Hello all, here are a few pics of the projects I completed before our trip to the Huron - Manistee NF last month. It was great fun. Please feel free to edit my post if its too long. I have lots of pics and info about the trails etc in the forest that I can post in other threads. Hope you enjoy.
Here is the upgrade to the reverse lights. I found some 2 x 2 plastic and milled out a shape that fit in my receiver. Then I mounted a diffused spread pattern LED light and connected it to the 7 pin trailer harness under the rear bumper. The little cover it came with is a nice touch. I left it on the light unless we were on the trail after dark.
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I also installed a wifi camera in the cargo area to keep an eye on the old moocher while we traveled. The gear was stacked so high I couldnt see her back there and that bugged me. Its runs on its own battery and via USB power. Its the little antennae thingy clipped on with the green clothes pin. The case behind it is one of those lithium ion batter jumpers. The cargo area was also upgraded with a battery / USB powered fan to keep her cool. I plugged both in to the rear 12v supply. I attached a pic of what I see on my phone while we travel.
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In an effort to keep the moocher cool and save our ice as long a possible, we made some insulated window shades. These are that aluminum foil bubble wrap stuff sewn between two layers of nylon. I installed grommets in the corners to hang them. You can see them in the cargo area pics too. They made a huge difference.
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The under hood lighting was upgraded.
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A second battery and DC/DC charger was added.
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I also made a platform to allow more gear to fit in the backseat area. Its just aluminum and plastic but it worked really well. I used turnbuckles inserted into existing holes and locked it down tight to the floor.
The cooler and emergency gear fit on it perfectly. I used ratchet straps around the back of the seats to keep the load from sliding off of the platform. Again, it worked well. My OCD makes traveling with squeaks impossible so the foam wedges are to eliminate any noise as I drive. The sheets over the seats in the pics are OCD related too. I really like these Rigid boxes, they lock together really tight.
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I also made a mount to accommodate a shovel for this trip. You can see it here attached to the swing away.
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