Carl's 2007 Tacoma Buildup

[CLynn85]

Carl's 2007 Tacoma Buildup - Slower than Molasses Pace

Figured I'd start a new mod thread for my Tacoma. The goals for this truck aren't quite as ambitious as my Jeep was. Just want a dependable daily driver that can get me to my favorite camp sites and to carry me across the country or wherever the mood takes me.

The base truck is a silver 2007 Tacoma, Access cab SR5 with the TRD off-road package.


****2010 Edit****

So it seems that it's been, umm, forever since I updated this thread, also the pictures died with the school replacing its server.

Current Status:

 

[Willman]

Nice rig!

What are some of your future mods?

:Mechanic:

 

[CLynn85]

My initial plans called for a bed toolbox and covered bed for storage, with a rooftop tent mounted over it.

The one gripe I have about the tacoma is the bed, the composite design makes most typical mounting solutions for common accessories a disaster. Also, there are no factory tie-downs in the front of the bed. To top it off there's no factory option for a locking mechanism for the tailgate.

To cope with the above I ordered a pop&lock tailgate lock, to allow secure storage under the tent. While installing this the peril's of Toyota's efforts to save weight and cost became even more apparent. The bed alone on this truck is almost enough to make me wish I bought the seemingly more robust Frontier. The construction of the bed is very disappointing, and if anything happens to it it's likely it'll be replaced with a tray of some sort.

Anyways, here's the pop & lock installed. Installation was, as is with most DIY projects, never as easy as indicated, but probably a 2.2 on a 1-5 scale. I'll post a writeup soon on the installation.

 

[CLynn85]

My initial round of mods on this truck are focused mainly on travelling, contrasting to the first mods on my Jeep which were geared towards capability. The rough terrain tires aren't terrible, though they quickly become clogged with VA mud. I'll likely keep the tires until they show significant wear before upgrading in size and tread design. The factory 4wd with trd Locker should be enough to keep me satisfied from a driveline standpoint, although I do plan to do the locker mod (formerly "gray-wire mod" on older tacomas) to allow the locker to be used in any transfer case mode.

 

[CLynn85]

As luck would have it, while browsing craigslist like a madman one night in search of truck gear such as a toolbox, or the elusive roof tents or other accessories, I came across this little jewel. What was advertised as a 2003 Eagle model FWC appears to be a 1998 RangerII that was reconditioned and resold circa 2003. :jumping: Either way the deal was too good to pass up and I snatched it up. If nothing else I'll sell it upon returning from my cross-country trip this summer.

I did a test-fit this weekend in my tacoma. The height of the bed rails is a bit higher than that of the previous model it seems and I'm going to build a 2x4-based platform to slide underneath the camper. Also, the rear factory tie-down is directly underneath one of the bumpouts on the lower rear of the camper and I'm going to have to come up with a new rear tie-down solution. This wouldn't be a problem with a normal steel bed but again Toyota has me singing the composite blues. Also, I'm looking into over-load spring options to cope with the extra weight. As you can see, the extra 700lbs doesn't agree with the stock suspension very well. I'm looking at Hellwig helper springs at the moment, as I'm not sure that I'll keep the camper, I don't want to make the investment for air-bags quite yet.

 

[Ridgewalker]

That should be an excellent rig for you to travel in this summer. That trip should let you know more of just what you want. I am a fan of AirLift bags myself. I've had Helwigs and some other brand of overload springs, but the problem is they create a very stiff ride when not loaded. The AirLifts are pretty easy to install and cost $189 at Wheelers. I'm not sure you can get springs for much less. With the air bags you can adjust to what ever weight you have and adjust independently from side to side. Just a thought.
Good luck!

 

[slooowr6]

Congrats on the FWC eagle!
Check out my setup http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3615. Tork-Lift has frame mount tie-down for 05+ tacoma. That's some really wide jack brackets! You'll want to install air bags, I've AirLift. Take a look at how close the bump stop is to the bubber bumper on the leaf spring. I need to run 70+ psi in the air bags.

 

[erod]

Nice camper...thanks for the pics. If you do end up selling it I would be very interested. I am currently looking for a similar set up to replace my wildernest right now on my 02' Taco. Good find and enjoy!

 

[Tucson T4R]

That should be an excellent rig for you to travel in this summer. That trip should let you know more of just what you want. I am a fan of AirLift bags myself. I've had Helwigs and some other brand of overload springs, but the problem is they create a very stiff ride when not loaded. The AirLifts are pretty easy to install and cost $189 at Wheelers. I'm not sure you can get springs for much less. With the air bags you can adjust to what ever weight you have and adjust independently from side to side. Just a thought.
Good luck!

I installed Airlift 1000 bags in my rear coil springs to handle extra weight when towing a trailer. I also am happy with the ability to air up for towing and air down for daily no load use.

One suggestion is to consider where you plan to drive. If primarily light use then seprating the bags may be the right choice. If you do much rough offroading that requires significant articulation, having the bags on separate air lines may raise the pressure in the compressed bag to the point of failure. To minimize this risk, I Tee'd my air lines together. That way when one bag is compressed, the added pressue is relieved a little by balancing over to the bag that is not being compressed. So far this is just a theory, I'm still testing it out.:safari-rig: :sombrero:

 

[Ridgewalker]

One suggestion is to consider where you plan to drive. If primarily light use then seprating the bags may be the right choice. If you do much rough offroading that requires significant articulation, having the bags on separate air lines may raise the pressure in the compressed bag to the point of failure. To minimize this risk, I Tee'd my air lines together. That way when one bag is compressed, the added pressue is relieved a little by balancing over to the bag that is not being compressed. So far this is just a theory, I'm still testing it out.

That's a good thought. I'll be interested to here how your theory turns out.:ylsmoke:

 

[CLynn85]

I thought about if you tee-d them together, the one thing that I wondered is whether a sudden weight transfer would be an issue. If the weight suddenly shifts to one side, would all the air shift from the loaded side to the now-unloaded side, creating a really bad moment?

 

[CLynn85]

Just an update. The UPS man was nice to me today and brought my airlift load levelling kit. Installed them tonight. Installation was pretty simple, and assisted by utilizing factory holes. The instructions, though the pictures were good, lacked content, and had a few inconsistencies. Inflating the air bags to "20 ft-lbs" was one of my favorites....

I did a temporary install of my CB for the upcoming trip, as I plan to install one of the new cobra remote-mounted units in the near future with a different antenna.

Will have the camper installed hopefully by monday, tuesday at the latest, and be ready to hit the road at 5AM friday!!!

Oh, and the stock front skidplate, it might as well be made of tin foil....

 

[CLynn85]

Just scored a battery for the camper. It's a Sealed HD Northstar battery. Technically a starting battery but pop's been using one for a trolling battery on the boat for a while and it's held up ok so I guess we'll see how it goes. I figure I'll run it until it wears out from the deep cycling and hope it makes it through the trip. Can't beat the price though.

 

[Ridgewalker]

I hope that battery treats you as well as my Optima Red Top I bought in '96 or '97. Ran it in my Samurai until shortly before I gave it to my grandson (now trashed of course). I have been using it in my camper since '04 and it just keeps going and going.:victory:

 

[OverlandZJ]

Coming along nicely Carl! I predict you'll learn to love the camper and decide to keep it.