Warthog Build and Adventure Thread

2014 Warthog · Mar 29, 2014

"The Warthog"

Well I guess I should just start a build thread for the Warthog! :clap2:

I currently live in Escondido (San Diego, Ca) and I make trips to borrego frequently as well as exploring the Sierras and where-ever else I can get to for fun and to take pictures.

My third Toyota truck and first 4runner, I bought a red 2014 SR5 Premium 4x4 from Toyota of Escondido. Was looking for a TE Premium in Red, tried to get one through other dealer trades etc, it just wasn't to be (Like chasing unicorns). Then one day a red sr5 showed up I grabbed it. Overall the only thing from the trail that I really cared about was the rear locker but I have remedied that with an ARB air locker. Other than that the SR5 provides a nice clean platform for modifying anyway you see fit for offroading!

My Daily Driver, offroader, camping and exploration vehicle.
I am building it for offroad use without making it impossible to live with on road.
So far so good!

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Build
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Misc outside:
* 275/70R17 BFG KO2's and Method wheels
* BajaRack short rack with fabbed buggy whip and gas can brackets. Highlift jack brackets
* Lights:
* 30 in main light bar on rack.
* Rear amber running lights and red brake lights on rack.
* Rear backup lights on bumper.
* Front amber running lights on bumper.
* Ditch lights on CBI brackets on hood.
* Smittybuilt Tarp/shade awning

Under the hood:
* Type 31 Marine Deep Cycle battery with PelfryBilt type 31 battery cage
* ARB high capacity air compressor with plenem
* Ipod accessory switch/relay box

Suspension:
* ICON Stage 4 (Billet):
* 2.5 in coilovers up front
* Adjustable 2.5 in resevoir shocks in the rear
* 2in rear lift coils
* Billet lower rear trailing arms
* Billet upper front A arms

Armor:
* Shrockworks sliders
* Skid plates:
* Front
* Trans
* Transfer
* Gas tank (aluminum)
* Rear Diff
* Lower Link Mounts
* CBI rear bumper
* Hidden Winch / front bumper (Southern Streamline)

Misc Inside:
* Hardwired install of Nexus 7 tablet for OBD display and offline trail mapping
* Install rear hatch release button
* Constant on lighter plugs
* ARB fridge
* Rear tool drawers, fridge mount and sleeping area.

Other:
* Rear ARB locker
* Relocated/2 way rear diff breather mod
* 75 watt solar charger

Recovery:
* Come Up DV-9s winch with synthetic line
* Hookless tow strap.
* 30 foot Bubba Rope
* Tree savers, shackles etc.
* Shovel
* Wood Saw
* Pull-Pal 11,000
* Highlift Jack with several attachment point accessories
* Tool kit which I use to do all my normal maintenance on the vehicle so I know what I have on the trail

Comms:
* 2M Kenwood 65W radio
* 2M/440 Handy Talky
* Cobra CB and 3Ft. Firestick antennae
* Pair Cobra FRS hand helds

TODO:
* Battery meter in back near 120v inverter
* Front "Backup" camera
* Rock lights? Heh

GiGi's 1996 · Mar 31, 2014

Boy do you have some plan there. Cool. I look forward to seeing your Barcelona Red develop.

2014 Warthog · Mar 31, 2014

Just want to get stage one all done so I can take a break and enjoy some adventuring in it

. I've had it out a couple times but the lack of decent shocks is the most annoying part. Also having to turn on the ignition to use the 12v sockets

Fabbed up the gas can brackets this weekend, waiting for paint to dry.

By the time the sliders and shocks come and I finish the other stuff desert season will be over

Will have to take a trip to the White Mtns or something...

4Running Daily · Mar 31, 2014

I'll be looking for this rig driving around Escondido!

DigableKid · Apr 1, 2014

4Running Daily said:
I'll be looking for this rig driving around Escondido!

Ditto! I was in North Borrego this weekend.

Warthog, maybe we'll cross trails some day.

2014 Warthog · Apr 1, 2014

Should keep like a notebook with a picture of peoples trucks and names handy when wheeling

@DigibleKid Did you get caught in the big wind?

I may be back out there this weekend or next...

2014 Warthog · Apr 1, 2014

Gas Can Brackets

I fabbed up some quick brackets to hold my gas cans on the roof rack this weekend.

A simple bracket with rubber straps or tie-downs to hold them on. I can already see that I'll probably put a floor down inside them...

2014+warthog-albums-+warthog-picture25119-gas-can-brackets.jpg

Glamour Shot

2014+warthog-albums-+warthog-picture25120-cans.jpg

From the back

2014+warthog-albums-+warthog-picture25121-cans-2.jpg

Such cans!

I spent forever researching cans with an emphasis on not leaking and secondary a low profile without laying them on their side. The final conclussion is that they all suck! Why can't anyone make a working gas can???

Well these come very highly rated for not leaking when being thrown around in the back of a vehicle. We'll see...

chmura · Apr 1, 2014

Nice looking rig.

I use a military scepter jerry can. Never leaked on me. Even on a road trip to utah from so cal. Thinking about buying another can.

