gaijin
GOLD Star
Nice find!
Builds indycole's 2016 200 Series Build and Retrospective (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter indycole
- Start date
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Nice find!
Eezi-Awn 2000 Series Awning
I received the Eezi-Awn 2000 Series 2.5m awning from Paul at Equipt1 just a few days before our long-weekend trip of meandering around the Eastern Sierra and Death Valley. Due to the width of the James Baroud tent, I ended up needing to fabricate my own brackets to mount the awning in conjunction with the Eezi-Awn mounts. It was a good excuse to use the mill, welder, and powder coating equipment at TechShop in San Jose before it closes at the end of the month.
I decided on the Eezi-Awn based on a number of factors. Most importantly, it came in blackI also liked the ease of setup (not that other awnings I've used -- Rhino Rack and ARB have been that difficult), the hard shell case, and the optional awning walls that are compact from a storage scenario and easy to set up.
We used the awning at Eureka Sand Dunes last Saturday and also deployed it for some general relaxation along other parts of the Eastern Sierra (Mammoth, Alabama Hills). It did not disappoint.
Sources: Equipt1
Lessons
- I have around eight inches between the bottom of the James Baroud Tent and the top of the rear passenger door. I wanted to keep the tent centered on the roof which means the awning needs to be tucked-in below the tent. I also decided to fabricate my mounts prior to receiving the awning primarily to have the mounts ready for the awning's arrival since we had a trip planned. I used some measurements from Equipt's website as rough inputs to designing my custom mounts. Everything went as planned except for two things -- 1.) the Eezi-Awn latches open upward, requiring an extra 1.5-2 inches than I'd planned, and 2.) the Eezi-Awn mounting brackets extended too far down, causing a collision with the door. What were the implications? I ended up not mounting the awning exactly as planned, but trimmed the Eezi-Awn brackets in the mill to eliminate the collision with the door. Door clearance is no longer a problem, though I now have to manually lift the awning case if I want to open the passenger side doors while the awning is deployed. Not a huge deal, but not exactly perfect, either. There's no way to fix this without mounting the latches somewhere else on the awning.
- We're thinking of replacing our shower/changing room tent with the RecVee awning walls.
Awning brackets pre sandblasting and powder coat
Awning deployed
Wife's LC shirt (and view of the awning while closed)
Easy driving through Alabama Hills
We stayed at a hotel in Folsom on the way home and woke up to this. All our valuables were inside the hotel and the drawers were locked. They didn't take anything... looks like they just pulled the dog's blanket on the floor up and were disappointed to only find a shovel.
GVWR Concerns
On a whim, we stopped by a truck scale on the way home (no pun intended). The truck weighed in at 3360 lbs on the front axle and 4000 lbs on the rear for a total of 7360 lbs -- a mere 25 pounds less than our GVWR. Further, that was without us in the vehicle, a half tank of gas, and only camping supplies and luggage for a 4-day trip. For 1-2 week trips it's not unusual to have another 500 lbs between people, luggage, firewood, fuel jerry cans, and water... and we're relatively light/organized packers.
How concerned should I be? Does my aftermarket suspension buy me any extra weight capacity? I will say that handling has not been a problem at all on or off road (especially compared to my old Yukon when loaded down). I've gone through the tire pressure exercise using the process that @gaijin has graciously explained in other threads, and by my calculations the tire pressure should be 54 psi cold based on an incramental 1780 lbs over the stock load -- yikes. I'm currently running at 46 psi cold based on a prior weight estimate before visiting the scale.
Hidden Winch Mount
My next project is determining the feasibility of making my own hidden winch mount. I know that there are some downsides to removing the factory crash bar though I suspect that'd be the case with any aftermarket bumper aside from the ARB. I simply desire the peace of mind of a winch without the downsides of a full front bumper (though I'm aware of the safety benefits). Some ideas for the winch mount:
* Once piece welded out of all 1/4 flat stock aside from the mounting brackets
* I'd consider borrowing the clevis nut and threaded rod idea that both ARB and TJM use for a bit of extra support
* Fit at least a 9.5 or 10k winch
* Still provide requisite support for front bumper (not sure what this means as I haven't popped off my bumper yet)
* Attach to ARB skid plate
* Considering integrated, shielded toe hooks but I wouldn't want to run the front member from a bad tow... this may not be a good idea
* Elevated winch mounting plate with recessed bolts so that the winch bolts aren't scraped/broken while wheeling
I've committed to at least designing something but I don't know if this is actually something I'll take on.
