Builds indycole's 2016 200 Series Build and Retrospective

[mark71]

I've been doing some minor preparation in advance of a big trip at the end of the month. The current plan involves 4 days in Moab, 5 in Breckenridge for the LCDC event, 4 days in the Dakotas on the way to Glacier, and finally 5-6 days around Glacier before the long drive back to California.

With the trip approaching I'm holding off on any modifications but am looking forward to a rear bumper in late summer or early fall. I've also temporarily removed the James Baroud tent to eliminate some roof weight for the Moab/Breck trips and made room in the cabin for our canvas tent.

Roof with Shovel, Maxtrax, and Traction Jacks. It's nice having a lighter roof setup as my JB Tent + Roof Stuff before was probably 300 lbs.

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My budget Procomp wheels have taken a beating and it was getting hard to keep track of all the scuffs to discern between cosmetic and serious damage. So, I applied Plastidip to all the wheels so now it'll be easier to see new damage. It looks better as well.

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I also did a mini-detail this weekend using clay, wax, and some detail spray from Chemical Brothers.

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Could you share your impressions of your awning? I've been looking at them very hard as a replacement for my FrontRunner after this season.

I've learned the joy of having a roof rack awning and am completely sold. With a RTT, it is a solid combination. I have been very disappointed at how poorly constructed the majority of them are (appear to all be rebadged from same Chinese manufacturer). For $300, you'd think you could get something of better construction...oh well, rant over.

Appreciate your input.

 

[indycole]

Could you share your impressions of your awning? I've been looking at them very hard as a replacement for my FrontRunner after this season.

I've learned the joy of having a roof rack awning and am completely sold. With a RTT, it is a solid combination. I have been very disappointed at how poorly constructed the majority of them are (appear to all be rebadged from same Chinese manufacturer). For $300, you'd think you could get something of better construction...oh well, rant over.

Appreciate your input.

We love the awning. The construction is excellent, it's kept us dry in wet weather, and is a breeze to open/close. There are a few things to be aware of, though:

1.) Deployment requires two people. I'm not sure how one would do it solo given the automatic retraction.
2.) It must be staked down as a small gust could engage the auto-retraction and send the awning careening back into your vehicle.
3.) Once inside the hard case there must be a couple pieces of the awning that aren't completely cinched down. This is something I'm working on solving with some felt tape but in the meantime you may get a consistent low-volume rattle when driving on gravel roads or corrugations. It's not enough to hear it with the windows up but it's clearly noticeable with the windows down.

 

[mark71]

We love the awning. The construction is excellent, it's kept us dry in wet weather, and is a breeze to open/close. There are a few things to be aware of, though:

1.) Deployment requires two people. I'm not sure how one would do it solo given the automatic retraction.
2.) It must be staked down as a small gust could engage the auto-retraction and send the awning careening back into your vehicle.
3.) Once inside the hard case there must be a couple pieces of the awning that aren't completely cinched down. This is something I'm working on solving with some felt tape but in the meantime you may get a consistent low-volume rattle when driving on gravel roads or corrugations. It's not enough to hear it with the windows up but it's clearly noticeable with the windows down.

That's too bad that it still requires two people to open, as that is one of my pet peeves with my current awning. But I am surprised that they didn't install a switch/lock on the retractor mechanism to prevent what you describe. I was really hoping to avoid staking unless storming outside.

Please keep us updated with your experiences during your trip. Sounds like you are going to have a lot of nice places to use it.

 

[indycole]

That's too bad that it still requires two people to open, as that is one of my pet peeves with my current awning. But I am surprised that they didn't install a switch/lock on the retractor mechanism to prevent what you describe. I was really hoping to avoid staking unless storming outside.

Please keep us updated with your experiences during your trip. Sounds like you are going to have a lot of nice places to use it.

Will do. I wouldn't be surprised if there's some kind of solo maneuver for the awning but you'd have to ask @Equipt. There's an automatic lock that engages once the awning is extended but I have not noticed an override.

 

[Climbingnut]

Great build/retrospect thread. I've enjoyed reading it. Just curious, I'm looking at installing front/rear Harrop/Eaton lockers into my 200 GXR later this year. Do you know if those will fit in the current 2016/17 housings? I won't be replacing gears. Additionally, do you have any plans to go to an adjustable shock (BP-51, ICON, Fox, etc) or are you happy with your standard OME setup?

 

[wardharris]

The rear axle housings are different than pre-facelift rigs. Georg at Valley Hybrids has installed in later models. Shoot him a PM at @orangefj45 for details.

 

[ethernectar]

We're heading out for a 3-4 night trip to Death Valley and Papoose / Mazourka Peak. For this trip we removed the rear seat and installed some squibs to address the SRS light.

More detail on the squibs for the second row please!

 

[TonyP]

More detail on the squibs for the second row please!

One 2.2 ohm resistor per ABS sensor.

 

[Climbingnut]

The rear axle housings are different than pre-facelift rigs. Georg at Valley Hybrids has installed in later models. Shoot him a PM at @orangefj45 for details.

