Hondo Garage's New Thing

That's great and all, but you have to create a kit and gather the parts. "Waste of money" is relative. To me it's worth the extra $50 to have it all put together and a simple install. And if you have $5,000 to spare on a camper, chances are you have $100 to secure your cargo. It's not worth my time to pinch pennies when I can spend time towards my job creating more disposable income through bonuses or overtime. I'm sure there are a good amount of folks on here that would appreciate a one stop shop kit rather than spending time to gather parts and research everything to do.

 

Take a breath there. Sheesh!

$50 is an overestimation for the homemade kit. The only costs are the servo and conduit. The rest, most already have in their garage.

Whatever tickles you though.

 

Exactly what I'm looking into next

Another reason I'm glad the GFC has side opening doors, "just in case"

 

I can understand both viewpoints in regard to DIY or a pre-made solution.

Everyone has different amounts of free time vs. free $$, some have jobs that aren't hourly and lots of free time, others may have a busy family life/other demands that don't leave them time to dick around with making their own power tailgate lock.

How long DIYing any project will take also depends on your experience level.

Yes, I spent over $5k on a camper. But if I used the money cannon solution on every truck modification/home repair project over the last 10 years I wouldn't have that disposable income to spend on a camper.

It sounds like an enjoyable afternoon project to me. It won't require precision machining, painting/powder coating, or computer programming. It might be an excuse to drunkenly weld/plasma cut something. YMMV.

I'll find plenty of other things to spend that $100 on.

 

I’ve had my Pop’n’Loc for several years and it actuates every time I lock/unlock the doors with my remote (I set it up for all 4 doors + tailgate with one push), and it has never failed. It’s been worth it to me. Though I agree that with the time to wire it in, a full DYI solution may not be much more extra work.

 

Tried to do a bit of searching in the thread in relation to how to secure a awning on the GFC. I currently have a Bat-Manta-Swift. I mounted it to my Yakima bar on my ARE cover using a "Bomber Awning Mount". I see the GFC has a track and I guess one needs to come up with a some kind of "t-nut" that will slide into the track and fasten to the awning, but I think it is going to be tough to get my Bat-Manta-Swift to fasten.
Thanks for any help - GFC looking way cool!

 

They have a special T-Nut already. Just need to order extras with your GFC. That's my plan

 

I've got a Foxwing Awning I'm looking to use so, same boat

 

Didn’t mean to come off strong lol. Just meant a complete kit where all I don’t have to think etc is valuable to me. I spend all day working on preproduction engines that have more issues than one can imagine. I’d rather pay than get my own kit. But if the servo breaks I’m sure a replacement servo is an easy fix. Either way the concept was more along what I was suggesting for security reasons. Given enough time, like inactiv3 said, a thief will get into anything. But the more deterrent the less likely of a target. Also why I want aluminum panels rather than windows.

 

For me, problems with mods / DIY are more fun than 99% of my job. Relaxing by comparison.

And, I'm a certified cheap ass. Ha!

 

Do we have an official measurement on how high the over hang will sit on a 2nd gen with stock rails? Trying to figure out if I need to sell my warrior rack or if it will clear. I’m thinking I’m going to need to sell.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/hondo-garages-new-thing.516490/page-55#post-17160025 Post:1088

This might be able to answer a little bit. There doesn't seem to be a set measurement from what I've kept up on. I'd count on it being close enough to touch your rack, however. Lower profile ones like the Pelfreybilt might work better.

 

Thanks! Yeah it seems like it will be very close. It’d be rad to have a real measurment but I don’t think a unit has even been on a second gen with stock rails yet.

 

No plans currently to have a switchable LED. The problem with color changing lights is they always compromise the quality of the normal white light that you want to use, unless you run an entirely separate circuit which isn't really possible with our current packaging and would make the kit more expensive. Best bet would be to add separate red task light circuit.

There is a velcro strip.

We will have those dimensions once we finish the current unit we are building. Have a 2nd gen long bed at the shop, but if that rack is more than 1/2" above the shark fin it probably will be too tight.

Anyone have a thread on people hacking sharkfins they can link me? Seems like a lot of folks are willing to make the compromise for overall height with those metal bed rails, so it would be nice to learn some of those best practices.

-g

 

totally joking, haha.

 

^Ha!

I am thinking more along the lines of building a little router jig so the cut ends up being super clean. Unless theres a steel core in there or something?

 

Think it's more of a type job than a circular saw. That way you wouldn't need to remove it from the truck first. Fill the hole up with black RTV and she's done!

But really: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/xing-out-xm-fin.238559/

 

perhaps this will help

http://www.bodenzord.com/archives/1449

 

Crap. It is kinda of funny that other cars with small antennas like to substitute shark fins and we want to cut them off. For reasons. Good ones.

That said, it looks stupid easy to print a mostly flush cover for one. Dayum. If only it wasn't a beyotch to access.

I know the 3rd Gen won't have that problem, but ideas!