Papabeach's Mod Thread

[papabeach]

Rago Fab Molle Panel and Raingler attic Install

Rago Fab Molle Panels and Raingler Attic Install

Okay, this install ranks as one of my least favorite ever. Not only do I hate pulling interior panels, drilling through them and trying to line up holes in the sheet metal behind is a skill set I have yet to master.

A couple tips for anyone installing the Raingler attic in the future. The front D-rings mount right up to two pre-existing holes. On the drivers side they are empty, on the passenger side there is a wire mounted to the first hole. You can still use them both though.

This is the passenger side with the wire I mentioned, just pull the screw, put the bracket on top and tighten down. The second hole is a little hard to see in the picture but it is in the shadow. Ignore the rivnut in the background that is for the Rago Fab Molle panel.

Here it is all installed on the passenger side.

For the rear mounts I used the toggle bolts that came with the kit. This threw me for a loop as the install video on the website has the same D-rings I used for the front install. These mounted through the corner of the window trim and locked in placed in the hole directly behind the panel. This works well If you can drill a hole in the right spot. Me, not so much so now I have extra ventilation I will have to deal with later. In general this seems like a reasonable approach but what I don't like is that I will need new toggle bolts...not a big deal as they are inexpensive and easily sourced from Raingler C90 1/4"-20 UNC Toggle Nutsert Anchor Kit – Raingler

This is the upper rear corner of the driver side window. The toggle bolt locks into this hole.

 

[papabeach]

Lots of free time lately…so I rebuilt my fridge platform/table storage cubby and saved a bunch of space. My last design was more complicated than it should have been, too heavy and took up too much space. This is pretty straight forward, ¾ plywood wides, ½ plywood top and some random L-brackets to tie it into the existing D-ring bolt holes. I was going to build a drawer for the other side but I kinda like having all this space back and I can simply slide in bins of stuff. The mole panels have been more helpful than expected. I saved enough space that I could even put my toolkit and additional gear behind the fridge.

I finally replaced my back-up switch….it has been finnicky for months and the lack of use of my back-up lights/camera. 27mm socket required…the only thing I know of that takes a 27mm….well now I own one….no pic necessary here. For other 5spd owners its on the passenger side of the transmission half way up and has a plug with wiring harness going to it.

Ooh…I swapped out my windshield washer nozzles….this 3 min upgrade makes me super happy. I went with the Honda nozzles that someone recommended way back when. They are perfect and easy to adjust and now my entire windshield gets coated.

Finally, I got to use my attic…works for fishing pole transport!

 

[SHagood]

The best 4Runner build ever!!

 

[Pj Benn]

Good stuff! First I’ve heard of the Honda washer nozzles. Will have to do that. The Bosch icon wipers you have, are they a’s or b’s? Have some in my shopping cart but hesitant to buy since couldn’t find what curvature everyone bought. Really looking forward to the tacobox install btw

 

[papabeach]

Good stuff! First I’ve heard of the Honda washer nozzles. Will have to do that. The Bosch icon wipers you have, are they a’s or b’s? Have some in my shopping cart but hesitant to buy since couldn’t find what curvature everyone bought. Really looking forward to the tacobox install btw

Pretty sure the ones I have are 17A...just checked the website.

 

[T4Rchadly]

On my last wheeling trip I had to crawl through the 4Runner and crawl out the rear window to hook up my buddies winch to my recovery point…I was buried in a mud pit and didn’t really want to get out to facilitate the recovery….

It was easy enough to roll the rear window down from the driver’s seat, crawl out the back and hook up the winch but why not install a switch in the back hatch to allow for control? Or perhaps I shouldn't get stuck in mud pits...

The mod was originally written up here:
3rd Gen Rear Window Cargo Switch Mod W/ PICTURES - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum

I mostly followed it but rather than tap the wires by plug in the door, I tapped them by the rear window relay…way easier. Also, soldered the wires as opposed to t-taps.

I had an extra factory window switch and pig tail that I used for this project and wired as below.

