Builds Thed's Mod Journal ('22 GX460) (3 Viewers)

[Thed351W]

Looks good!

Thanks! Though personally I think that they should offer this from the factory

Getting it aligned today, and I'm currently at Home Depot getting the wood needed to remove the third row. Turns out that it's kind of hard to fit a sheet of plywood in the GX. Got the parts needed to hook up my trailer, so I can go back and get the plywood.

 

[K Dub]

I'm just stopping by for some positive reinforcement. There are exactly zero used 2022 GX460s in existence right now, and it's well worth spending for the updates if you can. Besides which, if nobody ever bought new there wouldn't be any used trucks for $30k off two years later. Just something for the cheapskates like me and others here to keep in mind. I can't fathom the attitude that leads to going on a model specific forum and badmouthing the purchase of said model.

Good luck with the build. Looking forward to seeing it progress.

 

[ducktapeguy]

Honestly, I'm not very sure I want to go solar. The inverter is mainly for a "just in case" and not something I actually plan on using regularly, except for tailgating at hockey games.

The solar is more for the battery and fridge not the inverter. Depending on the type of battery you're using, it probably won't be able to charge fast enough to keep up with the constant power drain of a fridge unless you drive many hours a day. The only reason I suggest it is because you're already 80% of the way there, you just need the panel.

I'm just stopping by for some positive reinforcement. There are exactly zero used 2022 GX460s in existence right now, and it's well worth spending for the updates if you can. Besides which, if nobody ever bought new there wouldn't be any used trucks for $30k off two years later. Just something for the cheapskates like me and others here to keep in mind. I can't fathom the attitude that leads to going on a model specific forum and badmouthing the purchase of said model.

Good luck with the build. Looking forward to seeing it progress.

Nobody's crapping on the GX. People were just giving him a bit of a (good natured) ribbing because the original post was a little bit pretentious. The "I'm not rich like the rest of you guys and don't waste my money on useless crap, let me show you how to build one on a budget" then proceeds to buy the most expensive car here and spend more on mods than everyone else. I'm sure most of us here would love to have a 2022 GX, but we can't justify buying a brand new car to mod and damage.

 

[r2m]

The solar is more for the battery and fridge not the inverter. Depending on the type of battery you're using, it probably won't be able to charge fast enough to keep up with the constant power drain of a fridge unless you drive many hours a day. The only reason I suggest it is because you're already 80% of the way there, you just need the panel.

Just a reminder that many people don't consider when they get portable fridges, is that a a refrigerator is only on when the inside temperature drops and trips the compressor. So if you're camping in this time of year in most places, you will probably hardly ever hear your fridge come on.
If you're down by where I live and do some late spring/summer time camping in our local deserts, yeah, you'll be hearing that compressor come on more often, especially if you keep it locked in a hot vehicle.
But with my little Alpicool 21 qt fridge (I also have an 85 qt) I can go two maybe three days without having to start my car and charge my battery if the weather is cool enough.
I would have to imagine that there shouldn't be any issues with solar unless as mentioned above you have a large fridge and/or in very warm weather or very over cast days.

 

[jiggletits]

Nobody's crapping on the GX. People were just giving him a bit of a (good natured) ribbing because the original post was a little bit pretentious. The "I'm not rich like the rest of you guys and don't waste my money on useless crap, let me show you how to build one on a budget" then proceeds to buy the most expensive car here and spend more on mods than everyone else. I'm sure most of us here would love to have a 2022 GX, but we can't justify buying a brand new car to mod and damage.

