SOLD

joel

Observer
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Price: $26,500 (depending on included gear)
Location: Michigan

Folks, it's time to let this great truck go. I'll try to keep story time to a minimum.

This is a 6-speed 2012 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport (ACLB) in Magnetic Grey Metallic with towing package and just under 60,000 miles. It was purchased used after a lease return in 2015 with 9k miles. The rest of the mileage is mine, primarily highway miles interleaved with a few trail runs in between.

My goal with this truck was to have a relatively simple, decent mileage 4x4 with self-contained camping in comfort without sacrificing too much capability while neither overbuilding it nor making it difficult to repair on or off the road. It's without a doubt the best all-around 4x4 camper I've owned.

This truck is highly modified (or relative to local standards, "lightly modified") primarily with bolt-on or clip-in parts.

The most obvious modification is the addition of an AT Tacoma Habitat, the single-best upgrade I've ever done to a truck. Part of the original run of 8 units, I took delivery of this over a year ago and have put well over 45 nights in it. I've made some minor modifications, including riv-nut-mounted railings and MOLLE panels on the interior for gear stowage, as well as aluminum airline track along the passenger side bed floor, to which I have currently mounted a Truckfridge-brand refrigerator, storage, and Goal Zero that have zero play while in motion when strapped down. (There is also a fair amount of glue residue on the driver's side interior wall from a misguided wood veneer install, which is removed now; it's unsightly but inconsequential.)

There is also a full Bed Rug installed inside, which makes for a nice, washable surface when living in the deployed interior. Additionally, by leaving the driver's side area of the bed free, it is possible for a single person to boondock completely inside the enclosed camper shell in sketchier areas.

Armor includes an ARB front bumper, Mobtown Offroad bolt-on sliders, and RCI steel skids from the front to the center diff as well as a rear diff protector and A-armor.

Aftermarket lighting includes ARB knock-off floods on the bumper, Cali Raised dust lights in amber, as well as wired-up fogs and turn signals on the ARB and a Warn M8000 steel-line winch, all controlled through a Switch-Pros electronic switching system that is wired in the interior overhead console.

Additional interior tweaks include an A-pillar-mounted RAM x-mount for phones, a Pioneer AVIC 4300 head unit (w/Carplay and Android Auto), an upgraded speaker system including an underseat subwoofer. (Also Pioneer.) Front seats have been covered since I owned them with neoprene covers in black-and-brown, which don't exactly match the otherwise grey interior but which I still enjoy. An additional rear backup camera is wired from the rear license plate for always-on rear-view through the head unit while driving around town.

The truck is lifted with ARB Old Man Emu 90021 shocks with 996x coils, as well as a Wheel's Add-a-Leaf in the rear pack. UCAs are Light Racing. Wheeler's bump stops replace front stockers.

Wheels are the familiar Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro 17s with 255 Cooper ST Maxx with roughly 20k miles on them.

At 70MPH, the truck gets roughly 15-16MPG on the highway. (I've gotten 17-18MPG before, but in mixed mountain use, I usually see 15-16MPG.) The acceleration around town is sufficient (the manual transmission helps) but nothing to write home about.

Paint and body condition is probably somewhere in the "good" zone. It still looks sharp from almost any normal distance and has always had a good coat of wax on it, but it was also used, so pin striping from trees and small dents are here and there on the body. (I have spent ~$500 on paintless dent repair here and there, but to be honest I consider trying to keep it pristine to be an exercise in futility and a discouragement to using a 4x4 properly.) I have spent a few hundred dollars purchasing rust-proof frame treatments in an abundance of caution, including a recent wheel-and-sandpaper extravaganza to remove surface rust from the frame and diff. (Supposedly the steel issues from the early 2nd gens are not an issue for a 2012, but I didn't want to be the guinea pig, so I surprised my neighbors with a three-day paint job in our shared driveway.)

Oil changes have happened at 4-6k intervals (depending on intervals between trips). Spark plugs were changed at 45k miles. Zerks have been greased regularly, I've never had any issues with wobbling or axle wrap. This has been an incredibly reliable vehicle, which stands to reason, as it's relatively new. (I guess I'm just not used to newer vehicles.)

