Talking to him now. Did you lay anything down under the lid? Seems like stuff will clunk around in there.Trail Taylor will ship!
No proximity required!
Builds indycole's 2016 200 Series Build and Retrospective (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter indycole
- Start date
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Markuson
SILVER Star
It’s not so much just this, everything I want done is better if I drive to either @wardharris or @TRAIL TAILOR.
indycole
GOLD Star
- Thread starter
- #584
I'm pretty sure the 25s will be too harsh. They were definitely supportive, but didn't feel right until the truck was at least loaded up to 8500 lbs or so.
Here's what I run with the BPs + 2725s. I'll probably move the compression up a bit front and rear and then also increase the rear rebound a bit with the Tough Dog Tourflex coils.
8000 lbs (Unloaded)
- Front Tire Pressure - 40 psi
- Rear Tire Pressure - 42 psi
- Front Compression - 4
- Front Rebound - 6
- Rear Compression - 4
- Rear Rebound - 7
- Front Tire Pressure - 40 psi
- Rear Tire Pressure - 42 psi
- Front Compression - 4
- Front Rebound - 6
- Rear Compression - 4
- Rear Rebound - 8
- Front Tire Pressure - 44 psi
- Rear Tire Pressure - 48 psi
- Front Compression - 5
- Front Rebound - 7
- Rear Compression - 5
- Rear Rebound - 9
Yeah, the cover itself will receive LineX and the interior will have a layer of Dynamat and covered by boot liner / truck liner (whatever it's called). On that note, here are some photos of the installation today. I wanted to go ahead and install it prior to LineX to get all the preparations out of the way. Also, more importantly, I was going crazy after just one day of not having a functioning tailgate.
I cleaned up the inside of the tailgate, plugged a couple areas with silicone sealant, touched up the cut areas with paint, secured the control cables with wire guides, and installed some rubber trim along the edges.
Here's the raw aluminum cover all finished up. I need to take a pass on checking/aligning some but I'm not in a rush since I'll be taking it all apart again soon.
Side photo to give you a sense of the amount of storage space within the tailgate.
For now I placed a canvas tarp in within the tailgate while I wait for sound deadening and carpet to arrive.
Tailgate loaded with lightweight, bulky stuff.
So far it's an interesting mod and opens up a lot of extra room in the tailgate. The Trail Tailor kit is really well thought out and works well. More to come soon on this one.
RET2
SILVER Star
So what you're saying is if I ship and if I buy the chocolate milk you will install?Trail Taylor will ship!
No proximity required!
RET2
SILVER Star
I was reffering to the tailgate mod
I am in continual chocolate milk modification-mode...making custom pre-load adjustments as needed.
Preload ranges anywhere from one-fridge-side-install...two-sides , or both sides+Coolbox..
Also run a back-up system in one or more Alu-boxes under some conditions.
Factors considered include temperature, mileage, and group demographic.
indycole
GOLD Star
- Thread starter
- #588
Finally crossed the tailgate cover and the bumper storage box off the list this weekend. The process was trickier than I'd planned as the LineX shop applied the coating to some edges that I'd requested to tape off due to tolerances. For the tailgate, this meant that I needed to shave off a couple edges, tape everything off, and reapply primer and paint while the cover was on the truck. Otherwise, the lid would not close. If you want to LineX a tailgate cover, I highly recommend only applying LineX to the top surface and exterior edge of the top panel.
I'm only storing lightweight, soft goods in the tailgate... right now there's a tow strap, a kinetic rope, a Cgear Sand Mat, and a tarp. You lose the torsion bar with this modification so the tailgate requires more effort and care to open and close.
I don't think I've posted any photos of the rear storage box? This is a 30 x 22 x 15 box secured to the bumper swingout. The box and contents weigh in at about 100 lbs (just a bit less than the spare tire + stuff I kept in the Trasharoo). I decided to try out a box on the bumper to provide convenient, secure access to some bulky camp/recovery items that also can get dirty.
The outside is LineXd black and the inside was painted with red Rustoleum. There's a neoprene mat on each shelf and the propane tank is secured with a Powertank propane mount. The propane mount has 2 screws that are mounted only to the box and 2 screws that go through both the box and the swing arm ladder. There's a sacrificial mounting plate and a layer of neoprene between the box and the swingarm.
I did hit some snags getting the box finished. The LineX coating was applied to some edges around the door which made the door impossible to close. I had to grind down the edges then repaint them. I also mixed up my M10 and 3/8s hardware and ended up putting M10 nuts on 4 3/8-16 screws to secure the box to the swingarm. I didn't notice much of an issue until I hit each piece of hardware with the torque wrench and they wouldn't budge. It felt like each one had stripped on the inside. I was pretty confused until I realized that I mistakingly grabbed the wrong box from McMaster. Out came the grinder again and I zipped off each screw head with a cutoff wheel.
