Last week Matt dug into the bed of our 2023 Raptor Build, installing a few pieces of essential gear for anyone planning on having some fun off road! We used our Ford F-150/Raptor Bedside MOLLE Stage 1 Kit, our BAR System and mounts to secure a PowerTank, 4 MAXTRAX Extreme Traction Boards, a 3 gallon RotopaX fuel can, Shovel-Tec Overlander, Large BuiltRight MOLLE Pouch, and a Rigid Industries Ignite Spot LED on a Mountech 6" Arm with a 2-Bolt Base.
A few episodes back, Matt fabricated a wiring harness that allows us to hook up a powerful Rigid Industries Ignite Spot LED to the factory bedlight wiring harness. We've been loving that mod and know that a lot of you guys have mentioned wanting it to become a product - we hear you! Considering we had just temporarily mounted that light to one of our small F-Series Bedside MOLLE Panels for shooting that video, Matt needed to swap over the Mountech gear to our larger rear driver's side 2021+ Ford F-150/Raptor Bedside Panel, and leave enough room next to it for a 3 gallon RotopaX can on our RotopaX MOLLE-Compatible Mounting Plate. We had enough room for both, an Original QuickFist Clamp on our Riser Mount for the shovel handle, and another new prototype that we'll be discussing more below!
As for the truck's rear passenger Bedside MOLLE Panel, that is where we decided to mount our PowerTank and their tire repair MOLLE pouch. We've mounted PowerTanks in this specific location before and it has never been an issue for us. One step of this install that we really appreciate is PowerTank's 'Power Plate'. They include it in their MOLLE/Pickup 10 lb. Tank Kit, and it basically acts as a giant support washer/backing plate to give your Tank and mounting face some extra support. It makes lining everything up a little more complicated, but that's certainly a tradeoff we're willing to take considering the peace-of-mind it brings us.
We still had a little room around the PowerTank on the MOLLE panel, so we might install another Original QuickFist to keep our PowerTank accessory bag secured, but Matt has also mentioned mounting a hose reel in the bed somewhere soon. Either way - there is more than enough room for some gear and a 10 lb. tank!
As you might have seen in last week's video and blog post, we're working on creating universal Traction Board Mounts that interface perfectly with our MOLLE Panels, Bulkhead Accessory Rail (BAR) Systems, and almost every brand of traction/recovery boards on the market. In that video, Matt finished the first two initial prototypes we needed to test the part's functionality, and by the time we recorded this episode, we had printed two perfect finalized prototypes to play with. They're really rugged and very adjustable, designed to be used with standard M10 hardware or MAXTRAX mounting pins, and these final 3D printed prototypes can hold 4 MAXTRAX Extreme Traction Boards on the BAR with ease. We can't wait to release the pre-order for these mounts!
One of the best parts about securing MAXTRAX (or your favorite traction boards) to our Bulkhead Accessory Rail is that you'll still have around 15" of BAR space available, which ends up being perfect for mounting our Universal Tech Plates with pouches or mounts for gear. We opted for the latter and used an 11.5" x 15.5" Tech Plate with 2 of our Super Clamp Mounts to mount a fire extinguisher (we swapped in a recovery strap in the same location too to make sure everything fits, these mounts work perfectly for most items 6"- 9" in diameter). The gear storage possibilities are *almost* endless with our tech plates, mounts and pouches, get creative with your space and how you secure your gear!
Being able to keep a fire extinguisher or tow strap securely mounted exactly where you left it might make the difference between minor property damage and loss of life... Obviously we will never tell you guys what to do, but we all know that preparing for the 'unthinkable' situations in life will only make getting through them better. Keeping some essential gear next to a set of 4 traction boards in your truck's bed will only improve your odds of recovery!
I told you there would be a glimpse at another new product prototype... here it is! A nifty, perfectly designed mounting bracket for MasterLock Python cable locks, this 3D printed prototype is incredibly functional and interfaces with our 'Block and Slot' MOLLE pattern perfectly - showing proof of concept and making it much harder for items to be 'borrowed' from your truck. Yes we know, a cable lock mounted to bedside racks can be defeated without much effort, but the idea is to deter those who don't want to put in that effort. Of course the best way to keep gear locked in your bed is to have a locking metal tonneau cover or a bed cap, but this Cable Lock Mount will provide an added level of protection. While we don't have a release date for these mounts solidified, keep an eye out! We'll be pushing them into production very soon.
Finally, it wouldn't be a true off-road/overlanding setup without a shovel, right? That's where Mike French over at Shovel Tec comes in! He sent us this badass 'Overlander' shovel a while back, and it has lived in many different vehicles and seen many product photos and videos since then! We secured the shovel with 2 of our Original QuickFist Riser Mounts - one mounted horizontally to grab the D-ring handle, and the other mounted vertically to grab the shovel's shaft right below the spade. We also threaded the cable lock through the handle to tie all of the gear on the driver's side together. Check out Shovel Tec by clicking here, we couldn't recommend them and their products more highly!
Watch the full episode below:
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