Brass Garden Hose to Pipe Rigid Fitting 3/4" GHT Female x 3/8 NPT Male 73605T67 McMaster $4.73
High-Pressure Brass Pipe Fitting Locknut, 3/8 NPT Female 50785K143 McMaster $3.04
Garden Hose to Hose Fittings Set with GHT Male Connector & GHT Female Connector 72105T87 McMaster $9.14
Brass Barbed Garden Hose to Tube Fitting 3/8" Tube ID, 3/4" GHT Female End 70705T73, 2-Pack McMaster $9.79
Hydro Life 52133 HL-180 Disposable Inline Hose Filter Amazon $32.86
Seaflo 12v 4GPM Submersible Pump Amazon $19.99
Gardena 3 in 1 Shower/Spray Gun 9102 Ebay $19.99
TOTAL $498.04
 
The Evolution of my Camp Kitchen!

I think my camp kitchen game has come a long way since I first started so here I am documenting its genesis.

We typically eat at least 5 times a day on average including snacks so having a well-organized kitchen setup was crucial from the get-go. Doubly important with a small kid to take care of and feed.

At the time I had a large fridge that took up half the cargo area, and all my camping gear in 2x 17 gallon totes, leaving substantial space for the kitchen.

This was my very first attempt at bringing some semblance of organization to my camp kitchen. A couple of Really Useful Boxes (RUB), one for pantry and one for kitchen utensils, pots/pans etc. Note the single butane burner which was my only camp stove.
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Utensils were stored in a tool roll.
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I found out very soon that having large containers without any internal dividers caused problems in the field. Although the shallow RUBs allowed good accessibility, things tended to get messy and go missing after even a short weekend trip. Also the in-camp footprint was huge because of the boxes' size, and I frequently ran out of room on the 2x4 Lifetime table I carried.

The answer was obvious: somehow use the empty space on top of the fridge to eliminate the pantry box. After a lot of searching, the local Container Store came to the rescue with these drawers that attached to an Intermetro shelving attic rack. 2 of these perfectly fit almost all the dry foods we needed for a week long trip, with the massive fridge accommodating the rest. The attic rack was great for odds and ends.

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Around this time I came across a Beavertree camp kitchen for sale locally. That provided a nice basis for the next level of organization I was looking for, since it was still quite painful to use the RUB kitchen.

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With the addition of this box, I invested in a nesting pot/pan set and SS plates/bowls/cups/silverware/knives that could stay full-time inside. My earlier approach of stealing stuff from the home kitchen for every trip had worn out its welcome ;). Also got a backup MSR Windburner 1.8L after my butane burner performed poorly in windy outdoor conditions at 10k ft in Colorado.

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This setup performed really well and solved all of the problems I had before. This also had a cascading effect on weight and camp footprint, because I no longer needed the heavy 2x4 lifetime table. A small roll-top table was enough to prep food and set the stove on, while the kitchen itself stayed inside the vehicle 95% of the time.

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We successfully used the BeaverTree on several short trips and two longer trips, one was 4k miles and 11 days, the second was 5k miles and 23 days. On the second trip I had the KISS drawers to act as pantry, and an inside sleeping setup. The inside sleeping has been fantastic, but created a new problem. It required everything in the cargo area to come out and either go on the front seats, or outside. So the large fridge and attic had to be retired. The kitchen was usually the only thing that had to go outside, either on the ground or on a table, which caused the contents to get messy when it rained since it isn't watertight. This also limited our ability to simply drive away when there was a problem, or more importantly, limited our ability to overnight in places that weren't quite secure (like Walmart parking lots for example).

All of this meant having to find a replacement that could fit on the front seats along with my clothes bag. The Beavertree had served its purpose but it was time for it to go.
 
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I searched long and hard for a smaller version of the Beavertree that would fit on the front seat along with my backpack, but was not successful. A soft case rather than a box was the answer I neglected to look for until it hit me. A soft case shaped like a small duffel bag can also fit in the footwell, not just on top of the seat!

