Building the SS(V) TrailHoe

[Bill 1960]

I decided late in 2020 I was ready to build another project. I’d been out shopping Wranglers again, and once again decided they lack the road comfort we like in a trail runner. We spend a significant part of each year traveling North America exploring remote areas and 4x4 trails. I like something comfortable on the interstate and in the woods. I stumbled across a dealer offering retired government vehicles and I was intrigued.

Found this one with only 60k on the odometer. The manager said he couldn’t (wouldn’t?) tell me anything about where it came from but the guy in the back lot wrenching on them was more forthcoming and told me it was CBP in Texas. Which the service records in Carfax confirm the area.

No rust, no significant body damage, no oil leaks or crankcase blow by. Interior in like new condition except the cracks in the dash. (Those “like new” seats will be back to haunt me later.) So home she came.


Was it smart buying a 12 year old vehicle to drive home 3 hours away after dark?

 

[Bill 1960]

Halfway back I stopped to diagnose a sticky caliper. Found a little bit of Texas wrapped around the rear axle.

 

[Bill 1960]

Next up was taking care of miscellaneous deficits.

AC wanted a new expansion valve in the rear, so the whole rear evap assy was replaced with OEM.
One rear caliper was sticky, and remained so even after I fiddled with it some, so I replaced both rear calipers and pads.
Check engine light, due to evap codes. Wrong gas cap. Fixed that and now I'm getting an occasional code related to the purge valve. I'll deal with that later.
Stability, traction control error lights. Initially I thought the barbed wire had grabbed a wheel sensor, but it turned out to be from not having four identical size tires.
And of course the tires were weather cracked, so I replaced them with new. P265/70/17 for now.

Seems somehow poetic to see a former CPB vehicle in the hispanic part of town up on blocks.


Took a celebratory trip to the woods.

 

[Bill 1960]

She came with a nice shiny interior, vinyl floor covering and vinyl seats. Just what the doctor ordered for a vehicle to run around in the woods with a couple of dogs and dirty boots.

But there turned out to be a darkside. The SRS (airbag) system was showing a fault, and after I bought myself a new scanner to check it out, it told me the passenger seat had the wrong component for the passenger presence sensor. At first I was just going to buy one- almost $500- and then I discovered if I did, it wouldn't even match the wiring harness in the seat.

Turns out somewhere along the way, probably when decommissioned, the seats were swapped for newer ones. With different wiring. SMH

Then I set out shopping seats, which were all far away and expensive. Finally found a guy in my own neighborhood that had some Silverado seats with the correct sensor. Bought one for cheap, pulled out the sensor and the wiring, and married it to the later model seat in the Hoe to get everything working.

 

[Bill 1960]

I find these next three pictures a source of amusement.

CBP ran at least some of their Hoes in this configuration:

 

[Bill 1960]

When I bought it the front facia was complete. Here's a crappy photo after arriving home.



But I could tell the facia had been replaced with a new (ish?) one when they decommissioned it because the alterations to the front frame show where the pushbars etc. were located. But this facia is more or less perfect, no holes.

 

[Bill 1960]

So, of course I did this:


Some things are just meant to be.

Later I'll be building a recessed winch mount and an offroad bumper / pushbar. I didn't like any of the commercially available options because the winch bumpers all protrude and diminish your angle of approach.

 

[Bill 1960]

Inbound at this time are a 6" ProComp lift and 35" tires. I'll have pics when that gets underway. Initially I wanted to do a more modest lift and 33", but the trails in much of the country are getting roughed up from side by sides and Jeeps with 37" tires. Hopefully this won't have been a bridge too far and I end up ruining the excellent handling and ride it has now.

 

[Rocket Man]

Next up was taking care of miscellaneous deficits.

AC wanted a new expansion valve in the rear, so the whole rear evap assy was replaced with OEM.
One rear caliper was sticky, and remained so even after I fiddled with it some, so I replaced both rear calipers and pads.
Check engine light, due to evap codes. Wrong gas cap. Fixed that and now I'm getting an occasional code related to the purge valve. I'll deal with that later.
Stability, traction control error lights. Initially I thought the barbed wire had grabbed a wheel sensor, but it turned out to be from not having four identical size tires.
And of course the tires were weather cracked, so I replaced them with new. P265/70/17 for now.

Seems somehow poetic to see a former CPB vehicle in the hispanic part of town up on blocks.
View attachment 267616

Took a celebratory trip to the woods.
View attachment 267617

Funny to me , being from the Pacific Northwest, that you call that “the woods” lol. Following to see where this build goes.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Where is that "woods"? Looks a lot like Florida.