KEWW Pro's Build Thread

KEWW Pro · Jul 23, 2017

Current favorite photo (31Aug17):

So here are the facts, sprinkled with a fair amount of fiction...

Sometime last year I was driving through a parking lot and saw a truck like I never saw before. I literally took another trip around the lot to stop behind this rig, get out and drool a bit on it. Okay, "sometime last year" is false, it was May 21st, 2016 at ~3pm, I was leaving the Outdoor Expo at the Toledo Metroparks after running a 5k and it was a Quicksand TRD Pro with painted fenders, a roof rack and I don't know what else but that's what I do remember. Being a lifetime member of the big three I did have to look, and write down "four runner, Toyota, TRD ???" on a receipt in my truck. Thus began my self admitted man crush on an inanimate object.

Hours later sorting through the interworld I now had a good idea what the 4Runner's were all about, and I was getting all the more impressed. Given that a certain lady in my (out of my) life was still collecting a certain large portion of my paychecks back then I was resigned to just educating myself on the 4Runner. I am a firm believer in "What you think about, you bring about", manifestation, The Secret and all that, so I stared to see 4Runners everywhere. Whenever I was in locations that tend to collect adrenaline junkies like myself en mass (Bridge Day, WV for example) they were everywhere. Yeah, I live in Jeep country, literally having a view of the plant and having spent time in construction working on the plant itself during builds years ago, I see the 4Runner as a more, I don't know, classy/quality rig. Tons of Jeepers in ALL versions cruise around here daily and maybe that's part of why I just want to break out of the mold.

Anyway, I did the test drive thing, even convincing a salesman down in Columbus during a fully loaded week long road trip to let me transfer EVERYTHING, including three small children, into a 5th gen SR5 to see if we fit. [To be honest, I think he was curious too, and just playing along out of amusement, haha, he even took a picture. Pretty sure he is using that as a sales tool now]. I even lucked out on a business trip to Vegas back in April. I took my GF and we scheduled a return flight 4 days later than work hours from San Fransisco and also had the GF's Brother and his GF join us for the 1,600 mile trip. We actually scored a '17 SR5 with about 200 previous miles on it. Four adults, hiking gear and business crap loaded down and we made it comfortably through Death Valley, viewed Mt Whitney from the Alabama Hills, Sequoia NP, Kings Canyon NP, Yosemite Valley and NP then all around San Fran. You could easily say that my man crush moved on to me becoming a full blown stalker.

Given that I thought a 2017 TRD Pro was out of reach I checked in to the local dealership at the end of June to see what the '18 crop looked like. The only Pro I encountered was a professional car dealer who was either blissfully ignorant or downright deceitful. I walked out that day with the assurance that they could build me a Cement still and I was just in time because Toyota was not going to run the TRD Pro's in '18 - Lucky me!!! I will allow for the benefit of doubt as she will still be there when I do dealership maintenance etc. Long story short... financing actually worked out with my credit union, my current truck lease mileage approaching the need for dipping into saving to get out of it, etc. etc. etc. I found that I was legitimately in the market now, rather than 6-8 months from now as I expected, and my local dealership lost my business.

I did the dance calling dealerships near and far tracking down an un-allocated Cement TRD Pro and finally tracked down an inbound truck due to land in Cincinnati early/mid August. Actually, it was not even built when I dropped the down payment.

The trucks life cycle looks like this;
6/30/17 Build Date
7/13/17 Boat Departure
7/25/17 Delivery to LA Port
8/14/17 Arrival at Dealership
8/21/17 6 hour round trip to meet my new lover, er, truck

So since the first week of June I have been pretty deep into mentally building my truck just how I want it. I have also been through my buyers remorse and recovered on the PRO vs. BRO debate. Even started a thread to get a boiled down understanding.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/240868-why-modify-trd-pro.html

I am still very happy with my position as I know I will not get too extreme into crawling or Baja'ing but more geared up into the overlanding world so statring with the TRD Pro trim is perfect for me. A majority of my "Build" will really be accessorizing, appearance, and giving me the ability to strap on equipment and gear at will, and unstick myself when/if I get overzealous.

My first upgrade is the mush between my ears. Reading heavy into threads and articles about the 4X4, overland and outback worlds. I am still tracking down a tutor, which is proving a tad difficult as most clubs around here are "Jeep exclusive" [They can keep 'em that way, I am looking for Open Minded people who love the sport of it, more than the exclusivity of it]

So here is the list of deviations from stock I am set up for:

SSO Slimline Bumper - [MENTION=110183]SouthernSS[/MENTION] scored a group buy that closed on 6/29, expected delivery 4-6 weeks... about same time as truck delivery!

