Andrew Leader

The Digital Rearview Mirror Camera Redirect from GG Offroad seems to be having some issues with the heat.

Update 5/31/2025: It might actually be the cable connection that's failing, not the camera. I still haven't taken it apart to see. GG Offroad said ppl in Phoenix have the kit and have been fine!

Whenever it's sunny and 70 degrees or warmer outside, the digital mirror will start flashing black like seen below roughly every 15-30 seconds.

It's 100% related to the heat, it's not caused by bumpy roads or anything. I've been monitoring this problem for a month, and it 100% corresponds with the heat. I've even added a basic sun shade to the camera, but if we're driving downhill it doesn't block the sun and will start overheating / etc.

I previously used the incorrect faucet connection, which resulted in a not-perfect seal and a very tiny leak when the water was turned on. It's really tough to find a hose barb to 1/2 NPS connection - key letter being the "S" in NPS, which means straight thread. There's lots of connectors for NPT, which is tapered, but faucets use straight threads (sealed by a rubber gasket / washer).

Old setup that leaked...​

Note that part #8 was a female NPT thread, which was the problem. The faucet stem is male NPS (straight-thread). So while female NPT somewhat threads onto NPS, there's no gasket to seal it, and even plumbers tape didn't seal the gaps.

New setup that doesn't leak​

The only place I could find a 3/8 hose barb to 1/2 female NPS was from Brew Hardware: 1/2" Female NPT/NPS x 3/8" Hose Barb. Kinda annoying having to buy a single part from a store and pay shipping, but literally that was the only one I could find.

And it worked!! No need for plumbers tape, the included gasket seals! Plus, it's a two-piece part, so it's easier to unscrew and re-screw it in the future (since the tubing doesn't have to spin).

Removing the old leaky setup...​

Yes, there was plumbers tape the whole way down. I took this photo after I removed the plumbers tape since the new fitting didn't need it.

Installing new correct fitting​

Look at that nice rubber gasket! And how it's a two-part connection so the barb part can spin separately from the hex part!

I have the Seaflo 21 Series water pump in my camper, connected to a LiFePO4 battery (which is up to 14.4V when fully charged or charging), and it was NOISY. It sounded like a jackhammer.

On Reddit, ihaveavanquestion pointed out that you can use these pumps at different voltages, and the manual did confirm this too, and it was right! It's significantly quieter running at 10.0V, and still has plenty of water pressure!

This is the DC Buck Converter I purchased: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078Q1624B

It has high enough amp output for the water pump, and is adjustable, and works well with my existing power switch (it remembers what it's set to when I turn my power switch off, and when I switch my switch on, it comes back to the same voltage I previously set).

I just installed the "~1.5" taller" TOY-F-M-4GT front coil springs from Alldogs: https://www.alldogsoffroad.com/alld...t-lift-coil-springs-for-4th-gen-toyota-tacoma

My goal was to lift and stiffen the front to handle the additional 930 lbs of permanent weight my 2024 Tacoma has with my Tune M1 truck camper and interior build-out.

I re-used the stock Off-Road Bilstein struts.

$230 shipped, free shipping, and no sales tax in Washington, good deal!

The front ended up about 1.5" inches taller as expected! Which with my payload is 1" taller than stock, which matches my rear being 1" taller too, which is exactly what I wanted!

Handling is MUCH better, the stock Off-Road springs weren't handling the weight well (extra bounce back when going over speed bumps, and a lot of side-slosh when dropping off something one side at a time). The Alldogs springs seem perfect for this weight! It also feels smooth and soft too, doesn't seem too firm or anything. If anything, I think I need stiffer springs in the rear (don't want it taller, but the back seems like it could benefit from being stiffer), but the front is perfect now!

Install notes...

• You'll want a good quality impact wrench with 800 ft lbs breakaway. My cheap harbor freight one couldn't break off some of the nuts, I had to buy a Dewalt impact wrench
• Getting the strut aligned was a little tricky, take note of the precise angle the strut is before you remove it.
• For the alignment, Firestone didn't have the alignment specs for the 2024's yet, so they did it based on the 2023 specs... hoping Toyota releases those specs soon. I bought Firestone's lifetime alignment, so I can bring it back once they have the specs (if you're owning your vehicle for 10 years, the lifetime alignment is so worth it!)

Install took me about 6 hours (at least one hour was wasting time trying to use my cheaper impact wrench). I think I could easily do it in 4 hours next time. Shops quoted me over $800 labor (including alignment) to do it, so even with buying some new tools, I saved at least $200! If I had a full shop lift and shop tools and a nice spring compressor (instead of the rental O'reilly one), I bet I could get it done in 2 hours... kinda ridiculous they're probably quoting it at 4 hours of labor.

I'm officially happy with my suspension now! I can post some updates once I go off roading (maybe in late April). I wouldn't change a thing about the front suspension (based on my brief two days of driving), as I mentioned the only thing I'd change is potentially the rear suspension, I'd like it to be a little stiffer for all the weight, but I don't want it sitting any taller.

Here's the new springs next to the old springs. Note that they're the same length when uncompressed, but the Alldogs have one extra coil in there, and they're stiffer so the truck actually sits taller.

Tune made some new rust-proof latches! If you have the old style and have surface rust, contact their customer support. The newer Tune's already ship with these. They shipped out a new set of latches to me for free, including shipping the rivet gun necessary to replace it. They would have also worked with me to get them replaced if I didn't want to do it myself! Great customer service!

Many people notice a super subtle, high-pitched squeak from their Tune M1 when going over bumps or even closing their car doors.

These squeaks often come from the window latches, since they're metal-on-metal.

It's a simple fix to just put some foam tape on the metal backplate (or soft velcro or anything else to cushion the metal backplate). Then, no more squeaks!

I used this foam tape: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V1JMN2G

Others have simply used soft velcro tape they had on hand (I happened to have extra of that foam tape I used).

The Tune M1 door/window latches aren't my favorite. There's two problems...

First, the key is really tough to get in and out. Our Tune is only 2 months old, and the keys are always a struggle to get in and out. It's nowhere near as smooth as a car key or a house key. As seen in the video, I really had to work to pull it out!

Second, when you're trying to lock it, the latch always ends up opening, since you need to push the key into the same thing that you push to open the latch!

Luckily I rarely use these side window latches so I just always keep them locked, and I swapped my rear door one for some keyless latches. If I kept the stock latches on the rear door (which I use and need to keep locked when I'm parked), I'd go crazy! Click here for my rear keyless latch solution.

Welcome to my site! I'll be posting more in the future.