What Did You Do With Your Rig Today?

shaepa said:
Any advice on the awning? I’d like to fab my own since I don’t have a rack on my topper. I have tracks, but still have to fit in the garage.
Click to expand...

Funny you should ask. My best advice would be to research what’s out there, build beefier than you think you should. Why? Great question. Here is what I learned so far. My brackets are 1/16th inch thick and failed. Too much flex. The 8ft awning arms require heavier bracket steel to reduce the flex. I started looking closer at videos for close ups of bracket/hinge designs to see what they were using. My new brackets will be made from 1/4 inch thick square steelthat is 2x4 inches dimensionally. Pretty sure that will be strong enough.

also, I decided I liked the truss-style design for the arms to ensure they are less likely to bounce due to wind and can be deployed without the need for two people or support legs. I will most likely still use support legs for stability and resistance to wind, as they can be tied down, but I will not mount the support poles to the arms initially. I want the frame to be strong enough to deploy without them, in case I’m working alone to deploy or stow the awning.
 
O
lhoffm4 said:
Funny you should ask. My best advice would be to research what’s out there, build beefier than you think you should. Why? Great question. Here is what I learned so far. My brackets are 1/16th inch thick and failed. Too much flex. The 8ft awning arms require heavier bracket steel to reduce the flex. I started looking closer at videos for close ups of bracket/hinge designs to see what they were using. My new brackets will be made from 1/4 inch thick square steelthat is 2x4 inches dimensionally. Pretty sure that will be strong enough.

also, I decided I liked the truss-style design for the arms to ensure they are less likely to bounce due to wind and can be deployed without the need for two people or support legs. I will most likely still use support legs for stability and resistance to wind, as they can be tied down, but I will not mount the support poles to the arms initially. I want the frame to be strong enough to deploy without them, in case I’m working alone to deploy or stow the awning.
Click to expand...
shaepa said:
Any advice on the awning? I’d like to fab my own since I don’t have a rack on my topper. I have tracks, but still have to fit in the garage.
Click to expand...

build it beefier than you think you should...
 
Roots66 said:
If it's not orange shag or AstroTurf, it don't count.
Click to expand...
.
Lavender Shag and faded Hot Pink Shag doesn't count? :tongueclosed:

By weight at the recycling center, it ended up being 880 LBS of old carpet and padding. Vannery O'Connor hardly noticed.

I have to say though, I was intrigued by the variety of underlayment in this haul. I'd seen all the top carpet and rug material in the past, from wavy shallow patterns to deep shag.

The padding and underlayment, though, was like an American archeological study of carpet padding over several generations. There were so many different types of carpet padding (one of which I'd never seen before; of some strange blue plastic film bonded to ultra-thin foam; neither of which seemed to degrade or deteriorate); orange corrugated disintegrating foam that looked like Easter peanut candy, to dark multi-colored wool-like mats (which proved to be the most durable, intact, and impervious to moisture but hardest to free of staples, and of which I'd used similar for van insulation in the past) to I-don't-know-what-the-hell-it-was weirdness, that I was fascinated.

My mind went automatically to wondering when it must have been commonly used and the places that must have made it, probably thinking they were on to something big for the home building industry.

Same with the tack strips that held it all down around the perimeter of each room and up each stairway. I began to be able to tell the vintage of the carpet by the type & thickness and branding of the tack strips and types of brads/nails used to secure the tack strips. Ring nails 1.25" long, or simpler non-ringed tacks, and how easily it came up or could be splintered in half for trash.
.
tack-strips_7236-900n.jpeg
...

Whether out in the willy-wacks exploring night skies, desert bloom, mountain roads, or finding a region's most interesting people, culture and cuisine, or being intrigued by decades of someone's choices in new carpet over generations, there is always something that captures my interest and encourages me to wonder and want to wander more.
..
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 9Mike2 and roots66
Road said:
.
Lavender Shag and faded Hot Pink Shag doesn't count? :tongueclosed:

By weight at the recycling center, it ended up being 880 LBS of old carpet and padding. Vannery O'Connor hardly noticed.

