Installed the sPOD and Probably Saved my 80 and my Life! I finally got around to completing the installation of my sPOD BantamX and got all the aux lights and aftermarket devices wired up. What I found under the dash was a bit startling though. Most of the wires the previous owner had run were too small for the loads they carried and were melted and burned. There were probably four aftermarket stereo installs stacked on top of one another that I still need to complete removal. What a mess!

 To a Rooftop Tent in the Sky, hi, hi... So I have a GoFast Campers Superlite RTT on-order, but they are delayed into 2022 and I wanted one for this season of offroad, overland, and camping. These things are like 80lbs and only 4-inches tall when closed! I went for a SmittyBilt Overlander XL Gent 2 (75x120 when open! 147lbs) and mounted to Yagi yesterday... It has been in my garage for two months waiting on my to get around to dealing with it! I decided to go with the clamshell design of the Superlite to make setup and breakdown easier than a ground tent... This fold-out RTT is not filling me with joy! First time setup and breakdown was a serious pain for me and my first instinct is to get the dang thing off my rig! But it was my first time dealing with it so I think I need to give it a few tries before I condemn it. I think I will hold onto this Overlander tent after this season and mount it to a custom trailer. Having it lower to the ground will make setup and breakdown far easie...

 Well at least headlight housings... I tracked down some South American spec headlight assemblies for my Yagi. These were a major list item for me if I ever owned an FZJ80 Land Cruiser and I am so pleased that I managed to find a brand new set. I found these in Dubai! I need to decide what to do for lights, but I am not in hurry on this one. I want to get it right. This is what it should look like once installed though.

Major Upgrade Day! I finally got around to installing my bargain bin Warn Zeon 10-S winch that I got for half price because it was "non-functioning." New controller and BAM fully operational! The bumper isn't designed to accept this winch, so I had to make some 1-1/4" spacers for the foot mount to get the winch to clear the taper of the bumper. I finished it off with a Factor55 Ultrahook and RRP. The controller pack is zipped to the bumper for now while I figure out a mounting solution for it. I'll be cutting the roller fairlead mounts off and making a front license plate holder to cover the top line feed opening.

 Stereo Redux 2.0... (There will be a 3.0) & Replacing Bulbs The PO (I think two POs ago) did a number on the stereo he installed. House speaker wire, power, ground, and accessory power wired apart from the factory harness and the factory amp gutted. He left a rat's nest of wires behind the dash as well as cutting out all the supports and just setting an aftermarket stereo in the hole. It took me a while to sort things out, get the joints soldered and everything to fit. It isn't where I want it to be, but it is better than it was. I decided to ignore the factory harness, and wire up a new one too. 3.0 will involve new speakers, new amp, new speaker wire and I'll connect all of it to the factory harness to keep things clean. I got the dimmer working! Installed new bulbs in the dash to improve visibility and get all the indicators working. I got all the switches and aux audio & power ports installed. I also shot the bezel with textured black topcoat so I could delete ...

 Stretching Our Legs in the Nevada Desert Desert landscape has some of the most unappreciated beauty in the world. There's nothing quite like it and while it may seem desolate, it is vibrant, diverse, and alive. My daughter and I had a change to take Yagi out to appreciate some of that beauty on this beautiful Sunday in March.