In Hot Pursuit

[Sparksalot]

Not only 2WD, but with a twist. My overlanding rig was a highway patrol interceptor in is former life. It’s complete with a police suspension, including a 3 inch drop, a G80 rear locker, and speed rated tires. It’s fun on and off road.

So far, I’ve done several tours through the Texas hill country, gone to Wyoming and Utah, and had lots of fun.

 

[Sparksalot]

I bought this rig specifically for camping before I learned about overlanding. I assumed I’d built drawers of some sort, but received a happy surprise. Texas DPS left the weapon locker and cargo barrier in place when they sold it to me.

 

[softroad.406]

I bought this rig specifically for camping before I learned about overlanding. I assumed I’d built drawers of some sort, but received a happy surprise. Texas DPS left the weapon locker and cargo barrier in place when they sold it to me.
View attachment 139668

Pretty cool, getting a police suv or truck inst a bad idea I guess. What do you have planned for your rig?

 

[M Rose]

I love your Tahoe

 

[Sparksalot]

DPS did not leave the radio console in place. So I made a console. Borrowing an idea from a Jeep thread I not only used an ammo can, I used four of them.

I started with a base plate from Jottodesk, then bolted the cans to that. After some use I realized a RAM Xgrip would be a perfect addition to hold my navigation tablet.

I needed a center console - An idea is born

My new to me tow vehicle came without a center console. There was plenty of space, and I definitely wanted to use as much as I could. At the same time, I had a stack of 50 caliber ammo can taking space in my garage. Look at all that real estate! Step one! Make a level playing field. I...

www.overlandbound.com

 

[M Rose]

DPS did not leave the radio console in place. So I made a console. Borrowing an idea from a Jeep thread I not only used an ammo can, I used four of them.

I started with a base plate from Jottodesk, then bolted the cans to that. After some use I realized a RAM Xgrip would be a perfect addition to hold my navigation tablet.

can you talk some more about your ammo can center console? Tell what each can functions as, parts used for cup holders and radio box, ect ect

 

[Sparksalot]

Pretty cool, getting a police suv or truck inst a bad idea I guess. What do you have planned for your rig?

I've made use of the existing roof holes to mount an array of ham radio antennas. One radio is located in the front can of the console. For off-grid fun, I've added a Frontrunner footwell water tank.

The rear seat is a 60/40 bench. I took the 60 portion out for my trip to Flaming Gorge, UT last year. So far I haven't found a reason to put it back. On a normal basis, my doggie has plenty of rear room stretch out there. When on a trip I can put a couple of gear crates in and her bed on top, so she still rides in comfort!

 

[Sparksalot]

can you talk some more about your ammo can center console? Tell what each can functions as, parts used for cup holders and radio box, ect ect

The forward side of the front can is mostly removed to allow airflow to the radio. It's an Icom 2200 2 meter ham radio. There's also a Scanguage mounted on the lid of that one. The cupholders still leave a little space in the second can, so things I don't access often are there. The third and fourth cans use MTM ammo can organizers to keep miscellaneous stuff, plus CDs and such.

 

[M Rose]

The forward side of the front can is mostly removed to allow airflow to the radio. It's an Icom 2200 2 meter ham radio. There's also a Scanguage mounted on the lid of that one. The cupholders still leave a little space in the second can, so things I don't access often are there. The third and fourth cans use MTM ammo can organizers to keep miscellaneous stuff, plus CDs and such.

Thanks, those ammo can inserts are the exact ticket to the problem I was looking at overcoming if I were to use your center console design.

 

[Sparksalot]

Thanks, those ammo can inserts are the exact ticket to the problem I was looking at overcoming if I were to use your center console design.

Perfect! I think I actually bought them at Walmart for a bit less.

 

[Sparksalot]

My copilot using the Frontrunner tank for a pillow.

 

[Relic6.3]

a G80 rear locker

My Silverado has the G80 rear locker too; truck is fairly new to me so I have to learn how to best drive it. About a week after getting it I had backed the rear passenger tire into a friends pond and actually needed a little help to pull it out. Truck weighs about 6200 lbs, street tires for now. When I started spinning I immediately let up so I wouldn't tear up his lawn. Guess I needed to just let it spin a bit for locker to kick in? Definitely need to get this out onto some trails or something to get it dialed in for me. I'm sure AT tires will help; and now I have traction boards to help if needed too. Although I don't want to spin on the boards as that isn't recommended either.

