92Shawman's 1992 3VZ-E SR5 Pickup

For my '85, I built a frame with drawers. Then used plywood for the top. The birch is a better choice-it'll look good and have fewer splinters.

Get a piece of thick foam and it'll be the bee's knees.

Post pics when you're done

 

Yeah I might eventually build some sort of better storage system, but for now at least I'm keeping it a simple platform. I liked the look of Nieb's frame setup. It looks like it would be a really simple, yet solid frame. I'd change it so that it's shorter and basically rests on top of the wheel wells, but I'll have to take a look when I take the bed liner out.
I am very happy with the birch so far, though!

The only things that I've seen for foam bedding are those pull-out mattress 4" things. Do you know of other foam sources that would allow me to get just two 2.5'x6' pieces? For now I'm just using my camping thermarest pad, which is comfortable enough, but not as nice as a foam pad, that's for sure!

That's the plan!

 

You need something in the center of the ply if you go the frame route. Could be as simple as a 2x12 (or whatever the dim works out to be). Definitely, support the center.

I have bought foam at surplus places before. Redwood Trading Post in Redwood City is a place that usually carries it. Just cover it with indoor/outdoor carpet or something.

 

Yeah, I've got some ideas for the support. I didn't get any work done on it today, but I'll try getting some pictures later tonight or tomorrow.

Huh, I tried searching for anywhere like that near here, but didn't find too much. I'll do a more intense search later, though.

My scepter water and gas cans came today, though!
Unfortunately the gas can has a busted cap flange and no gasket so I just ordered new ones. I'll contact the seller because they said "good condition inside and out" but maybe that's not enough to hold them accountable for selling it with a broken cap. I just went ahead and bought them because I don't want to have to deal much with it while I'm busy preparing for leaving for Ecuador tomorrow night and then I have two days between when I come back and when I go off to Utah to meet up with Pliny.

And I found all the pvc fittings for the DIY scepter can spout in our backyard, just need to get some tubing!

 

My picture of Mike's (trowbocop) truck in Cleveland national forest made it into the centerfold of this month's issue of tct magazine!
Check it out in the "Framed" section on pages 40 and 41 here.

 

Just got back from a pretty sweet Utah and Death Valley trip!
Freaking Pliny is making me want to spend more money...front lights, small fridge, ham radio...
And my CB coax failed after the DV washboards so I have to figure out what to do with that.

 

DV took my front grill...what a trip that was! Lots of places to visit there. And UT.

Pictures!

 

That sucks! They're coming, they're coming...I took a lot of photos, so it'll take some time.

 

Some build-related stuff:
The sleeping platform I built before the trip:
DSCN0115_small by 92shawman, on Flickr

The front section is separate and easily removable to provide access to the spare tire without having to remove the whole platform:
DSCN0116_small by 92shawman, on Flickr

And there's a hatch so I can use the space in there. Currently I have the air hose for filling up my tires coiled inside the spare. Perfect spot!
DSCN0117_small by 92shawman, on Flickr

The spare is strapped to the bedside tie-down to hold it in place and the whole platform has two giant eye bolts that screw into the bed rail system to kinda keep it in place. It's not the most solid, but it did pretty well on the washboards and the tiny bit of technical wheeling that it's seen so far.

Oh and this happened...
DSCN0114_small by 92shawman, on Flickr

And a teaser pano from Grand Staircase-Escalante. Slllooowwwlly working my way through the massive amounts of photos.

Smokey Mountain Road Descent 2_edit_small by 92shawman, on Flickr

 

Sub'd for future DV pics!

 

Thinking of changing up the cb after pulling the wilson mag mount apart and discovering this:

Wilson 1000 mag mount corrosion by 92shawman, on Flickr

Not too bad, but the bolt for the ground stud on the coax is pretty rusted.

Wilson 1000 mag mount corrosion by 92shawman, on Flickr

There's condensation inside the cap and it hasn't seen rain for almost a week.

Wilson 1000 mag mount corrosion by 92shawman, on Flickr

 

Possible cause of velociraptor noises??

 

Haha, probably for mine, but it wouldn't cause your velociraptor noises.

 

I know..... new cb should be delivered shortly!

 

Nice! Hopefully it works out.

Now I'm thinking I'm going to put the wilson 1000 antenna on the camper shell and use a roof mount (cut a hole in the shell) to mount it, but I can't tell if a normal nmo mount will work. I think I'll have to use the official wilson roof mount, which is backordered everywhere except a super sketchy online store (not doing that one, that's for sure) and one other online store. I think I'm just going to do it and be done...

I was thinking about going with an ngp antenna but that's not really necessary. Then I was going to go with a firestick mounted to the campershell, but I already have a perfectly good antenna.

 

Yeah I tested everything and it all checks out. I think the problem I was having was at that pl-259 connector that I pulled apart in Lone Pine. This weekend I'll try putting it all back together with a new pl-259 connector first before I go buying a new mount. I think I'll end up going the new mount/nmo route, though, because it's a little cleaner and would provide a hole for the coax to go inside, anyways. Needs a bit more planning, though.

The problem with a standard nmo mount is that I can't tell what else I need on top of that to make it work with my antenna. The antenna screws into a standard so-239 connector, but it needs something to screw down around, I'm assuming. That's what the specialized Wilson 1000 roof mount would provide. I think it also provides a wider backing plate so it's not quite so prone to ripping a hole in the roof.

This does have me worried on the mag mount side of things, though...that stud is ground:
Wilson 1000 mag mount corrosion by 92shawman, on Flickr

 

I don't remember the reading when we checked the multimeter pins against each other, but that could've been the cause of the reading. I'm getting 0 ohms between the braid and the stinger all around the cable and in the mag mount, too, so there doesn't seem to be a short. Maybe I'll have someone bend the cable a little as I hold the multimeter, or vice-versa, to see if it's intermittent in that regard. It certainly does look like the stinger is touching the stud, though! It's currently just barely held off by the plastic sheath, but that could easily shift, I'm sure.

This is the mount stuff I've been looking at: http://www.randl.com/shop/catalog/p...cts_id=3853&osCsid=9ogsu45hlt5uompa2a3n2ol7m0
Designed specifically for my antenna, so that's good and easy. I might take a look through that link that you sent me, too, though. They look pretty solid.

This mount, at least, would be going in the shell, so no issues with the headliner. Super easy. I might have to scrape away some of the insulation, though, to get a good ground.

Edit:
A video of the mount I'm looking at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4dXrVZ2ZQE

 

Aw bummer, just discovered I was shooting at a low shutter speed for those fighter jets blasting over Saline Valley, so those shots didn't turn out. Then I accidentally bumped the dial over to aperture priority at f/22 so a bunch of wheeling photos have shutter speeds between 1/25 and 1/50 and they're a little blurry! Lame!

 

Well that sucks! Hopefully you can salvage a few!