Building an expedition-worthy 06 Tacoma

[ArchaeoTaco]

I've been lurking for the past few months and finally decided to ask for some help in building up my DC 06 Tacoma for expedition use. I thought I'd post here after reading through some of the modification threads that make me green with envy :drool:

Wheeling and camping are a must, but I also need my truck for archaeological expeditions. I'm an archaeologist living in Colorado and often need to access remote mountain terrain for surveys and excavations. I finally broke down and bought a Tacoma off-road package, and now I need to start modifying it.

Here are my priorities:

1. Storage space for crew and tools. I usually drive between 2-5 people into the survey area, and bring tools like trowels, shovels, rebars. The double cab takes care of the people, so I need a waterproof area for tools. I was thinking about a camper shell, but I'm leaning towards a simple OEM storage box instead. There's not enough room in the 5' bed for camping anyway.

2. Ability to set up and break down camp quickly. I've got a backpacking tent, but I need something quicker and roomier. I'm thinking a rooftop tent is in order.

3. A rack system to put the rooftop tent, extra gear, and recreational stuff like bikes, snowboards, etc. TacoDoc's rack system is friggin' sweet, and I'm leaning heavily towards something like this.

4. A good navigation system is a must. I've got handheld equipment for the field, but I need something mounted on the dash for re-evaluating sites with recorded UTM's.

5. Offroading essentials toolkit: high lift jack, ladders, etc.

I need all of the above by the spring when the snowmelt means I'm back in the field instead of the office writing up reports.

Later down the road, I'm considering:

6. More protection: rock sliders, front and rear bumpers

7. Winch

8. Better wheels, tires, suspension

9. Everything else necessary to join you guys on expeditions.


The only modification I've made so far is a Yakima roof rack (salvaged from my previous ride). Here it is, in its current state of tabula rasa:

 

[BajaTaco]

Welcome to ExPo!

This is so cool... we now have a resident archaeologist here :jumping:

I love the truck and it sounds like you have some solid ideas. Unfortunately, I am pressed for time at the moment, but I will come back to visit the thread. I'm sure you will get some great feedback from other members too.

 

[ArchaeoTaco]

Thanks for the warm welcome BT! I've frequented your website a ton, and it will be a valuable resource in the months to come.

I'm hoping to make this one better than my previous ride:

:26_16_2:

 

[Ursidae69]

Here are my priorities:

1. Storage space for crew and tools. I usually drive between 2-5 people into the survey area, and bring tools like trowels, shovels, rebars. The double cab takes care of the people, so I need a waterproof area for tools. I was thinking about a camper shell, but I'm leaning towards a simple OEM storage box instead. There's not enough room in the 5' bed for camping anyway.

I am good friends with several archaeologists and sometimes go in the field with them, and gosh, you guys need a lot of stuff! :sombrero:

Seriously though, the setup Tacodoc has is really coming together nicely for your style truck and would work great for what you do.

Nice looking truck and welcome to ExPo. :archaeolo

 

[jim65wagon]

First off, welcome to the club:clapsmile . Second, whatcha diggin' for? and do you take on inexperienced help in the summers? Third, ditch the tires now. The Rugged Trails are in no way rugged, how they came by that name I'll never know, but they will let you down.
1. Tires
2. Winch
3. Skidplates/sliders
Then the rack, tent, etc. Of, course I'm one to talk since I still don't have a decent skidplate or sliders or a winch, but they are coming (eventually).

BTW, love the ride.

 

[crawler#976]

Welcome to the site!

Sliders:

For an '05 at a great price: http://stubbswelding.com/rocksliders.htm

I had the opportunity to work with Richard on the first set of '05 sliders he built - I did the measuring and some of the design work for him. Ours are different than 99.9% of them on the road - I used 1/8" diamond plate to fill all the gaps between the bars...took a long time and a lot of wire, and I had to drive a 3/4T big block GMC truck on'm to straighten them after all the warping from adding the plating. My personal prefference is for the kickout style if you plan on heavy use - just that little bit can make the difference between crunching a bed side or not. The sliders below are the straight style, and since this pic was taken, I've relocated them 2" closer to the body. we origanally planned for them to be 2" off the furthest point from the door, but we found that was too far away for easy access.

Tire's:

265/75-16 (roughly a 10.5" wide x 32.4" tall tire) will clear in stock trim with no problems. If you change rims, they must have the same offset, or a lift and trimming will be required. Most tires offered in that size are much "tougher" than the stock BFG's. The stock tires are actually a P rated tire vs. an LT...

