When we last left off, our Ultimate Avalanche was running and driving and had two new Dynatrac Axles with Detroit Lockers under some Tuff Country springs and shocks. This month we'll move away from the running gear and address some of the protection issues. First we stopped by the local Rhino Linings shop in Van Nuys to get the interior sprayed with a custom color lining. Our buildup then became a road trip when we headed east from Los Angeles to Denver with a stop at Poison Spyder Customs. Our Avalanche was outfitted with some custom rocker panel protection and a new rear bumper, and during that visit we also had a new Trail Ready front bumper and Warn winch installed.
Then we headed back to California where we visited some folks in Santa Rosa for an interior rollcage. After that it was back to L.A. for another round of Rhino Lining for the bed. This was all done in about two weeks of insane driving, fabbing, and living off of 25-cent Little Debbie oatmeal creme pies, fudge rounds, coffee, and Red Bull, which can be found at 8 out of 10 gas stations. Our Avalanche was starting to look very healthy. We, on the other hand, were beginning to look a bit ragged and scruffy.
So follow along on the third round of the wrench and fab fest that goes into any Ultimate Adventure vehicle. Then watch next month when the final episode wraps up and the Adventure really begins.
With the current scare of the infectious disease SARS, we figured a full plastic bubble around the Avalanche was a good idea. Actually this was part of the protection of the paint done before spraying the interior with a Rhino Lining. | 
This interior is also protected with paper and plastic, and the seats, console, and carpet are removed. Next the paint is scuffed up and cleaned. Then all the bolts or threaded holes are either covered or filled with masking tape to make clean-up easier. |
When the tedious prep work is finished, it's spraying time. This actually goes pretty quickly, and it didn't surprise us that Jose Monreal was in a protective suit since this stuff sticks to just about everything. Before long we had a custom tan color sprayed to match some of the plastic interior cladding. | 
Our friend Jose Chavez did part of the prep and clean-up on the lining. Here he goes through with a sharp knife and pliers to cut out the masking tape that protects the bolts and threaded holes in the floor. Within 24 hours we had the seats and center console back in and were on the road to Denver. |
After a few days on the highway, we got to Denver and headed straight to Poison Spyder Customs. These guys are known for their fabricated rockcrawling parts and custom Bruiser Chassis tube cars, and since we expected to see at least some rocks, we figured they could help us out. The first step was to get rid of some of the junk on the truck, such as the stock front and rear bumpers and some of the plastic body cladding that was behind the back wheels. | 
Justin Trumble of Poison Spyder chopped off some of the truck bed that was hanging a bit too low behind the back tires. This should help the departure angle and the general look of the truck to transform it from a modern day El Camino into a more trail-worthy rig. |
After a bit of measuring and some quick design discussion, Trumble was bending up some tube. The bumper and rocker bars were made of a mixture of 1 3/4-inch by 0.134 and 0.120-inch wall DOM tubing. | 
Meanwhile, Tim Turner was mocking up the rear bumper. Notice the nice tight fit of the tubes. This is a true lesson in tube fabrication, because it's not the weld that makes a bumper or cage strong, it's the fit of the tubing joints. All the tubes and bumper were MIG-welded. |
Once the rocker bars and rear bumper were welded, Trumble welded some 3/16-inch plate with the laser-cut Poison Spyder logo in between the bars. | |