On Board Air, Compressor & Lockers

Delivered in December and finally installed.  Front and rear ARB air lockers along with an ARB air compressor and one gallon tank to round it all out.

This air set-up is exponentially faster than the small portable air compressor for inflating tires.  In fact, I can now be done inflating all four tires while friends using the portable air compressors are still working on their first one.

The air lockers haven't been tested since I've not yet gone on routes requiring them, but with winter coming to an end, the mountains and deserts will be opening up again and trips will be taken!  

Using the air compressor to activate the lockers is quite loud.  The air compressor is mounted in the engine compartment and causes a fair bit of vibration - however, engaging the lockers does not require the compressor to remain running for long.  Definitely recommend on board air for convenience sake.

Roof Rack

Delayed update.  The truck, the dog and I have done a few more trips now.  Recently, we also had a few additions to the truck which will be discussed in another post.  Even more goodies are stuck in the garage now waiting for installation.

But for now, the one completed item is a new roof rack.  Ready for usage on longer trips where space is at a premium.  So far, there has not been a great need for it but soon we will start carrying a large propane tank for heat and cooking, which I would prefer not to keep inside the cabin.  Beyond that, space inside the truck has been sufficient to carry the dog and our gear for 2 and 3 day trips.  However, it is very likely more space will be needed soon for longer trips, especially if we included another passenger.

The rack I went with is a full-length roof rack which will allow for maximum usage of the roof.  Built by a local 4Runner enthusiast, it is low-profile and likely will be unnoticed by the untrained eye.  It includes a removable sunroof panel.  His business appears to mostly come through word of mouth, and I heard of his work through the 4Runner forum, where several local members have supported his small business.

The mesh bottom of the rack makes for a great looking rack, but also makes it difficult to install brackets for mounting other accessories.  My fingers can't fit underneath the rack, and the holes are too small to get any leverage.  I've tried a few different tricks to install brackets on the mesh, but in the end have thus far decided not to use brackets there yet.

Next, I need to buy brackets to mount the ARB awning, perhaps add a few ligths, and of course add stickers to the front wind deflectors!

Air Comes Out; Air Goes In

Recently I bought Viair 32 Air Down Gauge to make airing down for trail runs easier.  I paired with the Viair 88P Air Compressor to air back up after the run.

The Air Down Gauge works quickly and easily.  It can be used as a normal tire gauge as well.  Screw it on, then it's easy-peasy hands-free deflation.  On my most recent trip, the deflator aired down each tire to 20 psi with the quickness.

After a trail run, the 88P Air Compressor comes in handy getting all of the tires aired up within minutes.  The air compressor is going to be a temporary solution until air lockers require getting on board air gets put in the 4Runner (hopefully in 2017).

The 88P attaches directly to the battery, which makes for more power and quicker inflation of tires.  This unit beat all of my friend's units (a Superflow unit similar to the 88p and cigarette charger compressors).

Five-stars for each new toy.  Ready to use them again, soon!

Trip Report: Columbus Day Offroad and Camp

Oddly enough, I found myself with a three-day weekend for Columbus Day.  A decision was made to take advantage of the extra day off to go wheeling with a group of new friends and while they all went back to the real world to work, I ended up spending an extra night up in the mountains.

This trip found us heading up to the Big Bear area.  Traveling with knowledgeable and experienced folks really has its advantages.  Just before dawn on Saturday morning, the dog and I set out to meet the group at Green Valley Lake.  Saturday would be a full day of wheeling, and then settling into camp.  Sunday would be a shorter day of wheeling as the rest of the group then made the trek home.  That worked out well for me since I like to set up camp earlier in the afternoon while there is still plenty of light (and warmth).  Monday would be a short day of hiking and then heading home.

The map shows (more or less) the route that was planned for Saturday.  A great mixture of easy fire roads up to and including difficult black diamond trails that had us rock crawling. Mapping software is the Gaia app, which I highly recommend for its ease of use and ability to use maps offline.

Offroading with a group of very experienced folks was a lot of fun and a great learning experience.  I learned that the 4Runner's capabilities are a bit limited by the lack of a rear locker, so that's now on the shopping list.  Picking lines, much like racing lines on a track, is also very important.  With stock suspension and no lift, it's especially important for me right now.  The running boards took a little damage, which seems like that will become a regular theme.

Got stuck on this hill.  Had to get extra rocks for traction.

A long day of wheeling was tiring for the dog though.  At times, it got pretty rough and I think he was a bit frightened, sometimes trying to climb down into my footwell.  He's probably a bit too big to fit down there even without me sitting there, let alone trying to drive.  He made himself comfortable in the passenger seat and there were a handful of times when he kicked the transmission into neutral.  I might need a net to separate the front seats from the rest of the cabin.