Special thanks to @TRAIL TAILOR for fabricating the box!
I'm only storing lightweight, soft goods in the tailgate... right now there's a tow strap, a kinetic rope, a Cgear Sand Mat, and a tarp. You lose the torsion bar with this modification so the tailgate requires more effort and care to open and close.
I don't think I've posted any photos of the rear storage box? This is a 30 x 22 x 15 box secured to the bumper swingout. The box and contents weigh in at about 100 lbs (just a bit less than the spare tire + stuff I kept in the Trasharoo). I decided to try out a box on the bumper to provide convenient, secure access to some bulky camp/recovery items that also can get dirty.
The outside is LineXd black and the inside was painted with red Rustoleum. There's a neoprene mat on each shelf and the propane tank is secured with a Powertank propane mount. The propane mount has 2 screws that are mounted only to the box and 2 screws that go through both the box and the swing arm ladder. There's a sacrificial mounting plate and a layer of neoprene between the box and the swingarm.
I did hit some snags getting the box finished. The LineX coating was applied to some edges around the door which made the door impossible to close. I had to grind down the edges then repaint them. I also mixed up my M10 and 3/8s hardware and ended up putting M10 nuts on 4 3/8-16 screws to secure the box to the swingarm. I didn't notice much of an issue until I hit each piece of hardware with the torque wrench and they wouldn't budge. It felt like each one had stripped on the inside. I was pretty confused until I realized that I mistakingly grabbed the wrong box from McMaster. Out came the grinder again and I zipped off each screw head with a cutoff wheel.
Special thanks to @TRAIL TAILOR for fabricating the box!
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Markuson
SILVER Star
Interesting box idea.
I’ve been toying with putting 2/3rds of my water inside (centered weight instead of leveraging against my rear axle in back) and moving lighter goods to some sort of tallish box the width/depth of two jerry cans out back. Haven’t figured that out yet...
**Would love to hear an update of your experience/opinion on your rear-view-camera/mirror device now that you’ve lived with it a month or two...
I’ve been toying with putting 2/3rds of my water inside (centered weight instead of leveraging against my rear axle in back) and moving lighter goods to some sort of tallish box the width/depth of two jerry cans out back. Haven’t figured that out yet...
**Would love to hear an update of your experience/opinion on your rear-view-camera/mirror device now that you’ve lived with it a month or two...
indycole
GOLD Star
- Thread starter
- #592
In today's episode of "one thing leads to another" I replaced the plastic glovebox shelf with some baltic birch plywood wrapped in boot liner. I followed the same contour as the plastic shelf and lined the inside of the glovebox shelf ledge with felt tape on the walls and velcro on the ledge itself to keep the shelf in place.
Why? Well, I'm working on installing rear coil helper airbags and went with the full control system to set each bag pressure independently from the cab. I'm hoping to use the airbags for a bit of leveling help for the RTT (though I'm skeptical that I'll get that much height differential). The control setup requires placement of a couple paddle switches (left and right airbags) and a 52mm gauge. A while back I stopped storing stuff in the glovebox and began using it as a compartment for mounting electronics — radio head units, battery monitoring, sat phone, etc.
In order to make room for the airbag control kit, I needed a more flexible mounting surface than the plastic shelf. I also wanted something that was serviceable and easy to disconnect. I also upgraded from bus bars to a fuse block + circuit breaker and replace my two National Luna battery monitors with a Victron BMV-702 that monitors the capacity, amp draw, and instantaneous power consumption of my aux battery (as well as the voltage of my starting battery).
The glove compartment now has 3 air lines running into it, 12v power from the aux battery, dual USB charge circuit, the ham radio, the CB radio (had to reinstall it for Cruise Moab), power for the rear view camera, the airbag control gauge and switches, the battery monitor, and I left some space for a Redarc trailer brake controller. The wires and air lines may look a bit messy when installed in the glove compartment but it's par for the course as they're service loops so I can pull it in and out without stressing the cables.
Why? Well, I'm working on installing rear coil helper airbags and went with the full control system to set each bag pressure independently from the cab. I'm hoping to use the airbags for a bit of leveling help for the RTT (though I'm skeptical that I'll get that much height differential). The control setup requires placement of a couple paddle switches (left and right airbags) and a 52mm gauge. A while back I stopped storing stuff in the glovebox and began using it as a compartment for mounting electronics — radio head units, battery monitoring, sat phone, etc.
In order to make room for the airbag control kit, I needed a more flexible mounting surface than the plastic shelf. I also wanted something that was serviceable and easy to disconnect. I also upgraded from bus bars to a fuse block + circuit breaker and replace my two National Luna battery monitors with a Victron BMV-702 that monitors the capacity, amp draw, and instantaneous power consumption of my aux battery (as well as the voltage of my starting battery).