DigableKid · Apr 1, 2014

2014 Warthog said:
Should keep like a notebook with a picture of peoples trucks and names handy when wheeling

@DigibleKid Did you get caught in the big wind?

I may be back out there this weekend or next...

I was north of where the most of it was and saw it from a high point. However, it was so windy where I was at, I had to close my windows for a good half mile of travel. So much sand was being thrown around that when I got home, I took a leaf blower to the inside of the Runner.

But you gotta get out of the concrete jungle... too much of it will make you go loco.

2014 Warthog · Apr 1, 2014

DigableKid said:
I was north of where the most of it was and saw it from a high point. However, it was so windy where I was at, I had to close my windows for a good half mile of travel. So much sand was being thrown around that when I got home, I took a leaf blower to the inside of the Runner.

But you gotta get out of the concrete jungle... too much of it will make you go loco.

Bwahahaa

Last year I had one of those 30 mph winds with gusts to 60 days because I didn't check the weather. Was going out to the Salton Sea to take pictures. Was surreal. SO much dust in the air it looked like fog. I actually got some great shots from that trip, but on the east side of the sea, the salt spray was crusting my hair and the car and the camera lens, that was if I could open the car door to get out.

I think that was the trip where I got a flat and a busted windshield too... gets crazy out there.

GtiKyle · Apr 1, 2014

These are really popular over on another forum of mine. I plan to throw one on the back of my ADV bike:

3336d1307413367-my-new-rotopax-just-arrived-img_2140.jpg

57609d1337555549-expedition-one-rear-swingout-bumper-rotopax-20120520_171028.jpg

Fuel Cans : Gas Pack : Gasoline Containers : RotopaX.com

2014 Warthog · Apr 1, 2014

I strongly considered those, (Especially due to them being individually lighter weight than a 5 gal can) but seeing them in person they have the /exact/ same spout as another brand that everyone utterly loaths as unusable and breaks the first time you try to use it, garnering one star reviews etc. Super confusing how on this can they work so much better?

Really that's what I hate about trying to make a descision like this, I feel like no matter what it'll assuredly be wrong in the end :/

landslide · Apr 1, 2014

Great "Ta do" list. I am interested in the constant on lighter mod on at least one of mine. Hoping you will post soon.

2014 Warthog · Apr 2, 2014

landslide said:
Great "Ta do" list. I am interested in the constant on lighter mod on at least one of mine. Hoping you will post soon.

Going to look into that this weekend. I am /hoping/ that I can just rewire the P/Outlet fuse wire to an unused constant on fuse socket and be done with it. Course it can't be that simple...

2014 Warthog · Apr 6, 2014

New shocks!

Finally after 5 weeks of waiting, got new shocks all around. :clap2:

2.5in icon coilovers in the front and Bilstein 5100s in the rear.

Sweet icons...

Swaybar relocation bracket (Prevents the coils from rubbing on the sway bar)

2014+warthog-albums-+warthog-picture25192-sway-bar-relocation-brackets.jpg

Holy reverse rake Batman!

2014+warthog-albums-+warthog-picture25193-holy-reverse-rake.jpg

Well it turns out that having the coils set with about 1.5 inches of threads showing gives the truck a full 3 inches of lift right off, going way past "Level with the rear which I did not lift at all. Feels like I'm staring at the sky

I even had to adjust the angle of the back of the seat to compensate!

Basically, my plan is to not lift anything further than necessary. It would have been SO easy to plop on an entire Icon stage 1 lift kit and get a level vehicle with 3 inches in front and 2 in back and a good -2 MPH on the highway at the same time.

I want to keep the MPGs up for my DD, but improve the offroad handling as much as possible. To that end I'm looking at a final 1.25 to 1.5 inches in the front and nothing in the rear if possible.

For now I'm going totlet the front settle for a month or two, Attach my sliders when they arrive, then lower it to the 1.5 inch mark. In the mean time, we'll see what the 3 inches in front does to the MPG. If it's not too big a hit I may go 2 in front and 1 in rear with new springs...

So how are they?!? I have not offroaded the shocks yet but so far, on the road, they ride AWESOME! I am SO pleased with the road performance so far. Firm but not harsh at all, the exact opposite of my Kings at 2 inches on my Taco. I drove through some potholes on my street and the ride is very smooth

Still has a slight noze dive but it's much less than before, most people probably wouldn;t even notice it now if they weren't looking for it.

ANd finally, yes I did adjust my headlights down

2014 Warthog · Apr 6, 2014

Easy 12v Constant On Mod

Today I modded my fusebox to allow the 12v "lighter" sockets to be on all the time. :reddance:

Why? Charging phone overnight while camping, using the rear socket for blowing up air mattress etc. without having to put the key in and leaving it on ACC.

I took the cheapest/easiest way out on this initial mod. Using a fuse expander and a spare fuse masde into a fuse socket plug. I ended up with a completely reversable fuse contraption to power the 12v sockets. I would have preferred to do the "Short the relay" method which would have been cleaner, but the Gen 5 relay/harness box is WAY up under the dash, decided to do it the not so clean but easy way instead.

