Z's Approach/Utility Build

What are you using to track your route on the maps?

 

Thanks! Not sure what's going to be next but exhaust reroute and bed racks are on the list.

Gaia. What a great app. The pro subscription includes MVUM maps but they aren't working for Plumas and Tahoe yet. Just got back from 5 days hiking using it on my iphone. Also great.

 

I love that area! I like to mountain bike one day and wheel the next. I've camped at Little Dear Lake a few times. I haven't driven up snake lake trail to the ridge. I take a left turn at the intersection of little dear lake and Snake Lake Trail. I've walked up the Snake Lake Trail though. I'm heading back sometime in September. I'll give you a shout when I go.

 

Been a while!

I am starting to think about this spring/summer fall's adventures and will be searching threads for clever RTT mounts. Was thinking about making or buying bed rails (like relentless fab's) but want to make them so in a pinch i can slide the whole thing - RTT and rails - to either the front or the back of the bed. I am imagining an enormous cooler loaded right behind the cab that I'd like to be able to access in a pinch. But it would be right under the best spot for the RTT when driving...

I imagine if the bed rails were welded together... and had little delrin pads so they could slide on the tops of the bed more easily, this might be possible. Thoughts? Anyone done this/seen this attempted? @Crom @Casper66 @scocar @Blais03 @turbodb @ChadsPride ?

Thanks!!!

 

If I loosen the bolts on my bed bars they slide without too much trouble. If you weld them together just make sure you do it super straight. It'll probably work. I do recommend the relentless bed bars

 

Thanks! Are your bars loaded down when you slide 'em? The big question is what will happen when there's a 100lb RTT on them...

 

You could mount some strips of UHMWPE on the bed rails to assist in sliding it. It’s very strong and very smooth.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1...C3L_ZAhVGmVkKHSp1BYQQ7xYIISgA&biw=375&bih=591

 

The Delrin pads may work but you'd have to accomodate the thickness of the pads when you went to mount. I.E. if you got 1/4" pads and put them on the bed rails it would raise your bolt hole 1/4". I agree welding them together may help to keep a uniform movement but as mentioned they'll have to be strait if one is cocked I imagine that would bind the procedure. It's a good idea and i'm sure there's a way to get it to work. BTW SOS has a 20% off sale rt now and their bed bars are pretty good

 

On a side note how have you been I heven't heard from you or for that matter about you in quite a while. I hope all is well

 

Good point. It wouldn't be so easy with weight on them I'm sure

 

What about leaving the bars in one place and makeing or getting a pull out for the cooler like the ones for fridges? Just a thought

 

Seems like it should technically work, though it'll be harder to slide bed rails vs. a whole rack, where there is angle along the entire bed side (vs. just "pads" on the legs). Also, it'll be really inconvenient to undo/redo the bolts that hold the rack on all the time. You'll never want to do it. Heck, I hesitate to take the tent off in the winter b/c it's a pain . Also - shameless plug - I've got a bed rack nearly ready to go, if you want to go that route. It's got full length angle along the bed sides.

I think this is actually a great idea. Once you have an RTT mounted in the back, it's always inconvenient to get to stuff behind the cab - there's really just not all that much room. A "bed slide" of some sort could make that a non-issue. I built one out of some plywood (actually MDO/road sign) that works great and was pretty cheap.

 

I'm great! Just got busy with life - kids, work - had to step away from the interwebs to avoid getting buried. But things are starting to lighten up a bit, at last. Thanks for asking! I'm going to try to get caught up on your thread...

 

I like this idea, and it may be the way to go, but I'm kinda hoping my slide idea will work well enough for the 2 times a season I'd need to do it. (think, putting game on ice!) It'll be easy to try, anyway, once i get the RTT and rails.

@turbodb thx for the offer - they look sharp! But... I think I must make it my self or go ultra-cheap.

 

That won’t take long

 

I would look around for some heavy duty commercial track system that could adapt to the Tacoma bed supports and use that. I can't think of anything I seen in the past that I could recommend at this point. I think it's an interesting idea and be curious to see what you come up with.

 

What about the ones folks use as adjustable ladder/ kayak racks and they are aluminum I believe

 

a year later... yes - this season, how about a mtn bike, wheel, hunting scout? heh heh.

 

Stay tuned! I have a bit of time next week so I may get busy.

 

Busy-ness has commenced:
The base.

tacking on the temporary braces... the test fit was tight so i had to re do it. Preliminary tests (bare metal on the plastic top cap of the bed) are promising. I wonder if delrin sliders under the "L" base will be better or worse?

Everything cut... (man, that abrasive saw smells) and... I think this is going to way about half as much as the tepui. My local steel place only stocks .120 box so... this will withstand the apocalypse. If this works out I'm going to learn how to weld aluminum and remake it.

BTW, I *hate* my abrasive cut-off saw. I need a bandsaw or a cold saw. This thing sucks!!! 2 hours later and I'm still smelling it. Not to mention my cuts that are all wonky.