Building a Toyota that fits Douglas

[allen.wrench]

Now that I think about it. It would be awesome if the maintenance reminder could just be set to 10,000,000 miles.

That's true about living near the ocean. I'd guess a clear vinyl wrap might be the best option for protection if you want to just stay with the stock paint color. I mean I'd guess it'll be more overall protection and less expensive than a new paint job. Also easier to repair and/or customize. Idk go crazy flame stickers do add horsepower.

Allen

 

[DaveInDenver]

Now that I think about it. It would be awesome if the maintenance reminder could just be set to 10,000,000 miles.

On my old junk the maintenance reminder is based on a 5K interval, blinks starting at 4500 and comes on solid at 5K or more. It's reset by holding down the trip reset as you turn the key on, the odometer turns to a string of dashes and you hold the reset until it counts down and displays all zeros.

From what I could tell there's no way to change this interval, it's written in the firmware as a hard coded value. Doesn't bother me since I do 5K changes, well other than when I forget to reset it after a short interval and it starts coming on a week later. I keep a maintenance log for everything I do to the truck and paint the mileage and date on the filter so the light is mostly superfluous anyway.

The way I keep track of oil changes and tire rotations in a general way is to do them on multiples of 5K. It's easy-peasy to get a sense of where you're at a glance. 128,543? Nah, plenty of time. 129,350? Getting close. 130,000? Let's rock! Took a couple of abbreviated changes but over a few months about 15 years ago I got all our cars aligned to this and keep it rolling as they get replaced. On the old truck that I did 3K intervals, which is actually when I started this exercise. On that one the changes were on 3K multiples, 133K, 136K, 139K, etc. So one change ran +1K over every 3rd time but 3K was kind of excessive even on a 1991 22R-E and the used oil analysis didn't suggest 4K was a concern even with plain dino Castrol GTX.

But on our newer (2017) Subaru the maintenance interval is handled in the information display. You set a miles and date when you want it to start reminding you. There's no fixed values. I'd have thought Toyota by now would have implemented something like that with y'all's fancy tech junk.

 

[DouglasVB]

I'm thinking about seatback organizers again. I really dislike the look of molle panels but I can't deny their utility. I'm planning to strap a bunch of bags and quick fist things onto at least one molle panel. I might do both seats.

I see this set for $45/panel and then I see this set for $215/panel. And then there are a number of other vendors with panels at various prices.

Does anyone have a panel they really like or any that they recommend avoiding?

 

[allen.wrench]

About 2021 I got a pair of Carhartt seat covers from Cabellas. They have a few inches of molle at the top on the backside of the seats. But I hardly use the molle. I generally don't want much strapped to my seat because I want adjustability without interference. The one exception is I do want water on long drives. So I struggled hooking, lashing, and strapping my day-hike bladder pack to the back of my driver seat a few times, and even tried it on my passenger seat once. Didn't work well.

A little bit ago @BritKLR mentioned I could google-up molle bladder packs. It's worked amazing ever since tied onto the driver cover. I added a small magnetic clasp also tied on the seat for the bladder hose to stay in place where I can reach it for a drink.

Don't know if that exactly helps. The bladder pack I got does function as a light weight pocket for like tie down twine when I don't have my bladder in it.

Allen

 

[allen.wrench]

Got a pic if it helps ya man.
Allen

 

[DouglasVB]

I'm thinking about a topper again. The tonneau cover that it came with, while great, doesn't give me enough space to haul all of our camping gear easily and I want a big flat surface to put a solar panel on, and to mount some awnings, antennas, and such. I do not plan to install a roof top tent or anything very heavy on the roof at this time but maybe in the future?

I could DIY but I'm thinking about just buying something so I don't spend all summer building a topper. Maybe a Leer or a 4ARE? Or an Alu-Cab? I'd love an MITS Alloy-style flatbed setup but that might be a bit more than I want to spend at the moment

I want side doors that hinge open with sliding (probably) window inserts. Everything needs to have good locks. I want it as weather proof as I can get it (butyl tape will be my friend) and I'll install a positive pressure fan to keep dust out.

I'm leaning towards a cheaper fiberglass topper that could be "disposable" (I could sell it later at a small loss) so I could upgrade in the future to a tray/flat bed.

Does anyone have words of wisdom on buying a topper?

 

[DouglasVB]

We took the truck out over the weekend to Parkfield, California and then to Tassajara. Both are beautiful back roads that are maintained by the county but are impassable when wet.

I also got to use some of my gear when we encountered a motorcyclist in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire due to a nail. It was a tubeless tire and he didn't have a patch kit. In about 30 minutes we had one of those sticky glue plugs in his tire and my dual ARB compressors got him aired up and on his way back home. When we found him, he was slowly pushing his bike along the road.

Here are a few photos:


View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIbZ-SvJapi/



View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIbaToPpxrL/

 

[allen.wrench]

Parkfield, California

Oh man I miss that area. In college, at Cal Poly, I was a member of the CP Wheelmen cycling club. The Parkfield mountain bike race was always a big thing for the club and I wish I had more chances to spend time in that area.

About the topper question. I've been way happy with Softopper. It's less expensive, good quality, easily foldable or removable, and their customer support has been great. From the sound of it, I realize you're leaning towards a hard shell. Idk. Some guys like soft tacos, and others like hard tacos?

Allen

 

[DaveInDenver]

Oh man I miss that area. In college, at Cal Poly, I was a member of the CP Wheelmen cycling club. The Parkfield mountain bike race was always a big thing for the club and I wish I had more chances to spend time in that area.

About the topper question. I've been way happy with Softopper. It's less expensive, good quality, easily foldable or removable, and their customer support has been great. From the sound of it, I realize you're leaning towards a hard shell. Idk. Some guys like soft tacos, and others like hard tacos?

Allen

It's a bit more than just a preference in security. They gotta break windows to get your stuff from a hard shell. Although most jerks know the weak point of any topper is the hardware keeping the back window closed and a good hard yank on the handle/handles will defeat 99% of them. Which is why you see on old toppers where the owner is no longer seriously constrained by appearance you put on a heavy duty hasp and padlock...

 

[DouglasVB]

Oh man I miss that area. In college, at Cal Poly, I was a member of the CP Wheelmen cycling club. The Parkfield mountain bike race was always a big thing for the club and I wish I had more chances to spend time in that area.

Well come on out for a visit and I'll take you through your old stomping grounds!

I think next weekend we're going to go into the Clear Creek Management Area (north of Coalinga) before it dries out too much and the surface friable asbestos becomes dangerous. I've been wanting to see the New Idria ghost town for a while.

It's a bit more than just a preference in security.

That's definitely part of it to be looking at hard tops. I had a softopper and loved it on my old 4runner but I was always concerned someone was going to break into it. It's at least slightly more secure having a hard top with some decent door and window locks.

The other thing is I think I can seal up a hard top better against rain and dust.

But I will miss the versatility of the soft top.

 

[DouglasVB]

I decided to go with the Harbor Freight Bauer modular tool boxes for tool storage. Previously I was dumping everything into some very beat up rubbermaid totes that were much too heavy to lift safely in and out of the truck.

There are a few loooong tools that I have that'll have to still kick around in the back of the truck but I've got about 80% of my tools in this stack of boxes now. I think I might run back over to Harbor Freight today to pick up a few more boxes so that I can have everything nicely put away.

I need to pull my label maker out and make some labels so I know what is in which box.

I used a bunch of cheapo Harbor Freight tool rolls and small tool bags to separate the bits and bobs, and reduce rattling. I've had some that I've used for many years and for the price, they do the job.