This year I had the opportunity to get out into the wilds for eight overlanding and bushcraft trips lasting a total of 28 days. These were a great way to physical distance through the epidemic. They also proved a good test of my gear, skills, and preparedness.
I’m very happy with my truck and hope to make it last for many more years. To that end, in 2020 I took the time to remodel it. I regeared the differentials and added a rear air locker. I replaced the front bumper with a hybrid winch mount and added a full complement of lights. In addition, I insulated the cab for noise and temperature. I also added a separate solar electrical system. Those changes all improved the capabilities of the truck but also pointed out some other items requiring improvement.
What worked well
Here is a look at what worked on my truck’s overlanding system. I’ll start with what worked then follow with what didn’t.
Communications
The most significant change I made this year was to admit that the ham radio is not the communications panacea that I had anticipated. I had hoped that I could use the radio to communicate my status with home, but I found that I was visiting areas that were out of the reach of APRS repeaters. Twice in the past three years I scraped the antenna off the truck. After the first time I now carry a backup.
The ham solution also comes with a steep learning curve, both on the send and receive end. The Dear Bride was not interested in SMS messaging, so we used email. This isn’t too complicated but it has to be setup in advance and it isn’t quite as simple as composing an email. However, once you know the protocol, it’s not too difficult; that is when you can find an APRS repeater.
UHF communications are line of sight, and not all repeaters are APRS aware. Prior to using the system, I didn’t quite internalize what this means. I was fooled a bit by good results from the Gifford Pinchot Forest. There I’m usually able to connect to local repeaters with no problems; high altitude and clear lines of sight. APRS works quite well. But in the desert, it’s another story. There are fewer repeaters, and so topography plays a bigger role.
In the Frederick Butte area, I can contact Grizzly Mountain in the north and /or Walker Mountain in the south; communication is good and reliable. Much further east and I’m out of sight. My campsites were behind a hill or in a canyon. The net affect was the same, no comms; and without comms, there was increased anxiety at home. She would expect a message from me and I was unable to connect to a repeater to send one.
In addition to location issues, APRS does not work when the repeater is down. This year the Grizzly Mountain repeater was off line during one of my trips. Of course I didn’t know this until I had returned. I was frustrated at not being able to send any signals on that trip. It wasn’t until I checked the status from home that I discovered it was offline. But given that there are so few repeaters, when one goes down, there aren’t any alternatives.
In an attempt to improve the situation, I moved the antenna from the front of the truck to the roof. I changed antennas to a magnetically mounted version. I’ve even acquired a Chameleon MPAS 2.0. But I seem to favor campsites beyond the reach of the APRS system—personal failing😉.
All this and it took a long time to figure out how to receive messages. I could get it to work locally but then when I went away I couldn’t receive messages. As an aside, I’ll point out the absolute necessity of practicing with the radio. Practice, practice, and practice some more. The system is so complicated there are a huge number of possible mistakes.
So, this year I switched to the Garmin InReach Explorer+ and after one year’s use, the system has yet to fail me. The Garmin InReach is a satellite communications system; it works pretty much everywhere. I’ll acknowledge that it also requires some advance setup; you need to register email addresses or phone numbers of your contacts. Messages have a maximum of character limited so they have to be compact, but it’s like SMS, just send another. I paired my device with my phone and tablet so that I can type on either of them. That is also a big win over the radio.
This is a big win. While I like Ham radio it will no longer be my primary communication mode when in the field. Having said that, I just acquired an HF set so I hope to test WinLink next year. With WinLink I can even send pictures; if I’m willing to wait for them to transmit at 300 baud.
Offroad Truck Lights
I can’t say enough good things about the Baja Designs lights I installed on the front bumper. There are times that I arrive in camp after dark. Prior to the remodel I would use my high beams and the stock Toyota fog lights. Well, they worked, but there is no comparison with the aftermarket lights. After driving with them even the high beams appear dim.
I chose to install a 30” S8 light bar, four Squadron Sport fog lamps (2 white, 2 amber), and 2 S2 Sport lamps in a cornering slant.
I wired them into a sPOD universal switching system, so that I can control them separately. I’ll note that the sPOD I chose is the physical relay system not the digital one. I gave up Bluetooth connectivity to gain physical rocker switches and relays. That way if a relay were to fail, I just unplug the bad one and plug in the spare. With a digital system when it fails you are out of commission until replaced or serviced. I don’t feel this is sustainable in the wild. But they are just lights, I can still get home.
Jackery Power Station
When I did the current truck remodel, I decided that instead of a dual battery system I would work with a separate power station. The thought was that it would keep my running electrical system completely separate and I would never compromise to ability of the truck to get me home.
