2019 Frontier SV 4x4 Crew Cab LWB weekend adventure truck build

sideburns

Idaho 2019 Nissan Frontier CC LWB
Just picked up a 2019 Frontier 4x4 Crew Cab Long Wheel Base SV with Value Truck package in Arctic Blue last weekend to replace my 2001 Dodge 2500 Diesel. Replacing my daily driver car and the Dodge with a single vehicle, so I don't have to swap stuff between vehicles or buy two of everything.

3500 miles on it. Like new except for smoker smell and a single hole in the drivers seat cover. Was looking for a 30k-50k mile truck, but couldn't find a good deal on a LWB truck that age, and this was a good deal for a VERY low miles truck in exactly the color and options I wanted.

This build thread will follow my modifications to the truck to make it into the ideal vehicle for me to explore the western US in all seasons. Every weekend is a 3 or 4 day weekend for me, and I like to do two 2 week road trips off the beaten path each year. So being able to just grab clothes and stop for food/fuel on the way out of town is the goal, everything else should be always ready to go. Hoping to get a pop up canopy style camper within the next year, ordering as soon as the Dodge sells, but long lead times leave it 4-12 months out. I'd love to be able to pull up to camp spots late and be in bed in a couple minutes, and head out in the morning in the same time frame. I'm not the hang around camp for two days in one place kind of person, always moving on each day.

As purchased:
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As of 9/9/20:
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As of 2/1/2021:
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As of 5/5/2021:
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Installed as of 7/24/20:
36" Toolbox
Fire Extinguisher in drivers door
4 Maxsa Escaper Buddies traction boards

Installed as of 8/2/20:
Weathertech front floorliners
Nite Ize Steelie Phone Holder
Sylvania ExtraVision 9007 Headlamp bulbs
Sylvania Zevo LED tail/brake lamp bulbs

Installed as of 8/6/20:
Front Neoprene Seat Covers
Dash Cover
New starting battery Odyssey 35-PC1400
Viofo A119 Dash Cam

Installed as of 8/22/20:
StartX remote start

Installed as of 9/9/20:
ARB Deluxe Winch Bumper
255/80R17 Toyo Open Country A/T III x5
KMC KM717 Black Satin wheels x5
Mevotech UCA (SPC without the branding)
All Dogs Offroad Complete Bilstein 5100 Kit with 100+lbs front lift springs and 400+lbs BrOverlander rear lift springs. Ubolt flip kit. About a 2in lift with winch/bumper and 400+ rear load. Probably 2.5-3in till I get the camper and winch bumper on.
17000lbs Sherpa Winch, overkill, but left over from my 3/4 ton Diesel, and should fit in the winch bumper, will definitely amp limit/alarm it to prevent damage.
Rough Country Speedometer Calibrator

Installed as of 9/15/20:
Custom Splice ARB offset hawse
Mile Marker winch shackle mount
Rough Country Speedometer Calibrator

Installed as of 9/25/20:
ADO Rear Axle Vent relocation to rear tail light
Midland X-Talker T71 2 way radios, moved to truck, but not "installed"
Sherpa 4x4 Big Air (10 CFM, nearly 75% more fill-up speed than a twin ARB, 90psi max pressure though, and double the weight/size), in truck, but not "installed"
Rokblokz mudflaps
Baja Designs Squadron-R Sport clear wide cornering lenses, swapping to Amber and wiring when the Motobilt panel comes in
Paranoid Fab ARB fog light brackets

Installed as of 9/28/20:
DIY 3/4" plywood 60% rear seat delete
Snomaster EX67D Fridge/Freezer
Used Valence U27-12XP LiFePO4 | 12V 138AH battery
Samlex 2000w PST2000-12 Pure Sinewave inverter left over from my Dodge for running a 120v chainsaw.
Renogy DCC50S 12V 50A DC-DC battery charger with MPPT Solar charging - BT2 bluetooth monitor/adapter(Vehicle charging only for now, no good place for a 200w solar install till I get a camper, this charger slows DC charging down to match panel output or 25A max, so a small panel makes for slower DC charging, I can get a full 50amp DC charge with no panel)

Installed as of 12/27/20:
Exhaust heat shield to protect my spare tire, only 1" clearance
Tow Mirrors - Found a set of heated Trail Ridge mirrors on craigslist NIB
Motobilt Switch Panel Housing - Top Surface Mounted (mounting in front of shifter), Wiring stills needs done

Installed as of 3/1/21:
Fumoto oil drain plug

Installed as of 4/19/21:
Diode Dynamics SS3 Pro SAE driving lights
Motobilt Switch panel installed
OTR Contura V switches for winch power lockout, winch in/out, fog lights, driving lights, rear lights, rear locker(sasquatch lights/heated mirrors till I get a locker), and air compressor

Installed as of 5/5/21:
OVRLND camper

Installed as of 6/9/21:
Brandmotion FVMR-1150 rearview camera and mirror/monitor
Floor insulation - 0.4" Minicell foam from DIYvan - Filled the .75in deep ribs in the floor nicely, then a sheet over the top
Covered floor insulation with 3/4" plywood.
1/0 awg wire from starter battery to front passenger side of truck bed

