| Author | Message | ||
     Steve Andrews (Sillybus) Member Username: Sillybus Post Number: 179 Registered: 08-2002 |
Over the past few months, I've been incredibly busy with work, neglecting upgrades for my very stock D1. As cabin fever reaches to an almost unmanageable level and work loads are starting to taper off, I've been putting more and more thought into an upgrade plan for outfitting my Disco for my specific needs. While I understand that my needs are not unique at all, they are most likely different from the "average" D-Webber if there is such a thing. My rig is basically a stock '96 SE7 with all that entails. Since ownership, I have added a full size Wilderness rack which has been incredibly handy and a rear receiver shackle that was a quick add-on in preparation for MAR which I was sadly unable to attend at the last moment. I've also got my own fabricated limb risers and a pair of Dee's diff guards. My "adventures" usually entail camping in the GWNF off of a logging road, which doesn't require the capabilities of the Disco, or 4-5 day concert trips, following my favorite band around the East coast. I also very much intend on heading out to MAR this year and NOTHING short of a family emergency is going to stop me this time around. With all that said, I will lay out my requirements and throw some ideas out there for feedback. ISSUE #1 - I'm blind and I can't see In my day-to-day use of the Disco, I have found it incredibly difficult to see when backing up at night. The D1's reverse lights are either placed too low or not bright enough to be of much use even in my neighborhood which is heavily wooded and lacks any form of street lighting. I literally have to rely on backing up until I feel my back end leave the opposite side of the road because I really can't see where the road ends and the ditch begins. What I would like to do is place two work lamps on the rear of my rack that work in conjunction with my reverse lights, but also be of use when I am out in the "field" for setting up camp at night which is usually the norm. I am first concerned with the legality of using auxiliary back-up lamps in my state as an always on in reverse option. I live in MD and really haven't been able to find any info one way or the other on this. If it is prohibited, and just in case I happen to be somewhere where it is, I have thought that I should wire up with a three position switch, totally off, on w/ reverse and on with the engine off so that I can use it in the field. I also prefer not to do any drilling through the roof. I have a "ghetto" idea that you may blast me for or have a better solution for that is explained further in the next issue. ISSUE #2 - Well now I can't see forward I really want some front lighting on my racks for visibility. I wouldn't get a lot of use out of this but when heading into a camping area on some of those roads in the mountains, a little extra light wouldn't hurt. Since I also intend on being at MAR this fall, this would allow me to do some night missions. I have the standard air-dam on my truck, complete with factory fogs. I at this point, intend on either completely removing or trimming that back and placing the fogs up underneath as rock lights. I am thinking that with all this lighting, what I could do is run my work lamp wiring forward along the inside rail of my rack to meet up with the front lights. Then run the front lights toward the passenger side and down the windshield with those stick on clips into the area between the windshield and my hood. From that point, the wires would terminate into a wiring harness that would plug into its mate and route to whatever relay/fuse rig and power source necessary. The premise for this is that if I ever get a tall enough garage, I will be able to remove/reinstall the rack fairly easily without a whole bunch of wiring hassles. This is my "ghetto" idea because I am sure it would look terrible and end up getting fouled up with limbs from MAR or ice during the winter. Probably not the best idea. ISSUE #3 - More power, more power Since some of my extended trips send me tripping back into town at some point for ice, I am eventually going to seriously look into getting an Engel fridge or something "comparable". I would like to mount two power outlets, one on each post of the inside rear of the way-back. How do I power this? How do I route this? ISSUE #4 - Stock is great but stuck is not These upgrades will cover the majority of my trips. Of course, it will leave me still lacking in the MAR department so that will be my summer focus to include: 1. Removing side steps and replacing sills with rock sliders 2. A better set of grippage with slightly larger tires and steel wheels 3. A newer, heavier brush bar with a winch and maybe a pair of fogs if finances allow. 4. A lift of about 2 inches - after the brush bar/winch to compensate the suspension toward the extra weight. I've read old posts, even asked some of these questions before but figured since taken on as a total project sort of thing, might get a different perspective on things. I am also looking for someone to do the wiring, for a fee of course, located near the Eastern Shore of Maryland as I am a total electrical idiot and am too freaked by that sort of stuff. Even with the best guidance in the world, it would fail on me the first time I really needed it. I've a philosophy, stick to what you know. So bash or suggest away, I'm listening. - Steve | ||
| Prescottj (Prescottj) Senior Member Username: Prescottj Post Number: 288 Registered: 12-2002 |
What would you like to do with the rear? keep it stock, swingout tire carrier, new rear bumper? | ||
| Steve Andrews (Sillybus) Member Username: Sillybus Post Number: 180 Registered: 08-2002 |
I'm pretty much determined to go with the TJM rear upgrade that I had planned in the past. I actually had it ordered then had to cancel it for other reasons. Its way down on that priority list. | ||
| Andy Thoma (Andythoma) New Member Username: Andythoma Post Number: 34 Registered: 01-2003 |
