Advocate I
Thanks, and that's great info. I don't believe mine is drilled, I'll check and drill it ASAP.
-TJ
Going back to a Full Size for my Overlanding
- Thread starter tjZ06
- Start date
-TJ
I double checked mine to see where my hole was made since it was a long time ago. I drilled through the handle perpendicular to the shaft where it inserts into the handle. The hole is on the back side or facing down when you are holding/using the shovel. Hopefully that makes sense. Out west it may not be as big of an issue but in the southeast our first shovel didn't even make it 3 months.
Advocate I
I haven't updated the thread in a bit, because I haven't changed much on the rig. I've just been using/enjoying it. Eventually I still want to get a custom leaf pack made to eliminate the blocks and better handle the weight, but honestly it's been super handy needing the bags to level it out. I intentionally park nose-low at camp, then drop the bags to 5psi lowering the rear a couple inches, making the step between my folding step and my step/skid in the RIG'd swing-out a bit smaller. I also will air one side or the other back up to help level if needed... meaning I've rarely needed to use the leveling blocks I bring.
I wish I had started keeping track of nights slept in the rig, and trips taken since I got the FWC... but it's been a lot and I absolutely love it. There is no "perfect" or "ultimate" setup, but I like to think I've built something close, at least for me. The range has been so nice (I don't even think about it while the rest of the group stresses on it). The power even at 10k+ lbs is amazing. The MPG really isn't *that* bad all things considered (15-17 MPG freeway doing 65-75 MPH mostly, 10-12 MPG trail depending on how far I air down, and whether it's a 2wd or even 4H type trail, or a 4L trail) but of course the cost of diesel is painful right now. I find I have everything I need, but still suffer from over-packing. I've been slowly thinning out items I find I don't use and think I'll have it dialed in soon. All-in-all very happy I went back to "FOOL" size.
-TJ
I wish I had started keeping track of nights slept in the rig, and trips taken since I got the FWC... but it's been a lot and I absolutely love it. There is no "perfect" or "ultimate" setup, but I like to think I've built something close, at least for me. The range has been so nice (I don't even think about it while the rest of the group stresses on it). The power even at 10k+ lbs is amazing. The MPG really isn't *that* bad all things considered (15-17 MPG freeway doing 65-75 MPH mostly, 10-12 MPG trail depending on how far I air down, and whether it's a 2wd or even 4H type trail, or a 4L trail) but of course the cost of diesel is painful right now. I find I have everything I need, but still suffer from over-packing. I've been slowly thinning out items I find I don't use and think I'll have it dialed in soon. All-in-all very happy I went back to "FOOL" size.
-TJ
Advocate I
Oh, the one pic I took from the weekend (out near Ward lake, in the Mono Hot Springs area):
-TJ
-TJ
Enthusiast III
Advocate I
Thanks! Not much will change on the rig soon, I have new rear shocks and I may or may not mess with fabbing a rear sway bar... but I'm exceptionally happy with the whole setup.
-TJ
I went on Tom Cole's BDR trip with my FWC, overall it did great, I should have taken the running boards off though!
Attachments
Advocate I
Did Moab a week ago, great time and the full-size did great even on all of White Rim:
-TJ
-TJ
Advocate I
TJ, did you take that through Hardscrabble Hill? Man I was sweating it in my WJ with the inside mirror folded in and my passenger was too freaked to take pictures lol!! I can’t imagine a full size with a camper!
James
Advocate I
I was leading and I’m broken by narrow and steep AZ trails so we just charged it
it might be less intimidating going down?
Advocate I
True I guess, we did out and back so I ran it both ways. Come to think about it, it was A lot easier downhill and being able to see the edge of the road.
This type of post is making it really hurt to trade in my Sierra for a Subaru Forester. Beautiful
Advocate I
Advocate I
Traveler III
Great build thread, well thought out build on this rig, amd well executed. Looks like a near perfect overland rig! Love the SAS amd I'm really digging the swing out cook setup. That is the bees knees, I bet that get alot od use and appreciated out on the trails.
Looks like you have already put the rig through its paces and have has some epic adventures together already, looking forward to watching this rig progress even more and itching to see your next adventure.
Looks like you have already put the rig through its paces and have has some epic adventures together already, looking forward to watching this rig progress even more and itching to see your next adventure.
Advocate I
Wow, thanks! Seriously thanks for taking the time to review my thread (I know I can be long-winded) and provide such a thoughtful comment!
As for the swing-out, I couldn't agree more. I won't lie, the RIG'd setup gets expensive when you look at the whole package. But it flat-out WORKS, and is easily the most used piece of kit on the rig. Firstly, it allows my my full-size, matching spare. Not only is this a necessity when way off-grid, it also lets me do a 5-tire rotation etc. Second, it also provides mounts for my trash bag and chainsaw mount (I love these Adventure Trailgear bags, I'm not affiliated in any way, but it's a small business run by a dedicated enthusiast and his customer service is second to none, as are the products) and the Rotopax. The Rotopax I use for water as a hand-wash station. That might seem like a minor thing, but I use it connnnnnnstantly.
Yes, I have a sink inside the FWC, but I don't want to be climbing in and out, opening/closing doors, etc. when I'm cooking and have raw chicken or whatnot on my hands (I cook a lot, and outside absolutely as much as possible). Then there's the flip-down table with the slide-out cutting board which obviously have endless uses including my drink station (whiskey in the PM, coffee in the AM ;) ). Honestly even if I didn't have the FWC and was running a rack system and RTT or something where I'd have room in the bed for the spare, I'd absolutely still run the RIG'd.
And yes, I've tried to get the rig out as much as possible, because it's what makes me happiest. I've pushed it some, but not even remotely to its limits yet (never had to lock up either axle yet). I've been in some pretty good rutted, articulation situations where it would have been way tougher if it was still IFS and now they're just a breeze. I don't ever intend to "rock crawl" this thing or seek out trails I can only barely make fully locked, the idea is to be over-built and that allows the stress/risk levels to stay low. In fact, the hardest things I've done was one a 100% solo trip. I'm not sure it would have made it through before on IFS and with only the rear G80 locker. As-equipped I felt safe and sure about making it, I just wish I could have gotten pics.
Once the front bumper and winch are on I want to say it'll be "done" but then again, are they ever done? I guess the next phase would be inside the rig. Right now my MTXZ275 just lives in the center console and it's not really "mounted" so I'd like to finish that. My S-Pod is mounted in a great location (unfortunately I don't have a pic handy and the truck is back home in Vegas), but I need to run a second "leg" to it in order to take some bounce out of it on the trail (truth-be-told it bounces more on CA freeways than the trail). Then there's the backseat area... I have it filled up on every trip and really I just need to delete it and build out dedicated storage for the items that "live" back there. I have a pretty serious system in this thing, which includes a big sub box under the back seat.
As much as I know I "should" get rid of the subs for this iteration of the truck's evolution, but I just love how it sounds far too much. It's funny, the interior is tastefully custom (I'll post pics this weekend) with black alcantara covering the headliner, A-B-C pillars, door panel inserts, and a few other panels along with the all Hertz-audio system which obv makes no sense for an Overlander. But that was all done nearly 10 years ago and is all holding up absolutely perfectly so I can't see getting rid of it.
-TJ
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Advocate I
You can see a bit of the interior in these older pics...
Those pics were from way before it was supposed to be my Overlander, but the WJ was down. I had the bed loaded and the cab full, but I should have realized then it was the right rig!
-TJ
Those pics were from way before it was supposed to be my Overlander, but the WJ was down. I had the bed loaded and the cab full, but I should have realized then it was the right rig!
-TJ
