Ryan's Tacoma Build and Adventures Thread

Habitat gone, and now on to the Scout Yoho as of 9/9/2021!



Here's how the truck was sitting after removing the Habitat.



2011 Toyota Tacoma TRD Offroad 4x4
Icon adjustable coilovers
Deaver U402 Expedition Stage 3 leaf springs
Bilstein 5160 rear shocks
265/75r16 Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs
Fuel Boost 16 inch rims

$338 ARB CKMA12 On-Board Air Compressor High Performance 12 Volt for Air Locker Differentials and Tire Inflation

ARB CKMA12 Onboard air with 1 gallon tank
Maxtrax (2 sets)
ARB Deluxe Bull Bar
Optima 27F X2 Power 27F
4.56 gears
Brute Force Fab HC Rear Bumper with Swingout (removed for camper fit)
Brute Force Fab weld on Sliders
Baja Designs Squadron Sport Wide Cornering ditch lights
Baja Designs Squadron Sport Driving Combo lights installed in ARB fog location
Mk3 Alternator Voltage Booster
Reese Tow Power Ball Mount w/ Interlock, 11 inch drop
Smittybilt X2O 10K with yellow synthetic winch line.
Eccotemp L5 on demand water heater & Seaflo 12v water pump in Condition 1 Case (not currently mounted)
Powertank 11lb Propane Bracket
Flame King 11lb Propane Tank
Dometic CFX75DZW fridge




AT Habitat - SOLD 01-30-2021
Custom wood battery box / fridge platform
2x Optima D27M house batteries
NOCO Gen2 battery charger
Blue Sea switches, fuse panel, isolator & outlets
Flexopower Baja 100 watt solar kit with controller
ARB 2500x2500 Awning with Deluxe Awning Room[/S][/S]

 

Since I regularly tow a car trailer loaded up with a SxS and an ATV these will be the next items to install...



These are the Deaver U402 stage 3 springs. Got some Bilstein 5160s going in, too. These should take care of the sag!

 

Springs and shocks are in! This thing is riding high right now, but that's great. I've got a Dometic CFX75DZW Fridge/Freezer and two Group 27 Blue Top Optimas going in very soon. All that and the battery box and fridge platform will easily add over 200lbs.

I would just like to add a thank you to my buddy Mike for helping me with all of this. I'm learning a ton from him and having a lot of fun doing it.

 

Got the battery/electrical box installed with the Fridge/Freezer on top of it. Inside the box is 2x D27M Optimas, NOCO 2 bank battery charger, Blue Sea ML-ACR, 6 circuit fuse block, and the 4 way battery switch you can see on the front of the box.

Will be giving this its first test this weekend as I drive across the state to go visit family.

Still a bunch more electrical to finish and clean up, but one step at a time!

 

Coming along real nice.
Seems like your having a blast with the build. Keep up the good work.

 

Luckily I've got help. Cause sometimes I do silly things like screwing the lid shut when mounting the D-Rings!

 

Help is good. Bet you wont do that again. Lol

 

My original plan was to pull out my old MV-50 Air compressor that was mounted under the hood and put an Optima in its place. However, after buying the fridge we realized we needed more battery capacity. With two batteries in the bed, it left the empty area under the hood for me to install an ARB CKMA12 and the ARB 1 Gallon Tank instead.







I was trying to decide how to mount the compressor switch and was looking at a number of options. In looking at the wire harness for the ARB Compressor, it came with wiring to run two air lockers which I never plan to have. My buddy suggested I hook the wires to switches for future accessories since they were already there. With that, I finally decided to order a Feniex 4200-mini. It should be here by the middle of next week and we'll work on installing it. Some of our Search and Rescue team use these on their ATVs and really like them.

 

And I nearly forgot about our new solar install! I'll have to get some pics of my own, but here is the kit we bought at the NW Overland Rally: Flexopower Baja 100W



BTW, the NW Overland Rally was a great time. Got a lot of new ideas, including one for our upcoming hot water system. Here's a random pic of our setup at the rally.

 

Decided to expand my thread beyond just the build and include actual use of the rig.

Here's a couple shots from our trip to Lost Lake near Snoqualmie, WA. 6th and 7th nights in the Habitat.

 

Not the greatest pics, but I did get the Feniex 4200 mini installed tonight. Pulled the cubby out and cut the back out of it to use as a mounting plate and screwed in the Feniex's adjustable arm. It brought the unit out further for easy access.




The green backlight fires up when you turn it on (center bottom button), and individual buttons get brighter when engaged. So far we only hooked up the new compressor, leaving five more aux positions. Hopefully install some ditch lights and some strobes in the not so distant future. Should work out great for my needs.

