Well the tools are all there. I'm excited to see what you come up with as you are essentially full time in your truck, so your livability choices will be interesting.
Builds 2008 LX Live Camera Car and Overlanding Build. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter SharpeCat
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
- Thread starter
- #422
I’d like to think that I make these mistakes so that others do not have to.
3rd row removal correct sequence:
Unlatch seat from wall, just enough to free seat
disconnect battery
Remove 4 bolts and electrical connection.
lay seat down gently
Reconnect battery
not the correct sequence:
disconnect battery
Undo bolts and electrical connection
Unlatch seat (no power rip)
Reconnect battery
Unlatch seat from outside while 4 bolts are out so that it crashes down violently.
Disconnect battery
Unplug electrical connection
Reconnect battery
I know @grinchy , I remembered what you said right after this happened, about the unlatching before battery disconnect. Thanks for trying lol.
3rd row removal correct sequence:
Unlatch seat from wall, just enough to free seat
disconnect battery
Remove 4 bolts and electrical connection.
lay seat down gently
Reconnect battery
not the correct sequence:
disconnect battery
Undo bolts and electrical connection
Unlatch seat (no power rip)
Reconnect battery
Unlatch seat from outside while 4 bolts are out so that it crashes down violently.
Disconnect battery
Unplug electrical connection
Reconnect battery
I know @grinchy , I remembered what you said right after this happened, about the unlatching before battery disconnect. Thanks for trying lol.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #423
thanks brother, I got a lot of thinking to do as I want to make the most of this opportunity. Tonight will be spent looking at tons of drawers for ideas.
1world1love
SILVER Star
Good deal. That definitely seems like a much better plan than Lowe’s. Frankly, having access to those benches to provide a completely flat work surface and having access to all of their cabinet sized clamps will make the job a lot easier. Plus it’s great that you are supporting a local craftsman.
You still want to invest in quality sheet goods though. Think about weight, because plywood weighs a ton. Get some good quality Birch plywood for your cases and drawers. It’s light and strong. James probably has a good source for sheet goods.
And you have the right idea. Gather as many pics as you can on other drawer systems. No sense in reinventing the wheel.
I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with.
You still want to invest in quality sheet goods though. Think about weight, because plywood weighs a ton. Get some good quality Birch plywood for your cases and drawers. It’s light and strong. James probably has a good source for sheet goods.
And you have the right idea. Gather as many pics as you can on other drawer systems. No sense in reinventing the wheel.
I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with.
- Thread starter
- #425
I will be sure to pass this along to James, as one of the things we will be doing together is visiting your thread for measurements and using it as a base for comparison. I love the simplicity of yours so it is a great place to start! Thanks again for steering me in the right direction!
he also had some material he showed me that wasn’t wood, but cheaper, lighter and seemed pretty strong. He was confident in it. I will have more info on material choices soon, since he showed me so many that I am overloaded with information at the moment.
I haven't ever disconnected the battery for third row, no airbags back there
- Thread starter
- #427
well dang lol. I have a habit of disconnecting the battery before I unplug anything/mess with electricals. Good to know!
- Thread starter
- #428
Dear Mud, I need a sanity check.
I’ve spent 2 days trying to figure out if I should keep the 40 side of the 2nd row or take it out. This will impact how I build the drawers. Im still torn pretty evenly down the middle. Once I cut that wire going into the DVD player then it will be hard to go back.
I assume 40 side has airbag as well? So disconnect battery first?
I also wonder how the interior Size of the 200 compares to the 70 series troop carriers, because I really want to take a page out of their book. Most 70 series are built in a way where the bed area transforms into a work area during the day. I also love that the fridge can slide all the way from front to back. You can access it from almost the whole car!
I’m going to be sleeping on the floor for a few weeks, because I just don’t feel right rushing this. It’s going to take days just to gather ideas.
Today I will do some measurements to figure out if this is a viable option. I think width and height is important here; width to have 2 drawers with fridge sliding in between, and height so I can sit on one side and Use other side as a table for working (laptop microphone and cameras and etc).
I could also keep the 40 seat and just make the right side shorter, and have the fridge not slide into 2nd row. At night time the combination of the fridge and another piece of wood can fill the gap to cover the entire bed.
On another note, Tiger is getting an action cam and a harness mount! Soon he will have his own stream and social media channels!
I’ve spent 2 days trying to figure out if I should keep the 40 side of the 2nd row or take it out. This will impact how I build the drawers. Im still torn pretty evenly down the middle. Once I cut that wire going into the DVD player then it will be hard to go back.
