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Otis24's Otisbound Outdoors Bodonkadonk Supercharged Twin Locked Micro Camper Build (OOBSTLMC)

Discussion in '1st Gen. Builds (1995-2004)' started by otis24, May 2, 2015.

  1. May 2, 2015 at 11:07 AM
    #1
    otis24

    otis24 [OP] Hard Shell Taco

    Joined:
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    OtisBound Outdoors Bodonkadonk
    OtisBound Bodonkadonk
    I decided I've started enough mods that I should start a build thread.

    I'm going to start with what got me into my Tacoma. I do a lot of road trips. They typically consist of going to the middle of no where and camping. I frequently go out on the weekends to go backpacking and camp on the roadside on Friday night on my way to the trailhead. I found my self wanting to go to more and more remote areas.

    On one trip to Grand Staircase of the Escalante in a 2002 Subaru Outback we had to turn back on some roads due to poor approach and departure angles. The car just couldn't get down a lot of roads.

    I wanted something that could go down rough roads. I also wanted something I could sleep in. In 2011 I took up scuba diving. Here in Northern California you can only fit enough gear for 2 people into a car. So if you go with three people you need 2 cars. I wanted something I could carry gear for 3 people and the gear for 3 people as well. I decided I'd get a Subaru Forester or a RAV4 AWD.

    My search lasted about 3 weeks when I decided a small truck would work better. It was to be either a Tacoma or a Nissan Frontier. That lasted about 10 minutes. After that I had to decide on 1st or 2nd gen. I liked the smaller size of the 1st gen and the styling so I settled on that.

    After a year of searching I found this one at a local Ford dealership for $12K with 130,000 miles on it.


    This is the day I got it December 2012
    New Taco.jpg

    As it sits as of November 2019
    taco camper.jpg

    The next day the front wheel drive actuator went on it costing $800 to have it replaced. Since then it's had zero problems and I've added another 110,000 miles to it.

    Since 2012 I've done the following -

    Suspension and Tires:

    OME 883 coils
    OME Dakar with Add A Leafe
    Nitrocharger Shocks

    Timbren Bump Stops
    ̶2̶5̶5̶ ̶8̶5̶ ̶1̶6̶ ̶M̶a̶x̶x̶i̶s̶ ̶B̶i̶g̶ ̶H̶o̶r̶n̶ ̶M̶T̶
    265 75 16 Bridgestone Revo 2
    Another set of 255 85 16 Maxxis Bighorn MT's
    285 75 16 Falken Wild Peaks (current tire as of March 2023)
    Generic Black Steelies 16x8 with -12 offset (or something)
    On Board Air Compressors
    Smittybuilt Patch Kit - I've used this twice on punctures. I'm happy with it.
    Sway Bar Delete
    Driver Side ECGS bushing
    Intermediate Steering Shaft Play Fixed
    Tundra Brakes
    Durabump Bump Stops


    Camping:
    Snug Top Hi Liner Camper Shell
    Sleeping Platform #2
    DIY Aluminum Sleeping Platform
    6' Drawer/ Bins Kitchen
    10 Gallon on board water

    12 Volt Edge Star Fridge-This thing is 8 years old now (Dec 2023) and has been on around 300 trips. I can't believe it's still working
    10 pound Propane Tank
    GEO Adventure Gear 270 Degree Awning
    Camper
    Smittybuild X20 Winch with Synthetic Line

    Armor:
    ARB Bull Bar
    BAMF Sliders
    More Sliders
    RAT Products 3/16" Skids
    E-Locker Motor Skid

    Lights, Comms & Electrical:
    Generic 42" Light bar
    Generic 3" LED Pods for Reverse Lights with Amber Covers

    Warn 4" 55watt HID's
    ARB Overhead Console - BTECH UV50X2 Dual Band Radio
    Baofang 8 Watt HT Ham Radio
    Dual Optima Battery System - 1 Red, 1 Blue
    (Radiator Overflow/Windshield Washer Bottle Relocate)
    2 Renogy 100 Watt Solar Panel
    2 6 volt Golf Cart Batteries Wired together for 230amp hours of 12 volt
    CTEK D250 SE Solar Controller (Failed after 2 years)
    REDARC BCDC1225D DC-DC Charge Controller


    19 Gallon Auxillary Fuel Tank
    Beeper Dampened
    12V's always hot
    Back Up Camera
    Front Facing Camera
    Deck Plate Mod[s\] (stopped using it..kinda useless)
    1UP Heavy Duty Hitch Mounted Bike Rack
    Nalgene Windshield Washer Bottle

    ̶W̶h̶e̶e̶l̶e̶r̶'̶s̶ ̶A̶A̶L̶
    Built in 800 Watt Inverte

    2 Lo Mod
    Gray Wire Mod
    CBI Frame Reinforcement Plates
    19 Gallon Ford F150 Aux Fuel Tank
    Siphon gasonline into Zip Lock Bag Method
    Daily Driver #1 - 2016 Scion IM
    Daily Driver #2 - 2009 Suzuki Vstrom 650

