Builds 2018 Premium 460 build (9 Viewers)

[Jumbo76]

Looks great! How was it installing around the kdss system?

I’ve been looking at the metaltech sliders and curious if you have any other reasons for picking Demello over others.

 

[Washingtontaco]

Looks great! How was it installing around the kdss system?

I’ve been looking at the metaltech sliders and curious if you have any other reasons for picking Demello over others.

One bolt that goes through the KDSS accumulator is a PITA. The rest is pretty easy. Once you get 3-4 started you just need to slide it fore and aft to align the others.

The MT have three legs to the frame the Demello have four. The Demello have a large plate bolting surface to the frame that not only offers more fasteners holding it on but serves to spread the load out over the frame surface. The MT just has the legs. The Demello are DOM steel, drawn over mandrel. MT doesn’t state what they use. MT does powder coat inside, not that I think it makes a difference. My CBI sliders on my Taco were rattle can painted. I don’t think powder coating the inside is a big deal.

 

[Washingtontaco]

I need to get out and drive some trails and camp!

My daughter and I built this temporary platform so I can install some anchors to strap gear down. I lag bolted my fridge slide down and spliced wire in to extend my fridge cord. Not built for the long haul but I’ll be able to get out this coming weekend.

 

[Washingtontaco]

Not being a fan of placing my expensive ARB dual compressor under the hood, high heat, water, mud, general abuse. I decided a long time ago to position it in the cabin.

In my Taco I had mounted a Viair compressor in the bed with great success and less abuse, dusty and damp but far from what it would have been under the hood.


Still in a prototype stage, I am working on a ARB compressor mount in the third row delete area. It mounts to two third row seat bolts and the left third row seatbelt anchor.

I started with 1/4” plywood for a design idea and fabricated out of 1/8” aluminum. I plan on adding an extra stiffener running diagonally down to the the seat mount bolt for a bit more upper stability.

Once I’m down to final version I’ll powder coat it and add some sound dampening material and possibly build a doghouse around it to mitigate cabin noise.

 

[Tex68w]

I like the idea of this but I have run mine inside the cabin in the past and they are simply too noisy and if you use it to actuate ARB air lockers you will smell gear oil through it as well and that's definitely not a smell you want rolling through your cabin lol. ARB warranty is great and their customer service has always been decent as well, it's under the hood for me.

 

[Washingtontaco]

I like the idea of this but I have run mine inside the cabin in the past and they are simply too noisy and if you use it to actuate ARB air lockers you will smell gear oil through it as well and that's definitely not a smell you want rolling through your cabin lol. ARB warranty is great and their customer service has always been decent as well, it's under the hood for me.

No sure on what lockers I want to install yet. May go Harrop Locker over ARB. A discussion to be had at a later date.

 

[r2m]

I too have mine under the hood on my last several vehicles with never an issue. That with using it to air up 35" tires from 15 psi on my 98' Landcruiser and now 34" M/T's on my GX460. Always ran fine!
I also have to agree with the noise, but when I'm filling my tires I'm usually outside monitoring tire pressure, but my wife's usually in the cab. I've never noticed any oil smells when engaging my front and rear ARB lockers, but then it is under the hood. If you go to my build I also keep my air line and accessories all up front so when I need it I'm not having to dig all around looking for hose and fittings.
You can see how I have everything stored here: Builds - R2M 2013 GX460 Overland Build
Starting at post # 82

Also I use "reusable" zip (cable) ties to hole the air line in place. They work great! Easy to use and can be used over and over again!

 

[malim]

I will be removing the second and third row seats to accommodate a drawer/sleep platform build. By removing the seats, the goal is to displace the weight of the drawer/platform with no net gain in weight.
مشاوره خانواده مشاوره خانواده تلفنی مشاوره ازدواج تلفنی
مشاوره روانشناسی تلفنی مشاوره کودک مشاوره کودک تلفنی

 

[Washingtontaco]

I will be removing the second and third row seats to accommodate a drawer/sleep platform build. By removing the seats, the goal is to displace the weight of the drawer/platform with no net gain in weight.
مشاوره خانواده مشاوره خانواده تلفنی مشاوره ازدواج تلفنی
مشاوره روانشناسی تلفنی مشاوره کودک مشاوره کودک تلفنی

My captains chairs and third row net 370 lbs IIRC.

 

[malim]

good

 

[Washingtontaco]

We are able to get out to some BLM land this past weekend. It was great to get out of the garage and disconnect. We had great weather Friday, Saturday evening it rained hard and Sunday we woke to intermittent sprinkles. All in all a great trip to stretch the suspension a bit and just to drive the progress as it stands.

