Building a “Home” in a 80-series Toyota Land Cruiser — part 4
A bit more work on the exterior. Added rock sliders and new Old Man Emu suspension from Cruiser Outfitters. The suspension is a bit stiffer because of all the expected load we are planning to add to the car. Only thing left on the outside are tires. We planed to put BF Goodrich 295/75R16 but they are not available anywhere. Bummer. Just ordered on Costco 285/75R16. Maybe next time.
We also added a rear rack from 4x4 Labs. Luke is an amazing guy and a great designer. It supprts 3 Jerry Cans and a High Lift. The roof rack is made by Prinsu Design in Idaho. It easily mounts on the vehicle and spreads the weight. Very well designed!!
The air system was installed with an ARB compressor and a 1 Gallon air tank. A pressure reducer was required for the air system that pushes the water up out of the tanks to the faucet and shower head. We are fighting gravity all our lives…
The ARB awning was installed with custom made brackets.
The interior was done by Sid’s Custom Upholstery (Alex is professional, charming and highly recommended) and was finished yesterday. All the cushions are leather to match the from seats. We used 2" firm foam to leave as much headroom as possible. All the leather was purchased from LSEAT and they have very good service.
The cabinets were finally powder coated with Navy Gray (Cardinal GR-01) by Moises Finishing in San Jose. We installed the drawers with soft close glides. Also, all the sheet metal inside was covered with noise dampening sticky material. The couch/bed had the leather cushions installed with stainless snap buttons.
The finished panels for the drawers were installed using 100% silicon to glue them. We hope it will hold.
The heat exchange was mounted above the transfer case. There was just enough space for it. Silicon hoses to the radiator water. Rigid copper for the drinking/shower water.
The drain for the sink was hooked up. The last section is silicon hose and it exits behind the right rear wheel. An extension can be attached if we want the water to flow away from the vehicle. Otherwise we can just put a small bucket.
Now that the cabinets are ready, It’s time to finish the plumbing and electrical.
Just figured that we need to run wires down from the solar panels on the roof. We figured a ladder would serve two functions. Also added a step to climb to the back, since the tail gate is 36" off the ground. Ah, yes, and we got new tires!
We did a test of the hot water system. Ran it through a 1 gallon container. It took 10 minutes to bring it to temperature. Seems like we will have hot water after all. The original pump that we chose was not self priming, so we chose a different pump. We used an old prius battery to run the pump.
We leave to Alaska in less then 4 weeks, and now everything must come together. OK. It’s time to post.