TrekTaco Build Thread - "Tuesday"

[RoninWanderer]

Overview

I’m an Industrial Designer in the outdoor and travel market with a wife and a two-year old son. We love being outdoors and love to travel.

Our previous vehicle was a 2010 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, a 2-door JK with long arms and long-travel. That machine was built for crawling technical trails and I loved the rock gardens! Once our son was born, we decided that we wanted a vehicle which was more focused on our family overland trips. We have ambitious plans over the next few years that include long-stretches of backcountry throughout the Americas. The Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road was an easy choice for our needs; it’s reliable, comfortable and capable. We shopped the 3rd Gen’s and, as awesome as they are, we decided to go with a clean, low-mileage 2nd Gen instead. Mechanically, there was little difference to me and the reliability of the 2nd gen has been proven. The money we saved by our purchase is getting put towards, in my opinion, much better use later in our build!

Requirements

• Reliable - we didn’t want to touch anything mechanical unless it was necessary as I am no mechanic and we like big miles.
• Lightweight is essential in any travel, IMHO. Wherever possible, we are trying to cut back on weight and still keep to the intended build/purpose.
• Comfortable as a daily driver and grocery-getter and can camp our family of 3 for up to 2-weeks without resupply in the backcountry. We have plans to spend up to 6 months at a time in the truck, in the future.
• Capable on technical trails. I like the hard-lines and will often take a more difficult approach to test my skills and to push the truck’s capability. The 2-door Rubicon had set the bar very high.
• Has ample cargo room to carry gear, toys and a lot of backpacks (I design, make and, sell them).

The Vehicle

We selected a 2010 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road dual-cab, short-bed in magnetic metallic gray. It came completely stock with a color-matched Snugtop on the bed. It had around 110,000 miles, which was about as low as I could find. Overall, it was exactly what I was shopping for!

• Dual Cab
• Short Bed
• 4.0 L naturally-aspirated engine
• Automatic transmission
• Factory rear locker
• Factory roof rack

The Shop

Having a great shop is critical to any build, unless you have awesome mechanic skills, a lot of tools and useful friends. I do not have a lot of those skills and mostly useless friends ?. Mule Expedition Outfitters of Issaquah, WA was great with my Jeep and Toyota’s are their specialty from what I’ve seen. I highly recommend going there if you are in the area!

The Parts and Mods (list updated as I go)

