Growing up doesn't have to suck

[DenaliReyes]

I wish this guy was my neighbor, I'd offer help always, just to learn. Great work dude. I have a vinyl plotter myself, I'm saving to buy the BLACK 3M reflective material to decal my DENALl XL. Real cop style, where the letters will only pop up with light.

 

[adventurenali92]

Chase, so you're running 17" wheels on 265-70-17s with LT tires? Load Range C or E?

@iamdub Chris, where's your flotation tires and umbrella man? Looks like you're going to need them and some bilge pumps and generators with lots of fuel and MREs. Let us know how you guys are faring during and after as you're able to ok?

Negative ghost rider. Not what I’m running at all.

 

[pwtr02ss]

Ah. I'm tracking now.

Even after Mark's post and valid points, I'm still gonna press on and be a Guinea pig. I was hoping for some feedback about the compressors but haven't had any replies to my thread. I'm ordering one tonight- either the Cardone or Dorman. Gonna do a little more research and reflecting...

Just saw this. I have the dorman one on the avalanche. Its been on there for like 3-4 years. Works like OEM

Part number 949-001

 

[swathdiver]

Negative ghost rider. Not what I’m running at all.

I didn't think so, if I remember you have highway treads that are snow rated or was it two sets? Well, either way, I know of you well enough to know that you know how to air up your tires! LOL

 

[iamdub]

When you find it let us know...

Page 2. Lol.

View attachment 226548

Dammit! I had a little time to kill and went back to around page 5 or so before getting lost. Saw a few things I had forgotten I had done and was reminiscing.

I guess I have to keep up this thread to satisfy your demands. Lemme see if I can explain this to Jenn and why I'm suddenly spending all my personal time in the shop...

 

[iamdub]

I wish this guy was my neighbor, I'd offer help always, just to learn. Great work dude. I have a vinyl plotter myself, I'm saving to buy the BLACK 3M reflective material to decal my DENALl XL. Real cop style, where the letters will only pop up with light.

I like this idea! All the vinyl I had on the back glass my S10 was black so it was barely visible except from certain angles or in certain lighting.

 

[iamdub]

@iamdub Chris, where's your flotation tires and umbrella man? Looks like you're going to need them and some bilge pumps and generators with lots of fuel and MREs. Let us know how you guys are faring during and after as you're able to ok?

lol
Thank you for your concern, but I think we'll be ok being this far inland. We rarely lose power but I'm gonna have the generator ready just in case. I'll be heading out in a few mins to fill up everything. I'm a little concerned about the predicted rainfall because of the current record-smashing river heights and length of time it's been smashing those records. We were fine in 2016, but I believe the ground was dry and rivers low back then.

I can't do much of anything for the house, but I can put the Tahoe up on the lift so at least I'll have transportation for when the water recedes. lol

 

[iamdub]

Just saw this. I have the dorman one on the avalanche. Its been on there for like 3-4 years. Works like OEM

Part number 949-001

Thanks for your witness. That's the one I ordered. It's scheduled to be delivered tomorrow but I have a feeling the weather may delay it until next week.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

Dammit! I had a little time to kill and went back to around page 5 or so before getting lost. Saw a few things I had forgotten I had done and was reminiscing.

I guess I have to keep up this thread to satisfy your demands. Lemme see if I can explain this to Jenn and why I'm suddenly spending all my personal time in the shop...

You know when there's a quote you can click on the little blue up arrow and it takes you to the quoted post....

 

[iamdub]

You know when there's a quote you can click on the little blue up arrow and it takes you to the quoted post....

You and Mark are dicks! Neither of you could've told me this 3 pages ago?!

 

[iamdub]

Did a little something today. A Jeep buddy sent me pics of some LEDs he bought to mount in the hatch of his wife's XJ. This reminded me of some similar projector LED pods I had left over from a project years ago. I figured I could put 'em to use as some downlights for the cargo hatch on the Tahoe.

