Casper's Broken Down old Grumpy Assed Build

I need a metal building to weld in I won't weld in mine attached to the house.

 

That seems to be a good idea, not so smart to play with fire in a garage attached. If so, all precautions has to be taken!

 

Improved rear lighting:

I found a need for rear lighting greater than what the backup lights provide. One of the primary functions of the truck is transport me to and from my hunting area pulling my trailer with the 4wlr on it. I usually begin my hunting days in the dark and end them in the dark and get a little tired of haveing to fumble around in the dark loading up the 4wlr and either tying it down or untying it plus trying to put all my gear away.
I installed the bumper lights earlier on an independant switch and they work great lighting up the ground and surrounding area behind the truck. Infact, they are bright enough to actually wash out the back up camera so if i'm using it I don't usually turn them on. The issue here is, as wonderful as they work all the light is down low and for the trailer I needed some light higher up so with a little brainstorming, scarry I know, I started playing with some ideas.
I had a piece of 2" angle I'd had sitting around with plans of fabbing up a Cb antenna mount and decided why not make it for both? Now where to put it. I followed my initial instincts and went with the upper rear bed corners using the existing factory hardware. With a little cutting, drilling, and shaping a bracket was born. I don't even remember how many time it went on and off the truck checking for clearances and alignment. The most difficult part was shaping it to fit the contours of the mounting surface so there was no contact with the tailgate and it would open and close properly. Once I had the first 1 figured out the second was much easier of course.

All this started with a simple piece of angle


With a little work 2 brackets evolved I'm under the belief of why buy if I can make it for less. I believe total cost for materials was around $10 including the paint.



The driver's side bracket is supposed to be a dual purpose bracket allowing for a light mount as well as an antenna. As I had neither when making it the holes may be a little close together to work but not a problem now the lights are mounted and working I can just fab another one.




Here lights are mounted and wired. The wires tucked nicely into the tail light housings and were joined with the existing bumper lights. I know the lights stick up a little and right now it appears to be a little awkward and as my wife pointed out they look like they could be knocked off. First I bought inexspensive lights so if they do I'm not out much, second the plan is for a soft top to be installed which will allow any possible branch hazards to be deflected.




Overkill? Perhaps but they have a purpose and I don't care. Total light output is 72 watts of flood lighting I have to wait until I have an oportunity to try it in the dark but I would think lighting should be adequate. I have the same lights in my front bumper and they provide good light, no they're not rigids or caliraised but they work for now and for the rear I don't see a need for top dollar lighting as long as they do what I need them to do. Now on to other projects I have in mind! Total investment in materials including the lights was $25- $30 and about 6-7 hours time.

 

Make it stiff!:

Another project than began with a piece of angle. In all the years of body work I've seen my share of weakend bedsides. The old bed spread, granted mostly in trucks that are worked everyday hard and haul lots of stuff regularly. With the current fad of folks putting these on trucks in here I decided to look into it. With me considering what I want to do with the back end of my truck I thought this would be a fun little project.
After looking through the offerings from the different vendors and prices ranging from $100 to $160 I can't afford to keep paying all this money for this stuff if I can make it. I know the commercially made ones are cut out with waterjets or plasma cutters from flat steel, machine bent, and powder coated. Since I don't have those means its all done by hand and only painted. These truck beds being as light as they are I figured 1/8" x 1 1/2" angle should suffice and I didn't want anything that would stick out into the bed too much either. Nothing fancy just a simple project with minimal material exspenses I did splurge on some stainless hardware.


I discovered the bolt from the factory tie down was too short to work with the addition of the extra thickness of the brace so I installed it without the tie down. Since it would work with out it I decided to add a gussett and install the tie down there instead.


Mocking it up and test fitting


These should be plenty strong enough for anything I'll put into or onto this truck, if not, I'll just make me another set out of 3/16.

And done

 

Great work Chris! Wich tool do you use to make your cuts?

 

A die grinder with a cut off wheel

 

Looks good, Chris. If I had any skills and the tools, I would do alot more myself too.

 

Thanks Andy I wish I had better tools here myself but as you know I'm fairly used to working with nothing

 

Looks good man. Great job on brackets.

 

Thanks! I'll have to get some cutting wheels for mine, I mostly use the angle grinder with cutting wheels but they are kinda thick and it is hard to do precision work with it

 

I had been tying to find out how thick the ones are that you buy and now that I get them made I find out they're 3/16 and I made these out of 1/8. I guess I'll be going to the metal shop and trying to get a piece of 3/16 x 1 1/2" angle and remake them. the pain in the ass will be matching the vertical support holes

 

the die grinder is a little easier for me to work with. It may not cut as fast but works fine and makes me take my time

 

You're doing better than me.
I did get electrician to put an rv 30/50 amp box on side of moms house when he was there. Can always plug something in that.

 

I traded my small welder to a neighbor for a nice brand new plasma cutter which of course I have nothing to hook it in to. I guess I'm going to see what the requirements are for both the plasma and the welder I want and get another circuit run that can handle them perhaps with an exterior plug as well since I will neither weld nor cut in my attached garage.

 

An rv box even has a 110 gfi.

 

I agree, working slow makes better results. Is your pneumatic or electric?

 

Pneumatic

 

Oh well I've had a trial run now and now what to expect and improve on so now I'll figure out a heavier plan although I doubt I need it

 

Finally got out for a couple of night pics with the rear lights I probably need to do a little tweeking but happy at the out put so far. First pic is just reverse lights and second with all the rear lights on