Builds wiseinvestor's budget build of "Big Slick" (1 Viewer)

[wiseinvestor]

The project worked out as expected. The tank holds 15 gallons and the shurflo 2.3 provides enough pressure to activate the on demand water heater. The water pressure is ideal for showers without draining the water supply too quickly. I would say the hardest part was putting together the best fittings.
New Wire Marine
Supplyhouse.com
Fresh Water Systems
McMaster-Carr

 

[wiseinvestor]

This was a fun project. The experiment of this project was to prioritize the dream of hot showers above all else. Here are my reflections now that it has been completed for several months and I have had the chance to use it on many occasions.

Getting out of my Kelty Blockhouse tent after taking a hot shower at camp feels amazing!

Having pressurized water at camp makes life better.

That is the end of the pros.

Leaks:
I have had zero leaks with my system (I spared no $ on fittings.) But a water setup like this inside the vehicle is asking for trouble. It's not if but when.
I will add this detail... the box has to be bolted to the floor, and if a leak would occur it would travel through those bolt holes... through the holes in the false floor directly to the carpet / carpet pad. I worry about this every time I use it, and feel the need to remove the box and the sub floor the second I hit the driveway after a trip to inspect it.

Space:
The give up on space with this setup is obvious. It is manageable for two people but with kids it's a no go.

Weight:
Stock suspension, Sliders, and 33 inch tires, and I'm fat, but not over GVWR. Water tank empty but otherwise loaded for week long trip... I hit the scales.
steer Axle 3380, Drive Axle 3800, Gross Weight 7180. Drove 1000 miles and felt great. Put 15 gallons of water in the tank in CO and different story. 125lbs of water changed a lot. I'm not smart enough to know if it was the altitude, the dynamics of the water, or the just the weight. Off road near home it seems fine. At 7k feet the truck just didn't like it. Heavier springs or upgraded suspension would help. Something I'm thinking about.

Practicality:
Like an rv you want to fill up when you get there not when you leave home. It's just a bit of an unknown sometimes if you can get water into a 15 gallon hard mounted tank. Never have to worry about that with a Jerry can.

Conclusion: I'm glad I did the project and water is still a big priority for me. The box is nice to have in the garage for camping trips at sea level. However, I am working on a less intrusive solution.

 

[Markuson]

This was a fun project. The experiment of this project was to prioritize the dream of hot showers above all else. Here are my reflections now that is has been completed for several months and I have had the chance to use it on many occasions.

Getting out of my Kelty Blockhouse tent after taking a hot shower at camp feels amazing!

View attachment 2434170
Having pressurized water at camp makes life better.

That is the end of the pros.

Leaks:
I have had zero leaks with my system (I spared no $ on fittings.) But a water setup like this inside the vehicle is asking for trouble. It's not if but when.
I will add this detail... the box has to be bolted to the floor, and if a leak would occur it would travel through those bolt holes... through the holes in the false floor directly to the carpet / carpet pad. I worry about this every time I use it, and feel the need to remove the box and the sub floor the second I hit the driveway after a trip to inspect it.

Space:
The give up on space with this setup is obvious. It is manageable for two people but with kids it's a no go.

Weight:
Stock suspension, Sliders, and 33 inch tires, and I'm fat, but not over GVWR. Water tank empty but otherwise loaded for week long trip... I hit the scales.
steer Axle 3380, Drive Axle 3800, Gross Weight 7180. Drove 1000 miles and felt great. Put 15 gallons of water in the tank in CO and different story. 125lbs of water changed a lot. I'm not smart enough to know if it was the altitude, the dynamics of the water, or the just the weight. Off road near home it seems fine. At 7k feet the truck just didn't like it. Heavier springs or upgraded suspension would help. Something I'm thinking about.

Practicality:
Like an rv you want to fill up when you get there not when you leave home. It's just a bit of an unknown sometimes if you can get water into a 15 gallon hard mounted tank. Never have to worry about that with a Jerry can.

Conclusion: I'm glad I did the project and water is still a big priority for me. The box is nice to have in the garage for camping trips at sea level. However, I am working on a less intrusive solution.

Honesty (as in...willingness to be critical of your own choices/projects) like this is greatly appreciated. One of the worst syndromes on nearly all forums is the natural human tendency to post how great a chosen solution is...when what we may actually benefit from are posts that include the down-sides...and insights that often come from flaws, or from seeing the need for revision.

Nicely done.

 

[wiseinvestor]

A Thank You to this community. I know this is a tech forum, but these were moments my LC and this community provided me.
This was an amazing trip that I never would have planned without being part of this community. So one last thanks to @indycole and @codyaustin5 and their families. The non LCDC related moments that happened because of LCDC:

With my 11 yr old son Cian:

 

[wiseinvestor]

 

[wiseinvestor]

... my wheeling was commensurate with my abilities, which is to say little.

I did pole hill on Wednesday as a warm up... turns out it would be my only trail of the week.