While wheeling was a ton of fun (two days' worth), the relaxing for camp was still the highlight of the trip.   Camp on Saturday night was with the group at a campsite, but Sunday night the dog and I were on our own.

On Saturday night, dinner was sliced steak marinated in its own juice, a bit of salt and limes, a roll of pretzel bread and some lightly sauteed veggies.  This would be the first time I tried cooking at camp, and I think it was a great success.  Ending the day with a hot meal was a very nice treat.
We climbed most of the way up Butler peak to make camp on the side of the mountain, again enjoying gorgeous view of the valley below.  Big thank you to my friend Charlie, who has several years' experience with camping for letting me borrow/buy cooking gear and for the recipe.

Sunday morning started off with some fried eggs and a power bar.  A new friend who camped right next to me had a similar kitchen set-up, but had the brilliant idea of making breakfast burritos, using bacon and sausage that is bought pre-cooked, to keep the amount of grease to a minimum.  I am definitely stealing that idea.

Sunday night found us above 8000' elevation, near the top of Butler peak, where we settled down to camp at an uneven spot along the edge of the mountain.   With no suitable rocks to put under the truck, I had to sleep at a slant.  But the view was worth the trouble.  Dinner this time consisted of chili that I had made at home and just needed a re-heat (will not be doing this again; it burned at the bottom and that's hard to wash off).  Morning then consisted of eggs and a power bar for breakfast again, before heading up to the top of Butler peak, where I met a volunteer ranger.  The top of Butler peak has a fire lookout, where the volunteers have a spectacular 360 degree view of everything around them, and help report fires hopefully before they get out of control. As it turns out, the volunteer that day taught at the middle school I attended, and very likely taught my brother.

At his recommendation, we trekked back down and got to Big Bear Discovery Center, where the helpful folks then directed the dog and I to an 8 mile hike up Bertha peak.  Along that hike, we came across the Pacific Crest Trail.  Unlike the top of Butler peak, Bertha peak did not have an awe inspiring spot at the top; rather, it had a big communications tower.

Then it was finally time to head home!

Trip Report: Brush Mountain and San Emigdio Mountain

For the weekend of September 10/11, I decided to do a quick, one-nighter trip in order to test the current set-up and try out the new sleeping platform, the new tires, and take the 4Runner for some actual off-roading for the first time.  It'd be a solo trip, but with the dog.

Since this was the first trip, and it was a solo trip, a lot of time was spent planning and coming up with a checklist of items to bring.  The resulting checklist included all of the camping gear, food, personal and dog items that I would be bring.

Preparation

The Plan
We hit the road on early Saturday morning, heading out to the national forest.  Once we found the campsite, the plan would be to drive the nearby trails that run along the ridge and then go for a hike with the dog.  The hope was that both the drive and the hike would be challenging.  The real test for the weekend would be at night, when we would settle into the 4Runner.  The next morning, another drive or hike and then it was time to go home.

The drives were planned out using the Los Padres National Forest (South) map purchased from the Forest Service with some help from the Gaia app on my phone.

Storage

Strapped down and ready to roll

Most gear was stashed in a new Sterilite 27-gallon Industrial Tote.  The benefit of this plastic bin over many of the others I have bought for general storage are slots in the lid which allows for strapping the bins securely in place.

All food and water (other than some dry snacks) was stored in the Coolest cooler, which has a variety of capabilities but really for this trip, it was only needed as a cooler and a seat.

The Coolest cooler and the plastic bin were strapped down to make sure they won't be flung about in case of emergency braking, quick turns, or rough roads.  I bought a tarp which I hoped would be useful both as a clean camp floor as well as to help keep the sleeping platform clean.  Bungee cords keep the tarp (folded in half) in place.

Meal Plan
Due to fire restrictions, but mainly due to trying to keep everything as simple as possible, I did not plan on bringing a stove or having any kind of fire.  Therefore, food was going to be extremely simple as well.  The meal plan:
Day 1 Breakfast: a Power Bar Crunch bar.  We ate plenty of these when we were training hard for triathlons and other athletic events, so I knew this would do the trick.
Day 1 Lunch: Mixed nuts.  A mix of almonds, walnuts, cashews and peanuts.
Day 1 Snacks: Beef jerky; apple; Goldfish
Day 1 Dinner: MRE (meal, ready to eat)
Day 2 Breakfast: a Power Bar Crunch bar.

By lunchtime on Day 2, I expected to be back in civilization.

Day 1
The first day started as planned. Up bright and early, both the dog and I enjoy a quick and early breakfast.  Load up the 4Runner and off we go.  This happens to be the first time any real mileage is being put on the new KO2's, both on- and off-pavement.

After arriving at Marian Campground, the dog and I took a break to stretch out our legs and have a snack.  Then it was off to Brush Mountain, where we hit a steep hill with deep ruts that gave us a bit of trouble. It was a great picture taking opportunity though!

