Builds The Big Bad Rad Dad LX (Dissent) Build

[lx200inAR]

Haha, thanks for the compliments.., I may be out of the business myself if I don’t get a shop soon. This took ages to complete due to lack of space. any day I decide to work on it involves an hour of set up and put away of the necessary tools. i got started when my girlfriend bought me a woodworking class at the local arts center a few years ago. I’ve taken the class a few times now, their tools are nicer than mine.

 

[lx200inAR]

I use banding sized for the plywood and elbow grease sanding the edges flush (180 cuts through it pretty fast, but you definitely have to touch up the edges perpendicular to the grain with a higher grit). Just a razor blade to cut the short way at the edges. That tool looks nice though, maybe for the next project.

also, fun tidbit (I was surprised it worked so well). All the joints in the console (except top) are rabbeted, I just ran the edge banding over them like they weren’t.

 

[radman]

Hey @radman - you should send your kids to apprentice with @lx200inAR for a couple of weeks then you can get out of the woodworking business altogether

I just stalked @lx200inAR, and it looks like we're both IT guys that dabble in woodworking on the side. however, these days i'm way more into function over form. Here's a triple bunk bed I made for the kids (pre paint). I used the wall studs for majority of the support.

Just a razor blade to cut the short way at the edges.

yea, razor blade is the cleanest and what I did for the drawer, but I'm getting too old for that. Hopefully the quad trimmer can pull it's weight.

 

[1world1love]

Haha, thanks for the compliments.., I may be out of the business myself if I don’t get a shop soon. This took ages to complete due to lack of space. any day I decide to work on it involves an hour of set up and put away of the necessary tools. i got started when my girlfriend bought me a woodworking class at the local arts center a few years ago. I’ve taken the class a few times now, their tools are nicer than mine.

Tell me about it. When we lived in Nashville I had a 1500 sq ft shop with a Jet vacuum system and an awesome 3hp SawStop. I could turn out case goods like crazy.

Working out of the small garage we have in SF, it takes weeks to make a birdhouse

I used to hangout with a carpenter from New England who built boats. He had a saying: Woodworking is not just a hobby....it’s a f***ing expensive hobby.

 

[1world1love]

I just stalked @lx200inAR, and it looks like we're both IT guys that dabble in woodworking on the side. however, these days i'm way more into function over form. Here's a triple bunk bed I made for the kids (pre paint). I used the wall studs for majority of the support.


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yea, razor blade is the cleanest and what I did for the drawer, but I'm getting too old for that. Hopefully the quad trimmer can pull it's weight.

Heck yeah man. That’s a sweet setup. What I want to know is how you gave time to build something like that? When our kids were that young I can’t recall having time to blow my nose, much less build a bunk bed.

 

[lx200inAR]

I just stalked @lx200inAR, and it looks like we're both IT guys that dabble in woodworking on the side. however, these days i'm way more into function over form. Here's a triple bunk bed I made for the kids (pre paint). I used the wall studs for majority of the support.


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yea, razor blade is the cleanest and what I did for the drawer, but I'm getting too old for that. Hopefully the quad trimmer can pull it's weight.

That’s awesome... looks like there is plenty of form and function going on here.

 

[radman]

looks like there is plenty of form and function going on here.

What I want to know is how you gave time to build something like that?

I guess minimalism is in right now. My goal was to make it as quick/strong/simple as possible. It's just half a box (a huge L). I screwed runners into the 2 walls to make up the other half of the box, and a full sheet of plywood pulls it all together under the mattress. The lower bunk is made the same way, so it's floating and no legs.
You can even see how I left out the vertical support when I added the 3rd bunk. The ladder is doing all the work.



And i know you kid a lot, but I really do make them work. I had to go back and smooth out all the strokes, but 4 kids slapping paint on goes really quick!

 

[1world1love]

I guess minimalism is in right now. My goal was to make it as quick/strong/simple as possible. It's just half a box (a huge L). I screwed runners into the 2 walls to make up the other half of the box, and a full sheet of plywood pulls it all together under the mattress. The lower bunk is made the same way, so it's floating and no legs.
You can even see how I left out the vertical support when I added the 3rd bunk. The ladder is doing all the work.



And i know you kid a lot, but I really do make them work. I had to go back and smooth out all the strokes, but 4 kids slapping paint on goes really quick!

Yeah, I joke mostly because I’m jealous. I need to figure out how to get my kids more engaged. And also I’m impressed that you are able to get so many projects done.

 

[lx200inAR]

I finished up a few small projects and then we took a quick 2 day camping trip 1.5hrs north of Houston.
- I had initially built my drawer box/ Sleeping platform to the height of the back of the 2nd row seats, but it put me at a weird incline that wasn’t very comfortable. I managed to break apart the sides (wood glue ) and raise it ~1.5”. The exped was able to mind the gap without having to shove anything in there

- I permanently mounted the inverter, LiFePO4s, and Victron dc-to-dc and got everything wired up.
btw, how many positive leads is too many on the stock Pos stud?

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I think I understand what you changed here, but just wanted to be sure, you originally built the drawers to sit flush with the part of the 2nd row seat nearest the drawer, but then modified to be the same height as the highest part of the 2nd row? Do you think another board/flap that goes over the seat would be a worthwhile improvement. I was thinking if you made the flap removable it could double as a tabletop.

