EatonKyleH's Build Thread

[EatonKyleH]

You'll love having a fridge! I've got a 43qt EdgeStar that's survived a week in Ouray and 5 days in Moab. I hate having to break out the cooler and ice now.

Thanks Aaron, I'm thrilled to finally have one. With every trip I've done over a day or two the food limitations are always what starts to bring down my spirits and make me start wanting to go home. I also just HAATTEE the sound of ice sloshing around lol.

It was probably the easiest piece of gear to get Lindsey on board with buying too. She's excited to have many more cooking options.

Do you have your crawler going now? Hope to see ya next year man.

 

[Volcom]

Thanks Aaron, I'm thrilled to finally have one. With every trip I've done over a day or two the food limitations are always what starts to bring down my spirits and make me start wanting to go home. I also just HAATTEE the sound of ice sloshing around lol.

It was probably the easiest piece of gear to get Lindsey on board with buying too. She's excited to have many more cooking options.

Do you have your crawler going now? Hope to see ya next year man.

I hate soggy, water logged food! I also hate throwing away food from a trip that was ruined by water or the cooler didn't have enough ice by the end of the trip to make the food iffy to eat. I love having a gallon of sweet tea in my fridge! Yeah, she'll love being able to pack more than just lunch meat and burgers.

Scotty build me a 3rd member, just need to get the crawler in the garage and get it swapped in. I also need to finish the traction bar I started and probably pull the dual cases and reseal them. They leak about a 1/4 of a qt of gear oil every two weeks. That's alot of oil.

 

[EatonKyleH]

Well the crawl box is still out of stock (and has been for about the last 2 months) with no ETA. The wait continues.

In other news. Tipton the kitten moved in last Friday. So far I'm actually enjoying him more than I thought I would.

Pretty sweet fact (with documentation) about him is that he is the Great Great Grandson of SGC Belfry Ted Nude-Gent. Better known as Dr. Evil's own "Mr. Bigglesworth" from the Austin Powers movies.

That made me think a bit more highly of the little guy. haha.



As far as the truck goes I've been building a slide for the fridge and setting up dual batteries and an isolator/controller. Considering running solar on the roof to the aux battery but we will see.

Still waiting on the deep cycle battery and isolator to show up. But I'm ready to drop it in as you can see.



I kinda based it off this thread:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/89245-dual-battery-setup-1997-4runner.html

but kept the stock coolant overflow bottle, built a base for the whole box out of steel. Pretty darn happy with how its coming together.

The battery I took out is less than a year old and a nice Interstate Megatron II. I'd give it away to anyone local that is needing a battery. PM me if interested.

 

[1blink]

There is no 50% like button, so I must refrain. Dual batteries = awesome. My work truck came with duals and a sweet inverter, it's killer to not be concerned with draining down the starting battery.

 

[JBurt]

It'd like to take this opportunity to say how glad I am that you didn't sell your rig, and can keep doing cool projects.

I'd love to see more pictures of your battery box.

 

[EatonKyleH]

There is no 50% like button, so I must refrain. Dual batteries = awesome. My work truck came with duals and a sweet inverter, it's killer to not be concerned with draining down the starting battery.

Haha! Unfortunately deals had to be made.
Although I've somehow turned crawl box for me...cat for you.
Into:
Fridge, Dual batteries, crawl box, and gauges for me....cat for you.

That's more like it.

Ya in the past I've always been far to concerned about draining the battery while running inverters, interior lighting, and so on to the point it kind of lessened my enjoyment on the longer trips. With the addition of the fridge it was a must have upgrade for me.

It'd like to take this opportunity to say how glad I am that you didn't sell your rig, and can keep doing cool projects.

I'd love to see more pictures of your battery box.

Thanks man! Fortunately things really flipped right around. I now have more plans for this thing than I'll probably ever get to and don't see it being sold anytime soon.

I'll post up more about the battery set up as I finish it. I was having a horrible time with lighting during the picture and just wanted something to post regardless. I'll get some more details on it (and better pictures) soon.

 

[1blink]

Ok, then that counts as a win in my book. The cat is incidental.

 

[EatonKyleH]

Started building a slide for the fridge.

I wasn't going to spend $350+ on a slide and didn't like how much wider and taller the ARB slide made the footprint anyway.

So I came up with this. Its on 26 inch travel 200lbs slides I had laying around and I build the rest of it out of 2inch steel angle (1/8 thick).
The base is open to allow for unobstructed air flow.

So far I'm really really excited about it.
Still need to paint it and I'll be adding the ARB tie down kit to the front and rear to hold it down super tight.

 

[Volcom]

Started building a slide for the fridge.

I wasn't going to spend $350+ on a slide and didn't like how much wider and taller the ARB slide made the footprint anyway.

So I came up with this. Its on 26 inch travel 200lbs slides I had laying around and I build the rest of it out of 2inch steel angle (1/8 thick).
The base is open to allow for unobstructed air flow.

