2nd attempt Money Pit ( Pic Heavy )

Thanks! Yep - looking at the reinforced versions for my needs which has me considering 100RCC vs ARE CX HD. Seems to be the theme with seals, some people have good luck others have to chase it for a long time.

 

My big issue was getting the back near the cab sealed correctly (Took a good chuck of the black putty tape) and then back window that runs along the tail gate has some gap. Which sadly you cant get to seal perfectly with the leer, I don't know about the ARE. If you're local you are more then welcome to check it out whenever.

 

Small/big update

Off grid engineer 2nd battery Tray installed
Duralast Platinum AGM 2nd battery installed
Awaiting some parts to finish the install, hopefully next week


Redline Hood Strut kit installed



A Bunch of electrical stuff is getting installed next week.
- Ham Radio
- New Headunit
- HIDs
- Finishing Dual Battery install
- Meso Puddle Lights
- Meso Switchback Mirror LEDs
- ARB compressor in Expedition Essentials in bed set up
- Some switches that aren’t part of the Switch Pros kit, Volt Meter for batteries, etc
- Dash Cam and hardwire
- Prewire for Valentines1 v2
- Prewire for Roof LED bar
- Wire up Dustlights

 

Before picture for the tear down and installs starting tomorrow

 

Little updates tonight. Pulled the upper dash, center console and overhead console.


Removed stock mic, added a 3D printed switch slot made by a TW user and added a front locker switch for later when I install a front locker ( prepping for the future ).


Removed the 12volt charger slot and put in a aux/usb port ( removing the one of the dash and swapping it to here.


Started the Meso Chrome delete along with one of many more of MESOs products being installed.

 

Oh god what have I done



not letting me rotate -_-

 

Small changes to lower center dash



Voltage meter for main and aux, removed the aux/line in, removed the BSM switch, waiting on a switch blank, removed the cig charger and put in a dual usb charger with volt meter (overkill but whatever)

waiting on a aironboard mic connected to come in and I’ll be putting that in also

started getting everything organized for the headunit and getting it aligned



Ran wires from upper console for the dash cam, ham radio faceplate, removed factory mic and mic wire for head unit, figuring out what other wires I need to run there for the locker switch

trying to figure out the best way to mount a quad set of relays in the engine bay for HID relays, locker relay and a spare relay if I need one.

Will try and bake my headlights this weekend to start the retrofit while I wait for a couple more parts fuses

 

No pics atm, MESO puddle lights and switch back turn signal installed. Should be putting the center console back in the truck tonight or tomorrow. Starting retrofit tonight.

 

Started the retrofit tonight.... pulling apart these headlights sucks

 

I didn’t find pulling mine apart that much but may have had an easy set (or I psyched myself out for a bigger pain than it ended up being). Scraping out the old permaseal, however, reeeeeally sucked!

 

Yeah I’m baking the rear cases again tonight at 250 a couple times while I scrape them out lol

 

Small picture update and stuff so far today


dual battery controller switch on the center console along with a ham mic plug added, they’re low on the console because right above the switch is where you screw in the Qi Charger or console bucket if you don’t have a charger


MESO switchback mirror signal and Puddle lights installed


In the process of flat blacking the headlight pieces (had to order a broken light off ebay, I broke my driver side turn signal reflector when prying the lights apart)

Trying to decide if I want to do the passive demon eye black today or not


Plastic Dipped the offgrid engineering tie down brackets, I’m clumsy and I know I will arc the battery on them one day so trying to be preventative

waiting on MESO vent rings, hvac rings, trd start button, and a blank switch to get here Monday so I can put the center console and lower dash back together

 

If you’ve got a heat gun handy I found that to be way more effective than re-baking a bunch of times, but whatever works! I just have a cheapo from Harbor Freight and it helped a lot, just went like 3-4” at a time then hit it w the flathead.

It really is a battle hahaha. So worth it when you’re done though!

 

that works too, I have the harbor freight one to lol

 

sweet! Well if you get frustrated going back and forth to the oven (like I did) give it a rip!

 

Didn’t get much done today.

Radio dial in and test mounted.


have to call TRS tomorrow because I realized they set me the wrong shroud for the RX350 lens

 

No real updates today.

Full chrome delete from MESO is installed.

Waiting on the warranty department from TRS to fix the issue with sending one of the AFS projectors.

Got the Meso Stage 2 side markers in the mail today so I’ll probably get one of the headlights put together tomorrow while I wait for the other stuff to get here.

waiting on an extension cable for my ham radio then I’ll be able to run the faceplate to the overhead console

 

Little work so far today

 

Changed my mind in where I was mounting the ham radio face plate since I had this entire section wide open.

 

One side done. Waiting on other replacement projector to get here for the other side.