I agree. I wouldn't have messed with it so early on had I not needed an alignment.
Builds One World, One LX Build Thread
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I agree. I wouldn't have messed with it so early on had I not needed an alignment.
1world1love
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Now having a fridge, and an unreasonable amount of time on my hands, I started experimenting with various strategies for what to do with it. We always imagined that we should keep the third row in case we travel in a large group. We have definitely used it a few times in the past. So my first effort was a simple platform to mount a fridge slide out on. Nothing fancy, just a rectangle.
We lived with this for about a month. Since we were limited to trips to the grocery or farmer's market, it didn't really get a lot of use, but one thing became clear. If we use the fridge, we would be getting things out of it somewhat frequently. That means that it would not be great to pack anything on top of it. That is a LOT of dead space when packing for a family of four.
I had never considered a drawer system, but I started thinking about a simple design that I could remove with relative ease. I know there are a number of existing options, but I was not ready to commit to buying anything and wanted to live with something before I made a decision.
We lived with this for about a month. Since we were limited to trips to the grocery or farmer's market, it didn't really get a lot of use, but one thing became clear. If we use the fridge, we would be getting things out of it somewhat frequently. That means that it would not be great to pack anything on top of it. That is a LOT of dead space when packing for a family of four.
I had never considered a drawer system, but I started thinking about a simple design that I could remove with relative ease. I know there are a number of existing options, but I was not ready to commit to buying anything and wanted to live with something before I made a decision.
1world1love
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- #63
Cabin fever does strange things to a person. For instance, a otherwise perfectly normal person might, without much warning, wake up one morning, go outside, rip out the 3rd row seats, and proceed to build a drawer system from scratch.
While that behavior seems perfectly acceptable on here, my wife was surely not of the same opinion. I explained that since we had a trip planned for the following week, that I wanted to try out the drawers. If we didn't like them, we can pull them and reinstall the seats. There might have been some eye rolling and mumbling as she walked back in the house, but it was hard to tell with the compound miter saw running. I think that she learned long ago that there are times when there is nothing left to do but pull out all the power tools and generate copious amounts of sawdust. This was one of those times.
The plan was quite simple. I wanted to build reasonably lightweight drawers that utilized a maximum of available space and provided a platform for the fridge slide out. I wanted it to be roughly as high as the second row seats to serve as a sleeping platform if needed. I also wanted to be able to remove it with relative ease. The setup would have a single carcass, a two piece platform, and two full length/width/height drawers with finger pulls. Because I wanted to keep it very simple and use the maximum available space, I did not want to use mechanical slides for the drawers. Full extension slides of this length are not only expensive, but prone to failure over time. Additionally, it would have required more substantial support in the carcass. Instead, I decided not to fight gravity and use bottom mounted drawer glide setup which I will touch on in a bit.
To minimize weight, I decided to use mostly 1/2" Birch 3 ply with strategic use of 3/4" Birch 5 ply. The carcass would consist of three vertical panels, 1/2 on each side and 3/4 for the middle. The top and bottom would be 3 horizontal strips each rather than full sheets. I did this because using full sheets wouldn't provide much additional structural support for the weight. The top strips would extend beyond the width of the carcass to provide additional support for the platform, but it couldn't be the full width of the platform because I needed to be able to slide it into the vehicle as one piece.
A simple sketch of the carcass:
The platform would be split into two equal sheets with a seam running down the middle lengthwise. The drawers would be 1/2" sides and bottom, and 3/4" front and back.
All joinery is either rabbet, dado or groove, with Titebond 3 wood glue. This ensures significant rigidity throughout the structure. The lone exception is that I used pocket hole screws to attach the drawer fronts to the sides. Ideally I would have used English dovetails instead, but I wasn't ready to commit to that much work without a good router table.
I know that there will be some questioning of the decision to use 1/2 rather than 3/4 throughout, but having built a lot of furniture and case goods, I feel comfortable with the decision. Most high-end cabinetry is constructed out of 1/2" Birch or Maple plywood with strategic reinforcement points and solid joinery.
While that behavior seems perfectly acceptable on here, my wife was surely not of the same opinion. I explained that since we had a trip planned for the following week, that I wanted to try out the drawers. If we didn't like them, we can pull them and reinstall the seats. There might have been some eye rolling and mumbling as she walked back in the house, but it was hard to tell with the compound miter saw running. I think that she learned long ago that there are times when there is nothing left to do but pull out all the power tools and generate copious amounts of sawdust. This was one of those times.