Roof Rack - Custom fabrication is underway by a gent in SoCal that is "GOBI Style". Even paying shipping and buying a Baja ladder separate it will be ~25% lower than "GOBI Style" pricing and slated for 4-5 week delivery it should arrive... about the same time as truck delivery!

Rear Ladder - Baja, love the offset look better than the straight look - expected delivery...about the same time as truck delivery!

ARB Awning - Shipped - actually, fabbed up some brackets for the Cherokee OEM rails, kinda flimsy but it is temporary. Also picked up a gazebo tent screen addition on sale for $25 and will be sewing the edges to match the T4R once it is up... but is that more of a camping gear or 4Runner mod? eh..

ARB Differential Axle Breather - [MENTION=120701]Cymon[/MENTION] style - en Route

Anytime backup camera - [MENTION=129513]bjohnston115[/MENTION] Group Buy Open Right Now http://www.toyota-4runner.org/group-buys/241232-anytime-backup-camera-summer-2017-group-buy.html

SpiderTrax 1 1/4" Spacers - Love the look, have not ordered yet, still debating, wondering why EVERYONE says Spidertrax and no one suggests other brands... will decide with enough time to deliver before the truck gets here.

Random Misc. Stuff - Amazon order to include vent visors, hood bug guard, 4Runner Blackout Kit, Yellow Lamin-x for the fog lights, etc.

Plasti Dip - Rattle cans for the fenders, tops of the mirrors, hood scoop and front TOYOTA emblem.

Tint - UV Protection that has style, gotta love it. (This one will have to wait till after delivery)

Cup holders - [MENTION=65614]Antman[/MENTION] http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/92013-antmans-thread-13.html#post868556 ANTMAN MOD# 7

Emergency Lighting/Siren System - As a Volunteer Firefighter/EMT we run 360 deg red/white lights while responding to the station. See this thread for the planning and progress on this set-up
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-g...-fire-department-emergency-light-systems.html

Future plans:

Winch for the Front Bumper - I will wait until I get my hands on training before I drop any coin on a product I know little to nothing about.

Sliders - This is the perfect excuse for me to dust off the MIG welder (& chop saw, benders, torches, etc.) in my garage the old man passed along before he passed along. I have run beads before and from my understanding building sliders for the 5th gen is about as user friendly as it gets...and I get to add my own style as I see fit.

Front to Back Skids - Okay, before I run all the way out to MOAB I will use the newly polished off skills from the sliders and do some more fab work to create them. Ideally, they are easy enough to bolt on for overland trips and leave in the garage for the day to day life.

For now though as I wait for parts...and a 4Runner... to arrive at the house here is the little Oil Painting of the White SR5 we drove in front of Mt. Whitney, modified to include all the color and parts I will have to hold me over. It hangs next to the window that looks over my empty driveway...for now.

KEWW Pro · Aug 25, 2017

And the wait is over... Okay, technically it was over a week ago but I was out in Colorado hiking 14ers and watching quite literally hundreds and hundreds of 4Runners and Tacos buzz all around the mile high city and well out into the western reaches. Funny observation, the really decked out trimmed up and loaded down rigs...like what I am about to do on mine, are all crawling around the city with their Hi-Lift jacks at the ready while the rigs out in the mountains at elevation and into the valleys are pretty well stock, but dirty as all get-out.

Oh well...

The bottom photo is the one I have been waiting to take for a long time... I call it "Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh, Christmas Tree..."

The only thing that did not make the deadline for the photo op was the SSO Slimline (Fabbed this week, scheduled to arrive Monday) and the Spidertrax (late order, should be here by end of day tomorrow)

KEWW Pro · Aug 25, 2017

Round One (day two): The Easy Stuff

Matt Black Trim Kit - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F42IS20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Plasti-Dipped CAB from - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N3PYJ1S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Vent Visors - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZJ16K6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bug Deflector - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F8K8D4W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lamin-x Yellow Fogs - Toyota 4Runner Round (14- ) Yellow Fog Light Covers

Baja Rack Ladder - Baja Rack: accessories_details

Before you ask, three weeks from payment to shipment at my back door on the rack ladder.

KEWW Pro · Aug 25, 2017

Round Three: A little more Technical...

Window Tint - Local Shop, $180 out the door for all 7 windows (3 each side and the rear) 20% film all the way around so the rear 5 are ~5% "limo" now...I am really happy now, pretty sure the windows are just supposed to look this way.

Custom Maltese Cross from [MENTION=167461]overlookgraphics[/MENTION] Great experience working with this group. I like the flags you all have but wanted something different. If you want to run the same design order a 26"x26" cross for a 5th gen window.

KEWW Pro · Aug 25, 2017

Round three and a half:

Okay, this was my first time going "big" with Plastidip. My garage space is very limited and I had to do the entire job while the kids were at school. It is not professional but heck, I am only out two cans and 50' of a roll of painters sheeting so 4 hours and $20... yeah, I am happy and I now know exactly what the matt black fenders look like on Cement before I spend real money on a pro job. I must say, I am pleased.

I would never have done this on my own until I saw it on the forum elsewhere, but hey, where else am I going to put all these things haha

Spidertrax 1 1/4" Spacers - I like the looks and wish there was a legitimate reason to do this other than the good looks... maybe a wider stance to compensate for the higher COG when the roof rack is installed and loaded up??? I'll go with it!

Update on Spidertrax after 50 miles... Tire rub on hard over turns... now the $200 question, trim or remove... to be continued

Update on the Update after 200 more miles...more importantly, after the Slimline Install. I was able to "push" the plastic forward when I put the front back together... no more rubbing!

KEWW Pro · Aug 26, 2017

SSO Slimline Installed 8/29/17

A little prep work for the install today... Rust-oleum Undercoating

Won't go heavy on pictures as there are so many others covering SSO Installs. What I did do different though is spend a little extra time trimming the air dam plastic to reinstall it. I also mounted the speaker for my Fire Department Siren next to the driver side fog lamp... forgot to grab a picture of that so I am sure someday someone will ask.

Had to take the cross bar out to get the plastic sides back in, have not seen this in any other instructions so here's a picture

KEWW Pro · Aug 30, 2017

Roof Rack Install

Okay, first things first, the rack is a custom build from Joe at Outgear Solutions, he his on Instagram. Currently (and probably indefinitely) he is not fabricating any more roof racks. He is however doing quality sliders and custom bumpers, and on your dime ships, but is located out of SoCal so pick up is always an option.

All right, so the rack is very close to a GOBI Stealth and because I am mounting my Fire Department Lights, and Custom Roof Top Hammock from it I had it sent without powder coating so I could break out the inherited Clark MIG welder and finish up the custom work on my own time and dime. (admittedly I am not a "welder" so my lines are far from perfect but they are thick haha)

Drilled Holes, previewed lights;

Fabbed up the needed parts;

Welding them into place;

Nick800 · Aug 30, 2017

Very cool, and looks good. Thanks for posting links to some of the products. This gives me some ideas for my '18 that is on the way.

Grug556 · Aug 30, 2017

That Christmas pile..is awesome :reddance:

KEWW Pro · Aug 30, 2017

Roof Rack Install Part Two...

Rust-Oleum Truck Bed Coating;
[not sure why but these pictures are not uploading, just imagine black looking flaked spray paint on expanded metal roof rack]

Mounted all the lights and wired them up to desired settings;

Hung the rack up from the ceiling, backed up into it for the solo mount... boy I thought the garage was small when I did the fenders, this was tight!

After tweaking, tightening down and cleaning up here is is all mounted;

KEWW Pro · Aug 30, 2017

And the Roof Top Hammock

Here are some images, I will add to this as the adventure pictures camping sites get prettier than my driveway!

KEWW Pro · Aug 30, 2017

Nick800 said:
Very cool, and looks good. Thanks for posting links to some of the products. This gives me some ideas for my '18 that is on the way.

Grug556 said:
That Christmas pile..is awesome :reddance:

Thanks guys, it has been a really fun time digging into all the boxes and playing with everything.

Next up is the ABR Diff breather and then on to the interior to hook up the lights, siren, anytime back-up camera, cargo net attic and who knows what else I'll come up with...

KEWW Pro · Sep 3, 2017

Spent a little time inside and out today getting ready for an overnight next weekend. Did not want to pay the $150 to GOBI for brackets so I used about $10 worth of material and did the fab work myself. I am going to give it a few miles then pull it off to paint them but as of right now they are showing to be as solid as they can be. Pretty happy about this one too.

KEWW Pro · Sep 3, 2017

Attic Space!

Round 1; I am either getting really cheap or really fiscally responsible. Rather than track down $24 worth of FJ Cruiser D rings like others have done I modified $2 worth of Wal-Mart brackets and used 72' of 550 cord to tie up the net. I knew the spacing across the truck was 40" and front to back was 32" so I gave it my best effort to tie it up but after the install it is really loose. just a jacket and towel sag it down way too much for what I expected so I think it will take a campfire night with time to spend to retie the system much tighter. If it does not work out at least I know I tried.

Edit: 10/13/17 Round two...

Finally pulled the net out and built a jig on a piece of plywood. To get technical for a minute, the outside measurements are a rhombus that measures 40" side to side in the back and 37 1/2" side to side in front with the parallel sides 30 1/2" apart, at least from the anchor points I have set up.

Much happier with the results.

(There is a little sneak peak at my next modification/fabrication in the background with those chains ;-) )

mrichard89 · Sep 3, 2017

Which light bar did you end up going with in the SSO bumper? I'm leaning towards the 20" rigid.

KEWW Pro · Sep 3, 2017

mrichard89 said:
Which light bar did you end up going with in the SSO bumper? I'm leaning towards the 20" rigid.

That is exactly what I went with. Best I can tell you now is how it looks from the aesthetic point of view.

Electronics should all be hooked up this week, probably Thursday. Now that my cubes are in I have everything I am going to hook up so I can do it all in one shot instead of piecemeal. I will do night photos at that point.

Edit 10/14/17: So I was wrong, Heise is the brand of the 20" light bar. It took some trial and error based on the mounting location to get the correct throw set up to point down range. For a while like in the pictures it was way too low, then when I thought I had it right it turned out to be pointed at the tree canopy only a hundred yards away but I finally have it centered on the horizon and it is definitely a go to lighting option when the streets are empty. I was really glad to have it in the UP on the night runs.

nglayton · Sep 16, 2017

KEWW Pro said:
Funny observation, the really decked out trimmed up and loaded down rigs...like what I am about to do on mine, are all crawling around the city with their Hi-Lift jacks at the ready while the rigs out in the mountains at elevation and into the valleys are pretty well stock, but dirty as all get-out.

Too funny, I have noticed the same thing, plus one additional detail. They are all being driven by the opposite sex! Not that there is anything wrong with that and no offense intended to anyone that might be reading this, but I swear every time I find a sweet looking T4R and I want to start a convo with the owner, it's like, huh? what are you talking about? None of them so far have had a clue what they are driving.....

:dammit:

Great looking rig! Nice job on all the work you have done to it!

KEWW Pro · Sep 17, 2017

Okay, Today was the day to get electric hooked up, and I was not quite ready to commit...

But I ended up tearing all the way into it and making a full blown project out of this today.

Code 3 Covert Light and Siren box installed.

~Emergency lights include 6 R/W flashers side and rear, Front 3 Red and Two middle White on a wig-wag circut
~Aux 1 - Front pair white
~Aux 2 - Outside pair ditch lights
~Aux 3 - Three Red... you know, just in case the Apocalypse happens and I need my NVG assist lights... or just because its cool!
~Aux 4 - Rear Cube Lights*
~Multiple Siren Options
~Speaker PA
~"Air Horn"

*Rear cubes were the 25+ member bonus from [MENTION=110183]SouthernSS[/MENTION] (Thank you!) on the Slimline GB. I put a pair of Hot/Ground wires coiled in the back panel of the plastic so that I can make them into moveable, disconnectable, hang anywhereable lights (like under my awning or up on the roof when I am hammocking!) ((I will make another post when this one happens since I am pretty excited about this option))

While under the hood installed a thermal fuse block on top of the fuse panel for a hot thief.

Installed relay and wiring for the 20" Rigid in the SSO

Ran a spare 10g wire for future use as needed

Mounted the ARB breather ports, gonna get after that either tomorrow or after I need it

I did not grab a picture of it but the lightbar switch was far from a plug and play into the switch plate so I had to do some serious dremel work so I decided to add another switch blank while the tools were out. I will grab a pic later. they are on the left of the steering wheel.

(Oh yeah, forgot to mention a week or so ago I tossed the anytime back-up camera dongel in from [MENTION=129513]bjohnston115[/MENTION] in. I put a little round switch into the round blank I installed on the center stack while moving the USB and Cig Port into the Glove box

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