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Rig Review: Anza-Borrego & Ruining Around in Utah - What worked and what didn't?

Rig Review is a new type of post that I'm going to try to write up after most trips, where I'll note any things that worked really well, or could have been better. The idea has always been to optimize the Tacoma build and setup over time, so there's nothing really new from that perspective.

I won't talk about everything I've got going on - just new equipment to the trip and/or any outliers that deserve a mention. At the very least, I figure that long-term, real-world reviews of the products I use are good for everyone!

March 30, 2019.

Well, this month has seen a lot of adventuring - Double Fun @ Anza-Borrego and Ruining Around in Utah meant that there was lots of hands on time with a few different bits of the rig, with some interesting findings. I figured I'd write it all up as one Rig Review, since there wasn't much (any in the case of Anza-Borrego) time between trips, and the rig was essentially the same for both trips.

SCS Stealth6 Out, 3rd Gen 4Runner 5-Spoke Wheels In

Igor on the left, the Tacoma on the right.

TL;DR - To solve the problem with mud being flung everywhere with my SCS wheels that stuck out past the fender flares, I installed some new-to-me 1999 4Runner wheels on the truck, which sit under the fender flare. This solved the mud issue, but introduced a slight incompatibility with my new ADS front suspension - the tires rub on the shock reservoirs at full lock.

The Bed is Cracking

TL;DR - I found two cracks in the bed of the truck, likely from the weight of the RTT bouncing around up there. I'll need to fix them and come up with a way to reduce/change the stresses in the future.

A Stargazer-less Rain Fly (resolved)

Perfect. Thanks Bobby.

TL;DR - I replaced the rainfly on the CVT Mt. Shasta tent with one that had no Stargazer windows. It is so much better, and now dries (relatively) quickly when it gets wet.

The CVT RTT Sticky Zipper (ongoing)

To get the tent all squared away, I purchased some Gear Aid (previously McNett) Zip Care Cleaner and Lubricant. It's probably some expensive scam for what it is, but I spread it on the zipper and it was like magic. I'm not sure how often I'll need to reapply it - but with 2 oz. of this stuff, I've got plenty to last quite a while.

Coleman Camp Stove/Grill (updated)

TL;DR - I found solutions for both the wind screens and keeping the bottom of the grill clean of drippings. I really like this stove now.

Seemingly solved from previous Rig Reviews

  1. Stealth Custom Series (SCS) Stealth6 Wheels
  2. The CVT Roof Top Tent
    1. Stargazer windows in the rain fly
    2. Rubber cover zipper was still tough to close.
  3. Coleman stove wind screens

Unchanged / Still an issue from previous Rig Reviews

There are some things that have been featured in Rig Reviews that are - as yet - unchanged from when I originally reviewed them. Rather than highlight those things again, I'll simply link to them here.

  1. The Swing-Out Table - as expected, it was unusable on this trip.
  2. The Electrical System - continues to have the limitations of a single battery system.
  3. The Ham Radio Antenna - continues to have the shortcoming mentioned.

 

Check out older Rig Reviews

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