Thanks Ward! Will do!

 

[indycole]

Great build/retrospect thread. I've enjoyed reading it. Just curious, I'm looking at installing front/rear Harrop/Eaton lockers into my 200 GXR later this year. Do you know if those will fit in the current 2016/17 housings? I won't be replacing gears. Additionally, do you have any plans to go to an adjustable shock (BP-51, ICON, Fox, etc) or are you happy with your standard OME setup?

Thanks! Ward's right -- Georg is the guy to ask about putting the Harrop lockers in with or without gears for 16/17s (mine is a '16). I do see that Just Differentials has updated their 200 kit to include new pinion spacers and they also require an older housing. I don't know if the housing would be required or not for just doing the lockers. Regarding suspension, I've been happy with the standard OME stuff but will probably evaluate BP-51s or Icons whenever the OMEs start to fail. I have no complaints at all when offroad or on nicely paved roads but the suspension runs a little stiff on some of the poorly paved roads around the Bay Area.

More detail on the squibs for the second row please!

I generally used the parts/method from this thread: 2nd row removal and SRS fix.

I did end up just grabbing the resistors from Digikey as I was already ordering other parts from there: FMP200JR-52-2R2 Yageo | Resistors | DigiKey.

 

[Climbingnut]

Thanks! Ward's right -- Georg is the guy to ask about putting the Harrop lockers in with or without gears for 16/17s (mine is a '16). I do see that Just Differentials has updated their 200 kit to include new pinion spacers and they also require an older housing. I don't know if the housing would be required or not for just doing the lockers. Regarding suspension, I've been happy with the standard OME stuff but will probably evaluate BP-51s or Icons whenever the OMEs start to fail. I have no complaints at all when offroad or on nicely paved roads but the suspension runs a little stiff on some of the poorly paved roads around the Bay Area.

Thanks for the info. Given the massive price difference between the OME nitrocharger's and the BP-51's, I wanted to see what you thought, as your cruiser is well kitted out, but running the simpler and less expensive OME suspension. The roads around Namibe, Angola where I live are also trash. Pot holes everywhere, and man hole covers missing. In the end I'll probably pay for the BP-51's, if for no other reason than to extend the life of the vehicle from the constant beating of our local and remote roads.

 

[indycole]

A few more pre-Moab/pre-Breck updates...

I've been paranoid about tire failures ever since tearing two sidewalls in Death Valley and was hoping to get a Slee bumper install prior to this summer's road trip. Thanks to the laws of supply and demand that wasn't in the cards for the summer (fingers crossed for fall) so I picked up a Wilco Offroad Solo hitchgate after much deliberation. So far, I'm pretty impressed. It seems pretty stable, the impact on departure angle is minimal, and now I have a place to hang my Trasharoo. And, yes, two full size spares. Call it overkill, but between two spares, tire irons, a beadbreaker, multiple types of sidewall patch kits, a tire sewing kit, and basic tire repair stuff, I should be ready to open my own backcountry tire repair shop if this whole career thing doesn't work out. Oh yeah, I have CO2 on the way as well to reseat a bead.

I've also finished the second version of a middle row storage box. It's an aluminum frame with 1/4-in baltic birch exterior and a 3/4-in baltic birch top and bottom. It's mounted using ratchet straps on the inside but I'm building some custom brackets over the longer term to utilize the seat bolts.

The wood panels are secured to the aluminum frame using nutserts along with some Loctite. Given the frame/plywood connections I was expecting some significant noise to chase down but I haven't heard much yet. We'll see how it does on the trail.

I'm also considering covering it in a material to match the ARB drawers (as opposed to Line-X or Monster coating it). Anyone know a source for the UV-resistant carpet stuff that ARB uses?

 

[FALKOR8]

A few more pre-Moab/pre-Breck updates...

I've been paranoid about tire failures ever since tearing two sidewalls in Death Valley and was hoping to get a Slee bumper install prior to this summer's road trip. Thanks to the laws of supply and demand that wasn't in the cards for the summer (fingers crossed for fall) so I picked up a Wilco Offroad Solo hitchgate after much deliberation. So far, I'm pretty impressed. It seems pretty stable, the impact on departure angle is minimal, and now I have a place to hang my Trasharoo. And, yes, two full size spares. Call it overkill, but between two spares, tire irons, a beadbreaker, multiple types of sidewall patch kits, a tire sewing kit, and basic tire repair stuff, I should be ready to open my own backcountry tire repair shop if this whole career thing doesn't work out. Oh yeah, I have CO2 on the way as well to reseat a bead.

View attachment 1501267

I've also finished the second version of a middle row storage box. It's an aluminum frame with 1/4-in baltic birch exterior and a 3/4-in baltic birch top and bottom. It's mounted using ratchet straps on the inside but I'm building some custom brackets over the longer term to utilize the seat bolts.

