Must Do Tacoma Expedition Upgrades?

[Saharicon]

Hey everyone! I picked up a new 2014 Tacoma DC OR about a month ago for the purpose of overland travel. Truck is currently completely stock.

So far we have had it on the Eastern Shore of Delaware and Maryland, on the forest roads of Pennsylvania, and now it just got done with a cross country trip to California from PA. We will be exploring the Sierras and the SoCal desert a lot over the next 6 months.

My question is what are the Have to haves, the need to have, and the would be nice?

I already ordered a RotoPax fuel can/bed rail mount, should be here today. What are some other safety, recovery, upgrades the Tacoma should get for being out in the South Western United States? Is the stock bottle jack sufficient out in the desert? Will the batteries deal with the conditions out here ok?

I would like to keep this a running list for other aspiring overlanders. :smiley_drive:

Must Have Newbie Tacoma Expedition Equipment:
Extra Fuel - Something like RotoPax
Recovery strap
Shovel
Rear diff breather mod
Full Size Spare
Tire Repair Kit
Air Source - On board air or Power tank

 

[bknudtsen]

Must have: Reroute the rear differential breather up and into the rear bed compartment. This guy routed it to the fuel fuller compartment, but most others put it in the bed compartment. http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/15686-diff-breather-mod-dummies-pics.html

 

[SWITAWI]

A friend with a 2012 Tacoma DC Long Bed got all of these...
Softopper - http://www.softopper.com/

Steel Bed Lockbox and Tailgate Anti-Theft protector from Tuffy Security Products
https://www.tuffyproducts.com/p-235-toyota-tacoma-bed-security-lockbox.aspx

https://www.tuffyproducts.com/p-242-truck-tail-gate-protector.aspx

BedRug - http://www.bedrug.com/

TruckBedz - http://www.truck-bedz.com/automakers/toyota/tacoma.html

I guess the beauty of his choices are that the BedRug and the Tuffy items are the only things in the truck on a daily basis. The BedRug being much less slippery than the bed itself doesn't let loads slide around and the lock box carries jumper cables and revovery gear. The Softopper hangs on his garage wall with the air mattress in it's storage bag on a shelf nearby when they are not being used. Sometimes we go down to the beach and he just uses his truck bed as his tent. Might seem silly to some, but he's got a hitch-mounted cargo carrier he uses sometimes. Calls it his 'porch', and he's able to get up off the ground to clean off his feet before crawling into bed. When he's got even more stuff in the bed he has the option of taking his ground tent and using the air mattress in it.

 

[libarata]

Sounds like your setup already works. I LOVE soft toppers, especially the ones that can roll the sides up. Your basic recovery gear(straps, blocks, hi-lift for winch, 2x4s with bolts for studs, shovel, and extra parts) would be perfectly fine.

 

[Saharicon]

Thanks for the input guys!

bknud: great input, I had this in my head and completely forgot about it!

SWIT: still trying to decide if I want to do a Softtopper. I got to get me and the wife in there with the tail gate up and see if we could comfortable sleep. If not, think we will go the PackRack RTT route. Regardless Softtoppers look pretty awesome to me.

Steel box good for security regardless.


What spare parts do you guys recommend on the Tacos? Normal failures? I come from Jeeps and BMW racing. Not real familiar with Toyotas except that they last forever I am told haha.





Sent from my fancy city machine.

 

[Flagster]

at tires and a camper shell...the rest is all hype

 

[libarata]

Oh, and make sure you are not subject to one of those recalls. Would you be opposed to a bed camper?

 

[Saharicon]

Oh, and make sure you are not subject to one of those recalls. Would you be opposed to a bed camper?

Where can I find the Toyota TSBs and recalls?

I go back and fourth on bed campers. I don't like that they take up the bed leaving it useless for anything else. However I do like the amount of space you have in the camper. First world problems, right?

I really want a Moby1 XTR, but I also keep hoping my money tree starts sprouting as well.


Sent from my fancy city machine.

 

[libarata]

Where can I find the Toyota TSBs and recalls?

I go back and fourth on bed campers. I don't like that they take up the bed leaving it useless for anything else. However I do like the amount of space you have in the camper. First world problems, right?

I really want a Moby1 XTR, but I also keep hoping my money tree starts sprouting as well.


Sent from my fancy city machine.

I think this will do for recalls, http://www.toyota.com/recall.

For long distancing on roads, and green lanes, I love campers. Though, for smaller trucks, they are a pain to find. Wht were your sleeping arraignments on your other trips?

 

[Saharicon]

I think this will do for recalls, http://www.toyota.com/recall.

For long distancing on roads, and green lanes, I love campers. Though, for smaller trucks, they are a pain to find. Wht were your sleeping arraignments on your other trips?

Hey libarata. Most of the other trips we used a tent and slept on the ground, cross country trip was in hotels, but now we are going to be in SoCal for 6 months exploring around and want to build the truck up to be a self sustaining unit. We have only had the truck about an month and have done about 6000 miles and plan to do much more now.

 

[libarata]

I just saw this, but "Is the stock bottle jack sufficient out in the desert?" but probably not. When I took my Frontier out in the desert while stations in San Diego, I borrowed a friends hi-lift, and took 2x4x8 sections of oak with bolts drilled into em for makeshift(and very functional) maxtraxs, out with me. I also used them for platforms for the hi-lift.
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It is good you are using a truck like it should be used!
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Not sure if this will fit your bed or not. But you could fab a RTT platform on that sucker, while leaving the bed wide open.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/132870-Custom-nissan-frontier-Tacoma-bedrack

 

[Plannerman]

I suggest rock sliders. They have saved me a few times after making a wrong turn and being in difficult terrain. Also, they provide a jacking point. They aren't too heavy or expensive

 

[libarata]

I suggest rock sliders. They have saved me a few times after making a wrong turn and being in difficult terrain. Also, they provide a jacking point. They aren't too heavy or expensive

Seconded. I forgot about those, as I avoid rocks now. Do not forget your obligatory tire patching kit, and air tank!

 

[Saharicon]

I just saw this, but "Is the stock bottle jack sufficient out in the desert?" but probably not. When I took my Frontier out in the desert while stations in San Diego, I borrowed a friends hi-lift, and took 2x4x8 sections of oak with bolts drilled into em for makeshift(and very functional) maxtraxs, out with me. I also used them for platforms for the hi-lift.
-
It is good you are using a truck like it should be used!
-
Not sure if this will fit your bed or not. But you could fab a RTT platform on that sucker, while leaving the bed wide open.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/132870-Custom-nissan-frontier-Tacoma-bedrack

Yea think I am going to go the PackRack route from AllPro with an RTT and wait until I can afford the Moby1 XTR. Went and laid in the bed on my lunch break and although doable, it would get old doing that under a Soft top.

Do you have any more insight on how you lift your truck with the High Lift? I've used High Lifts in my jeep days, but never really trusted them as a real jack. Very unstable and unsafe in my opinion.

 

[SWITAWI]

With the Lift Mate or Bumper Lift accessory pieces from Hi-Lift you can lift from the wheel until you can put a jack stand (or safe alternative) underneath the axle to change a tire.

http://www.hi-lift.com/accessories/

Just kidding with that last picture...