Wests (Desertboater) Tacoma Build

robert

Expedition Leader
The ARB's you see with the shackle mounts are usually off a Hi-lux, yours (and mine too) don't have them. The newer models incorporate driving/fog light also. The ARB on my old Taco (95.5) didn't have them either.
 

woodeye

Observer
West, I've unfortunately lived in Mass. my whole life (except a 9 mo. stint in
CA) and those AZ plates look a lot like my Mass. plates?

Woody Milford, MA
 

DesertBoater

Adventurer
Yeah, I'm from just outside of Boston originally, Lincoln, specifically...Studying and playing in AZ for the next couple years still. They're AZ plates in disguise...:sombrero:

On another note anybody have any thoughts as to what might keep my engine from starting? Ran fine on Friday, wouldn't start Saturday, started up just fine this morning (Sunday.) Battery and starter are fine, the engine was turning over, but wouldn't fire up...like it wasn't getting fuel, then when I looked under the hood I heard a faint buzzing sound from somewhere in the engine block...it stopped when the key was removed and wouldn't come back on until I tried starting again. I'm thinking fuel pump. Any thoughts?

Cheers,
West
 

woodeye

Observer
Have the starter checked, same thing happened to my wifes Camry. Changed
the starter and no problem since. but 175k on the original.

Woody
 

deadbeat son

Explorer
Have the starter checked, same thing happened to my wifes Camry. Changed
the starter and no problem since. but 175k on the original.

Woody

So the starter would crank the engine but it wouldn't fire, but installing a new starter solved that? Strange...
 

DesertBoater

Adventurer
It's been a little while, but I'm starting to get a little bit done here and there. Pictures are soon to follow it all, but here's a teaser on what I'm working on.

Finishing the bed: replace a few of the platform pieces and stain/treat for weather-proofness

New rear leaf springs - OME Dakars

New tires - Treadwright Wardens

Overcab rack from tacomarack.com

That's the big stuff. I'm also considering a second battery that both hooks into my alternator via a 1-2-both switch as well as a couple of small solar panels on the roof. I'll be bumping up the size of my tires from 245's to 265's and with that, as always, comes a question. Will a 265/75/16 tire fit on my stock spare rim in the stock location w/out modification? If it won't I'll only go for four of them at the moment and then when I've got more time I'll figure something out and replace the spare. Any thoughts?

Cheers,
West
 

PHXtaco

Adventurer
As for the spare tire location, I have a 33" in there, but I had to cut off the tabs that bend down-- took less than half an hour to pull off the brackets, cut them, and re-install. I know others who took off the brackets and just beat the tabs flat with a sledge hammer rather than cut them. The tire has been in there over 100,000 miles with no problem.
 

DesertBoater

Adventurer
Time to dig up my thread for another update/question. Since my last update, I've put on a set of Dakars in the back, upgraded my tires to 265/75/16 Duratracs, and gotten a contractor roofrack that bolts into the bed/frame. Definitely a beefier setup, and I'm feeling a good bit more comfortable with having large loads of boats up top.

The current issue (that's been going on for a little while) is the fridge. Every time I put it back in the truck where it lives behind the passenger seat, and then plug it in/turn it on, it starts up normally, then I can hear the compressor shut down after 5 or 10 seconds. Once it shuts down, the red error light blinks, and 5 or 10 seconds later it starts back up. If the truck is running, the fridge runs fine w/out the shutdown/startup issue. This is leading me to believe that it's a battery issue, which is unfortunate as I bought a new battery just over a year ago. My second guess, which is much more unlikely is that it's the wire that I used to run from the battery to a 12v socket in the back seat. What gauge wire is recommended for this application? I couldn't find anything in the ARB booklet on the topic.

I'm leaving Prescott for Crested Butte tomorrow (Sunday) at 7am, but will hopefully be able to post some overdue pictures when I get a chance.

Cheers,
West
 

cruiseroutfit

Supporting Sponsor: Cruiser Outfitters
Assuming this is the newer ARB 50QT unit as it has the error light. What level do you have your battery protection set at?

Just to narrow things down you might try building a simple jumper directly from your battery to your fridge, ie something like this:
images


Do you recall what size wiring you used in your wiring? Assuming your ground runs all the way to the battery as well? Fwiw the ARB fridge harness kit used ~10 guage wiring.
 

DesertBoater

Adventurer
After doing a little bit more testing I've decided that it is indeed the battery. It's currently plugged into a wall socket via an extension cord and is running just fine. I tried plugging it into the OEM socket in the dashboard with the key on and it did the same thing as it was doing before. Once I started the engine, it ran just fine... So I guess that's the next thing on the list; new battery. Maybe while I'm at it, I'll just go big and do a house battery while I'm at it. Any recommendations from anyone on the size/type of battery, where to mount it, and the wiring to go between?

I'm not very electrically savvy...I know enough to get myself in trouble, but I'm pretty good at following straightforward directions. I would only be looking to run the fridge (ARB 50qt), led rope-lights in the bed, and an air compressor on occasion.

