Satan (Timmys) Daily/Tourer/Weekend toy build up!

[SATAN]

Hey Guys,

Ive owned her for a few months now and shes got 10k on her – I figure id better introduce myself and my rig.

After owning a GQ for some time i decided to get a new car, sold off the Pootrol and started looking. Test drove heaps of different rides, and liked the Triton. Whats even better is that the mrs works for a corp up here that owns plenty of dealerships...so i drove a brand spankers White 2013 MN dual cab 2.5TD GLX away with the sidesteps, bluetooth, rear bar etc for 29k on the road.



We had taken time off in anticipation of going on a road trip, getting the triton took longer than anticipated so before even getting to know the rig, she was hitched to my pop top van, loaded up and off we went. Out onto the Great Western, down through Tamworth, Scone, up into the barrington tops (got snow up there!), into sydney and up into blue mountains, back through Sydney and then back up the coast to Brisvegas. Left home with 18km on the clock, got home with 3,500km on it haha.







At that point I had time to think about what I wanted to do and in what sort of order.

I started with 5% tint all round, while the front doors were off I installed JVC comp series 6' splits. I also installed a 42.5 inch LED light bar across the hoop at the back of the cab, and two HID spotties up front. As well as Hi/Lo HID kit for my headlights.



Next i bought some LED work lights and reverse lights for out the back, I have two mounted up high facing down into the tub & out the sides. Then I have two mounted on my rear step hooked up to my reverse lights.



I also bought some Sheepskin seat covers for the front seats, and a cigarette lighter adapter that I mounted on the side of the glove box next to the passenger seat, it splits the one cigarette lighter socket into two plus two USB ports. Its SERIOUSLY handy!







I then got some 265/75r16 Hankook Mud Terrains put on, as well as picking up some new roof racks so that I could mount my awning also.





PATROL TOWING!!!!


This is how she sat bar a few small changes, I got a spare flange off a mate and dropped the rear section of the exhaust and just attached a dumper tip to it before the diff, sounds OK.

I purchased and fitted a GME TX3500 UHF…and a Zombie light switch for my light bar!




So the weekend just gone I took her out to get muddy, and I did a bloody good job of it…I was trying to help recover a mate who was stuck in a D40 Nav, and I was crossing a seemingly shallow boghole when my passengers side slipped off an underwater edge and down she went, luckily the chassis rails stopped me, and some random guys came by and snatchied me out without her going onto the roof…phew! The next day I removed the doors, seats, bottom half of dash, floor, all plastic trims and seatbelts…cleaned them all (mudy watter pretty much filler up my car) and then dried and reinstalled, she is good as new now and no damage at all thank god.





On the Saturday just gone I picked up an Ironman commercial deluxe bulbar, after much umming and ahhing I decided to go with this bar for price and protection, I originally wanted an xrox, but couldn’t justify spending more money on something that wasn’t going to offer the same level of protection. Another good point is that once ive done my suspension I can get matching ironman sliders and scrub bars. I have a mate making up a custom tube rear bar for me. I also picked up an ebay snorkel and am fitting that this weekend with the bullbar.

I guess next on the list is a dual battery setup, im going to build a custom storage setup to replace the rear seats using their bolts so I can keep the fridge in the car too (no kids means on trips I don’t need rear seats). Then my suspension setup, and in the meantime im working on a good way to carry water and a gas bottle in the tub safely and securely in a way which will maximise useable space.

Ill keep updating in there as she develops – next august we are driving out west to alice/uluru and then back along Birdsville. The year after that we are doing cape york, and the year after we are hoping to take 6 months off work and drive around aus!!!!!

My Camp setup with my awning lights -



Thank Guys - Timmy

[har05l]

You get 2 welcomes in one post Timmy

The 1st is for becoming a NTN member and the 2nd is to the submariners club , nothing like a little water in the cab to test if the doors are waterproof , trust me I've tried a few times

Looks like you've started with the mods so have a look around the site because anything you intend on doing in the future would've been done already and heaps of info for all to share

[SATAN]

Thanks mate haha, yeah unfortunately i dropped her in the drink and my first words were 'oh bugger' - then i heard gurgling and realised the water was coming up through the door drain holes and completely filled the passenger side - my words were a little more explicit after that hahaha

[GLRkenny]

Haha, it's definitely not a nice feeling when the water comes in, especially in a fairly new car, welcome to the club and the site

[DocBassett]

I HATE the sound of water trickling in.

[fridgie]

Another recruit

Good to see you wasted no time in using it

[trouble]

There is now quite a few of us sub-mariners on here now!!!

[Cowboy Dave]

I'd say you're lucky filling it up that side and getting away with it - the main ECU is over there somewhere.

[SATAN]

I killed it as soon as she hit the deck! I did expect the ecu to be on that side however when I removed the dash theres nothing on the passenger side? There is an ecu-looking box in the centre just infront of the gearstick :/

Ah well, lucky either way!! Cant wait to get my bullbar and snorkel on this weekend

[brodical]

I think I front f the gear shift is the blue tooth unit and ecu should be behind the kick panel pass Side think I remember seeing it when putting a link wire in for the tow harness....