I’ve tried using this to power everything from an electric blanket to my radios. The first complaint that I have with the unit is the recharge time. However, I’ll admit that this is a feature of all batteries. It’s the primary reason that I don’t want an electric vehicle. I hope that Toyota can improve the hydrogen fuel cell so that it can work in rough conditions. Charge rate is a limitation of current battery technology.
The second fault is the choice of 12V connectors. They include a couple of separate USB ports; that’s good. Better would be to include a high amperage USB port to charge laptops and tablets. Also, the 6-millimeter barrel ports are relatively useless. It took me a long time to find connectors that I could use. But truthfully I’ve yet to use it.
This led me to turn all of the supplied output cables into Anderson Powerpole adaptors. Then all I have to do is to add Powerpole connectors to new appliances and I can plug them into the 12V or 5V system of choice.
All-in-all the Jackery works wonderfully. I use the 100-Watt solar panel to recharge the system when in camp. On the move I connect it to the truck’s charging system. I do plan to add a 30V converter to the truck to speed mobile charging. And that brings me to the next item.
300-Watt Alternator
To keep pace with the increased electrical demands, last year I swapped out the stock alternator on the truck with a 300-Watt unit from Excessive Amperage. This unit works and works well. Just to keep tabs on it I installed a dash-mounted volt meter. The meter shows that even under load it has never dips below 13 volts. All that you can ask for. I highly recommend this upgrade.
Warn Winch
Well, I had the opportunity to test the Warn winch in operation. On one of my first trips out in the desert I was faced with a log blocking the road. I had sought a campsite on the slopes of a desert butte. The pines there were doing well.
I was able to cut it with my electric chain saw and pull it out of the way with the winch. Everything worked flawlessly. I do have to open the hood to connect the winch controller cable, a wireless remote is a potential upgrade. I’m just not sure that it is all that important to me right now.
Makita Chainsaw
That leads me to my current favorite luxury item, the electric chainsaw. I saw the utility of this rather belatedly. I had carried a gas chainsaw for some years until I grew tired of the gasoline smell and mess. Sure, the electric has it limits; but I use it primarily to make firewood preparation easier.
On my desert trips I bring enough firewood from home to fuel my first night’s fire. That way I don’t have to concern myself with collecting any if I arrive in camp real late. The rest of the trip I rely on local wood. This prevents the spread of pests from my home area to the areas I visit.
I chose the Makita brand because I already had other Makita tools that used the same batteries. So, if you have another favorite brand, go for it. The important part is the separation from the smell and mess of dealing with gasoline.
Solar Shower
In a tie with the Makita saw as the favorite guilty pleasure, is the solar shower. I had never tried this before, but being a product of 20th century America, I do love my daily showers. I fill the shower bladder at home and then transport it in a collapsible bucket.
I simply leave it in the sun for a few hours then hang it from a tree. Often the water is too hot to use straight from the sun. I have to let it cool in the shade for a while.
The feeling from washing off the dust after a day exploring the desert is awesome. I was late to the game with this also. But again, better late than never.
Rotopax Gas Cans
Since in Oregon they want me to have dangerous contact with gas pump attendants I carried an extra 3/4 tank of gas with me. That meant that I was able to restrict my human interactions to a single event. I even skipped the stop at Starbucks.
What went wrong
Well not everything works like you expect. It’s important to consider what failed as well as what was a success. I previously mentioned that the ham radio was not sufficient for communication with home.
The Year’s Big Fail
This year the 4WD actuator lost electrical contact and left me stuck in 4 low. I did a post on this event so I won’t recap it here. But suffice it to say that over the truck’s lifetime the grease on the contact plate for the 4WD actuator was contaminated with water and dust. Eventually that thickened grease accumulated between the contacts and broke the circuit. Naturally it happened when I needed 4 Low, which, given my propensity not to use it until I need it, was way out in the wild. On the slope just beyond the log in the above photo.
Of course, at home I rarely shift into 4 low. Yes, I know, Toyota asks that I shift the transfer case at least once a month. But since I don’t have a gravel driveway I don’t often run in 4 low. And so the transfer case failed when I needed it. I made it to the service bay at no more than 35 MPH but that took hours. Big fail.
I still think about replacing the transfer case with a manual unit. But since Toyota cancelled the FJ they are getting rare. And there is that bit about cutting a big hole in the floor for the shifter.
Another big plus was finding a wonderful mechanic at Elite Auto Repair in Redmond, Oregon. If you are ever in or near Redmond and need auto service, they are your guys. They also run Epic Towing so they can rescue your vehicle. Cory expertly diagnosed my problem and was able to fix it while I watched. Toyota wanted $1200 for a new actuator, but the crew fixed the problem with a bit of clean grease. And if this wasn’t enough, he showed me how I can do it myself should it happen again.
Camper Shell Rear Door
For years I’ve had an issue with dust intrusion into the bed. Given that I sleep in it, dust intrusion is a big problem. I was able to reduce the dust by installing weather stripping around the tailgate, building covers for the cubby hole fasteners, and sealing the weep holes in the open bed niches.