 

[radman]

but just wanted to be sure, you originally built the drawers to sit flush with the part of the 2nd row seat nearest the drawer, but then modified to be the same height as the highest part of the 2nd row?

right. Here’s Version 1 again:

It was perfectly flush with the cargo side of the 2nd row seat, but I was on an awkward incline. I’m 6’2” and kept waking up to my feet touching the tailgate as if I was sliding down. I removed the seat brackets and bolted it down, which sucked it down another 1/2”.
Version 2 is a good .75-1” taller (i think I split the difference with the low/high point of the 2nd row. The high would have been too high).
I had considered just stacking another sheet on top of V1 or even 2 sheets so I could bridge one of them back over 2nd row like you mentioned, but there’s no need.
The exped is able to eat up that 4” void between the box and the second row. Some people shove pillows or clothes down in there, but I didn’t even notice it.
V2 also has some subtle angles cut so the second row can recline more.

 

[lx200inAR]

I’m 6’2 well.. another thing we have in common..DIY drawers are in my nearish future.. so taking notes.

 

[nhutnyak]

Spent 4 days in central Texas. Highs of 79 and lows down to 55. Ended up taking a ground tent, but wife/kids in ikamper + me in the rig would have been doable. Shout out to the pormido camera system! Just need to finish wiring it in.

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Are you able to tie the new rear view mirror wiring into the existing camera or do you have to mount a second camera.

 

[radman]

Are you able to tie the new rear view mirror wiring into the existing camera or do you have to mount a second camera.

I have 2 cameras. The stock is relocated with dissent metal, and the pormido is outside mounted on the spoiler.


Dissent Front/Rear Bumper install instructions (LX) - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/dissent-front-rear-bumper-install-instructions-lx.1213883/post-13411100

 

[nhutnyak]

I have 2 cameras. The stock is relocated with dissent metal, and the pormido is outside mounted on the spoiler.


Dissent Front/Rear Bumper install instructions (LX) - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/dissent-front-rear-bumper-install-instructions-lx.1213883/post-13411100

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Thank you for the differing views/photos. I am considering going down this route due to too many kiddos heads in the way.

 

[lx200inAR]

How does the rear view camera do with headlights? Does it wash the image out, or does it adjust the brightness balance?

 

[doktorno]

Spotted this truck at Buffalo Grill the other day, looks awesome in person!

 

[radman]

How does the rear view camera do with headlights? Does it wash the image out, or does it adjust the brightness balance?

I was pretty skeptical @$160 for a screen and 2 cameras, but I’m thoroughly impressed. The boot time is quicker than to stock info-unit, and the touch screen is very responsive.

 

[radman]

It was a crazy summer! We pretty much returned to everyday "normal" work in the beginning of 2021, and in June we began negotiations to buy a Denver-based oil&gas company.

With the takeover scheduled for August 1st, I scrambled to squeeze in one last road trip to Colorado - our fist time there without snow. The original plan was to stay near Denver in order to be there on August 2nd; however, the close got moved last minute (typical), which allowed us to head West to the towns we love (durango, silverton, ouray).

With nothing booked/planned, I loaded up all the gear and left Houston towards Amarillo, Texas. With the cantilevering hitch basket in tow, I quickly noticed some synchronized clicking coming from the rear end. Knowing it was most likely from all the extra weight, I texted @TeCKis300 for a vote of confidence and got a "yolo" back. Good enough for me!

We started calling parks, and quickly realized that things were booked up. Extremely booked up. No big deal, got through to a park ranger at Palo Duro and he had 1 spot open for 1 night. Apparently it’s usually a nice place, but wayyy too hot.

We high-tailed it straight to the Great Sand Dunes, and were faced with the same situation. No camp sites available except for “21 un-reservable sites on Medano Pass”. Long story short, we performed my first 6 (ish) deep water crossings and scored a sweet spot. Other than not having cell reception, wish we could have stayed longer than 2 nights. But we needed to head West to meet my father-in-law who was flying out to spend a few days with us.

It was weird - zero availability everywhere. It got to a point where we started calling hotels in South Fork, Pagosa, Durango, Silverton. Nada. Fortunately, we had found a sweet VRBO house in Ridgeway (last minute cancellation) from 7/26-7/30.

This put us smack dab in the middle of LCDC! (coincidentally, maybe). It was sold out, some buds said "just come crash", but I was able to get in touch with organizers and several spots had opened up from last minute cancellations. Unfortunately, due to not being able to find housing, I was only able to hit up the welcome party and one day of trails. I had never seen so many 200's in one parking lot before - my only regret is not mingling more and meeting more members.
When my wife and girls realized that trails are an "all day 5 hour event", they bailed. So my son and I ended up running Imogene Pass. Holy cow, had I not been with other 200s, I wouldn't have known what these rigs are truly capable of. I got several comments about not having skids or sliders, but then they quickly realized that 35s + High mode really did make it to where I never even kissed anything.

It was a little nuts being so close to more trails and not being able to run them, but Imogene was one of coolest driving experiences I've ever had.

Again, ZERO availability in houses, hotels, roach motels, KOAs - so we peace'd out East to Crested Butte for 3 nights and rounded out the trip with a week in Breck (mostly hiking trails and walking to town), 2 nights in Denver, and then we pulled off a 17-hour overnight drive home from Denver straight to Houston.

 

[radman]

More pics

 

[TeCKis300]

The ultimate adventure vehicle! Making epic and memorable family trips is what it's all about.

I got several comments about not having skids or sliders, but then quickly realized that 35s + High mode really did make it to where I never even kissed anything.

Isn't it!? I got sliders with 33's as they seems to be good insurance then, but with 35s and a bit more sensor lift, there's just not much coming close to contacting these days. Almost 6" lift between it all is