 

[r2m]

We are able to get out to some BLM land this past weekend. It was great to get out of the garage and disconnect. We had great weather Friday, Saturday evening it rained hard and Sunday we woke to intermittent sprinkles. All in all a great trip to stretch the suspension a bit and just to drive the progress as it stands.

View attachment 2311258

View attachment 2311259

View attachment 2311260

AWESOME! Glad to hear people getting out!!!
When my wife and I headed out to Maine (in search of a lobster dinner) 3 weeks ago, we researched where and how we would sleep. We knew gas and food was not a problem, but not sure about lodging.
We found that ALL BLM land is open, albeit it's all dry camping, read: no toilets, showers, water supply, etc.
Which isn't a problem for us with our RTT and all our gear. As it turned out, we were able to find lodging in EVERY state EXCPETE Maine! Main was locked down to ONLY essential workers. And since we were doing 800-900 mile days to get out there, we preferred a motel rather than setting up and breaking down camp everyday. It was much faster and more efficient to get on the road quickly and pound out the miles.
Also, speaking of RTT, if you ever find it in the budget, they are WAY better than tenting on the ground!

 

[Washingtontaco]

AWESOME! Glad to hear people getting out!!!
When my wife and I headed out to Maine (in search of a lobster dinner) 3 weeks ago, we researched where and how we would sleep. We knew gas and food was not a problem, but not sure about lodging.
We found that ALL BLM land is open, albeit it's all dry camping, read: no toilets, showers, water supply, etc.
Which isn't a problem for us with our RTT and all our gear. As it turned out, we were able to find lodging in EVERY state EXCPETE Maine! Main was locked down to ONLY essential workers. And since we were doing 800-900 mile days to get out there, we preferred a motel rather than setting up and breaking down camp everyday. It was much faster and more efficient to get on the road quickly and pound out the miles.
Also, speaking of RTT, if you ever find it in the budget, they are WAY better than tenting on the ground!

I've owned three RTT's, 1 soft side tent and 2 hard shell, they are over rated, heavy, way to much weight up high, expensive, and take up way to much space of the roof rack. For base camping like shows, large training events and longer stays our Oz tent RV2 has served us well. Easy to heat, easy to dress, easy for midnight bathroom runs, way more spacious than a RTT and half to one third the weight of a RTT. Not as expensive as a RTT but not cheap.


As for dry camping, it is what we prefer. Less people, better experience.

 

[Tex68w]

Add me to the list of those that don't care for RTT's. Heavy, over priced, etc., etc., etc. I prefer to sleep in my vehicle but that presents its own set of challenges. I am not much for setting up and taking down tents each night but we are exploring the idea of an OZ-tent ourselves, my only gripe is the size of the tent when in transport, they are long and heavy.

 

[Washingtontaco]

Add me to the list of those that don't care for RTT's. Heavy, over priced, etc., etc., etc. I prefer to sleep in my vehicle but that presents its own set of challenges. I am not much for setting up and taking down tents each night but we are exploring the idea of an OZ-tent ourselves, my only gripe is the size of the tent when in transport, they are long and heavy.

Based on what the trip is. Solo I sleep in the vehicle on the platform 50% of my trips are this. More than an overnight the Oz tent is my go to. In a normal year we work numerous shows, training events and personal trips. The shows and training events are at least 3-7 nights in one location camping. But see trail time or demonstrations that require our vehicles so a solid base camp like the Oz tent is ideal. Day to day movement a basic camp tent is fast and with 3” think 30” wide inflatable mattress in my sleeping bag it’s rather comfortable. Let the air out roll it like a swag strap it and stick it in my big dry bag. Regardless of the roof over my head this is my favorite sleep arrangement, been using it over a year now.

 

[r2m]

Add me to the list of those that don't care for RTT's. Heavy, over priced, etc., etc., etc. I prefer to sleep in my vehicle but that presents its own set of challenges. I am not much for setting up and taking down tents each night but we are exploring the idea of an OZ-tent ourselves, my only gripe is the size of the tent when in transport, they are long and heavy.

