Boden Build 2015 DCLB 4x4

Today, I installed Hella 4000I driving lights. I still have to take the truck out and see how bright they are on the trail.

 

I never understood why lighting in the engine compartment of a vehicle wasn't a standard option. After all, with LED lighting so inexpensive and with low power requirements, it just makes sense to have it standard on all vehicles. But alas, that's not the case. So with my 2015 Toyota Tacoma, I recently added LED strip lighting under the hood, and I'm going to show you how I installed it.

This post will outline the parts I used and where they can be purchased. Additionally, I'll show you how I put this together.

As a word of warning, if you choose to do this on your vehicle, you need to be careful. We are working with electricity, so for your own safety, you should begin by disconnecting the cable from the negative battery terminal. Once everything is complete, you can re-attach the cable.

PARTS

LED strip lighting

The waterproof flexible LED strip lighting I used is made by Triangle Bulbs and available at

Cool White LED Waterproof Flexible Strip Light, T93007-1 (1 Pack) - 25 watt, 300 "3528 SMD, 12 Volt, 16.4 feet, Pure White - 1 Pack

Amazon. This LED strip is rated at 4.8 watts per meter. Therefore, my project will consume about 400mA at 12 volts since I'll be using about one meter or less. These are pure white and have 60 LEDs per meter.


Pin Switch

This installation will have the LED strip controlled by a pin switch. This will automatically turn on the lighting whenever the hood is opened and shut off when closed. I purchased a heavy-duty adjustable pin switch by Directed Electronics from

$10 Heavy-duty Adjustable Pinswitch, Standard Packaging

Amazon.



Wire

I used two colors of wire, red and black for power and ground respectively. As I mentioned earlier, one meter of strip lighting uses only 400mA. So when selecting wire size, I could have used 24 AWG wire safely. I typically don't use wire smaller than 18 AWG for accessories in my projects, however, I actually used 16 AWG wire, as crazy as that might sound. I chose this size simply because I wanted to connect an additional ground wire from the pin switch to my fuse block, and the only correctly sized ring terminal I had was for 16 AWG. So, I used a larger gauge wire than I technically needed. No big deal.

Anyway, I'll talk more about this additional ground wire and ring terminal next.


Heat shrink ring terminal

I used a heat shrink ring terminal to connect the pin switch to ground. Many people omit this additional ground wire because the pin switch is bolted to the body, which should provide an adequate ground. However, I felt that grounding the circuit in this manner on a painted surface was insufficient. Therefore, I added a ground wire from the pin switch to my fuse block. Because of the size of the pin switch, I needed a ring terminal with a 5/16" hole. As I mentioned earlier, I only had a 16 AWG ring terminal with this sized hole, so this was what I used instead of purchasing a smaller size for 18 AWG. These can be purchased at

$9 Electriduct Heat Shrink Ring Terminals with Adhesive Liner 16-14AWG (Blue) | Ring Size: 5/16" Screw - 10 Pieces

Amazon.


Quick Disconnect Terminal

A female quick disconnect terminal connects the ground wire from the LED strip to the pin switch. Ideally, I would have preferred using a heat shrink terminal, but I didn't have any on hand. Therefore, I used the following terminal along with adhesive-lined heat shrink. You'll also notice that the terminal is insulated. This is not required, because this is a ground wire and not a power wire. These can be purchased at

$10 Baomain Female Fully Insulated Wire Crimp Terminalas Nylon Connectors Wiring Spade FDFN2-250 Pack of 100

Amazon. Fully insulated heat shrink female quick disconnect terminals can be purchased at

$32 Burndy YHSFQ14F25X03RK Hydent Heat Shrink Fully Insulated Female Quick Disconnect Connector, 16-14 AWG Conductor Size, 0.38" Diameter x 1.28" Length (Pack of 20)

Amazon as well. And standard heat shrink terminals are

$26 Burndy YHSQ14F25X03RK Hydent Heat Shrink Female Quick Disconnect Connector, 16-14 AWG Conductor Size, 0.30" Diameter x 1.27" Length (Pack of 20)

here.



Adhesive-lined heat Shrink Tubing

I used adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing to seal the quick disconnect terminal at the pin switch. Additionally, heat shrink tubing was used where the wires attach to the LED strip. It also helps to hold braided sleeving in place. This project used 3/8" diameter tubing that is available at Waytek Wire.


Braided Wire Sleeving

I used 1/4" braided sleeving to group the wiring together and protect it. You can also use split wire loom if you have that available. Braided sleeving can be purchased at

$62 Hellermann Tyton 170-03035 Fray Resistant Expandable Braided Sleeving, 0.25" Diameter, PET, Black, 100ft Reel

Amazon.



Cable Tie Mounts

To attach the wiring to the underside of the hood, self adhesive cable tie mounts along with zip ties are an excellent option. These are made by Startech and available at

$21 StarTech.com Self-adhesive Nylon Cable Tie Mounts - Pkg of 100 - Cable organizer - HC102

Amazon.


Zip Ties

I used small 4" zip ties to attach the wiring to the cable tie mounts. These are available at

$9 C2G 43036 TAA Compliant Cable Ties, 4" Long, Black, Pack of 100

Amazon. I also used a single heavy duty zip tie to attach the wiring at the hood hinge as you'll see later.


Double Sided Mounting Tape

The last thing needed is strong double sided tape. I used 3M Super Strength Molding Tape, which can be purchased at just about any auto parts store. But it's also available at

$9 3M Super-Strength Molding Tape, 1/2 in x 15 ft, High Strength Double-Sided Adhesive, Permanently Attaches Side Moldings, Trim and Emblems to Interior and Exterior of Vehicles (03614)

Amazon.



INSTALLATION

Now that all the parts and supplies were in order, it was time to install the lighting.

The first thing I did was to cut a length of LED strip. I simply held it up in place under the hood, marked and cut. If you look at the following picture, I've indicated the correct locations to cut. You'll notice that there are three LEDs between each cut line. Therefore, you have great flexibility in how long you want the strip to be. However, if you were to cut in locations other than where I've indicated, then you'll end up with a few dark LEDs.



When purchasing the LED strip in a reel, one end will have short lengths of wire already attached. I removed these and soldered on my own. I removed the white protective tubing first and then cut off the wires.



To fully remove the wires and access the solder points, I used a utility knife to remove the clear spongy weatherproofing and used a soldering iron to remove the stock wiring.



Next, I cut two lengths of wire. I eye-balled the length and gave myself some extra. The LED strip will be attached at the top of the hood, so I needed wire to span the length of the hood down to the hood hinge and then forward to the front of the vehicle. About eight feet of each wire gave me plenty to work with.

I stripped one end of each wire about 1/4" and tinned with solder.



I soldered the wires to the connection points on the LED strip. Make sure you pay attention so that the wires are soldered to the correct points. There is a small positive '+' sign that tells you which pad to solder the power to. If you do this backwards, the lights will not illuminate.


After soldering on the wires, I cut some braided sleeving and slid it up over the wiring all the way up to the LED strip. I then cut a 2" piece of adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing and slid this over the sleeving. This needed to cover the end of the sleeving, exposed wiring, and part of the LED strip. Finally, I used a heat gun to shrink and seal in place.



Next, I cut a short piece of 3M double sided tape and attached to the underside of the LED strip at this connection point. Although the LED strip has an adhesive back and I'll be using cable tie mounts for the wiring, I wanted an additional attachment point directly at the wire connection. This will help to minimize any vibration, which might weaken the connection.


My experience with cable tie mounts is that the adhesive is not very strong. Therefore, I removed the sticky adhesive that came with the mounts and added my own using the 3M double sided tape. I ended up using four cable tie mounts so this isn't very tedious.



Next, I attached the flexible LED strip. Of course, I needed to make sure that the location where I was placing it was perfectly clean. I started with a degreaser to remove any dirt and grime. Then I wiped down the area with denatured alcohol. As you can see in the following picture, I didn't need to clean the entire hood, only the area necessary.



After this, I attached four cable tie down mounts spaced evenly down the hood from the LED strip towards the hinge.



I used 4" zip ties to secure the wiring to the cable tie down mounts.



I used one heavy duty zip tie at the hinge.



Next, I navigated the wiring under the grill and into the engine compartment. There was no need to remove the screw that attaches it to the body. There is ample space under it to slide the wiring through.



This is how it looked at this point.



My vehicle has a Bussmann RTMR installed as a secondary fuse/relay block. This allows me to add electrical accessories to the vehicle without using the OEM fuse block. If you don't have one of these, then your wiring will be slightly different. But this is very easy to do. Use an appropriate connector to attach the red wire to your battery. The black wire will attach to the bottom of the pin switch, as you'll see in a moment. Finally, connect an optional ground wire from the pin switch to a suitable ground.

Anyway, I cut the wiring to length and attached my connectors, which are outlined in the following picture. I used a Metri-pack connector to connect to the Bussmann RTMR.



Now it was time to install the pin switch and complete the wiring. The easiest location for the pin switch in my 2015 Toyota Tacoma that didn't require any drilling was to use the headlight mounting bolt on the driver side. So I began by removing this bolt.



Once removed, you'll see a plastic threaded clip underneath.



I removed this clip with a pair of needle nose pliers. I just had to squeeze the bottom, push it up, and then wiggle it out from between the body and headlight mount.



Finally, I dropped the pin switch down into the hole, but didn't secure it just yet.

Although I've recommended installing an additional ground from the pin switch to a better grounding point, this isn't required. Many people use the direct contact of the pin switch mounting bolt to the body of the vehicle as their ground. So if you're not installing an additional ground wire, you can secure the pin switch in place now with the lock washer and nut.

Otherwise, I first slipped the ring terminal from the additional ground wire onto the pin switch from the bottom. Then I tightened everything up with the lock washer and nut. The other end of this wire terminates ground within the Bussmann RTMR. Yours might connect directly to the battery, for example.

Last, I installed the ground wire from the LED strip to the spade terminal on the bottom.



The installation was complete, so I reconnected my negative battery cable to finalize everything. I was immediately greeted with a wash of light in my engine bay. Awesome!

 

Awesome write up as usual. Again thanks for some of the links for the electrical management stuff. Would be interested to see how everything holds up to the elements.

 

Thanks. And BTW, most of the electrical parts can be gotten at Waytek Wire as well. Their prices are good but you're buying larger quantities. So it's good to place a big order and stock up on supplies. Then when projects pop up along the way, they'll be available.

If you break down the cost of this last project to the specific parts that I used, it's only a couple bucks. With that in mind, it's crazy to buy a pre-assembled kit from someone. Furthermore, I still have enough supplies to make four more of these. All for much less than a kit. So I think I've got a few friends interested.

And I'll be sure to give an update as time goes on as to how well everything holds up.

 

100% agree with you. When I did my winch install I could have bought a warn wiring extension kit or what ever. Its close to $200 but I just peiced it together for a lot less with bigger wire and extra to do more things later on. It's just the time that goes into doing it I guess. However saving money to use it somewhere else is always a bonus.

 

Nice truck. It's always nice seeing someone bringing justice to a DCLB. It gives me hope for mine. Love what you've done to yours so far. Keep it up

I'm also 6' 1" and also went with a long box cause I wanted to be able to sleep in the back. Don't feel too bad about not getting the offroad package because Toyota doesn't offer it in a DCLB.
Have you decided what you're going to do with the bed? The flip-pacs are cool but I've read that you can't add a rack to them and carry a load on the roof. That, along with the price was a huge deciding factor in my decision of going with a mid rise cap instead. I went with an ARE MX series with sliding windoors and it works great for sleeping in the back!

 

My plan has always been a Flip-Pac. But rumor is that AT Overland is coming out with their own version. So I've been waiting. But I got a big trip in November so I' m trying to figure what to do for it. I may buy a used shell temporarily to tide me over. We'll see.

 

I recently installed my new Pelfreybilt High Clearance Rear Bumper for my 2015 Toyota Tacoma. This was a rather straight forward installation, but you definitely need a helping hand to lift it into place.

I planned on taking a lot more detailed pictures along the way, but due to time constraints, I overlooked many steps. Overall, I think you'll get an idea of what was involved.

-----------

The first step was to disengage the electrical. There were two plugs for the license plate lights. I simply turned them ninety degrees and pulled them out of their light housing. Next, I unbolted the trailer socket and removed. I then cut off all of the wiring harness zip-ties that attached it to the bumper and trailer hitch.

Next, I removed the old bumper. On each side, there were five bolts attaching the bumper and tow hitch assembly. I only removed four and left the top-most bolt loose. I did this to aid in removal of the old bumper as well as installation of the new one.



It looked like this before removing the bumper.



There is a pin on the bumper that engages in a notch on the frame. So in order to remove the bumper, I needed to lift it up and pull towards me on each side.

Once removed, you can see the pin on the bumper.



And this was the notch on the frame that the pin sat in.



With the bumper removed, it was time to move on.



The next step was to remove the fender flares. I began by removing the bolts on the underside of the flare that attaches it to the bedsides.



Then, the tricky part. Don't just pull on the fender flare to remove it. You'll easily damage the plastic retaining clips. Instead, I reached up behind the fender flares and removed the plastic retaining clips with needle-nose pliers. I just squeezed the little tabs and pushed them through. The difficult part is reaching them all. All I can say is, "Contorted body positions and strained neck."

By the way, there are two types of clips, orange and blue. The only difference is in their sizing with the orange ones being slightly larger.



With the fender flares removed, it was time to mark and cut the bedsides. I used blue painters tape and marked a line on it. I measured down from the bottom edge of the bed cap with a flexible tape ruler so that my line was 1/2" below the tail light. This ended up being 16 3/4".



I used the following angle grinder with a 4 1/2" x 1/16" cut-off wheel. If you notice, I used the handle on the back side of the grinder. This was intentional. I held on to this handle and used my knuckles up against the beside as a support guide. I worked slow and steady by first scoring a line and then taking a second pass to cut all the way through.



When done, I had a ton more clearance. Aside from the straight cut, I needed to eye-ball the cut below the tail light. At the back of the straight cut, just below the tail light, the line turns in towards the center of the vehicle for about an inch and then sweeps down in an arc.



Next, I needed to attach the fender support brackets. I marked and drilled a 5/16" hole.



I used the supplied hardware to attach the bracket. This can be adjusted later to position the bedsides to your liking.



At this point, I installed the bumper temporarily. Lifting the bumper in place is really a two person job. I placed the center-point on a hydraulic jack, lifted it up, and maneuvered it into place with the help of a friend. By leaving the top-most bolt threaded, we used that as a support point while we inserted the additional bolts.



As excited as I was to see the bumper installed, I couldn't torque them all the way. I first needed to evaluate my cut line, which needed a slight trimming. Once satisfied, I removed the bumper, trimmed, and used an 80-grit flap disc to smooth and de-burr the edge.

Before re-installing the bumper, I installed the fender flares, marked, and cut them to be in line with the bedsides. Then I painted the exposed edges of metal with primer. At this point, I should have installed the rubber molding, but I made the mistake of installing after the bumper was in place. Although I was successful, it would have been much easier had I done it beforehand.

To hold the rubber molding in place, I used Stick Fast CA Glue. I first attempted to use a two-part epoxy, but it would have taken me too long. I had some CA glue available, so I thought I'd try. Luckily, I had the option of thickness to choose from, thin, medium or thick. I figured the thick consistency would be the best. It worked like a charm.



Installing the molding after the bumper was a bit challenging, both to my patience and the final fit. In the end, I made it work and was satisfied with the look.



The instructions stated that the next step was to remove the black plastic trim pieces that wrap around the body below the tail light. I did so, but wonder in hind sight if this was really necessary. It appears that there's enough room to keep them in place.

Anyway, it was time to permanently install the bumper. The final installation is relatively easy, but aligning the bumper was a bit frustrating. I really wanted the front point of the bumper to perfectly line up with the fender flare. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful. This was the best I could to do without cutting the bolt holes on the bumper.



The bumper is designed to stick out from the bed sides to accommodate the fender flares. I adjusted the fender support brackets to align the fender with the outside edge of the front point of the bumper. It just needed to be pleasing.



There were several remaining items to complete the job: trim the fender liner, install the license plate lighting, re-connect the electrical connections, and install the flip up license plate holder.

The installation was complete and looks great! If you notice, my bumper has cut-outs to accept rear-facing lights. I'll be tackling this project soon.



Even with the spare tire mounted underneath, there is a lot more clearance than before.



Overall, I'm very pleased with the bumper. Now, it's time to go beat it up.

 

I completed installation of lighting in my new rear bumper today. The lights are Rigid Industries SR-Q2 flush mount diffused white.

This was a rather easy install. The kit came with its own wiring harness, but I didn't really use it. The harness included a relay, inline fuse, and switch. But these weren't necessary because of my Bussmann RTMR, which provides the relays and fuses. However, I did use the provided connectors at the lights to simplify things. The wiring harness came with 18AWG wire, but I upgraded to 12AWG for the power and ground wires from the RTMR to the rear of the vehicle. I then dropped back down to the provided 18AWG for the pigtails to each light. All wiring was protected with split wire loom.

Before pics:





Wiring harness:



Installed:





Complete:

 

Nice write up. How are those flush lights? They look a lot easier to install on a bumper than the receded ones in most bumpers. Got to be careful not to bump them though lol

 

Yeah, I installed the flush mount.

For comparison, these are the flush mount:


These are the surface mount:

 

I've been using a DeLorme InReach Explorer for a couple years. It's a basic GPS unit but offers text messaging via an Iridium Satelite account as well as a SOS feature. This gives me great peace of mind when I'm out in the wild.

Up until recently, I've mounted the device in my vehichle using a Powered inVehicle RAM Mount. This is a great product and convenient way to mount the GPS unit in my vehicle. However, I've always had two problems with it, which I recently solved.

The first problem I had is that the suction cup tended to lose it's grip on the windshield after long periods of time. This was most annoying when racing down a dirt road and it popped off and fell to the floor. Additionally, if the windshield was dirty at all, then all hope was lost. So despite its claims of a non-slip suction cup mount, I've always wanted a more secure mount.

The second problem was that the 12v power cord was really annoying. Although the cord was long enough to reach the 12v power adapter in the center console of my truck, it stretched across my dash and simply got in the way. Therefore, I needed a solution to provide power in closer proximity to the mount.

I solved the first problem by permanently mounting my DeLorme InReach Explorer into my 2015 Toyota Tacoma by way of a RAM mount bolted to the A-Pillar. The power problem was solved by installing a 12v-to-5v converter and hard-wiring power directly to the inVehicle RAM Mount.

I'm going to show you how I installed and wired my device, but let me first discuss the parts and specialty tools I used for this project.

PARTS

DeLorme InReach Powered inVehicle RAM Mount

This is the mount that I started with. Even though this product provided everything necessary to mount the GPS unit in a vehicle, all I needed was the cradle to hold the InReach Explorer, the 1" RAM ball, and the power cord. The suction cup and power plug were no longer needed. This can be purchased at

DeLorme InReach Powered inVehicle RAM Mount

Amazon.


RAM Mount Motorcycle Handlebar Clamp Base

This mounting kit can be found in the motorcycle section at RAM Mount. The model number is RAM-B-367U, and can be purchased at

$13 RAM Mounts RAM-B-367U Motorcycle Handlebar Clamp Base with M8 Bolts with B Size 1" Ball

Amazon. It included three M8 screws, but these were too large for my application and not used.


Socket Screw

The RAM Mount Handlebar Base included M8 hardware, but I needed a M6 x 1.0 x 55mm screw to mount it to the A-pillar in my Tacoma. I purchased one at a local hardware store, but it can also be purchased at

$4 Bolt Base (6mm) M6 x 55 Black 12.9 Grade High Tensile Hex Socket Cap screws Self Colour Allen Bolts DIN 912 - 2 Pack

Amazon or McMaster Carr.


RAM Short Double Socket Arm

Although a double socket arm was included with the inVehicle RAM Mount, I wanted to use a shorter arm. Therefore, the shortest one available was RAP-B-201U-A, which can be purchased at Amazon.


Multipurpose aluminum tubing

Because I used M6 screws instead of M8 screws, there was extra space around the screw as it traveled through the shaft of the RAM Mount Handlebar Base. Although not required, I used aluminum tubing to take up the spacing inside the shaft. The tubing was 5/16" O.D. and .035 wall thickness. I purchased at a local hardware store, but it can be purchased at McMaster Carr.


Zinc Spacer

I used a spacer to make the RAM ball stick out further from the A-pillar. Although unnecessary, using a spacer gave me more flexibility when positioning the cradle. I used a 1/2" zinc spacer with 1/4" I.D. and 5/8" O.D., which was purchased at a local hardware store. It can be found at McMaster Carr.

Because I was using aluminum tubing, I wanted it to travel through the spacer as well. Therefore, I ultimately bored the inside diameter of the spacer to 5/16" to accommodate the tubing. If you can find one with a 5/16" I.D. then buy that instead and save a step. If you're not using tubing, then choose a spacer with an appropriate I.D. to coincide with the M6 screw.


Rubber push-in grommet

I'll be running power directly to the RAM Mount cradle, which will navigate up the A-piller. I hid the wiring behind the trim piece and routed it through a hole that I drilled very close to the RAM ball. Although not required, I felt that a rubber grommet would look better than a roughly drilled hole. Therefore, I purchased a rubber push-in grommet at a local hardware store with the following dimensions. This worked, but a slightly larger thickness dimension "B" would have been a better fit.

A: 3/8"
B: 1/16"
C: 1/4"
D: 9/16"
E: 1/4"


Wire

The power requirements for the InReach Explorer was about 2 amps. Therefore, I could have used a smaller gauge wire, but I typically don't use anything smaller than 18 AWG for vehicle wiring. It's just easier to work with.


Voltage converter

The 12v power plug that came attached to the inVehicle RAM Mount would normally convert 12v to 5v, which was the required voltage for charging the InReach Explorer. Therefore, when cutting the plug off, I wasn't able to connect it directly to my vehicles battery. To solve this problem, I used a 12v to 5v converter by DROK, that can be purchased at

$13 DROK Micro Electric DC Buck Volt Converter DC-DC 6.3-22V 12V to 5V 3A 15W Car Auto Vehicle Power Supply Module Step-Down Voltage Transformer Volt Regulator Inverter Board Waterproof

Amazon.


Molex Mini-Fit Jr. connectors

I wanted as much flexibility during installation and for any future vehicle repairs. Therefore, I used Molex connectors that can be easily unplugged if needed. A great, inexpensive connector is the Mini-Fit Jr. by Molex. This line of connectors can host up to 24 connections at 9 amps. For this application, I used 2-position connectors.

Male plug connectors (Molex part #39-01-3023) can be purchased at Mouser.


Female receptacle connectors (Molex part #39-01-2020) can be purchased at Mouser.



Molex Mini-Fit Jr. Terminals

Male pin terminals (Molex part # 39-00-0040) can be purchased at Mouser.


Female socket terminals (Molex part # 39-00-0038) can be purchased at Mouser.


Butt Splice

These are general purpose butt splice connectors used to extend the wiring from the mount. These are 18AWG.


Ring Terminal

I connected ground to the body at a bolt under the dash. I used an 18AWG ring terminal with a 1/4" hole. (I'm showing a heat-shrink ring terminal here, but this isn't necessary.)


Braided Wire Sleeving

I used 1/4″ braided sleeving to group the wiring together and protect it. Braided sleeving can be purchased at

$62 Hellermann Tyton 170-03035 Fray Resistant Expandable Braided Sleeving, 0.25" Diameter, PET, Black, 100ft Reel

Amazon.


Adhesive-lined heat Shrink Tubing

I used adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing to hold braided sleeving in place and to cover the butt splices. Using adhesive-lined tubing is not required, but it's what I had on hand and it held the braided sleeving in place a little better. 3/8″ diameter tubing is available at Waytek Wire and 1/2" tubing is here.


Cable Tie Mounts

To attach the wiring to the A-piller, I used a self adhesive cable tie mount along with a zip tie. These are made by Startech and available at

$21 StarTech.com Self-adhesive Nylon Cable Tie Mounts - Pkg of 100 - Cable organizer - HC102

Amazon, but other brands are available at your local home center.


Zip Ties

I used small 4″ zip ties to secure the wiring to the cable tie mounts and in various places under the dash. These are available at

$9 C2G 43036 TAA Compliant Cable Ties, 4" Long, Black, Pack of 100

Amazon and your local home center.


Double Sided Mounting Tape

I used 3M Super Strength Molding Tape to mount the voltage converter and cable tie mount, which can be purchased at just about any auto parts store. But it’s also available at

$9 3M Super-Strength Molding Tape, 1/2 in x 15 ft, High Strength Double-Sided Adhesive, Permanently Attaches Side Moldings, Trim and Emblems to Interior and Exterior of Vehicles (03614)

Amazon.



Fuse Tap

I used a fuse tap to provide 12v power to the input of the voltage converter. These can be purchased at

$10 ATM Add-A-Fuse (Same Function as Bussmann BP/HHH) ATM Fuse Tap

Amazon.



TOOLS

I've used a Paladin Tools PA1302 ratchet crimper for many years, but Paladin was purchased by Greenlee Textron several years ago. This crimper utilizes interchangeable dies. The Greenlee crimper frame can be purchased at

$69 Greenlee Crimp PA1302, 1300 Series Crimp Tool Frame

Amazon. However, if you search, you can find sets that include a specific die along with the frame.


In order to crimp butt splices and ring terminals, I used crimp die, PA2040, which can be purchased at

$78 Greenlee 2040 CrimpALL 1300/8000 Series Die For Insulated Terminals And Lugs

Amazon.


To remove the Molex terminals from the connectors in case of a mistake, a Molex Mini-Fit Jr. terminal extraction tool can be purchased at Mouser. This is highly recommended, because you definitely will find yourself wanting to remove the pins.


The Molex Mini-Fit Jr. terminals are extremely small. Therefore, a special crimper is needed. This is the inexpensive version and can be purchased at Amazon or Mouser.


INSTALLATION

Now that all the parts and tools are in order, I was ready to start.

I began by cutting off the 12v adapter plug from the Powered inVehicle RAM Mount. I stripped back insulation to expose the individual wires. Although there are four pins on the cradle that connect to the back of the InReach Explorer, only the two outside pins are in use.

Next, I cut a red and black 18AWG wire a few inches long. All wires were stripped and crimped to the RAM mount wiring using 18AWG butt splices. In hindsight, I probably should have just left the wiring longer from the cradle and omit the but splices altogether. Then I could have simply crimped on the Molex terminals and be done with it. Oh well!


On the opposing end, I stripped and crimped on Molex female Mini-Fit Jr. terminals.


I cut a piece of 1/2" heat shrink tubing, slid over the two wires and butt splices, and used a heat gun to shrink in place.


I inserted the terminals into the female receptacle connector.


As you can see, I kept these wires very short. This was intentional so that I could remove the entire mount in the future if need be.


Next, I removed the A-pillar cover. The mounting bolt covers can be removed with your fingernail or a small screwdriver.


After removing the two mounting bolts, the A-pillar trim cover was removed by simply pulling it away from the pillar.


Next, I drilled a 3/8" hole into my A-Piller cover just below the lower handle bolt and pushed in the rubber grommet.


I needed to make another length of wire that traveled through the A-pillar trim. This was about 12" long with Molex connectors on either side. This way, the entire trim piece can be removed. The process involved installing a connector on one end and then covering the wires with braided sleeving and heat shrink. I inserted the wire harness through the rubber grommet before installing the terminals and connector on the opposing end.


From the backside, you can see where the hole was made in approximation to the mounting hole.


After this, I made the power supply wiring harness. I cut several feet of wire and installed Molex terminals and connectors to both ends. As before, I used braided sleeving and heat shrink to protect the wiring and group them together.

I routed the wiring harness up through the dash and secured it in place at the bottom of the A-pillar with a cable tie mount and zip-tie. I kept the zip-tie loose, which was intentional so that the wiring could be maneuvered as required. This made installation and removal of the A-pillar trim easier. (By the way, an electricians fish-tape or coat hanger aids in navigating the wire up behind the dash and to the A-pillar.)


I installed Molex connectors to both the input and ouput sides of the 12v-to-5v converter.


The converter was mounted with 3m double-sided tape to the backside of the under-dash trim panel. The output of the converter connects to the wiring harness routed up behind the dash and to the A-pillar.


To connect the input side of the converter to power and ground, I made another wiring harness. A Molex connector was installed on one end with both wires. For the opposing ends, the red wire connected to a fuse-tap for power, and the black wire terminated with a ring terminal for ground.


The 12v-to-5v converter was attached to the backside of the trim piece below the steering column. Ground was terminated at a mounting bolt. This wasn't an ideal spot for grounding, but will suffice for the time being. I ultimately plan to install an additional fuse block within the cab.


For the 12v source, I used a fuse tap.


To re-install the A-pillar trim, I needed to do a little fabrication. I first bored the hole in the zinc spacer from 1/4" to 5/16". Then I cut a length of aluminum tubing so that it spanned the length of the shaft in the RAM ball mount and the spacer.


When put together, it looked like this.


The A-pillar trim was re-installed by first connecting the wiring together with the Molex connectors


After securing the top bolt, I used the RAM ball mount with spacer for the bottom mounting hole.


The cradle was mounted using a short double socket arm, RAP-B-201U-A, and positioned in place.


Using a volt meter, I tested that I correctly had 5 volts on the two outside pins.


With the DeLorme InReach Explorer in place, the GPS unit received power whenever the ignition was on.


Success! I now had a secure mount for my DeLorme InReach Explorer with a dedicated power supply. I was very happy with the results.

 

Very clean and detailed write up, as usual!

 

Fantastic build! Great attention to detail. Thanks for your excellent write-ups!

 

Thanks! I aim to please.

You're most welcome. There's a wealth of knowledge on this site that's helped me. So this is my way of giving back.

 

It seems that many contributions as of late have been with regards to equipment. So I thought I’d share a mini adventure. But ironically, this outing was all because of the equipment. Let me start with a little back story.

I’ve been an avid photographer for over 20 years. I prefer going out solo when shooting, because I don’t want to feel as if I’m holding someone else back. Furthermore, I want to be able to take my time, experiment, take photographic risks, explore side roads and unfamiliar territory, get up ridiculously early for sunrise, and stay out well after sunset. I don’t know many people who would put up with this type of adventure. Besides, I can get rather selfish when it comes to taking a photograph.

For the last 15 years, these excursions have been done with a 2001 Ford F150, 2wd. This truck has served me well, but it always held me back in some situations because of the lower clearance, stock suspension, and 2wd. I constantly found myself in situations where I had to turn around for fear of getting stuck while on my own. In turn, I’d get frustrated, because I missed many photographic opportunities. So every time this would happen, I’d tell myself I needed to get a 4×4, and I’ve been saying this for years! One such event happened two years ago.