• Suspension
  • OME BP-51 Suspension System
    • Hilux rear leaf packs for the extra weight
    • Total Chaos UCA's
    • Upgraded front bump stops
    • Dobinson pins (greaseable)
    • Body mount chopped
    • Front fender trimmed
    • Firestone Air Bags with Daystar Cradles
      • In-Cab controller
• Driveline
  • Nitro 4.88 gears
  • ARB front air locker (rear is factory E-locker)
  • ARB Differential Breather extension kits
• Wheels/Tires
  • SCS F5 rims
    • 16"x8"
    • 3.5 BS
    • Dark Bronze finish
  • BFG KM3 tires (Summer)
    • 34.5" height per BFG
    • 315/75/R16
    • 5 tires
  • BFG KO2 tires (Winter)
    • 295/75/R16
    • 33.1" height per BFG
    • Extra clearance to run chains/cables when needed
• Lighting
  • Baja Designs S8 40" Combo led light bar with amber back lights
  • Baja Designs Squadron Sport wide-cornering amber “fog” lamps (only used in extreme conditions and off-road)
  • Rigid Industries SR-M SAE fog lamps (street-legal and used as full-time DRL's)
  • IPF led headlight bulbs
  • ARB Intensity 40 combo light-bar
  • Rigid Dually D2 flood lights on CBI ditch light brackets
  • Baja Designs S2 Sport scene/work lights
  • Rigid Dually D2 diffused flood lights on the back of the camper
• Navigation
  • Pioneer AVIC-720 Nex in-dash navigation unit with Carplay
  • Upgraded audio speakers and amplifier
  • Garmin Overlander GPS
  • Garmin 66i GPS with InReach Satellite comms
  • RAM mounts for devices
• Electrical
  • Dual Odyssey 35 Extreme-series batteries
  • Off-Grid Engineering dual-battery system (split apart)
  • Voltmeter “switch” in dash
  • Switch-Pros management system
    • Expedition Essentials mount in sunglass compartment
• Armor
  • CBI Offroad Fab Moab 2.0 front bumper
    • Aluminum, black finish
    • Full-hoop design with 3 hoops for protection
  • CBI Offroad Fab Overland Skid set
    • Aluminum, black finish
  • CBI Offroad Fab Bushmaster 2.0 rear bumper
  • Total Chaos LCA skids - steel
    • Powder coated black for corrosion resistance
  • White Knuckle sliders
    • DOM bent
    • Black powder coat
    • Diamond plate for rear kickout
    • Angled up for clearance
• Off-Road Accessories
  • Safari Snorkel
  • ARB Twin Air Compressor
    • Slee Offroad bracket
• Recovery
  • DMOS Delta aluminum shovel with mount
  • Axe mounted to side camper
  • Full recovery kit
  • 4 pairs of MaxTrax secured to roof box with Alu-Cab holder
  • Warn Xeon 10-S Winch with synthetic line
    • Factor 55 Link
• Misc. Accessories
  • Bushwhacker Fender Flares
  • @HomerTaco “Raptor” style front grill with Oznium LED’s from TacomaWorld
  • Wet Okole neoprene seat covers
    • These are key! With a dog and a toddler who loves mud, the stock light gray seats got trashed immediately. These are custom fit to the Taco and have some extra goodies.
    • Driver's seat air-bag lumbar support
    • Driver's seat handgun pouch
    • Passenger seat cell phone pouch
    • Sunglasses pockets on both seats
    • Rear pockets
  • WeatherTech molded floor liners - priceless
  • WeatherTech rain guards - PNW!
  • TechDeck for RAM mounts
  • Blueridge Overland Gear organization throughout
  • Remote start and alarm system
• Communications
  • Cobra 75WX CB radio with Firestick antenna
  • InReach Satellite communicator
• Alu-Cab Khaya Prime camper with WoodBox 2.0 on All-Cab Load Bars
  • 2 Wavian jerry cans for fuel
  • National Luna Twin fridge/freezer
  • Diesel Air heater
  • Duoetto Water Heater
  • Shower system
  • Interior sink/two-burner stove
  • Interior storage options
  • Bug net on door
  • Interior LED lighting
  • 252w solar system on the roof
  • Load Bars for Yakima accessories (bike/ski/boat)
  • Water tank
  • Internal Propane tank
  • Full kitchen kit in exterior box
  • Alu-Cab Shadow Awn 270 with full wall kit
  • Folding table mounted under overhand
  • Side table mounted in galley (bar-height)

 

[RoninWanderer]

Suspension, driveline, wheels and tires





There are a lot of really good suspension systems out there for these trucks. When shopping for one that was reliable, comfortable and capable, the OME BP-51 system was highly-recommended. I personally love the internal bypass shock design and know enough people personally who use and abuse the system to make this a no-brainer for us. We added the UCA's for travel and alignment reasons and went with Hilux rear leaf springs for the anticipated weight we would have on the rear end. Overall the ride is stiffer, but there is full adjustability of compression and rebound. So far, I have been pleased with handling and articulation.










I love rims…like LOVE. As a Designer, the right set of rims can totally transform the stance and presence of a vehicle while also providing important functional changes. Oversized tires and a wider track were needed and I don’t, personally, like using wheel spacers. Especially with so many fantastic rims on the market! Matching the right rims to a vehicle is an art and for this platform, I chose the SCS F5 wheels. These rims are very popular on Toyotas, and for good reason! They are extremely lightweight and really easy to clean. I like clean rims so that was a major selling point for me. Also, they look fantastic in the Deep Bronze color. the 16", 3.5" BS give me more sidewall height on my tires and helped with clearance for our tire size.











As for tires, I had considered this for a long while and decided to fit the largest tire size I felt comfortable with on a 2" lift. I had KM2’s on my Jeep and was very satisfied with that tire and the new KM3's looked to be even better. After a lot of research, we settled on 315/75/R16 as the size, which is about 34.5" in height (according to BFG). We are still working on the fender clearance, but the body mount was masterfully chopped and rebuilt by my shop and we have removed some of the front fender. We also installed Bushwhacker fender flares to help provide coverage over the wider stance.






Moving up in tire size required re-gearing the differentials. We opted for 4.88 from Nitro. Since we were in there we installed an ARB front air locker. The rear has a factory E-locker and my experience has shown lockers to be invaluable on the trail. My Jeep Rubicon had F&R lockers, but there was so much articulation, they were not often needed. The Tacoma has limited articulation by comparison and these were a necessity. ARB Differential Breather extension kits were added to help with water-crossings.

