Bob's Truck Build

[mattz]

It's coming along nicely bob.
And to think it would still be as stock as a rock if you didn't find this place.
Your making a great tourer.


Go hawks!!!!!

[big_bob_thefirst]

Cheers matt. I'd like to think I'd do a few mods... Just not the right ones. This forum is a great spot. Love the trips as well.

[big_bob_thefirst]

So, leading up to last week's camping trip, I wanted to get the fridge and dual battery set up completed.

In the back, I installed a 47L ARB fridge & slide, a 100AmpH AGM battery, a Cteck D250S and a 400W DC to AC inverter.


The Cteck caught me out a little as it was a bit of playing and asking around before I found out that you have to run an earth back to the starter battery. Annoyed me a bit as I had used a thin cable which was installed for some LED lights to pull the big cable to the back. Had I known that, I would have pulled both cables at the same time...

Anyway, here's the set up at night out camping. I had already pulled a good bit of stuff off the top of the drawer. The drawer set up in generally is sweet. You can use a lot more of the canopy space. Really fill it up:

[big_bob_thefirst]

Fitted a tigerz11 thumper air compressor today. Saw the good reviews and with the recent sales on, picked it up for just over 100 bucks. Good value indeed!

Just not completely sure how many wires I got running around in there... Might have to tidy it up a little.

[big_bob_thefirst]

So, after seeing how expensive radio's were at the 4x4 show, I went online and picked up a Uniden UH7760NB radio with AT-770 antenna.

It's got all the controls on the handset, which seems pretty useful...



I mounted the antenna on the roof rack.

[big_bob_thefirst]

Thanks to this site, I just completed putting in the I-pod aux cable. Now I can play music everywhere!

Great mod and easy to install thanks to the instructions on this site! Best $32.50 I've spent I reckon!

[salt36]

Lots of mods now Bob, looking very cool

And isn't it amazing how the inexpensive things can mean the most ?

For mine it was the front seat spacers, soooo much more comfy......

[motoz]

Looking good there mate. I see we're going to have to go on another trip sometime soon.

[big_bob_thefirst]

Ya salt, it's the cheap ones that u really win on! 32 bucks for a cable is still to expensive but the ease of attaching it makes up for it.

Defo Motoz, when r u back on ur next rotation? Thinking somewhere in the flinders mayb...?

[big_bob_thefirst]

So I finally managed to install and wire up my new driving lights. Managed to pick them up at the 4x4 show here in Adelaide. $125 for the 2 lights and wiring loom. I was happy with the price and know now I have the ability to spend a bit more $$$ on just the lights themselves in the future if I need too. I thought $125 for the 2 lights and the loom was good value...

This was by far the hardest / most advanced mod I've done to date. I've never soldered before, so building up the nerve to shave the insulation off of an OEM wire (high beam) and solder on a different wire to it, had me a little worried. Now, it's probably not the cleanest solder, and i will have to test how it goes with the lights on for a while at some stage to see if it's a "hot spot" but I'm happy with myself and the outcome...

Lights off....


Lights on...


Only thing left to do is clean up the switch inside the cab. Just have it hanging loose under the ash tray at the moment. Also, I didn't have enough wire to wire up the ground on the switch itself. Everything still works as it should so not too sure what that ground is for?? The switch gets power from the high beam light and is then wired to the relay... Why the need for the ground?

[hvac guy]

For the light on the switch

When its turned on

what type of lights are they?

[big_bob_thefirst]

Possibly hvac guy. Don't know if there's a light on the switch... Will have a look.

They're ironman gamma 175. I haven't seen many reviews but they were cheap and included the wiring loom.

[gregned]

Hi Bob
What did the paintjob cost for the canopy?
Who did it?

[big_bob_thefirst]

Hi Greg, the repainted cost me $600. Was getting very similar quotes from a few places. They were the cheapest and was a mate of Motoz...

Place is called caddle crash repair on dunorlan road in edwardstown.

[big_bob_thefirst]

Hi all,

Just a quick question on some camping / reverse lights.

I want to set up the light so they automatically go on when in reverse or using a switch in the back for camping.

Would put the light thru a relay with the 85 wired to the reverse light. Can I also put a switched power source on that 85 to trigger the relay or will I turn on my normal lights as well? R there relays with 85 and 85a set ups??

[Cowboy Dave]

Somewhere on here is a diagram that someone made up about how to wire in with relays and stuff. Might be worth a search around as it was a pretty good little diagram from memory.

[big_bob_thefirst]

Ya, I've been looking for a diagram. Lots of info on here tho.

I can do it with 2 relays but would like to do it with 1 if possible. Don't actually mind lighting up the other reverse lights either as long as it doesn't work it's way back too far...

[Naff]

Might be able to use a diode in the reverse light line... never tried this though so not sure if it would affect anything else.

[big_bob_thefirst]

Oh excellent. A diode should work. Will check out that option! Cheers naff.

[dan.batto]

I used a diode in my combo, I think an on/off/on switch or something like that should be able to help you, I just used an on/off switch with a diode inline (cant remember how i wired it now) so as I can have my reverse camera switched on but not my reverse lights (my thoughts are the same principal) might be in my build thread though!

[Cowboy Dave]

I think it may have been this thread I was thinking of http://www.newtriton.net/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=5872&p=94332&hilit=reverse#p94332

[big_bob_thefirst]

Thanks Dave, that's not what I'm looking for tho...

I'm thinking I'll run a cable from the OEM reverse lights straight to the relay, so the new light will always go on when I'm reversing. In parallel to that trigger, i'll run switched power to the same spot on the relay. That way I can use a switch in the back to turn on camping lights.

With the diode in the line from the OEM reverse lights, I should b ok. I think. I'll try to get a drawing up.

[Cowboy Dave]

Ah yes. But then now that you say that I still think I've seen a diagram that does that too. Will I be able to find it though...

[Mattstruck]

Mate you don't need any relays! Just a 3 position switch DPDT. I've got mine set up like that. Very easy!!

It has an auto function. Reverse lights.
Manual off. Off.
Manual on. Always on.

Works a treat. If you're Interested in it pm me and I'll sketch up the wiring diagram. Maybe a pic.
3 wires so simple, ask a spark

[big_bob_thefirst]

Oh ya?? Can the OEM cable and fuse handle the extra load without a relay??

A diagram would b great!