 

Made it down to the Coos Bay Dunes in Oregon for a long weekend. First trip taking the Polaris ACE out, and first trip for the Habitat to the sand. With the three nights of this trip, that makes 10 nights in the Habitat.







The Flexopower Baja 100 solar panel (see post #9 above) did better than expected during our stay. I threw it on the trailer each morning, maybe turning it towards the sun about 3 times during the day, then put away at night. The first morning my batteries were sitting at 12.68v, were 13.18 when I hit the hay. Was about the same the following days. More than capable of keeping up with my 75 liter fridge set at 35 degrees. BTW, Trying to get a picture with our lil drone was NOT easy. I need more practice.



Thanks to Hello Fresh, we had some of the best tacos we've ever. That Kiwi salsa was amazing.



And still trying to decide whether to sell the YFZ or keep it. It's always a ton of fun having that kinda power, but I don't have room to haul all the toys (luckily my sister had room this time).




O yeah, and we bought one of these in case it got cold, the Mr. Heater Buddy. It puts out a TON of heat for the small enclosed space of the Habitat. We had all windows open accept the one over the truck cab, and it was roasting us out, ON LOW. Just ran it for 10 or 15 minutes before climbing in bed.




Now to start the countdown to our next camping trip...

 

Had the fridge out to put on the insulated cover and remembered to take a pic of the inside of the battery/electrical box/fridge platform.


Was also a great opportunity to hook up some USB and accessory ports. Passenger side I installed a 2x USB port at the top, and a 12v port directly below, and another at the bottom. I also ran some wire across to the driver side for a double USB port to match the other side. It is really tight in there running the wires, but it's doable. Just gotta be patient. Specially getting the big nut around the wires and onto the back of each port.

 

sweet rig!

 

Thanks, man! It's been a ton of fun. Just need more time to get out with it!

 

ya, that's always the problem...I wish I got out more too

 

Setup camp at my grandparents' place over the weekend. Nothing too exciting, but we had a great visit and managed to make some time for a trip to Wynoochee Dam and hit some FS roads and a couple short trails/abandoned roads. Maybe do some camping up there in the future.

This makes 12 nights.

 

Made it down to Bethel Ridge for a couple nights over this Labor Day weekend. Was going to drive through a bit of the WABDR, but decided to save that for next time. Really enjoyed the campsite we found.


Still surprised how few other people we saw up there, especially being a long holiday weekend.
Luckily we were above the smoke for the most part. They were fighting a fire near Rimlock lake only a few miles away.


And that brings us up to 14 nights in the AT Habitat!

 

First trip to Moses Lake Sand Dunes and Mud Flats with the AT Habitat. It was much more comfortable than our ground tent was last year. You'd think the sand would be soft, but it was just more lumpy than anything. Maybe raking it smooth first woulda helped.

It was the first trip for the wife's Ace, too. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best weekend. I didn't realize there was going to be an event going on. Usually the place is pretty empty, but this time it was PACKED like I've never seen before.




Extra unfortunate was the fact I invited my buddy Mike along with his wife and 1.5 year old. He brought his Raptor and travel trailer for the weekend. The folks with the toyhauler on the left side of this pic thought setting off mortars at 1AM 100 feet from our tent was good fun. Can't say we enjoyed it. Ended up cutting out Saturday evening instead of Sunday.



Luckily my buddy could tell Moses Lake would be worth the trip again if it was a less crazy weekend. He and his family enjoyed cruising the sand in his Raptor.





Up to our 16th night in the Habitat now. It made it super easy on Saturday to make a quick run into town. Threw the bedding into the truck bed, flipped the top, and we were off for some forgotten supplies. The ease of use is definitely apparent once you get used to the process of opening and closing the Habitat.

Here's to hoping that in two weeks when we are back here with family it'll be a little quieter.

 

Made it back to Moses Lake sand dunes for another long weekend. Was MUCH nicer without the crowds. Had some pretty constant wind on Saturday night, but we made it through. Took quite awhile to get to sleep with the truck rocking and the noise from the tent. Weather app said it was consistent around 13-17mph, and i'm sure the gusts were above that.






Of course when we were trying to fly the kite on Friday there was hardly ANY wind. But it was warm enough to hop in Potholes and go for a swim/take a bath!



We ripped a small hole in our screen shelter, and my wife had a great idea! Slapped a patch over the whole with the backer on the inside. It's holding great and looks like it was made for it. Our Coleman shelter is now OVERLAND EQUIPPED!!



And that makes 19 nights in the Habitat.