Below is my group ascending a hill as I watch from the bottom after bailing.

As I took this photo I was trying to decide if I was bummed out by my decision to bail. Honestly, I felt stupid... but relieved. I chose a trail because I felt it was the most adventurous. I realized it was outside of my comfort level, experience, and maybe equipment. I felt relieved that I realized this when I still had a chance to bail. I felt stupid because I bit off more than I could chew.

It was a valuable lesson that I continue to contemplate. I did get some feedback later that suggested I made the correct call.

Later that morning as my son and I were fishing for trout he said... This is my favorite day of the trip yet. My bruised ego melted away and the lessons of the day stay with me.

I'd say that's worth the price of admission.

 

[RET2]

... my wheeling was commensurate with my abilities, which is to say little.

I did pole hill on Wednesday as a warm up... turns out it would be my only trail of the week.
View attachment 2434235


View attachment 2434238

Below is my group ascending a hill as I watch from the bottom after bailing.

View attachment 2434240

View attachment 2434245

As I took this photo I was trying to decide if I was bummed out by my decision to bail. Honestly, I felt stupid... but relieved. I chose a trail because I felt it was the most adventurous. I realized it was outside of my comfort level, experience, and maybe equipment. I felt relieved that I realized this when I still had a chance to bail. I felt stupid because I bit off more than I could chew.

It was a valuable lesson that I continue to contemplate. I did get some feedback later that suggested I made the correct call.

Later that morning as my son and I were fishing for trout he said... This is my favorite day of the trip yet. My bruised ego melted away and the lessons of the day stay with me.

I'd say that's worth the price of admission.

Sounds as though you could easily change your moniker to wisedriver. Kudos for sharing your experience.

 

[tincan45]

The project worked out as expected. The tank holds 15 gallons and the shurflo 2.3 provides enough pressure to activate the on demand water heater. The water pressure is ideal for showers without draining the water supply too quickly. I would say the hardest part was putting together the best fittings.
New Wire Marine
Supplyhouse.com
Fresh Water Systems
McMaster-Carr


View attachment 2434081

View attachment 2434082

This is awesome Shawn! Now I know where I can go for a quick shower. The Krackin bottle opener is a nice touch too.

 

[wiseinvestor]

ARB DRAWER.
I had not made the decision to purchase a drawer until @Eric Sarjeant gave me a lead on some 1/2 off scratch and dents in my area.

Because these drawers get installed in different vehicle models the install instructions were a bit confusing and there was a great deal of extra hardware. Once again mud saved me from a meltdown.

Pop off the top

Remove the drawer stops and keep track of their orientation.

 

[afgman786]

... my wheeling was commensurate with my abilities, which is to say little.

I did pole hill on Wednesday as a warm up... turns out it would be my only trail of the week.
View attachment 2434235


View attachment 2434238

Below is my group ascending a hill as I watch from the bottom after bailing.

View attachment 2434240

View attachment 2434245

As I took this photo I was trying to decide if I was bummed out by my decision to bail. Honestly, I felt stupid... but relieved. I chose a trail because I felt it was the most adventurous. I realized it was outside of my comfort level, experience, and maybe equipment. I felt relieved that I realized this when I still had a chance to bail. I felt stupid because I bit off more than I could chew.

It was a valuable lesson that I continue to contemplate. I did get some feedback later that suggested I made the correct call.

Later that morning as my son and I were fishing for trout he said... This is my favorite day of the trip yet. My bruised ego melted away and the lessons of the day stay with me.

I'd say that's worth the price of admission.

Good on you for realizing you bit off more than you could handle before getting into the thick of it! Takes experience to understand that and accept it. I've definitely wheeled with people that committed when they shouldn't have and it wasn't fun.

Seems like you ended up having a better day making a memory like that with the kiddo though!

 

[wiseinvestor]

The instructions had me 2nd guessing if I needed to move these cross bars. Turns out I did not.

For the driver side drawer I used the following two locations to bolt down.

The Aft / rear location is the tie down anchor, and the forward is here...

(Obviously the false floor was removed prior to install)

I had to dremel out a bit of plastic around the 3rd row seat anchor to get to the captive nut, but it was minor.

Here is the damage that led to my discount.

 

[wiseinvestor]

Big thanks to @Markuson for some install guidance.

The side kits were sold out nationally with an expected delivery time quoted in months not weeks. Sold in pairs I wondered if someone else was running one drawer on the passenger side and sitting on the unused driver side floor kit. @kevinfoutch responded and hooked me up with what I needed. Thanks Kevin!

Mud community comes through once again.

 

[wiseinvestor]

Good on you for realizing you bit off more than you could handle before getting into the thick of it! Takes experience to understand that and accept it. I've definitely wheeled with people that committed when they shouldn't have and it wasn't fun.

Seems like you ended up having a better day making a memory like that with the kiddo though!

You hit the nail on the head! From the go this was a father son road trip first and lcdc second. The wheeling may have been a fail/learning experience, however the road trip was fantastic.

