Don't like the adverts?  Click here to remove them

My Hilux Build

Well, I see the SP doing two main things for me. First is to trickle a little charge in whilst it's parked up all week long. Just stops the battery from fading away. Second and very similar function is to reduce the amount of current taken from the battery in use. In contemplation of the Morocco trip, I figured we'd be driving quite a lot so the bigger alternator will supply everything needed but if we stop in the heat of the day with the fridge and freezer both running at the hottest part of the day whilst we get lunch and the car gets hotter and hotter partly due to the fridges running, the panel will be supplying decent charge so that the batteries are not be quite so deeply cycled. They are Optimas, true, but no battery really likes to be deeply discharged. Both the fridges and the split charge are looking out for a cut off between 10 and 11 volts. Whilst that then is the safety point, what I don't want to happen if for the freezer to stop and all my meat defrost!

BTW I have bracket envy. I like those. Very tidy.
 
Finished off the fitting the solar panel today, stuck everything down and fitted some white cable ducting for the wires in RTT and made a spoiler in front of the panel.
And postie delivered my national Luna dual battery monitor and alarm system, so I fitted that too and wired it up

CTEK and solar system working well, it charged the leisure battery for a few days, then it switched to charging the the starter battery when leisure battery was fully charged. Today both battery's fully charged so it disabled solar input so neither being over charged.

faf5c6e0df3eaaefdb7152c8b56ca26a.jpg


c0eb32b6d85acd578560cfad121fa596.jpg



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Good stuff.

If you ever get down this way let me know, would like to have a look over it :)

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
 
New fridge location
After Iceland trip I will make a storage box above the fridge for stove which used to be in the draw and other stuff
Much easier to get in fridge now and no need for folding stool anymore


45f166a9946768daddac8959120e64fb.jpg



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
A few recent mods to the Hilux

Fitted a proper electrical hookup socket on my canopy (I used to just have a plug sitting on top of canopy) and an external stainless steel lockable water filler for the 70l water tank I have in the rear tub.
To use the old filler I had to open side hatch and often got water everywhere ....

image.jpeg


Been on three long weekend camping trips since April, to Gariloch, Arisaig and Ullapool with the hilux using our Tentipi and wood burning stove, which has kept us toasty.

image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg



Islands of Egg and rum from Arisag
image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Great pics Andy. :thumbup:

Jet is getting big! Still very cute though. :icon-biggrin:
 
Don't like the adverts?  Click here to remove them
Andy,

What would you consider to be 'essential' spares to carry?

Pete
 
Great photies Andy, you've got a good set-up there that suits how you're using it.

I love that stove, I'll bet that keeps the place above ambient, even when it's wet and windy.

Good luck with the fishing!
 
Andy,

What would you consider to be 'essential' spares to carry?

Pete

I usually just carry fuel, oil and air filter. a box of assorted bolts, nuts, washers. Zip ties, some wire. Duct and electrical Tape, fuses, bulbs, sealant, glue...
not that many because the hilux is still under 3 yrs old.
not even got a spare air filter at the moment, as next trip to Spain I am sure I can get one in a big town if required
 
Great photies Andy, you've got a good set-up there that suits how you're using it.

I love that stove, I'll bet that keeps the place above ambient, even when it's wet and windy.

Good luck with the fishing!


thanks, will be putting the maggionlina RTT back on shortly for our next Europe trip. It's much more efficient to use on travelling trips where we move camp each day.


The Tentipi is only for trips in Scotland, where we camp up in same spot more than one night, and will mainly be using it April-June and sept-oct trips
i.e. Out with winter and Scottish Midge season :)
the woodburner really helps make the trips away bearable when it's cold.

it was too cold camping when using RTT and foxwing with side panels and often too windy to use the foxwing. When I say too cold, I don't mean sleeping in RTT that was ok, but when cooking breakfast and dinner and relaxing in evening it was too cold.
we have only used the foxwing a couple times on trips with tentipi, to give shelter from rain when cooking. And usually had to pack it up incase wind picked up. The tipi is much more robust in the wind.
 
How did you get on with the camber/castor angles with the lift?

Setting up tracking to factory spec, but no castor angle info available, so a bit suck it and see!
 
How did you get on with the camber/castor angles with the lift?

Setting up tracking to factory spec, but no castor angle info available, so a bit suck it and see!

I took it to a local place to get camber/castor and tracking done about 4wks after I fitted lift, to it time to settle down
but after Iceland trip I noticed more wear on side edge of my BFG tyres,
a few weeks ago I got the Toyota garage I use in Elgin to reset the alignment
hopefully it is correct now, they certainly changed stuff. Castor angle was shown , I will post the measurements on here later
 
Here you are, looks like toe-in was way out before the work was done

image.jpeg


fitted some wind deflectors on Monday evening

image.jpeg image.jpeg
 
image.jpeg



Fitted this box of tricks yesterday
Upped the horses from 171 to 205
And torque 343 to 410nm

A steinbauer module, increases injection duration and better than the cheap chips that simply increase rail pressure

Power hike and torque increases are noticeable in overtaking manoeuvres and going up hills, but less so pulling off from junctions etc

Fit or remove in under a minute, but going to fit a dash mounted on/off switch to I can flick back to original power to remind me what it used to be like ;)




image.jpeg
 
Last edited:
I also have a steinbauer chip on my Troopy, and happy with the results.......
 
And today I fitted some LED spots to front after making up some aluminium brackets to mount them on

image.jpeg
 
I reckon I would get a sore neck trying to look under the pv panel whilst driving - surely there was somewhere else you could put it.....
 
I was thinking of getting the box fitted by one of their technicians, they can then set it up on a computer and adjust the perameters etc.

It will be April next year though, want to get 2 years warranty out of the way.
 
Back
Top