 

[Sparksalot]

My Silverado has the G80 rear locker too; truck is fairly new to me so I have to learn how to best drive it. About a week after getting it I had backed the rear passenger tire into a friends pond and actually needed a little help to pull it out. Truck weighs about 6200 lbs, street tires for now. When I started spinning I immediately let up so I wouldn't tear up his lawn. Guess I needed to just let it spin a bit for locker to kick in? Definitely need to get this out onto some trails or something to get it dialed in for me. I'm sure AT tires will help; and now I have traction boards to help if needed too. Although I don't want to spin on the boards as that isn't recommended either.

I've learned there does need to be a bit of spin to engage the locker. A 120 rpm difference between each wheel is required to engage.

I've got a set of boards as well, but haven't had the need for them yet.

 

[rho]

A 2wd truck with good tires and a G80 can get a shocking amount of places. My partners truck is a '03 2wd with the 5.3, a lift and 285/75r16 tires and it does great. You gotta keep the truck moving and let some wheel spin occur but not gun it or let it drop off. It responds well to keeping steady throttle input when it starts to slip or backing off on the gas a little. Once you figure out how to drive with them they do pretty good, just don't expecting to be doing a burnout and have it survive.

At some point i want to take the one in our truck apart, replace the clutches and play with the disengagement governor in it, the stack of clutch packs to get a more aggressive LSD effect and the engagement governor. supposedly that can help the unit work better but they tend to just replaced or blown up so who knows.

 

[Sparksalot]

A 2wd truck with good tires and a G80 can get a shocking amount of places. My partners truck is a '03 2wd with the 5.3, a lift and 285/75r16 tires and it does great. You gotta keep the truck moving and let some wheel spin occur but not gun it or let it drop off. It responds well to keeping steady throttle input when it starts to slip or backing off on the gas a little. Once you figure out how to drive with them they do pretty good, just don't expecting to be doing a burnout and have it survive.

It seems you're reading my mind from the last outing I was on. We'd had a week of steady rain and the roads were a deep thick mud. But slow and steady, feathering the throttle, and I was through with zero problems. It was actually fun knowing it'll do it.

At some point i want to take the one in our truck apart, replace the clutches and play with the disengagement governor in it, the stack of clutch packs to get a more aggressive LSD effect and the engagement governor. supposedly that can help the unit work better but they tend to just replaced or blown up so who knows.

If I were gonna play, I'd love to have a Torsen-Gleason differential.

 

[rho]

It seems you're reading my mind from the last outing I was on. We'd had a week of steady rain and the roads were a deep thick mud. But slow and steady, feathering the throttle, and I was through with zero problems. It was actually fun knowing it'll do it.



If I were gonna play, I'd love to have a Torsen-Gleason differential.

Yep! when you know how the diff works, it does pretty well.
If the g80 in our truck ever blows up, I'm planning to get a detroit and re-gear the truck. The torsion diffs are great but I feel in a 2wd something that does a hard lock would work out better in the long run for dirt road and desert travels.

 

[Munga Brown]

My copilot using the Frontrunner tank for a pillow. View attachment 139674View attachment 139675

Your co-pilot looks a lot like mine. Love 'em!!

 

[Sparksalot]

I finished rebuilding the 125 amp auxiliary power feed the DPS radio guys savaged when the radios and other electronics were removed. When I bought it, I couldn’t determine what the cut #4 cable had been connected to. I found a good photo in an auction listing, plus found a schematic. The feed goes to a terminal block under the dash, then splits into three 50 amp feeds with automatic reset breakers. One feed at the dash, two more in the rear near the locker.

I terminated the under dash feed with 30 amp power poles, figuring anything I plug in there will likely be well under that. The power poles match all my radio gear. The two in the rear are terminated in 50 amp power poles. That leaves a lot of flexibility for future heavy draw items, or a power center.

there is also a 60 amp feed that goes into a number of switched with the ignition circuits. I haven’t traced those yet. I did commandeer the fuse to serve some direct ham radio feeds already.

 

[Sparksalot]

Some recent fun in New Mexico.

 

[Sparksalot]

Some of y’all may have noticed the low riding trailer hitch at the rear. I found a solution to draggin’ butt at times. Especially getting in and out of my driveway while towing my teardrop.

I replaced the “impact bar” bumper structure to gain a factory hitch. Doing that raised the hitch centerline nearly 9 inches. I also dropped the weight of the aftermarket hitch.