2013 LX 570 Build: "The Wanderer"

[bencallaway]

Got a DM asking how I got power to the light bar and rack lights so I thought I'd respond here in case others are thinking through this. I used a wire loom and ran the wire down the side of the windshield. I used some gorilla double-sided tape to help to keep it in place. It's solid and barely noticeable so far.

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Interesting build! If you’re going all out with all the accessories you’ve described, I’d revisit this mod. Big red flag for me.

 

[radman]

I’d revisit this mod. Big red flag for me.

what do you mean red flag? As in he could have made it look nicer by going in or under the channel?

 

[bencallaway]

what do you mean red flag? As in he could have made it look nicer by going in or under the channel?

Yep. Looks like a cut corner and makes me question the quality of the rest of the work. But hey, thats just me and my opinion! Plus there's no way its not noisy at higher speeds.

 

[adventurefam]

Yep. Looks like a cut corner and makes me question the quality of the rest of the work. But hey, thats just me and my opinion! Plus there's no way its not noisy at higher speeds.

It's 100% unnoticeable at any speed - no sound or movement. Believe me, my very detail oriented wife would call it out in a second.

Someone have a tutorial on going through the windshield trim? Didn't know that was an option.

 

[bencallaway]

It's 100% unnoticeable at any speed - no sound or movement. Believe me, my very detail oriented wife would call it out in a second.

Someone have a tutorial on going through the windshield trim? Didn't know that was an option.

10/4. I have no idea how people get power to roof mounted light bars but its not something I've ever looked in to. I'm a naked roof guy.

 

[grinchy]

you won't fit 5 14gauge under the trim. I barely got 2 12 gauge under there.

Builds - The Guzzler - 2009 LX570

I'll add that I did want to avoid the random discoloration (not structural) that aluminum can display which could present a mottled kind of appearance in a shaley gray shade.

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[adventurefam]

We went with the Velocirax 5 Bike hitch-mounted rack. Very happy with the purchase after a month of ownership and a few bike trips.

Pros:
-Carries 5 bikes of different sizes and types very easily (The only type it doesn't carry is fat tire)
-Super solid - No stories of rack cracking and bikes falling off on the highway as I found with both Thule and Yakima
-Goes down easily so you can access the back of your vehicle
-Medium size kids can put their bikes on it and take them off by themselves (My 7-yr old can but my 5-year-old can't)
-Easily stored - Doubles as a bicycle storage solution in the garage
-Has a "camping mode" to store bikes securely while camping. Basically turns into a bike rack as you'd see on a city street.

Cons:
-Heavy (~80 lbs)
-Expensive (Paid $900 with shipping and taxes)

 

[terdrocket]

We went with the Velocirax 5 Bike hitch-mounted rack. Very happy with the purchase after a month of ownership and a few bike trips.

Pros:
-Carries 5 bikes of different sizes and types very easily (The only type it doesn't carry is fat tire)
-Super solid - No stories of rack cracking and bikes falling off on the highway as I found with both Thule and Yakima
-Goes down easily so you can access the back of your vehicle
-Medium size kids can put their bikes on it and take them off by themselves (My 7-yr old can but my 5-year-old can't)
-Easily stored - Doubles as a bicycle storage solution in the garage
-Has a "camping mode" to store bikes securely while camping. Basically turns into a bike rack as you'd see on a city street.

Cons:
-Heavy (~80 lbs)
-Expensive (Paid $900 with shipping and taxes)

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That is very similar to the Lolo Rack I bought.

 

[adventurefam]

Needed more water storage for our upcoming 9-day trip to Death Valley so I got the new Waterport Weekender. Comes with everything needed to mount on the Prinsu easily. Not a huge footprint. Works exactly as advertised so far.

 

[adventurefam]

We did a 7-day Death Valley overland trip over Thanksgiving.

Our route:
Alabama Hills - Eureka Dunes - Dedeckera Canyon / Steel Pass - Saline Warm Springs - Lippincott Pass - Racetrack Playa - Lost Burro Mine - Hunter Mountain Pass - Rhyolite Ghost Town - Titus Canyon - Darwin Falls - Ballarat

 

[adventurefam]

 

[TeCKis300]

I was out there doing the same loop over Thanksgiving as well! Would have been fun to cross paths.

Really enjoyed the variety that Death Valley had to offer. Lippincott pass was just enough fun and excitement for the family to do as a solo vehicle. Honestly was cake for the LX.

Camping out at Homestake Dry Camp near the Racetrack Playa.

