Silvercruisers Tacoma...the build begins

[silvercruiser]

I'm trying to keep the "modification virus" under control and take my time building this up.

Current Mods
Sofftopper canopy
Softtoper sportrack with bike mounts
Visualogic overhead DVD
weathertech mats

Yesterday was the start of our first road trip. Hermosa Beach to Mammoth Lakes 320 miles, 6 hours in the Tacoma. The truck was loaded with all our gear and I'm guessing the weight in and over the bed was about 350#'s.

Initial impressions:
-Averaged about 17mpg fully loaded
-So much easier loading up a pickup than my cruiser.
-The softtopper system works well for our needs. I do like the bike mount...it's easy to lift the bike on and it's very secure.
-The racks are stable side to side but I do have concerns about the forward/back movement. It's rated to 300#'s.
-Thule hitch mount is very secure and easy. Great for all bike sizes.
- Taoma has plenty of power to get up the long sierra grades
-The rear suspension was very harsh when going over small bumps and it felt like I was reaching max travel when fully loaded.
-The JBL soundsystem works well. With XM and the integrated Ipod there is more than enough entertaiment available.
-The visualogic overhead DVD system works great. Keeps the kids entertained. We have many rules as to how much and when they can use it...my wife is a school teacher
-the backup camera is a very valuable tool
-The seats are comfortable enough. I'm still trying to find the sweet spot to get comfortable when driving. I wish there was a tilt feature for the base of the seat.
-Most important the family was comfortable and enjoyed the ride. FYI, family includes, wife, son (9), daughter (6).

Future mods:
***Note: eventually this will replace my cruiser but I don't need to build it up to run the rubicon.
-New suspension. I have read all the posts regarding suspensions and I still can't decide. I want to run 255/85/16's all terrains...probably Nitto terra grappler
-ARB front bumper, winch, HID's
-sliders...I like the allpro design
-dual battery system
-On board air
-On board water
-some sort of storage system for the bed.

Thank you all for your posts. I've been learning all I can about this platform and look forward to building it and continue to gain info from this site and your experiences.

cheers,
David...

 

[ryguy]

Looks nice! You might want to see if the "harsh ride" tsb applies to your truck. TSB03-05-08

 

[salsataco]

I am liking the side bike racks!

 

[whitetaco02]

Looks nice! You might want to see if the "harsh ride" tsb applies to your truck. TSB03-05-08

I have an 09 and got the rear tsb done yesterday. If the dealership won't do it get the number to the rep and let them know your concerns or contact toyota directly. They will replace the 3 leaf with a 4 leaf. Good luck!

 

[ryguy]

On my 08 I ran OME 886 with leafs in the rear +their add-a-leaf and I was very pleased with the set up.

 

[Cackalak Han]

That's a cool rack. I need to look into that.

 

[Overland Hadley]

The 4 leaf TSB springs did not do much for me. They helped at first, but then quickly started to sag. If your truck is going to be a heavy-loaded expedition truck then go for a OME setup.

 

[silvercruiser]

I'm leaning towards the OME setup. It looks like our forum sponsor TRD parts has some good prices on the kits.

 

[Skim]

Does this mean you sold the Cruiser ?

 

[silvercruiser]

Does this mean you sold the Cruiser ?

Hey Stranger! Nope I haven't sold the cruiser yet. Want o buy it? I'm in no hurry to sell it. I found a place where I can store it for at least 6 months. I'll probably put it up on Ebay in another month and see what happens. In the meantime I'm having fun building the Tacoma. Just tell me what suspension to put on. The rest is all an easy decision and I already have a lot of accessories I can take from the cruiser to the Tacoma.

hope all is well,
David.

 

[blatant]

that is a sweet looking topper/rack. Excellent looking set up. Very interested in maybe doing something like that. Do you have any more pics? Can you comment further on the topper? I sent you a pm.

 

[Skim]

Sorry, can't buy the Cruiser now. I am right in the middle of building up my 85 Truck.

Suspension ? well- I would at first throw on a set of nice adjustable coil-overs for the front and either a Deaver or OME rear suspension. I drove a FJ Cruiser with coilovers and 285s on it and man did it make a difference. Smoothed out everything. I could even feel a huge difference on the street.

You are more of a heavy load guy so I think I might lean toward the OME set up. The Deaver's seem to be more for the Pre-Runner crowd than the heavy expo crowd. Maybe check with Deaver on stated load limits.

I think a build similar to ARB's white Tacoma seen in OJ would suit your needs pretty good. OME suspension and ARB lockers / front bumper.

You could reuse the lights, CB, drawers, tires, compressor, fridge, and electrical sockets from the Cruiser. You'd be half way there.

PM me if you need info / opinions.

Anyway- good start on the Taco. If this ends up like your Cruiser build I'll be watching.