1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

Vagabond Drifter Camper Buildout and Mods

Discussion in 'Bay Area Metal Fabrication' started by MTNHABITOVERLAND, Mar 27, 2018.

  1. Oct 9, 2019 at 2:27 PM
    #2401
    Gunshot-6A

    Gunshot-6A Prime Beef

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2009
    Member:
    #28389
    Messages:
    23,243
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Conner
    Everett, WA
    Vehicle:
    2015 TRD Offroad
    Now thats a proper tailgate setup!
     
    MJonaGS32[QUOTED] likes this.
  2. Oct 9, 2019 at 7:12 PM
    #2402
    JasonLee

    JasonLee Hello? I'm a truck.

    Joined:
    May 9, 2014
    Member:
    #129454
    Messages:
    11,062
    First Name:
    Jason
    Q322+3C Denver, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    15 TRD OffRoad
    TRD Supercharger and more.
    Teaching myself SketchUp tonight...

    10 min in:
    Screen Shot 2019-10-09 at 20.11.03.jpg
     
    Eazy.E and SaphiraTaco like this.
  3. Oct 9, 2019 at 9:53 PM
    #2403
    JasonLee

    JasonLee Hello? I'm a truck.

    Joined:
    May 9, 2014
    Member:
    #129454
    Messages:
    11,062
    First Name:
    Jason
    Q322+3C Denver, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    15 TRD OffRoad
    TRD Supercharger and more.
    Bare aluminum treatment
    So, I have a non-coated (not powder, not vinyl wrapped) Drifter and thinking ahead to wintertime when Colorado starts spraying magnesium chloride all over the roads for the next 6+ months...

    Has anyone cleaned/treated/waxed/coated their bare aluminum in any way?

    I'm thinking about something like this:
    Star Brite Ultimate Aluminum Cleaner & Restorer
    followed up by:
    Star Brite 087616 Ultimate Aluminum Polish W/Ptef
     
  4. Oct 9, 2019 at 10:43 PM
    #2404
    socalexpeditions

    socalexpeditions IG: @socalexpeditions

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2017
    Member:
    #230791
    Messages:
    5,226
    Gender:
    Male
    Check out chemical guys
     
  5. Oct 9, 2019 at 10:44 PM
    #2405
    JasonLee

    JasonLee Hello? I'm a truck.

    Joined:
    May 9, 2014
    Member:
    #129454
    Messages:
    11,062
    First Name:
    Jason
    Q322+3C Denver, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    15 TRD OffRoad
    TRD Supercharger and more.
    Just did. Unless their website is just not that great, it's a bunch of hype products that are HOT right now - ceramic, yada yada, and paint specific stuff.
     
    tetten, dlo13 and jberry813 like this.
  6. Oct 9, 2019 at 11:14 PM
    #2406
    socalexpeditions

    socalexpeditions IG: @socalexpeditions

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2017
    Member:
    #230791
    Messages:
    5,226
    Gender:
    Male
    I’ve used there products before and really loved them.

    I would read up on marine forums of what people use for oxidation
     
  7. Oct 10, 2019 at 7:47 AM
    #2407
    Eze1139

    Eze1139 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2016
    Member:
    #192783
    Messages:
    173
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Eric
    Reno NV
    Vehicle:
    2020 Cement TRD OR DCLB
    I think your plan would get rid of the oxidation and get it back to factory conditions but I don't see much in the polish that will protect longer term. I am thinking something more like a aluminum safe wax or like SoCalTacoTruck said ceramics, sealants, etc to protect your cleaning and treatment would help you get through a winter better.
     