    Future Mods -
    Finish Camper
    Finish Camper
    Finish Camper
    Steel Tube Rear Bumper
    Bedliner everything
    New radio - the current sucks in a lot of ways
    maybe new seats
     
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2023
  2. May 2, 2015 at 11:23 AM
    #2
    BYJOSHCOOK

    BYJOSHCOOK Mr. Mojo Risin

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    Woodstock and Alpharetta Ga
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    Check Out My Builds
    :worthless:

    First! :wave: Looks good from that one pic! We have the same intro to our builds :rolleyes:
     
    Built2Ride and otis24[OP] like this.
  3. May 2, 2015 at 11:30 AM
    #3
    otis24

    otis24 [OP] Hard Shell Taco

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    OtisBound Outdoors Bodonkadonk
    OtisBound Bodonkadonk
    The biggest project so far is installing an auxiliary gas tank out of a 1990 Ford F150. The tank will hold 19 gallons. I'm going to use the tanks built in fuel pump to transfer fuel to my main tank. This will give me a highway range of over 600 miles and more importantly an off road range of around 400 miles.
    Edit: As of September 2018 it's more like 500 miles on road and 375-400 off road. I've since added a lot of things that have reduced mpgs.

    The donor truck...ImageUploadedByTapatalk1430591172.119366.jpg

    It took me a solid hour along with some banged up knuckles to wrestle this bastard free.


    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1430591141.019171.jpg

    After I got it home I tested the intank fuel pump..it worked. The tank had about 2 gallons of gas left in it so I drained it. Next I wire wheeled and painted it.

    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1430591220.352006.jpg

    While at pick and pull I forgot to get a wiring harness for the tank. I could get one online for $55. This seemed like a lot being the whole tank was $44. I headed back to pick and pull and got this one for $4.

    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1430591312.486207.jpg

    I installed this Radio Shack momentary switch in the center console. You have to press and hold it to transfer fuel. I figured this way I'm not going to flip a switch and forget to turn off the pump. I also installed a small LED indicator in the corner of my switch panel to let me know when the pump is actually working.

    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1430591383.935325.jpg
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2018
  4. May 2, 2015 at 1:56 PM
    #4
    tan4x4

    tan4x4 Well-Known Member

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    Rick
    Folsom, CA
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    99 Tacoma EC 4x4 2.7L Auto
    Bilsteins, OME 881's, 3-leaf AAL, Detroit TruTrac, Tundra brake swap, Michelin LTX AT2, Tranny skidplate, TC skidplate, CBI rear bumper, TG sliders, UltraGauge, PowerTank, Reverse Camera
    I'm surprised you found an intact fuel tank. Most of those places seem to punch holes in them when they come in, for safety reasons.
     
    otis24[OP] likes this.
  5. May 2, 2015 at 4:31 PM
    #5
    otis24

    otis24 [OP] Hard Shell Taco

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    OtisBound Bodonkadonk
    Me too! Out of about 10 trucks this was the only one with out two giant square holes in it. It also had about 2 gallons of gas left in it.
     
    Dalandser likes this.
  6. May 2, 2015 at 4:37 PM
    #6
    ODNAREM

    ODNAREM MEMBER Of The Church Of @ODNAREM

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    Huntington Beach,CA.
    Vehicle:
    2012 TRD Sport Prerunner
    TRD catback exhaust,FJ Cruiser trail team wheels,BFG All Terrain K02 tires,Grillcraft front grill,Pelfreybilt IFS/Mid skids,sliders,standard rear bumper,Total Chaos bed stiffeners.TRD Pro Bilstein front/rear suspension.
    Sounds great with what you've done and what you plan on doing in the future!Good luck!
     
    otis24[OP] likes this.
  7. May 2, 2015 at 7:07 PM
    #7
    otis24

    otis24 [OP] Hard Shell Taco

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    OtisBound Outdoors Bodonkadonk
    OtisBound Bodonkadonk
    Thanks! I'm having a lot of fun researching and planning and the actual doing.

    Today I pulled my switches, put them into my paranoid fabrications switch panel and started the rewire I've been planning. I wired up the light wires for the 2 empty slots for the future. I'll finish the wiring and install tomorrow.

    I added a small LED in the upper left corner of the switch panel to indicate when the aux fuel tank's pump is running.
    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1430618815.706851.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2015
    SWYPER likes this.
  8. May 5, 2015 at 11:08 AM
    #8
    armyofsquirrels

    armyofsquirrels Embrace the Suck!

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    Sykesville MD
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    2015 V6 6Spd Tacoma DCSB Offroad in Pyrite Mica
    See Build Page.
    That's awesome!
     
    otis24[OP] likes this.
  9. May 6, 2015 at 3:57 PM
    #9
    otis24

    otis24 [OP] Hard Shell Taco

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    OtisBound Outdoors Bodonkadonk
    OtisBound Bodonkadonk
    on my way to work this morning my dash lights and tail lights went out on me. I replaced the fuse under the hood behind the battery and it cooked off immediatley. When I got home from work today it occurred to me that when I was redoing my wiring for the 3rd time I left a piece that goes to the shift indicator light bare. I pulled the center console apart, put some tape on it and replaced the fuse. It's good to go now. Fixing that light is a small project for later.