Sleeping in the vehicle is fine when by yourself and I've done more than my share on surf trips to Mexico and up & down the California coastline, but the wife wants more room and comfort and you can't beat the ease of setting up and taking down a RTT with a real foam mattress, pillows and sleeping bag, all laid out, waiting for you inside. Also as you noted, tents, sleeping bags and pillows take up a lot of room inside the vehicle. This leads to decision making upon what to bring and what to leave behind on a trip. A RTT has this all stowed up top.
I concede that I don't like my CG being so high with all that weight on top and poor gas mileage. Nor can I drive through a carwash any more, along with limiting some parking garages.
As far as price, I consider that a personal pain threshold. For some people the purchase of a RTT is not much more than the change they lose in their sofa. For others, they have to really consider the cost verses the benefits. For me, cost wasn't an issue and we love it!
I went through the same thing when I purchased an F350 Crewcab with the 460ci motor. My first overlander I built. Before even getting it I knew I had to reconcile really bad gas mileage and I was never going to park front and center anywhere, I'd always be parking in the back of the lot. Knowing and accepting that when I bought it, I love it! It was awesome... until I rolled it... Then I bought a Landcruiser and built that as my second overlander. Great rig! And NOW I have this GX, the best so far!!!!
The only time I have concerns is any type of extreme off-roading (read: rock crawling) because of the 150 lbs plus weight up top. But I didn't build my rig as a rock crawler, I built it as an overlander, which it does very well! (Which remindes me, I still need to post our trip to Maine on my build thread...)

 

[tortoiseracing]

We are able to get out to some BLM land this past weekend. It was great to get out of the garage and disconnect. We had great weather Friday, Saturday evening it rained hard and Sunday we woke to intermittent sprinkles. All in all a great trip to stretch the suspension a bit and just to drive the progress as it stands.

Nice to see people getting out safely. I'm worried that every place is going to be crowded this weekend, but it would be great to go explore.

Great write-up on your build, too! Can't wait to see what's next.

 

[Tex68w]

Sleeping in the vehicle is fine when by yourself and I've done more than my share on surf trips to Mexico and up & down the California coastline, but the wife wants more room and comfort and you can't beat the ease of setting up and taking down a RTT with a real foam mattress, pillows and sleeping bag, all laid out, waiting for you inside. Also as you noted, tents, sleeping bags and pillows take up a lot of room inside the vehicle. This leads to decision making upon what to bring and what to leave behind on a trip. A RTT has this all stowed up top.
I concede that I don't like my CG being so high with all that weight on top and poor gas mileage. Nor can I drive through a carwash any more, along with limiting some parking garages.
As far as price, I consider that a personal pain threshold. For some people the purchase of a RTT is not much more than the change they lose in their sofa. For others, they have to really consider the cost verses the benefits. For me, cost wasn't an issue and we love it!
I went through the same thing when I purchased an F350 Crewcab with the 460ci motor. My first overlander I built. Before even getting it I knew I had to reconcile really bad gas mileage and I was never going to park front and center anywhere, I'd always be parking in the back of the lot. Knowing and accepting that when I bought it, I love it! It was awesome... until I rolled it... Then I bought a Landcruiser and built that as my second overlander. Great rig! And NOW I have this GX, the best so far!!!!
The only time I have concerns is any type of extreme off-roading (read: rock crawling) because of the 150 lbs plus weight up top. But I didn't build my rig as a rock crawler, I built it as an overlander, which it does very well! (Which remindes me, I still need to post our trip to Maine on my build thread...)

I agree, there's a trade off in all of this. My biggest complaints about RTT's are price, weight/COG, reduced fuel economy/wind drag, and the fact that they compromise your entire roof rack. Price-we can complain about this in regards to a lot of the products available in this niche market, it is what it is, but that doesn't make it any more bearable. Weight/COG-An extra 150 lbs 6-7" above your roof line certainly changes handling characteristics both on and off-road and it compromises it most in off-camber and high-speed maneuver situations, clearance both for overhead on the trail and in regards to garages is an issue as well. Reduced fuel economy/wind drag-Some are better than others in this area but regardless you can expect a reduction in MPG and added wind noise. Rack space-That $1200+ roof rack you bought to carry your $3K+ RTT no longer has room for your MaxTrax, cases, Rotopax, etc.

Ground tent-You still have to set it up, break it down, carry around all of that gear broken down which takes up a lot of extra space. OZ-Tent for example is a fine product but they are huge and heavy even when packed and that has to have a place to ride which compromises a lot of space on your rack. Adding an extra 15-30 minutes to setup/breakdown my camp isn't something I want to mess with every single day. Cots are nice and keep you off the ground (misses hates sleeping on the ground) but again it's another bulky item added to your cargo that needs to stored and setup. The biggest benefit is that it doesn't compromise the mobility of your vehicle when setup.

Off-road trailer-Expensive, expensive, expensive. They introduce an entirely new liability which is towing. Added spares, added weight, added responsibility both on and off-road. Some are setup and ready to sleep simply by opening a door and others still require setup time. They change where you can go, how long it takes you to travel, your fuel economy is reduced, and it adds complexity to the trail and how you attack that trail. You can set it up and then leave camp not compromising your vehicle when in use.

Interior sleep platform-Takes up a lot of space only to provide you a small amount of sleeping space. Requires completely altering your interior layout in favor of providing one added benefit (lose seats and cargo space). Sleep systems are few and far between and usually require you to buy pricey one-off systems or you have to build your own. Sleeping space provided usually is small and still needs to be converted and setup and broken down each night/morning and you still have to store your bedding somewhere as well. No added exterior weight or size keeps you streamlined and stealthy.

FWC, AT Habitat, off-road trailer, sleep system, ground tent, hammock, we've tried them all over the past few years and they all have their shortcomings and their merits. Ground tents are always going to be the cheapest and the most versatile but of all of the options out there they have the most setup and break down time associated and will take up a lot of space when stowed. When camping solo I definitely prefer to sleep inside of my vehicle, but it's definitely not as ideal when the misses comes along. I had the highest hopes for the off-road trailer and it ended up being the one I liked the least, too many drawbacks IMHO. If you have a truck it's hard to beat the benefits of a FWC or AT/GFC but of course they present their own added compromises as well and lets not even mention the cost haha.

If my GX were a dedicated weekend travel/camp vehicle then I wouldn't be as opposed to the idea of a hard shell RTT as long as it fit somewhere covered/enclosed when not in use. I don't want to mess with removing the RTT and storing it when not in use and there's no way I am going to daily it with that on thing top. The GX is more of an overland vehicle (man I hate that term lol) so you're right that the COG and clearance aren't as much of an issue since you're likely not tackling any super aggressive trails but it still isn't my favorite. I haven't figured it out yet with the GX and I am not sure which direction I am going to go but I am leaning towards the Goose Gear sleep platform (whenever that ever comes to market). Until then, I will likely sleep inside via my makeshift layout or I will drag along a ground tent.

 

[Washingtontaco]

I agree, there's a trade off in all of this. My biggest complaints about RTT's are price, weight/COG, reduced fuel economy/wind drag, and the fact that they compromise your entire roof rack. Price-we can complain about this in regards to a lot of the products available in this niche market, it is what it is, but that doesn't make it any more bearable. Weight/COG-An extra 150 lbs 6-7" above your roof line certainly changes handling characteristics both on and off-road and it compromises it most in off-camber and high-speed maneuver situations, clearance both for overhead on the trail and in regards to garages is an issue as well. Reduced fuel economy/wind drag-Some are better than others in this area but regardless you can expect a reduction in MPG and added wind noise. Rack space-That $1200+ roof rack you bought to carry your $3K+ RTT no longer has room for your MaxTrax, cases, Rotopax, etc.

Ground tent-You still have to set it up, break it down, carry around all of that gear broken down which takes up a lot of extra space. OZ-Tent for example is a fine product but they are huge and heavy even when packed and that has to have a place to ride which compromises a lot of space on your rack. Adding an extra 15-30 minutes to setup/breakdown my camp isn't something I want to mess with every single day. Cots are nice and keep you off the ground (misses hates sleeping on the ground) but again it's another bulky item added to your cargo that needs to stored and setup. The biggest benefit is that it doesn't compromise the mobility of your vehicle when setup.

Off-road trailer-Expensive, expensive, expensive. They introduce an entirely new liability which is towing. Added spares, added weight, added responsibility both on and off-road. Some are setup and ready to sleep simply by opening a door and others still require setup time. They change where you can go, how long it takes you to travel, your fuel economy is reduced, and it adds complexity to the trail and how you attack that trail. You can set it up and then leave camp not compromising your vehicle when in use.

Interior sleep platform-Takes up a lot of space only to provide you a small amount of sleeping space. Requires completely altering your interior layout in favor of providing one added benefit (lose seats and cargo space). Sleep systems are few and far between and usually require you to buy pricey one-off systems or you have to build your own. Sleeping space provided usually is small and still needs to be converted and setup and broken down each night/morning and you still have to store your bedding somewhere as well. No added exterior weight or size keeps you streamlined and stealthy.

FWC, AT Habitat, off-road trailer, sleep system, ground tent, hammock, we've tried them all over the past few years and they all have their shortcomings and their merits. Ground tents are always going to be the cheapest and the most versatile but of all of the options out there they have the most setup and break down time associated and will take up a lot of space when stowed. When camping solo I definitely prefer to sleep inside of my vehicle, but it's definitely not as ideal when the misses comes along. I had the highest hopes for the off-road trailer and it ended up being the one I liked the least, too many drawbacks IMHO. If you have a truck it's hard to beat the benefits of a FWC or AT/GFC but of course they present their own added compromises as well and lets not even mention the cost haha.

If my GX were a dedicated weekend travel/camp vehicle then I wouldn't be as opposed to the idea of a hard shell RTT as long as it fit somewhere covered/enclosed when not in use. I don't want to mess with removing the RTT and storing it when not in use and there's no way I am going to daily it with that on thing top. The GX is more of an overland vehicle (man I hate that term lol) so you're right that the COG and clearance aren't as much of an issue since you're likely not tackling any super aggressive trails but it still isn't my favorite. I haven't figured it out yet with the GX and I am not sure which direction I am going to go but I am leaning towards the Goose Gear sleep platform (whenever that ever comes to market). Until then, I will likely sleep inside via my makeshift layout or I will drag along a ground tent.

Negatives to each camping set up for sure. That’s why I have three options to suite the scenario best.

 

[r2m]

I agree, there's a trade off in all of this. My biggest complaints about RTT's are price, weight/COG, reduced fuel economy/wind drag, and the fact that they compromise your entire roof rack. Price-we can complain about this in regards to a lot of the products available in this niche market, it is what it is, but that doesn't make it any more bearable. Weight/COG-An extra 150 lbs 6-7" above your roof line certainly changes handling characteristics both on and off-road and it compromises it most in off-camber and high-speed maneuver situations, clearance both for overhead on the trail and in regards to garages is an issue as well. Reduced fuel economy/wind drag-Some are better than others in this area but regardless you can expect a reduction in MPG and added wind noise. Rack space-That $1200+ roof rack you bought to carry your $3K+ RTT no longer has room for your MaxTrax, cases, Rotopax, etc.

Ground tent-You still have to set it up, break it down, carry around all of that gear broken down which takes up a lot of extra space. OZ-Tent for example is a fine product but they are huge and heavy even when packed and that has to have a place to ride which compromises a lot of space on your rack. Adding an extra 15-30 minutes to setup/breakdown my camp isn't something I want to mess with every single day. Cots are nice and keep you off the ground (misses hates sleeping on the ground) but again it's another bulky item added to your cargo that needs to stored and setup. The biggest benefit is that it doesn't compromise the mobility of your vehicle when setup.

Off-road trailer-Expensive, expensive, expensive. They introduce an entirely new liability which is towing. Added spares, added weight, added responsibility both on and off-road. Some are setup and ready to sleep simply by opening a door and others still require setup time. They change where you can go, how long it takes you to travel, your fuel economy is reduced, and it adds complexity to the trail and how you attack that trail. You can set it up and then leave camp not compromising your vehicle when in use.

Interior sleep platform-Takes up a lot of space only to provide you a small amount of sleeping space. Requires completely altering your interior layout in favor of providing one added benefit (lose seats and cargo space). Sleep systems are few and far between and usually require you to buy pricey one-off systems or you have to build your own. Sleeping space provided usually is small and still needs to be converted and setup and broken down each night/morning and you still have to store your bedding somewhere as well. No added exterior weight or size keeps you streamlined and stealthy.

FWC, AT Habitat, off-road trailer, sleep system, ground tent, hammock, we've tried them all over the past few years and they all have their shortcomings and their merits. Ground tents are always going to be the cheapest and the most versatile but of all of the options out there they have the most setup and break down time associated and will take up a lot of space when stowed. When camping solo I definitely prefer to sleep inside of my vehicle, but it's definitely not as ideal when the misses comes along. I had the highest hopes for the off-road trailer and it ended up being the one I liked the least, too many drawbacks IMHO. If you have a truck it's hard to beat the benefits of a FWC or AT/GFC but of course they present their own added compromises as well and lets not even mention the cost haha.

If my GX were a dedicated weekend travel/camp vehicle then I wouldn't be as opposed to the idea of a hard shell RTT as long as it fit somewhere covered/enclosed when not in use. I don't want to mess with removing the RTT and storing it when not in use and there's no way I am going to daily it with that on thing top. The GX is more of an overland vehicle (man I hate that term lol) so you're right that the COG and clearance aren't as much of an issue since you're likely not tackling any super aggressive trails but it still isn't my favorite. I haven't figured it out yet with the GX and I am not sure which direction I am going to go but I am leaning towards the Goose Gear sleep platform (whenever that ever comes to market). Until then, I will likely sleep inside via my makeshift layout or I will drag along a ground tent.

Well done!
The only option I have not done yet has been any type of trailer. I'd like to buy/build an adventure trailer to my own spec's sometime in the future. I'll put my RTT on the trailer when that happens, probably when my daughter moves out and I can get my garage back. But presently my wife and I love out RTT. It's comfy, dry and quick up/down setup.

BTW, you lost me to what FWC, AT/GFC mean.