 

[RoninWanderer]

Lighting, Communication, and Navigation

I immediately installed a Pioneer Navigation unit when I picked up the truck. I don't have the specifics handy, but it has a lot of great features and a large screen. It also connects nicely to my iPhone with CarPlay. My iPhone XS Max is my primary music player and also backcountry navigation. I use Gaia GPS for my hiking and driving needs and am very happy with that app. I have an additional Bad Elf GPS unit in case of issues with the in-dash or iPhone units. I use a RAM mount to hold the iPhone when using the Gaia app off-road for now, but expect Gaia GPS to embrace CarPlay at some point in the future. I would prefer to keep the number of screens and objects in front of me to an absolute minimum.





Also after picking the truck up, we installed IPF led headlight bulbs. It can get very dark where we live and I have found good lighting ON-road to be very important for safety.


After the Prinsu rack was installed, we included a Baja Designs S8 40" led light bar. It's very slim and low-profile, you can hardly see it unless you are in front of the vehicle. The amber backlights are really cool and increase our ability to be seen. Even though this is a combo bar, it’s best as a large-area spot light, in my opinion. We also added a set of their S2 Sport work/scene lights on each side of the truck. These are great for camping and for night-time off-road driving.





Once the front bumper was installed we installed the ARB Intensity 40 combo light bar and the Baja Designs Squadron Sport wide-cornering lamps in amber. The ARB light bar is amazing, and it’s my primary off road light after the amber fogs. We mounted it on the front of the vehicle and it has a better better throw forward than the roof light bar. The Baja Designs wide-cornering lights are amber and are great in the fog, which is why they are installed in the fog lamp location in the bumper and connected to the factory fog-lamp switch. They are, however, a little too good! They are too bright for most use on-road and can irritate other drivers. I have angled them down and it helps, but I do not use these on the road as much.




There are Rigid Industries Dually D2 flood lights on each A-pillar. They are attached using CBI Offroad Fab ditch light brackets. There needed to be some modification of the passenger mount due to the snorkel.




I have a Cobra 75WX CB radio installed. The fire stick antenna is mounted to the front bumper. I am currently looking into training for and installing a ham radio system. There is also a set of handheld GMRS radios in the truck for spotting and camping.

 

[RoninWanderer]

Electrical

I am sure I will not be able to do justice to describe the work my shop has done here, but I will try. I am not "electrically savvy" and my requirements were for a simple system that was bulletproof and would always be able to start my vehicle. My shop put together a system using Odyssey Extreme Series 35 dual batteries, Off Grid Engineering components and some additional parts from Blue Sea as well. I have a visual display in-cab to see each battery’s level and a bypass switch in the dash as well. Beyond that, I just want something that provides power reliably and hopefully I never have to mess with it! I also have a NOCO lithium-ion battery kit that can jump a vehicle or power several devices that I keep in the cab.











We installed a Switch-Pros panel/system to control everything. I have used this in the past and really like the system. We mounted the panel in my sunglasses compartment (wasted space) with a bracket from Expedition Essentials. This is key as we have a 2-year old who absolutely loves buttons...if they light up, oh damn! *air compressor on....air compressor off....on....off. He will do that for hours if you let him. So it’s best to just hide them!

 

[RoninWanderer]

Armor

The rock sliders are from White Knuckle Off-road.The sliders are DOM bent for strength, upswept for clearance and feature diamond plating on the rear kickout for my son...who has tiny little toddler feet. I also find it really useful for accessing the roof rack. LCA’s are protected by Total Chaos skid plates.








CBI Offroad Fab Moab 2.0 front bumper in aluminum and a black finish. I opted for the full-hoop design to help with impact protection. We have a lot of elk where we live. Personally, I find the hoops useful around camp as well for drying things or stringing hammocks. Initially, I did not like the look of the Moab 2.0 in pictures, but after it was installed, I think it looks fantastic! Very aggressive in styling and has a lot of clearance. All the important items are protected and I can house my Warn Zeon 10-S winch inside. I also had a set of their aluminum Overland Skids installed. A CBI high-clearance rear bumper is currently in the works.

 

[RoninWanderer]

Recovery and Off-Road Accessories


A good winch is required and I have had great luck with Warn. Inside the CBI bumper is a Warn Zeon 10-S winch. The synthetic line is lightweight and doesn’t rust and there is a Factor 55 Flatlink to finish it off and keep things tidy.





After running the Washington BDR a few summers ago, we decided a snorkel was mandatory equipment. The fine dust, spread out over days and weeks, was constantly clogging filters and overheating engines. Also, I can't help driving through deep water every chance I get. It makes me really, really happy. So, we are taking all precautions there to plan ahead and avoid the worst case scenarios. I have tested the Safari Snorkel now in a variety of conditions and am happy with what it does.