This

 

[Thed351W]

Since I'm working Saturday, I took today off. I killed some time testing out the Milwaukee tire inflator panel. Tearing the thing apart was simple, so was the wiring. Red and black from battery power, and red and black to motor. There were a couple of catches, though. The thermistor that was attached to the motor had to be peeled off, no biggie. I used a 1/4" air line union to adapt the rubber line to the air line I'll be using, a lot of massaging and lubrication was involved. There is a third wire that goes to the battery pack, this is a temp sensor circuit inside the battery. I measured the temp sensor resistance at room temperature and measured 15 kOhms. So I wired up a 15 kOhm resistor from the temp sensor circuit to battery ground and viola, no error messages. I'm getting a good 12V while "pumping" and a good 0V when commanded off. Hopefully this means that I can slap it on a relay and be good to go. After testing, I heat shrunk everything.

 

[Thed351W]

Nobody's crapping on the GX. People were just giving him a bit of a (good natured) ribbing because the original post was a little bit pretentious. The "I'm not rich like the rest of you guys and don't waste my money on useless crap, let me show you how to build one on a budget" then proceeds to buy the most expensive car here and spend more on mods than everyone else. I'm sure most of us here would love to have a 2022 GX, but we can't justify buying a brand new car to mod and damage.

I didn't mean to come across as pretentious, and I apologize if I did. Personally, I thought everyone here in the GX460 subforum would be kind of in the same place as I am.

This is the nicest car that I, or anyone else in my direct family, have ever owned. I'm thankful for that every day. I can't wait to keep this thing for years and years and have tons of fun with it, my girl, and my dogs.

 

[r2m]

Since I'm working Saturday, I took today off. I killed some time testing out the Milwaukee tire inflator panel. Tearing the thing apart was simple, so was the wiring. Red and black from battery power, and red and black to motor. There were a couple of catches, though. The thermistor that was attached to the motor had to be peeled off, no biggie. I used a 1/4" air line union to adapt the rubber line to the air line I'll be using, a lot of massaging and lubrication was involved. There is a third wire that goes to the battery pack, this is a temp sensor circuit inside the battery. I measured the temp sensor resistance at room temperature and measured 15 kOhms. So I wired up a 15 kOhm resistor from the temp sensor circuit to battery ground and viola, no error messages. I'm getting a good 12V while "pumping" and a good 0V when commanded off. Hopefully this means that I can slap it on a relay and be good to go. After testing, I heat shrunk everything.

With all due respect, did I miss something in an earlier post with what you're doing with this project?
I get you're probably going to use the compressor for your rig, but not sure what product Milwaukee is or what your end game is with it?

 

[Thed351W]

With all due respect, did I miss something in an earlier post with what you're doing with this project?
I get you're probably going to use the compressor for your rig, but not sure what product Milwaukee is or what your end game is with it?

I took this panel out of a M12 Milwaukee tire inflator and I plan on wiring it up to my Viair compressor as a controller. This way I can just set my desired pressure, from five to 120 PSI, and let the panel air up a tire or tank with a push of the button. I plan on mounting the panel and a quick-connect fitting in the cubby that's in the cargo area above the jack.

 

[ducktapeguy]

Just a reminder that many people don't consider when they get portable fridges, is that a a refrigerator is only on when the inside temperature drops and trips the compressor. So if you're camping in this time of year in most places, you will probably hardly ever hear your fridge come on.
If you're down by where I live and do some late spring/summer time camping in our local deserts, yeah, you'll be hearing that compressor come on more often, especially if you keep it locked in a hot vehicle.
But with my little Alpicool 21 qt fridge (I also have an 85 qt) I can go two maybe three days without having to start my car and charge my battery if the weather is cool enough.
I would have to imagine that there shouldn't be any issues with solar unless as mentioned above you have a large fridge and/or in very warm weather or very over cast days.

There's a lot of variables running a fridge. Ambient temperature is only one of them. I ran my fridge on a stock battery for a couple years with no issues, but I was always very careful in conserving the power. That meant pre-freezing everything that could be frozen, and constantly changing the set temperature to maximize the available power. It works if you're willing to go through that trouble, but really the limit is a couple of days in cooler weather with a single battery. If you throw in a few room temperature water bottles and try and freeze them, or if you camp in the desert with triple degree temps, it'll suck that battery dry in a day. The ambient temperature in the car sitting in the sun could be 30-40 degree warmer than outside which will increase your power consumption significantly.

