Build 2008 LX Live Camera Car and Overlanding Build.

[SharpeCat]

Where do I buy a 2.2 ohm resistor??

Nvm, will have to do this later and deal with SRS warning for now. Seems I will have to order parts online.

2nd row removal and SRS fix

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[grinchy]

Yeah now that radio shack isn't a thing it's a problem to get basic parts like this.

 

[SharpeCat]

Help!

twitch.tv/sharpecat

how do I get this cable detached from the seat!?? I’ll be keeping an eye on twitch chat and here for a response.

Traced it here, so maybe the connection is under the carpet?

 

[SharpeCat]

I think it’s the cables to the in headrest DVD player... how the heck do I get it out!!?

 

[SharpeCat]

@grinchy remember when I was scratching my head about how the headrest was powered, and wondered if they ran a cable through the headrest poles??

answer is yes. Time to look for ways to remove it.

 

[grinchy]

you'll probably have to pull the seat backs to get to the cable. If you don't plan on reusing just cut it as long as you can at the floor. DOesn't look like a toyota cable, they always have wrap on them, and are rarely that big gauge.

 

[1world1love]

You may want to call around some Lexus dealers and shops that install these aftermarket sets. They may have a collection of take-offs they would give/sell for cheap. I’d say any YM 200 would probably do, but I may be wrong about that.

I’d try to remove any trace of it if you are going to disable them. It will be worth the effort (and really shouldn’t take much to begin with).

 

[SharpeCat]

I ran the part number to the cable and found it here:

E301773 CABLE – ASSY. | New (No Box) | MRO Global Solutions

Buy E301773 CABLE industrial automation replacement part. Condition: New (No Box). Fast shipping from our U.S. warehouse. Worldwide shipping available.

www.mroglobalsolutions.com

@grinchy me and my dad agrees that we should cut it. I also think it is aftermarket too after running the part number.

17 for a new cable assembly so I’m sure whoever I donate these to wouldn’t mind too much if I cut them. That will be my mini project for tomorrow and main project will be to continue hunt for a fridge and drawing up drawer dimensions.

 

[SharpeCat]

@grinchy I’m trying to do some research and can’t find info on what compressor Whynter uses. Judging by the 1 year warranty I am guessing it isn’t the Secop/Danfoss? All i can find regarding their warranty is that it is a 1-year limited warranty and have not found any exceptions for the compressor.

with size not being a big factor anymore, and a budget of ~700, is there one better than this? Is the Whynter better than this? This will be the start of my search tomorrow, is to see if i can find a better one for the price or to see if i can get the price of one down. Price shown is with their current 10% and does include shipping.

And the VL60 is a little cheaper and comes with a bag, so maybe a better deal.

 

[grinchy]

Well you're out of the capacity and $ I was shopping and into the upper mid range. That looks like a nice fridge, but beyond a small internet wormhole I traveled looking at Engel Combis I haven't shopped this segment.

I would bet $ the Whynter has a generic compressor.

 

[SharpeCat]

I decided to play it safe not reference ih8mud specifically until admins give me permission to.

Probably have to make a separate post formally introducing myself and detailing my intentions as to why I want to speak to manufacturers as a Mud representative. I just want to help promote some teamwork/the culture of group buys and crediting the community, to make it easier for future mud members to save money.

Just as others have done it for us in the past, and because of that some of the websites we love have mud-specific discounts that have benefitted many of us, I just want to do my little part to pay it forward.

This may be a good opportunity for me to not only organize a group buy, but also to score us (the mud community) a permanent discount from a fridge manufacturer. I think it would be pretty cool if we establish a good enough relationship, so that later down the road we can ask for a custom size and to have it rebranded as a ih8mud fridge.

and I know... I type too fast sometimes and grammar is not on the top of my priority list. Ignore the extra commas and I swear the autocorrect put that apostrophe there and not me xD.

 

[SharpeCat]

More research. It was rebranded nd sold by TruckFridge at one point.

ICECO VL45 Ref/Freez.....$374!

Well, at about midnight last night I decided I needed to buy a portable refrigerator/freezer for my big three month trip this winter in the Southwest. Looking at the Aplicool and all the good reviews, and just about ready to order, ....But I saw this unit ICECO VL45 Portable Refrigerator 12V...

expeditionportal.com

this guy does a pretty detailed review of it:

ICECO VL45 Portable Refrigerator/Freezer Review – RVB Precision

“In China, everyone’s backdoor leads to someone else’s front door!”

a good review, he said 3 years warranty on compressor but it’s actually 5. It looks huge sitting next to the JP50.

 

[SharpeCat]

Just an update, my phone call with IceCo went very well. Soon there will be a very special Limited-time discount on their JP and VL lineups, specifically for mud members (via our very own coupon code for their site). I will post it in the group buy section when I have more information. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it is a price I’d gladly pay myself, otherwise I wouldn’t waste anyone here’s time.

They also want to send me a sample unit, to which I told them very clearly that it won’t affect their review. My parents raised me to be honest and not to lead people the wrong way, so my review won’t change based on the fact that they offered one for free. He completely understood and was happy to hear that someone wanted to do a review on it. I also spent a lot of time explaining that we are avid off roaders, and that I will really trial any unit I get and that I will be very honest about the results. He understands we are looking for a tough fridge.

