Vehicle "Build" Thread...

Oh hell, I just called a guy about an LX470.
What am I doing ... it's not like I NEED another vehicle.
It's just a fancy LC100

 

100 was probably the last REALLY good one in that line !!!!

 

Some changes not yet documented...

Added an annex on the side of the rack...

...... not happy with the mounts yet but I have the solution here but need some adaptor plates made, just waiting on a mate who is going to fab them fo rme to have a weekend free.

Yesterday did a 5hr round trip to collect a Front Runner Rooftop Tent...






....till the annex is moved and some mountings arrive it will sit idle.

Here the manufactures pic...

......

 

My patience is tested....can't put the tent on till a good mate has a day free to fabricate the adaptor plates I need to relocate the annex mounts..... he is a busy man and perfectionist but also has a life that somehow is prioritised above my needs ! Hopefully next weekend we can do the job (he is a tool maker that works in medical equipment manufacture so is damn good at what he does) and I can plan a weekend away !!!!!

 

Now I have an issue with the annex, using the brackets that come with it (for me) it sits too high above the rack and now they, the brackets, encroach on the flat space on top I need to throw that roof top tent on....soooooo....

Hopefully tomorrow these all combined....



...will see the annex moved from where it sits now. The black brackets are the Eezi-Awn bespoke accessory mounts (they use them for their own annex and other accessories) but the mounting style and hole spacing does not align to the Darche awing. A good mate plans on fabricating adaptor plates out of the aluminium to mate them up.



....a good bit lower and a little closer in.

All being well the Red Point Below will be where the Green Point is....

 

Just home from my mate's place. He is a very talented young man !!! Took my idea...agreed with the concept and had all the adaptor plates knocked out in under two hours. The plate with the holes at both end is the middle of three and then one each with one set of holes. Moved the annex down to pretty much exactly where I wanted it and cleared up the top space for the tent to go on next weekend !!

 

Lower side profile...



And with coloured dots (from the back as the sun is in the wrong spot just now)...

 

Thanks for sharing the photos of the work to date!

 

Looking good!!!! We all would like and invite one day!

 

With the mattress in place there is about a 35cm section of the aluminium floor exposed so I joined and trimmed some foam mats to cover that...



Laid there in the foreground, you can also just make out the anti-condensation matting I cut to size and put under the mattress...



Skylights/ventilation open....looking up for the laying position.....



One side window view....



Sleeping view.....



And the "front" as the same door net opening as the "back", with it open I have access to the remaining deck space on the rack, I figure I can leave a small brew kit here overnight and have coffee etc done without stepping out.....




One thing I got from YouTube, the cover hangs down when open, not so much an issue if you have it opening to the side but this would impede my rear doors. Added a couple of squares of velcro to the bottom of the platform and it allows you to roll the cover and attach it up using the existing straps that hold the cover on....

 

New 12v Fridge in and running (a story for another time). On mains power it dropped from 15degsC to 2degsC in under 30mins.



Ladder extension fitting up and locating holes drilled...



Heading bush for a night tomorrow !

 

Took it on an overnighter to see how it all works together.....

On arrival yesterday....



Tent and annex up....



Didn't need it but in the interests of experimentation I hooked up the solar blanket via the DC/DC controller to see what the new fridge told me about it. It certaainly made a difference but I will need a few days away to see how hard the fridge is on power and if/when the solar is needed...



Inside....



Kitchen...



Dinner Prep/Outcome....







Drinking fire...