The Game Plan
Alright, this is the game plan or the run down on everything that is going to happen to this truck. In no particular order here we go.
Driveline/Chassis
- A LB7 6.6L Duramax will be relieving the tired 6.5L TD, a ZF6 Manual transmission will be backing the Duramax with the help of a NP263 Transfer case to get the power in the right directions
- A Dana 60 with a drivers side drop and high pinion will replace the stock IFS. It will ride nice and tall on set of 18" dual rate coil over shocks and radius arm set up
- A Corporate 14 bolt (Full Float) axle will take the place of the stock rear end, and will match the front with a set of 18" dual rate coil over shocks, but will have a triangulated 4 link to make it work in the dirt
- Custom 1 ton driveshafts will bring it all together
- Upgraded larger disk breaks will be loaded into the front end, and the back drums will get a nice hefty set of disks to match. Both sets will be driven by a hydroboost power steering unit inlace of the stock unit.
- A PSC hydraulic steering system will help me move this big rig in the rocks and clean up the handling on the road
- Lastly a set of 38's will become the boots on the truck kicking the 35's to the shed
Body/Protection
- The front bumper might stay it might not. Once I get into the build ill see how it works with the rest of the truck.
- The rear bumper will be fabricated to match whichever front bumper stays on the truck, it will also have a rear tire carrier
- The rear axel is going to be moved backwards on the truck for better departure angles and to lengthen the wheel base. That means the rear wheel arches are going to have to me moved back to match.
- A set of rock sliders will keep the rocks off the doors and will tie into a custom roof rack thanks to a set of curved ladders that will follow the contour of the body and act as a exo-cage
- A custom roof rack will be made to house, a roof top tent, 14 8' LED bars, and a custom 270* awning
- The hood is going to get some work and eventually look like a 2005ish HD Chevy hood
- A power sliding sunroof is going to be added to the truck
- Tow mirrors will get rid of the stock sport style mirrors
- Headlights will be changed over to LED, and a 20 inch bar will be added to the stinger on the bumper.
- Two additional gas doors will be welded into the body just behind the drivers and passengers side doors (ill tell you why in the Expo part)
- The rear lift gate/tailgate is going to be made into a Dutch style door used on the astro vans
- Both side windows will be converted into liftable hatches to match the rear window allowing access to the sides of the truck
- A Jeep style River Raider snorkel will be retrofitted for the top cover of the hood on the passengers side
- Once all the body work is done the truck will come off the frame, receive a through sand blasting inside and out, then repainted Burgundy and matte black broken up with a grey/silver pinstripe. It will also get bed liner under the entire truck on the floor of the truck from front to back and half way up the interior from the doors back.
Expedition Gear/Interior
- From the front seats back the interior is going to be stripped to make room for an internal cage that will be both structural and house all of the gear in the truck locking it in place.
- 2 30 gallon Husky water bladders will sit in the footwell for what used to be the back seat. One for drinking water, the other for clean dish/shower water. They will be refillable through the extra gas tank doors.
- A 14 inch tall double drawer system will sit on the floor in the back of the truck. One drawer will have hunting gear, and other valuable gear to be locked up. The other drawer will have a shallow RV style sink and quad top burner at either end with a prep space in the middle. This drawer will pull all the way out the hinge and turn 90* then slide back over where the tailgate would be (now replaced by a dutch style van door) there will also be two smaller shallow drawers under the prep space that will have plates/bowls/cutlery etc.
- An ARB fridge freezer will keep everything cool
- A Goal Zero 1250w Yeti Solar Generator will keep everything powered up and green, the solar panels will be mounted on a sliding rack that will hide under the roof top ten when its all packed up.
- Two RV water pumps (one for each bladder) will push water through a manifold controlled from the cooking area, to either the sink for either drinking or dished depending which bladder your pulling water from, or send it through an onboard hot water system to heat up for showering or hot dish water.
- The clean water side will also have a loop plumbed into it to send clean water through an on-board RO/DI unit that will refill the Drinking water bladder when it is getting low.
- Inside of the drivers rear window (the modified, now hatch style one) will have two 40lbs propane tanks, one will be full and useable for both the stove top burner and the tire carrier mounted/removable BBQ. The second propane tank won't actually be holding any propane, it instead will be turned into a wood burning stove with a cooktop for cold days or the fire restricted areas, or if you run out of propane.
- A Tepui Autana tent will be the luxury suit for my copilot, my dog, and me. The additional annex for the bottom will act as extra dry storage or another room for guests, but at the very least it will provide 2 walls before the custom awning joins up and circles the back of the truck.
- A custom "Foxwing" style awning with a twist will be made to fit into the roof rack, and will be designed to provide full coverage over 270* of the truck with the back end wide open. Attachable walls and removable PVC coated floor will give you wind/water/year round protection for cooking, and living. It will also be fitted with a stove jack for the wood burner to vent through.
- Inside the A/C controls are getting relocated to the shorter over head console to make room for the double din head unit with navigation, and the dozen or so switches needed to control everything in the truck from the drivers seat.
- Onboard air will run both lockers and whatever tools i might need on the trail.
- Lastly the two bucket seats and centre console will be ditched for a new 60/40 bench seat, and 4 point harness just incase.
I think I have everything in their but if I forgot something please tell me, maybe I just forgot to put it on the list! Otherwise if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
My estimated start date on the truck is November 1 2014
