aloha expo!...my name is tom and i live in the mountains behind santa barbara, ca with my girlfriend and two dogs...we are saying goodbye to our beloved '86 vw westy and saying hello to an '08 dbl-cab tacoma with the new four-wheel-camper "finch" in the bed!...we're no rock-crawlers but want a more-than-capable expedition-friendly rig to carry us to those glorious remote wilderness sanctuarys that this stretch of continent is full of!...i've been immersed in the portal for the last few weeks since i came upon it, and am so impressed, not only by the experience and knowledge in this community, but by the generosity and good spirit in which it is shared.....much appreciation and thanks to all who have put their energy in the mix!...
a special thank-you to the following for all the education, good vibes, and vehicular inspiration (hope you're listening): expeditionswest, bajataco, tacodoc, kcowyo, mark & brooke stephens, overlandhadley, flyingwil, schattenjager, willman, asteffes, archaeotaco, streakerfreak, cell4soul, tacozona, maxama10...you folks have been my community within the community....very happy to be at last conversing and not just eavesdropping!
so let's kick it off with a smoldering inquiry regarding suspension!: we're going with dr coilovers up front with an arb bull-bar and bfg 265/75/16 at's (a modest lift to support the new load, a conservative tire-size for highway friendliness and because i don't want to stress the cv shafts, drop the diff, or re-gear)...going with a fresh deaver pack in the rear (talking with them on the phone today about a 12-leaf)...all geared up with camper and dogs and fuel and h20 and we're up in the 1500lb payload neighborhood...tacoma can handle this, yes? (going to go for the rear frame re-inforcement too)...problem lies when i want to leave the camper at home and just cruise around town with the snugtop & lumber-rack weighing in at 250lbs....will the 12-pack be stupidly stiff then?...will i sacrifice too much articulation when off-road w/out the fwc?...perhaps a lighter spring-pack with air bags?...but aren't airbags prone to wiggle and break?...where is the happy balance my friends!?....great to be onboard!...and still figuring out this posting thing so please forgive any rough edges...cheers
a special thank-you to the following for all the education, good vibes, and vehicular inspiration (hope you're listening): expeditionswest, bajataco, tacodoc, kcowyo, mark & brooke stephens, overlandhadley, flyingwil, schattenjager, willman, asteffes, archaeotaco, streakerfreak, cell4soul, tacozona, maxama10...you folks have been my community within the community....very happy to be at last conversing and not just eavesdropping!
so let's kick it off with a smoldering inquiry regarding suspension!: we're going with dr coilovers up front with an arb bull-bar and bfg 265/75/16 at's (a modest lift to support the new load, a conservative tire-size for highway friendliness and because i don't want to stress the cv shafts, drop the diff, or re-gear)...going with a fresh deaver pack in the rear (talking with them on the phone today about a 12-leaf)...all geared up with camper and dogs and fuel and h20 and we're up in the 1500lb payload neighborhood...tacoma can handle this, yes? (going to go for the rear frame re-inforcement too)...problem lies when i want to leave the camper at home and just cruise around town with the snugtop & lumber-rack weighing in at 250lbs....will the 12-pack be stupidly stiff then?...will i sacrifice too much articulation when off-road w/out the fwc?...perhaps a lighter spring-pack with air bags?...but aren't airbags prone to wiggle and break?...where is the happy balance my friends!?....great to be onboard!...and still figuring out this posting thing so please forgive any rough edges...cheers