Corey's 2007 FJ Cruiser Build-Up Thread

[KD7NAC_07FJ]

With that lock down plate it looks like it will be good and secure. Does it have much play front to back? Let me know when you get the fuse block in and we'll get set up to do some wiring next weekend.

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[Corey]

Hi Wayne, there seems to be zero play with that Engel plate.
The feet set it there good.

Sounds good on the wiring.

It will be nice to check out all the stuff in person on your rig too.

[Corey]

Coming up this weekend Wayne and I will be working on adding the Blue Sea fusebox and 2x12v outlets in the back.

Also after much thinking, I am going to have a carpenter here at work who is on my crew build me a new cargobox.
I really dig mine, but I want to turn the fridge 90 degrees, and the present Engel tray will not work with the cargobox as it is not deep enough, that is why it is mounted sideways.

He runs a cabinet shop on the side, so it will be killer.
It will not be any taller, just deeper and a little wider to take advantage of the FJs layout since it was built for my '91 4Runner.
I will then mount the other type of Engel tray, the one that lets you slide the fridge out.
This way I will be able to open up the lid all the way.
http://www.engel4u.com/tray_for_the_mt45.html

[rdharper]

Haven't followed this thread...and I ain't gonna read it... but anyone noticed that the clowns at Consumer Report project the FJ Cruiser as most reliable of the most reliable. Period.

Not bad for an under 30K vehicle. Corey.. you got lucky. (can't be smarts)

[Corey]

He he, I did my research before buying this rig.
I poured over all the posts at fjcruiserforums and read reviews and read what new owners thought of them.

It has most excellent crash test results, tons of power, more than I would ever need, and a downright utilitarian feel to it.

And excellent offroad capabilities.

[Corey]

Thanks to member KD7NAC_07FJ (Wayne) for coming down to my home today to help on this project.

Take one Blue Sea 6 gang fusebox
http://www.northeastmarineelectronic...OD&ProdID=2750



Tie it in with 6 gauge wire from the battery to it, and run 18-Gauge Red & Black 2-Conductor back to twin 12v outlets
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...tId=2062272&cp



and you have a recipe for adding several circuits easily from inside the right front kick panel.

I will utilize one of the 12v outlets in the back to power my new ARB fridge.

All connections are soldered and have shrink tubing added to them.
Wayne used a small butane torch to solder the connections with.
A lot of perfection went into this.
I would have crimped the ends and called it a day, but Wayne is very experienced at this and went all the way with the solder and shrink tubing, very professional.

The first 2 pictures show a few things torn apart.
You have to remove the floors threshold by grasping it and pulling straight up.
Once removed you can easily take off the passenger side kick panel with a plastic thumbscrew which is all the way forward.



Wayne ended up taking the battery out to gain better access to the wires presently on the battery.
We moved the CB power wire off of the battery and it is wired inside the cabin now with the new fusebox.
You can see in picture 4 a slit inside the read circle which was already there from running the CB wire to the battery.



Pictures 5 and 6 show the panel you remove by inserting a small flat tipped screw driver and prying it outwards.
Picture 5 still has the yellow sticker on it with info on the 10v converter outlet.
You remove the yellow tape and use a hole saw sized at 1 3/32" and drill 2 holes.
You can also use a knife and make a small incision since the 12v plug has a "key" on it to hold it tight so it will not spin on you.

Picture 6 shows the twin 12v outlets in place.



Picture 7 shows the new Blue Sea box mounted in place with white zipties (no need to screw this unit down) and the 18-Gauge Red & Black 2-Conductor wire attached to it.
This fusebox also utilizes a ground, so you can attach the black ground wire to one of the three screws on top, and attach the red power wire to one of the three screws below.
This box is much nicer than the cheap one I used on the 4Runner long ago.
It did not have a grounding circuit.

Picture 8 shows the 6 gauge wire inside of the black wire loom going down to the slit in the firewall.
It is all tired in with zipties to the factory harnesses running along the firewall.



And finally picture 9 shows the twin 12v outlets in place.



After the battery was put back in place and all the wires were reattached, I carried out the ARB fridge and set it on the ground and plugged it into one of the 12v outlets.

I reached down and rotated the switch and the green light came on the fridge and the sweet sound of a fridge coming to life was like music to my ears

From what I have read, the fridge only draws a maximum of 2.7 amps when set to the highest setting to freeze.
When set to just keep food at the safe temperature to prevent spoilage, it draws much less and can go for 3 days without wearing your battery down.

This project turned out great.
I am pretty decent at wiring projects, and Wayne is much more experienced at what we tackled today.

It turned out really good.
I think I will have to hit him up again when it comes time to do the dual battery setup.
He has that setup and it looks fantastic.

Frozen ice cream bars will be on the menu for this summers runs!
I look forward to getting lots of use from the new ARB fridge and the newly added fusebox and twin 12v outlets back there.

[waskillywabbit]

Looks great Corey...and factory, but my 12V setup won't be quite as clean looking as all I need is some juice back there for mine in the 85. My ARB fridge and blanket are on the way.

[Corey]

Thanks Brian, yes it looks all factory, very neat and tidy

That is great news you have your fridge and blanket on the way.
My blanky is still it the plastic packaging, have not taken it out yet.

Looks pretty easy to install, and has a pocket in the front of it too I think.

Now I gotta install my PA horn still for the CB.
I can then pipe some ice cream truck music through it and sell ice cream bars while off road.

[Corey]

Also after much thinking, I am going to have a carpenter here at work who is on my crew build me a new cargobox.
I really dig mine, but I want to turn the fridge 90 degrees, and the present Engel tray will not work with the cargobox as it is not deep enough, that is why it is mounted sideways.

