Warthog Build and Adventure Thread
- Thread starter 2014 Warthog
- Start date
2014 Warthog
New member
New trailer!
Finally after several months of hemming and hawing about weather to get a camp trailer and if so what kind, I picked this up yesterday secretly to surprise the wife with on her birthday. (We looked at them last weekend)
Aline Ranger 10 with split bed/table. High wind and offroad options (Probably common for all sold in so cal due to desert camping
)
We're getting a bit older and kind of over tent camping which is great when it's nice but kind of miserable in bad weather (Especially 50 mph thunder storm cells!)
I LOVE the warm security of sleeping on my bed in the back of a runner so we were looking for something to house two people.
It's small but surprisingly roomy inside! Light weight and compact for towing.
All that brown cloth has to go, Wife is already planning on reupholstering the cushions and replacing the drapes
Still need to shop for sundries and such before doing a test run. But so far this is my good/bad list:
Good:
* Compact, can see over top when towing
* Light weight, 1400 lbs
* Came with dual propane tanks and good large Interstate deep cycle battery.
* Heating and air conditioning
* Hot water heater
* Solar input
* Shower (Outside)
* Lots of windows, great views outside while inside hiding from the wind, cold or rain.
* Propane/AC/DC fridge.
* Stove
* Fair amount of storage for non-daily accessible items.
* Hitch looks very sturdy.
* CO and Fire alarms
* Tank and AC condenser covers
* "Offroad kit", larger knobbier tires, heavier duty axel and springs and e-brakes.
* Beds have plenty of head/leg room for a 6' person.
Bad:
* Some cheap materials but largely due to weight savings.
* Some bad workmanship here and there. Need to redo some caulking and Velcro.
* Need to check all the wiring carefully, the crimp connectors used at the battery are terrible! Definitely soldering those solidly.
* No 12v sockets.
* No receiver hitch on the rear.
* limited easy access storage for pots/pans and food, will have to be extra clever about building in shelving or other compact storage.
* headroom at the table is a teeny bit limiting due to the sloping ceiling.
* External waste water tank needed (Well this is a teeny thing so that makes sense)
And overall got it for a nice price, was 2 grand off of the last time we went to look at it. Also looked at a T@B which was a bit finer in workmanship and had an indoor shower/bathroom, but was 10 grand more and you felt like you were in the dark/closed in on the inside. Also the beds were EXACTLY 6' so may not be as comfortable. This thing is light, roomy and open with all the windows.
I just realize that I'll have to be a little more "handy" with it as time goes on
First mods!
* Nicer looking cushions and drapes.
* Internal lighter sockets and inverter.
* Check and secure all wiring.
* Check and redo caulking on underside where some of it is sloppy.
* Outdoor lighting
* Figure out some way to mount my smittybilt awning
* Make a luggage rack for the back bumper for holding gas cans wood, etc.
Finally after several months of hemming and hawing about weather to get a camp trailer and if so what kind, I picked this up yesterday secretly to surprise the wife with on her birthday. (We looked at them last weekend)
Aline Ranger 10 with split bed/table. High wind and offroad options (Probably common for all sold in so cal due to desert camping
)We're getting a bit older and kind of over tent camping which is great when it's nice but kind of miserable in bad weather (Especially 50 mph thunder storm cells!)
I LOVE the warm security of sleeping on my bed in the back of a runner so we were looking for something to house two people.
It's small but surprisingly roomy inside! Light weight and compact for towing.
All that brown cloth has to go, Wife is already planning on reupholstering the cushions and replacing the drapes
Still need to shop for sundries and such before doing a test run. But so far this is my good/bad list:
Good:
* Compact, can see over top when towing
* Light weight, 1400 lbs
* Came with dual propane tanks and good large Interstate deep cycle battery.
* Heating and air conditioning
* Hot water heater
* Solar input
* Shower (Outside)
* Lots of windows, great views outside while inside hiding from the wind, cold or rain.
* Propane/AC/DC fridge.
* Stove
* Fair amount of storage for non-daily accessible items.
* Hitch looks very sturdy.
