Sam.orsello
New member
2002 Toyota Tacoma SR5 TRD
201000 miles
Located in Mammoth Lakes CA, titled in Montana
Asking $17,000
For sale is my 2002 Toyota Tacoma. I’ve had it for the last 15 years and in that time have racked up hundreds of nights and 200,000 miles of adventure. Though it’s far from new, it’s been well maintained with parts replaced before they’ve had a chance to become issues. The interior is clean and in good condition for its age and use. It’s also been thoughtfully upgraded, and those upgrades ground proven. Over the years I’ve run many tires, suspensions, and camping set-ups. The way the truck sits right now simply works great. The truck handles medium speed desert driving and lower speed crawling well, in both scenarios it feels well planted and balanced. The camping set up strikes a nice balance of lightweight and reasonable comfort. We typically cook inside the camper shell on the back shelf and sit inside on Crazy Creek chairs if we’re seeking some shelter from the weather. The diesel heater easily taps into either the camper shell or the roof top tent and has no problem keeping either warm. The tent is an older CVT model that uses a crank mechanism with very robust scissor arms. Due to an odd door design, in high winds you do get some flapping noise but the structure itself is incredibly stable. There are two very small, patched holes in the tent body but the tent remains very weatherproof. A telescoping ladder is included with a heavy-duty storage bag. One of my favorite features of the tent is that bedding can be stored in it when closed, a lot of bedding. In the winter we tend to run two heavyweight down comforters and two sleeping bags inside along with the ladder and it all fits no problem [we typically don’t need nearly that much because the diesel heater keeps it nice and warm, but just in case of a mechanical]. The tent is a small footprint, two adults not well acquainted would probably find it too tight. I’m 6’2’’ and my partner’s 5’8’’ and we feel like it’s palatial but have probably spent too much time in small backpacking tents. The positive trade off of the tight floor plan is great clearance on the trail from low hanging tree limbs and in tight off camber situations.
I’ve tried to keep the truck weight reasonable and balanced fore and aft as well as side to side. As such the bulk of water, food, and gear are stored in the backseat area [back seats are included]. With a little practice the layout works really well and has enough organization to give everything a home. Again, all simply works well.
Recent maintenance
Full timing belt service including water pump, pulleys, belts etc.
New spark plugs, wires
Fuel filter
New radiator, upper and lower hoses
New OEM Lower ball joints
Dealership re-booted the OEM CV axles
Transmission fluid
Other fluids done within 20000 [diffs periodically checked after trips since]
Vehicle Upgrades
Yokohama geolandar MT tires 285/75/16
Pro comp 7069 rims 16x8 -12
Ultra gauge [monitor things like trans temp, coolant temp, etc.]
Hayden transmission cooler
Larger group 27 battery
Relocated rear diff breather
Re-routed exhaust tip for better clearance
Front sway bar deleted [included though]
ARB bumper [with end cap mod on frame rails]
Warn 9000 winch
Curt trailer hitch
Bud built front skid plate
King 2.5-inch extended travel coil overs with 700-pound springs
Icon tubular upper control arms with delta joint
Duro bump front bump stops
Old man emu Dakar leaf pack with add-a-leaf
Old man emu tundra shackles with grease able bolts
Toytec aluma 2.0 rear shocks
Stock factory e-locker [not an upgrade but seems to fit here]
Camping set up and included equipment
ARE topper with sliding windows and man door
CVT fiberglass roof top tent
Custom tent rack
Goal zero yeti 500x battery
Goal zero boulder 100 briefcase solar panel
2x action packer boxes
Coleman extreme cooler [we often run a 12v fridge in the same spot]
Scepter 5-gallon water container with simple rechargeable pump
Chinese diesel heater in custom box
Large Kelty tarp with poles that can be easily set up as an awning
Pure outdoor waterproof box for recovery gear
Amazon traction boards [pretty beat up]
Straps and tie downs for everything
Smittybilt 2781 air compressor
The bad…
This truck is a 20-year-old off road vehicle, from 20 feet away it looks great, actually gets tons of compliments. On closer inspection there is lots of little rock chips, one or two small dents. There is more significant cosmetic damage on both rear quarter panels near the taillights from knocking into things. [There’s a reason high clearance bumpers like the one from coastal off-road cut this part of the bed off]
There is surface rust on the frame, this was a Montana truck the first 12 years of its life, been in California since. In Montana, mechanics would be surprised how rust-free it is, in California they’re less impressed, but I personally have no concerns about it. The full-sized spare is a bit chewed up, but it should get you home. The brakes could stand to be done soon but nothing eminent.