Installed as of 8/23/21:
Wiring/fuse panel to move electrical panel from back seat to the camper
10 Series 80/20 track and hardware for solar panel mounting from Tnutz.com
200w of solar, 4 x 50w SunPower flex panels
500A battery monitor (identical to Renogy)
Morimoto XB Hybrid LED headlights and Lasfit LED turn signals
Rugged Rocks battery terminals, super nice design for the Frontier and I assume other vehicles too, only Positive installed so far, need to order some right angle terminals and 2awg cable to make new negative cables
Probably install installed my Sherpa Big air for now, switch to a higher pressure system if I get an air locker

Installed as of 8/30/22:
1" Foam board insulation on walls/ceiling
Dual Viair 425c compressors, and 2 gallon tank, set for 120psi on / 150psi off
255/80R17 Falken Wildpeak AT3W x4
Rest of the 3/8" tubing and air fittings for my DIY UpDownAir
Propex HS2000 propane heater and install kit from gowesty.com
Expedition Essentials Propane mount and 10# propane bottle
Diode Dynamics SSC2 Sport White Flood Flush Mount Amber backlight - Backup/area lights and may use the backlighting as blinkers that will be high mounted on the camper - Currently not hooked up as I reroute some wires.
Diode Dynamics SS3 Pro Amber SAE Fogs - replaced the Baja Designs Squadron sports wide cornering lights that were too tall of beam for on road use. They may become ditch lights or get sold.
Koni Raid 90 Shocks with Heavy coils
80/20 build out of shelving, may build Built out in plywood to test it out for awhile
Android Auto head unit (also upgrade front speakers and delete rear speakers) also installed my 10" sub
Midland 75-822 CB and antenna on the bumper

Owned but not yet installed:
Led interior lights and USB ports
15 Series 80/20 track for the front and sides of the interior walls
Habitat Offroad recovery points Will require some modification to fit with the ARB bumper, and probably whatever skidplate I install too

Ordered:

Changes planned:

Insulation on sides of bed - Waiting on deciding my shelving final design

Changes I'm contemplating still:
Jerry cans and carrier
10-20 Gallon fresh water tank
Trans Temp gauge(Possibly add a full suite of gauges with a digital monitor, as the voltage, coolant temp, and oil pressure gauges are all dummy gauges that aren't super accurate)
Aluminum Skid plates
Area lights
ARB Air locker/s
180A or 270A alternator, stock should keep up fine, but if it goes out I'll upgrade
ARB or Coastal offroad rear bumper and rear hitch delete (May consider swing outs with tire/fuel if needed)
 

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sideburns

Idaho 2019 Nissan Frontier CC LWB
Floor mats installed. Weathertech Floorliners, Fronts only for now.
New headlamp and taillamp bulbs installed.
Phone holder installed.

If I don't work I may get to doing the Dash Cam tomorrow.

Suspension, Axle Vent, Seat Covers, and Dash Cover will be here middle of next week.

Ordered my ARB Deluxe Winch Bumper and Toyo Open Country A/T III's in 235/85R16 load range E/10ply today. No estimate yet on when they'll arrive.

Will probably order Mevotech(SPC) control arms tomorrow so I can get them installed with the rest of the suspension and avoid having two alignments. Not gonna wait for the new ADO arms, whenever they come out.
 

zanethan

New member
Floor mats installed. Weathertech Floorliners, Fronts only for now.
New headlamp and taillamp bulbs installed.
Phone holder installed.

If I don't work I may get to doing the Dash Cam tomorrow.

Suspension, Axle Vent, Seat Covers, and Dash Cover will be here middle of next week.

Ordered my ARB Deluxe Winch Bumper and Toyo Open Country A/T III's in 235/85R16 load range E/10ply today. No estimate yet on when they'll arrive.

Will probably order Mevotech(SPC) control arms tomorrow so I can get them installed with the rest of the suspension and avoid having two alignments. Not gonna wait for the new ADO arms, whenever they come out.

Highly recommend splurging for the Firestone lifetime alignment. It’s $200 and pays for itself after the 2nd one.
 

sideburns

Idaho 2019 Nissan Frontier CC LWB
Highly recommend splurging for the Firestone lifetime alignment. It’s $200 and pays for itself after the 2nd one.
No Firestone or Discount Tire around here unfortunately. Think they're the only ones to offer it.
 

sideburns

Idaho 2019 Nissan Frontier CC LWB
Ordered my upper control arms, went Mevotech. SPC without the brand name, some people say they got the older style ball joints and not the new version 2 ball joints, but for $110 less I'm fine with the older ball joints. It's only $150 for a new set of version 2's anyway once these break/wear out.

Also ordered a new starting battery(Odyssey PC1400 Group 35), this one must have spent too long on the dealership lot or not being driven enough by the first owner, I've heard these trucks will kill a battery in 2 or 3 weeks of sitting. I measured 0.2A draw with the truck off so that sounds about right for a battery this size. Truck was built early 2019, sold fall 2019, driven only 3500 miles and traded in August 2020 just before I bought it. Battery probably got too low more than a couple times.

