We just got back from our trip to Death Valley. We found some amazing spots out there, and were able to avoid the heat by camping up high in the surrounding mountains. Overall, and awesome trip! We started out with Hunter mountain, checked out the old mines, and then racetrack playa. From there we took lippincott pass to finish the loop. After that we planned on summiting telescope peak, but the road was closed, so we found another rad camp spot near there. We then went and drove up Marble Canyon and Cottonwood Canyon. All this took us 3 days, with a good bit of time to stop and take in the views.

Awesome photos! Saw a couple on IG but always better seeing the full reso versions. That camp spot with the fireplace is pretty cool!

FredRunner is killin it.

We need a write up on the cargo drawer/sleeping platform. It looks amazing, I'm jealous!

I'm actually making a new drawer that also has a second slide-out for my stove. Once it's done, I'll put something together!

Thanks so much! I'm in the middle of all kinds of mods right now but this is high on my list. I'll be putting in my lift this month then my next project will be this cargo set up.

That’s a really nice job. Very clean and professional looking.

Hey great thread. New to the site and one of my favorite builds so far. Subscribed.

Hey all - so I figure it's time for an update. Me and a buddy just got back from a trip around the Downieville. Started doing the trip from La Porte to Poker Flat, and ending in Downieville. Next we went to Gold Lake and traveled to Sierra City, camping along the way. Full photo story HERE!

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Recent updates have been the Shrockworks sliders. The wait was very long - close to 12 weeks, but I am very happy with them. A lot more confidence when dropping over ledges.

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JBA UCA's were added. I also bumped up the front suspension 2 notches, so it's a 2.5" lift in the front. Running the Bilstein 6112's. I also installed some Dobinson 505 springs in the rear, giving me a 1.5" lift.

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All loaded up, and sitting level - perfect!

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Hi Lift jack bolted directly to the cross bars. Very stable, and low profile.

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And the updated cargo system. I got stronger sliders and built a new drawer to accommodate them. These slides also have the locking feature, so no more sliding shut while on a hill. Additionally a friend at work welded up an aluminum tray that slides out from under the drawer where the stove can sit. Couldn't be more stoked on it.

_P6A1631 by colin belisle, on Flickr

The drawer has a built in cutting board that lifts up to access tools and other cooking supplies.

_P6A1758 by colin belisle, on Flickr

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works great as a drying rack too!

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And the snow... check out the story linked above for more shots!

Been a while since the last update. Ended up replacing both CV's after seeing small holes and a bit of grease flying out. I was planing on rebooting the factory ones, but once I started the project I noticed both were crappy Napa axles. I went with Cardone HD axles and was pleasantly surprised by the the sturdiness of the boots. No binding with wheels at full droop - something I was worried about for sure. Also did the transmission fluid, brake pads, and rotors.

Besides the maintenance, I added switch inside for the air compressor as well as a pressure switch.



Along with that I ran a secondary air hose connection point to the back. The idea is that I never need to pop the hood when airing up, and I can also inflate my air mattress with the compressor super easy.


To organize my wires, and plan for the future, I built up a small try out of aluminum and got a small fuse box from blue sea. Just the compressor for now, but always good to have room for more.


Got some ARB skids. Install went very well, and it all bolts up nicely. They are much thicker than stock, but I can see why some people who rock crawl complain about them not holding up. I wouldn't expect these to fully support the weight of the vehicle. For me, it's perfect. It'll offer some decent protection from dirt/rocks/logs without adding a ton of additional weight.


Built up a little divider system for my drawer too out of 1/4" mdf.

Your drawer system is awesome. I like how it only takes up 1/2 of the cargo area and looks so simple. Well done.

I love your build and your photos are awesome! Keep it up!
Looking forward to if you ever do a write up on that drawer system too.

Thanks guys!

here you go

I enjoy reading your build. I just bought a 06 white Sr5. Keep up the good work...

Also I am going to steal a few of your ideas! The phone mount is genius.

Been a while since I posted anything. First I got some LFD crossbars for my stock roof rack. These replace the factory crossbars that are attached with plastic hardware, and have a lot of options for mounting a variety of things. The crossbars come with all the hardware needed, but I picked up some security bolts for peace of mind.



I got a Rhino Rack awning, and was able to bolt the brackets to the crossbars (although I did have to drill a hole in the crossbar for one of the bolts).



Besides the awning, I've mounted my hi-lift and also a surfboard to the bars, and they've been great. Highly recommended.

Speaking of the awning - it's rad. I don't have any pictures, and have only set it up once, but so far so good. Quality is great, and I like that everything is anodized black, even the bolts.

Mounted a fire extinguisher under the driver seat. From what I've read, this is very effective, and I'm a big fan of the size. Let me know what you guys think of this Element E50 extinguisher.



This weekend I clocked a good amount of time on the front suspension with the help of a buddy. I replaced the LCA's because I was noticing some wear in the bushings, and also the outer tie rod ends on both sides, as one had a lot of play in it. I got Mevotech LCA's, with the intension of rebuilding my OEM arms and putting those back on next time the front end is apart. For the end links, I went with Moog. Besides that, I got some bumpstops from DuroBumps and they look great. Much bigger than stock, and a progressive rubber. Only a few miles on them, so no feedback yet, but excited to try them out.



Lastly, a shot from the Lost Coast Road. Awesome drive, and pretty easy. I needed 4wd, but not low range.

Winter in California hasn't sucked. Took a trip to Big Sur a few weeks back with a couple buddies and it was all time! All the stills here were shot on 35mm film.

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Also had a super small leak in the radiator, so I went ahead and replaced that, the hoses, coolant, thermostat, and added in an external trans cooler while i was at it. This is a B&M 70255. I was able to make a bracket out of aluminum for the passenger side mount, and used an existing bolt to mount the drivers side. Stoked on the outcome, and it should keep the trans nice and cool for trips in Death Valley and such. Just need to clean up the zip ties and add some type of protection where the hose could potentially hit the body.

IMG_9363 by colin belisle, on Flickr

IMG_9368 by colin belisle, on Flickr