NeedLights.com - |Able 2 Osram Copilot Map Lights
They have the same light less $$ and free shipping
Expedition Tips & Tricks
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NeedLights.com - |Able 2 Osram Copilot Map Lights
They have the same light less $$ and free shipping
Some things I've learned:
•Axe fits below the folded rear seat and can be pulled out from the rear door.
•Bring a plastic table cloth- park service tables can be scary now & then and it spreads out on the ground for lunch too.
•Bring a dust brush.
•Oil funnel and extra head lamp (HJ60) fit in the engine compartment securely- wrap the lamp in bubble wrap and it fits in front of the hood spring on the left side.
•Map light mounts nicely on the left side of the Tuffy box as does a small extinguisher.
•Get rid of the carpet in the back before it is destroyed, an inevitability for me. I replaced it with rubber matting, tail gate too.
•Solar power a third battery (again HJ60) rather than drain the truck for accessories when parked. I strap the panel on top of the pile of surfboards on the rack while camping.
•I carry a tent and a folding foam futon, as well as a backpacking pad & tarp. Sleep anywhere as conditions permit- in the truck, in the tent far from the truck and under the stars where ever. The inflatable pad makes a good place to lay and read or sit on cold ground.
•The thin nylon cutting boards from REI are great. Generally don't plug REI but I haven't seen them anywhere else.
•Hi-lift fits nicely behind an ARB bull bar with just a stand-off & two bolts mounted to the existing lighting brackets. Keep it in the back day to day to keep it out of the rain, the mount kit Hi-lift makes fits the jack nicely on the left side in the rear.
•Don't forget the storage in the rear quarter panel- loose the Toyota jack and fill it with parts, recovery kit, flares. (on left side- right is all filled up w/ fuel neck, etc. Also I carry tow straps in a sealed rubber bag on top of the under body spare. All that stuff is always with the truck even when it looks empty, an important consideration in the marginal part of town I live and work in....
•A 3/4" diameter stud with a padlock hole at the end welded to the body allows a security box to be mounted in the area behind the right wheel well. Drill a hole in your box, slide it over the stud and padlock. I leave cameras, laptop, power tools in the box with no concerns for smash & grabs.
•Easily accessible napkins are never remiss in the cab! (if you eat and drive as messily as I do.)
•How did we do it with cassettes? the Ipod is a godsend for music nerds.
•The Coleman white gas/ unleaded lantern & stove combo is unbeatable. I carry my back packing stove as well for hot breakfast in the truck on the mornings when the weather is crap. Sets up nicely on the lock box listed above.
•Screw in snaps above the windows are a great way to hang and remove curtains when sleeping in the back- four curtains attach in 2 seconds. The map light on the Tuffy box spins around to read in bed with and it is as comfortable as home w/o the cat walking on my face.
Drawers would be nice but I am loath to give up the headroom in the cargo area, going to look into removing the rear seat as a location for drawers that pull out from the rear doors... The roof top tent is cool but sort of ostentatious.
Which leads me to the big question for me of late. I scuttled a Baja surf trip over the Xmas holiday due to the reports of violent car-jackings (particularly targeted against surfers and fishermen- I would have fit both categories and would have been traveling alone) and warnings that 'high profile' trucks were the ones targeted. My truck isn't outrageous but it looks like a target- '87 silver and black in nearly perfect exterior shape, ARB bumper, snorkel (I bought it that way, I am a pretty conservative water crosser and will likely never use its advantage- it seems like a real attention getter based on the panhandler comments I get in SF), soon a rear bumper for jerry cans. You get the idea. At home it gets attention because it is older, in Mexico it would get attention because I am comparatively rich and it is an advertisement for that. Has anyone heard anything good about Baja's return to comparative law and order (I know it never was perfect) and how the hell do you blend in anywhere with a Landcruiser with CA plates? Let alone one that is outfitted and laden with surf boards? (with a solar panel on top!). The anonymous white van is a winner on this but not really me- I hate driving vans, nor are they typically diesel.
