Brian1 91 XLT 4x4

[Brian1]

Just a few small updates:

Went to Overand Expo and had a few positive comments on the Explorer, I camped out of it for a few nights. A few weeks later I finished the second half of the AZBDR trail. 4th of July weekend I met up with mrboyle and ran Rimrocker Trail from Montrose into Moab and also did some camping and a few trails in the San Juans. Rimrocker Trip writeup is here: http://www.drivingline.com/articles...-of-dirt-and-adventure-from-montrose-to-moab/

I ordered some window nets for camping that will keep bugs and mosquitoes out while the window is rolled down while letting the cool air in since I usually sleep inside when out overlanding. They also darken the windows which is an added benefit. Picked the pair up on Amazon and they are a great fit on the rear doors. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Y85UME2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (Large rectangular window size)

I also rebuilt my evap canister with new charcoal after finding this helpful thread: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...coal-in-a-vapor-canister.390605/#post-3184113 The 25yr old charcoal was so saturated with gas fumes it wasn't absorbing anymore and smelled. I thought about buying a new one but this method helped save a bit of $.

 

[Brian1]

My battery died a few days ago after 5 years and a few weeks. I have always used regular batteries but decided to finally change over to a AGM sealed battery. I did a lot of research and came up with a few I was interested in. The X2 from Batteries+ was the best out there with a 5 year replacement warranty but was about $270. The Autozone and Advance Auto Platinum AGM batteries are made by Johnson Controls which doesn't have a good reputation anymore (Optima) and I haven't had the greatest luck with AZ Duralast batteries anyway not to mention consumer reports failed 3 different Duralast AGMs in their testing. I also looked at the Odyssey which are good but also expensive. The Oriley AGM looked good and was a frontrunner along with the Duracell.

I almost bought the X2 when I came across a Bosch AGM at Pepboys. It is made by Exide and comes with a 4 year free replacement, a full 1 year more than most others I looked at. Pepboys had a 30% off online code which brought the cost down to $140 + tax. I also used an online rebate site to get an additional $6 back and when I picked it up in-store I got a $30 mail in manufacturer's rebate form. A pretty sweet deal especially if the rebate works! There are not too many reviews out there of it but for the price, a good warranty and a name like Bosch I figured I would give it a try.

So far I am happy with it, I went with the stock group 65 size and it fits great, it is a little smaller than the one I had in there which is good because it was rubbing on my intake tube and a harness loom.

edit: Also just went through my entire registry thread and deleted all the broken Photobucket photos and uploaded them (or similar) direct to this site.

 

[kmack]

I have one of the AGM batteries from O'Reillys. Got one with our boat but it needed to be replaced. Worked out a deal with the O'Reillys near me and got it swapped out for a new one. I've now had that battery (as a spare for my boat) for over 6 years. Spends most of its life sitting on a shelf in the garage. Has also been used multiple times as the power source for our bait bucket when on 5-day fishing trips. Has been hooked up to a charger quite a few times, but for the most part will last and last.

Last time I used it was this past May when I went to fire up the boat for the first time since September (ooops!). The battery had been on the shelf for close to 11 months without being used. Worked like a charm! I figure it will end up in the Explorer or my Jeep Grand Cherokee when one of those batteries dies.....

 

[Brian1]

Small update from today: I added a BBK throttle body that is bigger than stock. Hopefully it will make a difference with my intake tube and exhaust already installed.

I don't think I would have bought this outright but it came with a cheap parts Explorer I just picked up so I couldn't resist swapping it on.

 

[Brian1]

Drove out to Moab recently for EJS and ran a few trails. I didnt notice a difference with the BBK TB I installed. Wound up puncturing a tire out in the middle of nowhere doing a trail. Got home and Discount Tire said it was unrepairable, there were 2 punctures close to each other. They got me a new Cooper STT Pro under warranty for no charge (always buy their certificates!) so that becomes the spare for now. The old STTs are not made anymore and have been replaced with the new STT pros which are an entirely different tire. Hopefully more to come on that later.