* CO and Fire alarms
* Tank and AC condenser covers
* "Offroad kit", larger knobbier tires, heavier duty axel and springs and e-brakes.
* Beds have plenty of head/leg room for a 6' person.
Bad:
* Some cheap materials but largely due to weight savings.
* Some bad workmanship here and there. Need to redo some caulking and Velcro.
* Need to check all the wiring carefully, the crimp connectors used at the battery are terrible! Definitely soldering those solidly.
* No 12v sockets.
* No receiver hitch on the rear.
* limited easy access storage for pots/pans and food, will have to be extra clever about building in shelving or other compact storage.
* headroom at the table is a teeny bit limiting due to the sloping ceiling.
* External waste water tank needed (Well this is a teeny thing so that makes sense)
And overall got it for a nice price, was 2 grand off of the last time we went to look at it. Also looked at a T@B which was a bit finer in workmanship and had an indoor shower/bathroom, but was 10 grand more and you felt like you were in the dark/closed in on the inside. Also the beds were EXACTLY 6' so may not be as comfortable. This thing is light, roomy and open with all the windows.
I just realize that I'll have to be a little more "handy" with it as time goes on
First mods!
* Nicer looking cushions and drapes.
* Internal lighter sockets and inverter.
* Check and secure all wiring.
* Check and redo caulking on underside where some of it is sloppy.
* Outdoor lighting
* Figure out some way to mount my smittybilt awning
* Make a luggage rack for the back bumper for holding gas cans wood, etc.
Attachments
CenCalTrail
New member
Hey Warthog,
Just curious about you Death Valley trip. Did you go on a specific trail or how do you find the spots. would love to take a trip that direction but i am totally lost on where to start.
Just curious about you Death Valley trip. Did you go on a specific trail or how do you find the spots. would love to take a trip that direction but i am totally lost on where to start.
2014 Warthog
New member
Ive been out there exploring by myself and with others for some time.
Best thing to do is get the nat geographic death valley map. Then go on google earth and virtually explore arond looking at pinned photos.
Then just head out! (As long as it is not in summer) stick to the main sites initially unless you are going with someone. Some of the back roads can get tricky. Dont want to get disabled too far off the beaten path by your self.
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BrianSD_42
New member
That is a great looking trailer!
2014 Warthog
New member
Thanks
Deciding on the lift, what parts where etc was the hardest thing :/ I softened the Icon cost blow by buying them peicemeal so it didn't seem like that much month by month
In the end of course that wasn;t too smart as it probably cost more overal but...Also the after-market suspension on my previous truck was so stiff I couldn;t stand it. #1 goal was to make sure that didn't happen again! Been 100% happy with the icons so far. Just waiting to see how long before I need to rebuild as that will be a bit of hassle, luckily I can get them done locally so hopefully just a single day at the shop.
Sig_Fan_55
New member
You can get these on Amazon for cheap and you can either use the mounting plate or install them without it. I added them to my pop up to see voltage and for charging phones and such inside.
Pretty straight forward install, I added a switch to keep them from drawing current when not in use.
Pretty straight forward install, I added a switch to keep them from drawing current when not in use.
2014 Warthog
New member
Nice! I'm going to be picking up stuff to add sockets today, I'll keep my eye out for some gauges. Though I'll probably have to amazon for that as well...
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Spod
Warthog, nice wheels.... Working on mine today.... I have a Slimline bumper and a SPOD to install. You mentioned making a bracket for the switches. I'm putting mine in the same location, made a template out cardboard but the pit is pretty sloppy... Can you help me understand how you did this?
Warthog, nice wheels.... Working on mine today.... I have a Slimline bumper and a SPOD to install. You mentioned making a bracket for the switches. I'm putting mine in the same location, made a template out cardboard but the pit is pretty sloppy... Can you help me understand how you did this?
Spod
Warthog, nice wheels.... Working on mine today.... I have a Slimline bumper and a SPOD to install. You mentioned making a bracket for the switches. I'm putting mine in the same location, made a template out cardboard but the pit is pretty sloppy... Can you help me understand how you did this?