Funny how at home I live in one of the worst parts of SF and don't worry too much (home is a fortress and I know the streets), traveling in the US I usually have a shotgun for skeet shooting/ hunting which gives me piece of mind (and once saved me from being fired upon on BLM lease land in New Mexico but that's another story). In Mexico I have had no worries traveling in a rental car- go ahead, take it! but with my truck across the border and the recent upheaval, I was for the first time ever, cautious about traveling. is this maturity, prudence or silly?
Maybe this is becoming another thread- move it if necessary by all means,
Jeff
•Axe fits below the folded rear seat and can be pulled out from the rear door.
•Bring a plastic table cloth- park service tables can be scary now & then and it spreads out on the ground for lunch too.
•Bring a dust brush.
•Oil funnel and extra head lamp (HJ60) fit in the engine compartment securely- wrap the lamp in bubble wrap and it fits in front of the hood spring on the left side.
•Map light mounts nicely on the left side of the Tuffy box as does a small extinguisher.
•Get rid of the carpet in the back before it is destroyed, an inevitability for me. I replaced it with rubber matting, tail gate too.
•Solar power a third battery (again HJ60) rather than drain the truck for accessories when parked. I strap the panel on top of the pile of surfboards on the rack while camping.
•I carry a tent and a folding foam futon, as well as a backpacking pad & tarp. Sleep anywhere as conditions permit- in the truck, in the tent far from the truck and under the stars where ever. The inflatable pad makes a good place to lay and read or sit on cold ground.
•The thin nylon cutting boards from REI are great. Generally don't plug REI but I haven't seen them anywhere else.
•Hi-lift fits nicely behind an ARB bull bar with just a stand-off & two bolts mounted to the existing lighting brackets. Keep it in the back day to day to keep it out of the rain, the mount kit Hi-lift makes fits the jack nicely on the left side in the rear.
•Don't forget the storage in the rear quarter panel- loose the Toyota jack and fill it with parts, recovery kit, flares. (on left side- right is all filled up w/ fuel neck, etc. Also I carry tow straps in a sealed rubber bag on top of the under body spare. All that stuff is always with the truck even when it looks empty, an important consideration in the marginal part of town I live and work in....
•A 3/4" diameter stud with a padlock hole at the end welded to the body allows a security box to be mounted in the area behind the right wheel well. Drill a hole in your box, slide it over the stud and padlock. I leave cameras, laptop, power tools in the box with no concerns for smash & grabs.
•Easily accessible napkins are never remiss in the cab! (if you eat and drive as messily as I do.)
•How did we do it with cassettes? the Ipod is a godsend for music nerds.
•The Coleman white gas/ unleaded lantern & stove combo is unbeatable. I carry my back packing stove as well for hot breakfast in the truck on the mornings when the weather is crap. Sets up nicely on the lock box listed above.
•Screw in snaps above the windows are a great way to hang and remove curtains when sleeping in the back- four curtains attach in 2 seconds. The map light on the Tuffy box spins around to read in bed with and it is as comfortable as home w/o the cat walking on my face.
Drawers would be nice but I am loath to give up the headroom in the cargo area, going to look into removing the rear seat as a location for drawers that pull out from the rear doors... The roof top tent is cool but sort of ostentatious.
Which leads me to the big question for me of late. I scuttled a Baja surf trip over the Xmas holiday due to the reports of violent car-jackings (particularly targeted against surfers and fishermen- I would have fit both categories and would have been traveling alone) and warnings that 'high profile' trucks were the ones targeted. My truck isn't outrageous but it looks like a target- '87 silver and black in nearly perfect exterior shape, ARB bumper, snorkel (I bought it that way, I am a pretty conservative water crosser and will likely never use its advantage- it seems like a real attention getter based on the panhandler comments I get in SF), soon a rear bumper for jerry cans. You get the idea. At home it gets attention because it is older, in Mexico it would get attention because I am comparatively rich and it is an advertisement for that. Has anyone heard anything good about Baja's return to comparative law and order (I know it never was perfect) and how the hell do you blend in anywhere with a Landcruiser with CA plates? Let alone one that is outfitted and laden with surf boards? (with a solar panel on top!). The anonymous white van is a winner on this but not really me- I hate driving vans, nor are they typically diesel.
