Adventure Truck build - 90 xtra cab 3.0

[DIY Guy]

Hi Expo I accidentally found the site and was instantly hooked! Im new to the whole forum thing so forgive me if Im posting this in the wrong place. I started building this truck about 6 years ago primarily for camping and overnights but it soon took on a life of its own and I thought Id share some build pix. Some are several years old and its been in a constant state of evolution ever since but it might give someone some ideas. I fabricate most everything I can and am on a pretty tight budget so you wont see a lot of high dollar name brand stuff here, either way here goes - Enjoy

Version one -




Added a shell


and bed kit


Additional storage


added a winch



fabricated a snorkel


built a rack

 

[DIY Guy]

fabbing the brushguard

 

[DIY Guy]

This solar array charges the marine battery mounted under the bed - cheap 45w setup from HF

This small panel on the hood charges the cranking battery

 

[DIY Guy]

As she sits today -

 

[kesepton]

I really like your build. Its a lot like what I want to do with my truck, an 88 extra cab. I am hoping to pick up a shell and carpet kit tomorrow and start building it up to about where you are. Keep it simpile and functional.

Can you give some details about how you set up your charging system? this is something ive been trying to figure out what would work best. I think id like a fully integrated system, but the ease of buying an off the shelf self contained unit is tempting. Except the price that is.

More pictures if youve got them! thanks!

 

[DIY Guy]

Thanks! It all pretty much came from situations out camping where you wish you had "whatever" so little by little it was added on to. I don't know if my charging solution is the best by any means but it works for us. I have a marine battery mounted in a box under the bed which I chose just because I had one handy, I think a couple golf cart batteries might be better. It "the house battery" is charged using the 3 panel Harbor freight solar setup 45w I believe. The kit comes with plenty of wire and a controller that protects from over charging. I also have a 6k watt inverter that is mounted in the bed for running AC devices. I did it this way to keep the cranking battery completely separate while camping so you never have to worry about stranding yourself.

Ill have to scrounge up some more pictures of the controller, it's about the size of a small audio amp and has a digital readout built in that measures voltage. Pretty slick little setup for under 200 bucks though I'm sure there are better out there.

Hope this helps!

 

[BIGGUY]

Looks good. I miss my old '90 extra cab. It was a Deluxe model and basically a stripper with no A/C, no tilt, no power windows etc. I test drove it with 6 miles and bought it with 13 and owned it for 20 years and a little over 485,000 miles. Original engine still ran great. I had to replace the 5 speed at somewhere between 350K-400K. Great little truck and pretty much trouble free. Did a lot of trails in Moab and dirt roads in WY too.

 

[DIY Guy]

Very cool! I certainly can't complain, even as slow as the 3.0 might be shes been a GREAT little truck!

 

[DeskToGlory]

DIY GUY, your pickup looks ************! The theme and functionality of the truck is great.

 

[uscg2008]

Any more pics of the camper?

 

[tanglefoot]

I agree--really nice setup. And, what's the camper like inside? Is it a Callen?

 

[Larry]

Cool little truck! 89-95 have always been my favorite body style of Toyota trucks. While the snorkel may not look “Australian” enough for the typical khaki pocket pants overlander crowd that hang out here and have no fab skill other than bolting on overpriced dot-com ordered parts with their Harbor Freight socket set, I think the snorkel looks unique but yet still tasteful. Nice work! Not too sure about those taillights though.

 

[seanpistol]

While the snorkel may not look “Australian” enough for the typical khaki pocket pants overlander crowd that hang out here and have no fab skill other than bolting on overpriced dot-com ordered parts with their Harbor Freight socket set

haha, that made me bust out laughing! :victory:

 

[DIY Guy]

Thanks for all the kind words guys! Callen sounds really familiar, I found it on CL a few years ago for 400 bucks and couldn't pass it up! sadly I don't have a lot of pictures of the interior handy but I did find this old one and a couple of the old shell. I know I have more pix on a flashdrive here somewhere just gotta find em...

 

[DIY Guy]

Also found this old picture of mine and girlfriends 4runner together