William's 150 GXL D4D

[William Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close William]

Before I begin, I'd like to thank the moderators and contributing members of PradoPoint.com. You were all very helpful, informative and influential; from the colour of the car to the after market parts that I have on order. This is my first real 4WD (coming from a Rav4) so I'm sure I still have lots to learn and maybe even pioneer on some things that I can share.

9/11/2010
Now let's kick start this off with some shots from the dealer.
Oh what a feeling! If there were 4 words that could be used to express the moment - I think these would be it.


Corner view.


13KMs on the clock. A beautiful 20C day with clear blue skies.


Genuine rubber cargo mat


Genuine rubber floor mats



Hello Grandtreks! :twisted:


Bye Bye Grandtreks!


Hello BFGs! They were covered with some blue stuff and lube.


5minutes later, a wet cloth and half a can of car tyre shine



10/11/2010
Got a tint installed today at Tint-A-Car at Hoppers Crossing. I was referred by a fellow pradopointer Zerosecta (cheers) and fitted by a friendly manager named Steve. I'd definitely recommend them, they did a top job. I got a 35% tint the whole way around, and one-darker than darkest-legal for the 2 rear quarterpanel windows - 25% I believe? I would have done one darker on the 2nd row windows but didn't want to risk voiding an insurance claim.



I also installed a Thule Aerobar, that was supposed to be transferrable to my rav4, but wasnt! so it ended up collecting dust for 3months. Anyway here it is in all it's glory... Ready for my ProAngler fishing kayak


23/11/2010
Maxtrax have arrived. That's one more off the list



24/11/2010
Took the Prado to Western 4x4 this morning to get the bar and lift in. I figured I’d better take some “Before” snaps for comparison once the job is done. Here they are:





I was anxious to see the bar, as I had ordered the bar in gloss black and was worried it would look too bling. Having been denied access to the workshop due to safety reasons, they kindly offered to send me a couple of photos of the bar prior to it being fitted. So here it is, and the Prado in the background - semi prepped for fitment.



25/11/2010
Received another teaser today from the 4x4 shop. The bar has been installed and now they're working on the suspension.


26/11/2010
Picked up the prado today at Western 4x4 with the ARB Sahara bar and OME kit installed. The gloss black colour coded bar looks better than I had imagined and am completely satisfied with it. Here are some snaps:





I can understand why people remove the turtle-shell wheel protector now. It looks a bit funny after the lift. Despite the weird look, I think I’ll keep the lid on, especially since there’s a stock Grandtrek hiding under it lol Maybe it won’t look so weird after I get the tow bar installed and maybe a Kaymar work light hum!… we’ll see what happens.


This is the “After” shot of the front and rear suspension. Scroll up for the “Before” shots.



29/11/2010

Toyota carried out the 1000km service today where I got the remote control window operation option activated. Here's a video of it in action:
Prado GXL Remote Control Window Operation
Thank you Sam (hookedon4wding) for finding it - I wouldn't have thought of it!


2/12/2010
Picked the car up today at Western 4x4 where they completed the installation of the rear airlocker and compressor. The compressor came with a hose kit and I puchased an additional inflator with gauge. Here are some photos:












10/12/2010
Installed a Genuine Toyota towbar today. Was harder than expected but worth the effort in the end. Here are some pics:

Towbar installed


Harness installed


Closeup of Harness



12/2/2011
Back from overseas with some goodies...

Weather shields






D4D badges




Bullbar vinyl



18/2/2011
Fitted some genuine Toyota headlamp protectors.





20/2/2011
Installed a pair of ABR Sidewinder 180mm HID spotlights. See page 5 for photos of the installation. Would like to send out a big thank you to Derek from ABR-S for his awesome aftersales support.






23/3/2011
Bought a recovery hitch from BCF. Thank you Boomslang and Foxclan for the tip on the special.




5/4/2011
Home made drawer system. Check out page 6 of the buildup for more pics and info.






4/22/2011
Dual Battery setup complete. I used an ARB tray, RedArc isolator, Supercharge Amptech D50Z and ARB Sidewinder cabling. The aircon pipe was not bent, but gently held aside using an extension bracket.

I'd like to send out a big thank you to the contributors that made this mod DIYable: Derek (ARB Sidewinder), D4D, Brains, Krypto, Matty&Loz, Samo and anyone else I sort advice from that I have failed to mention.

There are several detailed pics on page 7 and 8 of the installation, but here are a couple of snaps of it installed.








Camp light project was completed approximately 2 weeks ago. It consists of two 24W LED floodlights, each with an output of 1600-1800 lumens. Thus combined they are as bright, if not brighter than a single 35W HID lamp. It has a remote switch with an operating distance of approximately 100m as well as a manual override switch should the remote run out of batteries. The unit has been mounted to the Thule Aerobars using T track adaptors.