Funny how at home I live in one of the worst parts of SF and don't worry too much (home is a fortress and I know the streets), traveling in the US I usually have a shotgun for skeet shooting/ hunting which gives me piece of mind (and once saved me from being fired upon on BLM lease land in New Mexico but that's another story). In Mexico I have had no worries traveling in a rental car- go ahead, take it! but with my truck across the border and the recent upheaval, I was for the first time ever, cautious about traveling. is this maturity, prudence or silly?
Maybe this is becoming another thread- move it if necessary by all means,
Jeff
here is one thing you may want to do on an exped trip when leaving if a newish shiny car: wet the truck and throw dirt on it, not major mud, more like a lot of dust / dirt so it doesn't attract attention and does no longer look shiny and new. That may help you avoid attracting attention or being targeted in the beginning, before your truck collects honest dust.
Excellent web wheeling tip
must be, if you say so...
here is another one from my web wheeling in Mexico (oh wait, that was before the web existed, never mind....
): I added one of these inline transparent cheapo fuel filter so I could catch all the gunk in the side-of-the-road-barrel-gas before it did havoc on the fuel system, and I'd carry a couple spares.added: and you'd also take something like a chamois or a clean cloth to put in the funnel when pouring, of course.
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sandcruiser
....back in the saddle again....
if you really want to blend in.... forget the water & dust trick.
use rocks the size of your fist. throw 'em hard.
because any truck that has been in baja more than a few weeks has certainly got some serious dents/scratches on it.
An alternative approach that I was told is common in Venezuela is to paint your truck some CRAZY color scheme.... yellow/green zebra or something similar. Then paint your license plate number in BIG letters across the roof or hood.
Seriously.
Apparently the idea is to make the truck so unique that if someone carjacks you, they've got no chance of blending in. of course, that assumes that A) you can get to the federales to tell them and B) they actually look for the truck!
use rocks the size of your fist. throw 'em hard.
because any truck that has been in baja more than a few weeks has certainly got some serious dents/scratches on it.
An alternative approach that I was told is common in Venezuela is to paint your truck some CRAZY color scheme.... yellow/green zebra or something similar. Then paint your license plate number in BIG letters across the roof or hood.
Seriously.
Apparently the idea is to make the truck so unique that if someone carjacks you, they've got no chance of blending in. of course, that assumes that A) you can get to the federales to tell them and B) they actually look for the truck!
now that would be awesome, paint the plate nuber on your roof... just like the coppers here in the states lololol take it a step further we could do nascar numbers on our roofs !!!!!!!!!!lololo
might attract the wrong kind of attention, stateside, though...
if one is really worried about being carjacked (not a ridiculous notion in some countries evidently), seems like a good way to do it is to put a delay stop on the fuel system. When I was touring Mexico I had rigged a hidden kill switch (grounding the distributor). Works great to prevent unattended theft but the problem with that is if you're highjacked (not common then, more now) and they can't start it, they'll do a number on you until you tell them where the switch is. If you have some sort of relay on the fuel system, conceivably you could make it so they can drive away and then it stops a few miles away, and hopefully will abandon the vehicle while you skedaddle....
bah, a few pacificos on the beach and you can forget all these silly worries...
alia176
SILVER Star
shame we can't sneak in gubs...i'm naked w/o mine in a place like Baja.