Warthog, nice wheels.... Working on mine today.... I have a Slimline bumper and a SPOD to install. You mentioned making a bracket for the switches. I'm putting mine in the same location, made a template out cardboard but the pit is pretty sloppy... Can you help me understand how you did this?
2014 Warthog
New member
Been lurkin' on this thread for a bit now. Incredible rig! Excited to see pictures of your future trips
Thanks
Not as many trips as I would like to take I used an old computer case shell as the source metal. Made a cardboard template too. The opening for the switches was just one big rectangular hole and all the switches press against each other. I forgot how I cut it, but probably my angle grinder with a cutoff blade in it.
As for mounting it, I made and bent tabs at the edges to match the angles of the inside of the box in the dash. Then I used some silicone sealant to "glue" it in. Was trying to use some screws to hold it in but that wasn't working out, almost impossible to screw something in like that.
When the switch holder was in, I then threaded the wires through and connected and pushes the switches into the holder. The varying lengths of the spod harness was a bit annoying but it was just long enough with the shortest wire to make it. (Threaded the wires through a hole I drilled in the back of the plastic box in the dash)
Don't ask me how I'll remove a switch to replace it if I need to! Also don't ask me how I'll remove the holder in the future
MattAK
New member
We did that trip up the canyon to Leadville last weekend when we went to see the super bloom. Nice little drive.
After the race the next day, we didn't have a ton of time or I'd have gone to the race track. Instead we went through Titus Canyon which I'd never been too. Basically a walk in the park as far as off-roading goes, but a major bit of scenery!
Unfortunately I left my camera in the hotel room. What kind of idiot photographer leaves his camera in the hotel room?!?!? Arg! So... cell phone pictures it was today
Checking out the post office in Leadville.
The mountains through this canyon are some of the most tortured rock stratta!
Warty with some colorful background
Man what is going on with the rock here? It's crazy how much differential uplifting as shaped the already wild layers of deposits.
Some large scale natural "Mosaic" in the narrows near the end of the canyon.
Sadly not quite enough time to get more adventurous but Titus was new to me and a really nice mellow family type drive though amazing scenery.
More next trip!
2014 Warthog
New member
Nice
The bloom was only just starting to go when we were there, not quite enough to take a picture of, saw some pics on the DV facebook stream. It seems to be rockin now!
MattAK
New member
Yeah it was awesome. I posted a few pics of it on my thread. We missed most of the purple wildflowers but all the yellow ones were out in full force.
Nice
The bloom was only just starting to go when we were there, not quite enough to take a picture of, saw some pics on the DV facebook stream. It seems to be rockin now!
2014 Warthog
New member
Shakedown Cruise for the camper
Took the camper to Little Blair Valley for a single overnight test. The Warthog is so domesticated now!
Sunny and warm with a gusty cold wind. In fact got a really good gusty windstorm for an hour or so in the middle of the night. Had the trailer rocking a bit but not bad. WAY better than being in a tent in that situation
Other than forgetting TP (Though I remembered the portable toilet) and a couple of other things it was a good success.
Saturday we went in to Borrego where they were having their yearly outdoor art show which was nice. Then toured all the metal sculptures spread out in the desert around the city.
I took a bunch of pictures but, as this is the T4R forum, I'll just leave these two here...
The trailer pulls really well, it's small stature when folded meant I could take it on the short entrance to LBV which was nice, 1/5th the length of going through Big Blair Valley.
The only time I really felt much behind me was when braking or going up hill. Took to manually shifting to keep the Rs up and the tranny cool. But that really sucks the gas mileage. Looks like I got 13.5 from San Diego to LBV. That's a drop of 4 mpg over not pulling anything.
QUESTION: For anyone else that tows, have you relocated the trailer electrical socket? What did you do to extend the wiring for it?
In the cold morning the cord on the trailer was like 3 inches shorter than when I last towed in the middle of the day. It would BARELY socket under the bumper and a sharp right turn would have pulled it out.
Took the camper to Little Blair Valley for a single overnight test. The Warthog is so domesticated now!