I didn't mean to come across as pretentious, and I apologize if I did. Personally, I thought everyone here in the GX460 subforum would be kind of in the same place as I am.

This is the nicest car that I, or anyone else in my direct family, have ever owned. I'm thankful for that every day. I can't wait to keep this thing for years and years and have tons of fun with it, my girl, and my dogs.

Don't worry about it, like I said nobody cares how much or how little you spend, it's your car do what you want with it. Everyone is probably in a similar position. The GX is the nicest car I've ever own, and probably ever will own. I plan on keeping it forever, so I'm willing to spend money modding it the right way.

I've spent (or more accurately, I've should say I wasted) a ton of money trying to be frugal on some of these projects, which is why I've ended up with the stuff that I have. I didn't start out purchasing things like an expensive lithium battery, but after killing 3 SLA batteries that lasted less than a year, I would have saved money just buying it up front. Same with almost all my other purchases. I won't even document how many cheap camping chairs I've gone through before buying quality ones, or how many coolers I've tried before getting a fridge. I still buy most of my stuff second hand or on sale so I'm not spending a ton of money on anything.

 

[K Dub]

The solar is more for the battery and fridge not the inverter. Depending on the type of battery you're using, it probably won't be able to charge fast enough to keep up with the constant power drain of a fridge unless you drive many hours a day. The only reason I suggest it is because you're already 80% of the way there, you just need the panel.



Nobody's crapping on the GX. People were just giving him a bit of a (good natured) ribbing because the original post was a little bit pretentious. The "I'm not rich like the rest of you guys and don't waste my money on useless crap, let me show you how to build one on a budget" then proceeds to buy the most expensive car here and spend more on mods than everyone else. I'm sure most of us here would love to have a 2022 GX, but we can't justify buying a brand new car to mod and damage.

Everyone has a budget. Looks to me like some folks are pretty upset that the OP has a bigger budget than them. When a post explicitly says they should've gotten a 4Runner, I think their point is clear. I mean, I used to own a 30 year old Jeep Cherokee that did all the same things the GX does, so I guess we're all a bit pretentious depending on your perspective. Let's try to encourage each other rather than denigrate each other's builds, even if you wouldn't (or can't) do yours the same way.

 

[Thed351W]

From order to doorstep in four business days, thanks to Victory for getting my upper shelf shipped quickly. I'll be installing it after work today.

 

[Thed351W]

Shelf is in.

I'd give it a seven out of ten.

+Beefier than I'd thought it'd be.
+Easy install.
+Tons of extra hardware.
+NO LOGO!!! It's just straight Molle panel, no Victory branding anywhere.
+Well-packaged.
+Shipped quick.

-Powder-coating is kinda sus.
-Rattled. I used some double-sided tape in between the vertical plate and the main panel to solve this.
-Why does every single damn aftermarket company include SAE fasteners unless otherwise needed? Putting SAE bolts on an entirely metric vehicle is just ridiculous.
-It sits about three inches too far forward. The third-row vents are partially blocked and it absolutely interferes with second-row headroom. I kind of knew that this was going to be the case, but I'm not afraid to drill new holes. I can see why they did it, since it lets the shelf sit perfectly in the center on the brackets. That's not going to stop me since I never really planned on putting anything too heavy on it.

For the price paid I was expecting something a little less flawed, but I'm going to be happy with this after a few tweaks.

 

[Banandalorian]

I didn't mean to come across as pretentious, and I apologize if I did. Personally, I thought everyone here in the GX460 subforum would be kind of in the same place as I am.

This is the nicest car that I, or anyone else in my direct family, have ever owned. I'm thankful for that every day. I can't wait to keep this thing for years and years and have tons of fun with it, my girl, and my dogs.

I took the original thread title as a somewhat tongue-in-cheek reference to building a GX without ruining the things that make it a Lexus.