Hi there, love your build! After reading your opinions on your wheels and tires I have to say the width really looks better than stock wheels and tires.
On another note, this trip to the Sierra's is amazing!! My family and I are taking a trip to Lake Tahoe this summer and I'd love to check out this area. Could you give some details as to how you arrived in this area?
Thanks,
Matt
indycole
GOLD Star
- Thread starter
- #46
Thanks! The options in the Sierras are truly limitless. You could spend a lifetime exploring the area. Tahoe is great for a day, a weekend, a week, or a month (or longer!). From an offroad perspective, check out these books if you haven't already:
- Guide to California Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails: Charles A. Wells, Matt Peterson, Shelley Mayer: 9781934838075
- California Desert Byways: 68 of California's Best Backcountry Drives: Tony Huegel: 9780899974132
- Sierra Nevada Byways: 51 of the Sierra Nevada's Best Backcountry Drives (Backcountry Byways): Tony Huegel: 0719609974734
Feel free to hit me up with any specific questions. The California forum on Expedition Portal also has a lot of good ideas for Sierra Travel.
In this past trip, we spent a couple nights around Death Valley/Lone Pine, some time around Mammoth, and South Lake Tahoe. We've luckily been able to travel extensively throughout the region and have a blast every time we go.
indycole
GOLD Star
- Thread starter
- #48
Thanks for the comments on GVWR, @Markuson. It looks like I can safely upgrade to the 2023 OME springs (I have the medium now) and I should be in decent shape.
It is going to impact my build plans... I'm trying to envision a scenario where I don't add the weight of front and rear bumpers. The hidden winch mount is a start. I love the front bumper bottom on the Tacoma that @WhiteVX posted. It reminds me of some of Costa Fabrications work.
It is going to impact my build plans... I'm trying to envision a scenario where I don't add the weight of front and rear bumpers. The hidden winch mount is a start. I love the front bumper bottom on the Tacoma that @WhiteVX posted. It reminds me of some of Costa Fabrications work.
I noticed your X-Jack. I have one as well after getting stuck in the snow (which is also why I always carry a real shovel.) I have used the X-Jack once - to change a tire on my LR4. Funny thing was that it took me a moment (OK, more than a moment) to remember that the LR4 is dual exhaust and I had to plug the other pipe! I, too, have decided not to go with a Hi Lift (though I did buy one and have all the accessories). I'd rather carry the X-Jack, a couple blocks of wood and maybe an extra bottle jack. Those don't help me in true recovery situations but I don't plan to be in areas where that is needed unless I'm with a group.
One question. You went with a kinetic tow rope. I have an ARB snatch strap. Should I have both? I'm still a bit confused about the purpose and appropriate use of each. The conversations I have looked at online quickly dove into lots of discussions and arguments about physics.
Markuson
SILVER Star
Important difference. A tow rope is not designed to stretch...where a snatch strap is. Snatch straps are used to get a bit of a running start with the two vehicle in order to use that energy to "snatch" the vehicle from it's most stuck position. To do this without risking serious damage from too much immediate force, you use a snatch strap's somewhat stretchy design, which lets you still apply the full force of the gentle running start, but do so without snapping something. You do NOT want to do a snatch with a tow rope!
Tow ropes don't need to stretch, because you are just towing.
Here's a hilariously HORRIBLE example of what NOT to do (hint...don't FLOOR IT when snatching, as this guy claims is "what you do..." haha... Check this out for a laugh (poor guy!)... Plus... I think this was a tow rope or strap. But even with a snatch straps this guy was doomed.
Skip to 1:25 Bwahahahahaha!!
I could spend an entire day on Youtube watching videos of recoveries gone wrong. Here is one of my favorites:
ASFIR 4x4 makes a hidden winch mount, p/n 558021, that fits 2008-2014 when I contacted them. Not sure of the frame/crossmember differences in the 2015, but I'm sure with a little bit of fab you could make it work. This is the same mount JustDifferentials used in their "TRD Pro 200" Build.
They're based out of Israel and cost plus shipping to San Diego was a total of $511 when I made my inquiry.
Hope this helps.
They're based out of Israel and cost plus shipping to San Diego was a total of $511 when I made my inquiry.
Hope this helps.
indycole
GOLD Star
- Thread starter
- #54
Thanks for the suggestion. I've heard mixed reviews on whether the Asfir hidden winch mount will fit. I took apart my front end to look into making something myself but it turned out to be a bigger project than I wanted given the fact that the bumper cover uses some mounting points on the crash bar.
indycole
GOLD Star
- Thread starter
- #55
Upcoming Plans
Lately, I've been trying to balance some competing forces: vehicle weight vs. storage capacity vs. recovery ability vs. keeping stock components vs. fuel economy. A front bumper would provide more protection recovery ability, but would hurt my fuel economy and add unwanted weight. Obviously, these are not new tradeoffs in our world but this is the first time that I've gone over GVWR with a vehicle.
Managing GVWR
I took some more detailed weight measurements. My curb weight is 5816 lbs and the stock GVWR is 7385. My vehicle weighs 7727 lbs when fully loaded for a 1-2 week camping trip. That's 342 lbs above GVWR. Even without our trip gear, the vehicle weighs 7332 lbs which is only 53 lbs below GVWR.
The plan to manage the GVWR includes running the tires a higher pressure (54 psi) and a spring upgrade. I'm moving up to the OME 2724 springs which is a constant load spring 880 lb spring. I trust the frame, brakes, engine, and other suspension components will be in pretty good shape with the additional weight. The majority of the added weight is on the rear axle so I'm only upgrading springs in the back (the front springs are OME 2702).
Organizing Storage
We adopted a large dog last fall. Until then, we had relied on the second row area for storage. Well, now that entire area where the dog hangs out so storage space is at a premium. The rear cargo area is our primary storage spot since a.) we have a hard shell RTT so there's not much that can go upstairs, b.) we have a stock rear bumper, and c.) trailers are cool but I don't have a place to store one and also don't need another offroad toy to pour money into. I do have a couple hitch-mounted storage devices (Curt basket and a Stowaway) but I really only use those for light duty trips.
In order to take advantage of as much cargo space as possible atop our drawers, I've decided to replace our Frontrunner boxes with a couple Alu-boxes with Goose Gear tops so that they can double as seats or step stools. With the new boxes, we should have 162 liters of gear storage, the ARB fridge, 1-2 water cans, 1 jerry can, and the Zodi Extreme on top of the drawers. I understand the tradeoffs of carrying fuel inside but I keep the gaskets fresh, use the fuel as quickly as I can, and pay attention to venting it if needed.
In terms of the "difficult to store" things, there are only two items left: firewood and trash. We generally purchase firewood as close to the destination as possible, so in that case the dog can sacrifice half of the rear seat for the relatively short period of time. We get by with small fires. For trash, I'm going to experiment with using a Gobi ladder as a frame for the Trasharoo. Clearly, that will create a new problem with opening the tailgate while the Trasharoo is full but we'll see how it goes. The Gobi ladder should arrive in a few weeks.
Lockers before Winch
Well, I may be contradicting some earlier posts, but I've decided to install front and rear Eaton/Harrop electric lockers. I'm also going to have the truck re-geared to 4.88 during the locker installation. I know it's more common to get a winch before lockers but I don't see a way to do that without getting a proper front bumper. Even if a hidden winch mount like the Asfir would fit, I'm not sure the 9500 lb winch would be sufficient given the weight of the vehicle. I also can't imagine the hit I'd take on the performance/fuel-economy side due the weight of the winch and front bumper without doing the regear. Then, if I'm doing the regear, why not add lockers at the same time?
I just wanted to share a bit of the thought process. Conclusion: I'm going to see how I do with the regear and lockers.
Recent Interior Additions
I added a Proclip vent mount for my cell phone, a permanent ram mount for an iPad mini with Bad Elf GPS, and a modified a Ram mounting plate to hold my Yaesu 8800 faceplate and mic mount. Finally, inspired by @Markuson and @gaijin, I moved my fire extinguisher from the ARB drawer to the front seat. The ham radio faceplate mount is connected to a Ram tough wedge.
Lately, I've been trying to balance some competing forces: vehicle weight vs. storage capacity vs. recovery ability vs. keeping stock components vs. fuel economy. A front bumper would provide more protection recovery ability, but would hurt my fuel economy and add unwanted weight. Obviously, these are not new tradeoffs in our world but this is the first time that I've gone over GVWR with a vehicle.