  8. Oct 11, 2019 at 6:18 PM
    #2408
    joeydurango

    joeydurango Nightfall Overland

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2019
    Member:
    #305951
    Messages:
    400
    Gender:
    Male
    SW Colorado
    Vehicle:
    Heavily modified 2015 TRD w/Drifter
    I saw Iggy's post (many moons/pages ago) about mounting the Propex HS2211 under the truck, where the spare tire used to locate. Seems like a cool idea. BUT, I'm wondering just how waterproof the HS2211 is. I'm not doing deep water crossings and I assume the HS2211 isn't submersible, but I do cross the occasional mountain creek that could splash the heater pretty thoroughly - more than road spray. Anyone have any experience on this front?

    On an unrelated note, I knew I stayed away from the TW forum for years on purpose. Now that I'm a member and checking things out more, I have a feeling the Taco will become a much more expensive hobby than I wanted to contemplate... gonna have to find something to sell besides my FWC.
    :annoyed:
     
    Eazy.E likes this.
  9. Oct 11, 2019 at 6:37 PM
    #2409
    splashflash

    splashflash Vagabonding

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2017
    Member:
    #232899
    Messages:
    673
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Art
    Timnath, CO
    Vehicle:
    17 DCSB 4x4 M/T Off-Road
    If I remember correctly @aaen did this? He might have some tips for ya
     
    JasonLee[QUOTED] likes this.
  10. Oct 12, 2019 at 6:58 AM
    #2410
    aaen

    aaen Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2016
    Member:
    #176696
    Messages:
    1,864
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Steve
    Northern Alberta
    Vehicle:
    2016 DCLB 4x4 TRD Sport BBP
    Kings, ARB Summit Bumper, SMittybilt Winch, vagabond Drifter, Prinsu Cabrac, Crusinoffroad slidersand rear bumper
    Yes sir had to do this on mine living in the great White North and calcium chloride, road salt and god only knows what the morons put on the roads here. My drifter was heavily tarnished/weathered.

    What I did was find a car wash that allows ya to do some bucket work. Use the star bright solution ( should be shown in the products talked about below section at the bottom of the thread).FYI wear a respirator, appropriate gloves and safety goggles you do not want to breath this shit in. On a side note you can get much milder solutions, lemon juice and vinegar should work as well, use to use them for cleaning up items, I presume ketchup would work as well, use to use that for cleaning pennies. I'd also suggest taping off with plastic to protect your paint job, I didn't but your call, I was rinsing the truck frequently to avoid any issues.

    Also do not wear an apple apple with this. It pitted the glass in the Apple Watch, that is how caustic the solution was.

    Anyways spray it on get the applicator brush or the one they recommend. Get a stool/step and go to town scrubbing. Let it sit for a few minutes then scrub again with fresh solution. Let it sit and rinse it off.

    If you can get or find their metal polisher you can put a protectant back onto the shell as well, get two bottles and do not attempt this by hand. Get a buffer with a polishing wheel. I warn you it will be shiny!

    I'll see if I can find my pics
     
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2019
  11. Oct 12, 2019 at 9:40 AM
    #2411
    aaen

    aaen Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2016
    Member:
    #176696
    Messages:
    1,864
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Steve
    Northern Alberta
    Vehicle:
    2016 DCLB 4x4 TRD Sport BBP
    Kings, ARB Summit Bumper, SMittybilt Winch, vagabond Drifter, Prinsu Cabrac, Crusinoffroad slidersand rear bumper
    anyone have a link/post number to the mount for the propex in the spare tire location? Having a hard time finding it in this thread. Finally found the darn fitting.
     
  12. Oct 12, 2019 at 12:36 PM
    #2412
    joeydurango

    joeydurango Nightfall Overland

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2019
    Member:
    #305951
    Messages:
    400
    Gender:
    Male
    SW Colorado
    Vehicle:
    Heavily modified 2015 TRD w/Drifter
    I don't know how to link directly to it... but it's on page 84 of this thread. Post 1665.
     
    aaen likes this.
  13. Oct 12, 2019 at 12:41 PM
    #2413
    MJonaGS32

    MJonaGS32 MJ on a GS

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    Member:
    #15949
    Messages:
    12,399
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    MJ
    SF Bay Area (East)
    Vehicle:
    07 LT 4x4 DCSB 6spd Vagabond
    Drifter wedge camper, Dual battery, OBA, ARB locker, 4.56 gears
    aaen likes this.
  14. Oct 12, 2019 at 1:21 PM
    #2414
    joeydurango

    joeydurango Nightfall Overland

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2019
    Member:
    #305951
    Messages:
    400
    Gender:
    Male
    SW Colorado
    Vehicle:
    Heavily modified 2015 TRD w/Drifter
    Even easier!
     