ABS system doesn’t work. It’s a $1000 plus fix and it doesn’t work well in these trucks anyway. Many people delete the system. I do a lot of snow and ice driving and feel I actually have much better control without it. Your thoughts may vary.
Lastly the only thing I haven’t addressed that I would like to before the truck sells is new lower control arms. They work fine but the bushings are shot, and the arms are just wearing out. I plan on replacing with OEM Toyota arms with new cams and bolts. If the buyer would prefer to do this themselves and maybe save some money and go with a brand like Moog or do it up fancy and get some boxed arms from solo motorsports or BTF [id get the solos if i were keeping it] I’ll discount the sales price $1000.
To sum it up, this is an excellent off-the-beaten-path camping vehicle but its definitely a user vehicle not a show car. The Alpine Loop in Colorado, the White Rim in Utah, a big loop in Death Valley- this truck is perfectly suited to all those. For all it’s off-road capability this tuck also putts down the road nice. It runs great, drives and shifts smooth. I’ve never had so much as a hiccup out of the engine or transmission. Total combined mileage from the last year or so has been 15.4 mpg [the truck thinks it has 30-inch tires so probably a little better really] which includes quite a bit of highway driving but also lots of overland style driving in Colorado, Utah, and California as well as a bit of crawling. This truck has treated me exceptionally well for many years and I’m sure it has a lot more adventures in it for the next owner. Address the lower control arms and maybe preemptively do the brakes and I’d point this truck towards South America or the Arctic Circle no problem. Feel free to reach out with any questions and I will continue to post more pictures over the coming days.
Thanks for your time, Sam
201000 miles
Located in Mammoth Lakes CA, titled in Montana
Asking $17,000
For sale is my 2002 Toyota Tacoma. I’ve had it for the last 15 years and in that time have racked up hundreds of nights and 200,000 miles of adventure. Though it’s far from new, it’s been well maintained with parts replaced before they’ve had a chance to become issues. The interior is clean and in good condition for its age and use. It’s also been thoughtfully upgraded, and those upgrades ground proven. Over the years I’ve run many tires, suspensions, and camping set-ups. The way the truck sits right now simply works great. The truck handles medium speed desert driving and lower speed crawling well, in both scenarios it feels well planted and balanced. The camping set up strikes a nice balance of lightweight and reasonable comfort. We typically cook inside the camper shell on the back shelf and sit inside on Crazy Creek chairs if we’re seeking some shelter from the weather. The diesel heater easily taps into either the camper shell or the roof top tent and has no problem keeping either warm. The tent is an older CVT model that uses a crank mechanism with very robust scissor arms. Due to an odd door design, in high winds you do get some flapping noise but the structure itself is incredibly stable. There are two very small, patched holes in the tent body but the tent remains very weatherproof. A telescoping ladder is included with a heavy-duty storage bag. One of my favorite features of the tent is that bedding can be stored in it when closed, a lot of bedding. In the winter we tend to run two heavyweight down comforters and two sleeping bags inside along with the ladder and it all fits no problem [we typically don’t need nearly that much because the diesel heater keeps it nice and warm, but just in case of a mechanical]. The tent is a small footprint, two adults not well acquainted would probably find it too tight. I’m 6’2’’ and my partner’s 5’8’’ and we feel like it’s palatial but have probably spent too much time in small backpacking tents. The positive trade off of the tight floor plan is great clearance on the trail from low hanging tree limbs and in tight off camber situations.
I’ve tried to keep the truck weight reasonable and balanced fore and aft as well as side to side. As such the bulk of water, food, and gear are stored in the backseat area [back seats are included]. With a little practice the layout works really well and has enough organization to give everything a home. Again, all simply works well.
