2016 SR - CFP GSD build

Potential brackets for this guy
http://www.etrailer.com/p-40-160PK.html

 

Mock up of some potential off road light options

 

Playing around with welding something similar to this armor bumper I found online but in a push bar / off road light bar. Love the way this bumper follows the grill lines and has a similar look to the predator steps

 

"Keyed the Bedside Cabinets"

Great idea !

 

Had the 15k servicing done

 

Could see those flares + these rims as a possibility.... hmmmm

 

Life goals...

 

Looking awesome! Thanks for sharing! Love that you're doing a GSD build Picking up a 2017 taco next month and getting rid of the old 4Runner. I'll be doing a GSD / Fishing / Camping build as well, so I appreciate the inspiration! That's one good looking pup you got!

 

Very cool, Ill make sure to check that out when you start it

 

Well I ended up going with a lot simpler design for mounting the off road lights. After thinking about it there is no real benefit to adding that brush guard or push bar structurally and I'm not 100% on attaching something so heavy with brackets I'd have to design and weld to fit the taco. The mount I made attaches to the radiator support beam and has two struts that attach to the license plate screws. Its very solid and doesn't weigh hardly anything. Its rattle canned with truck bed liner like the headache rack (has held up really well in the sun)

 

Looks great man!

Do you have a short tutorial/advice on keying the bedside cabinets? Or is at as simple as drilling and adding locks?

 

I can explain what I did with basic pics:

Note: Buy 2 keyed alike locks so you only have one key for the 2 cabinets, I ended up buying them online since the hardware store didnt have them to purchase like that

1) Remove actual cabinet box from bed

2) Take door to cabinet and use a step bit to drill a hole in the center the diameter of your file cabinet lock. You want it to fit snugly so the hex nut will pinch the plastic good when it is tightened and most come with a little metal circle with 2 sharp ends which hold the lock firmly in place once it is tightened down with the hex nut

3) Put back the newly keyed door into the original place in the cabinet and put some caulking or paste on the ^ tab which sticks out the right. When you take the key and turn the lock it will leave a mark on the inside of the cabinet where you need to drill a slot.

4) Drill a series of holes like this in the top of the cabinet so the lock can engage the top part of the cabinet when it is closed and lock and is secure. This part is super critial to meaure correctly because even a little play messes up the whole process. Also the cabinet boxes are fiberglass and no fun to drill in. I filed down the edges of the drilled holes so it makes a smooth slot like this The opening is larger at the front so the tab can catch the slot easier and then narrows so it fits snugly once its in the locked position. Very possible to jack up the whole thing up by not making the slot precisely where it needs to be to have a smooth action on the lock, just a heads up.

 

Truck looks good. Where in bako are you? I used to live in wofford heights.

 

By the bluffs

 

Put some PIAA wiper blades on. I like the looks of these and I am keeping the OEM in the utility cabinet in case I need a replacement during a rainstorm as a quick backup.

 

Out driving in the wasteland. Pretty decent off roading area close by home.

 

Fresh from its bath, need to find time to wax it now. But I did find time to finish mounting the back half of my rack

 

Going to start planing the roof rack portion of my bed rack. Getting ideas and patterns, also seeing what I think I can actually build. No ability to do tube bending yet but plenty of angled cuts and welds on square tube no problem.

Goals of rack are:

1) Kayak hauling solution

2) Additional storage for camping / water tank location

3) Ability to mount Off road lights / light bar later

4) Strong enough to walk around on and use as a shooting platform in the desert

5) Possibly enclose sides and back with some sort of panels to allow GSD to just stay in the back of the truck without a dog box