Light-Duty, Budget-Friendly GX460 Overland Build (1 Viewer)

[JCliftonB]

Had to cut our trip short by a few days due to work-related things, but we still had a great 9-day trip up to Shenandoah NP last week!

I will have to get pictures of the final additions/camping modifications that were added before the trip. But to sum them up with the few pictures I have: I swapped out the big/long case on top for two shorter black cases by Plano that have locks built-in and moved my Maxtrax to the front of the rack. Added our exterior shower/bathroom room to the passenger side of the rack (will get pictures), and added a nice, cheap set of laser guns ditch lights from Amazon with an OEM-esque switch to replace one of the blanks (will get pictures). I hope you all get a laugh at the Engrish on the Chinese-made ditch lights. I sure did. I also did a very simple fold-down table set up as well as a simple pull-cable for opening the rear hatch from inside.

My platform worked well, though it was a bit tall with all the seats still in the vehicle. It slept fine and the mattress I got for it fit perfectly, though we were unable to sit up straight when in bed. I do not have pictures yet, but I finished all the edges with aluminum corners as well. All in on the interior is about $120 for materials including glue, carpeting, sheet goods, and dimensional lumber.

I will get more images and speak more to my design when I do upload the images for referencing. For now, our 2,200-mile road trip to Virginia went swimmingly and the rig held up nicely.

 

[sheptastic]

Sounds like a great trip . That area is beautiful. Looks like you got some rain. How did your awning work out? Was it wide enough to keep it dry behind the GX? Would you need side curtains to hang out back there in the rain?

 

[JCliftonB]

Sounds like a great trip . That area is beautiful. Looks like you got some rain. How did your awning work out? Was it wide enough to keep it dry behind the GX? Would you need side curtains to hang out back there in the rain?

We did get a lot of rain! The small ARB awning was perfect for standing under, covering the entire rear door when open, and supplying us with ample coverage from the rain. I'd definitely recommend it for a rear awning. It is wide enough for sure to not need any side curtains actually. I was skeptical when I installed it that it may not be wide enough, but it actually was pleasantly surprising how wide it was. The length was great too for a little extra room past the door when extended.

 

[re_guderian]

Had to cut our trip short by a few days due to work-related things, but we still had a great 9-day trip up to Shenandoah NP last week!

I will have to get pictures of the final additions/camping modifications that were added before the trip. But to sum them up with the few pictures I have: I swapped out the big/long case on top for two shorter black cases by Plano that have locks built-in and moved my Maxtrax to the front of the rack. Added our exterior shower/bathroom room to the passenger side of the rack (will get pictures), and added a nice, cheap set of laser guns ditch lights from Amazon with an OEM-esque switch to replace one of the blanks (will get pictures). I hope you all get a laugh at the Engrish on the Chinese-made ditch lights. I sure did. I also did a very simple fold-down table set up as well as a simple pull-cable for opening the rear hatch from inside.
View attachment 3005901View attachment 3005902View attachment 3005903View attachment 3005907
My platform worked well, though it was a bit tall with all the seats still in the vehicle. It slept fine and the mattress I got for it fit perfectly, though we were unable to sit up straight when in bed. I do not have pictures yet, but I finished all the edges with aluminum corners as well. All in on the interior is about $120 for materials including glue, carpeting, sheet goods, and dimensional lumber.

I will get more images and speak more to my design when I do upload the images for referencing. For now, our 2,200-mile road trip to Virginia went swimmingly and the rig held up nicely.

The forum (somewhat) patiently awaits your full and complete report - with supporting data of course - on the massive amounts of fuel you saved by installing, and presumably wiring up, your Lasergun 400's!!!! (as well as quantifying the "more safety" aspect of your rig)

 

[JCliftonB]

Also, saw some great rigs on the trip as well:

 

[sheptastic]

The forum (somewhat) patiently awaits your full and complete report - with supporting data of course - on the massive amounts of fuel you saved by installing, and presumably wiring up, your Lasergun 400's!!!! (as well as quantifying the "more safety" aspect of your rig)

Blast the darkness out of the night with a new set of Lasergun 400s. Get yours today!

 

[JCliftonB]

Okay so the Laser Gun 400's were about $45 on Amazon and I paired them with a set of brackets from Amazon that were about $30. A simple wiring harness and OEM-style switch rounded it all out at about $10 each for a grand total of $100 for a set of auxiliary lights. If I am forced to justify why I didn't buy Baja or Rigid or any other name-brand light, I'll say that these will realistically be deployed for actual visibility-altering projections about 10% of the time. I like to have them on during heavy rain/fog on mountain roads strictly for other motorist's astute knowledge of my presence as soon as possible. They are aimed in such a way that does not blind oncoming traffic. If they fail in a year or more, I'll either replace them for another year with some similar laser guns from the digital Walmart, or pony up for something a bit nicer. More than likely the former though as this is just a daily driver for the wife, remember.

The output is great at night when paired with the low beams or high beams and the fogs. For my purposes, 100% adequate is all I'm after here. Construction seems actually a bit nicer than some of the other options I have seen up close from China actually. They easily pass the 10ft test of looking cool and expensive as well.

The brackets were also direct from Amazon and were also 100% adequate for holding a set of lights bolted to the hood of the vehicle. The only gripe with these is the CHEAP powder coating but I also 100% expected this. If my panties get into a wad over it, I'll take them off and give them a few coats of rattle can.

The wiring harness is actually decent with stranded, 100% copper wiring and weatherproof connections. Passed it through the firewall on the driver's side and hooked it up to the switch.

The switch was equally JDM-but-from-China and performs its duties admirably. It switches the lights on and off and lights up when on and powers off when off. I can divulge a plethora of other qualities about the switch, but I'll save you the time. Its a switch that fits and does its job.

 

[JCliftonB]

On the roof, I swapped out my single, long case for a set of shorter, locking Plano's. They were the perfect length on the Pioneer platform to add the Maxtrax to the front of the rack. In one of the cases rode easy-access equipment for camping such as hose, extension cord, water filter, awning/bathroom stakes, guide wires, etc. In the other case rode recovery gear and tools. I tried to keep the tools as light as possible so as to not add a lot of weight to the top of the vehicle.

They left plenty of room between them for two jerry cans. Both were Scepter and one was for water while the other was for spare fuel. They both rode empty most of the time while on long drives from park to park and the fuel can was never filled. Just had it in case I needed to transfer fuel to someone else stranded from my tank, or had to make a walk to the station because I ran dry. Atop the Scepter water can was a $12 water pump that fits nicely on the OEM Scepter cap so we could have simple running water to wash dishes, wash hands, etc.

 

[JCliftonB]

Along with the platform for sleeping/storage I slightly modified the interior with a very simple drop-down table, a utensil magnet, and a pull-cord for interior, and rear exiting. The table was a simple piano hinge and thin, glued butcher block wood held at angle with sheathed cabling. This was extremely rudimentary but handled the tasks with ease. It is not able to hold any real weight aside from the basic camp cooking paraphernalia but that's all it was intended for. I did plan on using a 0.25" sheet of aluminum instead of wood for the top but my time was limited for this and did not have time to source the material needed. I'll swap it in time.

 

[MrTorgue]

Okay so the Laser Gun 400's were about $45 on Amazon and I paired them with a set of brackets from Amazon that were about $30. A simple wiring harness and OEM-style switch rounded it all out at about $10 each for a grand total of $100 for a set of auxiliary lights. If I am forced to justify why I didn't buy Baja or Rigid or any other name-brand light, I'll say that these will realistically be deployed for actual visibility-altering projections about 10% of the time. I like to have them on during heavy rain/fog on mountain roads strictly for other motorist's astute knowledge of my presence as soon as possible. They are aimed in such a way that does not blind oncoming traffic. If they fail in a year or more, I'll either replace them for another year with some similar laser guns from the digital Walmart, or pony up for something a bit nicer. More than likely the former though as this is just a daily driver for the wife, remember.

View attachment 3006329View attachment 3006330View attachment 3006331

The output is great at night when paired with the low beams or high beams and the fogs. For my purposes, 100% adequate is all I'm after here. Construction seems actually a bit nicer than some of the other options I have seen up close from China actually. They easily pass the 10ft test of looking cool and expensive as well.

The brackets were also direct from Amazon and were also 100% adequate for holding a set of lights bolted to the hood of the vehicle. The only gripe with these is the CHEAP powder coating but I also 100% expected this. If my panties get into a wad over it, I'll take them off and give them a few coats of rattle can.

The wiring harness is actually decent with stranded, 100% copper wiring and weatherproof connections. Passed it through the firewall on the driver's side and hooked it up to the switch.

The switch was equally JDM-but-from-China and performs its duties admirably. It switches the lights on and off and lights up when on and powers off when off. I can divulge a plethora of other qualities about the switch, but I'll save you the time. Its a switch that fits and does its job.

View attachment 3006338

What’s the lumens rating? I tried finding it online and failed.

 

[JCliftonB]

What’s the lumens rating? I tried finding it online and failed.

Lumens rating they say is ~3500 each but if you're familiar with lumen output on almost any auxiliary lighting, that figure is generally embellished when compared to real-world measurements. My eyeball measurement has them at a firmly adequate output rating. I'll try and remember to get some night shots next time I'm out at night in it.

The mud gods won't let me post a link to the 'Zon so here is the item name:

LED Yellow/Amber Driving Fog Lights Pod Lights Offroad Driving Lights Work Auxiliary Lights Bumper Lights 2Pcs 3Inch 40W Waterproof Fit for Car Truck ATV UTV Motorcycle Golf Pick-up​

 

[r2m]

Great job JCliftonB!
Probably the only things I'd change would be using polypropylene for the table (same thickness, just taller), since polypropylene is UV, chemical, bacteria, etc. resistant AND makes for a great cutting board! Also I would have made it a wee bit taller so that you could but a length of steel along the top of it so that utensil magnet could be used to hold the table up also!
But all-in-all, awesome set up!!
Love seeing new ideas for mods.

 

[JCliftonB]

Great job JCliftonB!
Probably the only things I'd change would be using polypropylene for the table (same thickness, just taller), since polypropylene is UV, chemical, bacteria, etc. resistant AND makes for a great cutting board! Also I would have made it a wee bit taller so that you could but a length of steel along the top of it so that utensil magnet could be used to hold the table up also!
But all-in-all, awesome set up!!
Love seeing new ideas for mods.

Thanks, Richard! I have built extremely complicated overland/travel machines from the ground up recently so this has been a fun exercise in "how simple/cheaply can I go about this".

Here's to more additions for future travel!

 

[MrTorgue]

Lumens rating they say is ~3500 each but if you're familiar with lumen output on almost any auxiliary lighting, that figure is generally embellished when compared to real-world measurements. My eyeball measurement has them at a firmly adequate output rating. I'll try and remember to get some night shots next time I'm out at night in it.

The mud gods won't let me post a link to the 'Zon so here is the item name:

LED Yellow/Amber Driving Fog Lights Pod Lights Offroad Driving Lights Work Auxiliary Lights Bumper Lights 2Pcs 3Inch 40W Waterproof Fit for Car Truck ATV UTV Motorcycle Golf Pick-up​

Thanks. And truth about the lumens rating. That's the raw rating of the LEDs not of their actual output. Still, the higher the number the chances are they are going to put out decent light. Not necessarily good light patters but good light. I'll never get rid of my Rigid's though, I may pay a hefty premium but they prove time and time again when I buy new ones that they are absolutely top notch. I'll be curious to get your impressions on these. They look pretty decent for being off-brands.

 

[JCliftonB]

Thanks. And truth about the lumens rating. That's the raw rating of the LEDs not of their actual output. Still, the higher the number the chances are they are going to put out decent light. Not necessarily good light patters but good light. I'll never get rid of my Rigid's though, I may pay a hefty premium but they prove time and time again when I buy new ones that they are absolutely top notch. I'll be curious to get your impressions on these. They look pretty decent for being off-brands.

I was indeed surprised by the quality of these! Decent is almost an understatement based on their feel in hand and build quality. Also only being in $45 if they don't last long is plus. They survived the first 2,200-mile camping trip!

 

[MrTorgue]

They survived the first 2,200-mile camping trip!

That’s what matters in the end.

 

[HVLA]

Okay so the Laser Gun 400's were about $45 on Amazon and I paired them with a set of brackets from Amazon that were about $30. A simple wiring harness and OEM-style switch rounded it all out at about $10 each for a grand total of $100 for a set of auxiliary lights. If I am forced to justify why I didn't buy Baja or Rigid or any other name-brand light, I'll say that these will realistically be deployed for actual visibility-altering projections about 10% of the time. I like to have them on during heavy rain/fog on mountain roads strictly for other motorist's astute knowledge of my presence as soon as possible. They are aimed in such a way that does not blind oncoming traffic. If they fail in a year or more, I'll either replace them for another year with some similar laser guns from the digital Walmart, or pony up for something a bit nicer. More than likely the former though as this is just a daily driver for the wife, remember.

View attachment 3006329View attachment 3006330View attachment 3006331

The output is great at night when paired with the low beams or high beams and the fogs. For my purposes, 100% adequate is all I'm after here. Construction seems actually a bit nicer than some of the other options I have seen up close from China actually. They easily pass the 10ft test of looking cool and expensive as well.

The brackets were also direct from Amazon and were also 100% adequate for holding a set of lights bolted to the hood of the vehicle. The only gripe with these is the CHEAP powder coating but I also 100% expected this. If my panties get into a wad over it, I'll take them off and give them a few coats of rattle can.

The wiring harness is actually decent with stranded, 100% copper wiring and weatherproof connections. Passed it through the firewall on the driver's side and hooked it up to the switch.

The switch was equally JDM-but-from-China and performs its duties admirably. It switches the lights on and off and lights up when on and powers off when off. I can divulge a plethora of other qualities about the switch, but I'll save you the time. Its a switch that fits and does its job.

View attachment 3006338

Link to switch?

 

[JCliftonB]

Link to switch?

Mud doesnt like Amazon links, but here is the title you can search with the size that I ordered and fits perfectly:

iJDMTOY (1) Factory Style 4-Pole 12V Push Button Switch w/LED Background Indicator Lights Compatible with Fog Lights, DRL, LED Light Bar, etc (200 Series Toyota, 33x22mm)​

And here is the wiring to connect the 4-wire switch to the 3-wire harness from the lights. This way the switch's light works with the interior lights at night and when on. I did not leave it like this. Was only for diagramming which wire correlated with its counterpart from harness to harness. Granted if crimped and sheathed properly, I have no doubt that a connection in this configuration would hold up just fine.

 

[HVLA]

Thank you!

 

[JCliftonB]

Posted in the pic thread, but figured I'd post them here in my thread also. Was out in the field today and snapped some images of the GX.