I've been a little lazy to take pics of the completed camp light project. Here are some pics of it (just prior to completion), the only difference is that the brackets have been painted black and everying has been bolted/screwed down (no cable ties or tape). Full pics and build up on page 6.














More to come....


.: The Mod List :.
Completed mods:
:arrow: Toyota genuine rubber floor and cargo mats
:arrow: BFG All Terrains
:arrow: Tinted windows: Midnight express (darkest legal)
:arrow: Thule Aerobars
:arrow: Maxtrax
:arrow: ARB Sahara winch bar
:arrow: ARB rear Airlocker
:arrow: ARB Air compressor (large) with hose kit
:arrow: ARB Tyre inflator/deflator w/ pressure guage
:arrow: OME suspension - 2inch lift
:arrow: Toyota genuine tow bar
:arrow: Aftermarket wheather shields
:arrow: D4D badges
:arrow: Scrub plate personalisation
:arrow: Toyota genuine headlight protectors
:arrow: ABR Sidewinder 35W HID spotlights w/ blue covers
:arrow: Recovery hitch - shackle version
:arrow: DIY Drawer system - single drawer with base for fridge slide
:arrow: Dual Battery System
:arrow: DIY Dual 24W LED rear camp light

Possible future mods:
:arrow: Tinted bonnet protector
:arrow: 12V Fridge w/ slide
:arrow: Fire extinguisher
:arrow: Front recovery points
:arrow: Electric winch
:arrow: Rhino Rack Pioneer tray
:arrow: Solar panels

I hope you enjoy the build up!

Cheers,

William

[William Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close William]

Re: William's 150 GXL D4D

Just ordered in a pair of Maxtrax. That'll make a repeat of THIS event a lot faster, cleaner and easier. I hope it arrives by Friday as I'm taking it up to the Murray this weekend in what the weatherman reckons to be rain and thunderstorms.

[Hubble80 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hubble80]

Re: William's 150 GXL D4D

Great looking rig William. We are looking at getting one the same when our lease is up on the 120. Just saw your pics and was wondering if I have missed something... Does themiddle seat in the second row not have a child seat anchor on the back? Or is it in the floor somewhere? May have to look at a different car if this is the case... :cry:

[William Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close William]

Re: William's 150 GXL D4D

Great looking rig William. We are looking at getting one the same when our lease is up on the 120. Just saw your pics and was wondering if I have missed something... Does themiddle seat in the second row not have a child seat anchor on the back? Or is it in the floor somewhere? May have to look at a different car if this is the case... :cry:

Thanks Hubble. I was actually flicking through the owners manual while I saw your post. Apparently there's an anchor on every seat on the 2nd row. Here're a couple snaps from the owners manual. I'll take some photos of the anchors tomorrow if you like.





Cheers

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Re: William's 150 GXL D4D

William, interested in thoughts around spending a heap of dosh on a airlocker on a vehicle that has traction control already, that couple K is a lot of mods that could be done instead of an air locker, would like to hear your thoughts.

[zerosecta Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close zerosecta]

Re: William's 150 GXL D4D

Just ordered in a pair of Maxtrax. That'll make a repeat of THIS event a lot faster, cleaner and easier. I hope it arrives by Friday as I'm taking it up to the Murray this weekend in what the weatherman reckons to be rain and thunderstorms.

Good to see you finally got your Prado Mate, thats awsome.

Just wanted to make a comment on the link above and the maxtrax.

On the things you did wrong or rules you'd broken that got you guys into that situation you forgot one really important thing and thats the fact that both vehicles had HT tyres on them.... Big Mistake, like taking a pair of bowling shoes to an ice hockey match.

On the Maxtrax, they would'nt have gotton you out any quicker and if anything you'd have ended up twice as dirty - you'll understand when you use them in the mud for the first time :-)

IMO - if you're not going to put an electric winch up front right away then get a refund on the Maxtrax before its to late and spend the money on a decent hand winch instead. - Although you would have avoided that situation with the tyres you now have on your Prado anyway I think. Think about it this way, if you get hung up on a big ledge or plan on tackling a very steap section of track that you cant get around what would you rather have in the back - A pair of fancy orange plastic tracks about a hour long or a 3T hand winch with 20m of cable?

Can't wait to see the sahara bar in Black on the white prado - one pic and I should have the misses over the line :-)

[zerosecta Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close zerosecta]

Re: William's 150 GXL D4D

Just ordered in a pair of Maxtrax. That'll make a repeat of THIS event a lot faster, cleaner and easier. I hope it arrives by Friday as I'm taking it up to the Murray this weekend in what the weatherman reckons to be rain and thunderstorms.

Good to see you finally got your Prado Mate, thats awsome.

Just wanted to make a comment on the link above and the maxtrax.

