Dat 4Runner Life Doe - Adventures in a T4R

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max225
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Love that the kid is wrenching !
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Dbest
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max225 wrote: Thu Mar 28, 2019 11:29 pm Love that the kid is wrenching !
He's always out there helping me with stuff, he loves it.
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Desertbreh
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Shit's tight. Great ski pics. Red lights are 10/10. Parking brake work is anal and impressive. Would stay at rental.

Your life seems to be going ok 0/10 would not seppuku.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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Apex
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Livin' the dream, Dbest!

Love the updates.
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Johnny_P
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Ski pictures are dope. You guys been affected by all the avalanches this year? I was reading about that, seems it's been a really intense year as far as that's concerned.

Want to sell me your rig? :hubba:

I should just buy one of these already. Love yours. Rack and ladder look fresh as hell. You going to get a rear bumper with a swing out tire carrier? Go full broverlander? Skottle? Spice rack?!
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Dbest
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Desertbreh wrote: Fri Mar 29, 2019 2:29 am Shit's tight. Great ski pics. Red lights are 10/10. Parking brake work is anal and impressive. Would stay at rental.

Your life seems to be going ok 0/10 would not seppuku.
Apex wrote: Fri Mar 29, 2019 8:48 am Livin' the dream, Dbest!

Love the updates.
Thanks
Johnny_P wrote: Fri Mar 29, 2019 8:56 am Ski pictures are dope. You guys been affected by all the avalanches this year? I was reading about that, seems it's been a really intense year as far as that's concerned.

Want to sell me your rig? :hubba:

I should just buy one of these already. Love yours. Rack and ladder look fresh as hell. You going to get a rear bumper with a swing out tire carrier? Go full broverlander? Skottle? Spice rack?!
Yeah we've had a lot of avalanche activity. I've gotten stuck up in the mountains a few time, it sucks when the road is closed in 1 spot but to bypass 1/4 mile of closed highway its a like a 3 hour detour. No way I'd sell this thing, I love this truck. My 33.3" tire can still just barely fit up in to the factory spare location, as long as I can fit a full sized spare I will not be adding a rear bumper with swing out.
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Apex
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How have the Ridge Grapplers been working out for you? Those don't have the severe snowflake symbol on them, I don't think...
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Dbest
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Here’s my newest big project I’ve been working on. This has grown to be a lot more elaborate than I initially planned.

The side rails on my Southern Style Offroad roof rack has cutouts for flush mounted lights. The main use of the roof rack is for the an iKamper Skycamp roof top tent. Having scene lights installed on the sides would be perfect for camping. I already have a grill mounted light bar using an OEM style push button switch and the Baja Designs fog pocket kit using the OEM switch. I’m not liking to OEM push button switch so I thought I’d just move all the aftermarket lights over to a switch panel. I started planning out switches and mounting and this project just keeps growing and expending from the original plan.

Here’s the current plan... I want any and all added electronics and accessories as separated from factory electronics as feasible. I want a clean install that looks like it could have come that way from the factory. I want modularity in the installation and design so I can remove, change, add or disconnect things as my needs evolve. I want something physical that can be worked on/fixed if there’s an issue - I don’t want the big price tag of a sPOD or Switch Pros, plus the thought of just throwing it away and buying another one if something ever goes wrong isn’t appealing.

The plan is to tie in fog lights, ditch lights, light bar in the grill, left side camp lights, right side camp lights, solar charge controller & solar panel, USB charging ports, dash cam and an electrical box for in the roof top tent that that can turn the left or right side camping lights on and off independently from the inside the tent, plus I want power outlets. Other than tying into the dash lighting circuit for the switch backlighting and a main power and ground cable to the battery, it will be a fully standalone electrical system with a low voltage disconnect that will cut power to everything on the panel except the solar if the battery discharges past a preset level. I don’t want the weight or expense of a dual battery setup at this point, but I want this to easily adapt to a secondary battery IF I eventually go that way. In the mean time I want to make sure I don’t discharge the starter battery to the point of being stranded.

It’s getting to be complicated enough that I felt it was best to make a wiring diagram that maps everything out to visualize my thoughts and aid with planning. Plus it’ll help with assembly. I want to build it right once and not constantly go back to modify harnesses as I figure stuff out.

This is where I’m at with the planning and wiring diagram.

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Dbest
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I picked up a new OEM dash compartment for a 2014+ (without the door) and some custom Contura II switches and a blank mounting panel to install them in. I was hoping the fit was going to be a little closer than it was was right out of the box but it actually took quite a bit of subtle shaping to get it to sit exactly how I wanted it to. Overall I’m happy with how it came out.

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Finished product minus a Blue Sea 1039 dual USB fast charger that is a direct fit into the Contura sized cutouts.
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Starting on wiring

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Dbest
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More progress
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Dbest
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Power Distribution Module finished up.

