The Plan
More Victory 4x4 parts this time: skid plates, rock sliders, the air compressor mount, a door MOLLE panel, and the roof rack. We also wired up our new ARB compressor, which turned into a two-day troubleshooting saga (more on that below).
Skid Plates
The skids went on first. We started with the back plate for the transfer case and worked forward from there. The process was pretty simple: one of us got under the truck, the other handed up the plate, and then we held it in place and started the bolts. This was surprisingly easier than we thought it would be.
Rock Sliders
Sliders were next. Victory 4x4 had really helpful video instructions for these (thanks, Brian, Daryl, and Cory). Partway through, Rachael went to pick her dad up from the airport, so I put the door MOLLE plate on while I waited. It was going to be perfect for strapping on some pouches and adding a little extra storage on the door. When they got back, Rachael's dad jumped in to help us finish.
Once the bolts were torqued, the sliders felt rock solid. We also planned to add grip tape along the top so we could use them as a step when they were wet. Rachael was a fan of anything that made getting in and out easier, since we pulled the side steps off in Part 3.
The ARB Compressor
We upgraded from the Viair compressor we had on the Tacoma to a twin-motor ARB. It sat on a Victory 4x4 compressor mount, which was on the opposite side of the engine bay from our electrical panel. The plan was to wire it up, test it, and then hide the wires behind a trim piece. It was supposed to take a couple of hours.
Extending the Harness
Because of where the compressor was mounted, we had to extend and modify the wiring harness that came with it:
Power: We extended the power cables for each of the compressor's two motors.
Ground: We extended the ground cable.
Switch wire: We cut the purple wire, added a diode in line, and extended it. This was the wire that got wired into the Switch Pros so we could turn the compressor on and off.
Wiring Into the SafetyHub
This was where the electrical panel from Part 1 really paid off. We took the cover off the Blue Sea SafetyHub 150 and wired each compressor motor into one of the larger fuse slots, with a 40A fuse in each. We knew 40A was right because the original ARB harness had a 40A fuse in it, which we'd cut off.
Before touching anything, we flipped the breaker to kill power to the SafetyHub. That's exactly what it was there for.
Rachael had a lightbulb moment here. Thinking back to when we installed the Switch Pros and talked about this being the central control unit for everything electrical, she said she finally really got why we did it: it was cleaner, it was safer, and everything was easy to access.
Troubleshooting
Then we tested it, and the compressor didn't turn on.
I got so grumpy that we just had to put it away for the night (and we had a movie to see). Naturally, I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about what it could be. I narrowed it down to either a bad ground or the switch wire.
The next morning, I confirmed the purple wire with the diode was hooked up to switch #2 on the Switch Pros. Then I ran an extra ground to the negative bus bar, flipped the switch, and it worked!
The TL;DR: we just needed an extra ground. It was the ground. It's always the ground.
Calibrating the Deflators
With a working compressor, we calibrated our tire deflators. They clamp onto the Schrader valve and automatically let air out until the tire hits a preset pressure. We set ours to about 21 to 23 PSI, which was about where we ran on the trail. Then we used the new compressor to air the tires back up.
Rachael said she could now do the whole thing start to finish. A year ago, if I'd asked her to air down on a trip, she wouldn't have known where to start. Now she did.
The Roof Rack
After a couple of weeks off (we skipped an MSO trip that weekend to get our lives together), we were back for the Victory 4x4 roof rack. Part of the reason we wanted a roof rack was to add more lighting all around the truck. The bad news for Rachael: eight more holes in the truck.
Prepping the Rack
I pre-assembled the rack upside down on the garage floor. The crossmembers were tightened down since they were square on the floor, but I left the front and rear wind fairings and the feet loose so we could slide them around. That mattered, because the feet determined where we'd drill.
We also got area lights from Victory. Their wire ran down the passenger-side A-pillar under a wire hider and plugged in right underneath the front wind fairing. A splitter carried power to the lights on the driver's side and up the passenger side. It all ran back to the Switch Pros.
