6string's '01 Taco Build

[Wes Craiglow]

I've wanted an Toyota Xtra Cab since the first time I saw Back to the Future. I am very fortunate to now have the chance to own and build one. I think it's about as ideal of an overland-style movement vehicle as one can own: dependable, fairly easily-serviced, economical, comfortable enough, and totally aftermarket-ed.

Like I'm sure most of yours are, this truck has become an extension of who I am, and I love it. My hope is that you'll learn something from my experiences. Please feel free to comment, critique, or question at any time. Enjoy.

Home Turf​

Name: "Arlo"
The Bones: 2001 Toyota Tacoma Xtra Cab SR5 TRD

Engine: 3.4L
Trans: 5-Speed Manual
T-Case and Diffs: Stock TC w/ No Changes Planned, 4:10s with rear Factory E-Locker
Front Susp: Icon Coil-Overs, Stock UCAs
Rear Susp: OME Dakar HD Leaf Pack, Bilstein 5125 Shocks, All-Pro Greasable Shackles @ 3/4" Lift
Extended Brake Lines w/ BPV Move, Poly Bushings Throughout
Tires: 265/75R/16 TreadWright Wardens
Wheels: TRD 16x8

Other Stuff:
Tundra Front Brakes (199mm)
Dual Battery System:
--- Custom Aux Battery Tray
--- Sears Die-Hard Platinums, P-1 & P-4
--- National Luna Isolator and Dual Battery Monitor/Controller
--- Blue Sea Aux Fuse Block
Shrockworks Front Bumper w/ Lights and a Warn M8000 w/ Amsteel Blue
Trail Gear Rock Sliders, Welded On
CBI Frame Reinforcement Plates
Safari Snorkel
Leer 100r Topper w/ Windoors and Sliders
Custom Storage/Sleep Platform, Interior Lighting, and Bed Rug
EdgeStar FP430 Fridge w/ Rewired 12V Plug
Yakima Mega Warrior Roof Rack w/ Hi-Lift, Shovel, & Custom Side/Rear Light Mounts
SuperFlow MV90 Air Compressor
300w Kenwood/Polk/Alpine/iPod Stereo w/ Fully Dynamatted Interior
XM/Sirius Receiver
Yaesu FT7800R 2m/70cm w/ Larson 2/70 Antenna
Uniden PRO520XL 40 Channel CB w/ Wilson Silver Load FLEX 4' Antenna
Garmin 60csx, RAM-Mounted
ScanGauge II
Some Decent Headlight Bulbs
Engel Wireless Thermometer
Custom Dog Platform in Xtra Cab Area!
Quick-Fisted Flashlights and Fire Extinguisher

Current Project, as of Summer '10
Working on my house, not my truck...

Ready for Install:
Taking the summer off!

Just Around the Corner
Hard-Mount Air Compressor
Tint Front Windows

Future Self-Fabrications
3/16" Steel Skids: Front Diff/Tranny/TC/Rear Diff

"Wish List"
CBI Rear Bumper
4.88 gears
130A Alternator
On-Board Water
...my '83 Vanagon back.

 

[Overland Hadley]

Welcome! Good looking rig.

 

[TangoBlue]

Well, that's an 'okay' truck I guess... Welcome!

 

[java]

moar pics

 

[Rozzi]

Great looking Tacoma.

 

[Wes Craiglow]

So I bought the truck from the original owner back in late 2006. It had about 105k miles at that time. Although it was quite a capable truck--as all Tacoma SR5/TRDs are--it was pre-topper or anything overland related.

The only thing the first owner did was that stupid cold air intake. (I will say that it sounds pretty cool when I get on it... whoOOOOoossh!!! ... That in no way alludes that I'm keeping it, though. POS sucks up water like a straw.) I don't have an original pic, but it's nothing you can't see in a factory brochure... Google it.

So, within days of buying it I rushed to the topper place where, after much research and hand-on study of various brands/models, I ordered a Leer 100r with windoors, sliders, and sliding/drop-down cab glass for easy cleaning. The problem? They sent me the wrong glass. So I used it on my first trip out west before taking it back so they could get it right:

In Kansas

NM/CO Border
​

So then I took the topper in to get fixed, and immediately followed that with a BedRug. LOVE the BedRug! Pretty soon after that, I ordered Yakima 58" Crossbars and Control Towers mounted to Yak Tracks as spec'd by the instruction manual. (Plenty of headache to follow regarding that... details from me to come later.)

