Builds 2008 LX Live Camera Car and Overlanding Build. (4 Viewers)

[SharpeCat]

Well, at least i know i'm in good hands xD. If i ever go off grid i will leave clues and go where only an LC can take me (so mudders it will be your job to track me down and bail me out if i get bogged in middle of nowhere <3). It's not time for that yet though but i do appreciate you guys checking on me.

To answer a few questions; brakes are fine, LX has not failed me yet. It's also more like a 4-month gaming-binge/building a gaming community (over 1k members so far!). I hibernate every winter and binge on video games, it's how i get it all out of my system (my gaming urges) and then i move on to focus on other things when the weather is nice again.

Really appreciate everyone checking up on me, and thanks JMudder for making a twitch account and grabbing my attention. I thought i said something about me hibernating and gaming binge every winter but i guess not, my apologies didn't mean to leave everyone worried. I will be hibernating until spring when things are nice and warm outside.

But yes i am on twitch every day working on building a gaming community and learning how to lead raid groups.

Will turn phone back on this week, and you guys can always find me at my stream channel or at the discord community i have been building over the winter. I am SharpeCat on both platforms (discord and twitch). If anyone plays WoW you are welcome to come hangout with me and the boys anytime!

Discord - A New Way to Chat with Friends & Communities

Discord is the easiest way to communicate over voice, video, and text. Chat, hang out, and stay close with your friends and communities.

discord.gg

 

[Undefined]

Glad to hear you are OK @SharpeCat !

 

[BigMF]

Well, at least i know i'm in good hands xD. If i ever go off grid i will leave clues and go where only an LC can take me (so mudders it will be your job to track me down and bail me out if i get bogged in middle of nowhere <3). It's not time for that yet though but i do appreciate you guys checking on me.

To answer a few questions; brakes are fine, LX has not failed me yet. It's also more like a 4-month gaming-binge/building a gaming community (over 1k members so far!). I hibernate every winter and binge on video games, it's how i get it all out of my system (my gaming urges) and then i move on to focus on other things when the weather is nice again.

Really appreciate everyone checking up on me, and thanks JMudder for making a twitch account and grabbing my attention. I thought i said something about me hibernating and gaming binge every winter but i guess not, my apologies didn't mean to leave everyone worried. I will be hibernating until spring when things are nice and warm outside.

But yes i am on twitch every day working on building a gaming community and learning how to lead raid groups.

Will turn phone back on this week, and you guys can always find me at my stream channel or at the discord community i have been building over the winter. I am SharpeCat on both platforms (discord and twitch). If anyone plays WoW you are welcome to come hangout with me and the boys anytime!

Discord - A New Way to Chat with Friends & Communities

Discord is the easiest way to communicate over voice, video, and text. Chat, hang out, and stay close with your friends and communities.

discord.gg

Someone needs to create a WoLC game where you earn credits by completing epic trails like the Rubicon that you can use to buy more mods for your rig.

 

[SharpeCat]

Ok it’s getting warm again so time to start going back outside again and enjoy this beautiful weather. A few updates:

1. parents didn’t like the idea of me not having a permanent home to anchor to, even if I don’t plan on being in it much and even if I’m happy with living out of the truck. They decided to buy me a house. I can’t find one with a tall enough garage (they want me to park the cruiser inside knowing how much it means to me). How tall are you guys garage and I’m looking at a house right now that looks like it’s about 7ft tall and on a slope, will this fit after 33s? Idk what to do about a pop up camper later and getting it back in the garage though. That’s my brothers stock 4Runner for reference.

2. I overcharged and toasted my nautilus battery. Left the Noco charger on there for sometimes weeks at a time and now even with the Noco booster it won’t go past 11vs. I’m letting you guys pick my next battery (I hear all the odyssey comments already xD). Price doesn’t matter to a certain extent (better to save a bit longer). Given, I don’t think any battery will be able to survive what I put the nautilus through over the winter, but I’m trusting mud to give me one that gives me the best chance of not ending up stranded somewhere far from home. I also decided to pick up a Noco GB70 (fits in glove box and gets the job done, GB150 is overkill and even the 70 is overkill, but I wanted the 12V charging option which doesn’t come with the GB40).