The plan was quite simple. I wanted to build reasonably lightweight drawers that utilized a maximum of available space and provided a platform for the fridge slide out. I wanted it to be roughly as high as the second row seats to serve as a sleeping platform if needed. I also wanted to be able to remove it with relative ease. The setup would have a single carcass, a two piece platform, and two full length/width/height drawers with finger pulls. Because I wanted to keep it very simple and use the maximum available space, I did not want to use mechanical slides for the drawers. Full extension slides of this length are not only expensive, but prone to failure over time. Additionally, it would have required more substantial support in the carcass. Instead, I decided not to fight gravity and use bottom mounted drawer glide setup which I will touch on in a bit.
To minimize weight, I decided to use mostly 1/2" Birch 3 ply with strategic use of 3/4" Birch 5 ply. The carcass would consist of three vertical panels, 1/2 on each side and 3/4 for the middle. The top and bottom would be 3 horizontal strips each rather than full sheets. I did this because using full sheets wouldn't provide much additional structural support for the weight. The top strips would extend beyond the width of the carcass to provide additional support for the platform, but it couldn't be the full width of the platform because I needed to be able to slide it into the vehicle as one piece.
A simple sketch of the carcass:
The platform would be split into two equal sheets with a seam running down the middle lengthwise. The drawers would be 1/2" sides and bottom, and 3/4" front and back.
All joinery is either rabbet, dado or groove, with Titebond 3 wood glue. This ensures significant rigidity throughout the structure. The lone exception is that I used pocket hole screws to attach the drawer fronts to the sides. Ideally I would have used English dovetails instead, but I wasn't ready to commit to that much work without a good router table.
I know that there will be some questioning of the decision to use 1/2 rather than 3/4 throughout, but having built a lot of furniture and case goods, I feel comfortable with the decision. Most high-end cabinetry is constructed out of 1/2" Birch or Maple plywood with strategic reinforcement points and solid joinery.
1world1love
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- #64
For the drawer glides, I decided to try out a bottom mounted system using lightweight, 1/2x1/2 aluminum C channels which are actually made specifically for 1/2 plywood which is actually 15/32.
These would be mounted on the bottom and serve essentially as tracks which the sides of the drawers would sit in. I placed adhesive UHMW in the bottom of the channels to provide essentially frictionless travel. I sanded the bottoms of the drawer sides and applied a mixture of beeswax and mineral oil, pretty much what you would use to treat a cutting board.
Here is a shot during test fitting where you can see the aluminum channels:
These would be mounted on the bottom and serve essentially as tracks which the sides of the drawers would sit in. I placed adhesive UHMW in the bottom of the channels to provide essentially frictionless travel. I sanded the bottoms of the drawer sides and applied a mixture of beeswax and mineral oil, pretty much what you would use to treat a cutting board.
Here is a shot during test fitting where you can see the aluminum channels:
1world1love
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- #65
The finish I decided to use is a deck refresh product from (now) Rustoleum called RockSolid. It is the sort of thing you would use on an aging deck. There are many of these sorts of products. The reason I chose this one is that it is tintable and quite durable. They offer a version that is 2x the thickness of regular exterior enamel, and one that 6x. I went with the 2x because the 6x is like molasses. I just had it tinted black, though they have a few dozen options.
Coming along pretty nicely:
Coming along pretty nicely:
Oh awesome, I was so curious about using some sort of deck/paint stain. I want some texture but not full line-x/monstaliner/etc.
1world1love
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- #67
Yeah, I was the same. It definitely is more textured than normal paints/stains, but there are other deck resurfacers that have more texture than this one.
It's ~$30 a gallon so I thought it was worth trying. It is pretty nice stuff. I've been impressed so far.
1world1love
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- #68
Some more semi-finished product:
This would be as far as I would go for now. We were preparing for a four day trip and I wanted to do some field testing before the final fitting and last details.
This would be as far as I would go for now. We were preparing for a four day trip and I wanted to do some field testing before the final fitting and last details.
1world1love
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For power, I have this great dual-battery setup:
But seriously, I was gifted the Rockpals 500 awhile back along with a Rockpals 80w portable solar panel. The Goal Zero Yeti 500x is a recent purchase, again taking advantage of the REI member coupon. We haven't really used either one very much so I can't say much about them. The build quality of the GZ is clearly better, but the Rockpals isn't bad at all. The handle is not as substantial which might concern me if it was being carried around a lot. Seeing as how it will mostly be stationary, I am not overly concerned.
In a completely unscientific test in my garage, I put a 1 gallon jug of tap cold water in the Dometic fridge which was plugged to the 12v port of the Rockpals. I set the temp at 38 and left it for 12 hours overnight (6-6). The next day, the meter on the Rockpals showed 92% capacity remaining. I didn't care enough about it to do any actual math, and the conditions were not representative of actual use so it was more or less meaningless, other than proving that the fridge and battery worked.