 

[wiseinvestor]

Here, once again I followed our resident ARB drawer ambassador's lead with some tie downs from Mac's Tie Downs.

I ordered and installed the following:

1	520410	Anchor Plate Assembly - 4 Pack 1 in. fastener length	$57.95
1	520334	Double Stud Anchor Plate Assembly - 4 Pack Idler 1 in. fastener length	$89.95

Extremely solid hardware.
I chose the anchor plate assembly for the front and back ends of my drawers (who knows what tie down points.)
I selected the double stud anchor plates for specific tie down locations.

I am pleased with the result and feel more confident that my cargo will stay put in an accident.

Couple of thoughts for future buyers:
With the purchase of the anchor plate assembly you will get to choose your type of tie down ring. Your options are a pear ring or idler. I chose the pear ring and was surprised how large it was. It works great, but is quite the overkill for a tote tie down.

The double stud anchor plate assembly comes with single stud tie down rings. In retrospect , I wish I had reached out to the company and inquired if I could get the single stud tie downs rings in lieu of the pear rings. I can't say for certain, but one would think they would accommodate that request as the pear rings seem to be heavier duty and probably more expensive. I will probably place and order to rectify.

The only other thing that I will mention is that that the "captive nuts" on the back side of the back plates tend to want to come off. They are not welded/hard mounted to the backing plate. Not a complaint... as I can imagine many scenarios where the nut would be discarded all together for a different mounting solution. A bit of attention and it won't be a problem, but I thought I would mention it.

 

[wiseinvestor]

Some Front runner wolf pack and tie down straps.

And it all move over to passenger at bed time (or in my driveway when I'm testing usability.)

Different config:

 

[wiseinvestor]

I feel a bit guilty about posting all the recent flat out theft of great ideas that I have been doing without any real new information to add. But I will continue...

I wanted a light on the rear hatch for camp, but I did not want the cost or time of wiring in something. I came across the following thread and wholeheartedly ripped it off.

Another Cargo Area Lighting Solution


So far it accomplished the goal and I am pleased with it.

 

[wiseinvestor]

Picked up some Weather Tech Sun Shades...

Review: WeatherTech Sun Shades - Full Coverage (every window).

We've been needing sun shades for all of the windows on our 2008 salsa-red cruiser for several reasons such adding privacy, blocking out the sun when it's parked, and when possible blocking out the sun for my family on long-distance jaunts. Two weeks ago I ordered the WeatherTech Sun Shades...

forum.ih8mud.com

I ditched the windshield (opted for a better solution) and rolled up the six side window, and rear window shades.
Will report back once I've spent some time using them.
Pics for stored size reference.

For the windshield I opted to go with the covercraft uvs100 custom sunscreen. It is superior.

 

[wiseinvestor]

The last bit of thievery I will post today is @Overland Tailor home brew TrexPak drawer dividers.

Drawer Dividers for TrekBoxx System

Just finished the TrekBoxx install in the 80 and I'm wondering what you guys are using as dividers. Anything better or on par with the Pelican TrekPak Dividers? Thanks guys. J

forum.ih8mud.com

I used a combination of his execution with an arb cargo organizer.

I have no need to be hauling a kitchen around all the time. I can pull out the arb cargo organizer when not needed.

Forward of the cargo bag I shoved jumper cables, TP, some water, some freeze dried food, and these bags from adventure tool company.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

The last bit of thievery I will post today is @Overland Tailor home brew TrexPak drawer dividers.

Drawer Dividers for TrekBoxx System

Just finished the TrekBoxx install in the 80 and I'm wondering what you guys are using as dividers. Anything better or on par with the Pelican TrekPak Dividers? Thanks guys. J

forum.ih8mud.com

I used a combination of his execution with an arb cargo organizer.

View attachment 2434985

I have no need to be hauling a kitchen around all the time. I can pull out the arb cargo organizer when not needed.

View attachment 2434988

View attachment 2434989

Forward of the cargo bag I shoved jumper cables, TP, some water, some freeze dried food, and these bags from adventure tool company.

View attachment 2434997

There is a big upside to a portable/removable kitchen, such as what you've got: you can cook away from the vehicle. This comes in handy big-time when certain campsites have tables that you cannot drive up to, or you want to cook within a shelter to get away from bugs.

 

[wiseinvestor]

There is a big upside to a portable/removable kitchen, such as what you've got: you can cook away from the vehicle. This comes in handy big-time when certain campsites have tables that you cannot drive up to, or you want to cook within a shelter to get away from bugs.

That is a very good point that I didn't think about mentioning. I usually set up my propane, stove, and table a safe distance away from the truck. I don't want the interior smelling like sausages!

My kitchen consists of 2 cast iron skillets, 2 nesting pots, a percolator and coffee cup, a bag of utensils, cutting board, and collapsible sink. I forgot to mention that I also keep a 48 oz stanley french press forward of the cargo bag.