Build OL'BETSY ZX: 1991 HZJ77

[JDM Journeys]

I decided that the gullwing was a great place for my Bluetti so it's strapped to a quickly assembled shelf and gets charged from a panel on the RTT.

The onboard LiFePo4 battery will continue to power the fridge and 12v accessories and will get charged via Victron dc->dc or a portable panel in camp. So this set-up will be for charging batteries, tent power, AC power, etc. It may even power my laptop too for times I work remotely this summer.

Behind the solar panel seemed as a good a place as any to strap down some traction boards? (I put a rubber mat under them to reduce rubbing.)

 

[JDM Journeys]

Okay I promise this doesn't look as fast and furious in real life as the picture indicates...

When cooking off the back after dark there are times when the lighting is suboptimal. I have a light strip above the main back window. And I also have magnetic clip on types, flashlights, headlamps etc. But there's nothing like flicking a button. And the addition of the gullwing means there'll be times when we are under the awning and need light on that side. So...

All this is to say I went a little overboard with another LED strip. It plugs in via usb to a little switch panel I have in the right rear corner.

This new strip goes around the right gullwing opening, along the top of the back doors, and then along the top of the left rear window.

In natural light it's not quite as bad as it looks here. I went with orange this time. While I was back here I changed the overhead net for a metal loft that I cobbled together out of leftover garage shelf bits...

Super tight fit but it managed to squeeze in. I'll add some strapping on the ends so it doesn't pivot but this narrow attic is for puffy coats, extra blankets, etc, so not a lot of weight.

The net worked fine for a few years but it always felt a bit saggy... This one has reinforcing bars down the center so there is no flex at all.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

For a minute, I thought you had installed a tanning booth.

 

[JDM Journeys]

Moved my ftm300 head. Added an Icom extension speaker since the actual unit is behind the center console and muffled by 50L of water.

Except... now it's loud as F and I realized I can't claim I didn't hear the fellas anymore over the wind noise. There's a certain irony to a 1hz with first world problems.

 

[JDM Journeys]

Added a tube of LiquiMoly MOS2 anti-friction to the always lightning fast shifting H55F transmission. No feedback yet, but I'm imagining there will be no real shift in performance. LOL.

 

[Rigster]

Added a tube of LiquiMoly MOS2 anti-friction to the always lightning fast shifting H55F transmission. No feedback yet, but I'm imagining there will be no real shift in performance. LOL.


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Maybe try spreading that all over the arm that does the shifting (being JDM, that would be your left arm?), and test performance/shifting speeds then?

 

[JDM Journeys]

If you 've been here a while, you might have spied the modified slide out in my Frontrunner's drop down table - my brother made me a fancy version with resin.

So from this:

To this:

But long before that, he made me a cutting board (same resin) and I've been wanting to incorporate it for years. Here's my first attempt:

I just made some simple brackets that slide in between the Bluetti shelf and the inner wall. Steady enough to lay a cold one one, while lounging under the awning after a long day. I'll get to test it soon - we leave in about 10 days!

 

[OGBeno]

Expo as FUUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKK!!!

 

[JDM Journeys]

I've taken this truck on the trek to Southern Utah three times now and this is by far the best it has done. 4000kms in the last ten days really gave me a chance to reflect on the work I've done on this thing in the last few years.

For example, I counted around five passes (or at least severe grades) between Dillon MT and the border, and I was able to go up each one with relative ease this year. Twice water temps reached 205F at the top, once 210F, and twice 200F (measured in the URH on the way into the rad): heat just isn't the problem it used to be. And no heat soak evident with the top mount. I should mention that egts usu hover between 450 and 550F (measured high on the dump). Highest I saw was 787F at the top of a pass. Usually in the 600s or 700s (Fahrenheit) when going up a grade.

This year we did Lockhart Basin in the "proper" direction (coming out at Moab) after spending a fine couple of days in Beef Basin and it amazed me. Almost impossible to stall. Not terribly uncomfortable on the washboard. Predictable on the offcamber.

They got this right 35 years ago. A little added help here at altitude, and driven with a little patience? Still an absolute gem of a truck!