Lift:

I chose to go with the DeMello Stage 1 (Donahoe 2.5" coilovers with Deave add-a-leafs) for the time being. That netted roughly the two inches of lift needed to clear the GoodYear 265/75-16's MT/R's on MB Rocker's (see the paraghraph above about changing rims...)

Shell:

Can't call it a camper because it's only a couple feet short for a sleeping area... We got a Lear to add some dry, lockable storage space. The composite bed has a lot of areas that I haven't even tried to seal...so it's not completely dry.

Onboard Air:

I got a Viair 400P - the portable unit so it can used in muiltiple rigs. I even take it with me in the beater that has a 20Lb CO2 tank - it's "free" air vs. roughly a buck tire for the tank.

I also had the exhaust re-routed from under the t'case to a higher crossover - the way it should have come from the factory...see the pic below. the install included going to a 70 series FlowMaster - gotta have a nice mellow sounding muffler.

Easy mods on the new Taco include what we used to call the "grey wire" mod. It's a bit more involved than the method used on the early Tacos, but achieves the same results, being able to use the rear locker in 2x4, 4x4 hi, or 4low. It's very, very handy to be able to hit the button and have the rear locked to avoid wheel spin - saves tires and the trail...

http://www.tacomaterritory.com/forum/showpost.php?p=351014&postcount=92


Mark

 

[ArchaeoTaco]

I am good friends with several archaeologists and sometimes go in the field with them, and gosh, you guys need a lot of stuff! :sombrero:

Ha, archaeologists are packrats by nature

I agree about TacoDoc's ride - I've read through that entire thread about 10 times.

 

[ArchaeoTaco]

First off, welcome to the club:clapsmile . Second, whatcha diggin' for? and do you take on inexperienced help in the summers? Third, ditch the tires now. The Rugged Trails are in no way rugged, how they came by that name I'll never know, but they will let you down.
1. Tires
2. Winch
3. Skidplates/sliders
Then the rack, tent, etc. Of, course I'm one to talk since I still don't have a decent skidplate or sliders or a winch, but they are coming (eventually).

BTW, love the ride.

Thanks! I just finished a dig at a prehistoric site in the city of Westminster. Stone tools and bison bones - pretty cool stuff. But my vehicle will mostly be used to access remote lands in the mountains (usually BLM land) for surveys. And I'm usually looking for surveyors in the summer

I haven't heard anything good about the rugged trail tires. But do you think they will get me by for about 25,000 miles? My biggest concern is getting out of a trail after it starts raining and things get muddy. Any suggestions on making these tires work (ladders maybe)? Because buying a new set of tires would blow my budget for a rooftop tent. And that would mean back to cold tent poles and soggy floor tarps.

 

[ArchaeoTaco]

Welcome to the site!

Sliders:

For an '05 at a great price: http://stubbswelding.com/rocksliders.htm

I had the opportunity to work with Richard on the first set of '05 sliders he built - I did the measuring and some of the design work for him. Ours are different than 99.9% of them on the road - I used 1/8" diamond plate to fill all the gaps between the bars...took a long time and a lot of wire, and I had to drive a 3/4T big block GMC truck on'm to straighten them after all the warping from adding the plating. My personal prefference is for the kickout style if you plan on heavy use - just that little bit can make the difference between crunching a bed side or not. The sliders below are the straight style, and since this pic was taken, I've relocated them 2" closer to the body. we origanally planned for them to be 2" off the furthest point from the door, but we found that was too far away for easy access.

Tire's:

265/75-16 (roughly a 10.5" wide x 32.4" tall tire) will clear in stock trim with no problems. If you change rims, they must have the same offset, or a lift and trimming will be required. Most tires offered in that size are much "tougher" than the stock BFG's. The stock tires are actually a P rated tire vs. an LT...

Lift:

I chose to go with the DeMello Stage 1 (Donahoe 2.5" coilovers with Deave add-a-leafs) for the time being. That netted roughly the two inches of lift needed to clear the GoodYear 265/75-16's MT/R's on MB Rocker's (see the paraghraph above about changing rims...)

Shell:

Can't call it a camper because it's only a couple feet short for a sleeping area... We got a Lear to add some dry, lockable storage space. The composite bed has a lot of areas that I haven't even tried to seal...so it's not completely dry.

Onboard Air:

I got a Viair 400P - the portable unit so it can used in muiltiple rigs. I even take it with me in the beater that has a 20Lb CO2 tank - it's "free" air vs. roughly a buck tire for the tank.

I also had the exhaust re-routed from under the t'case to a higher crossover - the way it should have come from the factory...see the pic below. the install included going to a 70 series FlowMaster - gotta have a nice mellow sounding muffler.

Easy mods on the new Taco include what we used to call the "grey wire" mod. It's a bit more involved than the method used on the early Tacos, but achieves the same results, being able to use the rear locker in 2x4, 4x4 hi, or 4low. It's very, very handy to be able to hit the button and have the rear locked to avoid wheel spin - saves tires and the trail...

http://www.tacomaterritory.com/forum/showpost.php?p=351014&postcount=92


Mark

Awesome information! Those are some great prices on the sliders - I might have to move those up in my priority list.

And that mod for the rear locker is great. That might have to be my first modification.

 

[Ursidae69]

Thanks! I just finished a dig at a prehistoric site in the city of Westminster. Stone tools and bison bones - pretty cool stuff. But my vehicle will mostly be used to access remote lands in the mountains (usually BLM land) for surveys.

I haven't heard anything good about the rugged trail tires. But do you think they will get me by for about 25,000 miles? My biggest concern is getting out of a trail after it starts raining and things get muddy. Any suggestions on making these tires work (ladders maybe)? Because buying a new set of tires would blow my budget for a rooftop tent. And that would mean back to cold tent poles and soggy floor tarps.

You know, honestly, I was not impressed with the rugged trails at all. I used them once on a wet, snowy deer hunting trip and I was not happy. Of all the list of things to do, IMO, tires should rank pretty high. Good rubber and good driving will keep you out of most trouble that might require winches, recovery gear, sliders, skid plates, etc. I sold mine rugged trails in the ThriftyNickel for 250.00 after 5k miles to recoop some of my expense. If you do keep them for a while, just go easy on them and carry a tire puncture kit like this one. Don't forget the extra weight of your tools and mods will be a lot for those tires. Looking forward to hearing about your build.

 

[ArchaeoTaco]

You know, honestly, I was not impressed with the rugged trails at all. I used them once on a wet, snowy deer hunting trip and I was not happy. Of all the list of things to do, IMO, tires should rank pretty high. Good rubber and good driving will keep you out of most trouble that might require winches, recovery gear, sliders, skid plates, etc. I sold mine rugged trails in the ThriftyNickel for 250.00 after 5k miles to recoop some of my expense. If you do keep them for a while, just go easy on them and carry a tire puncture kit like this one. Don't forget the extra weight of your tools and mods will be a lot for those tires. Looking forward to hearing about your build.

Wow, I just checked out your website. Very nice! If I could sell my rugged trails for $250 and buy some Maxxis Bighorn MT's for only $525, it sounds like something I couldn't afford not to do.

So you think this one would be a good choice for my truck: LT265/75R16 D/8PR ?
http://www.maxxis.com/products/automotive/product_detail.asp?id=282

 

[devinsixtyseven]

Excellent! My old man's an archeologist, too.

It's hard to beat TacoDoc's setup, looking at your list.

How about a between the rails standard toolbox--aluminum or plastic--and a CanBack or similar on top? The toolbox will still be accessable, the CanBack is waterproof enough (I've been running one for about five years now, leak-free), and allows access to the entire bed from pretty much any angle. You used to be able to get the fabric separate from the frame, I don't know if that's possible at the moment...the frame is not intended to support much weight, but a clever guy could put a proper frame underneath and a tent on top, or DIY the entire thing if you have access to a sewing machine.

How self supporting and/or sleek do you want to run? Ever plan on taking bikes plus rooftop tent plus toolbox to a site? Bikes can fit under a standard cap if they're attached via the fork at bed level, you might need a bed extender or other means of holding the tailgate open if you plan on carrying bikes under a rack or cap in addition to the toolbox. I've seen quite a few mounts on top of toolboxes, but the handlebars sit over the cab, and you can't open the toolbox without moving the bikes. In my own truck (a Tundra, very similar bed size to an access cab 05+ Taco), I've found two bikes fit very well at the front of the bed, with a foot or two of space toward the tailgate and plenty of room for spare tires, tools and other things at the sides. Just a guess, but you might be able to fit a pair of bikes in the center, with a couple triangular toolboxes in the front corners (I forget who makes them...probably a few places), then set the bikes at an angle pointing toward the rear corners. Might even work with the tailgate up, and you'd have space in the rear center of the bed for more storage.

 

[ArchaeoTaco]

Hey Sean! (It's me, John) We keep missing each other on the slopes. I've had some killer rides over the past couple of weekends. We've got to meet up soon...

Great suggestions. I've wanted a Can-Back for several years now after seeing one on a sweet customized tacoma in college. I would get one in a heartbeat if my bed was long enough to sleep in. But I've pretty much ruled it out, since I could use a standard toolbox to protect the important stuff from the elements, and then create an expedition rack to hold up the rooftop tent, jerry cans, shovels, etc. A well-made one just seems sturdier to me than the canback frame. And a customized frame under the canback would be a lot more $$ in the long run.

I'd like to keep the above-the-roof portions pretty sleek. For a tent, I was thinking a Maggiolina because of its sleek design and fiberglass cover. They're some of the most expensive, though.

The Technitop is also appealing because of the hard shell, plus it's a fold-out, so it would save some space up top for other storage.

I haven't figured-out the bike situation yet. There is already a spot for the front forks in the front of the bed, but this will soon be covered with the toolbox. Another option is to put a fork attachment on top of the toolbox, so long as there is a gap in the expedition rack where the handlebars could fit. A third option is to put the bikes on top of the rooftop tent, if I got a Maggiolina:

Excellent! My old man's an archeologist, too.

It's hard to beat TacoDoc's setup, looking at your list.

How about a between the rails standard toolbox--aluminum or plastic--and a CanBack or similar on top? The toolbox will still be accessable, the CanBack is waterproof enough (I've been running one for about five years now, leak-free), and allows access to the entire bed from pretty much any angle. You used to be able to get the fabric separate from the frame, I don't know if that's possible at the moment...the frame is not intended to support much weight, but a clever guy could put a proper frame underneath and a tent on top, or DIY the entire thing if you have access to a sewing machine.

How self supporting and/or sleek do you want to run? Ever plan on taking bikes plus rooftop tent plus toolbox to a site? Bikes can fit under a standard cap if they're attached via the fork at bed level, you might need a bed extender or other means of holding the tailgate open if you plan on carrying bikes under a rack or cap in addition to the toolbox. I've seen quite a few mounts on top of toolboxes, but the handlebars sit over the cab, and you can't open the toolbox without moving the bikes. In my own truck (a Tundra, very similar bed size to an access cab 05+ Taco), I've found two bikes fit very well at the front of the bed, with a foot or two of space toward the tailgate and plenty of room for spare tires, tools and other things at the sides. Just a guess, but you might be able to fit a pair of bikes in the center, with a couple triangular toolboxes in the front corners (I forget who makes them...probably a few places), then set the bikes at an angle pointing toward the rear corners. Might even work with the tailgate up, and you'd have space in the rear center of the bed for more storage.

 

[Ursidae69]

Wow, I just checked out your website. Very nice! If I could sell my rugged trails for $250 and buy some Maxxis Bighorn MT's for only $525, it sounds like something I couldn't afford not to do.

So you think this one would be a good choice for my truck: LT265/75R16 D/8PR ?
http://www.maxxis.com/products/automotive/product_detail.asp?id=282

Thanks for the comments on my site. I got lucky with my price and Maxxis are hard to find. I'd check to see if you have any Maxxis dealers in your area and see what they are going for. They are sometimes on Ebay. I need to go measure my tread depth and see how fast mine are wearing.

 

[devinsixtyseven]

Hey Sean! (It's me, John) We keep missing each other on the slopes. I've had some killer rides over the past couple of weekends. We've got to meet up soon...

:beer::beer: How you doin'! I been so busy lately...and last weekend we went to Moab. We're going up Thursday to the Stone and Saturday to WP...call me if you want to come with either day.

I'm looking at the Technitop myself for the same reasons. The M is pretty expensive, but really nice.

Check out the "Locking Blockhead" mounts from...uh...I don't remember the manufacturer, but most places are willing to key them identical, so one key will open every lock, and you get two keys with each block. I have an extra sitting around, and three mounted on my own in-bed rack (not installed at the moment), if you want to check them out in person one of these days.

Your build is definately worth a chat with the crew at Offroad Solutions...they're great to work with and build some phenomenal products--303 278 6267. I asked them about some similar stuff the other day, they said sketch it out, bring it in and talk it over.

There's another option you could look at, I don't know if it would be as convenient tho. You could put the rooftop tent right over the bed like the ExPo Frontier build, with a pivot at the front so you can raise it on a pair of gas assist pistons like a tonneau cover. Knowing all the stuff my dad throws in his bed, I don't know if it would work, but it would be easier to get at the bikes. A copy of AutoCAD, Solidworks or BendTech might help you lay things out, and it sounds goofy but cardboard tubes of the sort wrapping paper comes in, or PVC pipe, is a cheap & easy way to lay it out on the truck.

I had no idea there was anything interesting in Westminster...you'll have to tell me over a beer sometime, I'm sure my dad would think it's cool as well. He's been working Alaskan archeology for the last 30-some years, my parents used to bring my sister and I on digs when we were kids.