On the things you did wrong or rules you'd broken that got you guys into that situation you forgot one really important thing and thats the fact that both vehicles had HT tyres on them.... Big Mistake, like taking a pair of bowling shoes to an ice hockey match.

On the Maxtrax, they would'nt have gotton you out any quicker and if anything you'd have ended up twice as dirty - you'll understand when you use them in the mud for the first time :-)

IMO - if you're not going to put an electric winch up front right away then get a refund on the Maxtrax before its to late and spend the money on a decent hand winch instead. - Although you would have avoided that situation with the tyres you now have on your Prado anyway I think.
Think about it this way, if you get hung up on a big ledge or plan on tackling a very steap section of track that you cant get around what would you rather have in the back - A pair of fancy orange plastic tracks about a meter long or a rated hand winch with 20m of cable?

Can't wait to see the sahara bar in Black on the white prado - one pic and I should have the misses over the line :-)

[William Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close William]

Re: William's 150 GXL D4D

William, interested in thoughts around spending a heap of dosh on a airlocker on a vehicle that has traction control already, that couple K is a lot of mods that could be done instead of an air locker, would like to hear your thoughts.

Rob,
Before ordering, I discussed my requirements of the Prado with a friend of mine, an avid 4x4er, who suggested I get a rear diff lock along with a list of other things. Was he wrong? I can't say... can you? I'm not sure why you are so surprised to see a 150 with a rear diff lock when the Kakadu comes with it stock standard. An airlocker does cost 2K and it may be a 'heap of dosh'. The way I see it, I'd rather pay for the things I'd use than pay 20K+ more and get a Kakadu with a heap of things I won't use, as well forking out a few K for LCT. I'd rather give my money to ARB stockholders, such as Rogerthatv2, than the Australian Government. At least I'd see something productive come out of it. I do have a budget planned for the other mods and if the airlocker turns out to be ineffective, so be it - I've spent more on worse. Look at it this way, I'll be the first on pradopoint with an air locked 150 to test and maybe even review it. No buyers remorse here

My reasoning for a rear diff lock are:

1. I am a frequent off roader, mainly seeking new secluded fishing locations often inaccessible due to deep ruts or rain. If you have been to the murray river, you would know what the mud can be like there. If you would look here, you will see a scenario I have faced. In this situation I have witnessed traction control failing in both getting the car bogged and not assisting in recovery. Surely, inexperienced mud driving and stock tyres were key factors, but still, traction control did not help with recovery. I believe a rear diff lock combined with better tyres would have prevented the bog in the first place, or at the least assisted in recovery. Team Piggy seems to agree on this...

2. I'm a firm believer in mechanics over electronics. Doing some reading on how traction control operates, prolonged usage will cause excessive wear to the brakes. I want the least amount of strain on the vehicle to get from Point A to Point B. Correct me if I am wrong, doesn't equally distributed power prevent traction control from engaging? To be honest, I'd rather be wetting a line than be digging out a prado whilst being knee deep in mud.

I hope this answers your question.

Cheers

[William Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close William]

Re: William's 150 GXL D4D

Good to see you finally got your Prado Mate, thats awsome.
Just wanted to make a comment on the link above and the maxtrax.
On the things you did wrong or rules you'd broken that got you guys into that situation you forgot one really important thing and thats the fact that both vehicles had HT tyres on them.... Big Mistake, like taking a pair of bowling shoes to an ice hockey match.

Thanks Gavin. FINALLY indeed, but we did receive it 10 days early!
Actually it wasn't a foreseeable situation, well not one that could see both prados fitting AT/MT tyres on within a days notice. The weather before and after the Melbourne Cup holidays was excellent, sunny days everyday... it was just those 2-3 days of rain that wreaked havoc on the tracks that put these two prados in that situation.

On the Maxtrax, they would'nt have gotton you out any quicker and if anything you'd have ended up twice as dirty - you'll understand when you use them in the mud for the first time :-)
IMO - if you're not going to put an electric winch up front right away then get a refund on the Maxtrax before its to late and spend the money on a decent hand winch instead. - Although you would have avoided that situation with the tyres you now have on your Prado anyway I think.
Think about it this way, if you get hung up on a big ledge or plan on tackling a very steap section of track that you cant get around what would you rather have in the back - A pair of fancy orange plastic tracks about a meter long or a rated hand winch with 20m of cable?

I reckon they'd help a lot, but hey I'll take your word for it! If it does go south, I'll post some pics/vids and we'll have a laugh about it afterwards I'll even post them to Maxtrax and youtube to show how their product fell victim to the notorious murray mud. You do make a good point about the winch though, but I will be needing these maxtrax as we do boat launches along the sandy/loose dirt banks of the murray. Given that the river has risen some 1-2m, launching is a lot harder now.