 

[SharpeCat]

Someone needs to create a WoLC game where you earn credits by completing epic trails like the Rubicon that you can use to buy more mods for your rig.

That’s be great, maybe manufacturers could offer incentives/rewards for people who complete challenging trails/tasks using their products, in exchange for advertising material.

 

[SharpeCat]

Figured it out I think we are good.

 

[grinchy]

Your starting battery? Go buy a SLA at the Lexus or Toyota dealer.

 

[32cls6speedmt]

Group 27f from interstate batteries at Costco. 93 dollars. It has a free three year replacement. Best warranty in the business

 

[CharlieS]

If you can go 8’ high it gives you more flexibility on future mods. I used 8’x10’ doors on my current garage, and they’re great.

 

[SharpeCat]

If you can go 8’ high it gives you more flexibility on future mods. I used 8’x10’ doors on my current garage, and they’re great.

The dream! Unfortunately houses are very limited and almost all have sold within days that we’ve looked at, and only a few even have a wide enough garage door. This 7ft is the best I’ve seen so far. I just don’t know what to do later when I want a pop up camper on the roof/add full rack/storage. I’m thinking I’ll just park outside then since I won’t be home enough for it to matter. Just mostly need a safe place to build her up.

Group 27f from interstate batteries at Costco. 93 dollars. It has a free three year replacement. Best warranty in the business

for starting battery? I actually don’t have a Costco membership so likely going with the one from Toyoya per @grinchy s advice.

what are we doing for house battery? @grinchy last I remember we figured it wasn’t cost effective to add 100amp hours via a dual battery system? Easier to just go with a big Jackery or similar external bank?

And it’s almost time to justify new tires, I just gotta run these street tires down a little more. I’m still lost here as there are too many options, so hopefully mud can help pick a set for me.

I do not want to push sensors past factory parameters, nor do I want to do any body mount chops. I’m thinking 34s for most clearance while meeting the 2 above conditions? And the big question is, which set of 34s? I plan on doing a long range tank where the spare is and relocate spare to rear bumper, so no need to keep it at 33 so it will fit there. Later I will need to figure out 1 or 2 spares (I forget if the Kaymar bumper can handle dual 34s), which will depend on how much stuff I am taking with me/available real estate on bumper.

 

[CharlieS]

I've always assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that buying an auto battery from a dealer would b expensive. I've purchased many Interstate batteries from a local Interstate Battery dealer (no membership required, unlike Costco). Might be worth looking online to see if you have a local dealer?

 

[grinchy]

Last dealer price on a thread was $129? With a 7 year warranty

 

[Tommy Dwyer]

The dream! Unfortunately houses are very limited and almost all have sold within days that we’ve looked at, and only a few even have a wide enough garage door. This 7ft is the best I’ve seen so far. I just don’t know what to do later when I want a pop up camper on the roof/add full rack/storage. I’m thinking I’ll just park outside then since I won’t be home enough for it to matter. Just mostly need a safe place to build her up.

for starting battery? I actually don’t have a Costco membership so likely going with the one from Toyoya per @grinchy s advice.

what are we doing for house battery? @grinchy last I remember we figured it wasn’t cost effective to add 100amp hours via a dual battery system? Easier to just go with a big Jackery or similar external bank?

And it’s almost time to justify new tires, I just gotta run these street tires down a little more. I’m still lost here as there are too many options, so hopefully mud can help pick a set for me.

I do not want to push sensors past factory parameters, nor do I want to do any body mount chops. I’m thinking 34s for most clearance while meeting the 2 above conditions? And the big question is, which set of 34s? I plan on doing a long range tank where the spare is and relocate spare to rear bumper, so no need to keep it at 33 so it will fit there. Later I will need to figure out 1 or 2 spares (I forget if the Kaymar bumper can handle dual 34s), which will depend on how much stuff I am taking with me/available real estate on bumper.

For reference, my LC has an OME lift, they used to refer to it as “2 inch”, but now “3”, really depends on the springs. I have 34” tires and a Prinsu rack. Short story, at the rear axle I’m 79 1/2” high. My garage door is 82 1/2” to the weather stripping…just shy of 7 feet. You may not be able to fit with a rooftop tent, but unless you lift to the heavens and run huge tires a 7 foot opening will be adequate.