Central Arkansas

North Arkansas
​

**EDIT for add'l comments**

The rack made a fairly good way to carry my canoe, however it wasn't really high enough. I had to strap the canoe down very tightly to keep it from tapping on the roof above my front windshield. A different model boat or a crossbar mounted above the cab doors might've solved this problem. All-in-all, the basic Yakima did okay, though. Considering it's pretty cheap and resale value on eBay is amazing, no major regrets.

The BedRug rules! Arguably the best $300 I've spent on my truck to date. It makes the topper interior look amazing; clean and finished. It has never mildewed, and I've pushed my luck plenty of times with wet dogs, wet gear, and rain coming in windows left open all night. For camping (pre-sleep/storage platform), it offers thick padding which adds tons of comfort and super insulation during cold nights out. Well worth the money invested.

The Topper itself? Never had a moment's problem out of the Leer. Stable, strong, dry/dustproof, and matches the truck paint and body lines perfectly. Furthermore, I am extremely happy that I went ahead and paid the upcharge for the windoors, sliders, and fold-down front sliding glass. The windoors make it simple to get in/out to grab gear, the cleaning of the cab back glass wouldn't be possible without the fold-down front glass, my dogs love the fact that the side windows slide open for fresh air during movements, and having the windoors up during sleeping hours for breeze makes a huge difference to the enjoyment factor. I have never regretted paying add'l for those options. Highly recommended.

 

[Wes Craiglow]

Welcome! Good looking rig.

Thanks, Nathanael. I have long watched your build, and admire many of the choices you've made... as well as the number of miles you get to log annually! (Maybe I need to get into landscape photography!?)

Well, that's an 'okay' truck I guess... Welcome!

'Preciate it! You know that your truck has me seriously thinking about picking up a set of 80 Series wheels, some black paint, and change my mind on the 255/85s? Love the stance on that thing!!

 

[Wes Craiglow]

So throughout 2007 I didn't make many changes, just drove it and loved it. Plenty of trips to the Ozarks/Ouachitas, the mountain west, and Army bases near and far.

CO/NM Border

North Arkansas​

Come to think of it, I did add a Yakima Viper and Steelhead to the crossbars to carry our bikes. Decent addition, but if I had my preference, I'd put 'em on the back of the truck, on a spare tire-mounted carrier, up high to keep departure angle. I have a story to validate why. (Will share later.) This also explains another justification for the CBI bumper w/ tire carrier coming up soon. Anyway, back to the build...

Western Arkansas

Southern Missouri​

I was, however, getting quite tired of how I was storing everything during the longer, weeklong+ trips....

Somewhere​

.... and also how all that travel weight sucked the life from those those old, worn, factory springs. Looked crappy all sagging, and it made for some hairy moments when things got bouncy at about 75mph.

It was about that time that I stumbled across BajaTaco's website... :drool:

...and nothing would ever be the same. (Especially my bank balance.)

 

[Wes Craiglow]

---Break in the Build---

Just as I was ready to pull the trigger and start building my truck, I got orders to hit the sandbox... pfft, timing! At least I get to spend all that tax-free money on my truck once I get back home! :victory:

(FYI: I was a route clearance platoon leader who lead my guys on the streets of Baghdad hunting for roadside bombs. The Platoon Sergeant and I took 28 young men over. We brought 28 home to momma... God is Great.)

Expedition Iraq Terrain

Expedition Iraq Vehicles

Miniature Expedition Iraq

Expedition Iraq Nap (Sorry, no RTTs. )​

Okay, so now I've been home for about 8 months, busily spending some of that good deployment money on my truck!

---Back to the Build---

 

[Deleted member 9101]

1. Love the truck

2. I am so glad you came home safe, I get to go in January...lol

 

[Wes Craiglow]

It was while deployed I found ExPo. I spent many hours of downtime trolling the pages, studying trucks. YOUR trucks! Some pretty amazing rigs out there, and I tried to draw inspiration from each...

So I started pretty tame by upgrading the bike/canoe rack to a MegaWarrior. I mounted my Hi-Lift and Shovel to it as prescribed by Yakima. In addition, I went to 66" Crossbars so that I could mount my bike racks (Viper x2) out on the ends, one on each side of the rack. Fits nicely!

