Monthly Archives: March 2017

Power Locks on Base Model Truck for $25

Our new Dodge 3500 Dually was a great deal, but it didn’t come with power locks or windows. Getting Hudson in and out of a car without power locks is a chore so I decided to buy some universal power door actuators and install them myself. Total cost was under $30 dollars and now our truck has remote entry!

Here’s the kit I used (amazon affiliate link):
https://amzn.to/2nF2jw7

The switch I connected to the brown and white wires:
https://amzn.to/2mIJqsV

A couple of notes if you’re installing a similar system on your own Dodge truck:

I had to reverse the wires for the front doors because the motors were “pushing” to lock. Just swap blue and green. The parking light wires were hidden under the fuse box in the engine compartment on the driver side. Attach your purple wires to the “white and yellow” and “white and gray” wires that come out of the blue connector (there’s 4 different white and yellow wires).

Our New Truck(s)

We sold our RV, so it was time to find a truck to pull our 24′ cargo trailer camper conversion. We weren’t married to any particular make or model, only a good deal and I think we found it!

Our new truck is a 2005 Dodge 3500 Dually with only 133k miles on a 5.9 cummins diesel. We bought it for $10,000. The plan is to finish converting our 24′ trailer into a living space AND mobile workshop so we can travel the country and make DIY videos with you!

For those out of the loop:
We had an idea to travel the country in an RV and mobile workshop helping our viewers with their DIY projects called “Makers on the Move.” We left for a month in November 2016 and found the 40′ RV and 24′ trailer way too long. We sold the RV and are converting our trailer to include a living space AND mobile workshop. We needed a truck to pull the 10,000 lb trailer and this is it!

The RV and Mobile Workshop Vlogs:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC0ux1ndnxRj0ozjBUb9vZfVeGM-OBTae

The Trailer Conversion Plan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkYoo16MpTc

Our Plan Explained:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82SD3Ts0u9M&list=PLC0ux1ndnxRj0ozjBUb9vZfVeGM-OBTae&index=14

3D Printed Car Belt | Will It Run?

I don’t know why the thought occurred to me, but I had to know if my car engine would run on a 3D printed serpentine belt. I modeled my serpentine belt in Fusion 360 and then printed it out on it’s side with flexible filament.

The end result was surprisingly strong but not very pretty. I think all of the inaccuracies in the print led to it jumping around on the pulley. This belt was used to drive the alternator and water pump, so even if it fails it won’t be catastrophic for the engine…hopefully.

Fusion 360 For Hobbyist and Woodworkers Video Course:
https://mikeandlauren.com/Fusion360Masterclass

Now, Everyone Can Afford 3D Printing (Monoprice Select Mini Review)

I’m a little late to the 3D printing game, but I finally get it. For $200 , the Monoprice Mini Select is a no brainier for anyone who’s curious about 3D printing. It’s an extremely capable machine with a small footprint. Best of all it comes pre-assembled ready to print, right out of the box.

No this video was not sponsored in any way. I just really like this printer 🙂

Fusion 360 For Hobbyist and Woodworkers Video Course:
https://mikeandlauren.com/Fusion360Masterclass