9 replies to this topic

[lqhikers]

thought i would share my experiences as i go through the building of our new 4x4 tacoma access cab.first project is building the mounting brackets to attach turn buckles to bed.the process was made possible by stan at fwc sharing pictures of their install.pretty simple, brackets are 1/4"x11/2"bar with 90 degree ends welded on with 5/8"holes drilled to hold turnbuckles. mounting points are the bolts that hold Composet (plastic!)bed to frame.all in all a pretty easy build,of course it would not be needed if toyota had keep the steel bed! drive slow and enjoy,"its the journey"

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[Tomas Tierra]

LQ,

Quick question, how comfortable do you feel with this mounting set up?? I've read in past posts about yuo breaking turnbuckles in Baja.. are you going to do anything else to anchor your camper to the truck??

A friend is considering the same truck for his FWC Eagle. I will be curious to follow your progress..Thanx for posting!!

TT

[lqhikers]

i plan on adding a second set of tie downs as i did on my 2002 tacoma as i do not trust eye bolts only or the new tie downs.99 percent of the time normal tie downs work fine,but i know from experiance that there are times when you might hit a hole.or have to really punish the truck to get out of a bad spot,most of the time i get into these spots its my own fault!but that is what makes it worth while! drive slow and enjoy "its the journey"

[EdoHart]

After looking at all 3 threads, all I can say is that you do some really nice work. I especially like the idea of removing the rear seat and making a custom storage area that uses the stock mounting locations!

[Mark W. Ingalls]

After looking at all 3 threads, all I can say is that you do some really nice work...

Ditto that. It's great to share two passions (adventuring and making stuff) with others on one forum.

But I simply must learn to weld!

[DLN]

Mark,

I hear ya, every time I see the work lq does I think about buying a welder and starting the learn curve.

[EdoHart]

Mark,

I hear ya, every time I see the work lq does I think about buying a welder and starting the learn curve.

I looked into welders a while ago and would really love a Lincoln Electric 220V MIG welder with the option to use shielding gas. However, I would only need the 220V for making bumpers, etc. and the 220V outlet in my garage is designed for a clothes dryer, hence it is only a 30 amp, not the 50 amp (IIRC) required by that welder.

[lqhikers]

i forgot to add pics of second set of tie downs as we were packing for trip! front mount is welded to frame with removable insert,i made it so it did not stick out like the kit you can buy as i feel it would hit under rough conditions.rear mount is mounted to rack support.i never (hardly ever) remove so it works for me. i keep front turnbuckles tight rear just snug,worked great on trip.i have no problems welding,drilling ,adding ,taking off items on truck as i bought truck to use .i'm toying with the idea of converting bed to flatbed with 3 point mounting, using airbags on two mounting points . depends on if i can find the right size utility boxes and justify the work /benefit return. drive slow and enjoy "its the journey"

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[brett13]

lq,

Nice work. In the second pic on post #8, how did you mount the tie-down to the camper? Are you comfortable with the strength of that mount? One other question, and it might just be the angle of the pics, but does the camper touch the top of the bed rails?

-Brett

[lqhikers]

i attach turnbuckle's to factory jack mount,had to drill hole's out a couple of size's bigger to accomidate turnbuckle's,same on rear.used this same mount on 02 taco many trips (rough)no problems. after adding inside truck bed mounts (which gives me 4 tie down points) i use a thick rubber bed mat between camper bottom and truck bed,had to remove plastic (toyota calls them composite)top rails so camper just misses top of bed,did not want to raise camper to much as it puts window out of alignment with truck window,i have a naug boot between camper and truck so travel cat can come and go as he please's!its close but did not rub or touch on trip so clearance is enough.hope this answers your ?.drive slow and enjoy "its the journey"