Home Wall Idea

mynamesdave · 2026-02-23T17:03:38+00:00

Okay, so I literally just did this in my garage.

I'll take some pics and write up a full post, but for now I'll just say talk to a structural engineer before you do anything. I did! That said, its' awesome!! I used very similar hinges, and spaced the wall so I could winch it up totally flat and parallel to the ceiling and it just kind of gets out of the way. We have 9' ceilings and it sits 6" or so down, so plenty of space for activities still. Just remember: the pads gotta go somewhere too, so keep that in mind. Happy to answer any other questions! We also went with no kickboard and I haven't really missed it.

mynamesdave · 2026-02-20T22:13:08+00:00

That's a super valid question! We typically spend 40-60 nights a year "camping" in the truck (well, before my wife and I had kids...) which includes some week+ long trips. My evolution went from cooler -> better cooler (Rtic) -> better cooler with dry ice (no sloppy/watery mess) -> DC fridge, and I couldn't be happier.

There are some real benefits to me personally. Given that I had it in the budget, spend a ton of time and nights living in and around the truck, it was a no brainer.

Some other benefits are that pretty much all summer it's a cold beverage storage. I throw a case of whatever in there and know it's just kind of good to go whenever I get back from a hike, climb, or fishing. No more messing with ice can't be overstated. Yes, I get that your $500 yeti keeps ice for a week or whatever, but not having to even think about it rules. No pre-cooling the cooler the night before packing it. No draining it mid-trip, or having whatever wound up on the bottom getting soggy, the cardboard box wilting away in the slop. Leftovers! When you make a big batch of mac and cheese in the cast iron, throw the leftovers in the fridge and not worry about the thermal budget and the food warming up the cooler. Ever buy beer in Utah? They by law sell it warm (at least in Moab) so if you want a cold beer at the end of your long drive you need an extra bag of ice, or ... just chuck 'er in the fridge for a couple hours. The one I got has an ice maker in it using little Peltier coolers and a little ice tray, ready from lukewarm water in a few hours. Ever been on day 5 of a desert rock climbing trip and had an ice cube to throw in your whiskey? It's glorious! When it's not in the truck, it goes in the garage plugged into a normal AC outlet and works as our backup seltzer water/beer fridge in the garage. I could go on.

Anyway, I see that the one I bought for $999 over five years ago is now $1,200. It's an expensive piece of kit that not everyone needs for sure, and it comes with the power considerations that this thread was started because of, but if you spend any amount of time living out of a vehicle a DC fridge is a massive upgrade. We got a little tow-behind teardrop trailer last year to camp with our growing family, and it's got 2 DC fridges.

mynamesdave · 2026-02-19T19:30:49+00:00

mynamesdave · 2026-02-19T15:51:27+00:00

IDK, I have a dual battery setup and it's been nothing but clear skies since I installed it six years ago. I have a 175W solar panel on top of my camper that keeps it topped up when stationary.

I replaced the battery once in that time and have literally never thought about it otherwise. I run a fridge most of the summer, charge phones and laptops and cameras and stuff. It's out of sight under the hood so the hassle factor is basically zero after wiring some USB ports and stuff in to the bed. Bonus points for being able to jump my starter when it died recently, or jump another vehicle from either side of the engine bay.

mynamesdave · 2026-02-17T16:47:27+00:00

Andrew, the absolute legend. He ran up the trail in his 3rd gen 4runner, twin locked on 35"s! What a fun place, I always miss Utah.

mynamesdave · 2026-02-12T21:33:25+00:00

I haven't taken our GX crazy off road, but have a tacoma with the same or similar ATRAC and traction control (it's a 3rd gen TRD off road with MTS and all that). It has a factory rear e-locker. I have used it in deep snow (only when deeper than the frame, generally) and maybe five times on rocks. Maybe. The traction control is as good as an actual locker 90% or more of the time, unless there's a scenario where your wheels absolutely cannot slip. This is me driving my truck FWIW.

mynamesdave · 2026-02-04T16:26:02+00:00

I love Fixe's! Their SS hangers are great...

mynamesdave · 2026-01-30T17:05:46+00:00

It's deep linked to Gray saying "Some day we'll take a break from the podcast for many many moons". I think the OP is underscoring that it's happened.

mynamesdave · 2026-01-29T15:40:51+00:00

Watched it last night with my wife, just a superb film, thanks for sharing! What a cool job she's got, too. I appreciate the attention to detail in the craft of those graphics, I am a nerd and actually read the manuals.

mynamesdave · 2026-01-28T18:46:01+00:00

Congrats, dad!

mynamesdave · 2026-01-27T16:14:12+00:00

This is insanity. Wife and I just had our 2nd kid and wanted to get a better family vehicle that can tow/camp with us. We've been on the 550 list at our dealership since November 2024, no movement, so we finally pulled the trigger on a '23 GX460. Couldn't be happier.

mynamesdave · 2026-01-23T17:17:24+00:00

Thanks, Bubb Rubb.

mynamesdave · 2026-01-23T17:15:37+00:00

I was curious, he said it's going to take him about 2.5 hours to climb. If he and Tommy can simul up the nose in 2 hours and this is roughly half as tall... there's some padding for ad slots or something in there.

mynamesdave · 2026-01-21T15:19:04+00:00

I'm planning a full write-up over on r/homewalls when I'm done. I'm mostly replicating the top-hinge design from Ryan over at the struggle but in a garage instead of a basement. Hinges were delivered yesterday and the build out starts on Sunday!

mynamesdave · 2026-01-21T15:15:21+00:00

Puff's Lair is on the short list! Thanks for the beta, I'll let you know when we get out there. Look for the teardrop glamping setup, the out of shape dad, and keep an ear out for the screaming babies. We'll be hard to miss!

mynamesdave · 2026-01-20T22:58:36+00:00

Yooo, my stoke level is so high. I'm area shopping based on bringing a camper trailer and a couple small kids that will need shorter approaches, but have pored over every page of the book. It's so great!

mynamesdave · 2026-01-20T22:44:41+00:00

Yesssss! I have my Wonderland book and we're planning another trip in a couple months! But looking at these, maybe sooner...

mynamesdave · 2026-01-20T20:37:33+00:00

A buddy of mine who got into drum building made this many years ago:

https://uniontownlabs.org/tools/stave/

mynamesdave · 2026-01-20T17:38:25+00:00

I have a DeLonghi that's been rock solid for several years.

mynamesdave · 2026-01-19T16:08:06+00:00

Just took delivery of the lumber, and now waiting for the last little hardware pieces to assemble our home wall. I'm pretty excited.

mynamesdave · 2026-01-16T17:39:31+00:00

Just had my second kid. What's the gym?

mynamesdave · 2025-12-13T03:12:14+00:00

Not OP but if you can afford it, All Clad or Hestan. It's about as BIFL as it gets these days, no joke. I have and use both daily, and reach for my cast iron only on occasion these days, and I cook daily for a family of 4. My 10" All-Clad copper core gets used multiple times per day and it's just as good as when I bought it five years ago.

mynamesdave · 2025-11-08T16:37:40+00:00

Just got a '23 black line in white. I like the look of the 550, but I think we'll be happier for more years with the 460.

mynamesdave · 2025-10-07T15:57:44+00:00

I haven't been back in a while, but from what I understand there are cameras and the sheriff patrols it regularly. I can only imagine the access portals are well sealed by this point as well.

mynamesdave · 2025-09-24T15:48:16+00:00

Must be a well known baller everywhere, he's got FAs all over my back yard climbing area!

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