Nobody has mentioned tires! I carry 2 spares on the 40's as well as a can of fix-a-flat AND plugs, and had to use all of them on a trip not so far from home.
For extra storage, I have converted two spare tire Jerry can holders to work with military ammo cans gives me an extra several stash spots easily configured to lock. Plenty of room for laptops etc AND when you lock them the spares cannot be stolen either.
Water and gas, can't get enough if you're really outback. Carry all you can, but concentrate on how to use less. Beer won't help keep the dog hydrated -- or you either.
For extra storage, I have converted two spare tire Jerry can holders to work with military ammo cans gives me an extra several stash spots easily configured to lock. Plenty of room for laptops etc AND when you lock them the spares cannot be stolen either.
Water and gas, can't get enough if you're really outback. Carry all you can, but concentrate on how to use less. Beer won't help keep the dog hydrated -- or you either.
Nice Tip on the transparent fuel filter...Have a pic or can you be more specific of where you installed it? Once, during a marathon drive back from a surf trip to Mainland Mexico, our Nissan Truck started loosing power around Sinaloa, sputtering around until we finally could no longer maintain safe speeds on the highway....luckily we had a spare fuel filter and it was the first thing we changed...that solved our problem and soon got back on the road and home safely....
here is another one from my web wheeling in Mexico (oh wait, that was before the web existed, never mind....
added: and you'd also take something like a chamois or a clean cloth to put in the funnel when pouring, of course.
I don't remember, I just put it in line near the tank someplace.
Another thing to keep in mind for real far away expeditions is that if you are doing this with a gas engine (a diesel would be far better IMHO) is that you may also have to deal with leaded gas (and perhaps nozzle issues too? how big are they in South America?). Which could mean your nice $2000 cats for your late cruiser are gonna get poisoned. Removing the cats would take care of that but then you'd have to deal with O2 sensors issues...
As an aside, when I was tooling around MX, I was running 2 tanks. I'd only fill one up with local gas and hoard the good high octane stuff from the US on the bigger tank. So every time I'd go up a hill that would cause pinging with the poor local gas, I'd switch to the US stuff until the top. Amazingly, I even made it back with some left, it was a big tank. Nowadays, of course, not a major issue any more in MX. In Baja, I think just about all the gas comes from US refineries anyway. For other countries, maybe some octane booster would do the trick.
Another thing to keep in mind for real far away expeditions is that if you are doing this with a gas engine (a diesel would be far better IMHO) is that you may also have to deal with leaded gas (and perhaps nozzle issues too? how big are they in South America?). Which could mean your nice $2000 cats for your late cruiser are gonna get poisoned. Removing the cats would take care of that but then you'd have to deal with O2 sensors issues...
As an aside, when I was tooling around MX, I was running 2 tanks. I'd only fill one up with local gas and hoard the good high octane stuff from the US on the bigger tank. So every time I'd go up a hill that would cause pinging with the poor local gas, I'd switch to the US stuff until the top. Amazingly, I even made it back with some left, it was a big tank. Nowadays, of course, not a major issue any more in MX. In Baja, I think just about all the gas comes from US refineries anyway. For other countries, maybe some octane booster would do the trick.
C6H12O6
SILVER Star
I can't remember if it was earlier in this thread or not, but...
Take along a bottle or two of Heat fuel additive. It does a great job of getting rid of water in the fuel if you are somewhere with suspect fuel tanks or 55gal drums on the roadside.
Another cool, hidden storage spot on the 80 series: Remove the back panel of the front seats. Cavernous inside and totally hidden from view when you snap the panel back on. No tools needed.
GPS is great, but also have paper maps and a compass and know how to use them. If you are really lost, GPS probably won't have the battery life to get you all the way out if the truck is no longer running.
I take my little Sweetwater Guardian water filter system on just about every trip. That baby will filter sewer water and make it safe to drink, weighs nothing, and takes up almost no room.
