larojo's Better Late than Never Post

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larojo's Better Late than Never Post

Postby larojo on Sat, 15 Oct 2016 10:35 +0000

Hi All,
I’ve been watching this site for a few years now and given how much I’ve enjoyed reading up on other people’s builds, trips and ideas I thought it’s only fair I do a write up of my own. If nothing else I’ll chuck in plenty of pictures and you can see what I’ve been up to.

I was in my final year of university (Feb 2014) when I had had enough of the Corolla. It just wouldn’t get me far enough (although I had it bogged plenty of times trying to go places). So after a lot of waiting, watching and letting vehicles go by I finally gave in, saw a good one and went and put my hard earned down… I was never chasing the biggest or the best 4wd, but I did want a vehicle that I could take down a track, go camping and chuck my kitesurfing gear in (with vinyl floors for no beach sand headaches).
2011 Dual Cab, Diesel, 50000km, Trayback, ex-Thrifty but in very good condition!

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After getting the Ute, some good friends and I began planning a trip; Perth – Exmouth – Millstream – Karijini – Perth. It was at that point that I decided I really wanted a sealed back to minimise the red dirt. I pulled the tray back off and went and stuck a well body on (yes I know there are pluses and minus’ to both…)

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Stripped the guts out, ran a fuel latch cable from the front to the rear, dropped a tub on. The longest part was clearing out the old mans shed to get enough bench space to stick a coffee!!

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It was at that point that I wired in my UHF, an Icom 440N with an RFI CDQ5000 antenna and the little rubber interchangeable antenna. I’ve found the detachable antennas to be well worth the extra $, kids (or annoying adults) can’t swing off it easily in a carpark.
I then went and put an SMM V2 Canopy on the back, 2 weeks later I was leaving my thesis at home and we were hitting the road.

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This was on one of our first few nights up at a campsite in Cape Range National Park (Exmouth).

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We took a track from Yardie Creek over to Learmonth Airbase, it was the first time I had taken the vehicle off road on a bit more of a ‘track’.

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We then hit the road Exmouth to Pannawonica and back on the dirt to Millstream (well worth a look).

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Red dirt, and clear cold water, doesn’t get much better after having been writing a thesis for 6 months!

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We split up (left the Mitsubishi on blocks) and went to Karratha to replace the spare tyre (I told him take 2 spares…) … yay!! And then back to Millstream again. From there we took the Rio Tinto access road (permit required) down to Tom Price for supplies (better than many sealed roads I’ve driven on!!).

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Then into Karijini (we split up again and left the Mitsubishi on blocks… went back to Tom Price for 2 more spares for the Mitsubishi… $$$ the tyres were worth more than the car) ...
The following photos are of Hamersley Gorge, Fortescue Falls, Circular Pool and the other areas up there.

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And then we headed straight back to Perth… It was great to get away from the clouds and rain. I got back to Perth it was raining, but it never washed the red dirt off…
From then on my focus was finishing my uni degree, lots of early mornings and long days studying dreaming of places I’d rather be. I did however buy a set of Narva 225 HIDs and bolt them on. I’ve been really happy with them; I later brought another set and highly recommend them for anyone looking for a good set of driving lights. A few other small trips here and there also (Dongara, Port Gregory, Kalbarri, Dongara day trip).

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From there I went for a trip around NZ, I had my soul crushed when I hired a Hyundai i30 and drove it for 3 weeks. Man I hated it!!! I was so glad to get back into the Hilux, everything worked as it should do! Returned from holidays and got laid off, so all my plans were put on hold. I slipped a disc in my back so all semi rough 4wding was a no go :( (kerbs even hurt!!). It’s crazy how a few things can happen and all your plans can be tossed upside down. I did a few small trips though to stay sane, I got back into work and started saving … slow haha

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December 2015 saw a few new toys rock up and fox pups out and about. My first fox was just after I’d punctured a tyre by myself. Saw him run across the track and got him. Not bad for a torch and rifle out the driver’s window!

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The brother and I lined another 4 up the following weekend. We were happy for our first weeks shooting, and I was happy to be using the Hilux a bit more while having some fun with 2 Sakos. The heat from summer saw the farm get pretty dry, but still got a chance to set up a few targets and go for a shoot, the Rhino Racks and Side Awning have been a real good investment, particularly in summer days. I also stuck midnight express on the windows which has been great in the summer.

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I then started to set out how I could mount a Powabeam remote handle to my Narva 225s without drilling a hole in the roof. I went and got a hold of another set of Narva 225s (cause I was so happy with them, and their price). Being a SolidWorks junkie I got drawing and got it cut and pressed (simple but it works). I also did up a few little brackets for my Narva side lights (I only had 2 at the time and have to get some more cut).

