Spilsy's 2013 White GXL Build Up

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

Awning looks good....

What size is it?

Cheers. Its a 2 x 2.5m. (2m along the vehicle)
I think that 2m is about as long as I'd want it. Any longer and there'd be a fair bit unsupported.

[Noonan Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Noonan]

Hi Spilsy,

Thanks for your breather kit write-up; it will be very useful. Did you happen to buy the Air On Board kit off eBay?

Thanks again,

N

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

Hi Spilsy,

Thanks for your breather kit write-up; it will be very useful. Did you happen to buy the Air On Board kit off eBay?

Thanks again,

N

Glad I can be slightly helpful!!
I bought it from eBay user bargainexpress.

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The Grandtreks are GONE!!

Bridgestone Benalla have fitted Dueler D697s to all four corners.

$269.00 each, fitted. Plus $100 Caltex Starcard thrown in too (as per Bridgestone's current Promo)
A quick haggle had the local Bridgestone dealer down to the Bob Jane/JAX price.

First observation is that they are a little noisier, but I was expecting that - still quiet enough to have a reasonable conversation at 100 clicks.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]14799[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14800[/ATTACH]

The coloured writing was installed facing in...because it was blue, not white.

Was out and about on the weekend (a nice 2 night camp at Wonnangatta) and guess what...sidewall puncture!
Anyway, I had to replace the tyre (still $269) and I did a few quick measurements and calculations - turns out these tyres wear at a rate of about 1mm/10000km. My guess is, assuming a linear wear, 85000kms before a replacement set is required.

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Christmas present time. Received a 22 inch light bar. Unfortunately my bull bar was surprisingly full. After many iterations of location including the front of the bull bar, the top tube and under my current driving lights. In the end, I mounted them behind the driving lights. Yes I lose a little bit of light, but the overall effect is not effected.


Iteration 2 - top tube mount. I didn't like this idea, and I couldn't get a solid mount.


Final iteration. All lights blazing. Can't wait to test tonight!!

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Observations from my night drive...

My driving lights need to be aimed up more.
One of them has an intermittent fault that turns the light off and on. It's the waterproof connector.

These are on tomorrow's job list.

As is continuing work on my roof rack.....but that's another story...

[vxcruiser08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close vxcruiser08]

LED Bar Seems to block a bit of light Spilsy. A bloke at work has the brackets facing forward so the light bar sits in front of the top rail of the bullbar - could give that a go or even the roof rack? I found that a great spot..

[outbackhawk Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close outbackhawk]

Well done, thanks for the detailed info. Will try a modified three drawer build to your basic dimensions.

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

Roof Rack

I had two weeks off over the Christmas/New Year Period and set a goal of making myself a roof rack.
I had some 50mm steel mesh at Mum and Dads that I acquired many, many years ago.

The rack is 1600 Long x 1200 Wide and is supported by the two Aldi roof bars i purchased a little while ago.

I purchased the steel for the frame (25x25x2 RHS) pre-cut, saving me some messing about - I don't own a saw for steel - the engineering supplies place does.

The frame looks something like this:





This was the easy bit apparently. Welding the mesh onto the frame was where the challenges started.
First of all, the arc would melt away the mesh. Then I'd turn the amps down, and there'd be no penetration on the frame. Up would go the amps...etc...etc...etc...

Eventually, I started to work things out and next thing i know, there was roof rack...



I did however end up with a new problem...the rack was bent more than a banana...
I tried many things to re shape it - weight, heat, bending etc but nothing seemed to work - except, to my surprise, my Engineering Hammer. I managed to bash the bend out of the rack.

The last task was to paint and test fit. I have used bolts in the channels of the roof bars and washers and nylock nuts to hold the rack on.





Since these photo were taken, I have also mounted the awning brackets to the rack, in readiness for the awning to be used on my next trip out.

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

The Prado is in for its final Capped Price service today...I have looked at the expected servicing costs for the future and may need to take on a second job hahahaha....

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

The new roof rack had a test on the weekend as my girlfriend and I headed up the road to the Stringybark Creek camp ground. What a stunning place to camp. Fire pits with picnic tables, decent toilets and flat areas to camp. Perfect.

The rack held up, everything I put up there stayed exactly where I wanted it to.

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

Replaced the connectors for my Driving lights and Lightbar yesterday.
I had a mate drop by to give me a hand. Used the Narva 2-way waterproof connectors, crimped and soldered.
http://www.narva.com.au/products/bro...f-connectors-2


Its a bit hard to see in this photo, but its the connector all wired up and working. (Its inside my bull bar, and the camera and I were outside the bull bar)

The previous Lightforce connectors had only been crimped and kept wiggling loose - On one set, I didn't even have to really cut and strip the wires if I didn't want to.

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New Toy

So...at the camping show in Yarrawonga today, I may have purchased a fridge. A 50 litre Evakool. With a cover thrown in for $1.



Now I have to work out how to power it. I spent all my monies on a fridge and now have to implement a cheap power option...ideas for the cheapest, most effective option?

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Fridge Install / 2nd Battery / Battery Location

Following the Purchase of my new fridge, I have constructed a method for holding it in place. As I intend to be able to remove the fridge once I reach a destination, I have not yet worried about a slide.

I created a new false floor out of some 20mm thick orange tongue flooring. This can be bolted in using the existing luggage tie down points. To this false floor, I attached 4 "C" shaped tie down points. The fridge is held in place with 2 x 2m lashing straps:
http://www.bunnings.com.au/grunt-25m...strap_p4310165

The finished result with fridge in place:


I have ordered an Exide MSDP27 battery from KMart Tyre and Auto ($200). This is due sometime during this week...
http://www.exidebatteries.com.au/bat...purpose/MSDP27

As I want to be able to remove the fridge (and thus the battery), I am planning to install this battery in an Ark Power Pack, and place that combination in the back of the Prado, with the intention of running charging capability into the back also. (unsure what I will use at the moment...)
To accommodate this, I constructed a "Battery Tray" and fixed it to the new false floor. This means the whole lot can go in and out of the Prado with ease. (The charging capability will have a quick release connection with the cables then hiding away.

"Battery Tray"

[Guest Close Guest]

I would get a normal battery box instead of an Ark Power Pack unless you want all the fancy inverter stuff.
To keep the battery charged up, run 6B&S into the cabin and fit an isolator or a VSR. Put an anderson plug on the battery box and you're set.
Also fit LeighW's alternator voltage booster diode.