JakeJake (and Dale!) 's Camper Truck |2000 AC

What gauge wire are you using for the power wire extension? The CDH are picky about voltage drop, I have a 20’ extension maybe? In 8ga

 

I knew a tacoma owner with a snorkel. His wife hated it and called it a "dorkel"

 

Mine too ... For other reasons.

 

Your truck has come a long way since Merus. You'll be ready for T2S in no time flat .

Also... I'll trade you my black grill with Lexus emblem for your grill if you want. For shits n gigs. I'm just going to take it and the T3 grill to Alamo Customs down the road from me and tell em to fix the T3 grill, even if they have to cannibalize the OEM one.

 

or better ditches

 

she smol. 14ga if I remembering right, but that's only because I had it on hand. Just for testing pinkie promise. The finished harness will get 10 or 12ga and be around 5' long.

Have you still not wired those?

 

That should be good, cut the positive power wire as close to the big molex plug as you can, or depin and get freaky with it…..
they draw over 10amps at startup/shut down to run the glow plug. I still use my starter battery with mine but I start the truck when I’m turning it on/off. PM me if you have any questions they can be finicky if they aren’t set up proper(fuel line is another big issue, smaller is better)

 

intensifies

I just been so busy installing radios, backup cams, subwoofers, grills, and front end refresh

 

@JakeJake you mentioned carbs for workout recovery the other day. What kind of carbs and workout? Is that like carb-o-loading? Just curious. Protnot ideal for a man of size like myself

 

I've only added 15-20 grams for meals after workouts, which is almost nothing. Carb loading would be closer to 100-500g. Workouts right now are 3 mile runs at 7-8 minute pace or 1.5 to 2 hours of climbing 4ish days a week.

I'd like to get back to a 6-7 day a week program to get ready for the outdoors season, but im struggling with compounding fatigue and just general lack of energy. Hard to stay focused in the shop for an 8-10 hour day (a workout in itself sometimes) and then catch a workout 6 days a week. I was hoping that adding some carbs back into the diet would help, but honestly I may actually feel worse

 

I get it. I walk around 30-36 miles in 42hrs at work, then try to hit the gym for 30mins to an hour 4x a week, and walk another 12 miles on my days off. This week I'm starting to transition to more gym workouts, because it's gonna be hot before we know it, and I won't be able to walk as much.

 

As you know its all about figuring out what works for you and staying somewhat consistent. You don't use it you lose it ya know? I know you have been wanting to get back into the gym after your (elbow?) problem, sound like perfect timing.

 

Yeah, right elbow and left shoulder. I been going with increasing time per week since Halloween. At first I was doing decently heavy stuff, once a week, for 30 mins. But I realized I need more rehabilitation, so I switched to going more often, but using less weight. At least for now.

 

It's been awhile.

Got a chance to raise the flatbed working here and there the last few days.

The last time the flatbed got any attention was around October last year for the first ever annual MERUSTOBER event where I found out that I built the wheel wells way way too tight. This picture is at absolutely max rear articulation/ stuff.



The easy fix to this is to raise the entire bed. I thought a 2" raise would get me enough, but after measuring the factory wheel wells I needed more like 4" of added height for 9.5" clearance in the wheel wells. Probably plentyish for a truck that is supposed to be more of an RV when finished.

old vs new. New mount still uses the factory bed bolts, just recessed about halfway down the mount.


Definitely not my preference to be working on rusty material, but this would have hurt way more if everything were already painted. Notice the location of the cab vents. We are way up there.


Lots of room for activity. Also a true flatbed now with no obstructions (except for the temporary brake lights). I may piggyback off of the new mounts for the new camper tie down solution.


Finally mounted the license plate on the drawer and added an led plate light in preparation for dropping the hitch. Used a couple of rivnuts for the plate, and wired the light through the tubing for a cleanish install. Maybe forever, maybe I'll change it in six months.



Now for the full reveal. This will set the tone:
https://youtu.be/ZxKvD4935Mc?si=ycD8YMdzJp2mBAU5



Initially I hated it, but its kind of growing on me as is. I think I will redo the lower portion of the forward two boxes to better flow with the cab body lines and call it good. It doesn't help the I built it around 33x12.50's. Still an option, but the bigger the wheel the less articulation I will have. Also Mt's ride like shit on pavement.

Everyone in our group at MERUSTOBER dragged the hitch at some point, I'm interested to see how 4" extra of departure angle works out off-road. That 4" also gives me more headroom in the cabover portion of the camper when I get to that point.

 

at the build and at the video.
My rebuttal:
https://youtu.be/dChdT_XKmWc?si=mxm8Pza789HVSXpH

Looks like you've been using your sliders. Good man.

I need a gas tank skid, if you want to add that to you tundra line up. I'm thinking aluminum to keep the driver side from being too heavy. If not, I been eye balling this one for a while now.
https://ramotorsports.ca/collection...-06-toyota-tundra-aluminum-gas-tank-skidplate

 

Yeah, a little extra room probably wouldn't hurt.

 

If only I had a "fabbyjake" business card

 

I took this on my phone, looking at it on the big screen now I notice that rear shackle on the drivers leaf left the chat!
I do like how he saved the fuel door area of the box though, classy.

 

In a bit of a pickle. Do I want to be 9' tall? I know I want the extra space up top for a cabover, and the extra space for the side storage boxes. It's supposed to be a somewhat capable offroad RV/basecamp/chuckwagon/stabbin cabin of sorts, and not a hardcore wheeling rig right? 9' is a lot though.

These torsion boxes will serve as the new bottom mounts on the camper. Steel hardware will be through bolted and glassed in for securing it to the flatbed. The whole thing gets wrapped in a couple of plies of fiberglass and glassed onto the bottom of the camper.

 

I would want to be less height than the fast food drive thru limits you to be.

 

I don't eat fast food and the truck will have a full kitchen. Ideally I'm far, far from that environment

 

Completely understand, and yes, I hope you stay very far away from that environment but was just saying a lot of things are at those height limits.

 

True, although I already couldn't fit under an 8' garage door and haven't run into any limitations at that height.

*Other than than needing a taller door on the shop, but that's long overdue anyway.

 

I don't know if I've posted these here, but ultimately this is the kind of direction we're headed.

 

What would Dale do?

 

Dale's wants an easily accessible rooftop sun bathing spot.

 

Too bad it's a turd gen taco.
Womp womp

 

Just squint and imagine a 1GT.

 

Way ahead of ya, bud.