Upon receiving the GZ, I attempted a similar test for comparison, but it turns out that the GZ can't power a fridge via the 12v port without an adapter. Do the kids still use the phrase "What the actual f***?" these days?
Rockpals - 1, Goal Zero - zip
The Rockpals 80w folding solar panel is a very nice bit of gear. It's very compact and appears to be very well constructed. It also came with every possible adapter that a person might need, including a Goal Zero adapter.
Rockpals - 2, Goal Zero - zip
I'm sure the GZ has many positive aspects that will reveal themselves as time goes on, but so far.....
But seriously, I was gifted the Rockpals 500 awhile back along with a Rockpals 80w portable solar panel. The Goal Zero Yeti 500x is a recent purchase, again taking advantage of the REI member coupon. We haven't really used either one very much so I can't say much about them. The build quality of the GZ is clearly better, but the Rockpals isn't bad at all. The handle is not as substantial which might concern me if it was being carried around a lot. Seeing as how it will mostly be stationary, I am not overly concerned.
In a completely unscientific test in my garage, I put a 1 gallon jug of tap cold water in the Dometic fridge which was plugged to the 12v port of the Rockpals. I set the temp at 38 and left it for 12 hours overnight (6-6). The next day, the meter on the Rockpals showed 92% capacity remaining. I didn't care enough about it to do any actual math, and the conditions were not representative of actual use so it was more or less meaningless, other than proving that the fridge and battery worked.
Upon receiving the GZ, I attempted a similar test for comparison, but it turns out that the GZ can't power a fridge via the 12v port without an adapter. Do the kids still use the phrase "What the actual f***?" these days?
Rockpals - 1, Goal Zero - zip
The Rockpals 80w folding solar panel is a very nice bit of gear. It's very compact and appears to be very well constructed. It also came with every possible adapter that a person might need, including a Goal Zero adapter.
Rockpals - 2, Goal Zero - zip
I'm sure the GZ has many positive aspects that will reveal themselves as time goes on, but so far.....
Last edited:
It's the wave of the future. I've just now got a small fridge, and fully anticipate that the solar/accessories/fridge power system won't interact much with the house power system. Maybe I'll eventually get a DC-DC charger . . . it's possible now with patience to get a LiFePo4 70AH solution for under $300, which is what cable and connectors and underhood stuff would run for a basic dual battery (without a battery . . .)For power, I have this great dual-battery setup:
View attachment 2333587
But seriously, I was gifted the Rockpals 500 awhile back along with a Rockpals 80w portable solar panel. The Goal Zero Yeti 500x is a recent purchase, again taking advantage of the REI member coupon. We haven't really used either one very much so I can't say much about them. The build quality of the GZ is clearly better, but the Rockpals isn't bad at all. The handle is not as substantial which might concern me if it was being carried around a lot. Seeing as how it will mostly be stationary, I am not overly concerned.
In a completely unscientific test in my garage, I put a 1 gallon jug of tap cold water in the Dometic fridge which was plugged to the AC port of the Rockpals. I set the temp at 38 and left it for 12 hours overnight (6-6). The next day, the meter on the Rockpals showed 92% capacity remaining. I didn't care enough about it to do any actual math, and the conditions were not representative of actual use so it was more or less meaningless, other than proving that the fridge and battery worked.
Upon receiving the GZ, I attempted a similar test for comparison, but it turns out that the GZ can't power a fridge via the 12v port without an adapter. Do the kids still use the phrase "What the actual f***?" these days?
Rockpals - 1, Goal Zero - zip
The Rockpals 80w folding solar panel is a very nice bit of gear. It's very compact and appears to be very well constructed. It also came with every possible adapter that a person might need, including a Goal Zero adapter.
Rockpals - 2, Goal Zero - zip
I'm sure the GZ has many positive aspects that will reveal themselves as time goes on, but so far.....
For power, I have this great dual-battery setup:
View attachment 2333587
But seriously, I was gifted the Rockpals 500 awhile back along with a Rockpals 80w portable solar panel. The Goal Zero Yeti 500x is a recent purchase, again taking advantage of the REI member coupon. We haven't really used either one very much so I can't say much about them. The build quality of the GZ is clearly better, but the Rockpals isn't bad at all. The handle is not as substantial which might concern me if it was being carried around a lot. Seeing as how it will mostly be stationary, I am not overly concerned.