 

[Thed351W]

I took the original thread title as a somewhat tongue-in-cheek reference to building a GX without ruining the things that make it a Lexus.

I'm trying not to. The lift was a very pleasant surprise, and the tires aren't too much louder than stock. Seriously, I'm really impressed with the "basic" Dobinsons setup. It rides so much better than I was expecting, leagues better than the Old Man Emu lifts that I've installed in the past.

Mike at Exit Off-Road specifically recommended that kit to me since I plan on driving on the beach a lot. He said that the IMS kits and above like to corrode around the threaded collars.

 

[r2m]

Shelf is in.

I'd give it a seven out of ten.

+Beefier than I'd thought it'd be.
+Easy install.
+Tons of extra hardware.
+NO LOGO!!! It's just straight Molle panel, no Victory branding anywhere.
+Well-packaged.
+Shipped quick.

-Powder-coating is kinda sus.
-Rattled. I used some double-sided tape in between the vertical plate and the main panel to solve this.
-Why does every single damn aftermarket company include SAE fasteners unless otherwise needed? Putting SAE bolts on an entirely metric vehicle is just ridiculous.
-It sits about three inches too far forward. The third-row vents are partially blocked and it absolutely interferes with second-row headroom. I kind of knew that this was going to be the case, but I'm not afraid to drill new holes. I can see why they did it, since it lets the shelf sit perfectly in the center on the brackets. That's not going to stop me since I never really planned on putting anything too heavy on it.

For the price paid I was expecting something a little less flawed, but I'm going to be happy with this after a few tweaks.

You're right about how beefy these shelves are and easy to install, even with my existing rear (Victory) MOLLE quarter panels already installed.
I've put my fire extinguisher on the front of the shelf for much easier access than where it was previously mounted. It really doesn't block rear view visibility as much as I was expecting.
You have a point about almost every after market mod comes with SAE fasteners, which means I have to keep both SAE and metric tools in my onboard took bag, which of course just adds weight and takes up more space.
But as a whole, I truly love this rack!

 

[Thed351W]

"Three Inch Mod" to the shelf is done. I don't know if anyone calls it that, but that's what I'm calling it.

The spacing for the bolt holes was *exactly* six inches, which made drilling holes three inches back a cakewalk. Final drill bit was a 9/32" bit, and all the holes lined up perfectly.

With this and the double-sided tape to fix the rattle, now this product is perfect in my eyes. Taller people will still hit their heads in the second row if they recline all of the way back, but if you're shorter or keeping it reasonable in the second row then it's no longer an issue.

Victory most likely will not endorse it, but whatever. I don't forsee an issue as long as it's not loaded like ass.

 

[Thed351W]

Victory fold-down table installed.

+Not too heavy.
+Doesn't rattle.
+VERY good install video.
+Exactly as sturdy as you're hoping, maybe a little bit more.
+Perfect access to door cubbies.
+Perfect clearances to load floor.

-SAE hardware. See above rant.
-I was shorted a latch, still didn't rattle, though. Time to test out the customer support.
-The final step, installing the table top, was absolutely infuriating.
-There's gotta be a better way to attach the latches than the tiny screws that are included.

Overall, worth it. Obviously I haven't really tested yet in the elements, but I don't foresee any issues with it. The MOLLE panel was slightly bent, thanks to UPS, but it was easy enough to get straightened back out. A few notes about pulling the upper side panels on the rear door: 1) Pull the panels towards the window, not towards you. Found that out the hard way. 2) Pull the little white plastic clips out of the door and then place them on the panel before reinstallation. There's a clip sitting inside my door now after I was completely done. I'm not going back to get it unless I absolutely have to.

Here's the planned footprint of the fridge setup.

 

[Thed351W]

Ran out of daylight again, but the air compressor is completely wired up and plumbed. It wasn't what I'd call fun. I'll take pictures and write everything up tomorrow, but for now here's what my day looked like.

 

[r2m]

looks, kind of naked back there!