On our way home from the paint shop we stopped by Blue Devil Products for some off-road lights as well as some high-zoot rockcrawling cameras. The system is pretty cool; with four cameras mounted around the truck we are able to see a lot more of the trail, as well as record everything for the UA DVD. The small units are waterproof and very rugged, and the lenses are covered by clear plastic lens covers that are the same ones used on mini-Mag-Light flashlights, so they are cheap and easy to change.
We selected a color camera on the front axle pointing backwards to see the rear diff and tires as well as a color camera on the rear axle facing forward. In addition to the underbelly cams, we also added an infrared camera and two infrared lights on the grille. During the day this camera is a normal black-and-white camera, but at night you can turn on its lights (which cannot be seen by human eyes) and creep around in the dark. We also found this camera useful in a torrential downpour when we could hardly see out the windshield, but could still see the road on the internal monitor.
In the cab we mounted the control box, a camera for recording in-cab driver antics, and the monitor to see what each camera is viewing. The system works by running all the feeds through the computer brain, and then using dash-mounted switches to decide which camera you want on the monitor. We also chose to put a quick switch on the transmission shifter so we could easily flip from the front to rear axle-cams. To record what is being viewed you simply hook your standard video camera to the brain, and take the live feed from the truck. Our UA video cameramen took some footage, which will most likely make it onto the DVD, and other than a couple minor glitches (some camera feed wires were melted by the exhaust) and a weird monitor glitch (being fixed as you read this), the system was great fun to play with and record our trip.
The off-road lights we installed are called ARON Blue Lights and they emit a blue-ish white light. They are similar to LEDs and use what is known as ARON technology. These small rock lights are only an inch tall and 3 1/8 inches wide, yet they put off a strong glow for under-truck wrenching or spotting of rocks at night. Plus, the lights use only half an amp of current draw, yet have a life expectancy of 75,000 hours. The guys at Blue Devil Products installed the lights on our rock-slider mounting bars.
When you are heading to the mud with limited internal space to stash camping gear, it's wise to look at new options for keeping your clothes and sleeping bags dry. We contacted the folks at Watershed to round up some waterproof bags. Designed for canoes and kayakers, these bags have a patented Zip Dry closure similar to a zip-lock bag that has both an air- and water-tight seal. We used two big bags for our camping supplies and smaller bags for tools, parts, and camera gear. When we return home muddy, we just hose off the bags with no worries of soaking the contents. Imagine the possibilities for open-top Jeeps and buggies in the rainy parts of the country.