Cheers,
West
 

DesertBoater

Adventurer
So I figured out my battery stuff, and thankfully because it's winter here I can survive by only running the fridge during the day while driving. Hopefully once I make it to Washington this summer and start making some money I'll be able to bite the bullet and do a full second battery setup and replace the starter battery while I'm at it.

In other news, I've sold off all of my bed platform/storage setup in preparation for version 3.0 and have begun to work out some of my longer term wiring goals. A friend and I cut out a piece of plastic-coated particle board to fit where the little cubby hole covers usually sit in the rear drivers side of the bed. After fitting it snugly in place, we then went about wiring a couple of 12v outlets and switches to it for lights in the cap and as a remote switch for my compressor. It's snowing and gross outside now, but hopefully once it gets sunny I'll get some pictures up. We also did the diff breather extension, and I routed that into the same cubby/storage box so that it's easily accessible if I ever need to mess with it.

Lastly, have any other 2005 tacoma V6 owners had issues with your starters? Mine was acting weird this time last year, but resolved itself and I passed it off as a one time hiccup. It's now clicking as though it wants to start when the battery is dead, but the battery is full. I also tried hooking it up to a friend's battery to see if we could jump it to try to rule out the battery and we had no luck. I was able to push-start it, but then as soon as I turned it off, it wouldn't start again. Any thoughts?

Cheers,
West
 

ywen

Explorer
12 kayaks on the topper? how much you figure they weigh in total? Didn't know them toppers can handle that much...
 

DesertBoater

Adventurer
I wasn't going all that far...only a couple of blocks. If each boat weighs close to 50 lbs and I had 9 boats up there...close to 500lbs :Wow1:. Toppers can hold more weight than most people give them credit for. The only reason that I have now changed my rack is the lack of structure in the back of the bed. I (along with a number of other folks) found that the metal uprights in the back of the bed had cracked due to outward pressure from the topper. The topper is fine with no signs of cracking at all, but the Thule feet were definitely showing some stress cracks.

Cheers,
West
 

DesertBoater

Adventurer
So it's been almost a year since I've put anything up here, and I've got a couple of updates (this post got really long really fast)!

Originally I had a set of Thule bars which worked alright, although, and it has been pointed out before, I was severely overloading both the bars, and the topper. So to deal with that, I saved up for a steel ladder-rack. It's a great rack, albeit a bit on the heavy side. I did have to cut four notches in the skirt on the topper for the rack to fit into. I wasn't stoked on the idea, but it was the only way that I saw to make it fit, and unless you're looking for it, you can't even tell.

IMG_0657.jpg

This was all happening at the end of the summer, and my girlfriend and I were getting ready to leave the San Juan Islands to head back to AZ for school...so of course everything was happening faster than it should have. Miraculously it all worked out. New shoes (Goodyear Duratrac 265/75/16's) and a set of Dakar leaves in the back too!! The ride is noticeably better.

IMG_0658.jpg

In January of this year, I spent three weeks in Bend, OR. Partly to visit friends, and partly to pick up a FWC from davidshourd in Portland!! Having now graduated from school, my career track is taking me on some fairly excellent adventures, as I'm living and working seasonally. For me, this means that mobility is key (part of the reason for the camper). I've been living out of the back of the truck in the summers, but when it rains, blows, is dusty, or just plain gross outside, there's not a whole lot that can make life better except for being indoors...seeking shelter in a truck topper, as many of you know, doesn't cut it for very long, especially if you can't sit up. As most of my work is in the field/backcountry for long periods of time, it is silly to me to spend money on a house/apartment/room when I'm not there the vast majority of the time. So with all that said, after a quick trip through Death and Saline Valleys on my way back to Prescott, I am now in the process of figuring out how to make the FWC work for me.

IMG_4221.jpg

IMG_4273.jpg

I've already removed the fridge, as I already own an ARB 50 qt. Now the trick is figuring out how/where to put the ARB so that it's out of the way, accessible, and doesn't suck up too much of the FWC's already limited floorspace. The space where the stock FWC fridge was has been turned into a set of two drawers as a pantry (photos to come).

I've also added four pneumatic struts courtesy of the WTW thread. Because the previous owner(s) added solar panels, and I'll be carrying boats, I added four 80 pounders (I know, it's a lot of lift), however I've found that they aren't that bad to get down when the roof is empty, and when it's loaded, it's just right...

On the topic of roof-loads, I've also added a set of Yakima tracks and bars, which required re-working where all of the aforementioned solar panels are located. The "afternoon project" turned into a "3 day project" with designing an aluminum frame/bracket system to securely attach the solar panels to the roof.

The lifters and rack can be seen in this photo:

IMG_4310.jpg

And lastly, (whew, almost done) Gus, has now been broken in. He turned 100,000 in Mexican Hat, Utah, down by the San Juan River!!

IMG_4412.jpg

IMG_4414.jpg

IMG_4418.jpg

Hopefully I'll have some photos of the drawers up soon!

Cheers,
West
 

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