The rear 7-pin trailer harness is currently cracked and needs to be replaced. (I have a new plastic housing.) A signal wire for the Switch-Pro worked itself loose and is currently secured with tape, but I also have a new molex connector from Switch-Pro.)

This is an ideal vehicle for 1-2 people who want to get out into the woods or desert while still getting around town or down the highway without issue. It's a great vehicle for anyone who wants a do-it-all, but isn't trying to buy something so finicky or overbuilt that they'd be afraid to break it. We are currently putting the truck on the market as we have a commissioned build coming up for an OEM in a similar vein, and I am loathe to ever let a vehicle sit underused. We will almost certainly get in a couple more trips with it inside Michigan before we sell it, especially with hunting season around the corner.
 
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joel

Observer
Quite an update: hydrolocked an engine during hunting season. (No water in cab. Water wasn't even over the axles at rest. Bad luck. Turns out snorkels are good?) Remanufactured engine installed by a local Toyota dealership by insurance with ~40k miles. Seems to be sorted but have only put a few miles on it.

More pictures will be forthcoming after we get past this snow storm in Michigan, but expect that I'll be dropping the price considerably to account for the new engine. Have to move this truck for a in-progress van project, so feel free to hit me with reasonable offers if you want to jump the gun, but I'll post more pictures as soon as I can.
 

joel

Observer
What part of Michigan?

Outside of Detroit.

Weather turned good enough and I got my hand out of a cast this week, so I'm going to get everything prettied up and post some new pictures ASAP. Got a few people people sniffing around but I'll make sure everyone can see pics first.
 

joel

Observer
Brushed everything out with a broom and took out the floor mats, but wanted to leave it mostly dirty so you can see that the cab has always been dry. (There's a picture of the hydrolock ditch up there, too.)

I took out all the gear in the rear too so you can see the airline track on the passenger side floor and side of the Habitat. Typically I load up the right and leave the left side open for ingress/egress or even another sleeper in a pinch.

Truck will obviously be cleaned up, but I wanted to show it warts and all for potential buyers before I gussy her up.
 
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joel

Observer
Honestly, I have no idea. There was either more of a dip somewhere in the puddle than I noticed while driving through or I was going fast enough to make a bow wave that got up into the wheel wells. We were all standing in the water with the hood popped trying to diagnose it, because every time we ran through "Did we hydrolock it?" we kept coming back to "There's no way." And the guy I called to come tow me out was in a Wrangler and drove in the first 10 feet or so to rope up and he never went in a dip either.

Looking back the only thing that makes sense to me is that I was going too fast, even though I thought I was crawling.
 

supermoo

Observer
Interested in your truck for sale. Any issues post getting the new engine? Have you updated the thread with the new price? Just curious.
 

joel

Observer
Interested in your truck for sale. Any issues post getting the new engine? Have you updated the thread with the new price? Just curious.

I've only put a few miles on it post-engine, but nothing has reared its head. I'll be taking it in soon to get a clean-up for spring service, just to be sure, but it was a fairly straight-forward job.

Price as listed is now accurate.
 

FAW3

Adventurer
I love that rig! GLWS!

FYI: About 3 months ago I was on a road/trail and came across a creek crossing that I had been across many times in my JK. Stuck in the middle was a Gen1 Tacoma. Water was 3/4 up the wheels. I pulled him out (backwards) with my strap. During the pull, I noticed no dips or ruts. The interior floor of the cab was dry.

The Taco driver was stumped...could not figure why the engine stalled. We checked and all looked good...but noticed a slow steady drip of water out of the air intake. Pulled it off and water flowed out. Yep, engine hydrolocked. The only thing we could figure is that a bow wave formed and reached the OEM intake.

We have a Gen2 Tacoma...and although I would not normally hesitate to cross that creek in it, I know now to really crawl. A cheap lesson learned for me.
 

joel

Observer
Yeah, it's really changed my mind about snorkels. Cheap insurance, even if they look a smidge over the poseur line.
 

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