That wiring idea is not bad. I did the same thing on mine. I have a simlar rack, I have a Kaymar. I ran my wirng on the under side of the rack with wire ties. I have 4 lights in the front and two on the back. I ran the wiring down the passenger side A-pillar. I drilled a hole in rain gutter and put a wire tie through it to hold the wires down. I then used a wire loom clip, black plastic u shaped strip that has a sheetmeet screw through it, to hold the wires down on the bottom. I screwed two into the plastic thing in front of the windshield, under the hood line. I put a extra wire between those two wire looms(about 10") to allow for a tree snag. I used a bunch of wire ties on the wires going up the a-pillar. I used stick on wire looms on the window rubber, I ended up using a silcon glue made to flex to hold them on. I bought those wire looms from pepboys, I also got from there a "baja" auxilary light wiring kit. This kit had a 30 amp fuse and relay and 12ga wires that are for wiring 4 lights to a roll bar and a bumper of a truck. What was nice is the wire is run in pairs of insulated wire inside a black plastic insulation (like a house hold lamp plug) . More than enough wire to get to the rear of the truck along the rack and run 3 seperate pairs of lights. I wired the lights so I have 3 switches, rear pair, two inner, two outer. I am using hella 500's euro centers and ipf 968's on the outers. I love the rack for utility, but hate the fact it catches on trees. I live in Utah, so trees are to big of an issue, but I still beat the shit out of my lights and rack. Limb risers help, but I'd recommend not mounting the lights higher than the highest bar on the front of the roof rack. Plus I carry building supplies on the rack, 2x4x12's and 4x8 sheets won't hit you light if you mount them lower than that top bar. I put 3 switches in the blank I had for the sun roof controls. It works for me as I have no sunroofs. As for the other mods, I would cut the bumper and lift the truck first. I bet you need new spring and shocks on your 97 anyway. Invest in recovery gear and some "jate" rings for the front to do recoverys. A bumper and winch is great, but learning offroad skills and having all the rest of the recovery gear is quite important too. If you are going on fire roads you probably don't need a winch yet. If you need a winch, you probably should be going with wheelers. I had a deer rearrange my front end, so I bought an ARB as the stock replacement with the insurence companys help. So far I am winchless, and I want one, but other mods have been more useful to me, like the lift, better tires, roof rack, diff guards, steering stablizer relocation, engle freezer, hilift, recovery gear (straps, jack mate, shovel, hilift base, tow chain, 3/4" shakles, tree strap), off road battery (exide orbital). As for the freezer, I cheated on the wiring, The previous owner had one of the old school cell phones hard wired into the truck. The ant. transmitter thing was wire and mounted right by my pass side rear taillight. I ripped it out and used it 12v power supply that ran to the battery. | ||
| Paul T. Schram (Paulschram) Senior Member Username: Paulschram Post Number: 1045 Registered: 02-2002 |
Who is the band you're following? Paul | ||
| Andy Thoma (Andythoma) New Member Username: Andythoma Post Number: 35 Registered: 01-2003 |
Also the wiring to the rack. I used bullet type connectors on the rack wires to under the hood to disconnect easily. I used 4 30 amp relays route to the lights and to a fuse block. I bought a fuse block that was for car stereos and was rated to take a 4 50amp fuses. With muliple lights it make a nice way to tie into the battery and a make a neat connections to the relays. Plus if you need to disable the lights for dot inspection, it only takes a second to pull the fuses. Also get water proof relays and fuse block, buy good connectors and use them for all connections. Mount everything on stong mounts. The lights will take blows from tree limbs. I made mine slightly loose. They can move if given a hard blow. I have had to move them back into place, but they survived. More expensive roof rack lights then what I have may work better, but I couldn't justify it because of the prospect of destroying them. Plus my rack lights are for setting up camp, night wheeling if nessacary (i'd rather be at camp before nightfall), and of course they look cool  | ||
| Steve Andrews (Sillybus) Member Username: Sillybus Post Number: 181 Registered: 08-2002 |
Paul - Dave Matthews Band usually but now that Phish is playing again, I may do a couple of runs with them as well. Andy - Are you running dual batteries or a beefier alternator or is that not necessary in your opinion? | ||
| Andy Thoma (Andythoma) New Member Username: Andythoma Post Number: 36 Registered: 01-2003 |
I am running only one battery, the exide orbital. Its one of those spill proof gel things. I got the largest they make for starting and running the truck. The only things I run over the stock power needs is; 2 12v aux lights, 30 watts, "truckers lights" rubber coated cheap simple lights. I can run those for a while without to much drain. The front four lights on the rack are rated at 55 watts each. I also run two hella 3000's on the arb ratted at 100watts each. I have CB but I haven't put it in yet. My truck has the factory up rated stereo with a cd changer and the two factory amps. I usually don't use all the lights at once. I wired my bumper hellas to come on when my hi-beams are on, if the hellas are switched on. The rack lights have constant power so I can use them while the truck is off. So far I haven't had any power issues. But I put a new battery in my disco as I added lights. When I use all the forward facing lights I am driving offroad and not using the radio or AC, usually. So I haven't had any problems with power drain and they don't seem to dim as the truck idles down. The rear lights and maybe one pair of rack lights might get used for camp setup. The freezer I tend to run all the time the trucks on. I have left it run for two hours and had no problems. If I get to camp earily I will plug in the freezer and run it for a while, I will cycle the motor to charge if need be. If I get a winch, I'll really look hard into the second battery, but for now I don't think I need it. Of course I'll retract that statement when I'm stranded in the middle of BFE someday ... As for the freezer, my wife and I drove from Salt Lake City Utah to Alaska last summer for a 4 week trip. We did it in her Audi A4 Avant, and used the fridge. Doing the cycled running, off at night, run all day worked well. But I had the AC adapter to run if we stayed in a hotel. We car camped or stayed in motels. I froze all the meats cheeses before hand and let them thaw slowly. Other things like milk and veggies, we bought small amounts and just refilled when out. In the middle of the trip we did a 5 day hike in Denali State Park, We used up everything perisible and left the fridge unpluged for those 5 days. (carried two steaks, beer, fresh veggies and ice for 12 miles to the most perfect view of Denali and had dinner above tree line camped next to a mountain spring, it was heavy, messy, but oh so worth it) So you can cycle a fridge and not kill you battery or your food, just plan ahead. Those arb/engle freezers are worth there weight in gold in my opinion. And the audi had no trouble running it all the time. |