In a completely unscientific test in my garage, I put a 1 gallon jug of tap cold water in the Dometic fridge which was plugged to the 12v port of the Rockpals. I set the temp at 38 and left it for 12 hours overnight (6-6). The next day, the meter on the Rockpals showed 92% capacity remaining. I didn't care enough about it to do any actual math, and the conditions were not representative of actual use so it was more or less meaningless, other than proving that the fridge and battery worked.
Upon receiving the GZ, I attempted a similar test for comparison, but it turns out that the GZ can't power a fridge via the 12v port without an adapter. Do the kids still use the phrase "What the actual f***?" these days?
Rockpals - 1, Goal Zero - zip
The Rockpals 80w folding solar panel is a very nice bit of gear. It's very compact and appears to be very well constructed. It also came with every possible adapter that a person might need, including a Goal Zero adapter.
Rockpals - 2, Goal Zero - zip
I'm sure the GZ has many positive aspects that will reveal themselves as time goes on, but so far.....
I'm on my second Yeti (first one still works great, second one is a lithium 400). I made my own custom cable for my ARB 50 fridge both times. The first time I bought one of the yeti 6mm-to-ring connectors and spliced it with the ARB cable. I did the same for my lithium but instead used the "12v regulated" cable. Agree it's a little dopey, but it took me less than an hour to make the cable and I've had 100s of hours of trouble free use.
1world1love
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Honestly, I am impressed by all of these sophisticated setups that people have, and the install that Ben did for Eric's crazy heritage build was nothing short of artistic, but I am curious about the long-term value. In my case, I am not sure there would even be short term value. My power needs are not great and the early returns on the two battery packs I have are pretty damn impressive.
There is an added benefit that if there are rolling power outages, I can bring one of them in the house.
As you point out, better technology and prices make the equation much more interesting.
1world1love
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- #73
Excellent. Yeah, my post was a little flippant as I don't consider this to be a major issue, though it was surprising. The GZ is a really quality product that I expect to last long time.
What a great drawer setup! I like the idea of it converting into a potential sleeping platform. Are you looking to add a piano-hinged style piece of folding plywood that goes over the 2nd row, or just sleep on the folded down seats?
1world1love
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- #75
Thanks! I have seen designs like that which are cool, but there is only a modest gap between and any decent sleeping pad like an Exped will make it disappear. There is a slight incline in the folded down seats which is actually not bad for sleeping.
1world1love
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- #76
Nearly two months after I moved to ICON Vector 5s with 285/75/17 KO2s and had Slee sliders installed, and weeks after the addition of a new fridge and drawer system, we finally got the opportunity to actually take a trip and field test everything. The plan was to spend a few nights up in the high country of ElDorado National Forest, run some trails, and maybe do some fishing. The primary objective though, was to just exist in the mountains. If all I did was lay in a hammock drinking beer and breathing fresh air, that was fine with me.
ElDorado NF is a vast and diverse forest spanning the low rolling hills east of the Central Valley all the way to the crest of the Sierra Nevada with 12k foot peaks. It covers approximately everything south of the middle fork of the American River and north of the Mokelumne River. There are 2 major highways traversing it west and east and none running north and south.
Despite the massive size, it can actually be kind of difficult to find solitude there. I suppose this is, in part, due to the proximity to the Bay Area, Sacramento, and the larger towns in the Central Valley. There are tons of FS roads criss-crossing the forest, and it is possible to go out and not see anybody for a couple of days, but you are almost never out of earshot of other people.
There are two exceptions to this though, and that are the two designated wilderness areas, Desolation and Mokelumne. While it doesn’t pertain to off-roading, if you are interested in being alone, either of these places would do.
Our initial plan was to do a trail called Squaw Ridge that skirts along the boundary of Mokelumne Wilderness at 9000 ft elevation and then drops down to Lower Bear River Reservoir.
It was risky because these high mountain areas are usually under snow sometimes late into June, but with the low snowfall over the winter and the unusually warm weather, we thought it might work out, but it was not to be. Snow drifts blocked the road just off the highway near Carson Pass. We couldn’t even make it 50 yards and it was pretty late in the evening. We just decided to head down the mountain a little ways and fine somewhere isolated. No Biggie.
ElDorado NF is a vast and diverse forest spanning the low rolling hills east of the Central Valley all the way to the crest of the Sierra Nevada with 12k foot peaks. It covers approximately everything south of the middle fork of the American River and north of the Mokelumne River. There are 2 major highways traversing it west and east and none running north and south.
Despite the massive size, it can actually be kind of difficult to find solitude there. I suppose this is, in part, due to the proximity to the Bay Area, Sacramento, and the larger towns in the Central Valley. There are tons of FS roads criss-crossing the forest, and it is possible to go out and not see anybody for a couple of days, but you are almost never out of earshot of other people.