I assume 40 side has airbag as well? So disconnect battery first?
I also wonder how the interior Size of the 200 compares to the 70 series troop carriers, because I really want to take a page out of their book. Most 70 series are built in a way where the bed area transforms into a work area during the day. I also love that the fridge can slide all the way from front to back. You can access it from almost the whole car!
I’m going to be sleeping on the floor for a few weeks, because I just don’t feel right rushing this. It’s going to take days just to gather ideas.
Today I will do some measurements to figure out if this is a viable option. I think width and height is important here; width to have 2 drawers with fridge sliding in between, and height so I can sit on one side and Use other side as a table for working (laptop microphone and cameras and etc).
I could also keep the 40 seat and just make the right side shorter, and have the fridge not slide into 2nd row. At night time the combination of the fridge and another piece of wood can fill the gap to cover the entire bed.
On another note, Tiger is getting an action cam and a harness mount! Soon he will have his own stream and social media channels!
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #429
Made some progress towards designing the "270 series" drawer system today. Going to take a page out of the Troopy builds and taking out rest of 2nd row tomorrow.
2nd Screenshot is just me hiding the Exped so you can see whats underneath. This is far from finished but just wanted to share my progress in case you guys had some ideas to contribute. Thanks in advance!
Thanks Adobe for the Illustrator Trial! Very handy piece of software! I've been wanting to learn it for quite some time but never had a real need to, and now seems to be the perfect time to pick up a new skill!
@1world1love i decided to go with your drawer height of 11", because that is as high as i can go before my head hits the ceiling when im sitting on it. This is important when i plan on using part of the drawer to sit on and work during the day. I think what i'll do is fold half of the exped towards the front, then use remaining area to design my work area. I also plan on adding a way for tiger to get in and out.
2nd Screenshot is just me hiding the Exped so you can see whats underneath. This is far from finished but just wanted to share my progress in case you guys had some ideas to contribute. Thanks in advance!
Thanks Adobe for the Illustrator Trial! Very handy piece of software! I've been wanting to learn it for quite some time but never had a real need to, and now seems to be the perfect time to pick up a new skill!
@1world1love i decided to go with your drawer height of 11", because that is as high as i can go before my head hits the ceiling when im sitting on it. This is important when i plan on using part of the drawer to sit on and work during the day. I think what i'll do is fold half of the exped towards the front, then use remaining area to design my work area. I also plan on adding a way for tiger to get in and out.
Last edited:
This attitude is why I have followed your thread from the beginning. Thank you!
1world1love
SILVER Star
Great progress. I like the way you are approaching it. So if I am understanding correctly, instead of having two drawers side by side with a full sized platform, you are planning a single, longer platform with two drawers end to end? And then you will have open space on the other side of the cab with the fridge mounted directly behind the passenger seat?
I think this makes a lot of sense and you can maximize the utility of the limited space.
It would be great to have the space that the troopy’s have, but it looks like you will have a pretty livable setup.
With the second drawer, are you planning a hinged lid? You could think about adding a hinged lid for the long drawer as well so that you could pull it out normally, or if weather is bad or you otherwise don’t want to open the tailgate, you can still access the drawer.
- Thread starter
- #432
Thank you for the soul food brother, it was very pleasant to wake up to. Great start to my day!
So today’s stream will be removal of 40 side of 2nd row, then I’m heading back into Illustrator to continue designing drawers. I also ordered a wireless earbud with mic, so I’m hoping the sound quality will improve in a couple days.
My whole approach is to recreate the things I plan on putting in the car as digital assets, that are properly scaled, and from there it is just a matter of resizing drawers and playing Tetris in Illustrator with my digital assets. The idea is to have the drawers be tall enough for my tallest item, which will likely be the Genesis Basecamp system, and wide enough for the widest item.
Basically, I’ll be measuring all my things that I plan on taking, and designing things around that. This is a perfect opportunity for me to reconsider what goes back in the car, after having taken everything out.
Part of the learning process is that you figure out what you actually need versus what you thought you needed, and quite often, people start off with too much. I originally brought 12 sets of clothes, now I just want 5 and likely will reduce it down to 3 at some point. I can pick up clothes as needed (and as souvenirs) while on the road, and I can learn to hand wash them so that I can cycle through 3 sets without ever wearing dirty clothes. I’m not there yet (never tried hand washing) which is why I picked 5, which is good enough if I go to the laundromat once a week. I also brought like 40 towels thinking I would need that many to keep Tiger from dragging mud into the car, now I just want 6 (2 of each size).
