Video

Yeah, but what’s the tank called?

GMRS can be handy for communications. But, a friendly tip: don't key up a radio without an appropriate antenna connected. A transmitter circuit is expecting a 'load' of a given impedance. If there is no load or if there's a significant impedance mismatch, you can blow the final stage of the transmitter/amplifier.

Ive been following your mod ideas for as soon as you put them out. Impatiently waiting for final design. My fj needs this kind of attention. lol

I’ve just been lurking. Looks good so far!

I'll try not to touch the microphone in future vids...

I'll try not to touch the microphone in future vids...

Most likely not going to add the front HDPE panel.

Tested the new light relay and it works great. Both light circuits on and did not trip the Anker internal breaker.

I know that pump makes an ungodly racket, but keep in mind that it only runs when pressure is required. Once the plumbing system is complete with water, the pump will build pressure in the system then stop. Use some water and it automatically starts again until pressure is restored.

Waiting on better fitting hose clamps and then will get the PVC tube plumbing runs done.

Because of how tight the tolerances are inside the cot framing, we are using 1/2" barbed brass elbows to connect the PVC tubing to the pump and the 4-way valve.

After shooting this vid, I adjusted the glide cars to let the cot extension slide more easily. As a result, I think it is still a good idea to do the plunger to keep it from sliding while driving.

We won't need the teflon tape to get the cot extension to slide easily. We are still going to use the plunger and work around it with the Hest mattress. We might even stop by Hest's Georgetown location to get some expert help in modifying it.

Since we did this very rough prototype vid a year ago, we switched to a linear glide rail and car system from our framing vendor to make the bench/bed work. We're using that system for the cot extension in our FJ Cruiser Stealth Camper along with a spring-loaded plunger to hold the cot extension in place while we are driving. The hinge and framing part of our solution remains unchanged.

Epic. Better than my drawing on a napkin 😂 I did something similar but have the fridge inside the drawer, so it’s one big level platform. Very cosy sleeping in the FJ, love it. Do you have a video on the actual build?

Proxy, not proximity. :)

A slight revision to the water system design (after shooting this vid) has the hoses leading to the back of the rig tucked along the outside of the Rotopax tanks. The t-slot along that edge makes for a handy way to clip a 3/4" hose in place. We also moved the pump slightly toward the rear of the rig to make room for the supply side sediment filter and barbed fitting.

After buying a Rotopax water tank, I realized that a submersible pump will not fit in the fill opening so moving to plan B which is a 3.0 GPM Shurflo pump (7.5A) hardwired to my distribution panel with a 15A switch to activate mounted near the Rotopax tanks. The pump will be mounted vertically to the spacer board next to the Rotopax tanks just behind the tanks. Found a three-way valve on Amazon that is perfect and will allow me to draw water from two different locations without disconnecting and reconnecting supply hoses. Will need to be careful with the DC load when operating the pump as the max. output to my panel is 10A.

Again my apologies to RIG'd Supply for butchering the pronunciation of their name.

The labels on the framing is how we code each framing piece to do material ordering and keep track of cutting.

The glide bar is UHMW polyethylene...a very tough subset of polyethylene that has a strength to weight ratio 8-15 times greater than steel.

The removeable bamboo panels can be used for food prep on the tailgate.

The plunger has a M16 x 1.5 threaded body so a 16mm+ (5/8") hole needs to be drilled in the plywood/rubber. I'm going to seat a M16 x 1.5 threaded nut at the bottom of the plywood so it sits flush, then screw the threaded body into the nut using washers above the 5mm rubber surface.

If you are wondering about the frame labeling in the vid, its our coding for keeping track of all the pieces that need to be cut, how long to cut each piece, and where they are installed in the construction.

1/8” spacers at the extrusion bolts. Wood screws for the angle from the bottom.

These are done. The first four are going on the FJ tomorrow.

My apologies for mispronouncing “RIG’d”.

Most likely drilling a second set of hitch pin holes in the RambleRack stinger to get the table (when open) exactly where I want it relative to the open storage drawer shown in the video. No modification needed to the length of the stinger.

please can you send the skp. !!!

Portable GMRS radio for the time being…looking at the Talkpod A36 on Amazon.

Meant carriage bolts, not lag bolts. Also using M6 carriage bolts with security nuts over nyloc nuts for the Rotopax mounting plate.

can i have the sketchup project so i can do it to my car please!

Not water, gasoline. One of these days I’ll actually use a script for these vids. ;)

To lock the Hi-Lift jack on the carrier, we are going to use 1/2" square neck carriage bolts (so they won't turn while tightening) and the Hi-Lift locking knob (VERS-LK)...plus a non-locking knob for the other bolt.

*I'm not homeless or sleepinging inside a tiny FJ Cruiser. 6 man Ground top tent I can walk inside, stand up straight, that how camping is done*

How tall is the FJ what the roof rack and RTT? I would like to have a similar set up in the future but curious if these additions will restrict me from parking in my garage at work 😅

I recently posted another video that shows the furniture mockup we built out of 2x4s.

Love the progress updates, can’t wait to see a physical mock up.

Probably getting an iPad Mini for Gaia and OnX routes and that will attach to the Carmount as well.

Love seeing the mock-up within the FJ, really brings the whole thing together! Have a small, dumb question. How is the accessibility of the rotopax water jugs behind the fridge? Do you need to slide out the fridge to get to them, fold down the back seat, or can they be lifted up and over the fridge as it sits? Can’t wait to see a physical model install, stellar work.

Nice to see progress on your build! I’ve just finished doing more refined measurements on my own vehicle last night.

Now that I have my FJ, I realize this idea of a dishwashing drawer won't work. There just isn't a wide enough opening with the doors open to allow a drawer to extend out the passenger side and still allow the passenger seat to slide back far enough to be comfortable. Its fine, we'll just use the camp table and the same collapsible sink to do dishes.

Very nice model, well thought out. Would love to see some progress updates in the near future

Looking nice. The FJ is a bit of a puzzle, but there are a few pockets of space nested away, i.e. the suicide doors have usable space and the rear compartments waste quite a bit as well. Have you had a look at some Australian FJ camper setups? There's some great ideas there about how to squeeze things in, built on top of a GVM upgrade of course.

Does this proposed modification require just the passenger side seat bottom removed, or a complete seat delete?

Moved on from Roofnest to 4x4 Colorado Nimbus for the RTT. They also make a solid roof rack that is significantly less expensive than Sherpa and Prinsu.

Some work has happened since this vid was posted. Power will be a Goal Zero 1000. Working on how to maintain easy access along with fitting the subwoofer.

We found an alternative for the subfloor that is lower cost, easier to install, and does not require driving to Colorado. The system is specifically designed for work van upfitting and does not require any type of glue down or mechanical fastening. We’ll be installing this floor over LizardSkin acoustic and thermal insulation.

Note that the aluminum extrusion profiles we use have asymmetrical T-slots. We use these because they have no-slot sides that we typically face outward. It makes for a very clean, professional appearance. We also use hidden connectors that make it easy to have "captured" panels fit into the T-slots. All captured panels get special gasketing that keep the panels from rattling in the T-slot.

Putting all the key electrical components in the drawer box has the added benefit of allowing that part of the build to be done “on the bench” as opposed to “in the van”. This makes for easier wiring between components and for a more compact installation footprint.