I also found out that not only so they offer the 5 year warranty on the SECOP compressor, they manufacture it in house. Also, all of their fridges carry the same compressor. They make a lot of fridges that have been rebranded is what he told me. He actually sounded like the owner since he had permission to create a new coupon code on the site, but I could be wrong there.

anyways, I will update on this later! Gotta go get some lunch then fire up the stream and finish with taking out 2nd row and doing measurements.

 

[1world1love]

Here is a rough sketch of the side profile with measurements. They are approximate, but should be pretty close. This is based on my drawers. If you go with 42 1/2 length, there will be 6 inches where the back of the drawer unit overhangs the floor offset. For mine, I just attached a 1 1/4" x 2" shim the full width of the drawer unit. From the beginning of offset to the vertical drop down to the 2nd row floorboard is 33".

What you could do is to mount a 1/2" x n" sheet with 3/4" spacers underneath.

 

[SharpeCat]

Here is a rough sketch of the side profile with measurements. They are approximate, but should be pretty close. This is based on my drawers. If you go with 42 1/2 length, there will be 6 inches where the back of the drawer unit overhangs the floor offset. For mine, I just attached a 1 1/4" x 2" shim the full width of the drawer unit. From the beginning of offset to the vertical drop down to the 2nd row floorboard is 33".

What you could do is to mount a 1/2" x n" sheet with 3/4" spacers underneath.

View attachment 2335859

how high should the back drawers be if I want one of these? A full 20 inches almost since there is only a 1.25 inch difference between 2nd and 3rd row floor? Seems I might need to drop down to something smaller? This is their smallest dual zone, the VL60 at 18.8 inches tall without bag, and it does come with a bag so I would round to 19. Yours is 11 so I would need to add 8 inches, if I wanted to lay a 1/2 piece under and 3/4 bars under to support it? I may need to do some mock-ups to really see but that seems high.

Is it bad to just lay it on the floor without putting a piece of wood under it? At 19 inches the Top of the exped will barely go above the bottom of the window, and that’s a little higher than I’d like but can work.

Maybe I can ask them about a shorter dual zone tomorrow.

 

[Ratchey]

Is it bad to just lay it on the floor without putting a piece of wood under it? At 19 inches the Top of the exped will barely go above the bottom of the window, and that’s a little higher than I’d like but can work.

Almost all fridges of any decent size are going to be that tall. Are you trying to build your platform to match the top? Not going to leave much room.

As long as there are no vents on the bottom, it is fine to set directly on the floor. Just make sure it is a stable flat surface. If you have it hanging partially over a hump or edge, it could crack it if you hit a really hard bump or do a lot of off-roading.

 

[1world1love]

how high should the back drawers be if I want one of these? A full 20 inches almost since there is only a 1.25 inch difference between 2nd and 3rd row floor? Seems I might need to drop down to something smaller?

View attachment 2336148

View attachment 2336150

Honestly, I’m not sure you’ll be able to go flush with the drawers no matter what. Mine are 11” to the top of the platform, which is as high as you could go and still use it as a sleeping platform with the remaining 2nd row seat.

On the other hand, if you wanted to do something split-level, you could do the fridge side at 17 3/8” and the sleeping side at 11”

 

[1world1love]

Yeah, the 17 3/8 would be sitting on the floor.

19.6 is 19 19/32, but for practical purposes, it is 19 5/8 and - 1 1/4 which is the offset between the rear cargo and where the 2nd row seats are mounted. it is flat and as you saw with eatSleepWoofs setup, you can mount d-rings to the seat bolt holes for securing the fridge.

You will probably have a hard time getting it lined up perfectly with the top of the drawers. If you really want it to be perfectly flush, you would probably want to do the first idea and mount a sheet with spacers underneath. In this case, your fridge-side drawer unit would just be 19.6, same as the fridge.

Doing a split unit would require doing two drawers on the fridge side and will be a slightly more involved build, but wouldn’t be too difficult. It would give you a ton of storage.

 

[1world1love]

I think you may run into other issues if you try to do the entire platform at 17 3/8. Are you removing both of the 2nd row seats?

 

[SharpeCat]

I think you may run into other issues if you try to do the entire platform at 17 3/8. Are you removing both of the 2nd row seats?

I was really considering this yesterday, removing both 2nd row seats and doing something similar to the 70 series builds, but I decided against it because I still want the option of transporting 2 passengers. Now I am reconsidering it so that I can have both a level bed for me and Tiger, as well as have the fridge be higher than the bed. I think it’s pretty safe to give up on the idea that the fridge could sit low enough for Tiger to use it as a bed.

“Doing a split unit would require doing two drawers on the fridge side and will be a slightly more involved build, but wouldn’t be too difficult. It would give you a ton of storage.”

What about the bed side? I was thinking 2 drawers too because with 2nd row gone 1 is too long. Only difference is the 2 drawers will sit at equal height on bed side and on fridge side half will be bed height while other half is lowered for fridge. I was thinking a chest style drawer that opens from the top like the fridge, and sliding one just like yours in the rear for the bed side. On fridge side I need to have room for Tiger to get in and out somehow.

even if I take out entire 2nd row (which I can if needed), I still can’t put the fridge by the passenger door in 2nd row because that’s tigers way in and out if the car, so I need to keep that side low. Currently he climbs on the chair and climbs on bed from there, so the chair acts as a staircase of sorts. (I could always go back and use the pet ramp and let him in through the back, but I was hoping to get rid of the bulky pet ramp).

I have to figure out where best to put the fridge if I take out rest of 2nd row, So that Tiger can still use the 2nd row passenger side to get in and out.