With a bit of fun in the dirt under our belt, the dog and I went out for a hike to explore Brush Mountain.  After we were done hiking around Brush Mountain, it was already a bit past noon.  We then headed east toward San Emigdio Mountain.  Along the route one of the maps showed an old quarry, which was our next stop.  We would have rested for a while longer after our hike of Brush Mountain, but there were a lot of buzzing insects flying around.  Though nothing stung us, it was rather annoying.  At the quarry, there were far fewer insects, so we spent a bit more time there just soaking in the view and enjoying the quiet.

The quarry had clearly become an off-road funpark, but after reading horror stories of sharp rocks piercing tires, I was a bit hesitant to spend too much time frolicking in the loose rocks.  However, we did drive down through the quarry, and at one point a rock's size surprised me when it lodged itself under the driver's side running board, pushing the board upwards.  I reversed off of the rock and the running board popped itself back into shape, but I think this is a sign that rock sliders are needed!

After the break at the quarry, we headed east on the dirt trail along the ridge again. This trail would take us up to the summit of San Emigdio and down it too.  By mid-late afternoon, we found a very nice ledge to camp, tucked a bit away from the trail.  Here we settled in for the evening.

I was very glad to have packed a plastic folding table.  Originally I wasn't sure if it would be necessary, but it was certainly a good idea.  There is a surprising amount of dust on everything and having the table meant one more platform to keep items off of the dirt.  It's also good for eating, reading and writing.

Day 2
I knew this day would be short because I had a flight to catch in the evening, so I had to get home, clean up and pack too.  The plan was to hit one more trail and then head on home.

Lessons Learned
 - Strap the Coolest on one side and the storage bin on another without criss-crossing straps.  It was a pain to undo both in order to get into one of them.
- Paper bag is not sturdy enough.
- Need easier access to snacks!
- It gets cold in the night.  No need to keep a window slightly open (in fact, I've been told I should get some Reflectix for the windows, especially in the winter).
- Dog needs to have his own water bottle for hiking.
- Coolest is just slightly too tall to be able to open inside the 4Runner.
- Get rock sliders.
- I really like eating jerky.
- Dust and dirt everywhere. Seriously, everywhere.

4Runner: Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Meaty BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires

Bald tires are no good.  In keeping with the theme of building an off-road capable overlanding rig, all-terrain tires are called for in this instance.  After reading review after review, the BFGoodrich KO2's seemed like the natural choice.

OEM size: 265/70-16
New size: 265/75-16

Slightly upsizing.  A set of four were bought, but since we are upsizing the tires, a fifth for a spare will be needed soon.  For now, we'll just have to wheel carefully.

Installed and ready to roll!

4Runner: Sleeping Platform

4Runner: Sleeping Platform

Sleeping options; at right is the completed sleeping platform.

Having done a year of service as a grocery-getter, dog-hauler and triathlon support vehicle, the next phase of the 4Runner's life with us will take on the additional duty as an off-road capable overlanding rig.  The plan is to use it as a base for camping.

One of the most basic needs of camping is somewhere to sleep.  Three options come to mind: (a) a normal tent, (b) a rooftop tent, and (c) a sleeping platform.  You've probably already guessed which one I chose.

The drawback of a tent is the need to set up and break down a tent at every campsite, and finding an appropriate site for a tent.  A rooftop tent is expensive and puts a lot of weight very high up on the vehicle.  Finally, a sleeping platform seemed to be the a very good compromise.  While it added weight to the car, it is fairly low.  There's nothing to set-up or break down at camp, but it's also without certain drawbacks too.

L: Fuel filler notch;
R: Cut for passenger reclining

With a good friend, we built the sleeping platform approximately nine inches above the cargo floor, in order to clear the wheels (and most of the fuel filler on the driver side).  This allows a nice four foot wide sleeping platform, more than enough space to sleep two people.  For this fairly basic platform, we cut a semi-circular notch for the fuel filler and then took off two inches at the front of the platform behind the passenger seat.  The notch for the fuel filler was necessary since a nine inch height wouldn't clear the fuel filler; this was purposefully done in order to maximize the space available above the platform.  The two inches behind the passenger seat was cut out to allow the passenger to be able to recline the seat a bit while driving.

The sleeping platform itself is a 3/4" thick slab of plywood, mounted on three longitudinal supports with two cross supports.  Using existing D-rings in the 4Runner, the platform is held securely in place at 6 different points.  Total cost of the wood, screws and related hardware was just under $150.

Big thanks to my friend BK for the help building the sleeping platform.

Top: The support structure
Bottom left: Ratchet straps at the front.  Seat bottoms removed.
Bottom right: Using existing D-rings to secure the platform.