 

[grinchy]

The dream! Unfortunately houses are very limited and almost all have sold within days that we’ve looked at, and only a few even have a wide enough garage door. This 7ft is the best I’ve seen so far. I just don’t know what to do later when I want a pop up camper on the roof/add full rack/storage. I’m thinking I’ll just park outside then since I won’t be home enough for it to matter. Just mostly need a safe place to build her up.

for starting battery? I actually don’t have a Costco membership so likely going with the one from Toyoya per @grinchy s advice.

what are we doing for house battery? @grinchy last I remember we figured it wasn’t cost effective to add 100amp hours via a dual battery system? Easier to just go with a big Jackery or similar external bank?

And it’s almost time to justify new tires, I just gotta run these street tires down a little more. I’m still lost here as there are too many options, so hopefully mud can help pick a set for me.

I do not want to push sensors past factory parameters, nor do I want to do any body mount chops. I’m thinking 34s for most clearance while meeting the 2 above conditions? And the big question is, which set of 34s? I plan on doing a long range tank where the spare is and relocate spare to rear bumper, so no need to keep it at 33 so it will fit there. Later I will need to figure out 1 or 2 spares (I forget if the Kaymar bumper can handle dual 34s), which will depend on how much stuff I am taking with me/available real estate on bumper.

I have a small ‘solar generator’ with a LFP in it. I am casually looking for a 1000w pure sine inverter to run off the alternator, just for convenience. The solar generator has a 300w inverter which is not a lot. I’m still weekend warrior stuff so the little generator is fine. Didn’t you end up with a gas generator? That’ll do too.

 

[SharpeCat]

I have a small ‘solar generator’ with a LFP in it. I am casually looking for a 1000w pure sine inverter to run off the alternator, just for convenience. The solar generator has a 300w inverter which is not a lot. I’m still weekend warrior stuff so the little generator is fine. Didn’t you end up with a gas generator? That’ll do too.

I do have the gas generator, but that I do not plan on running all the time. I plan on running it a few hours a day, possibly less depending on what I use versus what I get back from panels. I want to run something like a Bluetti AC200 or whatever it’s called overnight; something strong enough to run the AC for a few hours each night, but quiet enough to run it inside where it’s safe. In the morning I can quickly recharge it with the generator.

Doing it this way I can make 5 gallons of gas last much longer in terms of converting gas to house electricity. When I run the generator, unless I am using AC/recharging bank, then I am wasting a lot of electricity if I am running it just for smaller things. This way I can run it just to charge the electric banks, and run off the banks. A gallon could last me days versus 10-11 hours when running generator full time. I don’t need the AC on full time unless it’s peak summer, and my plan then is to run the generator during the day and electric banks at night. By then I hope to have enough battery capacity to sustain the AC for 8 hours sleep so I can last a night without the gas generator.

Will need to figure out heating before next winter as well, so I don’t need to hibernate for months again (when away from home).

 

[nolamule]

Welcome back!

 

[BigMF]

The dream! Unfortunately houses are very limited and almost all have sold within days that we’ve looked at, and only a few even have a wide enough garage door.

You think it's bad there? Here in Nashville, the market is insane right now. Completely unprecedented. I'm a Realtor and the stories are almost unbelievable. Things like: going $40K over list price ($450K) without even touring the house; an offer that was $50K over the list price of $800K that wasn't even in the top 10 of the 25 offers they received, etc. If you aren't paying cash with no contingencies like your home selling or an inspection, your chances of getting the home are almost zero.

An option to the garage dilemma would be a home out in the country a bit where they might already have (or you could construct) a detached garage with an extra tall door and tall ceiling inside to put a hoist for lifting the roof top tent off the truck.

 

[TeCKis300]

Battery - you want a battery that is compatible with the stock charging system while also having deep cycle capability with robust construction able to take some abuse. While an Odyssey is a brilliant battery, it will suffer as a starting battery because it is an AGM, and will never be tendered properly and die prematurely as the stock charging system is setup for FLA.