Managing GVWR
I took some more detailed weight measurements. My curb weight is 5816 lbs and the stock GVWR is 7385. My vehicle weighs 7727 lbs when fully loaded for a 1-2 week camping trip. That's 342 lbs above GVWR. Even without our trip gear, the vehicle weighs 7332 lbs which is only 53 lbs below GVWR.
The plan to manage the GVWR includes running the tires a higher pressure (54 psi) and a spring upgrade. I'm moving up to the OME 2724 springs which is a constant load spring 880 lb spring. I trust the frame, brakes, engine, and other suspension components will be in pretty good shape with the additional weight. The majority of the added weight is on the rear axle so I'm only upgrading springs in the back (the front springs are OME 2702).
Organizing Storage
We adopted a large dog last fall. Until then, we had relied on the second row area for storage. Well, now that entire area where the dog hangs out so storage space is at a premium. The rear cargo area is our primary storage spot since a.) we have a hard shell RTT so there's not much that can go upstairs, b.) we have a stock rear bumper, and c.) trailers are cool but I don't have a place to store one and also don't need another offroad toy to pour money into. I do have a couple hitch-mounted storage devices (Curt basket and a Stowaway) but I really only use those for light duty trips.
In order to take advantage of as much cargo space as possible atop our drawers, I've decided to replace our Frontrunner boxes with a couple Alu-boxes with Goose Gear tops so that they can double as seats or step stools. With the new boxes, we should have 162 liters of gear storage, the ARB fridge, 1-2 water cans, 1 jerry can, and the Zodi Extreme on top of the drawers. I understand the tradeoffs of carrying fuel inside but I keep the gaskets fresh, use the fuel as quickly as I can, and pay attention to venting it if needed.
In terms of the "difficult to store" things, there are only two items left: firewood and trash. We generally purchase firewood as close to the destination as possible, so in that case the dog can sacrifice half of the rear seat for the relatively short period of time. We get by with small fires. For trash, I'm going to experiment with using a Gobi ladder as a frame for the Trasharoo. Clearly, that will create a new problem with opening the tailgate while the Trasharoo is full but we'll see how it goes. The Gobi ladder should arrive in a few weeks.
Lockers before Winch
Well, I may be contradicting some earlier posts, but I've decided to install front and rear Eaton/Harrop electric lockers. I'm also going to have the truck re-geared to 4.88 during the locker installation. I know it's more common to get a winch before lockers but I don't see a way to do that without getting a proper front bumper. Even if a hidden winch mount like the Asfir would fit, I'm not sure the 9500 lb winch would be sufficient given the weight of the vehicle. I also can't imagine the hit I'd take on the performance/fuel-economy side due the weight of the winch and front bumper without doing the regear. Then, if I'm doing the regear, why not add lockers at the same time?
I just wanted to share a bit of the thought process. Conclusion: I'm going to see how I do with the regear and lockers.
Recent Interior Additions
I added a Proclip vent mount for my cell phone, a permanent ram mount for an iPad mini with Bad Elf GPS, and a modified a Ram mounting plate to hold my Yaesu 8800 faceplate and mic mount. Finally, inspired by @Markuson and @gaijin, I moved my fire extinguisher from the ARB drawer to the front seat. The ham radio faceplate mount is connected to a Ram tough wedge.
Excellent build! Really enjoyed reading about your modifications.
We have a 2013 LC and plan to use it exploring forest roads and camping here in W.PA.
Was unable to determine if you upgraded from the stock front recovery points?
I'm trying to determine if this is a necessary upgrade for my vehicle?
Personally I would like to see this approach on the front of a cruiser, help when you are pushing through scrub and also mounts lights and recovery points
I've been begging Southern Speed SlimLine (SSS) in Louisiana to bring one out for the LC200, but they need one for a week or two to build it...... Unfortunately I am in Atlanta, if I was closer I would do it in a heartbeat.... I was one the first or second to run their original design on the 5th gen 4Runner.
Perhaps someone lives closer and wants to be the guinea pig?
Upgrading to Tundra front recovery points is not necessary, and some would even use metallurgy/physics/engineering properties to argue against such an upgrade. While I myself have the Tundra points, I'm considering swapping out for the ARB version instead (lower drag/point of contact).
I would estimate a majority of folks kept their OEM recovery points - definitely *not* required.
Out of curiosity - what is making you want to switch / upgrade?
