The Getaway...Crom's build and adventures

He looks um.. chafed...

Haha! In all seriousness though- Good luck, Nick.

 

Galleta Metal Sculptures - Anza-Borrego Desert State Park - Family Camp Trip Jan 16-18 (trip report continued )

Every time we go out to Borrego Springs, we try to find new and different sculptures to visit. The art sculptures are made of metal and they are scattered about a number of square miles. They are rather large. You can read more here.

On this trip we found the raptors and something that looked like a T-Rex. We also found a prehistoric bird of prey with a snake in it's claw

My 5-year old was good with the dino sculptures. The 3-year old was not cool with them. She knew they were not real, but that didn't matter. She didn't want to get too close. lol









This was fun!


Look at the detail.


And a quick change of focus.


Bird of prey






On our way home we stopped at Rancho Cuyamaca State Park and played around the green oak trees. Our stop there was brief though, just long enough to eat and take some pictures.

Here endith my family trip report for Jan 16-18

 

Great pics as usual @Crom, best of luck with the job interview!

 

@Crom Here you go. 3M 400 grit, sandable primer, the silver, and clear. And Guinness. Very important. Apparently more important than adhesion promoter, which apparently I did not use.








Better shot of the silver color code.

 

Camp Showers

For folks like us who camp as much as we do, I don't think it's possible to just own one camp shower. I tried and it didn't work out. So I now have seven different ones. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses. When I am planning a trip, I usually pack at least two.

The 4-Gallon Stearns sunshower (bag type, gravity)

• I like it because it's cheap,
  
• collapses down to almost nothing,
• works great if you got sun,
• portable,
  
• downside is that it's heavy and must be hung, or put on a roof
• If solar heating you must shower not too long after sunset.

Here it is resting on our stacked chairs as we pulled out of the campground and went to the beach.


Helio pressure shower

• 3-gallons,
• heat with sun,
• or heat with stove water,
• collapses down small,
• portable,
  
• has a foot pump to pressurize!
• Pouring in stove water, you need a funnel, is slow and cumbersome,
  
• If solar heating you must shower not too long after sunset.

Zodi Extreme

• 3-gallons,
• stainless steel,
  
• propane powered,
  
• pressurized,
  
• portable,
  
• can shower anytime day or night!
• takes up some room, so must stow, and pack accordingly.
• I've modified mine, by adding a kitchen sink sprayer nozzle.
• Of all my showers, it's my favorite.

Road Shower

• I think it's 4-gallons,
• aluminum tube,
  
• truck mounted,
  
• not portable,
  
• heated by sun,
• All the caveats of a solar shower.
• extremely convenient for cleaning gear, and kids.
• About 35lbs when full.
• Makes your rig look a little bit like Ghostbusters. lol

Lawn and Garden sprayer (1-gal)

• 1-Gallon,
• Pressurized,
• Low flow,
• not usually heated,
  
• vehicle mounted,
• and portable,

Vehicle mounted Heat Exchanger

• Complicated
• Must run truck to get heat.
  
• Main components are: plate heat exchanger to take heat from 185°F vehicle coolant system.
• Thermotstatic mixing valve (so you don't scald yourself),
• Mixing manifold,
• 12v pump,
  
• Shower hose with quick detach fitting.

Built heat exchanger


Built manifold


Mounting bracket for mainfold


Mounted in engine bay


Rubber hose to plumb everything.


Here is the system all diagrammed out, and mounted to the test board.


Sadly, I never finished the heat exchanger project. I may finish it one day, but I've suspended it indefinitely, pending 10,000 other projects.

 

Heat Exchanger in the engine bay??? Where did you come up with this idea? Dang... great idea!

 

There is another member on here that has it finished and works. @Spencer

 

Thank you.

No love for the Vince McMahon power walk?!? Thank you, appreciated.

Thanks Colton!

Dude! You rock! Thanks a million. I'll follow through on that and make them look good.

Not my original idea. I faithfully reproduced @tweeek 's design, he finished his in October 2013. He was very helpful in the forum and I'm grateful for it. His original thread can be found here.

Yeah Spencer did an awesome job. I think he finished his in Jan 2015 over in the On Board Water thread, which is now locked...

 

I did a bunch of maintenance on the truck today. Weather was killer good. It felt like 80°F in the sun!

• Oil Change, only spilled 3 drops new oil.
• New air filter
• Cleaned engine bay spotless!
  
• Washed and waxed.
• Used an angle grinder with grinder wheel to shave drivers side mudflap. No more rubbing.
• I washed and cleaned the 4runner wheels, and began the tedious process of removing the old glue/tire residue shit.
• I blew out the back of the truck with leaf blower.

 

I've cleaned one aluminum wheel once in my life prior to these 4runner wheels and it sucked ass.

I wish I knew what it was... i think it's the tire bead sealant that shops use when they mount tires. I think when it dries it's like a glue.

It resisted all forms of automotive chemicals I tried on it.



The only thing I found that worked was a propane torch and a brass brush.
Neither one worked without the other.


Wheel is looking like new again! Takes about 30 minutes per wheel and they look amazing. Old on the left, and cleaned on the right.

 

Great attention to detail. Want to trade rigs? I've got twice as many miles. I've also got a few showers too. You've got me looking at that Zodi one but as usual in my mind it can be done/had for a cheaper cost.

 

No zerks?

 

Thx. I like my pile just fine, but your FWC... Let's talk!

My work, home, kids schools, grocery, Costco, mall, home stores, are all in a 3 mile radius, so ll lots of city driving for me. One of the reasons I really want a little commuter car. Something to zip around town.

Gonna hit them this morning! Thx for the reminder.

 

(mine is due now and I made a list to remember what to do, that was why I said it)

 

We really like our Zodi Extreme. In the desert, we usually use non-heated water. In the mountains/winter, we boil water in a coffee pot on the stove, fill the Extreme half way with water, add the boiling water - hot shower, any time day or night!

 

Wow. that's dedication! I think the only way you'd catch me cleaning the inside of a wheel is if they wouldn't hold air

 

I hit them zerks before sunrise, they never saw me coming! lol

Toyota owners manual, maintenance guide, that's the list I have, forgot to look at it this go around, heh.

Which reminds me, I forgot the cabin filter!

Excellent! It's my favorite shower. My wife really likes it too. Kids always wanted to play with it when it was new, but maybe the novelty wore off. Dunno.

Thanks! I hope it's worth it. Didn't want to take any chances with wheels and tires.

 

Good luck on your interview!

 

With all that and the family. Where do you find all the time you work on the truck. Maybe that's why your on the job hunt? Good Luck with the interview BTW. No way I could work on mine that much with the family, house projects honey do's. My hats off to you and your rig. Thanks again for sharing your Tacoma projects and adventures

 

@Crom hey Nick, have you every weighed your OEM offroad wheels without tires? I'm too lazy to see if this spec is available here on the site.

If not, will you weigh them once you swap on the "new" 4Runner 5-stars?

I'm interested in calculating the difference between my stock stuff and the Countersteers (I believe lighter) and the Cooper ST Maxx (no doubt heavier).