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Finishing up the updated interior sleeping arrangement. For those who have been following this a while, the old setup required removal of the front passenger seat, and then I had a 3-foot board with legs that bolted to the seat base to make a flat surface. While that worked fine, it required...

out in the Michigan boondocks with the big rig and more local with the little one

Oh a couple other little things: 1. some airtight little cases to put things like bug spray, sunblock, wipes, and other little things that I want handy at camp. These fit snugly between the platform and the inner trim. I may add a third one for general toiletries for camp. 2. a little...

When I first got these balljoints I was a bit dubious about them - they didn't have a traditional sealed boot design, but rather this thick rubber "cap" of sorts that was strange. However, not knowing 80s Mitsubishis I thought maybe that was just "how it was designed." But clearly they allowed...

In my never-ending search for whatever is making the irregular BANG / POP sound when flexing, time to take some other stuff apart. I've replaced about half of the front end components to no avail so far. I know it's not swaybars/endlinks since it's made the noise with them disconnected. So on to...

Also guess I'm forgetting the Sequoia. Well, it towed 12 hours each way to Sno Drift rally in central Michigan a few weeks ago (dragging a Subaru behind it) Got good use out of my lighting Also spent some time in the logging area up there, which was super-deep sand where I was spinning all...

ok, so here's the "finished" inside area. The sleeping platform top is wood, wrapped in some tough fabric. It has room for one of my two gear footlockers underneath (which has spare parts, jack , tools, etc) as well as sleeping bags and related stuff. There are two plastic watertight cases in...

I guess I never posted about finishing that project, so I'll take some interior pics tomorrow. Today though, I did another little project I've been meaning to do. I posted earlier a little fold-down table on the back side of the rear swingout. That's a place to but my stove, with the propane...

I recently picked up a hose to run from my 5lb propane bottle to my old Coleman stove so I can stop using the 1lb disposables. Works fine, as expected. But then I went to use it on my Jetboil Halfgen and.....apparently it has a different (finer) thread pitch on the screw-on adaptor than the...

Ok, let's get moving on some of the related aspects of the winter project mode.... So, first off - I've used these Monoprice cases for several applications. I think this company mostly sells tech stuff, so the cases are kind of an afterthought for transporting tech stuff. But they're really...

I've had about 4-5 Raider/Montero folks message me asking if I'd make them a set. If I had a real shop, maybe, but the hourly rate it takes me to make these wouldn't be worthwhile at "affordable" rates lol. Now, if I had a CNC plasma...... :)

It got frozen dirty today :)

More bumpers and making a mess with metal dust all over my garage... I did finish up some of the little details of the latch and got that all painted. Also added another plate under the pivot , which has holes in it for the spring pin latch in three positions (closed, as a secondary, out about...

Back to work. Today's main order of business was to figure out how to set up the latch mechanism. I picked up a De-Sta-Co direct-pull latch and a beefy L-shaped urethane bumper thing for a few bucks. But since I don't have a flat-faced aftermarket bumper, but instead have a curved, offset...

More progress today. Got the corner piece fitted, added some 1/2" flat along the upper edge of the side, and a front piece to link it to the OEM bumper corner support piece. Then added a second plate around the pivot base to give extra strength. Here's where it ties into the factory brace...

Last night I was goofing around with random containers in my garage to see what size of container(s) I want to mount on the swing-out. Still somewhat undecided on what I want to do - one large box, two smaller boxes, obscure the factory license plate and relocate it, or don't obscure it. Still...

Hah, good to see you here as well. Yeah, figured it was worth doing the thread in a place where people are notionally more interested in the topic. GRM has some, but I think everyone there has project OCD :) Hey, we're always open for others joining the outings - though man, that's quite a hike...

Swung by the steel place and got some materials. I was considering 3/16" tube, but after some calculations regarding what I'm doing, weight, etc. I determined 1/8" is plenty sufficient, especially with gussets. Got 20 feet of the stuff (only way to buy it there) and 20 feet of angle iron (mostly...

Made some progress. I cut up an old hitch assembly, which is a bit over 1/4" 2" square tube to use as the main weight-bearing member for the pivot. First I welded it parallel to the 3/16" bolted-on bumper wing bracket shown above, on three planes. Then that whole assembly got bolted up the...

Thanks, and good thoughts there. For the mount off the frame I used 1/4" 2x2 square tube, welded directly to the frame as well as the factory (bolted-on) 3/16" bumper side brackets, and then also over-capped it and under-capped it (welded) to the frame top and bottom to increase twist...