Hondo Garage's New Thing

In other news, I showed a local guy the gfc platform. He wanted to hate it so there would be no temptation to buy.

He wants to buy one now.

 

Fastenal is the best. They have tons of stuff and they can get anything they don’t have in a day or two

 

Tractor supply also has a good selection, I go there when fastenal doesn't have it. Usually metric they don't carry in pitch I've needed and ts did

 

Definitely. And when Fastenal had the M8 socket head screw I absolutely needed NOW, they had a minimum (bag) quantity of like 10 or 20. I can understand that for something small and generic, but for a high-strength M8x30 socket head, making me spend $20 or $30 seemed extreme.

 

Just a note on the bolts used to hold the tent onto the lower frame. That hardware needs to be grade 8 and should not be stainless. Stainless bolts are not appropriate for this application and will fail. It might not seem like it, but trust me when I say that anything less than a grade 8 bolt in that application will bend if you drive it hard off road. This is especially true when using the camper as a roof rack. The same is true for the bolts used on the bed mounts. We've switched from the black zinc-phosphate bolts to the yellow zinc-plated bolts.

 

Ok, so unless i missed it i haven’t seen any additional awning brackets released yet I know a month or two or three, @wileydavis (I think) mentioned they’d be having awning brackets for the Alu-Cab shadow. Well I got to spend some time using one last week and it’s a must buy for me know.

@wileydavis or @gmacmt any ideas on when you’ll have a set of brackets out for the Alu-Cab Shadow? Of course i can make someout if some square stock but the GFC one will surely be amazing.

 

Grade 8 def. Zinc coated. Changed all my jeep stock bolts to grade 8. Makes a huge difference. Won't shear like factory bolts. Cheap factory steel. This was off jeep. But can see why the upgrade is necessary

 

Hey Wiley,
Do you think you'll make a little nut/bolt upgrade package to replace all the bolts for those of us who already have them? Would hate to start a rust problem, especially here in the NW, fall/winter is coming.
Thanks

 

Well I just paid my deposit for a GFC! I'll be driving out next spring/early summer to pick it up. Cant wait!

 

Anyone else get their striker plates?

 

You probably already have thought about it, but for others doing the same, when installing the stiffeners it may be a good idea to undo the GFC mounting bolts and use a ratchet strap or come-along attached to something else to pull the pass side square before drilling the holes.

Also - you won't need to worry about replacing your 3d printed bottle opener since there is one built in to the stiffeners.

 

The scratches don't really bother me either, but my side latches didn't come with hardware, and the panels could use to seal a little tighter.

 

I'm pretty sure they're there, but I'm not by my truck right now.

 

Thanks to crumb for giving a peak of his GFC !

 

Perhaps plastic bolt sleeves would be a solution to preventing galvanic corrosion. They also could help seal the holes.

http://www.nyltite.com/headed_sleeves.asp

These would be best installed at the factory since they would require an oversized hole.

 

We loctite them at the factory. On our test campers we don't loctite anything so we can monitor what the bolts are doing. I mark all of mine with a paint pen so I can tell if they come loose. So far I've only had one (not loctited) loosen up. After a retighten it hasn't come loose since. But we still recommend loctite.

The water that can get in the mounting bosses seems to come from capillary action along the underside of the hinge, not from inside the extrusion. We started pinching the side gaskets on the panels between the tent frame and lower frame to prevent this. It basically acts as a bridge preventing said capillary action. So if you remove the side panels for any reason, it's critical to reinstall them with the tapered top end of the panel gaskets pinched between the hinge and the top of the spaceframe. In all of our testing that eliminates the water in the mounting bosses issue. Even so, we'll be sending them out from the factory with a treatment of Boeshield T9 on the mounting bolt shank and in the inner wall of the mounting boss. And as noted before, the accessory mounting threads will come with preinstalled bolts and a smidge of boeshield to prevent the small amount of rust that can form on the threads in certain climates.

 

Nyloc nuts could help with potential loosening issues. They're also shaped more like bolt caps so present a less sharp edge.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/M8-Zinc-Plated-Nylon-Lock-Nut-803698/204274147

 

I wish they would update the “Leader Board”

I want to atleast see my name on there, even if it is wayyyyy down the list.

 

https://www.boltdepot.com/Hex_lock_nuts_nylon_insert_Zinc_plated_grade_8_steel_yellow.aspx

 

I don’t mean water can’t get into the extrusion. I just mean that the loctite seals the threads on the bolt so water wouldn’t exit through the mounting holes and into the mounting bosses. That goes out the window of course if those bolts get turned without being re-loctited.