One of my goals is to finally address that elephant in the back of the room, that I know we all noticed but was too kind to point out; I am talking about the hideous bag on the roof. If things go well we will get rid of everything we don’t need and be able to clear the roof for future projects (pressurized shower!?, kayak???!, solar panels!??).
Oh and my dad gave me his old electric cooler!! I just need to pick it up and clean it tomorrow. This will buy me time to design the drawers, as well as get the right fridge.
Eventually I’m going to post short videos of me talking instead of typing, because it would be like a 1-minute video instead of a long post.
Anyways, like I said, my definition of “Needs” have changed. Most of what I need is right here in this photo, and everything else just feels like icing on the cake!
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #433
Thanks! Although you guys need to cut it out
, all these compliments has me all flustered. I’m trying to stay humble over here!This is a very rough draft, as the area on the right is not finished. I was tired and called it a night before I got that far.
but yes, like usual you are correct! I was thinking a chest-style drawer behind the drivers seat, and a long drawer behind that.
Then on right side, fridge likely behind passenger seat then a cabinet system/table/surface to work on behind the fridge (from wheelwell to back). This is the trickiest part because I am building it taller, so might need to build a little wall on right side to anchor it to. Also building around the wheelwell, so have to plan well to get the most storage space.
I think doing a hinged top on the long drawer/sleeping platform is brilliant! Will do that for sure.
I was thinking, if I go cabinets on right side, that I would do a hinged long piece of wood on the right side of the bed drawer, that can fold up at night to fill the gap in between the 2 sides (space for my feet and Tiger to lay on during the day), so that the exped is fully supported. Hopefully these 2 photos will help you see what I mean with the hinged piece filling the gap.
Alternatively, and I really like this idea, I can take a page out of the van dwellers’ book, and do a table that lowers at night to even out the bed! I feel like it’s meant to be, because in the same picture are those hinged drawer tops you recommended.
Really enjoy following you on this thread through your adventures. Harkens back to a time for me when life was simplier. So much of my effort these days is spent in managing unnecessary stuff.
I've seen a few troopy carriers built like you've posted. Great layouts I'm pretty sure the 200-series interior is actually longer and wider. Personally, I think I'd leave at least a 40 rear section as an entry point, comfortable seating spot, and place to toss stuff.
A few ideas for you.
For cabinet construction, consider using aluminum stock, rivets, and machine screws/lock nuts. You'd be able to reproduce much of what you have as examples in your pictures. Much lighter construction than what we typically see here with drawers which honestly is overkill, heavy, and takes up too much volume itself. 1/8" hardboard riveted or industrial double sidded taped in for divider panels. Hung on piano hinges for cabinets with latches to close. 1/4" hardboard for load surfaces., supported by aluminum stock as necessary for wider spans.
Aluminum is relatively soft and can be worked with most wood working tools and even hand tools. A vice, hack saw, file, drill, riveter would cover all that's needed to work it. Could cheat and use a jig saw or sawzall.
Forget fancy slides. Plastic bins, even cloth bins, fit to cubbies is what I'd do. Use basic strategies like bungees or rotating stops across the face of openings to retain bins.
I couldn't find much online, but this vid gives you an idea of how aluminum stock can be leveraged to build on.
You've probably seen 4xoverlands build. The guy is too long winded, but I like some of the stuff he's done over the years
I've seen a few troopy carriers built like you've posted. Great layouts I'm pretty sure the 200-series interior is actually longer and wider. Personally, I think I'd leave at least a 40 rear section as an entry point, comfortable seating spot, and place to toss stuff.
A few ideas for you.
For cabinet construction, consider using aluminum stock, rivets, and machine screws/lock nuts. You'd be able to reproduce much of what you have as examples in your pictures. Much lighter construction than what we typically see here with drawers which honestly is overkill, heavy, and takes up too much volume itself. 1/8" hardboard riveted or industrial double sidded taped in for divider panels. Hung on piano hinges for cabinets with latches to close. 1/4" hardboard for load surfaces., supported by aluminum stock as necessary for wider spans.
Aluminum is relatively soft and can be worked with most wood working tools and even hand tools. A vice, hack saw, file, drill, riveter would cover all that's needed to work it. Could cheat and use a jig saw or sawzall.
Forget fancy slides. Plastic bins, even cloth bins, fit to cubbies is what I'd do. Use basic strategies like bungees or rotating stops across the face of openings to retain bins.
