Expedition BJ74 Buildup
- Thread starter lowenbrau
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lowenbrau
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- #62
The drawers are finally in the truck! I still need to make the filler wings for the sides and move the speakers to the front. The are actually a tiny bit wide. I jumped on them and got them to within 1/2" of the floor but no closer. I'll have to pull the carpet off the wheelwels I guess.
Awesome. Looks nice Bruce. I really like the single pull-out drawer. How do the drawers latch closed?
gb
lowenbrau
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- #69
I have some locking paddle latches that I'll add eventually. I'm considering this project done for now. The truck doors keep the drawers closed.
I added the wings today. It went pretty well. Its the first time Ive used European hinges. They are quite simple. I also added a piece of angle iron across the back. I'll connect it to the body and add one to the front when the roof is off for the rollcage. I'll build a headache rack into it then as well. The speakers just happened to fill the holes at the front so I screwed them in place. Works Ok I think.
I added the wings today. It went pretty well. Its the first time Ive used European hinges. They are quite simple. I also added a piece of angle iron across the back. I'll connect it to the body and add one to the front when the roof is off for the rollcage. I'll build a headache rack into it then as well. The speakers just happened to fill the holes at the front so I screwed them in place. Works Ok I think.
I found the pins I use to keep the drawer open when accessing stuff invaluable. When you need parts/tools supplies, more times then not the truck is tilted to the front or back. The drawer can double as a work/cook area so pinning mades life simpler at camp too.
I need to add the same latch to mine.
L brackets are likely a good idea. Some of my tie downs are in that area, so solid top was the order of the day. That space ended up being stuffing storage for me.
How are you going to tie down? The tie downs I routered into the top held up very well, and the load was very secure when loaded/strapped.
Where did you get the indoor/outdoor carpet? I've a few final details to finish on mine, and that is one of them. The marine enamel paint is wearing off on the top where the boxes rest.
gb
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Looks great, I really like the small drawer accessible through the small door!
I'm with Greg, some little pin that keeps them shut, even as a temporary measure, is a good thing. My drawer is always coming open when I don't want it to. I should really do something about that...someday.
Ditto on the tie downs too, really handy.
I'm with Greg, some little pin that keeps them shut, even as a temporary measure, is a good thing. My drawer is always coming open when I don't want it to. I should really do something about that...someday.
Ditto on the tie downs too, really handy.
crushers
post ho
that is REALLY NICE Bruce...funtional attractive and a nie clean install
congrates
congrates
lowenbrau
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- #74
I think I am in agreement on the pins. Where do you suggest I put them? It seems like a long reach to the box when the drawers are out. Hold downs are coming, probably some kind of a rail but I'm waiting to see how the cage looks to see if they can be integrated to it.
The marine carpet is Home Depot. $.99/ft and it is similar in colour to the factory carpet. It has a smoothish back that reacts well to 3M spray glue.
The marine carpet is Home Depot. $.99/ft and it is similar in colour to the factory carpet. It has a smoothish back that reacts well to 3M spray glue.
I used patio door security pins. Not the greatest solution, but it worked. The pins are on each side, just below the top shelf level. I needed two pins as mine is a single drawer. Holes are in three spots on the drawer: closed, middle, fully open. It can be a stretch to put the pins in. Because I have not finished it with a proper latch to hold the drawer closed, the pins were filling that function. Not a good solution, as a little movement between the drawer and the frame = a lot of wear. It does work well at camp or when accessing parts on the trail. Because you have two drawers you may have to look at pins from the top, and a safe place to keep the pins when not in use. Make sure you use a small metal plate on all side of the wood that the pin will drop through. Keeps the hole in the wood from getting larger.
Or, come up with another way to hold the drawer in postion when open. I needed a quick fix to get ready for a trip, and have never revisted the issue since this "temp" solution.
hth's
gb
But you will want it to!
Greetings All. I am here for my bi-annual inspection of Mud. Figured I would confuse and abuse y'all with an unhelpful contribution.
The reason my 74 goes places on a trailer is because it can. I have a trailer and tow rig. In the olden days, I took some odd pride in the streetable nature of my rigs. But other than the pride in driving my ride, that's wear the pleasure ends. The $38,000 'Towing Accessory' is by far and away the best upgrade I've ever made.
For starters, I use the pick-up and trailer all the time. Only occasionally for towing vehicles, but for hauling wood, garbage, stuff, things, more stuff, and other things. Rarely a weekend goes by that I don't have something in the box of the pick-up that would otherwise be making a mess of the interior of a Cruiser, or moving the trailer for some purpose or another. When Loewenbrau needed 6 sheets of 3/4" plywood for his drawers, any one wanna guess how they got from the hardware store to the shop? How did Lumpy Bastards new ride get home from Vancouver? When Agent Orange's pinion nut fell off, how did Ratpuke get home with her truck? I tell you, the tow rig and trailer is the best thing.
But there's a downside. But not many. Here they are...
