MaineFarmer's Expo Camping Build

I have been searching around these forums and on CL for a RTT all winter and finally found one locally that I can afford.
It's an older Mombasa that has had some modification done to correct the common problems they had.
Has anyone had any experience with them? And does $250 seem like a reasonable price for a well used roof top tent?
I'm very excited to join the cool crowd. This may make a bed rack the next project.
Also I have found the blinkers for my front bumper I will be installing in the next couple days.
Here's a copy of the ad on CL

 

Today I purchased the RTT. I'm wicked excited to set it up and go camping. But now I guess I have to fabricate a rack to mount it to. what a dreadful sort of problem.
Pictures will follow tomorrow with the obligatory dry set up in the front yard

 

Just playing on my property. The pictures don't do this hillside justice ( not that try ever do) but it's STEEP!






I am thinking hard about ordering some extended travel shocks all around. I have bounced the idea around in my head for a while and I think I will be trying to do this correctly the first time. I'd like to go LT with Fox's all round but that's not in the cards right now with a kiddo on the way in June but I will be ordering new tires soon and want to go straight to 315's. I like the 285's I have on there now but want more clearance and really like the look of these 1st gens with 35's.
For the next year or so I will be running on minimal funds and have to keep the cash flow to a minimum. On the positive side I need new rear shocks and am thinking 10" 5150's with a couple s-10 leaves added in will give me better travel for a decent price.
I have a line on some 886 coils and shocks from a 2nd gen and am wondering if I can build a custom coilover with a couple extended travel shocks along the line of 5150's. Any suggestions comments? Feel free to weigh in!

 

Over the weekend I took a 500 mile trip to the North Maine Woods as a pre run for a larger group over at ExPo. They will be checking out the abandoned steam trains and ice caves weekend after next.
Here are some teaser pictures. More to follow this evening.



We got a little lost, because this guy give us some bad Intel.

But it was a blast and my puppy loved the adventure!

 

And time for a photo dump

 

More pictures from my trip up north.
The camp site everyone will use next weekend.



A moose seems to have wandered through our site. Or maybe we set up on a moose highway?

And some scenery from the area.

 

And a couple with my Tacoma in it.







And you will see some random pictures of this bundle of trouble. His name is Hunter and he love to explore the wilderness as much as I do.

 

Today I finally found time for the first time in over a month to get a little done on the truck. On June 20th we had a beautiful baby girl, Amelia. And since then I have either been working tending the baby or sometime even catching a short nap. Today I gathered up all the primer is had, a wire brush, and some 3M pads and finally starting to clean up the truck a bit before winter is on us. I painted the sliders with a couple coats of rubberized undercoating and while I was at it I hit the rockers to help muffle the road noise.





While I was watching the paint dry I got motivated to try out some new paint on the front bumper. Both my girlfriend and I are unsure if we will keep this.


And ran a wire wheel across the rear axle. Then a spot or two of primer and some undercoating later.

Next up are finishing up a couple bits of the front bumper (wrap around, skid plate and more lights) I will be working on some new rear shock mounts and a some sort of improvement on the springs.
And next week a set of brand new 285/75/R16 Goodyear Duratracs will be mounted up.
All of my fun now has to be packed into short bursts. Therefore have fun when you can!

 

After waiting for a little longer than I liked for walmart to get my tires in I went to my local tire warehouse to see about price matching. Then I was promptly talked into a new set of Fierce Attitude M/T in the 285 flavor.
I think I like them, they are as quiet as the DT's were. Then also go down the road as well as any M/T I have had the fun of piloting.
And for some pics.



They have a very aggressive looking tread, as many probably know.

While in for the tires I had the poor truck aligned, which it needed badly. This made it known that the tie-rod ends I have sitting around waiting on install. So I know what I'm going to be doing this weekend!
Now for my question, what could be causing a driveline vibe at 40-50 MPH and disappear when I let off the gas pedal. Helpful advice or ideas appreciated!

 

Check your U-joints, if it's a slush box especially because when the R's drop so does the pressure to the T-converter so it would take the load off the U-joints. You can try foot on the brake from R to D and you may be able to feel it load up similar to when your ring and pinion have to much clearance, it may not be as noticeable though. If all else fails get under there and shake the drive shaft while it's sitting, any lateral movement in the drive shaft is no good. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks! Once this rain moves on I will crawl under there I will try that out.
And the fix would be grease?

 

I got a call this morning and told 'get over here and check out my new trail'. When I arrived I saw a bronco with 37's plastered with mud sitting in the front yard.
This is the result.

 

Nice work man, think you were smart staying with 285's, 315's need some doing to make fit plus pretty much have to regear. Our trucks could be sisters, pretty funny, even our dogs look related (Mines crazy as hell too) you're like a long lost relative from the other coast

 

Nice truck you have there! You have a bed rack/ roof storage I'm looking at as a possibility to build. How do you like the height under the RTT? Room to work or cook?
Nice looking pup. It's a blast seeing them have as much fun in the back country as we have.
Cheers

 

The space of the rack is perfect for my needs. It took me a while to design, I use it carry lumber while the tents on, all my tools fill the bed under it, still have access in gap between the tent and cab, and having the tent down keeps the center of gravity lower on the trails, only issue is no room under the tent when it's open, have a zip on room that came with it that I don't use because it's a little low to the ground. Its pretty bad useful for my daily life

 

Well today I finally have all my steel, which took a few days to get due to working every hour the steel wholesaler was open, and it's time to start cutting for a few minor mods

 

I had a blast yesterday cutting up some steel for a couple projects.
I have reattached my leer camper shell in preparation for Amelia's first camping trip. There will be two adults a baby and 100 lbs of black lab packed into our Tacoma.
The only problem my camper shell has is storage for my RTT #RTTProblems. So my solution is to weld up a rack!







So that is as far as I have finished yesterday before dark. Today I will be cutting the cross bars, tacking it together, and starting to plot out the holes to remove some steel.
I may have gone a bit overboard with the rails, they started out as 1/4" x 6" flat stock. They still weigh a good bit even after cutting the excess off so now I think I will cut holes between each crossbar to use as tie down points and the help shed a few pounds.
Any suggestions happily taken

 

That's great to hear, next summer I will be completing my bed rack, and I think I will be shamelessly copying a few details from yours

 

Had me a fun day welding. I love the process of moving an idea into the world.



Not terrible welds for the first time burning metal in months.




I got it mounted up but can't get any pictures till tomorrow.

 

looking good, I do really like the LR(FJZ) wheels too, simple 5-stars have always had a place