So far I'm really really excited about it.
Still need to paint it and I'll be adding the ARB tie down kit to the front and rear to hold it down super tight.

I built a fridge slide just like that!! I bought the ARB tie down kit and only used the straps and small metal tabs. I have the brackets that go over the handles. You're welcome to them, I won't be using them. You'll have to source some straps and make some small tabs but that shouldn't be too hard! Let me know.

 

[Fishwerks]

Fridge slide looks good man!

 

[EatonKyleH]

I built a fridge slide just like that!! I bought the ARB tie down kit and only used the straps and small metal tabs. I have the brackets that go over the handles. You're welcome to them, I won't be using them. You'll have to source some straps and make some small tabs but that shouldn't be too hard! Let me know.

Thanks Aaron I appreciate the offer! I already had ordered the tie down kit though. I figured somebody else had to have had a similar idea for making the slide before haha.

Fridge slide looks good man!

Thanks Chris! Hope to see ya soon after all the Holiday hoo ha is over.

 

[EatonKyleH]

Been out playing around in the snow a few times lately.



With all the holidays and family Christmas at my house this year I haven't been up to much otherwise.

But did get a bunch of sweet bags from Blue Ridge Overland gear and have started getting my sleeping platform/cargo area way more organized.

The tool bag has lots of individually removable pouches and is dead quiet when out banging around. The fluids bag is lined with an oil resistant tarp material. Pretty neat ideas and absolutely incredible quality hand cut and stitched in the USA.

Still working and packing em up.



And talked to Marlin last week. The Crawl box is "In Queue at the machine shop" but still no ETA.

Buuutttt..... These sweet thangs showed up from RADesigns. Triple sticks!

 

[EatonKyleH]

I wanted to make use of the space between the fridge and the drivers side of the rear. Something that would be easy to access without reaching in there and fumbling around.


So I thought it would be nice to have the ability to have gear slide out with the fridge and started kicking around ideas.

So far I've come up with attaching MOLLE panels to the sides of the fridge as I have an assortment of compatible gear. Pouches, first aid, kitchen stuff....

Or a wine rack!... because why not.





Should work nicely and present a lot of options for slide out access to things.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Refrigerator? Wine rack!?

 

[Bandit Runner]

I wanted to make use of the space between the fridge and the drivers side of the rear. Something that would be easy to access without reaching in there and fumbling around.

Maybe you could make a little cat house in that spot, for your non-furry friend.:spit:

 

[EatonKyleH]

Refrigerator? Wine rack!?

Always wanted to try the Fancy Ketchup but this poor mans stuck with tomato
paste. Probably should take out the only bottle of wine I have and replace it with a Mickeys 40oz..... Or maybe an Evil Eye... Decisions Decisions...

Maybe you could make a little cat house in that spot, for your non-furry friend.:spit:

Lol. The fabric these seats are upholstered with has always kind of reminded me of cat furniture anyway! Puuuuurrrrfect!

 

[EatonKyleH]

Well I got this all sorted.
Using a National Luna Intelligent solenoid which automatically monitors/connects and disconnects the batteries or can be engaged with the controller in the cab.

The solenoid install instructions say to mount it upright but I found many people including outfitters/dealers install it flat with no issues, couldn't see why a solenoid position would matter, and I wanted to keep the cables as short as possible and the unit accessible just in case it gets wacky on me.
I've been monitoring each battery with my DVOM and it is working perfectly.

I have my winch hooked to the side terminals, one cable going to the fuse box I mounted in the rear that from there provides power and ground for the fridge, water system, etc.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/131523454@N04/16613379432" title="SAM_0201 by Kyle Houghtaling, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8571/16613379432_c8aa00901d_c.jpg" width="800" height="534" alt="SAM_0201"></a>

In other news I am heading to Moab in a few weeks so have been finishing up some odds and ends with the truck. Also just been out hiking about every weekend and playing with a new camera I got. Pictures will be getting a lot better here. I'm no photographer but have been quite pleased with what I've been getting so far.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/131523454@N04/16426991640" title="SAM_0123 by Kyle Houghtaling, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8615/16426991640_6c29104546_c.jpg" width="800" height="534" alt="SAM_0123"></a>

 

[1blink]

Like that dual battery. Maybe someday.
The wife and I have been working on our endurance levels at our new altitude, mostly snowshoeing in RMNP. Maybe by this spring we can keep up with you guys on a hike. Hit me up if you want to snowshoe on a Sunday or Monday, if you guys are into that. The mountain shop rents them for $5/day if you don't have them already

 

[EatonKyleH]

MOOOOAAAAABBBB Ruled!
[MENTION=95069]TBuzz[/MENTION] ascending Kane Creek.





Whole bunch of 3rd gens.... and a 4th.



Wheeling a 1st gen Xterra makes a man contemplate the meaning of life.



Dat ass tho.



Whooooah.

 

[Fishwerks]

Wheeling a 1st gen Xterra makes a man contemplate the meaning of life.

:rofl: