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troymi
Well-Known Member
Sorry for being so long ago: what is that spare tire holder?After owning many different rack and cover setups between my Tacoma and my Gladiator over the past 5 years, I can say 100% without a doubt that the Diamondback cover is WELL worth the added cost. This has been such an enjoyable ownership experience. I was worried that the Diamondback/Frontrunner setup was driven by social media hype through YouTube and Instagram, but I can say that they hype is real, and for a reason. It has been the most utilitarian and convenient setup and I couldn’t ask for more
troymi
Well-Known Member
Can anyone say if you can install the DB HD with a Mopar drop in bed liner as opposed to the spray in? Very curious if anyone has done this. Likely some cuts at the bulkhead?
Sarge502
Well-Known Member
I cant fully speak on a drop in bedliner. However, based off my Line X bed liner, I couldnt imagine any issues, unless it come over top horizontal edge of the bulkhead. And only because thats where the DB seal goes. Other than that, theres really no contact with anything else other than the bed rail caps.
Wolf Island Diver
Well-Known Member
I decided I wanted an awning. I really like the Diamondback + Front Runner setup since I can mount Roam cases and carry my Gazelle T8 flush with the roof. Everything is locked up and everything is protected from the weather. I can carry bikes without them being 10 feet off the ground, and I can remove it all easily to use the truck as a truck. The problem with adding an awning is the getting it to the right height, so I sort of wrote it off with this setup. I saw the video from Sketchy Jeep which got me thinking about it again seriously.
I went with an OVS awning but went with a different approach to the mounting. This uses 20 inch aluminum brackets from Original Granite Bracket. I’ve seen some Toyota folks do this.
https://originalgranitebracket.com/...tertop-support-bracket?variant=39385647415393
Each of these brackets can support over 200lbs at the end and there are 4 oriented 90 degrees to the angle with that spec. I didn’t think I needed to dust of my dynamics classwork to see that there is only a small fraction of the weight of the awning applying a force in that direction, so I think this is plenty strong. The only issue would be flex. Without any additional support or brackets, it’s actually surprisingly good on road but I wanted it to be off-road stiff. I added additional brackets from 80:20 attached to the Slimline II so that the awning brackets are bolted from both sides. and an additional 45 degree brace I fabricated from aluminum stock where it overhangs the cab. I can not get this thing to flex at all. It’s totally rigid. I then repurposed the OVS mounting brackets to hold my Waterport Weekender which also serves to further grab the underside of the Slimline, so the two inner awning brackets are affectively bolted to the top and bottom of the rack. It’s ridiculously stout despite all of that height. The awning doesn‘t flex at all and neither does the Waterport. The ROAM rugged mounts clashed with the awning brackets so they now sit on 1/4 HDPE plate spacers I fabricated to clear the brackets.
I’m in the process of fully enclosing the space between the Slimline and the Diamondback to use for chairs, tables, wood, etc using aluminum composite sheeting. I’m also adding an OVS shower stall this weekend.
I think I’m going to upgrade to the new AEV 3 inch springs, although with all the weight the performance is still great on and off road. The eco-diesel shrugged off
the awning. No change in MPG. It looks a bit odd without the ROAM cases and just the awning sticking way up there but awnings look odd already.
I’m going to make a hoist to remove the whole Slimline II, awning, ROAM boxes, etc when not in “overlanding mode.”
with both ROAM cases. The awning clears these fine and the Waterport is now moved off to the side so the Gazelle will fit better.
I went with an OVS awning but went with a different approach to the mounting. This uses 20 inch aluminum brackets from Original Granite Bracket. I’ve seen some Toyota folks do this.
https://originalgranitebracket.com/...tertop-support-bracket?variant=39385647415393
Each of these brackets can support over 200lbs at the end and there are 4 oriented 90 degrees to the angle with that spec. I didn’t think I needed to dust of my dynamics classwork to see that there is only a small fraction of the weight of the awning applying a force in that direction, so I think this is plenty strong. The only issue would be flex. Without any additional support or brackets, it’s actually surprisingly good on road but I wanted it to be off-road stiff. I added additional brackets from 80:20 attached to the Slimline II so that the awning brackets are bolted from both sides. and an additional 45 degree brace I fabricated from aluminum stock where it overhangs the cab. I can not get this thing to flex at all. It’s totally rigid. I then repurposed the OVS mounting brackets to hold my Waterport Weekender which also serves to further grab the underside of the Slimline, so the two inner awning brackets are affectively bolted to the top and bottom of the rack. It’s ridiculously stout despite all of that height. The awning doesn‘t flex at all and neither does the Waterport. The ROAM rugged mounts clashed with the awning brackets so they now sit on 1/4 HDPE plate spacers I fabricated to clear the brackets.
I’m in the process of fully enclosing the space between the Slimline and the Diamondback to use for chairs, tables, wood, etc using aluminum composite sheeting. I’m also adding an OVS shower stall this weekend.
I think I’m going to upgrade to the new AEV 3 inch springs, although with all the weight the performance is still great on and off road. The eco-diesel shrugged off
the awning. No change in MPG. It looks a bit odd without the ROAM cases and just the awning sticking way up there but awnings look odd already.
I’m going to make a hoist to remove the whole Slimline II, awning, ROAM boxes, etc when not in “overlanding mode.”
with both ROAM cases. The awning clears these fine and the Waterport is now moved off to the side so the Gazelle will fit better.
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Wolf Island Diver
Well-Known Member
Diamondback/Front Runner Water Can PSA:
Scepter NATO water cans will fit under the front runner rack. These cans don’t leak on their sides, if you use the scepter wrench to tighten them. The space between the Slimline II and the DB is enclosed on my truck so I just throw them up there and don’t worry. They should fit under the cross bars as well but obviously will require more care to secure them. It’s a tight fit which helps prevent them from sliding around.
I have a cheap $14 electric pump which perfectly fits the Scepters to provide water on demand
https://a.co/d/fayzF2L
Between the Waterport and 2 cans, I’m carrying 18 gallons of water now.
The scepter w/pump
And yes, I take a pizza oven overlanding/camping with wood, along with 200w of solar, a Geyser shower, Clean Waste toilet, Southwest Disk Discada and burner, Breeo grill, a Kelty folding sofa and an f’ing rug! I also still carry a full compliment of recovery gear, tools and a spill kit.
With the DB/Front Runner/Roam setup, all my insane crap fits in the back and the dog has the whole back seat to himself. The AEV springs handle it fine but I may upgrade to 3” springs for more stiffness on road when loaded.
Scepter NATO water cans will fit under the front runner rack. These cans don’t leak on their sides, if you use the scepter wrench to tighten them. The space between the Slimline II and the DB is enclosed on my truck so I just throw them up there and don’t worry. They should fit under the cross bars as well but obviously will require more care to secure them. It’s a tight fit which helps prevent them from sliding around.
I have a cheap $14 electric pump which perfectly fits the Scepters to provide water on demand
https://a.co/d/fayzF2L
Between the Waterport and 2 cans, I’m carrying 18 gallons of water now.
The scepter w/pump
And yes, I take a pizza oven overlanding/camping with wood, along with 200w of solar, a Geyser shower, Clean Waste toilet, Southwest Disk Discada and burner, Breeo grill, a Kelty folding sofa and an f’ing rug! I also still carry a full compliment of recovery gear, tools and a spill kit.
With the DB/Front Runner/Roam setup, all my insane crap fits in the back and the dog has the whole back seat to himself. The AEV springs handle it fine but I may upgrade to 3” springs for more stiffness on road when loaded.
Wolf Island Diver
Well-Known Member
Awning Lights Update:
I added a ton of lights to the OVS awning. On each arm I added 1 yellow and 1 daylight strip. The daylight is for working on the truck in the field or emergencies where you need a lot of light. Sorry, I don’t have pictures with all of the white lights on. They’re insanely bright. The yellow is great for camping and bugs don’t seem to be attracted to them very much.
I made this control box with a dimmer with ports so I can either plug in any combination the yellow lights or the white ones. It velcros to the awning or to a spot in the bed next to the tailgate where it gets power from a waterproof port wired to a fuse panel under the hood.
Each full strip pulls about 1.6 amps when warm or cold. Each awning bar has both 1/2 of a yellow strip and 1/2 of a white strip. There are a total of 6 yellow and 6 white half LED strips but only enough ports to run a maximum of 6 devices, 7 if you include the 2 at the front powered by a single wire going through the awning frame. So this draws about 6 amps total. The 10 amp fuse under the hood is sufficient.
Additionally I’ve made a few other items to add more flexibility. I had two extra Oracle Lighting bed lights that I mounted to some wood trim. They have magnets at the end and clips with adjustable paracord to attach them to things. I can use these as under hood work lights, hanging from the awning over a table, under the truck as work light or extending out from the awning to further light up a camp site or work area. They’re each 5 feet long.
Lastly, I’ve made 2, 10 foot extension cables for these lights each with two female heads that can plug into the control box, directly into the power port in the bed, or each other. I’ve also made an adapter cable to plug into the 12v port of a Goal Zero. The control box can also plug into the extension cables and/or the GZ. I usually plug it into a Yet500x so I can monitor battery usage and not drain the trucks battery.
The awning lights are sufficient a their dimmest when camping and draw only a few watts at that setting. All the way up they pull about 10 atts.
Here the parts from Chinazon:
LuSumtly Project Box IP65 Waterproof Dustproof Junction Boxes ABS Plastic DIY Electronic Case, Indoor & Outdoor Electrical Box Power Cord Enclosure Black 6.22 x 3.54 x 2.36 inch (158x90x60mm) https://a.co/d/fmRxdfb
EverBright Led Strip Lights Waterproof, Flexible Led Light Strips, Yellow Led Strip Lights 16.4Ft 5050 SMD 300 LED PCB Black for Home Bedroom Party Holiday Neon Decoration Stage Lights https://a.co/d/8HOPQqC
EverBright White Led Strip Lights,5M /16.4Ft 5050SMD 300LED with Power Adapter Waterproof Flexible Light Strip for Home Kitchen Cabinet Car Mall Party Holiday Decoration Stage Led Tape Light https://a.co/d/3i96EUv
BTF-LIGHTING 2 Pin Electrical Connector 18AWG IP65 Male Female Connector 7.87in/20cm Extension Cable for Car,Truck,Boat,Indoor/Outdoor LED Strip Lights/String 22mm Nut Big Size 5 Pairs https://a.co/d/fdtMESM
18 awg 0.75mm² Silicone Electrical Wire 2 Conductors Cores Wire 20ft 18/2 Gauge Soft and Flexible Hook Up Stranded Tinned Copper Wire https://a.co/d/aXCge5e
(Real 18AWG) 10 Pairs 12V 5A DC Power Pigtail Barrel Plug Connector Cable, 2.1mm x 5.5mm Male Female DC Pigtail Connectors for CCTV Security Camera and 12V Power Supply Adapter by MILAPEAK https://a.co/d/gAzOBfw
VELCRO Brand Heavy Duty Fasteners | 4x2 Inch Strips with Adhesive 8 Sets | Holds 10 lbs | Black Industrial Strength Stick On Tape | Indoor or Outdoor Use (VEL-30703-USA) https://a.co/d/4LceObp
12 Volt DC Dimmer Switch for LED, Halogen, Incandescent - RV, Auto, Truck, Marine, and Strip Lighting (Large Slider, Black) https://a.co/d/8VIFT9f
5.5 x 2.1 mm DC Power Jack Socket Threaded Female Panel Mount Connector Adapter with Dustproof Plug 6Pack https://a.co/d/5mnykIL
MILAPEAK Terminal Block and Strip - 12pcs (6 Sets) 8 Positions Dual Row 600V 15A Screw Terminal Strip Blocks with Cover + 400V 15A 8 Positions Pre-Insulated Terminals Barrier Strip (Black & Red) https://a.co/d/1BtPRgo
(For wiring inside the box)
uxcell 10Pcs M12 Waterproof IP68 Nylon Cable Gland Joint Adjustable Locknut for 3mm-6.5mm Dia Cable Wire https://a.co/d/j6RDZkg
3M Automotive Acrylic Plus Premium Attchment Tape 06387, Black, 1.12 mm, 1/4 in x 20 yd https://a.co/d/1MXy4yN
(I don’t trust the double sided tape on the LEDs. I used 1.5 rolls of this)
For the light bars:
Nite Ize NCJ-01-4R3 CamJam Tie Down Rope Carabiner Clip, Cord Tightener 4-Pack, 4 Count https://a.co/d/bjRMA4a
ULIBERMAGNET 4Pack Anti-Scratch Neodymium Magnet with Rubber Coated and M6 Male Thread,Super Strong Magnetic Mounting for Lighting,Camera,Tools and equipement https://a.co/d/4KU4wpA
https://www.oraclelights.com/products/oracle-truck-bed-led-cargo-light-60-pair-w-switch
Plus electrical tape, wire, heat shrink tubing, heat shrink butt connectors, some wood moulding from Home Despot, stain, poly and paracord, a quality electronics soldering iron, and a 12 pack of IPA (not all at once).
I added a ton of lights to the OVS awning. On each arm I added 1 yellow and 1 daylight strip. The daylight is for working on the truck in the field or emergencies where you need a lot of light. Sorry, I don’t have pictures with all of the white lights on. They’re insanely bright. The yellow is great for camping and bugs don’t seem to be attracted to them very much.
I made this control box with a dimmer with ports so I can either plug in any combination the yellow lights or the white ones. It velcros to the awning or to a spot in the bed next to the tailgate where it gets power from a waterproof port wired to a fuse panel under the hood.
Each full strip pulls about 1.6 amps when warm or cold. Each awning bar has both 1/2 of a yellow strip and 1/2 of a white strip. There are a total of 6 yellow and 6 white half LED strips but only enough ports to run a maximum of 6 devices, 7 if you include the 2 at the front powered by a single wire going through the awning frame. So this draws about 6 amps total. The 10 amp fuse under the hood is sufficient.
Additionally I’ve made a few other items to add more flexibility. I had two extra Oracle Lighting bed lights that I mounted to some wood trim. They have magnets at the end and clips with adjustable paracord to attach them to things. I can use these as under hood work lights, hanging from the awning over a table, under the truck as work light or extending out from the awning to further light up a camp site or work area. They’re each 5 feet long.
Lastly, I’ve made 2, 10 foot extension cables for these lights each with two female heads that can plug into the control box, directly into the power port in the bed, or each other. I’ve also made an adapter cable to plug into the 12v port of a Goal Zero. The control box can also plug into the extension cables and/or the GZ. I usually plug it into a Yet500x so I can monitor battery usage and not drain the trucks battery.
The awning lights are sufficient a their dimmest when camping and draw only a few watts at that setting. All the way up they pull about 10 atts.
Here the parts from Chinazon:
LuSumtly Project Box IP65 Waterproof Dustproof Junction Boxes ABS Plastic DIY Electronic Case, Indoor & Outdoor Electrical Box Power Cord Enclosure Black 6.22 x 3.54 x 2.36 inch (158x90x60mm) https://a.co/d/fmRxdfb
EverBright Led Strip Lights Waterproof, Flexible Led Light Strips, Yellow Led Strip Lights 16.4Ft 5050 SMD 300 LED PCB Black for Home Bedroom Party Holiday Neon Decoration Stage Lights https://a.co/d/8HOPQqC
EverBright White Led Strip Lights,5M /16.4Ft 5050SMD 300LED with Power Adapter Waterproof Flexible Light Strip for Home Kitchen Cabinet Car Mall Party Holiday Decoration Stage Led Tape Light https://a.co/d/3i96EUv
BTF-LIGHTING 2 Pin Electrical Connector 18AWG IP65 Male Female Connector 7.87in/20cm Extension Cable for Car,Truck,Boat,Indoor/Outdoor LED Strip Lights/String 22mm Nut Big Size 5 Pairs https://a.co/d/fdtMESM
18 awg 0.75mm² Silicone Electrical Wire 2 Conductors Cores Wire 20ft 18/2 Gauge Soft and Flexible Hook Up Stranded Tinned Copper Wire https://a.co/d/aXCge5e
(Real 18AWG) 10 Pairs 12V 5A DC Power Pigtail Barrel Plug Connector Cable, 2.1mm x 5.5mm Male Female DC Pigtail Connectors for CCTV Security Camera and 12V Power Supply Adapter by MILAPEAK https://a.co/d/gAzOBfw
VELCRO Brand Heavy Duty Fasteners | 4x2 Inch Strips with Adhesive 8 Sets | Holds 10 lbs | Black Industrial Strength Stick On Tape | Indoor or Outdoor Use (VEL-30703-USA) https://a.co/d/4LceObp
12 Volt DC Dimmer Switch for LED, Halogen, Incandescent - RV, Auto, Truck, Marine, and Strip Lighting (Large Slider, Black) https://a.co/d/8VIFT9f
5.5 x 2.1 mm DC Power Jack Socket Threaded Female Panel Mount Connector Adapter with Dustproof Plug 6Pack https://a.co/d/5mnykIL
MILAPEAK Terminal Block and Strip - 12pcs (6 Sets) 8 Positions Dual Row 600V 15A Screw Terminal Strip Blocks with Cover + 400V 15A 8 Positions Pre-Insulated Terminals Barrier Strip (Black & Red) https://a.co/d/1BtPRgo
(For wiring inside the box)
uxcell 10Pcs M12 Waterproof IP68 Nylon Cable Gland Joint Adjustable Locknut for 3mm-6.5mm Dia Cable Wire https://a.co/d/j6RDZkg
3M Automotive Acrylic Plus Premium Attchment Tape 06387, Black, 1.12 mm, 1/4 in x 20 yd https://a.co/d/1MXy4yN
(I don’t trust the double sided tape on the LEDs. I used 1.5 rolls of this)
For the light bars:
Nite Ize NCJ-01-4R3 CamJam Tie Down Rope Carabiner Clip, Cord Tightener 4-Pack, 4 Count https://a.co/d/bjRMA4a
ULIBERMAGNET 4Pack Anti-Scratch Neodymium Magnet with Rubber Coated and M6 Male Thread,Super Strong Magnetic Mounting for Lighting,Camera,Tools and equipement https://a.co/d/4KU4wpA
https://www.oraclelights.com/products/oracle-truck-bed-led-cargo-light-60-pair-w-switch
Plus electrical tape, wire, heat shrink tubing, heat shrink butt connectors, some wood moulding from Home Despot, stain, poly and paracord, a quality electronics soldering iron, and a 12 pack of IPA (not all at once).
Sarge502
Well-Known Member
Nah, but I've had a couple fat b*#%ches up there though.
Last edited:
Snake Eyes
Well-Known Member
Agree. I ended up not going with the Diamond back due to the weight of the cover. Instead I went with a X4s. I can still add a cross bar rack to use with that cover. It saved me 35 lbs which is a lot.
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Delhux
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2019
- Threads
- 43
- Messages
- 573
- Reaction score
- 889
- Location
- Boston, MA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2020 Gladiator - Overland - Gator
I’m curious if anyone who has had water intrusion as an issue, has been able to resolve it.
I’ve had the DB HD cover going icon 3-years now and each time I do something to try to resolve water intrusion, it only gets worse.
In the beginning I was getting just a bit of water dripping at the cross piece. I found the bed rails had been crushed a bit, so I shunned them with a Tundra shim kit DB recommended (before they had a JT kit available). When I was done, the water intrusion was slightly worse.
Then, the JT shim kit was available, so I bought new bed rail caps from the local dealership parts department and did a second set of shims. After that, the water intrusion was even worse.
Like anybody, I don’t have a ton of free time to tweak the DB, so I was really hoping the whole shim/bed rail thing would work.
Recently, I’ve been back in touch with DB support, and we started with confirming the torque settings in the clamps. Last week I reseated and set all clamps to 5.42 ft/lbs (recommendation was 5-6 ft/lbs). I tested it at the time using a watering can on the cover and saw no intrusion.
Today, a week later, I was driving I. The rain and needed to drop an item in the bed—the watwr intrusion was as bad as I’ve ever seen it, and I discovered one of the clamps had fallen off. The clamp falling off is, unfortunately, not all that unusual—however, the amount of water getting in today with one clamp off is as bad as I have ever seen it—even with multiple clamps off/loose.
Can anyone recommend additional steps to make it water-tight? It has never been water right and I am questioning if either the rubber gaskets are sound or if the cover itself is even wide enough for the gladiator (I bought one of the earliest available DB HD’s back In 2019).
Thoughts?
I’ve had the DB HD cover going icon 3-years now and each time I do something to try to resolve water intrusion, it only gets worse.
In the beginning I was getting just a bit of water dripping at the cross piece. I found the bed rails had been crushed a bit, so I shunned them with a Tundra shim kit DB recommended (before they had a JT kit available). When I was done, the water intrusion was slightly worse.
Then, the JT shim kit was available, so I bought new bed rail caps from the local dealership parts department and did a second set of shims. After that, the water intrusion was even worse.
Like anybody, I don’t have a ton of free time to tweak the DB, so I was really hoping the whole shim/bed rail thing would work.
Recently, I’ve been back in touch with DB support, and we started with confirming the torque settings in the clamps. Last week I reseated and set all clamps to 5.42 ft/lbs (recommendation was 5-6 ft/lbs). I tested it at the time using a watering can on the cover and saw no intrusion.
Today, a week later, I was driving I. The rain and needed to drop an item in the bed—the watwr intrusion was as bad as I’ve ever seen it, and I discovered one of the clamps had fallen off. The clamp falling off is, unfortunately, not all that unusual—however, the amount of water getting in today with one clamp off is as bad as I have ever seen it—even with multiple clamps off/loose.
Can anyone recommend additional steps to make it water-tight? It has never been water right and I am questioning if either the rubber gaskets are sound or if the cover itself is even wide enough for the gladiator (I bought one of the earliest available DB HD’s back In 2019).
Thoughts?
Sarge502
Well-Known Member
Damn dude thats bad. I have been fortunate enough to not have any water issues or issues with clamps falling off. Although mine is only about 9 months old. I did the shim install as well.
Hopefully you get that rectified.
Hopefully you get that rectified.
Gatorized
Well-Known Member
Something to try - after adjusting the rods to be tight I put a short length of pex tubing on the rail which provides a bit of anti-friction for the rods to engage the rail and also tightens the top just a bit more. I put a slit in the pex and it’s a tight fit on the rail - its not going to fall off!
Delhux
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2019
- Threads
- 43
- Messages
- 573
- Reaction score
- 889
- Location
- Boston, MA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2020 Gladiator - Overland - Gator
That seems pretty clever. Thanks.Something to try - after adjusting the rods to be tight I put a short length of pex tubing on the rail which provides a bit of anti-friction for the rods to engage the rail and also tightens the top just a bit more. I put a slit in the pex and it’s a tight fit on the rail - its not going to fall off!
Wolf Island Diver
Well-Known Member
I’m having the problem of my trail rail getting mashed up into the underside of bed sides by the clamps. I’m concerned this will eventually fail. I’m thinking of adding spacers between the top of the trail rail and the bottom inside edge of the bed sides in the area.
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