Change of plans.
The carpenter at work looked at my rig and the cargobox yestermorning, and he had a great idea.
So great I wish I had thought of it.

If he built a new cargobox, it would not be that much bigger.
You can not really go much wider than 1" or so, because I would not have access to the electrical plugs or the access door to the factory jack.

He said to pull the cargobox more towards the back door, there is about 3" or more I can come back before I hit the D rings on the floor.

Then he can build a simple extension to go behind the cargobox which will let me turn either the present Engel fridge slide or I can mount the nicer one that extends the fridge outside.

I think this idea makes more sense since I am pretty happy with the current cargobox.

[Toddski]

[Corey]

Yeah, I know, but it saves me about $400 to $600

That will buy an awful lot of ammo for the new rifle.

[Toddski]

WOW
That was going to be an expensive box. Don't blame ya on keeping the old box.
I'm going to join a van pool next week i think. Its only $80 a month. Right now i'm spending $100 a week filling up
Hopefully i will have some extra $$$ now. I really need to pay off my booky

[Corey]

Yeah, I just left the carpenter shop, I had to drop off all of our winter deicing stuff to store there until next winter.

I talked with him some more on mine, and told him I paid $300 for it back in the spring of 2001.
He said the materials alone today to build that type of quality box I want would cost that much alone, and factor in the labor.

He has another idea besides the extension to put in the back of the box to make it deeper.

He says we can use my current Engel $60 fridge tray, and mount it to heavy duty sliders that extend out.
Engel alone wants $239 for their sliding fridge tray, and he can do it for a lot less and utilize my current rigid tray and make it slide.

I may have to send the box home with him.
He runs a cabinet shop on the side, this guy is good.
He makes a lot of the high end stuff down where I work, and caters to the CEO here, so you know he is good.

$100 a week on gas, ouch.
I fill up once a week regardless if I need it or not.
Been using I think about 11 gallons per week.

[rdharper]

Originally Posted by Corey

$100 a week on gas, ouch.
I fill up once a week regardless if I need it or not.
Been using I think about 11 gallons per week.

I've been filling up quarterly... next one sometime in Aug.

Shhhhh... please don't tell the authorities.

[Corey]

I would be filling up less if I was still getting 21 MPG, but I have dropped down to between 17.5 and 18 MPG.

[BT17R]

Corey, that's a great looking setup. Your new fridge/freezer is bigger than the one I got my niece for her dorm room.

Get a grille and open for business outside Boeing's entrance with "Corey's Tacqueria" in time for Cinco de Mayo.

[Corey]

He he, good one Bob.

I tried to catch the carpenter today before he left, as he was parked with his work van not to far from the FJ.

I was going to have him measure the extension box to go behind the cargobox, then he could have got started on it and got me the slides to let the fridge slide out.

Oh well, next week

Hmmm, I have bigger decisions now, what kind of ice cream bars to feed the gang during the Greenwater run coming up...

Or I could freeze some water balloons and we could have one heck of a water balloon fight.

[Corey]

I came to work today with the fridge in the back and turned on so the carpenter can get an idea on how to do the slides.

This is a pic from the day it went in though, but observe if you will



It looks like that huge honker is going to interfere with me seeing out the back window.
Not!

It actually sits lower than the spare tire does on the outside.
It does not interfere with me seeing out the rear window at all.

So all of you with FJs, 4Runners, ect, do not worry about not being able to see out the rear.
Now if your cargobox is higher than mine, then it may be a problem.

Rear windows are so over rated though.
I hardly use mine at all.

[Strap22]

Originally Posted by Corey

I came to work today with the fridge in the back and turned on so the carpenter can get an idea on how to do the slides.

This is a pic from the day it went in though, but observe if you will



It looks like that huge honker is going to interfere with me seeing out the back window.
Not!

It actually sits lower than the spare tire does on the outside.
It does not interfere with me seeing out the rear window at all.

So all of you with FJs, 4Runners, ect, do not worry about not being able to see out the rear.
Now if your cargobox is higher than mine, then it may be a problem.

Rear windows are so over rated though.
I hardly use mine at all.

Are those Genuine FJ Cruiser Leather Gloves next the cargo box?

[Corey]

Originally Posted by strap22

Are those Genuine FJ Cruiser Leather Gloves next the cargo box?

You betcha Phil.

The West Coast FJ Cruiser Trail Team gave them to me a week before I picked up the FJ at the event that Rob got started here.

[Strap22]

Originally Posted by Corey

You betcha Phil.

The West Coast FJ Cruiser Trail Team gave them to me a week before I picked up the FJ at the event that Rob got started here.

I knew it.they are pretty good glove. too warm for summer but nice to have to when you need them.

[waskillywabbit]

Fixing to go get me a 12V outlet for my ARB fridge in the 85...is that one plenty deep so the connection doesn't rattle loose?

The ARB f/f performed like a champ on the trip to Disney World.

I have me a nice set of those bling bling gloves too.

[Corey]

Hi Brian, glad the fridge worked out, they are very efficient units.

The sockets I have are very deep, the plug will not pull out of it.

[ISurfer88]

Hey Corey, im curious, has your Avic ever lost signal and defaulted to somewhere in NY? Mines done it a few times and i dont know if im having a signal problem or whats going on

[Corey]

No it has not Surf.
Where do you have your antenna?

Mine gets about all of the satelite connections except for one.
It either picks up 6 or 8, I forget.

Mine has helped me quite a few times now, I am lousy with directions.

The only thing I do not like about it is I have to hit the on screen button each time I fire up the rig if I want to view the map, it gives you that safety statement.