That about wraps up all the things I need to order to get the truck itself sorted. Probably wait on an air locker till I see how it does in the snow this winter, if ABLS works at all I may skip it for awhile. Still have a lot to install. Now to sell my Dodge and put a down payment to hold my place in line on a camper.
 

trasko

Adventurer
I'll subscribe and watch. I've got a 2008 SE 6MT CC LWB. So similar vehicle but a lot more miles and less budget for stuff. Ha.
 

sideburns

Idaho 2019 Nissan Frontier CC LWB
I'll subscribe and watch. I've got a 2008 SE 6MT CC LWB. So similar vehicle but a lot more miles and less budget for stuff. Ha.

Kinda wish they still made a 6 speed manual in the CC LWB trucks. My knee might disagree, it hasn't liked the heavy clutch in my Dodge one bit. I assume the frontier clutch isn't quite so heavy. I kinda decided to buy once cry once with this truck. I put off a lot of stuff on my dodge over the years because I didn't want to invest money in accessories for a 150k mile vehicle, that I'd likely replace with something else if it broke down.


Got my battery today and installed it. We'll see how the smart charging system handles charging it. Truck seems to drop to 13.3v or so most of the time, and this battery needs 13.5-13.8 for float voltage. I may disconnect the current sensor and just run it as a dumb alternator at 14.2-14.4v or so it seems to run at. Eventually tie it in to a solar charger so it can get a FULL charge when I need it to.
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My tire order was canceled, I ordered from elsewhere that had them "in stock" and they canceled it too. Doesn't look like anyone has five 235/85R16 tires in stock, just one or two. I took it as a sign I should have gone with my first idea of 33" tires and ordered some 255/80R17 Toyo Open Country A/T III's and some KMC 717 wheels. Aren't any 255/85R16's I was interested in, it's just MT tires and commercial tires with no weight, noise, or ride quality concessions. A few nice options in 255/80R17. The KMC wheels have are designed like the Method Trail wheels and have beads designed for better retention when aired down, but they come in a Frontier bolt pattern and decent +18 offset. I should be able to get away with just melt mod and different mudflaps for clearance.

Waiting on UCA's and my bumper, then when the tires/wheels get here I can get started on my bumper, suspension, wheel installs.
 

llamalander

Well-known member
The open diff with the 4wd will do fine in snow, as long as the tires are good. You might consider a few bags of something over the back axil if your bed is empty, much cheaper than a locker and much better in the snow-
 

sideburns

Idaho 2019 Nissan Frontier CC LWB
The open diff with the 4wd will do fine in snow, as long as the tires are good. You might consider a few bags of something over the back axil if your bed is empty, much cheaper than a locker and much better in the snow-

Open diffs do fine in snow, until you lift a tire. Snow/Ice is the only reason I didn't throw a front Lokka in immediately, can be a pain on packed snow/ice. Lifting a tire was a huge issue with the open diffs and front and rear sway bars in my Dodge. Really had to use a lot of speed to get through some stuff. Dodge was constantly lifting tires on tight uphill corners, and the front wouldn't have enough traction alone to pull it uphill in the snow. Hopefully this truck is better about that, so far is seems to be. Locker is more about being able to crawl through situations like that where I'm lifting a tire, hate to have to use more speed in snowy conditions, it's kinda sketchy getting a run at things in the snow on the side of a mountain.

More weight is never the answer. Maybe in an unloaded 2wd diesel truck that has 60/40 F/R weight distribution. My Dodge needed about 800lbs in the rear before it did well in 2wd in the snow, but that 800lbs killed it in 4wd.
 

llamalander

Well-known member
11 winters so far in the Frontier, never touched the locker yet. I put my money in snow tires and the rest works the way you would want/expect it. My winter driving is more from A to B, so I expect exploring brings up some different requirements, but give the stock set-up a try, it is a remarkably capable truck.
 

zanethan

New member
I think you’ll find that the simulated limited slip system (ABLS) on the Frontier will be more than sufficient in the snow. By all accounts it’s very effective. I don’t get snow down my way much but it does great off-road and in sand.
 

sideburns

Idaho 2019 Nissan Frontier CC LWB
Got around to installing the bumper, winch, lift, wheels, and tires on Sun-Tues. ARB didn't fit great because Nissan can't weld the end pieces onto their frames evenly. Had to do a bit of modification to the mounts and frame to get them to bolt up, even with the generous allowances ARB already provides. Truck looks awesome now, can't stop turning around to look at it whenever I get out. Love the skinny 33" tire look on this truck. Going to go test drive it on some dirt roads today if they're still open with all the fires around. Need new rear bump stops that'll work with the ubolt flip kits before I do anything real bumpy. Some bolt/weld on universal 2.5" ones will probably be what I go with. Need to melt mod my fender liners too, fenders only required a tiny bit of trimming, might do some more so I can fit thin tire chains if I need to, probably have to take a 1/2" off the pinch weld too for that. Need to get some zinc primer. Also waiting on a Custom Splice ARB offset Hawse. Installed the speedometer calibrator today too.
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