I added a NMO ham radio antenna mount to my a pillar and cowl area. I got tired of using a mag mount so this is a permanent install using a bracket I made for it. It worked great on the trip.

Lastly I ordered new clear covers for my LED lights up front. What a difference they made, it made my lights look new again! Old covers had yellowed in the sun.

 

[yostyexplorer94]

So far I am really happy with my stt pro's. They have good bite offroad and I am impressed with there street ability. I am planning on putting them through the paces on this trip VA/WV ohv trails/forest roads

 

[Brian1]

Wired in a SAE plug to the rear inner fender for my auxillary battery as a quick connect charge port. It works with my trickle charger and solar panel for camping. No more crawling under the Explorer to hook up a charger to the battery.

Also, after 12+ years I finally swapped my speedo gear to be more accurate. Went from a 19t pink to 20t black. Calculation called for 20.1 so it should be really close now.

 

[Stic-o]

Brian, have you ever thought of just mounting the solar panels to the roof rack semi-permanently.

 

[Brian1]

Brian, have you ever thought of just mounting the solar panels to the roof rack semi-permanently.

No for a few reasons. I only need solar charging on about 2 trips a year where my Explorer sits stationary for a weekend with the fridge running and a few other power draws off the auxiliary battery. My roof rack is also mostly covered with my awning and a set of Maxtrax so there is not enough room and I don't want to drill any holes in the body on the top for the wires to pass through or to secure them (dedicated bolt-on frame work wouldn't look that good either). If I had an aftermarket roof rack/platform I would give it more consideration.

 

[Stic-o]

No for a few reasons. I only need solar charging on about 2 trips a year where my Explorer sits stationary for a weekend with the fridge running and a few other power draws off the auxiliary battery. My roof rack is also mostly covered with my awning and a set of Maxtrax so there is not enough room and I don't want to drill any holes in the body on the top for the wires to pass through or to secure them (dedicated bolt-on frame work wouldn't look that good either). If I had an aftermarket roof rack/platform I would give it more consideration.

So with a spare battery, you don't carry them with you all the time I would think then.

 

[Brian1]

Correct, only when I think I will need it. Most of my trips I am constantly moving and the alternator keeps the auxiliary battery charged. The suitcase solar panel is also nice because it can be moved to another vehicle like my tow rig if I trailer another toy somewhere to wheel and can set it up at basecamp to keep the fridge running on the starting battery.

 

[Brian1]

My auxillary yellow top optima died so I picked up a new Bosch AGM 34 battery to replace it since the warranty and cost can't be beat. Problem is it is about 1/2" wider so I had to chop my auxillary battery tray.

If you go back in this thread you can see the original battery tray build which I have mounted above the rear axle.

Got a 1/2" strip welded in today and the side welded back on and repainted. I also drew up a new top bracket and cut it out on my cnc plasma. I still need to dimple the holes and bend the sides before it is finished.

 

[Scott B.]

How do you like the battery under the truck?

Does it get abused by debris flying off the tires?

What about mud puddles (not that you have that many out west...)?

 

[Brian1]

It has worked great for the last 7ish years. It actually stays pretty clean where it is at since it is up high.

 

[gmanpaint]

I might have missed the post, but how are you charging that aux battery? Add a solenoid or an isolater to the alt? Switched?

Edit: I seen your using a charger and a solar panel.

 

[Brian1]

Main charge is a constant duty solenoid with a manual switch on the dash. Solar is a backup charge when I'm not running the engine for extended periods

 

[Scott B.]

It has worked great for the last 7ish years. It actually stays pretty clean where it is at since it is up high.

You did that 7 years ago?!?!?!?!?

 

[Brian1]

You did that 7 years ago?!?!?!?!?

June 2011! Time sure does fly by!

 

[Scott B.]

June 2011! Time sure does fly by!

That was right after Desert Expedition 1 - oh so long ago...

 

[BKennedy]

My auxiliary battery has been where the spare used to be for five years. Its next to my air compressor and tank. They got wet when I crossed the Mojave River earlier this year with no problems, but they usually stay fairly clean and dry up there.