The glove compartment now has 3 air lines running into it, 12v power from the aux battery, dual USB charge circuit, the ham radio, the CB radio (had to reinstall it for Cruise Moab), power for the rear view camera, the airbag control gauge and switches, the battery monitor, and I left some space for a Redarc trailer brake controller. The wires and air lines may look a bit messy when installed in the glove compartment but it's par for the course as they're service loops so I can pull it in and out without stressing the cables.
indycole
GOLD Star
- Thread starter
- #593
I continue to evaluate tradeoffs among long-term reliability, offroad capability, drivability, safety and comfort during remote, isolated, backcountry trips, and the existential yet very real constraint: payload. Obviously, the truck is heavy but I've not arrived at this point aimlessly. While there has been a fair amount of trial-and-error, this build has largely been a calculated experiment to push the 200 to the limit as a "do it all" (at least our definition of doing it all) vehicle. I look at the truck as a tool. It was designed and built to do something specific and it does it well. Tools can be bent and twisted to do more but eventually misused tools break. I don't think I'm there, yet (especially by Australian standards), but the weight of the vehicle continues to weigh on my mind.
The crux of challenge is that I've always wanted the 200 platform to do three things: 1.) to safely and efficiently take on moderately technical trails (bumpers, sliders, skids, lockers, 34s), 2.) to be self-sustainable on backcountry trips (winch, lots of water, fuel, comms, spare parts, tools), and 3.) to be uber comfortable and convenient while camping with easy-to-access gear (storage systems, roof top tent, firewood and fire pit, etc.). The trouble is that any one of those items is going to get you close to GVWR, any two are likely to push you over the axle ratings, and trying to do all three forces one to consider extreme measures.
The options:
The crux of challenge is that I've always wanted the 200 platform to do three things: 1.) to safely and efficiently take on moderately technical trails (bumpers, sliders, skids, lockers, 34s), 2.) to be self-sustainable on backcountry trips (winch, lots of water, fuel, comms, spare parts, tools), and 3.) to be uber comfortable and convenient while camping with easy-to-access gear (storage systems, roof top tent, firewood and fire pit, etc.). The trouble is that any one of those items is going to get you close to GVWR, any two are likely to push you over the axle ratings, and trying to do all three forces one to consider extreme measures.
The options:
- Do nothing. Don't care about the effect on long-term reliability and just see what happens. Expect to replace some wheel bearings earlier than usual. Continue to do PM on an accelerated schedule with comprehensive pre-trip and post-trip inspections. Be vigilant in tracking down any minor concerns that could turn into problems later.
- Get a trailer.
- Consider some Hail Mary upgrades such as a Jmacx rear carrier upgrade that supposedly increases the axle rating from 4300 lb to ~5500 lbs. Seems extreme.
- Chop the truck and add a third axle. (not gonna happen)
- Replace the wife's GX460 with an LX570, add sliders, tires, skids, and some basic storage and share the load between two vehicles. This wouldn't be a half-bad option as we often have friends without suitable vehicles joining us for trips.
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Taco2Cruiser
Crazy American Off Road
Cole, no matter what... you guys are using that truck the way it was meant to be and living life, and that in it of itself is a successful build.
I hear ya Cole. I’m scared to weigh the truck fully loaded. I will say that it drives significantly better since I got rid of the RTT.
Maltec or trayback.
You know you want to.
I’m VERY tempted to sell both my rigs to finance a Maltec. I’ll be talking with them at Overland Expo West in May.
The biggest downside for me would be to reach a point when I'm spending more time preparing a vehicle before and after a trip than actual trip time. RTTs are cool but I feel like there are some pretty awesome ground based tents out there that when paired with cots and sleeping pads can also be very comfortable. You'll spend a little more time during setup and will need a larger footprint around camp but your overall weight should go down and you open up the roof for storage.
Cole — does building a Tundra ever become part of the consideration?
fireball
SILVER Star
I'm not sure how old your kids are, but for us having a trailer has been awesome! It ticks all the boxes to make my wife happy, give us space for the boys and our gear, is super quick and easy to setup and can stay loaded and ready to go all the time. My boys are 3 and 1, and we've averaged 25-30 nights out per year for the past 3 years. I'd consider that a pretty big win!
It's just under 3k lbs fully loaded with water and all our gear, so it's not lightweight. Our '99 was heavily built and heavy. The '16 is being built to carry the family and trailer, with a more mindful build. If I were you, I'd at least look at trailers and consider how having one might add to your adventures.
It's just under 3k lbs fully loaded with water and all our gear, so it's not lightweight. Our '99 was heavily built and heavy. The '16 is being built to carry the family and trailer, with a more mindful build. If I were you, I'd at least look at trailers and consider how having one might add to your adventures.
