Silverback
Lima Gulf Bravo Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
Oh no.. mine are nowhere near that bad. damn!
Primate Labs Test Subject - 2007 Tacoma - codename: Silverback
- Thread starter Silverback
- Start date
Silverback
Lima Gulf Bravo Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
I'm going to research those Dakars that are designed for 600 lbs in the back at all times. @Anathollo are those the ones you got?
No, I got the standard ones and added a AAL. But in all honesty, I probably didn't need the AAL this time because it's been a few years and the rear end still hasn't settled down low enough (I got my first Dakar leaf packs used from Drew).
You should've seen Jason's old Dakar packs because they had a negative arch on them before he replaced them
Silverback
Lima Gulf Bravo Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
Finishing up the final light tabs to weld onto the rack.. too fucking hot to do much. Anyhow, got an idea for a poor mans "Decked" system.. it will start with these two Pelican Vault cases. Which I like better than the decked because they are weather proof. They will get a "deck" above them with tie-downs. Tossing around the idea of making it full width with cutouts near the tailgate for the side cubbies.. or just make it over the cases and call it good. Will also add some stainless leader lines to the lids to prevent them from flopping over all the way.
My vote is to make the shelf the width of the cases. That way you have little cubby holes on the sides to tuck stuff in like the decked system.
Silverback
Lima Gulf Bravo Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
That is kinda what I am leaning at as well. Easier to cut the piece as well... not funky curves like the wheel wells to cut around, just a 40x40 or so square piece of 3/16" or better aluminum with a thick rubber mat on top. I will skin the "table" sides and back in thinner aluminum to prevent anything from getting in there. Also thinking of just having the cases slide on some hdpe or maybe get fancy and do some drawer slides attached to the cases. I'll worry about that later when I finish up the wiring and crap for the rack.
On my step-dad's 8' bed box he built out of 1"x4"s and a 3/4" plywood bottom, he sprayed silicon on the bottom of the tray and man it slid in and out just fine (he was thinking of adding drawer glides to it when he originally built it). He would re-apply silicon to the bottom every couple of years.
Not to be a debbie downer, but I talked to a Pelican rep in person in 2018 NRA ShotShow when those Vault cases had just been released to the market and the rep told me "off-record" that the Vault lineup isn't as durable as their 1700 series of cases and that Pelican was forced to come out with a cheaper case lineup because of the flood of shitty, cheap knockoff cases coming into America from China. So don't be surprised if those cases break when you load stuff on top of them.
Silverback
Lima Gulf Bravo Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
I know its not as durable as the 1700 series... but it also does not have wheels that I do not need and they will be sitting in there not doing much so I am not too worried about them. Plus they won't have anything directly on top of them, there will be a "shelf/table" above them that other items will stack on.
Silverback
Lima Gulf Bravo Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
Also, I think I am going to cut the rubber Tacoma bed mat and put it on top of the shelf area.. then the cases will just slide along the composite bed which should be pretty slick and allow them to slid easy enough.
Yeah, that'll probably work well enough that you don't need to do anything else.
Silverback
Lima Gulf Bravo Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
and if they do turn out to be shit.. they sell the Storm series which has one that is almost identical to the exterior dimensions as the Vault series. So worse case I could replace them. Like I said, Poor mans decked system.
Silverback
Lima Gulf Bravo Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
Well despite the heat I have been working on this thing. Got the compressor all plumbed in finally... I may have a slow leak though. Will tackle that once it cools down.. I'm tired of crawling around under the truck. Also cleaned out the big tool box in the bed and got rid of wiring I have no idea where it goes to. Figure when I find things that don't work I will properly wire and label them using my Dymo labeler. Will give me a chance to break out my Fluke and teach the young one how to shoot wires. Got the piece that the two LiFePo batteries will mount on cut out. Awaiting some stainless eye hooks for the battery tie-down straps. 3rd brake light is wired in.. did not wire it to the backup light as it was acting funny when I did. Seems it did not like two inputs at the same time (foot on the brake and trans in reverse.. hot or miss on what light would come on). On the fence about wiring up the down firing work light.. its not the brightest and I already have lights there. Installed a cheap Amazonian Tacti-cool seat cover with molle molle molle straps and pouches on the drivers seat, the leather was ripping along the edge so I figure this was a cheap way to fix it for the time being.
Silverback
Lima Gulf Bravo Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
WeBoost is completely wired up and tested. Quick test in the garage (shitty signal) and I got 4.37 down and .85 up without it. 6.74 down and 1.46 up with it. Looking forward to testing it out in the country.
Hope to work on some "hangers" that hold a large shelf near the top of the toolbox that will hold Inverter, fuse block, kill switch, other shit like that. But if it does not cool down soon I am calling it quits.... 101 degrees at the moment.
Hope to work on some "hangers" that hold a large shelf near the top of the toolbox that will hold Inverter, fuse block, kill switch, other shit like that. But if it does not cool down soon I am calling it quits.... 101 degrees at the moment.
Silverback
Lima Gulf Bravo Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
Fuck the 'hangers'.. figured out a better way. Need to make a trip to Home Despot tomorrow for some supplies. Temps dropped but I also found cold beer.
Silverback
Lima Gulf Bravo Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
So, NOCO battery trays came in today along with some nice straps with stainless hardware. Also picked up these battery vibration absorption pads, they feel very weird... like jelly of sorts. I just kind set one up with the strap and giggled the battery and they appear to work. Also swapped out the keyed locks on the compressor door, I hated that each lock had a separate key. I have the mount for the battery trays out drying in the sun, I coated it in Flex Seal!! Had a can laying around and figured I was not going to use it.. might as well use it for something you won't likely see. Downside is that I have to wait for the shit to fully dry. Hoping this 102 degree heat with virtually no humidity and full sunlight speeds it up.
Silverback
Lima Gulf Bravo Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
Texas sun and heat FTW. Shit dried... even sprayed the bottom side! Anyhow, will most likely trim maybe 1/2" off the left side. Need to drill holes in the 4 corners and middle to bolt it through the bed. Tomorrows project. The batteries will be connected via a Blue Seas 4 position switch.. so we can have "off", battery 1, battery 2, or combined. Figure when its on shore power, truck is running or under the sun it will be combined. When parked it will be off, or just on one battery so they don't fight.
PSU Taco85
Well-Known Member
Looking good! Got a link for those battery pads? Are the straps and pads one kit or purchased separately?
Silverback
Lima Gulf Bravo Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
Everything was purchased separately. The battery trays came with a tie down strap but it had plastic buckles. I felt the stainless would be stronger over the long term. The vibration mats were a bit of a "oh cool I need that" but after I strapped a battery in and giggled it a bit.. they do work.
PSU Taco85
Well-Known Member
Thanks, I'll add them to my wish list. I need to go over my trailer batteries and see how they are secured, my feeling is they are just sitting in there LOL.