I don't know the wattage, but I tested them prior and decided they'd be plenty bright enough for the purpose:

I mounted the lights and ran the wiring along the factory harness, taping it with 3M Super33+ every 6" or less:

I tucked about 12" of slack under the jute padding near each light so I'd have slack should I ever need to replace a light:

Soldered and heat-shrinked all connections:

 

[iamdub]

I ran the wire through the factory jamb boot and added a piece of spiral conduit as extra insurance where it passed through the metal body on it's way to tap into the cargo light about 2' inboard:

I located the lights so that they'd be in the gap between the hatch panel and side panel. This would shield them from firing forward when the hatch was closed and a door was opened as well as protect the light from getting sheared off should luggage or cargo slide along the back panel:

The light is focused downward so they're not overly bright as to blind you from overhead:

...But they put out plenty of flooded light to be a great help when in the cargo area or hitching/unhitching a trailer at night:

Now I'm wanting to replace my dome lights to match.

 

[wjburken]

That looks great! Thanks for sharing.

Might have to find a way to do something like that on my wife’s Denali.

 

[iamdub]

That looks great! Thanks for sharing.

Might have to find a way to do something like that on my wife’s Denali.

Thank you. It's nothing difficult, just time consuming but really convenient. If you'd prefer, there's a flush-mount version of these lights- around $13 for a 10-pack on Amazon. I almost bought them but decided that the whole point of even bothering with this was to use these lights that I've had for years and have yet to find any other use for them.

 

[Rocket Man]

I ran the wire through the factory jamb boot and added a piece of spiral conduit as extra insurance where it passed through the metal body on it's way to tap into the cargo light about 2' inboard:

View attachment 232699


I located the lights so that they'd be in the gap between the hatch panel and side panel. This would shield them from firing forward when the hatch was closed and a door was opened as well as protect the light from getting sheared off should luggage or cargo slide along the back panel:

View attachment 232702


The light is focused downward so they're not overly bright as to blind you from overhead:

View attachment 232701


...But they put out plenty of flooded light to be a great help when in the cargo area or hitching/unhitching a trailer at night:

View attachment 232700


Now I'm wanting to replace my dome lights to match.

Nice job. I’ve thought about doing this but never got around to it.

 

[iamdub]

Nice job. I’ve thought about doing this but never got around to it.

Thank you. I almost didn't do it after seeing I'd have to remove some trim pieces to lower the headliner in the back. I almost started drawing up plans for a sub enclosure instead but decided to do something I could actually finish. Get you a "round tuit"- it's totally worth it!

 

[swathdiver]

Thank you. It's nothing difficult, just time consuming but really convenient. If you'd prefer, there's a flush-mount version of these lights- around $13 for a 10-pack on Amazon. I almost bought them but decided that the whole point of even bothering with this was to use these lights that I've had for years and have yet to find any other use for them.

Our Montana's have lights for this purpose and instead of D-pillar speakers they are in the rear hatch as well. Cool when you are tailgating and have the hatch up. Wonder why GM did not do this? The Pontiac's also have a 120V outlet and can fill tires and beach balls off the air compressor if so equipped.

 

[iamdub]

Our Montana's have lights for this purpose and instead of D-pillar speakers they are in the rear hatch as well. Cool when you are tailgating and have the hatch up. Wonder why GM did not do this? The Pontiac's also have a 120V outlet and can fill tires and beach balls off the air compressor if so equipped.

Cool! I have a large inverter that I've considered mounting somewhere hidden to feed a couple of receptacles.

 

[swathdiver]

Cool! I have a large inverter that I've considered mounting somewhere hidden to feed a couple of receptacles.

I'm thinking of pulling the setup out one of the Montana's and put it in the GMC. It's on the right in those cars, behind the rear AC. The fitting and on/off for the compressor is on the left side, above the compressor.

 

[iamdub]

I'm thinking of pulling the setup out one of the Montana's and put it in the GMC. It's on the right in those cars, behind the rear AC. The fitting and on/off for the compressor is on the left side, above the compressor.

Aaaaaand you just reminded me of a 12VDC compressor I have kickin' around. It was from a 'bagged hack job truck I bought for parts. I also have a couple of aluminum tanks with about 6 ports. If I put a compressor and tank on the Tahoe, one of those ports will feed a train horn. lol