I couldn't find much online, but this vid gives you an idea of how aluminum stock can be leveraged to build on.
You've probably seen 4xoverlands build. The guy is too long winded, but I like some of the stuff he's done over the years
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #436
@TeCKis300 there are a lot of great ideas in your post and the videos you shared. I plan on soaking as much as possible in when I get to work tonight. Really love the thought of using aluminum. Right now I am still working on dimensions, and materials and construction methods are next. Thank you for the big head start!
Oh and we are officially a 2-seater now, but I did struggle with the thought of keeping it for days. Both the 2nd and third row are up for donation to any forum member who may need it. I will make a separate post in the classifieds or free stuff section (if there is one).
I also plan on paying my dues and forking over the 150 bucks to Makerspace tomorrow For the months rent and the safety course, and plan on making the most out of my time in the workshop. Like someone said earlier, this is a great time and opportunity to pick up a new hobby!
I agree that his videos are rather lengthy, as he is very passionate about his Troopys, but I Too have been a fan nonetheless. Some of his builds are a big part what inspired me to Begin my search for a 70 series Land Cruiser in the first place, And ultimately lead me here to the 200s forums. I think Troop carriers have been the overlanding standard of the world for decades now, for those who can afford it and have access to it, and for that reason there have been a lot of great ideas that went into building these. Definitely worth looking at for ideas!
@CharlieS I love the simplicity but also practicality of that. Definitely going to follow suit and have the drawer top open towards the door on the 2nd row and towards the inside on the third. I also love how simple the support for the wooden insert is in the center, may borrow that as well. The efficient use of material is something I could learn from as well.
Thanks to you both for sharing!
So I figured out today during stream, when I noticed the charge bag was only charging intermittently, that the car does have some sort of overload protection. When I plug in my laptop while the 3 power banks are in, it will overload and the 115v outlet will cut in and out (only staying on for seconds at a time). The workaround is to charge the laptop with the Jackery (pass through charging), and not through the power strip.
At first I thought it was loose connections, and turns out my power strip is bad and everything is loose that plugs into it. I could turn it upside down and 2 out of 3 plugs would just fall out. I decided to replace this because fire hazard. Also went ahead and picked up an extension cord while I was at Lowe’s. It was 40 bucks well spent here.
No pot of gold, but I got what I needed, and even got my dad his LED bulbs!
Oh and we are officially a 2-seater now, but I did struggle with the thought of keeping it for days. Both the 2nd and third row are up for donation to any forum member who may need it. I will make a separate post in the classifieds or free stuff section (if there is one).
I also plan on paying my dues and forking over the 150 bucks to Makerspace tomorrow For the months rent and the safety course, and plan on making the most out of my time in the workshop. Like someone said earlier, this is a great time and opportunity to pick up a new hobby!
I agree that his videos are rather lengthy, as he is very passionate about his Troopys, but I Too have been a fan nonetheless. Some of his builds are a big part what inspired me to Begin my search for a 70 series Land Cruiser in the first place, And ultimately lead me here to the 200s forums. I think Troop carriers have been the overlanding standard of the world for decades now, for those who can afford it and have access to it, and for that reason there have been a lot of great ideas that went into building these. Definitely worth looking at for ideas!
@CharlieS I love the simplicity but also practicality of that. Definitely going to follow suit and have the drawer top open towards the door on the 2nd row and towards the inside on the third. I also love how simple the support for the wooden insert is in the center, may borrow that as well. The efficient use of material is something I could learn from as well.
Thanks to you both for sharing!
So I figured out today during stream, when I noticed the charge bag was only charging intermittently, that the car does have some sort of overload protection. When I plug in my laptop while the 3 power banks are in, it will overload and the 115v outlet will cut in and out (only staying on for seconds at a time). The workaround is to charge the laptop with the Jackery (pass through charging), and not through the power strip.
At first I thought it was loose connections, and turns out my power strip is bad and everything is loose that plugs into it. I could turn it upside down and 2 out of 3 plugs would just fall out. I decided to replace this because fire hazard. Also went ahead and picked up an extension cord while I was at Lowe’s. It was 40 bucks well spent here.
No pot of gold, but I got what I needed, and even got my dad his LED bulbs!
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #437
Well the plan for tonight was to work on progressing the drawer designs.
But what actually happened was i started messing with the stream layout, and then decided i actually want to play some Hearthstone.