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I’m glad I spent the extra and got the track mounted rhino racks, I can position it perfectly for my arm/whoever’s driving. The finished product:

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I really like the daytime running lights on the new 225s, they’re great to leave on at night without the spotlights. Good light spread around the whole car! Handle HID light on, park lights on at the front (daytime running lights on not HID on bulbar).

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I’m currently working on designing a drawer system to go in the back. I didn’t have a SolidWorks licence for ages and had to revert to paper (argh). It’s a lot different from what I had started with but the basic ‘vibe of it’ is still the same. The following bits are going in the draws (see pics for labels).
• (A & C) 55L Water Tank & Shurflo Pump (so I can hose everything off haha I need a bigger tank!)
• (B) 120ah FullRiver + BCDC1225
• (D) ARB Dual Compressor
• (E) Engel
The top of the draws and side wings will sit flush and cover the tank. I’m hoping to fit all the odds and sods in the draws and gain the back seat back from my camera to allow friends to come along. Cooking and camping gear should all fit in along with tools and the necessary spare parts.
Internal Dimensions:
• Draw 1 = 421 Wide x 295 High x 1320 Deep
• Draw 2 = 421 W x 180 H x 1320 D
• Draw 3 = 625 W x 100 H x 1320 D
• Draw 4 (FullRiver Behind) = 175 W x 180 H x 850 D

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Haven’t finished selecting materials and sizes but am narrowing down on the design. Other features that I’ll have in the draws:
• Switches for Side Lights, Park Lights
• Compressor Flush Mount
• Tap & Hose Connection (will be so handy after a kitesurf!!)
• UHF Connection Point – so I can shut the cab to keep the flies out but still here what’s going on. The Icom 440N has all the controls and speaker in the hand piece one of the main reasons I got it.
• Power outlet for phones, AAA battery charger, … all that stuff and a couple of Anderson Plugs to match the shooting spotlights.
What am I missing?

Overall I am happy with the vehicle, and it’s been great to get out and go places. I’m hoping the draws will increase the practicality and ease of accessing equipment when out and about while also giving me a good project. I'll try and update as the drawer build progresses and I get to work on other aspects of the vehicle!
larojo
 
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun, 06 Dec 2015 10:20 +0000
Location: Perth, Western Australia


 

Re: larojo's Better Late than Never Post

Postby dcollins22 on Sat, 15 Oct 2016 3:16 +0000

Great read mate. Very jealous of WA, it's absolutely beautiful over there and really remote which is what I love. The draw system looks good. I have been thinking of doing something similar for my 2014 Dual Cab Hilux as well. Will be keen to see some pictures once you've finished.
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Re: larojo's Better Late than Never Post

Postby larojo on Tue, 18 Oct 2016 6:44 +0000

Thanks, I'll have to get my bum into gear and get making them!! Summer's coming that'll get me going :D
larojo
 
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun, 06 Dec 2015 10:20 +0000
Location: Perth, Western Australia

Re: larojo's Better Late than Never Post

Postby larojo on Sat, 11 Mar 2017 3:30 +0000

About time I put another post up for those who are interested. I’ve been progressing through the design of the draws and it’s gone through a few iterations. I’m getting there, it’s much harder when it goes in your own vehicle, want to get it all right!

With too many options in front of me I decided it was time to get some of the parts off the floor and into the car. I decided to sit the 55L Boab Water Tank in position. I got a temporary (gaffer taped to water tank … I’m sure someone’s crying… ) sheet of MDF which I screwed the BCDC 1225 to and a few circuit breakers to charge my Full River 120Ah battery.

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I also mounted a fuse box down the back of the tub to run everything from along with a Shurflo pump down there (ignore the mess!! It will get tidied up).

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I’m glad I got in and gave it a crack, always good to achieve something! I now have water on a switch (my mates hate me) and lights up the back.
With the water tank, BCDC and battery in place I was able to finalise some sizing. The bottom right draw is shorter to accommodate the battery.

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Overall sizing:
- Main Frame (ignore wings) = 1000 wide x 1335 deep x 330 high
- Draw 1 (left) = 380 wide x 1315 deep x 275 high
- Draw 2 (top right) = 635 wide x1025 deep x 100 high
- Draw 3 (bottom centre) = 264 wide x 1315 deep x 150 high
- Draw 4 (bottom right) = 330 wide x 1030 deep x 150 high
The whole frame & draws (ignoring slides) is 46kg. The frame will hold 1000kg static weight (I did an FEA). All sheet components are aluminium. To confirm I’m not going mad with my sizing, I printed off a 1:1 sheet this morning. I’ll have about 70mm from the top of the engel to the canopy, enough for me to get a drop slide in.

