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Thanks everyone! Every time I get in the truck I have to resist the urge to point it north and do it again...for now anyway. It was worth it for me to get up to some of the more remote areas in the north. I spent so much time staring at maps that I needed to see it. In reality, it was...

Thanks! I used a Sony A100 with the 18-250mm lens and a Tamron 250-500mm.

Hi all! I was lucky enough to be able to travel for a few months in 2010. I drove from Michigan to Western Canada and Alaska in a slightly modified 2003 Taco. I was on the road for almost four months and covered 21,000+ miles. With the exception of a few places, I rarely stayed in the same...

One year update... It has been a year since I bought the truck with the intent of The Great Escape. I have not pulled the trigger on the trip yet, but have made some progress on the truck. I tried everything out over the holidays with a trip to Death Valley and Mojave NM. OME, BFG, ARB...

From December 2008: Death Valley... El Malpais...

I only drilled the bottom of the chassis extension. I don't recall a hole on the top. I believe that there were two up/down bolts from the bottom and a fore/aft bolt from the front that attached the mounting brackets to the frame/chassis extension. After all of the attachment holes were filed...

I just installed one on a 2003 a month ago by myself as well. I think that the winch has to go in first, but I could be wrong as I don't have one. - One thing to note is to install the stamped cross member (sump guard support) with the flange facing towards the rear of the vehicle. (Page...

I picked one up earlier this year. Works good. After looking at the more expensive mounted awnings, I chose the Kirkhams because of the price and versatility. It is easy to set up by yourself as well. I actually used the Yakima shovel mounts on the cargo basket one time to hold up the...

No charge for the rag joint/install. I actually gave them a list of other things to check based on all of your collective input. The service manuals posted in Toyota forum also helped me understand the guts...very good resource. I will be speaking to the service manager about the...

They are replacing a rubber coupler (rag joint?). The bushings were replaced with the rack. I will probably upgrade to polyurethane anyway. Pretty inexpensive and maybe easier to replace when the rubber ones are fresh. On a positive note, they gave me an 07 Tacoma to drive until everything...

Yep...I am headed back to the "stealer" today. The cruise and horn work and the airbag light is not on. The old CJ-5 steering was easier to mess with...I need to get familiar with the Taco systems. I will check into the urethane bushings for the rack. Maybe it is something I can do when I...

A question regarding the steering on a stock 2003 Taco with about 40K miles: I am able to rotate the steering wheel left or right about an 1.5 inch distance before the truck responds. I was told by the dealership that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. I fell for it. Just picked up...

Iceland Here are a few pics from Iceland. Covered 155 off-road miles going from camp to camp over the course of a week. Highly recommended!

To the moon! Here are a couple of shots...500mm lens, circular polarizing filter, cropped and sharpened. Unfortunately, I missed the eclipse.

Cold nights make for clear skies...

Sounds like a good opportunity to save some cash on a bumper and winch...or at least divert it to a more versitle tool like a hand winch/recovery kit. Thanks for the input!

Maybe not a priority for the trip. I wouldn't anticipate doing anything too technical while traveling solo. I was going to try to get all the mods in while I still had a good income and could afford it. I will probalby pass on the tire carrier and toss the second spare on the roof...

Ahh yes, the job. That is a problem as automotive employers typically frown upon anything more than a week at a time. I am ready to move on to the next best thing anyway. Ideally, I would like to relocate to the west and get back into the hills again. Life is too short to spend your weekends...

Thanks for the input! I took the advice and ordered a 122 with full length windoors. Should have it in a couple of weeks. I am trying to unload the current canopy on Craigs List...might be hard in "Big 3 Country". Suspension is next...

Greetings! Like many others, I have visiting this site practically everyday. It is hard not to with all of the great trucks and helpful advice. I just picked-up a 2003 Tacoma TRD access cab with only 38K miles. I will be building it with The Great Escape in mind...a 3-4 month mountain...