2016 Tacoma Build and Shenanigans

[astroflashjones]

The pandemic kicked off for us with the birth of our son. I quickly learned about car seats and the space they would require. There was no way I was fitting one in my 2013 Tacoma access cab, at least not with anyone in the front seat. Fortunately, vehicle scarcity hadn't quite kicked in and my search didn't take too long. About an hour from home I found a 2016 TRD Offroad with reasonable mileage and the tech package which included my sought after sunroof and heated seats.

Over the past year we've built this thing into something that could reliably and comfortably take our family off the beaten path. I've done all the work myself with the exception of the Habitat install which was beautifully done by Off Grid Engineering and Boulder Vehicle Outfitters. Fortunately its gone pretty smooth and its given us the opportunity to get out still with a small child. His first camping trip was at about 6 months old. It was miserable. But we learned a lot and have continued to get out and explore (both with and without him).

The goal of this build is have something reliable and rugged but with decent amenities and still lightweight. The thought of an FWC camper has definitely crossed my mind but I wanted to still be able to keep up with my buddy on his KTM. I'm currently working on building out the interior of the Habitat. For a while we had a Cargo Slide in there that everything mounted to. It was versatile (still had a lot of house projects to finish) but not ideal. Hopefully I'll have an update soon with a finished product. As it sits now:

Living Systems
AT Overland Habitat
Casper Expedition Outfitters interior build
AT roof bars and awning brackets
ARB Awning
ARB Zero 63qt Fridge w/ ARB slide
Dual 5gal water jerry cans with pump
Diesel Heater

Suspension and Wheels
OME BP-51 remote res with adjustable rebound and compression
Dakar HD leaf packs
JB Offroad upper control arms
Toyota TRD Baja wheels
Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx 255/85/R16 (33” pizza cutters)

Armor and Recovery
ARB front bumper
Warn VR Evo 8000 winch w/ Lambtek disconnect
Factor55 Fairlead and Flatlink
Slee Offroad bolt on sliders
ARB air compressor in bed cubby

Lighting and Electric
ARB Solis lights
X2 Group 27F Main Battery
Die Hard Group H8 Battery in bed
Redarc BCDC 1225 Charge Controller
Overland Equipped fuse panel mount
Blue Sea 6 terminal block under hood
Blue Sea 8 terminal block in bed

Interior
Husky floor liners
AJT chrome delete
Expedition Essentials 3TPAM
MESO dual color led lights
Flatirons Overland Gear Attic

Misc
ARB Safari snorkle
Yotashop rear diff breather
Sherpa Roof Rack
Mountain Hatch tailgate

Communication and Nav
Baofeng UHF/VHF Radios
iPad Mini w/ Gaia and Bad Elf GPS
Garmin Explorer+

 

[astroflashjones]

Some more truck photos...

 

[plainjaneFJC]

Beautiful truck with tasteful mods!

 

[astroflashjones]

Beautiful truck with tasteful mods!

Thank you!

 

[Vst]

Nice how you liking the bp-51’s I’m running falcon’s right now but thinking of upgrading. I’ve got a fwc on my access cab and love it

 

[astroflashjones]

Nice how you liking the bp-51’s I’m running falcon’s right now but thinking of upgrading. I’ve got a fwc on my access cab and love it

I'm really happy with them. I was originally going to stick with the standard OME lift but I just wanted something more robust and tuneable. I feel like they were worth it, especially if you're adding a lot of weight. Even loaded up, the truck drives like its on rails. I usually keep them pretty stiff but they arent jarring. It took a little experimenting to get the settings just right but definitely worth it. I still think about getting an FWC. Would make winter camping a lot more cozy.

 

[Vst]

Yeah my front shocks are pretty stiff I wanted to get some thing tunable my rear falcons have adjusters so they ride decent. And yeah im definitely liking the space in my fwc it’s a shell model so I’m slowly building it out. In the process of adding a desiel heater now. You can check it out on my YouTube if you want I did a walk around video of it and my truck @VehicleSupportedTravel

 

[astroflashjones]

I think what makes the BP-51s really great is the ability to tune both rebound and compression. You can really get them dialed in. Thanks, yea I'll check it out! I just did a diesel heater install in the habitat. Had it in a pelican case originally but it was too much of a hassle.

 

[Vst]

Nice I’m looking forward to the dry heat

 

[Climber Rob]

Nice build.

The FWC will feel tiny compared to the habitat. They are heavier than listed, and feel smaller inside than the bed. I wouldn't consider a tacoma-sized FWC for more than two people. It's hard to grasp at the moment, but your kid is going to get bigger and bigger and require more space. IMO, your best bet is to stick with the Habitat until you hit the fullsize-query-threshold.

 

[astroflashjones]

Nice build.

The FWC will feel tiny compared to the habitat. They are heavier than listed, and feel smaller inside than the bed. I wouldn't consider a tacoma-sized FWC for more than two people. It's hard to grasp at the moment, but your kid is going to get bigger and bigger and require more space. IMO, your best bet is to stick with the Habitat until you hit the fullsize-query-threshold.

Thanks Rob! Yeah I figured we'd have to sacrifice some space. Although I'm currently building out the bed of the truck and the space is quickly shrinking. Being able to sleep 4 up top is really great though! I think finishing the interior has definitely dissuaded me from getting a camper for now, its feeling much less chaotic in there. I'd love to have a flatbed tundra or ram one day with a FWC but we're not quite there yet.

 

[astroflashjones]

Finally have some updated photos of the interior build. Went with t-slot aluminum framing and aluminum composite panels.

Back trunk has one large main space that houses two plumbed jerry cans, camp toilet, stove, sleeping gear, etc. Theres a smaller storage compartment on each side for items like extra fuel canisters, and other camp gear.

On the driver side there is a top loading cabinet for recovery gear. In front of that is another cabinet that has two shelves for Sidio crates (food and kitchen items) and another top loading storage compartment where I keep things I need quick access to, like coffee and batteries. I went with crates instead of drawers not only for cost and weight savings but also convenience. I can grab the crates and setup on picnic table and cook with friends or bring them in the house and load up food. The Sidio crates are also low bulk and easy to organize.

The passenger side cabinet houses electrical connections, the diesel heater and fuel tank. Tank is accessible from the back panel and doesnt need to be removed to be topped off. This cabinet also serves at the base for the cantilevered table above. All the cabinets serve as seating for the table and is good for two to three people.

 

[AggroCrag]

Well done. Looks clean and well thought out.

 

[astroflashjones]

Few fun updates to the build! I finally got the custom MOLLE panel installed above the utility cabinet and finalized the second battery install. Made a custom battery cage and installed it in the big storage trunk with a Redarc charge controller and fuse block in the utility cabinet. To save space and hide wiring, I mounted my inverter behind the MOLLE panel. This is connected to a power strip in the top of the crate cabinet to create a little charging station.