Actually a winch was something I had in mind, but for the things I do, I reckon a set of maxtrax, BFGs and airlockers will get me out of most situations. If I ever find a situation where I need a winch, I'll look at getting one. Not sure if it will be a hand winch though as watching Malcom Douglas and Ray Meres do it on TV makes me tired already. :lol:

Can't wait to see the sahara bar in Black on the white prado - one pic and I should have the misses over the line :-)

Why have you decided to get a Sahara bar over a Deluxe? My brother has one on his Jeep Cherokee and it suits it very well. Is it the same case with you? Feeling a little sentimental? Haha. Anyway, I'm wondering what the sahara bar will look like too. I don't like the flat/satan black most people have so I've asked them to make it a bit glossy. I just hope its not too bling! We'll have to see when the time comes!

Cheers

[Rogerthatv2 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Rogerthatv2]

Re: William's 150 GXL D4D

Looking good William, any chance you want to swap those rims and tyres for my awesome set of 18" VX Rims and AT22 Grandcraps... Worth a try :mrgreen: Enjoy it mate, I love driving ours, it is just a shame that we do not drive it very often.

[William Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close William]

Re: William's 150 GXL D4D

Looking good William, any chance you want to swap those rims and tyres for my awesome set of 18" VX Rims and AT22 Grandcraps... Worth a try :mrgreen: Enjoy it mate, I love driving ours, it is just a shame that we do not drive it very often.

Thanks Daniel. Hum :idea: Let me think about it for a moment.... No Thanks :!: :lol: I'm actually surprised you haven't gotten rid of those Grandtreks given some of the heavy hardware you already have on your rig.

Going to the tinters now. Pictures to come!

Cheers

[Rogerthatv2 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Rogerthatv2]

Re: William's 150 GXL D4D

Looking good William, any chance you want to swap those rims and tyres for my awesome set of 18" VX Rims and AT22 Grandcraps... Worth a try :mrgreen: Enjoy it mate, I love driving ours, it is just a shame that we do not drive it very often.

Thanks Daniel. Hum :idea: Let me think about it for a moment.... No Thanks :!: :lol: I'm actually surprised you haven't gotten rid of those Grandtreks given some of the heavy hardware you already have on your rig.

Going to the tinters now. Pictures to come!

Cheers

Worth a try, I would have had them on from delivery but stock was the issue, 3 month wait. They are due in soon however they are now $550 per tyre due to the 18" rim on the VX and the fact that I almost have 8500km on the Dunlop's. In all honesty but I cannot fault the Grandtreks, the VX and Kakadu use the At22 (not the AT20 the GXL has) and they have handled what I have thrown at it quite well so not a huge rush at the moment.

Enjoy the new car.

[William Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close William]

Re: William's 150 GXL D4D

Worth a try, I would have had them on from delivery but stock was the issue, 3 month wait. They are due in soon however they are now $550 per tyre due to the 18" rim on the VX and the fact that I almost have 8500km on the Dunlop's. In all honesty but I cannot fault the Grandtreks, the VX and Kakadu use the At22 (not the AT20 the GXL has) and they have handled what I have thrown at it quite well so not a huge rush at the moment.

Enjoy the new car.

Fair call. I actually went tyre hunting 1month before the prado arrived and all the local tyre stores were out of stock or simply weren't doing trade-ins. Basically, I was put in the same situation as you, except I decided to go with Bob Jane, who were able to source the BFGs for me at a premium since they knew the local tyre shops didn't have them. I reckon $550 per tyre is a complete rip, but it's good to see you're content your AT22s

[KAKADAZ Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close KAKADAZ]

Re: William's 150 GXL D4D

Congrats mate....let the mods begin. I don't think you will regret the rear locker at all. To be honest the electronics in the Kaka have never missed a beat and the diff lock hasn't had to be used "yet" but I'm happy to know its there and Im sure it "will" get used one day.

[William Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close William]

Re: William's 150 GXL D4D

Congrats mate....let the mods begin. I don't think you will regret the rear locker at all. To be honest the electronics in the Kaka have never missed a beat and the diff lock hasn't had to be used "yet" but I'm happy to know its there and Im sure it "will" get used one day.

Thanks Dazza. I was setting up my blackberry via bluetooth today. It took a while to figure out since I was lazy to flick through the manual, but I got it to work in the end. Compared to the upgraded audio in my camry, which I thought was already budget, the GXL's audio setup etc takes it a whole step back. I suppose I should be happy its there!

While opening some compartments I noticed an a/c vent in the centre storage compartment, where the fridge is for the Kakadu model. Anyway, what a weird place for a vent to be!! I suppose Toyota want us to crank up the a/c to use the compartment as a dodgy substitute for a fridge?

Anyway, tint is done and I also fitted the Thule Aerobars. Will post pics on first post.

Cheers