I didn’t take a pic of the back of my switch but it was identical to the picture [MENTION=102716]Tphocker[/MENTION] posted (see below)

(Wires from Relay)------------------------------(Wires from Factory Window Switch pigtail)
Green w/ Red Stripe: Up------------------------Green wire
Green w/ Yellow Stripe: Down------------------Blue w/ Yellow Stripe
White w/ Black Stripe: Ground-----------------Blue w/ Red Stripe

I used red/yellow/green wires that I had but you can obviously use anything...

Has the same delay as if you are turning the key…but otherwise works perfect.

Connections soldered:

Here you can see the wires routed from the relay through the hatch and out the hole I cut (and lined with electrical tape):

And done…

Overall pretty easy project....I spent more time trying to figure out how I was going to tap the wires in the door before deciding to follow them to relay then anything else.

do you still have to have the key in position 2?? looking to do the same thing but with constant power

 

[papabeach]

do you still have to have the key in position 2?? looking to do the same thing but with constant power

Nope...just push the button up or down...there is a delay just like when you use the key in the back but otherwise it works the same.

 

[MattJakobs]

The attic looks nice, is that the full length one or the cargo space one?

 

[papabeach]

The attic looks nice, is that the full length one or the cargo space one?

Just the cargo space one. I thought about the full length one then thought my kids would hang on it/mess with it and drive me nutz so I went with the smaller one. Pleased so far.

 

[papabeach]

Seat heater/12V acc plug install in console

Seat heater install! I used the Dorman 628-040 Universal Seat Heater Kit.
Notes: The wires are waaaay too long….I stuffed them under the trim for now but will be going back to cut them and shorten later…maybe redo the whole thing. I dislike that the relay is in the cab. It takes up too much space and personally I would prefer it in the engine bay…might be redoing this but my goal was first to see how well it worked. Low heat is not impressive…high heat gets the job done! I just put them under the seat covers. Next steps are to buy a 2nd unit for the passenger side and rework the wiring…you can see in the pic where the extra wire is under the e-brake handle…not ideal! Will fix ASAP. Will also likely touch up the cupholder insert with some more filler, sand, prime and repaint. Or perhaps I will never look at it from this angle again and stop caring…for those that care I ran 14ga for this job and connected to my ignition triggered acc fuse box in the engine bay.

Also, both kids now have their own dedicated accessory charger in the back…no more running wires from the front…Yay for me! 16 ga here. Could have used 14 ga I suppose Used a Blue Sea 4.8A dual USB charger and the [MENTION=147936]marcus clarkus[/MENTION] 3D printed outlet cover. Available here… Better Than New by markclementi - Shapeways Shops

 

[Riceye]

Seat heater install!

[SARCASM]

I'll bet those seats get damn cold in Tampa!

[/SARCASM]

Nice work, though. I would appreciate those up here in Wisconsin.

 

[papabeach]

[SARCASM]

I'll bet those seats get damn cold in Tampa!

[/SARCASM]

Nice work, though. I would appreciate those up here in Wisconsin.

Right!!! when it drops to 70 I will be ready

 

[marcus clarkus]

Nice work with the seat heater. That switch size and placement looks good. I grabbed some seat heater switches from a Lexus at a pick n pull that match my plastic trim, but I'll need to mount them both on the driver's side switch blanks which isn't ideal.

Thanks for the mention and shout out, I'm glad the outlet cover is working out great for you and your kids. Is this the USB charger you used? 12/24V Dual USB 4.8A Chargers - Socket Mount - Blue Sea Systems

 

[papabeach]

Nice work with the seat heater. That switch size and placement looks good. I grabbed some seat heater switches from a Lexus at a pick n pull that match my plastic trim, but I'll need to mount them both on the driver's side switch blanks which isn't ideal.

Thanks for the mention and shout out, I'm glad the outlet cover is working out great for you and your kids. Is this the USB charger you used? 12/24V Dual USB 4.8A Chargers - Socket Mount - Blue Sea Systems

Your products are great and yes that is the overpriced charger I went with! Next time you make something "I need" please let me know. Mud flaps are still going strong!