Basically I bought a fuse expander which allows you to reuse an existing socket and add a second fuse to run custom wiring. I used the Lift Gate fuse socket which is always on. I then soldered the takeoff wire to a secondary fuse to use as as a plug for the P/Outlet socket.

This is the entirety of the little harness:

2014+warthog-albums-+warthog-picture25208-12v-mod-fuse-expander-connected-fuew-has-had-fuse-wire-removed-so-now-just-plug.jpg

For the plug I used a 3A fuse which has a thin fuse wire, then I took a small screwdriver and just pulled the fuse wire out the bottom and off the fuse, so it is no longer a fuse any more, just a plug. I very carefully removed some plastic over the top of one of the lugs using a dremel and exacto knife. Then (also carefully) soldered the take off wire to it. The plastic is very tough and stood up to the heat well but of course use as little heat as you can. Do a careful and thorough soldering job here...

Then some shrink tubing to insulate the bare solder joint:

2014+warthog-albums-+warthog-picture25209-12v-mod-fuse-expander-adapter-heat-shrink.jpg

And here it is installed:

2014+warthog-albums-+warthog-picture25211-12v-mod-photo-wiring-diagram.jpg

I tested the amp draw from the P/Outlet plug to the socket and it was 0.000 amps. Meaning there is nothing parasiting any power across this connection unless you have something plugged into a lighter socket. So no worries of running down your battery unless you really do have something sucking power that you plugged in yourself and forgot about.

It would be super easy to add a switch between the fuse expander and the fabricated plug and run it up to the dash if you wanted more control.

Pluses of this method:
* Cheap
* Easy (Given soldering tools and skills)
* Reversable
* Don't even need to unplug the battery!
* Fast (About 30 minutes from start to finish)

Minuses:
The main minus is the same for using any fuse expander:
* It sticks down and you can't put your fuse cover back on (Keep it in the glovebox!)
* It's not as "solid" as before. The expander has a little weight to it. Possible that a lot of offroading might cause it to loosen up. Check it now and then or tape it up or something.
* Not as clean and hidden as the "Short the relay" method meaning when you have it serviced they will see it.

Happy modding!

Okki · Apr 6, 2014

2014 Warthog said:
I strongly considered those, (Especially due to them being individually lighter weight than a 5 gal can) but seeing them in person they have the /exact/ same spout as another brand that everyone utterly loaths as unusable and breaks the first time you try to use it, garnering one star reviews etc. Super confusing how on this can they work so much better?

Really that's what I hate about trying to make a descision like this, I feel like no matter what it'll assuredly be wrong in the end :/

I use a rotopax fuel and a water can. The EPA approved spout sucks, but the international fuel spout works like a charm. Check my build thread below for details.

Okki

2014 Warthog · Apr 7, 2014

Okki said:
I use a rotopax fuel and a water can. The EPA approved spout sucks, but the international fuel spout works like a charm. Check my build thread below for details.

Okki

Good to know you can get working spouts. Yeah the stock ones are the worst of the worst. When checking out some other cans with the same spouts, I found one that was broken brand new. Could see the spring sticking out the side and the green collar wouldn't turn (jammed).

I do like that the cans are 3 gallons as I'm geting older and lifting 5 gallons onto the roof will be getting harder and harder now

2014 Warthog · Apr 14, 2014

Gas Can Success!

So after fretting about gas cans before and after I bought a couple of Eagle 5 gal Type 1 cans, I finally filled them up and did a full test this weekend. From sea level up and over the mountas to the desert, major offroading. Filled tank with one of them half way, then back over the mountains. Not a single drop escaped throughout everything, including driving over a rock large enough to cause me to hit my head on the ceiling

Super happy!

2014 Warthog · Apr 15, 2014

SO last Friday I got my front side windows tinted and the hood wrapped with black vinyl. Hood wrap looks awesome, hope it lasts a while!

Then on Saturday I took a trip to Borrego with some friends to do some slot canyon hiking and of course as much offroading in between as we could.

We hiked The Slot and the south fork of Palm Wash near the calcite mine. I was planning on going down the Drop Off (The big one, not the Diablo Drop Off). But I er.. chickened out

I had a couple of noob offroaders with me and I didn't want to lead them down something I hadent even been on myself yet.

Anyone want to go out there sometime and show me how it's done?

The slot canyon hikes were awesome, Truickhaven trail was fun, Basin wash too. MASSIVE winds though, crap gass milage on the way home. But a great day overall.

Then on sunday I spent 3 hours cleaning the runner. Yow! I am really not font of black interiors :/ After cleaning the outside and tires/wheels and glass and vacuuming the inside, have to take a damp cloth over the entire inside of the car to get the rest of the plastic and vinyl clean.

Some pics:

Truck still clean!

An example slot

"The Drop Off"

Truck not so clean any more

Here is a map of sorts of where we went...

My web site has more pics and KMZ files for use on Google earth etc...

Borrego Slot Canyons

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