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Dbest
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Battery cables made and the module installed, now to start on all of the accessory wiring.

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Dbest
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I got the first part of the switch harness done. The wiring is ran into the cabin but just tucked away under the floor mat and coiled up on the floor of the back seat. I’m going to wait to get my airbag recall done before I do the interior wiring and switch panel install. I got my Baja Squad Pro fog lights and Rago behind the grill light bar all wired up to the power distribution module today.

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Passenger side fog light harness.
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The harness runs right through the radiator support over the to drivers side.
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The drivers side fog light and the light bar harness.
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Fog light wiring spliced together and harnesses routed around the battery back to the PDM.
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I took the connectors from the Baja fog pocket kit. I pulled the terminals out, put a dab of sealant and stuck terminal plugs in them. These plug into the OEM fog light wiring and keeps it all sealed up water tight since those harnesses are no longer in use.
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The last thing I had to do before getting the bumper back on was cut the connectors off the Baja lights and repin them to use the connectors for my setup.
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Dbest
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Cali Rasied low profile ditch mount brackets with Baja Designs S2 Pro wide cornering amber lights.

I depinned the connector in order to route the harness through a small hole I drilled in the trim.
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Pretty clean install
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Harness routing
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Passenger side light wiring
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Drivers side light wiring and the harness to the PDM
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Done. A small discreet setup with a ton of light output.
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Dbest
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That's where I'm at as of yesterday.
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Apex
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:jesus: that is :impressive: work.
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Johnny_P
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Clean install. For the ditch lights, why did you go through the trim instead of running the wire alongside the bracket and right into the engine bay? Not critiquing, just curious.
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Dbest
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I just wanted a cleaner look than zip ties and the wires/harnesses hanging from the hood into the engine bay.
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Johnny_P
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Apex wrote: Fri Mar 29, 2019 9:26 am How have the Ridge Grapplers been working out for you? Those don't have the severe snowflake symbol on them, I don't think...
Fucking :snowflake:
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Johnny_P
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Dbest wrote: Fri Mar 29, 2019 9:56 am I just wanted a cleaner look than zip ties and the wires/harnesses hanging from the hood into the engine bay.
Makes cents. A lot of overlander rigs end up looking like high school science fair projects under the hood. Love the clean install, and you always have great attention to detail.
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Apex
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Johnny_P wrote: Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:48 am
Dbest wrote: Fri Mar 29, 2019 9:56 am I just wanted a cleaner look than zip ties and the wires/harnesses hanging from the hood into the engine bay.
Makes cents. A lot of overlander rigs end up looking like high school science fair projects under the hood. Love the clean install, and you always have great attention to detail.
:dat:
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SAWCE
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Fucking :impressive: man. Where did you learn to do all of that?
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Dbest
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Johnny_P wrote: Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:48 am
Dbest wrote: Fri Mar 29, 2019 9:56 am I just wanted a cleaner look than zip ties and the wires/harnesses hanging from the hood into the engine bay.
Makes cents. A lot of overlander rigs end up looking like high school science fair projects under the hood. Love the clean install, and you always have great attention to detail.
I agree, I hate the home made bomb look lol. And thanks, I appreciate it.
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SAWCE wrote: Fri Mar 29, 2019 11:18 am Fucking :impressive: man. Where did you learn to do all of that?
Thanks.

I don’t know if you’re familiar with my background or not but growing up my dad had a small business, himself and 2 other full time workers, doing painting and remodeling. He mostly did high end houses for rich people. My summer job was always working with him. Attention to detail was always first and foremost. He was a dickhead but he definitely taught me about taking work ethic and taking pride in your work. I’m pretty handy in most aspects and it probably started there.

I finished high school early and went to UTI for automotive technology. I got accepted in Audi’s all expense paid manufacturer graduate program. After that to went to work for VW. I spent a bit over 10 years as a VW tech. I started as an apprentice and by the time I left I was a shop foreman and certified specialist in every category Volkswagen of America had: Engine, Transmission, Electrical, Chassis, Routan, e-Mobility, Diagnostic Technician, and Volkswagen Master Technician. From there I went to Audi for a few years. I got certified as an Engine Performance, Transmission, Chassis, Electrical Specialist, and Audi Master Technician. I was experienced, knowledgeable, qualified, I always did very well on a national level in the manufacturers annual technician competition (RQC/SQC), plus I’m relatively clean cut and able to speak without sounding like a hillbilly idiot dropping f-bombs every other word (which let’s be honest, thats kind of rare with techs). All in all I got noticed and eventually recruited to a different side of the industry. I left Audi and took a job as Automotive Electrician contracted out by an automotive group for quality testing and development of preproduction and prototype vehicles and technology from their high-end luxury and exotic lines. I did well and got promoted. My role in what I do with the vehicles has expanded and I now work on a national level.

That leads us to the present... and my 4Runner
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