The wood panels are secured to the aluminum frame using nutserts along with some Loctite. Given the frame/plywood connections I was expecting some significant noise to chase down but I haven't heard much yet. We'll see how it does on the trail.

I'm also considering covering it in a material to match the ARB drawers (as opposed to Line-X or Monster coating it). Anyone know a source for the UV-resistant carpet stuff that ARB uses?

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Very nice! Any plans on getting the Jerry Can or Rotopax attachment for the hitchgate? Or is this just a temporary solution until the Slee bumper is ready?

 

[indycole]

I expect this to be a temporary solution. My rear bumper cover has taken significant abuse in its young life so I'd like to get some adequate protection.

I may check Craigslist for the Rotopax attachment (there's no option for jerry cans for the Solo version) but I'm usually okay with storing fuel/water inside the truck.

 

[codyaustin5]

Looks really good! I thought Slee had 20 in his initial run... did he sell all of them already? I think I've only seen 3 or 4 on the forum.

 

[TonyP]

A few more pre-Moab/pre-Breck updates...

I've been paranoid about tire failures ever since tearing two sidewalls in Death Valley and was hoping to get a Slee bumper install prior to this summer's road trip. Thanks to the laws of supply and demand that wasn't in the cards for the summer (fingers crossed for fall) so I picked up a Wilco Offroad Solo hitchgate after much deliberation. So far, I'm pretty impressed. It seems pretty stable, the impact on departure angle is minimal, and now I have a place to hang my Trasharoo. And, yes, two full size spares. Call it overkill, but between two spares, tire irons, a beadbreaker, multiple types of sidewall patch kits, a tire sewing kit, and basic tire repair stuff, I should be ready to open my own backcountry tire repair shop if this whole career thing doesn't work out. Oh yeah, I have CO2 on the way as well to reseat a bead.

View attachment 1501267

I've also finished the second version of a middle row storage box. It's an aluminum frame with 1/4-in baltic birch exterior and a 3/4-in baltic birch top and bottom. It's mounted using ratchet straps on the inside but I'm building some custom brackets over the longer term to utilize the seat bolts.

The wood panels are secured to the aluminum frame using nutserts along with some Loctite. Given the frame/plywood connections I was expecting some significant noise to chase down but I haven't heard much yet. We'll see how it does on the trail.

I'm also considering covering it in a material to match the ARB drawers (as opposed to Line-X or Monster coating it). Anyone know a source for the UV-resistant carpet stuff that ARB uses?

View attachment 1501269

View attachment 1501268

Looks good! I need to finish the top on my 2nd row box too. What are you using for latches?

 

[GoISU]

I am digging the Hitchgate. I'm running a non swing out ARB rear bumper and this might just be the solution to getting a full size spare back there. Did you get the off set one? The extreme high clearance one? It looks like the basic centered one, does it clear the tail light easily? I'd love you impression after wheeling with it, is it really super tight and rattle free? Any details you could offer concerning this one product would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[indycole]

Looks really good! I thought Slee had 20 in his initial run... did he sell all of them already? I think I've only seen 3 or 4 on the forum.

It may also have something due to the fact that I'd like mine shipped to CA and they're waiting on doing a local install on a '16 or '17 prior to shipping just to make sure that everything works.

Looks good! I need to finish the top on my 2nd row box too. What are you using for latches?

Thanks! Also, you saved me a couple bucks after I saw your quick-frame approach as I'd been planning on using t-slot extrusion. The raw material cost isn't much but all the hardware and time to machine it adds up. I'm using these latches from McMaster -- McMaster-Carr. I just have one on each lid but two would probably be a bit better.

I am digging the Hitchgate. I'm running a non swing out ARB rear bumper and this might just be the solution to getting a full size spare back there. Did you get the off set one? The extreme high clearance one? It looks like the basic centered one, does it clear the tail light easily? I'd love you impression after wheeling with it, is it really super tight and rattle free? Any details you could offer concerning this one product would be appreciated. Thanks!

This is the standard height Solo Hitchgate that I snagged for $300 on Craigslist. I do not suggest the high clearance version as there's no way the tailgate would be able to come down all the way. There's about half an inch of vertical space between the high point on the hitchgate and the bottom of the tailgate. It barely touches when sitting/standing on the tailgate so I applied some felt tape to the hitchgate as a precaution. There are no issues with the tail light though it may be close if you're running 35s.

We went camping this weekend and spent some time on some Santa Cruz mountain fire roads and didn't even notice it was back there. It's probably one of the sturdiest devices we've installed in the hitch. There's a tightening device built into the hitch mount itself that seems to do a solid job. It's no replacement for a bumper but it does the job for me. I had previously looked into the regular hitchgate or the max version but realized I'd drop $1000-$2000 before it was all said and done.

 

[indycole]

Mechanically-inclined people -- does anything look strange in the picture below?

I was inspecting the undercarriage this evening after hitting my LCA on a rock and thought that the boot above looks weird. It looks like this on both sides.

 

[Atwalz]

Looks like broken inner tie rod end.