OMG! If you haven’t noticed, it is hot outside. Here in the Southern Plains (never refer to Oklahoma as “the Midwest”, never). Oklahoma City has recorded about 15 to 16 days of 100-degree temperatures so far this summer in 2026, which is above the typical annual average of 12 to 13 days. We have at least 6 more 100-degree days coming. If your country has never landed a man on the moon that temperature is 37.7 Celsius.
With those kinds of temperatures my metal shop building with the lovely radiant heat effect temps often climb above 120°F (48°C). That’s warm. And for a man of my age that is considered “dangerous”. When you start looking at the wet bulb numbers you can easily quantify your chances of a heat related injury.
85-88
Working or exercising in direct sunlight will stress your body after 30 minutes.
Take at least 30 minutes of breaks each hour if working or exercising in direct sunlight
88-90
Working or exercising in direct sunlight will stress your body after 20 minutes.
Take at least 40 minutes of breaks each hour if working or exercising in direct sunlight
>90
Working or exercising in direct sunlight will stress your body after 15 minutes.
Take at least 45 minutes of breaks each hour if working or exercising in direct sunlight
So we have had wet bulb numbers above 85 all of August. Brutal.
So I’m looking at options to adjust the temperature of the shop down to a “reasonable” temp. That will take at least two major items to help.
Exhaust Fan
This weekend I put a 2200 CFM exhaust fan in. Shops my size should have at least a 1500 CFM fan. So I grabbed a Chinese made fan from Vevor. I ordered one with a “control module”. It was broken when it arrived. I had to repair it. Then I tested it. The temp rheostat did not seem to work as I would have expected. Set on 100°F the fan didn’t come on. So I set it to the lowest temp 32°F the fan came on about 60% speed. That is not going to be acceptable.
So I’m going to wire an old fashioned on off switch to a plug. Plug the fan in and when needed I will turn it on the day before. Simple, efficient.
The second thing in the research, planning, I need some money to buy stage is Prodex.
I’m looking at something like $1,000.00(US) to get roughly 1,410 square foot of Prodex Total 5m material and the ancillary materials to mount it to the building frames.
The testimonials and YouTube video promise I will see some significant temp reductions. And in the winter I’ll retain heat.
That’s what were up to. That’s where we are headed.
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This is a collective post of all the posts for my Auxiliary Light Project.
Part 1
In this post I put the lights on the roof rack. The weather played along and it was the only day this week I could get out there. Last weekend was spent getting Erica and Brian’s house moved. Erica remembered I drove M54 5 ton trucks in the Marine Corps Reserve.
So I got to drive the U-Haul home. The first two hours was driving with the wind on the front right corner with a wicked wind blowing me all over the road with the incredibly vague steering. I also enjoyed a crosswind with that vibrated the left mirror and creating a loud noise. It was brutal.
We got them all load and unloaded in two days. That took a toll on this old man, but I was happy we got it all done.
So on to the lights…
I started with a template so I could get the holes drilled correctly that needed a slight adjustment for the power wire. Once I got them on the roof rack, I realized the power wires were going to need to be secured and out of the way.
I found some metal clips that were designed to hold a tablecloth on to a picnic table. After I broke 4 drill bits trying to drill hole in them, I gave up and went to the hardware store to buy some. On the way I realized the steel was probably spring steel. So, drilling a hole was probably a folly in itself.
The bracket got installed and then I went on to wiring. Nothing special here. I watched a Simon Fordman YouTube video where he soldered his wiring. I decided that would be how I did it. What I learned is I need a wider variety of heat shrink. I had several of the right diameters but not in the length I needed.
What’s next? I’m glad you asked. I need to wire in the switches and relays. This means I need to determine what the box is going to look like. I also need to decide what I’m going to make the inside out of, MDF? plywood? paper mâché? the choices are endless!!!
Part 2
I finished up the soldering on the lights. I didn’t finish one last weekend. I should have filmed it because it was the best connection of the three. Its sad how you lose skills when you don’t use them. Add soldering to the list of perishable skills…
Dancing
Running
Bending over at the waist
Patience
Firearms accuracy
Drinking all day and waking up the next day like nothing happened
(New) Soldering
That’s most of my list… I’m sure “cognitive skills” and “remembering why I walked into a room” will be added soon but for now let’s go with these.
I got the wires routed along the roof rack. I bought some ridiculously over designed zip ties. I used those along the rack. I’m not worried about the wires moving.
I was able to run the wires around the rain gutter and into one of the holes in the D pillar that would have been used to hold the beauty panel on. I’m not worried about it going anywhere because the wires are right up against it.
I got the D pillar beauty panel secured and installed the interior trim piece as well. I now have to get connectors and wire and make jumpers for the relays and plan my wiring panel. At this point I’m thinking a piece of wood mounted to the interior back. It would be covered by the box that will be the location of the light switches and the sub woofer.
There will be additional power needs back there. I have a ridiculous list of needs for the rear.
Interior lights, charging batteries for a drone and cameras and flash lights…. Its a ridiculous list and I should probably print it and stick up somewhere so I am always thinking about it when I’m planning.
That’s all for this week. Like and subscribe if you watch the video. Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.
Part 3
In this video I talk about my terrible planning skills. I also mount the relays on my board for the auxiliary lights on the roof rack for my Range Rover Classic Overland rig.
Part 4
In this video I talk about my terrible planning skills. I also mount the relays on my board for the auxiliary lights on the roof rack for my Range Rover Classic Overland rig.
Part 5
In this video I discuss my windshield issue, deal with a missing Amazon order, and finish soldering the diodes for the auxiliary lights on the roof rack for my Range Rover Classic Overland rig.
Details About “Kit and Kaboodle”
Origin: The phrase dates back to around 1870, with earlier iterations including “kit and boodle” or “kit and cargo” in the 1840s/50s. It is believed to have originated from “kit” (a collection of tools/items) and “boodle” (a, Dutch-derived, word for a group or property).
In this video I start the cabinets to house the switching board for my lights on my Range Rover Classic Overland rig. I also managed to cut through the handle on my table. Thankfully, I was able to repair it with a little welding.
There were some other issues but I dealt with them off camera. Speaking of cameras, this camera is REALLY pissing me off. I think I’ll be looking for a new camera in the coming year. One that doesn’t overheat and is easy to turn on and off.
I made the hard decisions to skip the subwoofer for now. The size of the one I chose would have taken up the entire space behind the cabinet. It was the Kenwood Excelon P-XW804B.
The search is on….
Part 7
Finishing up the carpentry. No one called me out for spelling it wrong in Part 6.
Part 8
In this part I test my circuit to make sure it does what I planned. Spoiler alert it does. I also fix the bracket by welding a nut on to the brackets. I screwed up getting the fabric to cover the box. I’ll have to make a daytime run to get it so I can wrap this project up.
Part 9
In this video I move yet another step closer to wrapping up the switching board for my lights on my Range Rover Classic Overland rig. All I need is to cover it with fabric and finish out the wiring and mounting of the switch.
Part 10
In this video I wrap up the switching board for my lights on my Range Rover Classic Overland rig. I only burned both index fingers and started a small fire. About normal, and I’ll probably recover.
Like and subscribe. Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.
I finished up the soldering on the lights. I didn’t finish one last weekend. I should have filmed it because it was the best connection of the three. Its sad how you lose skills when you don’t use them. Add soldering to the list of perishable skills…
Dancing
Running
Bending over at the waist
Patience
Firearms accuracy
Drinking all day and waking up the next day like nothing happened
(New) Soldering
That’s most of my list… I’m sure “cognitive skills” and “remembering why I walked into a room” will be added soon but for now let’s go with these.
I got the wires routed along the roof rack. I bought some ridiculously over designed zip ties. I used those along the rack. I’m not worried about the wires moving.
I was able to run the wires around the rain gutter and into one of the holes in the D pillar that would have been used to hold the beauty panel on. I’m not worried about it going anywhere because the wires are right up against it.
I got the D pillar beauty panel secured and installed the interior trim piece as well. I now have to get connectors and wire and make jumpers for the relays and plan my wiring panel. At this point I’m thinking a piece of wood mounted to the interior back. It would be covered by the box that will be the location of the light switches and the sub woofer.
There will be additional power needs back there. I have a ridiculous list of needs for the rear.
Interior lights, charging batteries for a drone and cameras and flash lights…. Its a ridiculous list and I should probably print it and stick up somewhere so I am always thinking about it when I’m planning.
That’s all for this week. Like and subscribe if you watch the video. Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.
In this post I rough-in the wiring for the lights on the outside of the Big White Bus. My plan is to have external lighting that I can control from the comfort of the sleeping area in the back of the Range Rover Classic.
I have selected the lights I’m confident will provide the light I might need… setting up camp, entertaining guest and generally lighting up the exterior so I can see any threats that might be lurking while I relax in the the comfort of the sleeping area.
Three of these strategically placed on the roof rack should be sufficient lighting. There is a a minor concern about how the wiring will go from the lights back into the sleeping area. The wire I bought has a significant shield. I sorted out how they should run past the D pillar beauty panel.
I think it will work the way I have it, but if not, I will cut the beauty panel to accommodate the wires. I had a thought to run the wires through the tubing on the roof rack. The thickness of the shielding will likely prevent that. I also didn’t have black zip ties. So I’ll have to source those to complete the wiring.
That’s the gist of it for this week. I do explain my recent absence from posting videos. I have had a few weeks of medical issues that all culminated into a possible muscle tear or pull in my abdomen. I then had family over for Thanksgiving, then I reinjured myself helping Mrs. Okierover’s cousin with a tree that would have fell on his rent house. I then got bronchitis and it has been a battle to beat that. Better living through chemistry.
Congrats to the Midshipmen as they defeated the Cadets of Westpoint in a thrilling football game. My first Army/Navy game was on TV when I was probably 11 years old (1975, Navy won). I had just begun to enjoy college football. I was watching the game on my black and white TV in my room. My dad walked by and I asked, “Who do we route for in the Army Navy game?” Dad said, “Always Navy.” That should have been obvious but I was only eleven and didn’t have a full grasp of the universe at that age. I know, shocking. My dad served in the Navy when, “Ships were wood, and men were iron.” That was 1947-1950. Sailors learned knots and morse code and nautical things subjects no squids today learn. My uncle also served with my dad on the USS Wiltsie. Uncle Bob lied about his age and joined when he was 16 years old. Epic. Dad was 19 years old. They fought the Chinese communists during the Chinese Civil War.
Thanks for all the emails and messages checking on me. I’m getting better every day.
This week I continued the “odd jobs” on the Classic. These have been piling up as I moved through the truck cutting out rust and welding new patches, grinding away rust, killing spiders, painting, and planning. Would it have been prudent to have written these tasks down, absolutely. Did I write any of them down, not a one.
I’m sure I’ll be encountering them more and more as I start running wiring for the interior. As I start installing the trim and the other interior bits I’m sure there will be dozens of these jobs.
I got the rear seat belt mounts reinstalled. That took a little clever thought to run a string up through the holes and pulling the bracket into place. This required a few trips back and forth under the truck. That will wear an old man out quickly. I installed the rivets so I’ll be able to use those points for a seat belt AND to lock down racks or gear and the bed/tray mechanism that I’ve been planning.
I also tackled the rust on the front differential. It is really crusty. There is no risk of if rusting through. The bloody thing is 1/2 an inch thick.
I got a sprayer and applied some rust converter liberally. I’ll check it this week after work to see how it did.
I also bought a spray attachment to assist in cleaning the bottom of the truck off. You’ll see a LOT of oil covered surfaces and I’ll have to start chasing down where that is coming from. I have some ideas but it will need to be CLEAN before I start finding the leaks and weeps.
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May the wind take your troubles away and Happy Rovering.
The first thing we did this weekend was drive up and surprise Lucas by taking him to his first pro football game. It was my first too, but we made it all about him. He had a great time.
In this post I worked on the footwell and the rust issues that may come up from melting off the stone chip/bedliner material with my welding. I got underneath and scraped off as much as I could reach with all the exhaust and drive shafts in the way. I also now realize there is a fair amount of leaking oil on this beast.
I found some transmission fluid, obviously engine oil, and I saw some antifreeze too. These are all leaks I can list along with my power steering which is weeping from the lower seal. All very annoying. Some we can fix. Some we will probably not fix. Engine oil could be coming from the valve covers which I think need sorting. Antifreeze is likely coming from one of the heater hoses on top the engine. All of those should probably be replaced based on age alone.
I also used some of the fancy zip ties to lock some stuff down. That was very satisfying. There is actually only one size in the bag and they were too small for some of the holes.
I also found some rust. “NO, how is this possible!!!” you might say. The front differential is really rusty. Flakey rusty. So that will need to be cleaned up and coated in rust converter. Then painted. The other rust I found was on the tube that houses the bonnet release (hood release to my fellow Americans). It looked terrible. I got the wire wheel out and got it knocked down to bare metal. I was pretty proud of myself for not wire wheeling my fingers.
I got it coated in rust converter and will get it painted next weekend. I still have several additional jobs to do. It’s labor day weekend so I plan to spend some quality time out there.
That’s about it for this week. No video last week because I had trouble getting the video to build and by the time it was built it was the middle of the week. So I slotted it for later.
Thanks for reading, like and subscribe, and may the wind take your troubles away.