I have to say though, I was intrigued by the variety of underlayment in this haul. I'd seen all the top carpet and rug material in the past, from wavy shallow patterns to deep shag.

The padding and underlayment, though, was like an American archeological study of carpet padding over several generations. There were so many different types of carpet padding (one of which I'd never seen before; of some strange blue plastic film bonded to ultra-thin foam; neither of which seemed to degrade or deteriorate); orange corrugated disintegrating foam that looked like Easter peanut candy, to dark multi-colored wool-like mats (which proved to be the most durable, intact, and impervious to moisture but hardest to free of staples, and of which I'd used similar for van insulation in the past) to I-don't-know-what-the-hell-it-was weirdness, that I was fascinated.

My mind went automatically to wondering when it must have been commonly used and the places that must have made it, probably thinking they were on to something big for the home building industry.

Same with the tack strips that held it all down around the perimeter of each room and up each stairway. I began to be able to tell the vintage of the carpet by the type & thickness and branding of the tack strips and types of brads/nails used to secure the tack strips. Ring nails 1.25" long, or simpler non-ringed tacks, and how easily it came up or could be splintered in half for trash.
.
View attachment 204958
...

Whether out in the willy-wacks exploring night skies, desert bloom, mountain roads, or finding a region's most interesting people, culture and cuisine, or being intrigued by decades of someone's choices in new carpet over generations, there is always something that captures my interest and encourages me to wonder and want to wander more.
..
Click to expand...
That thin foam with blue film is underlayment for floating laminate flooring.
 
  • Like
Reactions: roots66 and Road
lhoffm4 said:
shaepa said:
Any advice on the awning? I’d like to fab my own since I don’t have a rack on my topper. I have tracks, but still have to fit in the garage.
Click to expand...

Funny you should ask. My best advice would be to research what’s out there, build beefier than you think you should. Why? Great question. Here is what I learned so far. My brackets are 1/16th inch thick and failed. Too much flex. The 8ft awning arms require heavier bracket steel to reduce the flex. I started looking closer at videos for close ups of bracket/hinge designs to see what they were using. My new brackets will be made from 1/4 inch thick square steelthat is 2x4 inches dimensionally. Pretty sure that will be strong enough.

also, I decided I liked the truss-style design for the arms to ensure they are less likely to bounce due to wind and can be deployed without the need for two people or support legs. I will most likely still use support legs for stability and resistance to wind, as they can be tied down, but I will not mount the support poles to the arms initially. I want the frame to be strong enough to deploy without them, in case I’m working alone to deploy or stow the awning.
Click to expand...

Good to know! The hinge design is one of the things I’m stuck on. I’ll be sure to stick with 1/4” thickness on my materials! Thanks!
 
TahoePPV said:
That thin foam with blue film is underlayment for floating laminate flooring.
Click to expand...
Yes, it's what we have been putting down after removing the 36 year old carpet in our house.
IMAG1695[1].jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sparksalot
Road said:
.
Lavender Shag and faded Hot Pink Shag doesn't count? :tongueclosed:

By weight at the recycling center, it ended up being 880 LBS of old carpet and padding. Vannery O'Connor hardly noticed.

I have to say though, I was intrigued by the variety of underlayment in this haul. I'd seen all the top carpet and rug material in the past, from wavy shallow patterns to deep shag.

The padding and underlayment, though, was like an American archeological study of carpet padding over several generations. There were so many different types of carpet padding (one of which I'd never seen before; of some strange blue plastic film bonded to ultra-thin foam; neither of which seemed to degrade or deteriorate); orange corrugated disintegrating foam that looked like Easter peanut candy, to dark multi-colored wool-like mats (which proved to be the most durable, intact, and impervious to moisture but hardest to free of staples, and of which I'd used similar for van insulation in the past) to I-don't-know-what-the-hell-it-was weirdness, that I was fascinated.

