*Fred_Runner Build*

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Check out some shots from the latest trip in Carrizo Plains. Pretty rad out there.

The Ultraswing was perfect for this trip as we did some riding out there too. Can't wait to install my stiffer springs this coming weekend as the back was sitting low with all the gear.
 
I got the 505s installed last week - thanks for sending those. The rake is better with these than my old Icon springs.

It looks like we have similar tastes. These are 3 of my favorite purchases - white 4th gen, 1up rack and a Specialized.

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It's been a while. Maybe it because I feel like my truck is near completion. On recent trips I've been very content with the setup, and haven't been wishing for much more. Capability wise - its great. I can get down some pretty hard trials, but still light enough to get 'decent' gas mileage.

Since my last post I've added some heavy duty rear springs. I went from Dobinson 505's to Dobinson 327's. The lift is about the same, maybe .25-.5" higher. The main reason was for the extra weight of the full size spare, and it being moved further back behind the axle. I also got some Bilstein 650lbs springs for the front (up from 600lbs). I don't have a ton of weight (sliders, ARB skids), but they had a lot of preload on them, causing a harsh ride. With the 650lbs springs, I have them on the 2nd/3rd clip, and the ride is much smoother and doesn't blow through the mid-stroke.

Moving onto the camp setup, I actually just sold my awning and replaced it with a Slumberjack Tarp. It does take longer to setup, but it has at least double the coverage, and most importantly, it covers the rear of the vehicle. Being able to cook off the back when it rains is going to be a huge plus. It's also great for shade too. The Coleman stove I had started to fail, so I went all out on a Snowpeak Baja stove. It's awesome. The first thing I did was get an adapter so I could run a refillable propane tank on the stove rather than the isopro canisters. I hate the idea of throwing those things away.

Lastly, I got a Dometic CFX28 fridge. No photos yet, but it's the last big thing I wanted for camping. Much smaller footprint than the RTIC 45, but it holds about the same amount of food since I don't need ice. I ran a 12v socket to the back from my fuse block so it's got power all the time, and the fridge is set to turn off if it get to 11.4v. Longest it's been run without the truck being started is 24 hours, and it didn't drop below 11.9.

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cbelisle said:
It's been a while. Maybe it because I feel like my truck is near completion. On recent trips I've been very content with the setup, and haven't been wishing for much more. Capability wise - its great. I can get down some pretty hard trials, but still light enough to get 'decent' gas mileage.

Since my last post I've added some heavy duty rear springs. I went from Dobinson 505's to Dobinson 327's. The lift is about the same, maybe .25-.5" higher. The main reason was for the extra weight of the full size spare, and it being moved further back behind the axle. I also got some Bilstein 650lbs springs for the front (up from 600lbs). I don't have a ton of weight (sliders, ARB skids), but they had a lot of preload on them, causing a harsh ride. With the 650lbs springs, I have them on the 2nd/3rd clip, and the ride is much smoother and doesn't blow through the mid-stroke.

Moving onto the camp setup, I actually just sold my awning and replaced it with a Slumberjack Tarp. It does take longer to setup, but it has at least double the coverage, and most importantly, it covers the rear of the vehicle. Being able to cook off the back when it rains is going to be a huge plus. It's also great for shade too. The Coleman stove I had started to fail, so I went all out on a Snowpeak Baja stove. It's awesome. The first thing I did was get an adapter so I could run a refillable propane tank on the stove rather than the isopro canisters. I hate the idea of throwing those things away.

Lastly, I got a Dometic CFX28 fridge. No photos yet, but it's the last big thing I wanted for camping. Much smaller footprint than the RTIC 45, but it holds about the same amount of food since I don't need ice. I ran a 12v socket to the back from my fuse block so it's got power all the time, and the fridge is set to turn off if it get to 11.4v. Longest it's been run without the truck being started is 24 hours, and it didn't drop below 11.9.


I saw Mike from LLOD post something the other day on insta about that tarp. Anymore feedback on it? Seems pretty legit and easy..
Click to expand...
 
Recently went on a 9 day trip to Baja - one of the best trips we've done!

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/117684868@N08/49219488533/in/photostream/" title="DSCF2529"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49219488533_7fd93b153b_k.jpg" width="2048" height="1365" alt="DSCF2529"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Wanted to take a minute to talk about a few things on the truck, but first jump on over to see all the photos from our trip:
Baja 2019

As far as the truck, I haven't done anything to it recently besides general maintenance, which has been very nice. There are always ideas of things I want, but I'm very satisfied with the build.

For this trip, we needed a lot of fuel and water as we had a stretch 300 miles long where there wasn't any gas station, and we spent 4 days camping on this portion. For gas, I knew I didn't want to keep any inside, so I had to get creative. Trail'd recently came out with a doughnut that goes in the spare tire spot and holds 6gal of gas. Secondly, I got a 4.5gal fuelpax and the rotopax mount and adapter and mounted it to my Rigd Ultraswing.

Trail'd doughnut - This is a fantastic idea. Holds lots of fuel, keeps it outside the truck, and the weight low. The tank is very robust and easy to fill. I'm taking a guess, but I think this tank was built around a 5th gen 4runner that has the chain style lowering system for the spare tire, rather than the cable system that we have in the 4th gens. It worked, but I had to mount it upside down (recess facing up instead of down) in order to clear the lowering mechanism. This made it near impossible to raise the tank into place without the help of another person, as it'd slide off the mount. Once in place, it worked great, and never had an issue. I plan on messing around with this and try to improve the setup.

Rigd Ultraswing - This thing has been one of the best purchases I've made for the 4runner. Being able to mount the Fuelpax to it worked great, and is a very very good solution for carrying gas. I was able to mount it on the backside of the swing, and there was still 2" of room between the hatch and the tank.

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/117684868@N08/49220040086/in/dateposted/" title="DSCF2537"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49220040086_c923128e42_k.jpg" width="2048" height="1365" alt="DSCF2537"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Already looking forward to my next trip down there!
 
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Still love this truck. So simple, clean, and functional.

What did you build your drawer tray out of for your stove? Looks like aluminum that you riveted to the drawer slides?

Keep it up! Love the photography too!

EDIT - went to your website and saw your shooting some film. (was looking at your Baja trip) What camera you shooting with? I picked up an AE-1 last year and have been shooting with it a fair amount. Need to post some of my shots with it!
 
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Finally joined the RTT club. I got myself a Superlite! The big wins for me are the profile and weight. The first trip out and it's rad! It's not as quick to set up as some other tents, but it sure beats a ground tent, and to be honest, I don't feel the weight at all when driving.
DSC02258 by colin belisle, on Flickr
DSC02327 by colin belisle, on Flickr
DSC02351 by colin belisle, on Flickr

I've also started to build out a rain fly pole to keep the ventilation going while offering some privacy as well as some protection if there is light rain. Obviously, I'd zip it up if there is a lot of rain, but for California, this should be ideal. I need to adjust the angle of the pole hole to add some extra tension, but it's pretty close.
IMG_4431 by colin belisle, on Flickr
IMG_4429 by colin belisle, on Flickr
IMG_4443 by colin belisle, on Flickr
IMG_4445 by colin belisle, on Flickr
 
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