Here are a few samples from the week... (These are just the shots I got at the end of the day. Wheeling pics to come...)

 

[Rigster]

If you 've been here a while, you might have spied the modified slide out in my Frontrunner's drop down table - my brother made me a fancy version with resin.

So from this:
View attachment 4138731

To this:

View attachment 4138734

But long before that, he made me a cutting board (same resin) and I've been wanting to incorporate it for years. Here's my first attempt:
View attachment 4138738
I just made some simple brackets that slide in between the Bluetti shelf and the inner wall. Steady enough to lay a cold one one, while lounging under the awning after a long day. I'll get to test it soon - we leave in about 10 days!



View attachment 4138739

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A mixture of old with all the newest technology has to offer in creature comforts. (sounds like me holding a cell phone) Looks really great, Phil! You should definitely feel some pride in the accomplishments achieved here. The sheer conversation concentration it would achieve at cruiser gatherings should be worth all that time and effort. Good for you bud!

Hope to see it in person again one day.

 

[Rigster]

I've taken this truck on the trek to Southern Utah three times now and this is by far the best it has done. 4000kms in the last ten days really gave me a chance to reflect on the work I've done on this thing in the last few years.

For example, I counted around five passes (or at least severe grades) between Dillon MT and the border, and I was able to go up each one with relative ease this year. Twice water temps reached 205F at the top, once 210F, and twice 200F (measured in the URH on the way into the rad): heat just isn't the problem it used to be. And no heat soak evident with the top mount. I should mention that egts usu hover between 450 and 550F (measured high on the dump). Highest I saw was 787F at the top of a pass. Usually in the 600s or 700s (Fahrenheit) when going up a grade.

This year we did Lockhart Basin in the "proper" direction (coming out at Moab) after spending a fine couple of days in Beef Basin and it amazed me. Almost impossible to stall. Not terribly uncomfortable on the washboard. Predictable on the offcamber.

They got this right 35 years ago. A little added help here at altitude, and driven with a little patience? Still an absolute gem of a truck!

Here are a few samples from the week... (These are just the shots I got at the end of the day. Wheeling pics to come...)

View attachment 4150650
View attachment 4150651
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Thanks for the report on performance, Phil. Agreed, the improved performance and intercooling it with a turbo makes this really nice to travel in. I feel the same way in mine.

I am assuming from the pictures that you did not bring the trailer on this trip. At some point I would love to see how your unit does with the passes pulling a trailer without a front mount intercooler. I know there would be a difference, just wondering how much... as I am considering getting rid of the front mount.

Looks like you guys had a blast!

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Some 1HZ humor …..

 

[mjw4]

Some 1HZ humor ….. View attachment 4151086

wouldn't have it any other way

 

[JDM Journeys]

Thanks for the report on performance, Phil. Agreed, the improved performance and intercooling it with a turbo makes this really nice to travel in. I feel the same way in mine.

I am assuming from the pictures that you did not bring the trailer on this trip. At some point I would love to see how your unit does with the passes pulling a trailer without a front mount intercooler. I know there would be a difference, just wondering how much... as I am considering getting rid of the front mount.

Looks like you guys had a blast!

I did the same route down last year and some of the same trails WITH the trailer last year, and no intercooler whatsoever. It definitely required going easier on the hills to manage heat. I didn't do a fmic mainly because I was concerned about blocking the rad.

I do have some ideas to further improve cooling.

A. I want to finish boxing in the ARB/PTO area, so the air is not muddied before passing through the rad.
B. I'm going to pull the turbo (maybe in the fall) and have it rebuilt. I bought it (very cheap and) used and bolted it up, so I'm sure it needs work at this point. I'm going to ask them to do the rebuild with an eye to heat reduction...
C. Add water lines back to turbo? Not sure on this one. Puts heat back in water. But pulls heat from the oil... So...?
D. Still have all the parts to do the clutch. Just no motivation. Lol

 

[Musafir]

Yeah, I had essentially 35ish AH available with my AGM. I kept it prettty conservative so I rarely ran out of power unless I was parked for a few days in warmer temps with the fridge working hard. Now, with more power and 220w of roof solar, it will probably be something I don't have to think about? But the battery's BMS means that between the Victron app and the Renogy app, I can see exactly what's going on via Bluetooth whenever I want.
View attachment 4098127

It is always tricky to keep track of 24 and 12 volts, so I've color coded all 24v wires to yellow inside the box, just for safety.