My recommendation:
Homebrew Single Group 31 Battery Install - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/homebrew-single-group-31-battery-install.1215750/#post-13526948

For a house battery, best IMO from a flexibility POV, power, weight, even being cost competitive with a built in (they're expensive when you consider battery, installation, hardware, inverter, solar charger, etc... I would recommend a 1000Ah equivalent solar generator like a Jackory, partly because these size batteries have 1500W+ inverters that greatly add to their usefulness. I have a Honda eu2200i gas genny that barely sees any use these days because my Goal Zero 1000 is so capable.
Pair with another incredibly flexible 100W solar panel, that can even directly charge USB or USB-C devices without a battery inline
Amazon product ASIN B08CDNFH7M
Your LX has the benefit of AHC to stoop under low clearance garages. I've been able to sneak into multiple family members older low garages even with skis and other things on the roof. You'll just have to pick accessories carefully to make sure you have enough clearance. I have a GFC Superlite RTT coming that is only 4-6" tall and I'm pretty sure I can sneak in those garages even with that.

 

[BigMF]

My recommendation:
Homebrew Single Group 31 Battery Install - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/homebrew-single-group-31-battery-install.1215750/#post-13526948

FYI, @SharpeCat , I followed @TeCKis300 's lead with the exact same battery from Lowes. Granted, it's only been a few months but I have not been disappointed yet. That mother is heavy! However, that means it's good, solid lead plates in there and not filler.

I'm also going with a Jackery Explorer 500 (and solar panels) as my backup to run the fridge (when I get it), charge accessories, etc.. I like that it's portable and you could carry it up into the RTT with you or actually run your house fridge or freezer on it for a few hours (maybe more) if necessary during a power outage. When I explained that the $450 Jackery could save a couple hundred dollars of food my wife was much more open to the idea. That's the trick....always relate the purchase back to the CFO on how it will help the family in some non-overlanding way.

 

[SharpeCat]

You think it's bad there? Here in Nashville, the market is insane right now. Completely unprecedented. I'm a Realtor and the stories are almost unbelievable. Things like: going $40K over list price ($450K) without even touring the house; an offer that was $50K over the list price of $800K that wasn't even in the top 10 of the 25 offers they received, etc. If you aren't paying cash with no contingencies like your home selling or an inspection, your chances of getting the home are almost zero.

An option to the garage dilemma would be a home out in the country a bit where they might already have (or you could construct) a detached garage with an extra tall door and tall ceiling inside to put a hoist for lifting the roof top tent off the truck.

Yeah it’s crazy, we lost on a few houses offering 20k over and over 90% have sold within days.

Distance from my parents is a big factor as they are buying and want me to stay close enough for them to visit frequently, otherwise I’d love a place in the country just for the views.

@TeCKis300 @BigMF i did follow that before I went into hibernation, and used a group 31 Nautilus from Home Depot. Thanks again for guide although mine isn’t as neat as yours xD. So another 31 would be a easy swap. I looked at the Deka? one (I forget name) from Lowe’s too but it wasn’t available nearby when I looked. The Nautilus worked really well and I’m pretty sure I killed it to user error/overcharging (left Noco charger on there for too long because it’s also marketed as a maintainer).

I like going that route of having a deep cycle be single battery and rely on external banks like a yeti/Jackery for the bulk of the work; seems like simplest way to get the most AH/wHs out of your bucks. I’m just waiting on the right bank. The closest thing so far is the AC200 (about 2000 watt hours), but that one will only sustain the AC for about 4 hours (at 500w continuous). 8 hours of air conditioned sleep means I’m waiting on 2 things: for banks to get smaller in size/weight and for bank capacity to get a little bigger. Hopefully someone like Bluetti is working on one.

@nolamule hey bud!!! Thanks for making me feel right at home again <3. Great to see you still here!

Sooooooooooo.... we got the confirmation that we won on the house I looked at/made offer for today! This garage will be her home for much of this year as she gets some much needed mods/upgrades. Going to be a big year!

Here are a few pics of the house! Got garage for the cruiser and fenced yard for Tiger so I feel like I hit a little jackpot there. Sadly the grill is gone though xD.