 

[papabeach]

Not much more than a selfie here....but this pic is a bit unique. For any photography folks out there, this was shot with a camera/lens combo sensitive to only UVA light...no visible light here. Since the windshield doesn't allows UVA to go through it looks black. Same think for the Rigids on the A-pillars.

 

[HunterG425]

Great build

 

[marcus clarkus]

Your products are great and yes that is the overpriced charger I went with! Next time you make something "I need" please let me know. Mud flaps are still going strong!

Yeah I noticed the BlueSea USB charger is 3x the price of some cheapo ones, but I’m wondering if it’s worth it if it cleans up the power better and therefore is safer for the electronics you’re charging.
I was reminded of this breakdown of an OEM MacBook charger vs a knockoff (obviously more complicated because it’s taking in AC power, but still...)
OEM MagSafe Chargers vs Cheap Imposters: Teardown for Truth | BeetsBlog

I’m going to recommend people use the BlueSea one, thanks!

 

[papabeach]

Front Runner Roof Rack Install

After debating for years I finally replaced my Whitson Metalwork full length roof rack with a custom order from Front Runner. The fact they don’t advertise a 3rd gen 4Runner option was a bit of a turn off but it wasn’t hard at all to put an order together. There are a handful (at least) of 3rd Gens with them and they know the parts you need. The toughest part is drilling 2 holes in the roof per side to mount the front tracks. At this point…putting holes in my truck doesn’ bother me much but certainly at one point I would have say NOOOO WAAY!. I secured with rivnuts and set them in JB weld to help secure them further and hopefully keep the water out and prevent them from spinning should I ever need to take the screws out and they get stuck. I added some Goop here and there for further sealing. After doing this, I must say I am completely pleased and wish I did this sooner. Front Runner racks have more accessory options then just about any other company and their stuff is well designed and fits great. It is also nice to trade steel for an aluminum rack. I couldn’t help but pick-up a few ABSOLUTLEY NECESSARY (didn’t really need them) extras including their flexible LED strip to mount under my awning and extra mounting points. I already had the cutlery set but being able to simply mount it to the side of the rack is great! My favorite is the bottle opener on the top on the passenger rear side of the rack. Perhaps some more lights in the future but for now I am pleased! Anyone debating doing this….do yourself a favor and just do it!.

 

[T4Rchadly]

After debating for years I finally replaced my Whitson Metalwork full length roof rack with a custom order from Front Runner. The fact they don’t advertise a 3rd gen 4Runner option was a bit of a turn off but it wasn’t hard at all to put an order together. There are a handful (at least) of 3rd Gens with them and they know the parts you need. The toughest part is drilling 2 holes in the roof per side to mount the front tracks. At this point…putting holes in my truck doesn’ bother me much but certainly at one point I would have say NOOOO WAAY!. I secured with rivnuts and set them in JB weld to help secure them further and hopefully keep the water out and prevent them from spinning should I ever need to take the screws out and they get stuck. I added some Goop here and there for further sealing. After doing this, I must say I am completely pleased and wish I did this sooner. Front Runner racks have more accessory options then just about any other company and their stuff is well designed and fits great. It is also nice to trade steel for an aluminum rack. I couldn’t help but pick-up a few ABSOLUTLEY NECESSARY (didn’t really need them) extras including their flexible LED strip to mount under my awning and extra mounting points. I already had the cutlery set but being able to simply mount it to the side of the rack is great! My favorite is the bottle opener on the top on the passenger rear side of the rack. Perhaps some more lights in the future but for now I am pleased! Anyone debating doing this….do yourself a favor and just do it!.

looks good. what camp knifeset is that?

 

[papabeach]

[MENTION=373029]T4Rchadly[/MENTION] — Front Runner, here’s the link.

Camp Kitchen Utensil Set - by Front Runner