Questions about buying my first overlanding vehicle: 2nd Gen Tacoma

[Eric93k]

Hello everyone. I am starting to plan my first overlanding trip (4wk trip through the Western US National Parks/Forests/BLM land) and have settled on a 2nd gen Tacoma for my vehicle of choice. I am looking at 2006-2009 with <100k miles, DCLB and have quite a few questions.

Any reason to go for the TRD sport > SR5?

Are there any known problems with these vehicles to look for when buying?

I am going to be adding roughly 600lbs to the bed from a bed rack, RTT, fridge, water, supplies. What would be the cheapest suspension mods to account for this extra weight?

What would be the best tires to minimize road noise while still allowing minor off-roading capabilities?

What kind of gas mileage would I be able to expect with this set up: DCLB, RTT, 600lbs gear.

What maintenance should I do after buying the vehicle before starting my trip? (Fluids, spark plugs, ect.)

Thanks in advance for any help or guidance

 

[NoahGenda]

I cant speak to all of your questions but i can answer some.

Suspension-
An add a leaf in the rear would be fine to account for an extra 600 pounds. They are incredibly affordable and very straight forward to install.

Tires -
Almost all the AT's on the market have pretty good road manners and volume levels. I have heard good things about the Yokohama Geolanders, and I run Goodyear Duratracs that are very quiet on the highway.

Maintenance -
Depending on how close to 100k of a vehicle you get you will need to do the timing belt, then I usually do a baseline and just flush all fluids.

Gas Mileage -
Too many factors to this question to give a realistic answer. Figure losing roughly 1-3mpg with a RTT, mine went from 20 to 18mpg with the tent and rack setup.

 

[dumprat]

I realize the RTT is the thing to have but a good ground tent with a comfortable cot costs less, doesn't tire your vehicle up and doesn't weigh much or cost fuel mileage.

20+ years of off-road and expo style trips in my past so please see it as free advice.

 

[vicali]

Why u no 2005?

Trd sport have better seats, different springs, and usually have the towing package as well.

Check the frame or make sure it's been through the inspection/recall process, look on the inside of the rail under the passenger seat beside the catalytic. That's a common spot for holes.

Trd sorts also come with 17" wheels while the sr5 have 16".

We found a 2005 for half the price we were planning to pay new, when it's done we'll find another used trd sport.. maybe by then it will be a third gen.

 

[Watt maker]

Hello everyone. I am starting to plan my first overlanding trip (4wk trip through the Western US National Parks/Forests/BLM land) and have settled on a 2nd gen Tacoma for my vehicle of choice. I am looking at 2006-2009 with <100k miles, DCLB and have quite a few questions.

Any reason to go for the TRD sport > SR5?

Are there any known problems with these vehicles to look for when buying?

I am going to be adding roughly 600lbs to the bed from a bed rack, RTT, fridge, water, supplies. What would be the cheapest suspension mods to account for this extra weight?

What would be the best tires to minimize road noise while still allowing minor off-roading capabilities?

What kind of gas mileage would I be able to expect with this set up: DCLB, RTT, 600lbs gear.

What maintenance should I do after buying the vehicle before starting my trip? (Fluids, spark plugs, ect.)

Thanks in advance for any help or guidance

I don't really see much reason to seek out a TRD sport over a SR5. I would be swapping the springs and shocks out anyway so none of that matters to me. I do like the hood scoop but even that can be swapped over.

They are pretty reliable vehicles with some quirks. Some of the 2005's have had head gasket issues but that was supposedly fixed in 2006. Definitely look over the frame for rust (or buy a vehicle that lived in the SW and you don't have to worry about it). I'm a fan of the 1GR V6 in these. They use a timing chain so no timing belt to change. As long as the PO kept up on the maintenance there should be plenty of life left at 100k.

An add-a-leaf should suffice for most overlanding duties. The next step would be a complete leaf pack replacement.

Most AT tires should be adequate for minor offroad travel with low road noise. I like the BFG KO2 and I've had good luck with Hankook ATM as well. Trying out some Ridge Grapplers now and so far they are quiet but I have less than 1k miles on them. My ST Maxx do great offroad but they do make a little noise on the road.

Loaded down I would expect about 15 mpg. It's really hard to say.

I would change all the fluids, spark plugs, air filters, and anything else questionable just to get a good starting point.

 

[DaVikes]

- Is there a reason that you are not considering the Off-Road? The big advantage is the e-locker. Also has lightweight skids, which are somewhat better than no skids.
- I think that '09 was the first year of an upgraded electronics and airbag package, and a few other cosmetic items.
- It is worth it to find something with the tow package, because it includes a tranny cooler for the auto tranny. Tranny coolers extend the life of the tranny even if you never tow. Low speed off road use builds heat in the transmission because the torque converter is slipping a lot, and the cooler obviously helps keep the tranny fluid healthier.
- The auto is regarded as more reliable/durable than the manual, especially in the earlier years of the second gen. The manual had a few issues, I believe with syncros wearing, back then. The auto was designed for the torque of the 4.7 V8, so it's been very durable with our 4.0.
- As for problem areas, the driveshaft carrier bearing can wear and cause driveline vibes. The blower fan was famous for ticking and driving people crazy. The clock springs would fail but it should have been replaced in a recall. The rear leaf springs in some years have been recalled. If the truck is running stock size tires, the front wheel bearings should be good for 150-200k. If running larger tires, they can wear out much earlier. Mine were done at 54K. Most of these problems are not very expensive to fix. The major items - engine and automatic transmission are very reliable. If maintained, they should hit 300k before any major work is needed. There is a lot of information on Tacoma World about the various problem areas I mentioned.
- KO2's are very quiet on the highway for an AT tire. I think they are quieter than the duratracs that I used to have.
- RTT's are really convenient and fairly expensive. But you can always sell it when you are done.

 

[Lazzer]

I have a 2012 DCLB Sport and the bed space is amazing. I would definitely recommend heavier leaves, and if you're looking to go to a 16 inch wheel you will run into issues fitting it over the calipers. The LSD is pretty good, but I feel like a locker would be more effective, depending on where you are adventuring. Mine works for the snow and mud around me, not too much crawling here. I've been looking at OME for my suspension due to the ease of replacements and the Dakar springs. I also have the tow package and it certainly does give me some peace of mind, even if I haven't tested it yet. Skids are a must have though

 

[esmirna8261980]

ok I got a 2005 tacoma double cap TRD off road with 150k
1-the V6 4.0 use a chain no belt
2-TRd off road will give you rear locker, trasmission cooler, bucket seat, 400 whatt inverter, fog light,16" trd wheels,compast
get the TRD is better for the price diferent. the 2005 is the best build and the most simple of all of them, no tracion control, no air pump nothing just abs and airbag pure simple truck ask anybody 2005 is the best year ,only have problem with the exthust manifold leaking easy fix only afected few unit.