Trailhunter Desert Air Intake Cover

[brentbba]

For those of you that may wash your own trucks, I found a VERY POOR design on the lower cover of the Tr snorkel/desert air intake. The intake itself is bolted to the truck with 3 bolts. The plastic cover has 3 cheap plastic snaps that are supposed to snap on top of rounded ball tops on the bolts. NOT!!! Those plastic snaps are very loose. One nudge by some branches and that cover comes off! I wonder if a small dab of silicone in the cover snaps then pushed down on the bolt heads would hold the cover more securely?

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[TacoFreak]

I would make Toyota replace that with something that actually works if it were me. It's not like you bought the bargain version Taco.

It takes a lot of balls to advertise the TH as the ultimate overlander, and then have the snorkel come loose if your big bad trucks hits a branch. That is lame.

 

[Ruissimo]

I think he’s talking about bolt caps, so it’s not a safety or integrity issue, but mostly a cosmetic one. Still unacceptable on a $65k truck though.

 

[TacoFreak]

I think he’s talking about bolt caps, so it’s not a safety or integrity issue, but mostly a cosmetic one. Still unacceptable on a $65k truck though.

OK - that is better, but I agree still not acceptable.

 

[TacoFreak]

@brentbba I do think that some silicone would hold the covers in place, but they might be difficult to remove if needed. You could also try Loctite to see if that fixed the problem.

I read your post too quickly and thought that the fastener itself was coming off, which would be really lame.

 

[brentbba]

Yep, those little plastic clips inside the cover are lame as can be. They are designed to clip onto little balls on top of the 3 bolts. They don't do a good job.

 

[TacoFreak]

I guess I would start with my dealer and see if the ones on your truck are just defective. Trailhunters are pretty new to the market and hopefully Toyota can come up with replacements that fit properly.

You could try some silicone but if that was my truck I would expect Toyota to provide a suitable replacement rather than rigging an exterior part on a new and expensive truck.

Good luck.

 

[brentbba]

My research leans toward silicone RTV. We'll see what they say.

 

[jchall30]

Could you post a pic of what piece you are talking about that is coming loose?

 

[brentbba]

The 3 clips inside the cover 'should' clip onto the three bolts. The bolts have a round ball on the end that should stay in the plastic clips. They don't well at all. Toyota should be ashamed to put such cheal junk on a $65k truck. My Safari Snorkel I installed on my Landcruiser a decade or more ago was way better than thjs junk. I hope Toyota is listening. Planning on filing a customer complaint on this.

 

[trailhunger]

For those of you that may wash your own trucks, I found a VERY POOR design on the lower cover of the Tr snorkel/desert air intake. The intake itself is bolted to the truck with 3 bolts. The plastic cover has 3 cheap plastic snaps that are supposed to snap on top of rounded ball tops on the bolts. NOT!!! Those plastic snaps are very loose. One nudge by some branches and that cover comes off! I wonder if a small dab of silicone in the cover snaps then pushed down on the bolt heads would hold the cover more securely?

So for the sake of washing / heavy rain storms w/the truck outside in the wild, what's your plan to keep moisture out with the high intake? You'd want to remove it regularly to clean the intake line, so something like a industrial velcro, etc?

Does the intake allow for water to drain? Is the top of the intake rain/storm proof? I'd have to think these turbos no matter where air is pulled in allow for some degree of moisture to enter...?

 

[brentbba]

It's a cosmetic cover only. The snorkel itself is fine.

 

[trailhunger]

yea I'd probably use industrial velcro bolstered w/some EVA when I take delivery until Toyota has a fix or an aftermarket snorkel with a legit prefilter becomes available. I do like the look of the TH snorkel. I don't fjord big creeks so just Baja & Moab dust is my concern

 

[brentbba]

yea I'd probably use industrial velcro bolstered w/some EVA when I take delivery until Toyota has a fix or an aftermarket snorkel with a legit prefilter becomes available. I do like the look of the TH snorkel. I don't fjord big creeks so just Baja & Moab dust is my concern

Moab dust I'm very familiar with, tho it's been awhile. Anza Borrego and Death Valley are very similar.

 

[brentbba]

Now that Toyota has a redesigned intake cover, has anyone heard of Toyota fixing their cover? I have the question into my local service manager with no answer to date.

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