Recent maintenance
Full timing belt service including water pump, pulleys, belts etc.
New spark plugs, wires
Fuel filter
New radiator, upper and lower hoses
New OEM Lower ball joints
Dealership re-booted the OEM CV axles
Transmission fluid
Other fluids done within 20000 [diffs periodically checked after trips since]
Vehicle Upgrades
Yokohama geolandar MT tires 285/75/16
Pro comp 7069 rims 16x8 -12
Ultra gauge [monitor things like trans temp, coolant temp, etc.]
Hayden transmission cooler
Larger group 27 battery
Relocated rear diff breather
Re-routed exhaust tip for better clearance
Front sway bar deleted [included though]
ARB bumper [with end cap mod on frame rails]
Warn 9000 winch
Curt trailer hitch
Bud built front skid plate
King 2.5-inch extended travel coil overs with 700-pound springs
Icon tubular upper control arms with delta joint
Duro bump front bump stops
Old man emu Dakar leaf pack with add-a-leaf
Old man emu tundra shackles with grease able bolts
Toytec aluma 2.0 rear shocks
Stock factory e-locker [not an upgrade but seems to fit here]
Camping set up and included equipment
ARE topper with sliding windows and man door
CVT fiberglass roof top tent
Custom tent rack
Goal zero yeti 500x battery
Goal zero boulder 100 briefcase solar panel
2x action packer boxes
Coleman extreme cooler [we often run a 12v fridge in the same spot]
Scepter 5-gallon water container with simple rechargeable pump
Chinese diesel heater in custom box
Large Kelty tarp with poles that can be easily set up as an awning
Pure outdoor waterproof box for recovery gear
Amazon traction boards [pretty beat up]
Straps and tie downs for everything
Smittybilt 2781 air compressor
The bad…
This truck is a 20-year-old off road vehicle, from 20 feet away it looks great, actually gets tons of compliments. On closer inspection there is lots of little rock chips, one or two small dents. There is more significant cosmetic damage on both rear quarter panels near the taillights from knocking into things. [There’s a reason high clearance bumpers like the one from coastal off-road cut this part of the bed off]
There is surface rust on the frame, this was a Montana truck the first 12 years of its life, been in California since. In Montana, mechanics would be surprised how rust-free it is, in California they’re less impressed, but I personally have no concerns about it. The full-sized spare is a bit chewed up, but it should get you home. The brakes could stand to be done soon but nothing eminent.
ABS system doesn’t work. It’s a $1000 plus fix and it doesn’t work well in these trucks anyway. Many people delete the system. I do a lot of snow and ice driving and feel I actually have much better control without it. Your thoughts may vary.
Lastly the only thing I haven’t addressed that I would like to before the truck sells is new lower control arms. They work fine but the bushings are shot, and the arms are just wearing out. I plan on replacing with OEM Toyota arms with new cams and bolts. If the buyer would prefer to do this themselves and maybe save some money and go with a brand like Moog or do it up fancy and get some boxed arms from solo motorsports or BTF [id get the solos if i were keeping it] I’ll discount the sales price $1000.
To sum it up, this is an excellent off-the-beaten-path camping vehicle but its definitely a user vehicle not a show car. The Alpine Loop in Colorado, the White Rim in Utah, a big loop in Death Valley- this truck is perfectly suited to all those. For all it’s off-road capability this tuck also putts down the road nice. It runs great, drives and shifts smooth. I’ve never had so much as a hiccup out of the engine or transmission. Total combined mileage from the last year or so has been 15.4 mpg [the truck thinks it has 30-inch tires so probably a little better really] which includes quite a bit of highway driving but also lots of overland style driving in Colorado, Utah, and California as well as a bit of crawling. This truck has treated me exceptionally well for many years and I’m sure it has a lot more adventures in it for the next owner. Address the lower control arms and maybe preemptively do the brakes and I’d point this truck towards South America or the Arctic Circle no problem. Feel free to reach out with any questions and I will continue to post more pictures over the coming days.
Thanks for your time, Sam
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