I was on a solo trip through the Eastern Sierra Mountains and Death Valley. After five days, I drove to Las Vegas to visit my father and afterwards, I navigated Interstate 15 back home to Los Angeles. Whenever I’m out and about, I’m always looking for something to photograph. I don’t like to limit myself to just one subject. So on the last day of my trip, at the end of November, something caught my eye. The weather was stunning with a sparkly light that reached through the clouds and touched the land below. This kind of drama lent itself to photographing anything well. With my gaze diverted, I scattered the landscape more-so than the road. Then, like a fish, I was hooked and yanked into the desert. The bait that lured me so was a dilapidated billboard off the highway North of Barstow, a giant worm to feed my addiction. This wasn’t any old billboard, but a giant billboard two or three times as big as those you normally see around town. Furthermore, this was delightfully weathered with missing panels, faded paint, and indiscernible words. It looked like it could barely stand on its own legs. I simply had to photograph it!

This moment of seduction happened in seconds as I flew down the road with hundreds of other vehicles. Despite the fact that I was heading home, my mission was clear. I became fixated on getting the shot. Nothing else mattered. All time stopped. My addiction had complete control. YES! There was an exit off the highway only a couple miles down the road. I raced up the offramp, dashed over the traffic below, and bailed left onto a dirt road that paralleled the interstate. This route appeared straight-forward, lacking any technical challenge, just a bit sandy and washboard at times. After all, I was in a flat desert. However, after a mile or so, I came to a precipice that dove down into a sandy wash. Gutted and precarious, I questioned whether my two-wheel drive truck would be able to navigate the terrain, especially the rugged hill ascending the other side. I exited the vehicle and contemplated the situation while locked on the prize. Like a childhood bully, the billboard taunted me. It was literally mocking me, because he knew I was weak and wouldn’t risk the challenge that lay between us. He was right. I tucked my tail, bowed my head, and retreated in defeat. But I vowed to come back.

Presently, I’m driving a 2015 Toyota Tacoma 4×4 that I purchased last December. I’ve outfitted it with many upgrades thus far, and I’m having a great time building it. Although some may question my choices and the expense, I’m grabbing life by it’s horns and rolling with it. I truly believe that I have one life to live so I better do it now or never. Anyway, I bought this truck specifically for the purpose of gaining photographic opportunity.

A couple weeks ago, I faced off with my desert opponent while on a short weekend trip to Las Vegas to visit with my father. As I reached past Barstow, my adversary came into sight. This time, however, high noon light wasn’t so kind on the old soul. His haggard bones, cut deep with shadows, made him less magnificent than we was two years earlier. Of course, my perspective was different on this venture. With my new Tacoma, I skated over the ruts and sand thrown at me by the desert landscape and swaggered up to meet my threat. Despite the lack of magical light, I accepted the challenge and snapped my camera at him. He mercilessly gave in.



Even with lackluster lighting resulting in a meager image, I felt victorious. My reasons for getting a four-wheel drive vehicle were justified, because I was no longer limited by my equipment. I had the right tool for the job. The only thing holding be back was timing. I just had to be in the right spot at the right time, which goes beyond skill. To make a great image takes great light, and that’s something I cannot control.

On the return trip, luck lent a gentle hand, but only slightly. Afternoon light offered a more pleasing lower angle with face-lighting, and abundant clouds decorated the sky.



Two years earlier, my mind’s eye saw the billboard as a panoramic. However, I particularly wanted to create the image with a Fuji GX617 panoramic camera, which I neglected to bring on this trip. Upon departure, I quickly grabbed my Canon 5D-mkiii, a few lenses, and a tripod, all the while thinking I wasn’t going to shoot anything. After all, this trip was nothing more than a quick visit with my father. So I simply brought the camera more out of habit than anything else. Therefore, while standing in the desert for the second attempt in one weekend, I thought I’d create a panoramic image with multiple frames. This particular photograph is actually made up of five vertical frames that I stitched together. In comparison, this image grabs me more than the other, although I’ll continue to face my foe in the future. Perhaps luck will be on my side and the lighting will be simply magnificent.

 

Out freaking standing! Definitely gave me some ideas and helped answer a couple of questions. Thanks!

 

So glad that I could help!

 

Awesome story above and nice truck man !

 

Nice build, very clean and I love the detailed write ups. Subbed