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As a side note, I’ve been pretty religious with changing the filters on the car. But I thought for an experiment I would do a bit of a comparison over time with the different fuels. The below is 10000km with Caltex Vortex Diesel. I don’t like the look of it… I’m giving BP a run now.

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If you are interested in following my build post a comment so I know someone's reading it :lol: It'll give me a reason to make sure I update it!
larojo
 
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun, 06 Dec 2015 10:20 +0000
Location: Perth, Western Australia

Re: larojo's Better Late than Never Post

Postby larojo on Sun, 12 Mar 2017 11:35 +0000

I'm thinking the sizing is about right - pulled a lot of the crap out the back of the ute.

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larojo
 
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun, 06 Dec 2015 10:20 +0000
Location: Perth, Western Australia

Re: larojo's Better Late than Never Post

Postby TOYZX on Sun, 12 Mar 2017 12:01 +0000

Looks like the goods mate, now less time mucking around on the computer and just build it!

Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk
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Re: larojo's Better Late than Never Post

Postby larojo on Tue, 04 Apr 2017 8:36 +0000

TOYZX, getting there mate, ... parts are on order!!


I've hit the boss up and managed to score 4 weeks of leave. A mate and I are going up Gibb River Road and surrounding areas June/July! A planned trip is the best way to get motivated to keep working on the car!

With the rain that has been dumped up North I had the excuses I needed to justify a snorkel. Shout out to Junior at Western Toyota (NSW) for sending a Denso Snorkel over to WA for me. He gave me the best price I could get and was also really helpful on the phone. Cheers mate! Seemed straight forward to install.

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The hardest part was removing the clips holding the plastic trim to the fender. I can't believe how crappy the original air intake is.

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The following compares the original intake (top) and the new Denso Snorkel section (bottom)

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And Installed

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The only tooling I didn't have access to was a nutsert gun. The rest was straight forward.
larojo
 
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun, 06 Dec 2015 10:20 +0000
Location: Perth, Western Australia

Re: larojo's Better Late than Never Post

Postby taresk on Wed, 05 Apr 2017 9:38 +0000

Nice work, I actually grabbed a $20 nutsert tool off ebay to install my snorkel, it's been quite handy for putting relay mounts in the engine bay right where I want them.

I like that you're getting out there and using it while you do the build, I know some people that spend all their time building the car up, and never make the time to go anywhere in it.
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Re: larojo's Better Late than Never Post

Postby larojo on Thu, 06 Apr 2017 5:34 +0000

Hey taresk, yeah I scabbed one off a mate but thought it would be handy to have one floating around!

My attitude is always that I wanted a car I could use and enjoy from the get-go. It's been a slow build, but I find an upcoming camping trip the best motivation, and I can't afford everything all at once! Gotta use what you got!

What do you think of the phat bar bash plate? I realise you had to make a few tweaks but I'm gonna need them got nothing at the moment...


I decided an exhaust upgrade was in order. Got a 3” Manta system put in from the turbo back. I gave the guys a call at MCE in Wangara who I’d used previously at my old job. Top job and really impressed with it. I’ve not had it tuned and can’t compare with actual numbers but it certainly performs better around town and in the beach sand. Crappy photos again...

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larojo
 
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun, 06 Dec 2015 10:20 +0000
Location: Perth, Western Australia

Re: larojo's Better Late than Never Post

Postby taresk on Tue, 11 Apr 2017 5:21 +0000

I love the Phat bars plates, they'll probably outlast the rest of the ute. The only reason I had fitment issues is because mine is a V6 and the crossover exhaust is in the way, they'd fit perfectly on yours.
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Re: larojo's Better Late than Never Post

Postby larojo on Tue, 11 Apr 2017 5:29 +0000

Yeah rightio
larojo
 
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Joined: Sun, 06 Dec 2015 10:20 +0000
Location: Perth, Western Australia

Re: larojo's Better Late than Never Post

Postby larojo on Thu, 27 Apr 2017 6:53 +0000

I've been meaning to fit a Provent 200 Catch Can for some time now. Decided to order the complete kit from Western Filters. Bit cosy in the engine bay now!!

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I'll have to sort out something between the pipes - there is some slight rubbing that occurs which will wear away over time...

I also decided to tidy up some of the odds and sods that I've been meaning to do for ages. This included re-wiring the access wire to my Icom 440N Radio Microhphone to get rid of some of the cables from in the dash.
Love the accessibility while 4wding near the gear shift lever. Added USB power in the console.

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Also 'tidied' up the cables for my side lights (4x around the vehicle). Added an Anderson plug to the roof racks for power to my Powabeam handle spotlight. Great for spotlighting!

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larojo
 
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun, 06 Dec 2015 10:20 +0000
Location: Perth, Western Australia


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