When towing to the trail, there's the persistent problem of 'where to park?'. When stopping for lunch, you have to park at the far side of the lot, across the street, or a block over. Not a huge inconvenience, but notable. The other issue is where to park when you're wheeling? There's always an answer, but it comes with some risk of theft/vandalism.
The other downside is the limits to the expeditionary nature of Cruising. For example, how do you 'do' Alaska. Franky with a streetable rig, which mine is, it's not a huge problem. When we did Rubicon last year, we dropped the trailers at the end of the trail, and drove the wheelers around to the front of the trail. I reckon that Alaska, Baja, or pretty much anything else you're gonna do in North America is very feasible. Sure, there's those 'here to there never on pavement' trips, but I've never been on one, and don't really plan on it. So, in the real world, there's really not much downside.
Yeah, but what about the time it takes to load/unload. Honestly, I can unload faster than you can air down, and maybe just a little longer than it takes you to air up, I can load. The frustration is that I cannot always load/unload where you have to air down/up (and sometimes I have to air up/down to get to where I need to load/unload)
Yeah, but what about the fuel economy? It's worse. About 1/2 that of driving. But I can go the speed limit, even up hill, and the A/C is so good, I was shivering in my seat with the heated seat turned on whilst speeding through the Nevada Desert with the overhead computer reporting a 42C day. Very nice.
There are other upsides. On-trail behavior is substantially liberated. I remember Moab 2002 when I was a 'drive it to the trail guy', I really didn't want to break a window, as I would have to drive home with a broken window. Many of the lines/obstacles/choices I made were driven by 'I have to drive this machine home, and use it to get to work on Monday'. When you tow, all you have to do is drive the rig back to the trailer. I was surprised by how liberating that perspective is. Although, it is replaced by 'I wonder if someone is enjoying the wheels they've just liberated from tow rig'.
Then there's the safety and reliability of towing. Wheeling rigs don't really perform all that well at 75mph. They're a bit unstable, the wide tires see-saw in the ruts and all sorts of parts tend to seize-up, fall off, come detached, or otherwise fail in manners that may leave you on the side of the road fixing something. Shaker drove the the Rubicon in 2005 indeed. But there was a cabin fire in Lethbridge. A cracked fuel hard line failed and was swapped from TippyR on my trailer to Shaker in Twin Falls, and then we had to properly fix it in Tahoma because Tippy needed it back, we tightened a wheel bearing in Nevada, we bolted a rear calipre back on in Reno, and replaced a heim joint on the rear four link that broke on the trail (and was welded on the trail). My tow rig carried parts and tools to support this little adventure. And it was damned nerve wracking standing on the side of I85 in Reno with Shaker's tire siezed by a loose calipre jammed in the wheel, and Marc lying on the ground on the traffic side trying to make a repair. Next year, Shaker bought a tow rig.
If you're at a point in your life when you can afford and justify the 'Towing Option', do it. You won't look back. You'll not regret it. There are no expeditions left in North America. At best, some long camping trips. All require freeways to get to. Tow.
lowenbrau
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- #77
meh
I'm not convinced. (though I have definitely taken advantage of the Super Dodge)
I figure once a Cruiser becomes a trailer queen its no so much different than an oversized quad. I could see a pickup, quad and snowmobile in my future but I still like to drive my rig to the trail.
BTW can I borrow Swerve to pick up some steel for my cage tomorrow?
I'm not convinced. (though I have definitely taken advantage of the Super Dodge)
I figure once a Cruiser becomes a trailer queen its no so much different than an oversized quad. I could see a pickup, quad and snowmobile in my future but I still like to drive my rig to the trail.
BTW can I borrow Swerve to pick up some steel for my cage tomorrow?
My Super Dodge is your Super Denial.
I'm using it for a dump run. If you help with that, you can use it afterwards.
Peter Straub
Ratpuke
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Bruce, when I called you from Backcountry yesterday afternoon these are some of the Pokiak plastic containers that I was looking at.
Quad Box = 35x15x13
Grub Box = 36x18x18
SCBA/SABA Boxes = 14x14x7.5 & 27x16x10
The containers are light weight, durable and water proof. There is an inner lip that comes up that holds the lid on. An additional strip of weatherproofing along the lip wouldn't hurt for extra weather resistance.
Pokiak Plastics is local. They come in a variety of colours. They might even custom build some containers to specific dimensions...
Here are some pictures.
Quad Box = 35x15x13
Grub Box = 36x18x18
SCBA/SABA Boxes = 14x14x7.5 & 27x16x10
The containers are light weight, durable and water proof. There is an inner lip that comes up that holds the lid on. An additional strip of weatherproofing along the lip wouldn't hurt for extra weather resistance.
Pokiak Plastics is local. They come in a variety of colours. They might even custom build some containers to specific dimensions...
Here are some pictures.
I really Like the rear cargo trays Bruce! I've been planning something similar. My issue is what to do with the fridge. Once it's on top of the deck it more difficult to get into the fridge. I'm undecided as to forgo the larger dwawer and sink in the fridge and make another lift cubbie.
Are you planning a fridge?
Are you planning a fridge?