  15. Oct 12, 2019 at 3:26 PM
    #2415
    JasonLee

    JasonLee Hello? I'm a truck.

    Joined:
    May 9, 2014
    Member:
    #129454
    Messages:
    11,062
    First Name:
    Jason
    Q322+3C Denver, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    15 TRD OffRoad
    TRD Supercharger and more.
    What are these Nylon zip ties used for the internal wiring called and where is a good source of low quantities (5-10)?

    0183A4C8-95CC-4B61-9396-EC5EC660D3E4.jpg
     
  16. Oct 13, 2019 at 7:16 AM
    #2416
    alldownhill

    alldownhill Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2018
    Member:
    #266862
    Messages:
    163
    Button head zip ties
     
  17. Oct 15, 2019 at 11:02 AM
    #2417
    JasonLee

    JasonLee Hello? I'm a truck.

    Joined:
    May 9, 2014
    Member:
    #129454
    Messages:
    11,062
    First Name:
    Jason
    Q322+3C Denver, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    15 TRD OffRoad
    TRD Supercharger and more.
    BEST (1st) GEN CONTENT:
    On the 1st gens, the clamps stick out quite a bit. I wasn't excited about it, so I pored over the GCI website and ordered a set of G-30 clamps after triple checking the measurements.

    They arrived yesterday and annoyingly, the depth of the lower clamp is a few millimeters too shallow so it puts pressure on the vertical seam of the bed. Instead of hammering the bed to reduce the height slightly, I'm just going to clamp the lower section down in the drill press and take off a little material.

    IMG_5142.jpg IMG_5143.jpg IMG_5144.jpg IMG_5145.jpg
     
    anomalyTRD and rob1208 like this.
  18. Oct 23, 2019 at 7:51 AM
    #2418
    Eze1139

    Eze1139 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2016
    Member:
    #192783
    Messages:
    173
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Eric
    Reno NV
    Vehicle:
    2020 Cement TRD OR DCLB
    Even though I can't have my Drifter until mid next year at least I can start getting toys for it.

    IMG_7762.jpg
     
    Eazy.E, tyfoon11, tacomgee and 7 others like this.
  19. Oct 23, 2019 at 8:02 AM
    #2419
    4wdExplorer

    4wdExplorer Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2009
    Member:
    #28499
    Messages:
    1,071
    Gender:
    Male
    Orange County, CA
    ^^^ Those clamps definitely look better!

    Trying to figure out how to mount my ARB 50 fridge to the bed. Thinking of making a base plate system to bolt the fridge slide to. Or just bolt the fridge slide directly to the bed? Do people drill through the bed?? Trying to avoid driving through the bed the reason why I want to make a baseplate. But the baseplate needs to be secured to the bed as well so drilling might not be avoidable??

    How is everyone securing their fridge slide?
     
  20. Oct 23, 2019 at 8:24 AM
    #2420
    JasonLee

    JasonLee Hello? I'm a truck.

    Joined:
    May 9, 2014
    Member:
    #129454
    Messages:
    11,062
    First Name:
    Jason
    Q322+3C Denver, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    15 TRD OffRoad
    TRD Supercharger and more.
    I don’t have a fridge slide, I just do truck yoga to crawl in to access it at the front of the bed. Can straps pull it into a corner using the rope hook and one of the aluminum clamps.
     
    Gunshot-6A likes this.

Products Discussed in

To Top