Prepping the Roof
We pulled the roof trim strips. We lifted up the back piece a little, then pulled the front piece out from under it. They pulled right off.
We cleaned the roof. Ours was pretty dirty.
We applied paint protection film. The Victory rack came with a trim piece that sits along the roofline above the windshield for aerodynamics and to seal the gap. We put clear paint protection film straight across the front of the roof underneath it to protect the paint. We used a squeegee in a circular, scooping motion to work the bubbles out, then trimmed the edge. (Not the most beautifully cut line, but it did the job.)
Drilling and Rivnuts
We set the rack on the roof. We lifted it up together and set it down really gently.
We positioned the rear feet 2 inches forward of the black plastic piece at the back of the roof channel.
We marked the holes, center punched, and drilled pilot holes. Rachael drilled the pilot holes on her side while I went to get the right size bit.
We stepped up the drill bits. We went from 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch and then up to the final size. We used M8 bolts and M8 rivnuts, which are a little bigger than the stock hardware and give us more strength.
We sealed and painted. We put RTV inside and around each hole, painted the bare metal to prevent rust, set the rivnuts, and then added more RTV when the rack went on.
We bolted the rack down and tightened everything.
Wiring the Lights
Rachael installed the wire hider along the A-pillar. It had a small profile, and she just stuck it on with adhesive and ran the wires up through it to the lights. We wired the lights into switch #4 on the Switch Pros, flipped it on, and we had light! It looked so good.
Rachael also got to put the sticker on. Last time, on the Tacoma, I made her do it a couple of times because it wasn't perfectly centered. She was nervous, but this one came out pretty centered. And yes, it did have to be perfect. I have to look at it for the rest of my life.
A hard day's work deserved ice cream. I went with chip, my summer flavor. Rachael tried key lime pie and said it was delicious.
Rachael's Takeaways
For Rachael, the two big wins this time were 1) really understanding why we built the electrical system around a central panel and 2) feeling confident enough to air down and air up the tires on her own.
Tips, Tricks, and Resources
Install skids from back to front, starting with the transfer case plate.
Victory 4x4's video instructions are excellent. Watch them before you start.
If you're relocating an ARB compressor, you'll need to extend the power, ground, and switch wires. Size your fuses to match the original harness (ours used 40A per motor).
Kill power at the breaker before working on the fuse block.
When something electrical doesn't work, check your grounds first. It's always the ground.
Calibrate your tire deflators at home, not on the trail.
Assemble the roof rack upside down on the floor with the feet and fairings loose, so you can position it before you drill.
Put paint protection film under anything that sits on your roof.
Step up your drill bits gradually for rivnut holes, and seal every hole with RTV.
Use a wire hider on the A-pillar for a clean light install.
Parts List:
Armor
Victory 4x4 skid plates
Victory 4x4 rock sliders
Grip tape (for the sliders)
Victory 4x4 door MOLLE panel
Air
ARB twin-motor air compressor
Victory 4x4 compressor mount
Diode (switch wire)
Wire (to extend power and ground)
40A fuses (x2)
Tire deflators
Roof
Victory 4x4 roof rack
Victory 4x4 area lights
Light wiring splitter
Wire hider (A-pillar)
Clear paint protection film
M8 rivnuts and M8 bolts
RTV sealant
Touch-up paint
Tools
Socket set and torque wrench
Drill and step-up bits (1/8-inch, 1/4-inch, final rivnut size)
Center punch
Rivnut tool
Trim removal tool
Squeegee
Wire strippers and crimpers
Up Next
You can watch this whole episode, and the rest of the 10-part series, on the Mountain State Overland YouTube channel. The series is free to watch thanks to OK4WD, with additional support from Bilstein, Toyo Tires, Blue Ridge Overland Gear, GP Factor, and Midland. And if you want to see a build like this out on the trail, come join us on a Mountain State Overland guided trip!