2012 Toyota Tacoma. Built for long term travel

[paddlequest]

Another update...another day delayed. Slightly frustrating but we are getting there. I have tomorrow morning as a hard "yes" for receiving my truck and racks.

I am glad I visited this morning as there are a couple of adjustments that need to be made before final welding happens.

This shows the detail of the roof basket with the vertical support bars added yet. It is also the bar that is going to support the ARB short awning that I hang off the back of the truck to give shade to the doors and often set up the kitchen in rainy weather. It is too low at this point, as the awning would completely block the high brake light on the cap, so it got ground off and moved in line with the bottom of the roof basket. It is a little extended out from the rack to line the awning up with the line of the doors at the back.

This is largely the same view I know, but it shows the full side of the roof basket with the inclination at the front for a wind cutter. There will also be the square stock from the prior photo mounted here to hang the longest (2500 maybe??) ARV awning that I have for there.

So yeah, its slowly coming along....feel like a broken record on that point. Haha. Tomorrow though.

The ironic part though is that the snorkel is suppose to be here for installation tomorrow as well. So TacoSusio could undergo a massive adjustment to her public presentation over the next 24 hrs....I sure hope so anyway!

 

[paddlequest]

Ok, broken record time again. Stopped in the shop, saw some good progress but am left with little confidence I will get the truck and rack tomorrow. The fabricator does good work, but holy hanna he is not a fast mover! But then again, at the super cheap price I am getting this set up, I really shouldn't complain....I am not complaining really...there is a note of humour in my rant if you can't read that already. No with the photos...sorry about the horrible light, the shop is dark with open fencing on many sides so every angle seems to be back lit.

So the bar for the awning has been moved up to allow a clear line of site to the high brake light on the cap. All good now.

And this is the bar that has been added to mount the longer/ larger awning that comes off the passenger side of the truck and cap.

Welcome to the penthouse/ sundowner patio/ stary night sleeping platform! Just tacked in place in this photo but going to be awesome.



They seem to think I will have it tomorrow at midday, but they have alot of details to take care off still. I sure hope they are right!

 

[robert]

Mañana- it seems to be the mantra of all former Spanish colonies. :sombrero:

 

[paddlequest]

@robert you know it! It's one of those contexts that you really can love and hate at the same time!! It always gets done though...or at least usually!

 

[paddlequest]

I am sooooo close. The shope asures me my truck will be in my hands at 4:00 this afternoon. Yep, I am pretty happy about that.

I stopped by the shop this morning and the details are coming along.

The roof basket's floor is all tacked down and well supported from below. It is plenty strong!

The leading edge of the roof basket got a wind deflector welded in place today. I like the checker plate look.

The rest of the details you have all seen. It gets painted around lunch time and will be installed and ready to pick up at 4:00. Next update will include some better lit photos outside the shop!

 

[NoahGenda]

Looking really good!

 

[paddlequest]

Okay! Way longer then we planned but the rack over the cap is installed! Wow...what a process! I learned a tonne in the process and made some good friends in the shop where I hung out way more then I should have while "working"! Haha. I am pretty darn happy with the results.

TacoSusio has sliders!! Very happy about these!



And the passenger side with my ARB awning. I had them lower it a little to make it easier to open and pack up

Still to figure out...

1) a new shower tube with increased capacity and ease of access while kayaks are on the roof...which they almost always are.

2) A snorkel...that is figured out really, its being installed tomorrow morning. The truck is getting cooler by the day...to me anyway!

 

[NoahGenda]

Looks so good!

Congrats, man!

 

[paddlequest]

Thanks @NoahAgenda. Took a bit of doing and coaxing but its done! Tomorrow she gets a snorkel and then she`s pretty much done. Maybe an add a leaf in the rear suspension to lose the sag. The end is in site though!

 

[robert]

Looks good. I'd be leary of putting too much weight up high but you could always put a tank under the rack overhanging the shell slope on the front.

 

[paddlequest]

Thanks @Robert. Yeah, it is not going to get highly weighted down...just a spot to carry 3 kayaks (gotta have them!!) and a very little bit of soft goods in paddling gear stuffed in one boat. I have driven it around with the boats up there for a year now throughout Central America on another rack that just wasn't built solidly. I am not into rock crawling, just getting to cool spots to camp and paddle. I totally understand what you are saying though and appreciate the concern.

And...I have wondered what to do with the spot under the rack overhang. Something that doesn't create a full wall effect for aerodyamics...not that the truck has much anyway. By tank...you mean an air tank for running a compressor or....?

 

[Climberclimb]

That turned out awesome @paddlequest! Overall a very nice rig and set up. Enjoying this thread, thanks for letting us follow your adventures. Cheers

 

[paddlequest]

Today marked a new milestone in the my truck's development! She got a nose job!!

I had a Safari snorkel installed on TacoSusio today! A local company called Magma 4x4 here in Managua did the install and did a great job.

The only thing I can see needing to do still is stiffen up the rear suspension as there is a definite sag happening back there. Not sure when I will get around to that though. First, its time to take the truck out and try out all the new bits and pieces. I am off to the north of Nicaragua this weekend to catch up with some old friends who came down for a visit. So its going to be a bunch surfing, paddling and camping...perfection!

 

[aaen]

Wow I didn't realize that was that huge of a canopy and rack. What shocks/leaf springs are you running in the taco? Love the ARB bumper by the way, I'm up in the air about getting myself one as I cannot use my Baja designs lights in the bumper like I can on the stock bumper on the 3rd gens. Will probably end up with it though.

Keep us posted on the trip mate.

 

[paddlequest]

Hi @aaen

I have the Old Man Emu super duty springs and shocks back there. I am not super happy with them tho as they have sagged significantly since the beginning of the trip...and I haven't really abused them at all! I am looking into an add a leaf option for them, especially with the rack wieight.

Yeah, the rack and cap combo is large, but it is proving super functional for basing out of 50% of my time down here.