Tighe's LX570 - general thread (2 Viewers)

[Tighe]

Great to see you get a GFC Superlite!

Is that trailer an off-road play thing?

Curiously, I bought another Superlite canvas, as I may be building a new off-road trailer and integrating that into the pop-up roof.

Thanks! I'm really excited to try it out. Now I just need more free time to put it to use! I'm currently trying to finish up another project, pics below...

The off-road play trailer in my garage is actually a little Mellonseed skiff. It's serving as storage at the moment. Super fun. My garage is starting to fill up with toys and projects though...

Here's the latest project. Chambered wooden surfboard.

 

[TeCKis300]

Wow, some really cool hobbies and projects you got there. Chambered surf board!? Didn't even know they were a thing but that's a labor of love right there.

 

[Tighe]

Great to see you get a GFC Superlite!

Hi @TeCKis300 ! Coming home from my son's bday party yesterday. I would've waved but you would've wondered who the weirdo waving from a Honda Odyssey was!

 

[lx200inAR]

Hi @TeCKis300 ! Coming home from my son's bday party yesterday. I would've waved but you would've wondered who the weirdo waving from a Honda Odyssey was!

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Might be careful when showing pics like this. Some guys don't like sharing the license plates. Looks like he doesn't blur his in other pictures though.

 

[Tighe]

Might be careful when showing pics like this. Some guys don't like sharing the license plates. Looks like he doesn't blur his in other pictures though.

Thanks, edited to blur it out. I did look through his other photos before posting to confirm as well...

 

[TeCKis300]

Hi @TeCKis300 ! Coming home from my son's bday party yesterday. I would've waved but you would've wondered who the weirdo waving from a Honda Odyssey was!

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Guilty. Was getting back from an eventful trip in Anza. I don't worry about license plates as it's all public domain information.

Let's see
- 100F heat (in April???)
- 50+ mph gusting winds in camp, destroyed 2 tents. Superlite took it like a champ.
- Rattlesnakes at camp
- Buddy lost a tire on the trial
- Buddy's Land Cruiser split a radiator
- Buddy on verge of heat stroke dealing with said lost tire and destroyed tent back at camp. Stuck him in his A/C car with Gatorade, salts, and wet towels to cool him down. All good after a couple hrs.

Fortunately the group was well prepared and we had everything we needed to deal with the situations. Still had a great time, with great company, and it's a part of the adventure. Will have to let you know next time we're out there!

 

[Tighe]

Guilty. Was getting back from an eventful trip in Anza. I don't worry about license plates as it's all public domain information...

Whoa, sounds stressful! I'm planning to go to Coyote Canyon at the end of April. I'll PM you.

 

[pvchaitanya]

we should come up some kind of a secret club gestures to recognize ih8mud members

 

[TeCKis300]

@Tighe - spotted ya Easter morning on Pomerado. Wife was like who are you waving to?! I wasn't quick enough to whip out the camera phone but your rig is easy to spot

 

[Tighe]

Haha my parents are in town for the week and I gave them the truck to borrow, so it wasn't even me! One day we'll cross paths again!

 

[Tighe]

I finally tackled this little project. It took one full evening, most of which was spent trying different configurations for the set screw clamps that hold the bottom of the ladder to the tailgate. This part was tricky because the molding on the LX is different from the LC, which this was designed for. It's still a mockup at the moment, but it's solid and I've been up and down it a few times with no issues.

I'll post some pics of the current setup in case they're helpful, but I also have no problem disassembling everything to take more pics or dimensions. Now that I've got it figured out it's pretty quick to uninstall/reinstall.

Thankfully it clears the ARB rack fine when the tailgate is open - this was another concern of mine.

I found that I did not need to trim the ladder base at all. It does not block the back up camera.

The stainless screws that came from Gobi were not quite long enough, and I had to use some 1.5" screws to connect the bottom of the ladder to the flange that's clamped to the tailgate. I also had some thick rubber washer/isolaters from another project which worked well to bridge the gap.

The only trimming of plastic needed was this area, circled below. I found it best to remove the whole light assembly and trim it while off the truck. It's easy to remove - two torx screws, and two clips in the middle. A heated up Xacto made easy work of it. It's very minor and not noticeable, but this was the only part of the process which gave me pause. This is the passenger side clamp.

The drivers side clamp went on fine. The auto lift gate still works fine, but as mentioned above I was careful not to contact the sensor.

 

[tbisaacs]

Always wanted one of these ladders!

