Recent content by kraven

  1. kraven

    Boone, NC overland shop

    High Country is ok, but they mostly want to sell those Rubitrux conversions they do. Triplett and Coffey fabrication shop can do any rack or bumper mounting, and electrics like dual batteries can be done by most of the shops in the area. Plow trucks usually get upfitted to dual batteries so...
  2. kraven

    LX470 winch bumper options that don't cost an arm and a leg.

    I should do that. I'm not an engineer and don't trust "it looks like..." as much as it sounds like I do above.
  3. kraven

    LX470 winch bumper options that don't cost an arm and a leg.

    The TT winch plate doesn't really look that strong, if you take a look at how it mounts and where.
  4. kraven

    ExPo 100 Series Registry

    Year, model, color, etc: 2002 Red Name of owner/screen name: Kraven How long have you owned your 100 series? Is this your first?Just bought it. First 100. Mileage at date of purchase and present mileage:130k Your favorite mods... If any:None so far. Looking to do bumpers, compressor, roof rack...
  5. kraven

    The overland beater: Dodge 1500

    The dash skin is a product designed to cover the detereorating dash that comes from the factory. The plastic never got a proper blend of UV resistant stuff when it was engineered, so all the Rams from the 2nd gen have this problem. The replacement dash is somewhat expensive at about 450 bucks or...
  6. kraven

    The overland beater: Dodge 1500

    After my trip this last week to SMOR, I realized I was going to have trouble filming out of the windshield because of the reflection the dash guts have on the glass. So, I bought a dashskin, made in USA by people who care, and installed it. Snappy slogan they have there. Here's the installed...
  7. kraven

    The overland beater: Dodge 1500

    This truck has turned into one of my favorite things to drive in my stable. I'm glad you liked the write up. I enjoy doing this stuff. Think I'll order a new dash-skin for it off eBay to cover the unsightly mess from the broken dash. Everyone comments on it. haha. It's only like 120 bucks. I...
  8. kraven

    The overland beater: Dodge 1500

    Got some video with my new camera mount, but used my phone to see what the quality would be like. Fun facts: Here in the Southern Appalachians a lot of the roads are made on either old railroad beds or on old wagon/horse trails. So, they are not super wide since most of the rail through here...
  9. kraven

    The overland beater: Dodge 1500

    Took the beater to the Smoky Mountain Overland Rally (SMOR) yesterday. This is a pretty great rally. The timing was really good with spring blooms and all that. Behold my crappy camera phone pics. Rides happen rain or shine, and though the usual contingent of stubby SUV's on 33's were there...
  10. kraven

    The overland beater: Dodge 1500

    Thanks for the tip, Kojack. I'll see if I can find some. I don't mind the light I have now, but I won't be mad if I can get more on the cheap. :)
  11. kraven

    The overland beater: Dodge 1500

    Got the tire rack mounted on the bumper. Having a through bolt on the heims means I can pull it off when I'm just tooling around, and then add the rack when I be trippin. Had to do a little grinding. And I tacked the set nuts for the heims to keep them in place, so now I can jut rotate the...
  12. kraven

    The overland beater: Dodge 1500

    It's pretty great how much fun you can have in a truck that's already beat up. :sombrero:
  13. kraven

    The overland beater: Dodge 1500

    Spent most of the spare time I've had getting my Mercury ready for Hot Rod Power Tour. It's a thrash, since she hasn't been on the road in a few years. Anyway, I did buy a tablet to use for nav, and have been reading up on how to jack it into the truck's sound system. Got a couple of...
  14. kraven

    Thoughts on flat beds & tool bodies

    I had a 1969 Chevy with 3/4 axles and a utility bed years ago. Biggest problem was having too much storage. Like others, I brought everything. It was heavy, but on the scales it didn't have a bad bias. So it went okay. One thing to remember is that if you get lots of stuff/weight in it, you...
  15. kraven

    The overland beater: Dodge 1500

    Dang, that's a good idea, chili. U-bolts are pretty dang strong if you get them off spring packs. I went ahead and finished up the bumper mount today, but didn't add any plate because I just didn't want to head out to the steel shop. Here's the final mounting with the tire carrier mocked up...
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