    While I was in my truck I decided to find a suitable location for the fuel gauge for the auxiliary tank. I've been thinking about this for awhile and decided an out of the way place where it's still visible might be below the hand break. I mounted it with a couple screws. I'm wrapped the wires tighter and burried them so they aren't hanging like in the pic. I'm going to wait on wiring it up until I'm sure that's where I want it to be. There's a wire to the switches from the dimmer switch that I can tap into for the gauge lighting. For power for the gauge I might tap into the power that goes to the in-tank fuel pump before it goes into the switch.

     
  10. May 8, 2015 at 6:32 PM
    #10
    otis24

    otis24 [OP] Hard Shell Taco

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    OtisBound Bodonkadonk
    Did a bit of trimming for the exhaust dump.

    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1431135166.284822.jpg
     
  11. May 30, 2015 at 9:04 PM
    #11
    otis24

    otis24 [OP] Hard Shell Taco

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    OtisBound Bodonkadonk
    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1433045006.782746.jpg

    I started to build the new platform. It needs some tweaking before I can build the drawers.
     
    frenchee likes this.
  12. May 30, 2015 at 9:10 PM
    #12
    Justified

    Justified Well-Known Member

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    Where did you end up mounting the tank?
     
    otis24[OP] likes this.
  13. May 31, 2015 at 5:56 PM
    #13
    otis24

    otis24 [OP] Hard Shell Taco

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    OtisBound Bodonkadonk
    It's still unmounted. I'm digesting be ideas for where to put the filler cap.
     
  14. May 31, 2015 at 6:04 PM
    #14
    Justified

    Justified Well-Known Member

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    This is a project I've contemplated for years since I had dual tanks on my first truck.
     
  15. May 31, 2015 at 8:22 PM
    #15
    otis24

    otis24 [OP] Hard Shell Taco

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    OtisBound Bodonkadonk
    At the rate I'm going at it might take me years to finish it. Lol
     
    Justified[QUOTED] likes this.
  16. Jun 12, 2015 at 4:26 PM
    #16
    otis24

    otis24 [OP] Hard Shell Taco

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    OtisBound Bodonkadonk
    It's been kind of slow going lately. I haven't been doing much work on the truck. My AC stopped working right around the time it hit the 90's here in Northern California. I had a suspicion that it had something to do with a loose wire in the dashboard. The AC stopped working sometime after I had installed my paranoid fabrications switch panel. I pulled apart the center console and sure enough one of the wiring harness plugs had come loose while I was pulling on all kinds of stuff.

    It's so nice to have AC again!
     
  17. Jun 21, 2015 at 6:09 PM
    #17
    otis24

    otis24 [OP] Hard Shell Taco

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    OtisBound Bodonkadonk
    I got one drawer done. It holds a pair of steel high pressure 100 cu ft scuba tanks quite nicely. They weigh about 90 pounds for the pair. It's a bitch to get open with out a handle though.

    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1434935191.088102.jpg

    Today I put another coat of polyurethane on the drawer and added a handle made of webbing. I also put some UHMW tape on the bottom of the drawer. That makes a huge difference.

    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1434935210.965451.jpg
     
  18. Jun 22, 2015 at 11:55 AM
    #18
    climber-420

    climber-420 I love tight cracks

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    255/85/16 BFG KM2's, 3" OME lift, Dakar's, Nitrochargers, Grey Wire Mod, ARB Bumper, ARB CKMA12 air compressor, WIts End Pacifier, Warn M8000, Uniden 520 XL CB, rear diff breather mod, full time power to aux 12V outlets, Rago Fab ditch brackets, Titan Rod Vault, Extreme LED's front and rear,
    Looks like you have a pair of the Blitz Pro LED's as backup lights. I have them on mine (wired in with the stockers, and have a 3 position switch to use), and couldn't be happier. Their customer service is wonderful as well. One light quit working, I sent it in, and they shipped me a new one.
     
  19. Jun 22, 2015 at 3:23 PM
    #19
    otis24

    otis24 [OP] Hard Shell Taco

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    OtisBound Bodonkadonk
    Yeah, I'm really happy with mine. I have it relayed into the revere circuit under my drivers seat plus I have a switch where I can turn them off. They work great. They interfere with my back up camera a little but not to any degree that it's useless. The back up camera is mounted to rare earth magnets so I can move it around anyway.

    I see you're a climber. I used to dabble in that a little. I really need to get back into it. My core and hand strength are crap these days.
     
  20. Jun 25, 2015 at 7:54 PM
    #20
    otis24

    otis24 [OP] Hard Shell Taco

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    OtisBound Outdoors Bodonkadonk
    OtisBound Bodonkadonk
    Next week-Happy Diffs and Transfer Case!
    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1435287223.940516.jpg

    I'm also trying the inner tube between cab glass and shell glass, both windows open with AC on full to create positive pressure in the shell to keep dust out.

    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1435287289.872756.jpg
     

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