[SATAN]

Thats really strange bwcause I had kick panels and everything out of the car and no ecu - mines unique haha

[brodical]

I could be wrong mate...I know for sure In the mk it was behind Lhs kick panel as I had to change it .....someone else will know for sure about mn...

[salt36]

Yep ECU is behind the passenger kick panel.

It is higher than you expect and about the only visible part after removing the kick panel is the plugs with lots of wires coming from them.

MN I believe has two plugs, the wires will disappear quickly into the taped up wiring loom.

The ECU is housed in a plastic case that is oriented so a flooded cabin will not let water into the ECU board and chips.

[SATAN]

Ah ok thanks for that. I did see the wires youre talking of but didnt look like a normal ecu id seen. I unpluhged and cleaned and plugged it all back in with a spray of inox. Happy days

[George Kyro]

I'd say you're lucky filling it up that side and getting away with it - the main ECU is over there somewhere.

That was going to be my question for satan CD.

Be very careful with that side!
I drowned my car and wrote it off because the ecu got wet in bugger all depth of water.

If its high enough to reach your seals its deep enough to do some damage!

Welcome aboard!

[VALERIO]

Nice triton mate, In my case the ecu is behind the passenger kick panel, mine is LHD, but I assume is the same for the RHD. In my experience is always good to carry a portable bilge pump, I'd to use it once in a flooded track. I've these one>

[SATAN]

OK, its been a little while since ive updated! I have since fitted my Snorkel, Bullbar, dash mat and a few other bits and bobs haha..I was also lucky enough to stumble across a Canopy with dimensions that were near enough to the triton's tub for my to roll the dice and buy it for $50!



It turns out the width and height are absolutely perfect for the triton, matches the roofline, and is bang on perfect width. Where it suffered was in the length, its about 7-8cm too short, bugger it - i fitted it anyway and i will use the few cm of space up front to get a mate to make up a water tank that sits down in the tub and seals off the gap nicely, then ill fit a 12v pump and a tap to the top of the tank in the gap and I'll have an instant fresh water supply out the side of the car. Overall turning a minor negative into a major positive!



The plan for the canopy and tub is to brace up the inside of the canopy in order to take the weight of a rooftop tent. Inside ill deck it out with LED strip lighting, my aux battery, a power and fuse box to run all my 12v, a fridge slider, and a bed for the dogs.

I wont have any major purchases until late next year after out uluru trip, once i feel that the factory suspension is up the creek ill throw a 2" kit in it comprising of bilstien shocks, dobinsons springs, drop shackles and a couple of other ods and sods. I have a mate that is going to make me up a 4mm stainless bach plate as ive completely buggered my factory one after a few weekends of torture.



If anyone in the Brisbane area is good with 12v and wiring, id REALLY appreciate some guidance and/or help - as soldering and wiring is not my cup of tea and when i throw in an aux battery id rather not set it all off in flames!

[SATAN]

So over the weekend i bought some MDF, a basic hand pump (what you'd use in a caravan/camper) and some marine carpet. I cut the mdf to shape, then waterproofed it and carpeted it. Fitted it up to the gap infront of the canopy and then fitted the water pump to it. It actually looks really good, and is water tight and dust proof. I now just need to get to work on my water tank and lines and we will be able to pull up anywhere, roll out the awning and have fresh water straight off the side of the triton.

I didnt manage to get any good pictures as ive had to temporarily to back to my IPhone and its camera sucks, ill get some pics shortly and continue posting progress pics.

I have been playing with some CAD software and have designed a setup for my tub which includes my water tank, aux battery, fuse/relay board, storage space, and a slide out for my webber bbq and fridge. I will also be making removable divider shelves so all the stuff can go in the tub lower section and the dogs can chill out up top in the canopy section where the windows are.

[SATAN]

So its been a fair while since ive updated this haha, I've since bought a house and things are very different now....I have spent WAYYYY too much money on aerials, more lighting, a steel tray, an SAX suspensions 2.5" lift kit (I cant recommend this enough - WOW), and a few other bits and pieces.

I will get my pics organised and update properly shortly, but the old girl is now bigger, more capable and heaps more comfortable!!

I do have a question though - front auto locker and rear air locker seems to be the best way to go - correct??

[FRDESP]

Nice work there mate

[macca002]

So its been a fair while since ive updated this haha, I've since bought a house and things are very different now....I have spent WAYYYY too much money on aerials, more lighting, a steel tray, an SAX suspensions 2.5" lift kit (I cant recommend this enough - WOW), and a few other bits and pieces.

I will get my pics organised and update properly shortly, but the old girl is now bigger, more capable and heaps more comfortable!!

I do have a question though - front auto locker and rear air locker seems to be the best way to go - correct??

Front lokka's are great bang for buck. Not super practical if you do a heap of 4hi stuff, but are a good bit of kit for 4low.

Since you are going air locker rear, it might be worth waiting around for the next front/rear/compressor deals ARB and TJM like to have from time to time.

[Cowboy Dave]

If I had the coin and the choice I'd choose an air locker or even an elocker over the auto locker in the front.