My first thought was to try and repurpose something easily available, so I researched a lot of different ammo cases, shooting range duffel bags, fishing bags, tactical cases, etc. but nothing was a perfect fit. I decided to splurge and get the right tool for the job. Camp Cover based in South Africa provided the EXACT solution I needed in the form of the Kitchen Caddy. Kitchen Caddy Ripstop | Camp Cover

The marketing pictures on that page were enough to convince me and I set about the task of getting a product that was not sold in the US, so I emailed Camp Cover direct. They were super responsive and even got me a direct shipping quote, which was so outrageous I wont even say what it was. But they did let me know OK4WD (their US dealer) could potentially help out. A couple of days and a 50% deposit later, the fine folks at OK4WD informed me that my Kitchen Caddy would be on the next container in 2 months.

After a very patient wait, it finally arrived, and I now have my perfect Camp Kitchen! I am super happy to report that on a recent 2k mile/10 day trip, it worked flawlessly in exactly the way I want. Here are some pictures of the setup:

Size compared against the Beavertree:

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With several long trips under my belt I am able to truly know what's needed and what's not. Now this is everything I carry in the kitchen. All spices, condiments, dry food, extra fuel canisters, and other necessities go in one of the KISS drawers. The Snow Peak cutting board+ knife is really the only "exotic" item inside.

The MSR Windburner is the stove that gets used 90% of the time and for the rest, there is the MSR Whisperlite Universal. This has allowed me to carry only one cooking fuel, in the form of a couple of extra 0.5lb isobutane canisters.

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Front pocket holds enough cutlery for 4 people.
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Right side pocket holds utensils.
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Left side pocket holds plates and cups.
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Snow peak board goes in its own pocket in the very front.
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Zippers, though not YKK, are of very high quality.
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Interior is fully customizable with the velcro dividers, and is heavy-duty PVC lined.
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Weight fully loaded is 18lb, which is less than just the empty Beavertree Kitchen!
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This is the right place to talk about my Go-To solution for cooking meals while on the road, the Hot Logic Mini. These are awesome, and they help save a ton of time and isobutane! More of my thoughts here: Cooking/Warming Lunch on the road - "Hot Logic Mini"
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After trying a few cheapo iPad mounts I needed something solid and vibration-free that
- was within normal driving field of view (this excluded everything like trans tunnel or seat track mounts).
- was easy to move from vehicle to vehicle if needed.
- was easy to install.

I put together a RAM mount which has worked really well now over thousands of miles. The suction cups will stay attached all summer long and it really doesn't affect the driver's vision out of the windshield as much as it looks....

Parts List:
1.5" double ball mount, 7.5" length: RAM® Double Ball Mount with Two Round Plates
Twist Lock 3.3" Dual suction cup (mine isnt this exact part number): RAM® Twist-Lock™ Dual Suction Cup Base with Ball
X-Grip Holder for 9-10" tablets: RAM® X-Grip® Universal Holder for 9"-10" Tablets

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I tried it initially with 1" ball mount and extension but the key to stiffness is really to use the 1.5" RAM ball.
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The 1.5" ball and arm are the perfect length to move the suction cups down so they're not visible behind the ipad, and because the arm lays down on the dashboard the vibration goes down to basically nothing. From the pic below it looks like the clear vision would be affected for shorter drivers but it hasn't been a problem for me at all.

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The LX has been working well for our needs, and needed no further improvements to the setup. We did a small pandemic-era project to replace the tailgate carpet with something that looks and works as well as rest of the interior. The LC tailgate is the ultimate enabler for a minimalist camping setup, and one of the reasons I replaced my V8 4runner. On quick overnighters I don't have to carry chairs and a kitchen table, I just use the tailgate. So it needed a durable and good-looking surface. I chose 1/2" oak plywood, finished with 3 coats gunstock stain & 3 coats spar urethane - which was a very long finishing process, but hopefully should last several years before needing refinishing.

Putting the kid to work making a paper template from the original carpet backing:

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I then took the paper template and taped it to the tailgate, used a blunt pencil to trace the actual location of the holes. It needed a fairly precise fit because I used rubber well nuts and countersunk holes in the plywood. The nuts are M4 x0.7mm metric size, and the screws are 18-8 stainless steel sized M4x30mm. A couple of locations needed additional washers between the plywood and the tailgate surfaces.

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Next step, stain and polyurethane, which took forever to do. At the start, the surface was sanded smooth with 100 and 320 grit. Then, between each coat of stain & poly, the surface was also sanded with 320 grit paper.

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