The new JetBoil system is also a winner for small size, light weight, and just the right amount of heat for a round of coffee in the morning, some hot soup, or to sanitize a little drinking water. Boils in 60 seconds. Awesome.
Take along a bottle or two of Heat fuel additive. It does a great job of getting rid of water in the fuel if you are somewhere with suspect fuel tanks or 55gal drums on the roadside.
Another cool, hidden storage spot on the 80 series: Remove the back panel of the front seats. Cavernous inside and totally hidden from view when you snap the panel back on. No tools needed.
GPS is great, but also have paper maps and a compass and know how to use them. If you are really lost, GPS probably won't have the battery life to get you all the way out if the truck is no longer running.
I take my little Sweetwater Guardian water filter system on just about every trip. That baby will filter sewer water and make it safe to drink, weighs nothing, and takes up almost no room.
The new JetBoil system is also a winner for small size, light weight, and just the right amount of heat for a round of coffee in the morning, some hot soup, or to sanitize a little drinking water. Boils in 60 seconds. Awesome.
C6H12O6
SILVER Star
My wife is in the newspaper biz and when she was in college, they told her never to wash the car when reporting in foreign countries. Fingerprints/handprints/smudges show up better on dirty rigs to let you know if people were climbing under the car to plant bombs, cut fuel lines, etc.
ah, I got to check this back seat idea, sounds great!
electronics wise, when I go on long trips I take a variable voltage source for the cig lighter, a converter, a battery charger, and a bunch of rechargeable batteries. Plus a USB cable for portable GPSes that can use it.
C6H12O6
SILVER Star
Yeah, a little hardcore, but an investigative journalist working in the Middle East might need to watch out. Not sure if you'd have to worry about that stateside, or even in Central/South America, but if I save one life, my work is done here.
<stepping off sanctimonious soapbox>
Seriously, I walked out to my dirty truck the other day and noticed a very fresh fingerprint I knew wasn't mine on a door I don't use. Kinda made me wonder who was trying to do what.
<stepping off sanctimonious soapbox>
Seriously, I walked out to my dirty truck the other day and noticed a very fresh fingerprint I knew wasn't mine on a door I don't use. Kinda made me wonder who was trying to do what.
cruiser_guy
Out of Africa / North Africa
Definitely a good idea but in Central America and Mexico there are llanteras and pinchazos on almost every street corner so unless you are really remote there's probably someone close by to fix your tire.
Here in Guatemala that is VERY common in cars and guess what??? ANYTIME someone is hijacked (not an uncommon occurance) they DEMAND that the drive at least come along to show where the switch is!
As much as I'd hate to loose my truck I think I'd hate to loose my life more! I certainly would not be interested in accompanying a hijacker.
I have knowledge of one fellow, a spouse of a teacher here who was shot in the leg for NOT accompanying the hijackers!
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sandcruiser
....back in the saddle again....
There is nowhere in Central America where they sell leaded fuel.
Not sure about further south. Octane problems are unlikely if you have a stock 40 or 60. The only nozzle issues we've encountered are at diesel pumps designed for big-rigs, they have a higher-flow, larger diameter nozzle. The rest (and there were many) have been just fine.
Another tip for suspect, roadside fuel: fill it into your jerry can(s) first. Then you can let it settle and pour slowly into your main fuel tank. There is a filter made by (racor?) that is aimed at the boating market. Basically just a funnel, that separates fuel/water. Never used it, but did see someone else use it and it seems to have worked.
bpenn1980
SILVER Star
Iodine tablets work great well. Doesnt taste very nice, but one little bottle holds enough iodine to purify a lot of water, days and days worth. Plus there's no moving parts to break or service. Used iodine a lot when I'd go climbing in the sierra.
One of the draw backs I can think of as opposed to a mechanical pump/filter: if the water source is very small (pool, trickle, etc) the tube for the mechanical pump may be able to suck up water that you wouldnt otherwise be able to collect in a bottle