Sunny and warm with a gusty cold wind. In fact got a really good gusty windstorm for an hour or so in the middle of the night. Had the trailer rocking a bit but not bad. WAY better than being in a tent in that situation
Other than forgetting TP (Though I remembered the portable toilet) and a couple of other things it was a good success.
Saturday we went in to Borrego where they were having their yearly outdoor art show which was nice. Then toured all the metal sculptures spread out in the desert around the city.
I took a bunch of pictures but, as this is the T4R forum, I'll just leave these two here...
The trailer pulls really well, it's small stature when folded meant I could take it on the short entrance to LBV which was nice, 1/5th the length of going through Big Blair Valley.
The only time I really felt much behind me was when braking or going up hill. Took to manually shifting to keep the Rs up and the tranny cool. But that really sucks the gas mileage. Looks like I got 13.5 from San Diego to LBV. That's a drop of 4 mpg over not pulling anything.
QUESTION: For anyone else that tows, have you relocated the trailer electrical socket? What did you do to extend the wiring for it?
In the cold morning the cord on the trailer was like 3 inches shorter than when I last towed in the middle of the day. It would BARELY socket under the bumper and a sharp right turn would have pulled it out.
Attachments
MattAK
New member
Hey so I just bought the same Kenwood VHF radio you have and was looking at mounting it to the side of the console also. I see you mounted it top against the console without using the bracket. Did you cover the bottom heatsink with anything? I'm a little wary of letting that be leg-side out but mounting it the other way requires using the bracket and I'd rather not drill holes in the console if I can help it.
2014 Warthog
New member
I eventually used the bracket. I think I drilled some new holes in the bracket so that I could mount the radio as close to the console as possible and cut the ends of the bracket off so they did not protrude beyond the body of the radio so it's mounted tightly against the console.
So yeah I did drill into it :/
One thing to watch out for when mounting it there is to mount it forward enough to be out of the way of the furthest forward you want to move your seat
I've never really felt the heat sink get anything like hot. You'd have to be a real jabberjaw to get it warm enough to be a problem
Slappo
New member
Just a quick hello
I'm new here but thought I'd say hello. Just bought a 2016 TRD Pro in white. I had a 90s Pathfinder for so many years (followed by an Xterra, which was a POS), so I'm just now navigating my way around the T4R world. That's how I came across this thread (just finished reading the whole thing).
Great rig you've got. Loved your build pics. I'm starting off with a Gobi stealth rack and some RIGID lightbars, and a full set of skid plates. And maybe going to wrap it in matte white. Still trying to figure out what I want to do with bumpers (the truck is so new it's hard to think about cutting them), but I loved your comment about you worrying about resale, and then saying "Sc--w it!" and just making the vehicle you wanted.
Great to see all your pics, esp of Canyonlands (Elephant Hill!), Barker Ranch. Haven't been to either since the late 90s (overnighted at Barker for Y2K just for SnGs). Lots of familiar places in your pics! Am going to try to go to some meet ups in SoCal so if I see the Warthog, I'll say "hello"!
Cheers,
Slappo
I'm new here but thought I'd say hello. Just bought a 2016 TRD Pro in white. I had a 90s Pathfinder for so many years (followed by an Xterra, which was a POS), so I'm just now navigating my way around the T4R world. That's how I came across this thread (just finished reading the whole thing).
Great rig you've got. Loved your build pics. I'm starting off with a Gobi stealth rack and some RIGID lightbars, and a full set of skid plates. And maybe going to wrap it in matte white. Still trying to figure out what I want to do with bumpers (the truck is so new it's hard to think about cutting them), but I loved your comment about you worrying about resale, and then saying "Sc--w it!" and just making the vehicle you wanted.
Great to see all your pics, esp of Canyonlands (Elephant Hill!), Barker Ranch. Haven't been to either since the late 90s (overnighted at Barker for Y2K just for SnGs). Lots of familiar places in your pics! Am going to try to go to some meet ups in SoCal so if I see the Warthog, I'll say "hello"!
Cheers,
Slappo
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