There are two exceptions to this though, and that are the two designated wilderness areas, Desolation and Mokelumne. While it doesn’t pertain to off-roading, if you are interested in being alone, either of these places would do.
Our initial plan was to do a trail called Squaw Ridge that skirts along the boundary of Mokelumne Wilderness at 9000 ft elevation and then drops down to Lower Bear River Reservoir.
It was risky because these high mountain areas are usually under snow sometimes late into June, but with the low snowfall over the winter and the unusually warm weather, we thought it might work out, but it was not to be. Snow drifts blocked the road just off the highway near Carson Pass. We couldn’t even make it 50 yards and it was pretty late in the evening. We just decided to head down the mountain a little ways and fine somewhere isolated. No Biggie.
1world1love
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1world1love
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1world1love
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A keen eye might recognize that our camp setup is slightly different than in previous pics. Instead of carrying two tents, we have opted for a single, larger tent. We were torn between The North Face Wawona 6 and the REI Kingdom 6. We went with the REI despite it being slightly more expensive. It mainly boiled down to the fact that the Wawona is a single walled tent with no rain fly. The tent is designed to be weather proof with just the single wall. All reviews indicate that this is actually a true claim. The problem as I saw it is that if it is hot outside, you can leave the fly off and have a mostly mesh shelter. Without that option, I cannot imagine that it would not be unbearable on hot nights. So the Kingdom 6 it was. And what an awesome tent. Roomy, but not bulky. Quality build, and more interior storage than I have ever seen in my life. Not a pocket here and there, but essentially one large pocket the length of every wall. Lightweight aluminum poles like you would expect to find on a backpacking tent. Just a quality shelter.
The drawers and fridge worked out swimmingly:
This was also the first trip since we added a quick mount for the OLS first-aid kit to the swingout. Luckily we never had to exercise it, but it is great having it handy like that.
Overall, this was a great chance to field test our whole setup as we imagine it. Everything was great. We spent a couple of days at this campsite and so really got a feel for it.
One other small mod was that I installed these ladder stays made by Front Runner. They were fairly cheap and don’t really interfere with anything, but are really nice for securing a telescoping ladder.
The drawers and fridge worked out swimmingly:
This was also the first trip since we added a quick mount for the OLS first-aid kit to the swingout. Luckily we never had to exercise it, but it is great having it handy like that.
Overall, this was a great chance to field test our whole setup as we imagine it. Everything was great. We spent a couple of days at this campsite and so really got a feel for it.
One other small mod was that I installed these ladder stays made by Front Runner. They were fairly cheap and don’t really interfere with anything, but are really nice for securing a telescoping ladder.
1world1love
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The Eldorado NF trip gave us a lot of "data" to process with regards to our setup. The field test of the drawer system was a complete success. The drawer glide system that I fabricated was flawless. The drawers slide in and out with very little resistance. One of the drawers held ~100 pounds of gear and it was not problem.
I can imagine a couple of potential issues. One is that there are obviously no stops with this setup. I didn't experience this, but I can imagine that if you were parked facing downhill on a steep grade, the drawers may want to slide closed. We never tested this, but we did test the opposite, which is being parked on an incline facing uphill. Fortunately, the drawers did not slide out on their own. This is something I will watch for though.
The other issue, which is not such a big deal is that the finger pulls can be tight. I wanted to keep them small by design, and they are. I can only get two fingers in. I can live with it, but if I decide to rebuild the drawers with English dovetail joints, I may include larger cutouts.
Those minor issues aside, I am very pleased with the way they performed. They really hold a lot of gear. The real question becomes how to utilize the space efficiently. That may take a few trips before it really gets sorted.
So without any major tweaks required, I finalized the install. I added some tie-downs and fabricated some vanity panels for the "wings". Here are some shots of the finished product:
I can imagine a couple of potential issues. One is that there are obviously no stops with this setup. I didn't experience this, but I can imagine that if you were parked facing downhill on a steep grade, the drawers may want to slide closed. We never tested this, but we did test the opposite, which is being parked on an incline facing uphill. Fortunately, the drawers did not slide out on their own. This is something I will watch for though.
The other issue, which is not such a big deal is that the finger pulls can be tight. I wanted to keep them small by design, and they are. I can only get two fingers in. I can live with it, but if I decide to rebuild the drawers with English dovetail joints, I may include larger cutouts.
Those minor issues aside, I am very pleased with the way they performed. They really hold a lot of gear. The real question becomes how to utilize the space efficiently. That may take a few trips before it really gets sorted.
So without any major tweaks required, I finalized the install. I added some tie-downs and fabricated some vanity panels for the "wings". Here are some shots of the finished product:
