BOTT Phase I

[oxi]

This is my 2010 AC Tacoma, 2.7 5-speed manual. I bought it with just 7 miles on her. BOTT stands for Bug Out Tactical Truck and I just completed Phase I of my build.

I started with Bilstein 5100's adjusted for 1.75 inch up front and installed 265/75 BFG A/T KO's on the stock 16x7 wheels.

I then installed BudBuilt skid plates up front, all three of them to protect the vitals up front.

After that I worked with CBI Off-road to design and build a custom front bumper with skid plates and their rear Trailrider 2.0 swing door bumper to also carry my spare.

I then added Hella 550 driving lights as backups to the stockers and a shovel and ax on the rear bumper as well as a K&N filter for the factory paper one.

So far so good and much better than stock!

 

[oxi]

Ideas for Phase II next year include:

Safari snorkle
Roof basket
Foilage wires
Dual battery system
Custom chuck wagon as I call it. That is a tan canvass cover for the bed raised to the height of the roof basket like MTVR's and other military trucks have to protect the gear in the rear. I am working on designs this fall and winter.

 

[oxi]

My background is quite diverse. The truck that started it all was my 86 4x4:

Which I later raced it down in Baja:

Sold it and bought a 2wd to fix up:

Sold that when the new 2005's came out and bought the X-Runner, that I raced on the parking lot and Road America:

And I did not forget my roots and ran a rallycross event:

Sold that for my next project pickup, the BOTT. So I have been fooling around with Toyota pickups for quite sometime. Even been on a few icon off-road teams like the PPI-Toyota team:

And later Rod Millen's Tundra team:

I am excited to join this forum of highly experianced drivers and hope I can be of help too! I look forward to your input on my BOTT project!

 

[oxi]

The strategic aim of the BOTT is the ability to bug out any time and in any weather conditions. Bugging out can be from man-made situations like society collapse, anarchy, chaos, hazardous chemical spills or natural from severe weather, earthquakes, fires or even CME's and solar storms or basically the power shuts off and will not come back on for more than 6 months or so.

I plan for a greater than 95% ready rate and always have my BOTT ready like a fireman's truck. I actually do severe weather spotting for the National Weather Service in my area so I am used to being mobile in severe weather, especially at night traveling the back roads to report in. I have encountered large trees and branches on the roads, flash floods and high winds and the BOTT has to be built for extreme weather conditions as well as winter conditions and snow drifts.

So the strategic aim is not only the ability to travel through most conditions but to do that and still carry weight in the bed. And not just some gear for a trail ride or camping trip as with a tactical situation but strategic survival gear. The top 3 items the U.S. military carries into battle are: water, food and fuel in that order then comes the ammo, hygiene and other stuff.

I work for a major meduim and heavy tactical truck maker for the U.S. Army and U.S. Marines and especially with Marine trucks, they not only have to perform off-road, they have to do that and carry heavy payloads. I am a Marine veteran myself.

So naturally the Tacoma fits the bill. Not to small like a Jeep type where they run great off-road but lack payload and cargo capacity yet not too big like a full-size where their weight means additional ground clearance will be needed to not sink as much, etc... and they need big engines to get them moving.

The goal is to bug out with solid intelligence and avoid FEMA camps, Homeland Security installations, etc... basically the hand-me-out camps. I would rather find my own route and survive on my own rather than wait for the feds to help me.

Tactically speaking, the BOTT will be one bad-***** off-roader when done, fit for local trail rides and some cross-country adventures realizing it can still fullfill its strategic mission profile.

More to come...

 

[TangoBlue]

Very interesting build plan. Truck looks good! I'll be keeping an eye on your thread and I'm not affiliated with any government intelligence, law enforcement, or surveillance agency.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I'm not affiliated with any government intelligence, law enforcement, or surveillance agency.

Which is exactly what you would say if you were affiliated with such an agency! :victory:

 

[ryguy]

Which is exactly what you would say if you were affiliated with such an agency! :victory:

Maybe thats what he wants you to think

 

[Overland Hadley]

Welcome to ExPo. Sounds like an interesting build.

 

[flyingwil]

Welcome, I look forward to watching your truck grow.

As for your up next list,
Safari snorkle - Cool
Roof basket - What are you thinking custom or aftermarket?
Foilage wires - I initially assumed you would mount it to the rack and bumper, but looks like your bumper will not work for this, How are you planning?
Dual battery system - There is two great kits out there, IBS and the National Luna. We have had great luck with the IBS.
Custom chuck wagon as I call it. - Cool... Why not go with ones already on the market, like Can-Back or softopper?

 

[oxi]

Welcome, I look forward to watching your truck grow.

As for your up next list,
Safari snorkle - Cool
Roof basket - What are you thinking custom or aftermarket?
Foilage wires - I initially assumed you would mount it to the rack and bumper, but looks like your bumper will not work for this, How are you planning?
Dual battery system - There is two great kits out there, IBS and the National Luna. We have had great luck with the IBS.
Custom chuck wagon as I call it. - Cool... Why not go with ones already on the market, like Can-Back or softopper?

An aftermarket would be ideal, is their anything for a AC Tacoma?

I will find a way for the foilage wire. The roof basket will be the easy one and I can rig something for the front and maybe use it to mount spotter mirrors up there likewise.

The issue with current market ones is their height. I want mine to raise to the level of the roof basket, maybe slightly higher and all they offer are cab level covers. That is what is motivating myself to design my own system like the military does with their tactical trucks.

Some are hardened side walls with soft tops like these MTVR's:

I have also seen solid canvass covers for HEMTT's, typically the M977 and M985 cargo bodies where they drop in rounded tubes into the bed floor to provide support for the heavy canvass on top and tie it all down and then you have a fully enclosed bed.

Their are many military examples of canvass covers that have worked on the battlefield. Yes it is easy to buy one from Can-Back but I am looking for one taller than the cab and frames that can handle hurricane force winds.

 

[oxi]

Here is a vintage example:

Here is a Russian version:

Or better yet this Nissan platform:

 

[oxi]

Welcome, I look forward to watching your truck grow.

As for your up next list,
Safari snorkle - Cool
Roof basket - What are you thinking custom or aftermarket?
Foilage wires - I initially assumed you would mount it to the rack and bumper, but looks like your bumper will not work for this, How are you planning?
Dual battery system - There is two great kits out there, IBS and the National Luna. We have had great luck with the IBS.
Custom chuck wagon as I call it. - Cool... Why not go with ones already on the market, like Can-Back or softopper?

Here are some great examples from GM Defense:

Low profile cattle guard side supports:

And this Unimog is another great example in larger form paying attention to the tie down method:

 

[TangoBlue]

You cited some desired characteristics of your canvas bed topper. I have the CanBack and it meeds my goals; so does Will.

You don't need to get a CanBack top and I don't thinks its even made for your gen Tacoma but the framework is pretty darn rugged and could serve as a template for your design. It appears you have some colleagues in the defense industry that can help you with that.

Your high top is interesting but I supect even behind a rack it will experience buffeting at speed which is always the bane of soft tops on tactical vehicles, especially CUCVs.

But your goal of a canvas top that withstands hurricane force winds is unrealistic. As a former Motor-Maint Officer those tops don't have the durability for damaging weather. In Okinawa, approaching cyclones gave cause for an island-wide removal of all those tops and storage in the warehouse until the "all-clear" was given. Otherwise they'd just be flotsam in the South China Sea.

Also, I have the IBS dual battery system and really like it so far.

 

[Hunter'06FLKY]

hey man, i am really liking your front bumper. is that something that cbi would be willing to do for someone else if they so desired? i have a 2.7 also and want to avoid the immense weight of the arb's and other similar bumpers.

 

[oxi]

hey man, i am really liking your front bumper. is that something that cbi would be willing to do for someone else if they so desired? i have a 2.7 also and want to avoid the immense weight of the arb's and other similar bumpers.

Yes, they should but I cannot speak for them. I am hoping they have some specs. from what I wanted on the bumper they made. Just contact them and they could help.