 

[adventurefam]

I was out there doing the same loop over Thanksgiving as well! Would have been fun to cross paths.

Really enjoyed the variety that Death Valley had to offer. Lippincott pass was just enough fun and excitement and for the family to do as a solo vehicle. Honestly was cake for the LX.

Camping out at Homestake Dry Camp near the Racetrack Playa.

I was out there doing the same loop over Thanksgiving as well! Would have been fun to cross paths.

Really enjoyed the variety that Death Valley had to offer. Lippincott pass was just enough fun and excitement and for the family to do solo. Honestly was cake for the LX.

Camping out at Homestake Dry Camp near the Racetrack Playa.
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Awesome! I was looking out for other LC/LXs but only saw one other LC 100 and a few FJ Cruisers the entire trip.

Lippincott was good fun but definitely made my wife seriously question our decisions for a few moments. One the other hand, Dedeckera Pass made *me* question my decisions That was our second trip to DV (1st offroad) and we can't wait to got back.

What are other SoCal overland trips that are good for the winter? Thinking about breaking our lockdown and heading to Mojave NP or further to Sedona for the holidays.

 

[TeCKis300]

I'll have to keep Dedeckera Pass in mind for next time. Kids had a blast but probably not with the wife in tow =P


I've been itching to go back to Sedona. It's an overlanding wonderland out there but I wonder if it's getting pretty cold and perhaps with snow already? For SoCal - Anza Borrego, Joshua Tree, Big Bear are all pretty great areas to explore.

 

[adventurefam]

Chrome delete thanks to plastidip...

 

[arrivederci]

How did that plastidip'd chrome come out?

 

[adventurefam]

How did that plastidip'd chrome come out?

 

[AdmiralSnackbar]

Step one of the build was...not wheels or tires...but to solve the problem of where are we going to put all our stuff? Our prior adventure mobile was a Honda Odyssey, which has seemingly neverending storage space. If we were going to go anywhere beyond the mall with this thing, we needed more space. I looked at the Prinsu, Front Runner, and Gamiviti racks closely and ultimately, chose Prinsu because it was considerably cheaper, provided all the functionality I needed, was lighter, and looked much better (some helpful comparison from @radman here).

The install went ok especially thanks to this thread (required reading if you are removing the roof rails on an LX or LC). Despite preparation, we still had a problem with one of the dreaded brackets. I documented the problem here and @grinchy @livebetter36 @CharlieS and @BluffCruiserDC came to the rescue with a solution. I ordered a new bracket, dropped the back right headliner (easy), and replaced it from the bottom.

Call me cheap but I wasn't about to drop a load on high-end lighting that I rarely use so I went value on the light bar and the side camping lights. I got a referral to Code 4 LED from a buddy and the owner, Dean Hamilton was super helpful with helping me select the light bar and wiring harness. The light bar is super bright and looks great. I also went with a wiring harness with a wireless control so that I didn't have to run a wire through the firewall. As a bonus, it gives me this cool control to impress my friends with. For the side camping lights, I bought 2 of these bad boys on Amazon, which despite their cheap price, are surprisingly perfect for the use case. They sit flush on the rack and provide adequate light to set up camp in the dark without bothering your neighbors.

Here's the Wanderer after step 1.


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You are giving me inspiration. I bought the same vehicle sometime last year before the virus with the idea of building a light modified over lander for family trips. I’m on the process of buying a prinsu rack and a 5 person tent. What I wasn’t sure is if the rack would be able to hold the weight of 5 (3 kids under 10 and two adults). Any idea?

 

[adventurefam]

You are giving me inspiration. I bought the same vehicle sometime last year before the virus with the idea of building a light modified over lander for family trips. I’m on the process of buying a prinsu rack and a 5 person tent. What I wasn’t sure is if the rack would be able to hold the weight of 5 (3 kids under 10 and two adults). Any idea?

Prinsu says 600 lbs static + 300 lbs though there's no official ratings so it's questionable.

I don't have experience here though. I don't have an RTT and am considering an expedition trailer to carry the RTT. @radman does though.

 

[radman]

Ikamper skycamp 2.0: 155lbs
Dad: 175
Mom: 140ish
Kid1: 50lbs
Kid2: 45lbs
Kid3: 45lbs
Kid4: 35lbs
= 645-660 (depending on whatever mom weighs).

the ikamper cantilevers onto a ladder, which can support 200+lbs, so I’m not too worried about the static weight. As for the dynamic, I ordered an additional set of mounts so it’s holding 3 prinsu crossbars vs just 2.