My mind went automatically to wondering when it must have been commonly used and the places that must have made it, probably thinking they were on to something big for the home building industry.

Same with the tack strips that held it all down around the perimeter of each room and up each stairway. I began to be able to tell the vintage of the carpet by the type & thickness and branding of the tack strips and types of brads/nails used to secure the tack strips. Ring nails 1.25" long, or simpler non-ringed tacks, and how easily it came up or could be splintered in half for trash.
.
View attachment 204958
...

Whether out in the willy-wacks exploring night skies, desert bloom, mountain roads, or finding a region's most interesting people, culture and cuisine, or being intrigued by decades of someone's choices in new carpet over generations, there is always something that captures my interest and encourages me to wonder and want to wander more.
..
Click to expand...
I'm right there with you. Renovating our 36 year old house has revealed a lot of interesting "techniques". For example, the guy could build a killer cabinet (I hear he built the cabinets for LBJ Library), but couldn't lay tile properly to save his life.
IMAG1696[1].jpgIMAG0011(1)[1].jpgIMAG1665[1].jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: 9Mike2, Road and Sparksalot
Upgraded my aux. battery situation so I can tell exactly where I am at with the charge and can move it easier. My current procedure is once establishing camp (for multiple days) is to disconnect the aux AMG battery that I have under the hood and hook in the 100 ah LiFePO to the electrical system of the rig.(BCDC charger and a solar ) now it will be much more tidy with Anderson plugs and protected with the box. Box will also be handy if I need to plug in the air compressor or a water pump for a shower etc. I won't be tied to how far the cords can reach to the vehicle. Anderson plugs still need to arrive from Amazon but they attach to the grey wires I harvested from cheap jumper cables.

IMG_0903.jpg
IMG_0907.jpg
IMG_0906.jpg
IMG_0909.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: 9Mike2, Shahn, WAYAWAY and 3 others
Widgeonmangh said:
Upgraded my aux. battery situation so I can tell exactly where I am at with the charge and can move it easier. My current procedure is once establishing camp (for multiple days) is to disconnect the aux AMG battery that I have under the hood and hook in the 100 ah LiFePO to the electrical system of the rig.(BCDC charger and a solar ) now it will be much more tidy with Anderson plugs and protected with the box. Box will also be handy if I need to plug in the air compressor or a water pump for a shower etc. I won't be tied to how far the cords can reach to the vehicle. Anderson plugs still need to arrive from Amazon but they attach to the grey wires I harvested from cheap jumper cables.

View attachment 205068
View attachment 205069
View attachment 205070
View attachment 205071
Click to expand...
I like that. I will likely do something similar down the road. Not sure if I'll go LiFePO or get a third AGM to supliment the AUX under the hood with a quick connect/disconnect in the Bed. I'll likely add a solar charger first as i have a 100w panel I can put on my roof rack.
 
Widgeonmangh said:
Thanks. I have the redarc BCDC charger so I can hook the solar right in. I have an extra long extension so I can camp in the shade but take my panel to where the sun is. The LiFePO should last me 10 years and I love the capacity!
Click to expand...
Very nice! I'll have to go get a MPPT charger for my setup as I went with the Genesis Offroad system. I'll setup a quick disconnect port with an anderson plug somewhere on the exterior for solar since I won't need it when the truck is running. Thankfully the solar panel on the roof is on a quick disconnect too so if I need to I can move it away from the vehicle.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Widgeonmangh
Replaced the t-case shifter bushings on my CJ and changed the trans and t-case fluid on my Brother's CJ. Waiting on delivery of a Coolant Temp and fuel gauge from Auto Meter to put in there. I also pulled a radiator protector from behind the grille that looks like a piece of perforated metal. I think it's choking off air flow though the new radiator and the Jeep will run very close to overheating. I'll have to test later to see if that fixes it.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Shahn
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom