NAS LR3 build with an overseas twist
- Thread starter Ray_G
- Start date
Ray_G
Explorer
Ray_G
Explorer
Thanksgiving '16 update; Snomaster performs, ~100k fluid changes, & dirt roads
A collection of shots from the holiday weekend to highlight/document a few things.
Snomaster fridge continues to be an excellent investment, the following pic illustrating one of the reasons why-the two basket configuration is nice for packing up. We managed to get all the stuff that needed to be cold nestled around the beer that had to be cold fairly easily.
Packing discipline was lacking but that was not a hill worth dying on. Admittedly, it was also a facet that I grabbed a bunch of the long guns and had a plastic bin filled with all the stuff for the fluid changes that I was going to do. The beta testing of the attic continues, it is almost done and then refinements from the initial production model will be spelled out here for those interested.
The lack of packing discipline meant that TNF duffels ended up on the roof, all told loaded down and such the stance of the truck remains fairly neutral even on coils.
Post thanksgiving I took advantage of access to the Twin Mountain Technology Centre and used the new lift to do an oil change, dif fluids, and TC fluid. (Transmission was done in Abu Dhabi but I found negotiating the difs and TC fluid changes was a cultural hurdle, mostly b/c my mechanic kept saying "fluid looks good boss" despite me desire to have them change it anyway-knowing I could just do it at home and only being at 103k discretion was the better part of valor)
Lift really does make life easier.
My able assistant was instrumental for the dif & TC fluid changes since we used a fluid xfer pump and it seems like that operation requires a min 4 hands to hold fluid, hoses, pump, and actually pump it.
Black Friday dirt road trip to the Dolly Sods area within Monongahela National Forest.
Beautiful area, very interesting climate compared to other parts even fairly nearby-but cold that day!
Some nice long, straight, stretches of dirt road. We didn't stop much so the pictures are rather poor.
A final shot of the truck who is increasingly in need of a good bath and waxing but I'm not sure when that is on the menu.
Attic finals coming up soon and some winter projects brewing in the background. For the most part the truck is nearing completion of what I wanted to do with her. Biggest items outstanding include switching over to KO2's, sorting out the FR aux fuel tank that is still boxed up, and installing a vehicle mounted VHF unit + the Kenwood K702 & associated stuff. Smaller projects lining up include some more rotopax (roof), covering the front portion of the prospeed to make a recovery gear storage area, and potential for some secured storage in the cargo area using the s track to bolt down a small shelf of sorts.
A collection of shots from the holiday weekend to highlight/document a few things.
Snomaster fridge continues to be an excellent investment, the following pic illustrating one of the reasons why-the two basket configuration is nice for packing up. We managed to get all the stuff that needed to be cold nestled around the beer that had to be cold fairly easily.
Packing discipline was lacking but that was not a hill worth dying on. Admittedly, it was also a facet that I grabbed a bunch of the long guns and had a plastic bin filled with all the stuff for the fluid changes that I was going to do. The beta testing of the attic continues, it is almost done and then refinements from the initial production model will be spelled out here for those interested.
The lack of packing discipline meant that TNF duffels ended up on the roof, all told loaded down and such the stance of the truck remains fairly neutral even on coils.
Post thanksgiving I took advantage of access to the Twin Mountain Technology Centre and used the new lift to do an oil change, dif fluids, and TC fluid. (Transmission was done in Abu Dhabi but I found negotiating the difs and TC fluid changes was a cultural hurdle, mostly b/c my mechanic kept saying "fluid looks good boss" despite me desire to have them change it anyway-knowing I could just do it at home and only being at 103k discretion was the better part of valor)
Lift really does make life easier.
My able assistant was instrumental for the dif & TC fluid changes since we used a fluid xfer pump and it seems like that operation requires a min 4 hands to hold fluid, hoses, pump, and actually pump it.
Black Friday dirt road trip to the Dolly Sods area within Monongahela National Forest.
Beautiful area, very interesting climate compared to other parts even fairly nearby-but cold that day!
Some nice long, straight, stretches of dirt road. We didn't stop much so the pictures are rather poor.
A final shot of the truck who is increasingly in need of a good bath and waxing but I'm not sure when that is on the menu.
Attic finals coming up soon and some winter projects brewing in the background. For the most part the truck is nearing completion of what I wanted to do with her. Biggest items outstanding include switching over to KO2's, sorting out the FR aux fuel tank that is still boxed up, and installing a vehicle mounted VHF unit + the Kenwood K702 & associated stuff. Smaller projects lining up include some more rotopax (roof), covering the front portion of the prospeed to make a recovery gear storage area, and potential for some secured storage in the cargo area using the s track to bolt down a small shelf of sorts.
Ray_G
Explorer
I can't even come up with a good response to that, I give you full credit and will pass this along to my oldest daughter who is our family's minister of bad puns and horrible jokes!
Great pics in the LR3/LR4 thread BTW, love your truck's color contrast with the terrain.
r-
Ray
Ray_G
Explorer
Begrudingly, a CB
Many thanks! The bumper & the rack are really the crown jewels for me, though ironically I think my wife would say the wet okle seat covers and the SnoMaster fridge are the best parts of the truck.
Using this as a springboard, I noted somewhere that I went ahead and put a CB in-ironically just shortly before Twin Mountain got a GMRS liscence so we can actually communicate with good radios there but nonetheless it is done. I've already posted pics of the antenna mount on the rear swing away, not helpful to most LR3/4 owners I know, but at least the rear swing away is good for something. The radio itself I wanted totally out of the way so I pillaged Coyote for her Cobra 75WSX-T and backfilled her with a larger Midland unit that is horribly mounted right now.
For the LR3 the nice thing about the compact Cobra is that it can go under the passenger seat:
To do that I bent a piece of steel flat, tapped it for some 1/4 bolts to hold the CB down, and then drilled some holes in the seat frame to hold it in place. The pic shows the CB mounted on the flat, and also illustrates that the Cobra's upside in being compact. Power to the unit is coming from the aux fuse box in the back and basically runs along side the antenna cord which is coming into the truck through the grommet in the right rear light cluster. A keen observer will note the CB's reversed compared to the installed pic. Clearance for the antenna cable was fouled against the relay so I switched it all around and it works fine.
Using the lower seat trim panel to be a mic holder:
All buttoned up and decidedly out of the way.
So there you have it, an easy way to discreetly mount a CB in the LR3-which is the only way I'll mount one in there. Now it is time for VHF!
Many thanks! The bumper & the rack are really the crown jewels for me, though ironically I think my wife would say the wet okle seat covers and the SnoMaster fridge are the best parts of the truck.
Using this as a springboard, I noted somewhere that I went ahead and put a CB in-ironically just shortly before Twin Mountain got a GMRS liscence so we can actually communicate with good radios there but nonetheless it is done. I've already posted pics of the antenna mount on the rear swing away, not helpful to most LR3/4 owners I know, but at least the rear swing away is good for something. The radio itself I wanted totally out of the way so I pillaged Coyote for her Cobra 75WSX-T and backfilled her with a larger Midland unit that is horribly mounted right now.
For the LR3 the nice thing about the compact Cobra is that it can go under the passenger seat:
To do that I bent a piece of steel flat, tapped it for some 1/4 bolts to hold the CB down, and then drilled some holes in the seat frame to hold it in place. The pic shows the CB mounted on the flat, and also illustrates that the Cobra's upside in being compact. Power to the unit is coming from the aux fuse box in the back and basically runs along side the antenna cord which is coming into the truck through the grommet in the right rear light cluster. A keen observer will note the CB's reversed compared to the installed pic. Clearance for the antenna cable was fouled against the relay so I switched it all around and it works fine.
Using the lower seat trim panel to be a mic holder:
All buttoned up and decidedly out of the way.
So there you have it, an easy way to discreetly mount a CB in the LR3-which is the only way I'll mount one in there. Now it is time for VHF!
csphoto
W7ZOM
Ha! Glad it landed as intended. Thanks for a great read. Really enjoyed this thread.
Ray_G
Explorer
Have a couple of Baofeng's in there too, but want to step up to vehicle mounted power output. That may be my Xmas present to myself.
Ray_G
Explorer
That looks like a very nice radio. Will be interested in hearing where you are thinking of mounting it. I'm strongly considering pulling my Yaseu 7900 out of my D1, backfilling that with a cheaper VHF/UHF unit since it will primarly be for simplex GMRS use only on that truck, and mounting the 7900's face down on the ash tray area of the D3. That is shaping up to be my Xmas break work along with my big box of Kenwood components to update my truck to 2006's technology!