I got all day tomorrow lol. I can work on it while i'm at Makerspace tomorrow. It will be nice to be surrounded by all the tools i need for the project as i am doing my research!
I added my ih8mud handle to the stream social media banner. As of right now i only have a mud account and a twitch account (mainly for setting up and testing stream) but i plan on adding at least a youtube, instagram and a facebook account.
I plan on adding another banner, probably at bottom, for sponsors. I was planning on listing the ih8mud community as a sponsor, and just wanted to ask first if that is okay. I consider the wealth of information and all the time everyone has collectively put in to steer me in the right direction, a form of sponsorship, and i wanted to give credit to that on my stream. I also wanted to make sure that it's okay if i rip the ih8mud logo from the site, and stick that onto the sponsors box/banner. Right now it isn't a big deal, but eventually i plan on clipping relevant parts of each stream (like DIY videos), and then sharing that to youtube and facebook. I just wanted to ask first before i go too far and start sticking the ih8mud logo everywhere.
Anyways, going to enjoy a couple hours of Hearthstone then call it a night. It's nice that no one but me is at my gym, because this wifi speed is pretty sweet, even from the parking lot!
But what actually happened was i started messing with the stream layout, and then decided i actually want to play some Hearthstone.
I got all day tomorrow lol. I can work on it while i'm at Makerspace tomorrow. It will be nice to be surrounded by all the tools i need for the project as i am doing my research!
I added my ih8mud handle to the stream social media banner. As of right now i only have a mud account and a twitch account (mainly for setting up and testing stream) but i plan on adding at least a youtube, instagram and a facebook account.
I plan on adding another banner, probably at bottom, for sponsors. I was planning on listing the ih8mud community as a sponsor, and just wanted to ask first if that is okay. I consider the wealth of information and all the time everyone has collectively put in to steer me in the right direction, a form of sponsorship, and i wanted to give credit to that on my stream. I also wanted to make sure that it's okay if i rip the ih8mud logo from the site, and stick that onto the sponsors box/banner. Right now it isn't a big deal, but eventually i plan on clipping relevant parts of each stream (like DIY videos), and then sharing that to youtube and facebook. I just wanted to ask first before i go too far and start sticking the ih8mud logo everywhere.
Anyways, going to enjoy a couple hours of Hearthstone then call it a night. It's nice that no one but me is at my gym, because this wifi speed is pretty sweet, even from the parking lot!
Definitely want to talk to @woody about this.
- Thread starter
- #439
Me at end of stream:
It’s 1:30 I’m going to bed.
1 and 2 hours later:
Gotta love parking at boat docks at night.
Also made some good progress on drawer designs today, will update tomorrow!
Good night, or good morning by the time most of you read this!
It’s 1:30 I’m going to bed.
1 and 2 hours later:
Gotta love parking at boat docks at night.
Also made some good progress on drawer designs today, will update tomorrow!
Good night, or good morning by the time most of you read this!
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #440
My Jackery Solar panel came in, just in time to test it in rainy conditions lol.
My dad also gave me his old electric cooler to use to fill the gap until I get something more permanent!
I also grabbed my uncles cot that he no longer uses, to get me by until drawers are done. The cot is 15 inches high and even then I can still sit on it and Still clear the ceiling, this means I can raise all the drawer heights to up to 15 if needed. Tiger can climb into it even at 15 plus exped, as long as he is in the car first (leave a clear entryway area).
That gap in between the cot and cooler is actually big enough for my feet, so I can sit on the cot and use the cooler as a desk for now. Drawer updates are coming soon, you can get a glimpse of them at the end of yesterday’s stream. I have been working out connection and sound issues so I apologize for some of it being laggy or if it sounds like it is picking up multiple mic frequencies (44 and 48hz at same time).
My dad also gave me his old electric cooler to use to fill the gap until I get something more permanent!
I also grabbed my uncles cot that he no longer uses, to get me by until drawers are done. The cot is 15 inches high and even then I can still sit on it and Still clear the ceiling, this means I can raise all the drawer heights to up to 15 if needed. Tiger can climb into it even at 15 plus exped, as long as he is in the car first (leave a clear entryway area).
That gap in between the cot and cooler is actually big enough for my feet, so I can sit on the cot and use the cooler as a desk for now. Drawer updates are coming soon, you can get a glimpse of them at the end of yesterday’s stream. I have been working out connection and sound issues so I apologize for some of it being laggy or if it sounds like it is picking up multiple mic frequencies (44 and 48hz at same time).