It helped for a while, but the camper shell started to spread to the point where the weather stripping no longer sealed. This negated any gains I made from sealing other places. At first the problem was helped by loosening the clamps holding the shell to the bed squishing the shell opening with a ratchet strap and tightening the clamps. That would last until I ran over a washboarded road. Then the shell would spread again letting in the dust.
As a final try, I duct taped the door shut. This worked, most of the time. On a few trips to the desert, I had to replace the tape because the dust was so bad the tape adhesive failed.
I consulted with several RV repair shops and they all agreed, that short of pinning the unit to the truck, nothing could be done. The shell had lost some integrity over the years. Perhaps the previous owner had overloaded it at some point.
This year I replaced the old shell with a new SNUGTop Sport Hi-liner. The new shell is wonderful. It’s much sturdier, the connection points are much less intrusive, the door seals, and the rain washes down the channel instead of dripping on the tail gate.
With the new shell I had to replace the towers on my Yakima rack with a newer model. I purchased the last ones in 1986 which speaks well to Yakima’s quality construction. Having racks on top of the shell is supposed to be a stronger mounting system, but since I rarely load more than a few tent poles it might take a while to notice.
I’m working on a way to hang my water thermos and backpack from the rack, and perhaps add a couple tie down points for my tarp.
Water Leak at Front of Truck Bed
I’ve been struggling with a water leak at the front of my truck bed. For years I was convinced that it was from the shell seal. Well, I found ta YouTube video (which I can’t locate anymore), and discovered that the leak is from an overlap in the bed wall parts! Come-on Toyota.
The most important concept was one I should have thought of myself. At night, shine a light into the bed area and patch everywhere you can see it, then repeat as necessary. Well, I did just that and found that the hole was about two inches below the shell. For years, I’ve been trying to patch an area that wasn’t even leaking. Once discovered, it was easy to force some duct seal into the hole and it’s been dry ever since.
APRS Communications
I already mentioned this above, but I’m so disappointed that I’ll put it here again. This is a fail. I realize it was just a mismatch between my expectations and reality but it stings to be so wrong. Don’t get me wrong APRS works fine when there are receivers, but where I hang out there just aren’t any.
Front Suspension
After all of the offroad use I’ve given the truck the bushings and ball joints in the front were in need of replacement. So, I fitted new lower control arms, ball joints, and sway bar end link bushings. Hopefully these will last as long as the previous set did–not likely.
Windshield Wiper Transmission
On my last trip of the season, I noticed that the passenger side wiper was not moving. Happily, the driver’s side worked fine. At my first night’s camp, I found the driver’s side tail light bolts were very loose, so something more was not unexpected. The roads had been very rough and I hadn’t aired down enough.
This video provided the solution. It took me an hour to complete the repair. I did use different fasteners with nylocks to hold things together. I had to wait for a few days for the cowl fasteners to arrive so that I could reattach the cowl. Given their brittleness, I broke them on disassembly. I may have to repeat on the driver’s side eventually; but I’ll know how to do that when the time comes.
Bosch Wiper Blades
I ‘ll admit that I’m real disappointed in the Bosch wiper blades. I lost one blade to the cold, it crimped and never again sealed to the windshield. Now, only four months later its replacement has already started to fail. I’m going back to the RainX wipers. They are more cold resistant than the Bosch blades and I get a year of life from them.
Gas Stove on Cold Mornings
This year the fire restrictions were more extensive and lasted longer than in year’s past. Since I couldn’t have a fire or use the FireBox stove, I used the butane stove more often than normal. Gas bottle stoves have an issue with the cold. When it’s cold out they just don’t work. Some mornings temperatures were in the low 20’s so the stove was not ready to go to work on my morning coffee.
To deal with this I used Hot Hands hand warmers. Activate one of the warmers and put it against the gas bottle and the stove will function properly.
Drive Belt Tensioner
The drive belt tensioner on my truck is ticking. I assume that this is because of its age and the increased demands of the alternator. Regardless, I’ll be replacing it this winter. I have the replacement part in the basement and when I get a less rainy day, I’ll get it on the engine.
Rotopax Fill Spouts
I absolutely hate the fill spouts that come with Rotopax cans. I understand they are the product of excessive government regulation, but they are horrible. They hardly protect the environment when I spill more with them than with a simple pour spout.
There are replacements that are easier to use and spill less fuel. However, the replacements have fragile gaskets. Happily, replacement gaskets are available. Carry them, you will not regret it.
Conclusion
I think that covers the big things from this year. When I collect it all together the list is longer than I thought. I plan to repeat this very year to keep a record of the improvements in the system.
I’ve added a Bushnell night vision scope, a new HF ICOM radio, and a black light flashlight to my list of toys for next year.