 

[Tighe]

Always wanted one of these ladders!

Should be good for accessing surfboards, canoe, RTT, etc. Will post an update if I change hardware or reconfigure anything.

 

[Dukes LX]

Last night I installed a GROM USB3 kit into the LX. The GROM website only lists the Toyota as compatible, not the Lexus, but it works fine. I got the USB3 rather than the BT3 because for some reason my Bluetooth was non existent from the infotainment screen. I also purchased the BT module from GROM to resolve this issue.

My recommendation for anyone doing this is to first get the FSM and review how to remove the various trim panels and the infotainment screen. I had the FSM so it was pretty quick but it would be tedious if you're flying blind.

My process was:

1. Put the truck in neutral and the e-brake on, and disconnect battery.
2. Remove the trim panel with the start button. Either remove it completely or just enough to get it out of the way. Do the same on the PS.
3. Remove the two center air vents. The DS air vent I only partially removed, then just pushed out of the way. I recommend removing it completely if you can.
4. Undo the two screws and the two bolts holding the infotainment screen in. Completely remove all the harnesses from the back and set it aside.
5. Undo the two screws and bolts holding the radio unit in, and slide it halfway out. Made sure to protect surrounding surfaces are there are lots of sharp corners.
6. Detach the only harness that matches the GROM harness, and then plug and play. The GROM unit comes with decent instructions, and from what I can tell there is only one way to plug it in.
7. I put the unit itself behind the infotainment screen - there is room. Use double sided tape or velcro.
8. Run phone charging cable as needed, and mic cable, and reassemble.

And some corresponding photos:

Air vents removed/pushed out of the way, along with knee/starter button trim panels. Detach harnesses from infotainment screen and remove completely.
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Remove radio unit below infotainment screen - 2 bolts, 2 screws, and a little wiggling. No need to remove it further, only enough to detach the harness matching the GROM unit.
View attachment 2560275

Connect the GROM unit and tuck it away. I put it in the cavity behind the infotainment screen. Run phone charging cable as desired. At this point I recommend reconnecting the battery and testing all the connections to make sure everything works. Once confirmed, begin reassembling. I could still reach through the PS air con vent to access the unit, which was handy.
View attachment 2560315View attachment 2560316
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Quick question for you when you get a moment regarding the USB3 install. I tried installing this on my 08 LX580, but the female adapter Grom provided does not match the male plug in on the factory harness. Did you specifically request a harness for an LC200 when you ordered? Thanks!

 

[Tighe]

Quick question for you when you get a moment regarding the USB3 install. I tried installing this on my 08 LX580, but the female adapter Grom provided does not match the male plug in on the factory harness. Did you specifically request a harness for an LC200 when you ordered? Thanks!

Hi, mine is also an 08 LX, but I did not have any issues. It was quite literally plug and play for me. Attached is the receipt - does this match what you ordered? In my experience Grom has decent customer support, so maybe send them a note in the meantime.

 

[Tighe]

I took my two older kids to Dripping Springs Campground in Temecula this past weekend. This was our first time with a roof top tent. It was great! The tent is so much more convenient than setting up a big ground tent, and it functioned as a little treehouse for them to hang in during the day. It's tight for three people though! Having a proper telescoping ladder was definitely preferable to the Gobi ladder on the back - wider, safer, no risk of stepping on the air foil, etc. I do need to figure out how to securely attach it to the tent though.

 

[Dukes LX]

Hi, mine is also an 08 LX, but I did not have any issues. It was quite literally plug and play for me. Attached is the receipt - does this match what you ordered? In my experience Grom has decent customer support, so maybe send them a note in the meantime.

View attachment 3026859

Thanks! Looks like that was the same unit I had purchased. Wonder if the OEM harness is different for LX’s without the DVD player.

 

[Tighe]

Thanks! Looks like that was the same unit I had purchased. Wonder if the OEM harness is different for LX’s without the DVD player.

Sorry I can't be of much help here! I definitely lucked my way into an easy install...

 

[Dukes LX]

Sorry I can't be of much help here! I definitely lucked my way into an easy install...

No worries at all! I appreciate you responding to an old post.

I reached out to Grom and they pointed me in the right direction. User install error on my end lol. Ended up also doing a sensor lift tonight as well after I corrected my initial mistake.

 

[Tighe]

Twinning at Harbor Island over the weekend. The LC was there when I arrived and was still there when I left 8 hours later so I guess they didn't get to enjoy the moment. But I did!