Central Arkansas

Central Arkansas
​

This worked okay, I guess. It's quite high, resting atop both Control Towers and the Crossbars. It's a bear in the wind, and gas mileage is clearly affected. However, being that it's high, my canoe has no problem with tapping the roof anymore. (FYI: Once the susp lift went it, the spare went up on the roof rack. The canoe now looks silly riding atop the spare tire. Not preferred at all... another reason for that CBI rear bumper! )

I can say that I do like that add'l room up there. Being able to put the non-incidental items like aux fuel/water, spare parts, extra clothes, etc. up out of the way was a great way to speed camp set-up by having less crap to drag out of the truck. (Which only equals an excuse to carry more gear!)

Northern New Mexico

San Juans, CO
​

But, I wasn't satisfied. After spending a year in those route clearance trucks, I was hooked on 360* lighting. I wanted a way to mount side and rear lights to the rack...

I went with THESE lights on the side because they're cheap, fog beam, and low-draw LED. On an impulse buy, I chose one of those cheap AutoZone 55W Tractor Lights for the rear. So far, so good on the cheap lights. We'll see how long that lasts.

​

The rear light is wired to fire when the truck is in reverse and also on command via a cab-mounted switch. HERE FOR HOW-TO The sides are command via switches, also; one left, one right.


MAJOR PROBLEM AFTER 4 MONTHS: I have no pics to show this, so I'll do my best to describe. The Yakima Yak Tracks are installed via 8 flathead screws per the Yakima instructions. If you plan on using your Yak Track to carry a fair amount of weight, reconsider. Most days I carry only the rack/Hi-Lift/spare tire. When I'm fully loaded, it'll be that base weight + 10g fuel, one moderately-heavy trunk, and a empty dog kennel. I don't know how much weight that is, but it's nothing absurd. And I don't do technical off-roading with the weight tossing around when fully loaded...

So the Yak Tracks pulled out of the roof. And not simply straight out, they wiggled 1/8"-1/2"" gashes in the Leer's f'glass. Fortunately for me, I saw it happening as it got loose day by day, and pulled it all the next weekend. Good thing b/c one side's track only had one screw left in it! A couple had sheared completely. Another was rusted through. The only ones remaining were held in by gravity! (Note to self: take nothing for granted... inspect, inspect, inspect!)

I didn't want to toss out the whole kit, so I fixed it. I first pulled the tracks and cleaned the roof really well. Then I added 1/2"x1/8" foam weatherstripping on the bottom of the tracks. Then I drilled out the previous holes clean and dropped 1/4"x1.5" bolts through the whole roof, goo'ed them up with silicon, and secured them with flat washers and lock nuts on the inside. Then I put six other flathead screws in between each of those bolts... the tracks are rock solid now. I strongly encourage anyone using Yak Tracks for big weight/off-road carrying to consider using bolts instead of the factory screws.

Washer/Nuts Visible
​

All-in-all, I like the roof rack. It's not ideal for me, but it works for now. When I get the CBI bumper done, the tire, Hi-Lift, shovel, and fuel will go back there. At that point, the rack is optional... maybe stay, maybe go. ???

With a few minor mods and attention to regular inspections, Yakima products work fine. Yeah, they're not hard-core, expedition-proven, heavy-gauge steel, but hell, the whole thing set me back about $500 on eBay. And what's better than that is the fact that I'll recoup almost every dime when I go to sell it. I guess I can't complain.

Recommended. (With caveats and disclaimers.)

 

[RMP&O]

good write up....

I am glad you guys (now) get lots of armour and other toys to keep you safe(er) over there. Also my hat is off to you for bringing the 28 home! :victory::victory:

I am finishing up a build now on my Taco....similar story to yours. The BajaTaco website got the gears working for me too and it has snowballed from there. It seems like as much thought time goes into how you build your truck as time doing the work! When I started thinking about my build it was simple...no water system, no duel batteries and maybe just an aux. fuel tank. Now I have all that and more!

The Taco is a good platform for an expedition build....

 

[RMP&O]

BTW....I like the gear net. I was going to do something like that but am running out of time before I take a big trip. Perhaps later...!

 

[PHXtaco]

Looks like you get out and drive! No staying around locally.:victory:

Nice build!

 

[Overland Hadley]

I strongly encourage anyone using Yak Tracks for big weight/off-road carrying to consider using bolts instead of the factory screws.

A good reason to go with Thule products.