Equally important is a good air compressor. The ARB Twin has worked well for me in the past and was installed in the engine bay with a bracket from Slee Offroad.






Additional recovery items include 4 MaxTrax, ARB d-rings, snatchblock, tree and tow straps, and various other bits. An ARB set of air tools and a deflator and a tire repair kit are always kept handy. I’ve gotten quite picky on my tire pressure and not just off-road. A small adjustment makes a huge difference.





I used the bed rail system with some parts from 4xInnovations to secure a 4-gallon fuel Rotopax, my axe, shovel and Katanaboy folding saw. I have a hi-lift mount on the opposite side with a large foot plate.





There is a Prinsu Cabrac installed. They are made from lightweight aluminum and have a fantastic, modular design. I opted for the wind fairing that has a cut-out for the S8 40” light bar and a couple of the load plates for mounting items like the MaxTrax. I already had an ARB 1250 awning (the little one) so it’s mounted over the driver’s side doors. This is just temporary, but it comes in handy in bad weather.







With a dog and a toddler, seat protection was critical! I decided to give Wet Okole seat covers a chance. If they can handle sand and surf then they can handle toddler. They are really robust and take some time to settle in. I added an air-adjustable lumbar support and various pockets. Overall I’ve been happy with them.





The front grill was just because I really wanted it. The plastic, chrome Tacoma grill didn’t appeal to me and I received this one from @HomerTaco from TacomaWorld. The mesh is metal and there are additional amber led’s for more visibility.



Weathertech rain guards and molded floor mats complete the PNW-proof interior.

I also keep a large first-aid kit and fire extinguisher in the cab.

The dash is very simple as that’s how I prefer my workspace to be. The TechDeck can hold a couple of RAM mounts, if needed, and will hold my radio mics soon. Still working on that...

I have 3 boxes in the bed, for now. One box contains tools and repair items. The other small box contains some of my recovery equipment. The largest box contains hiking and adventure gear and packs for some foot-travel. These are almost always in the truck.

This work has taken a couple of months to complete and dial in and we are only halfway done! I’ll update as the project continues and am hoping to have the Trek Taco “complete” (lol) by spring/summer.

Enjoy the pictures and thanks for taking the time to check out our rig!

 

[RoninWanderer]

Some more pics...

 

[RoninWanderer]

First test run at Tahuya State Forest to test the fender clearance...and have fun in the water!

 

[RoninWanderer]

Snow snow snow!!!

 

[Firebear MD718]

Hey Ronin, haven't been on Expo much lately, just look'n at what been happening, came across your build and am very Impressed, My rig is a '10 Access Cab, good for the single guy but again very impressed with your rig ~ you've given me more ideas . . . Thanks Scott
PS: Where's Tahuya State Forest located ?

 

[RoninWanderer]

Hey Ronin, haven't been on Expo much lately, just look'n at what been happening, came across your build and am very Impressed, My rig is a '10 Access Cab, good for the single guy but again very impressed with your rig ~ you've given me more ideas . . . Thanks Scott
PS: Where's Tahuya State Forest located ?

Hello @Firebear MD718 and thanks! Yes, the 4-door is key with a dog and a toddler, we fill every seat. I'm glad you got some ideas, stay tuned as the last phase is going to be completed in April and will take the TrekTaco to the next level for proper camping and long-distance trips.

PS: Tahuya State Forest is located on the East side of the Washington Peninsula near the town of Belfair. Just a fun place to go and flex the suspension...and hang out in the winter.

 

[RoninWanderer]

Finally got the heater in the camper to work and fixed the air bags. Snow camping is the thing to do right now.

headed to the Mojave soon so making sure everything is running smooth.

 

[chadwicksavage]

any concerns at all with GVWR?

 

[RoninWanderer]

Of course! Tacoma’s have poor payload to start with. I tried to keep everything as light as possible and the camper can be removed if needed. With gearing, brakes and suspension upgrades...it’s not bad. I do wish they had the sweet ass Colorado when I built this. They have a much higher payload.

any concerns at all with GVWR?

 

[sea_weathered]

Of course! Tacoma’s have poor payload to start with. I tried to keep everything as light as possible and the camper can be removed if needed. With gearing, brakes and suspension upgrades...it’s not bad. I do wish they had the sweet ass Colorado when I built this. They have a much higher payload.

Hey man, pulling up an old thread here. A forum search showed that you are running a Duoetto hot water heater. can you tell me about your experience with that unit?