Under the hood again, I've noticed that since I boosted the old 1HZ, I see a little more oil misting at the intake joints, etc. I am not normally a proponent for a catch can on a non-EGR engine, but I am going to give it a try in this case, just because I like a clean engine compartment. I'll have to keep an eye if we have extreme cold, but it might keep the crankcase vapours from sneaking out and messing up my racing stripes.

View attachment 4098151
It has it's own little built-in dipstick so it should be easy to keep track of. We'll see if it makes any difference. I'm not married to the idea, and cold weather may dictate rerouting the lines temporarily? Maybe we call this a cheap experiment that doesn't have too many downsides?

Did you ever upgrade your alternator?

 

[JDM Journeys]

Did you ever upgrade your alternator?

I never ever felt it necessary. The victron 24 to 12v converter always provides enough charging to my aux house battery when the truck is running and there isn't much of an electrical demand from the truck aside from that.

It was sitting at camp for a few days that exposed the weakness of my aux battery setup... It was capacity that was lacking, not charging.

 

[Musafir]

I never ever felt it necessary. The victron 24 to 12v converter always provides enough charging to my aux house battery when the truck is running and there isn't much of an electrical demand from the truck aside from that.

It was sitting at camp for a few days that exposed the weakness of my aux battery setup... It was capacity that was lacking, not charging.

I experienced a similar issue, i chalked it up to the slower pace on trails. The alternator is not working as hard thus pushing out less amperage. On highway speeds it does just fine don't really see any issues.

 

[mjw4]

I experienced a similar issue, i chalked it up to the slower pace on trails. The alternator is not working as hard thus pushing out less amperage. On highway speeds it does just fine don't really see any issues.

I don't know the specific specs but I figure a higher output alternator would push more amperage at the same given RPM. I suppose if you do a lot of slow driving between camp sites and what not then maybe it is worth the investment.

I've looked into the biggest solar panel you can fit on an clamshell RTT without it sticking out the edges over the tent, and it was about ~400w, so that's always an option. Solar blankets could work too although price/watt is not ideal.

 

[JDM Journeys]

My new battery simply never seems to get below about 75% or so. And if I've been driving, even crawling, it gets to 100% pretty quickly.

The 24 to 12 converter seems to take a lot of the stress away from the charging system and I can still have a 14.7v charge going into the aux batt (or whatever the battery asks for - can't remember the specifics on the LiPo but the AGM was 14.7).

I think the biggest plus for me is that my winch is a PTO. If I was trying to keep up with electric winch demands it might be a whole other story.
Re solar panels: I have 230w on the rooftop tent and there is still room off to the side for cargo if necessary (I carried my passenger's Gazelle tent on the roof too on the last big trip). I use this for my bluetti since my aux batt doesn't seem to need it. I carry a 180 watt portable solar panel for the aux in case we ever stop for an extended period...

 

[mjw4]

My new battery simply never seems to get below about 75% or so. And if I've been driving, even crawling, it gets to 100% pretty quickly.

The 24 to 12 converter seems to take a lot of the stress away from the charging system and I can still have a 14.7v charge going into the aux batt (or whatever the battery asks for - can't remember the specifics on the LiPo but the AGM was 14.7).

I think the biggest plus for me is that my winch is a PTO. If I was trying to keep up with electric winch demands it might be a whole other story.
Re solar panels: I have 230w on the rooftop tent and there is still room off to the side for cargo if necessary (I carried my passenger's Gazelle tent on the roof too on the last big trip). I use this for my bluetti since my aux batt doesn't seem to need it. I carry a 180 watt portable solar panel for the aux in case we ever stop for an extended period...

What is the capacity of the PTO, never really looked into them?

If the current setup works for your needs then no point spending money that could be used elsewhere.

And here I am running a 12 to 24 converter as I'm building my house battery side as 24v.