Saguache's High Country Taco Build
- Thread starter Saguache
- Start date
I too have an A.R.E. MX shell (on my 2nd Gen taco). Did you get the factory reinforced roof or the standard variety? Just wondering...
deadbeat son
Explorer
Coming along nicely! :26_7_2:
njtacoma
Explorer
Saw you this morning on Highway 93 in front of the cement plant about 8:40am (Wednesday, April 24, 2013 (for when this is an old post)).
Truck looked good. Caught my eye as you came over the hill watched you go buy and my brain realized I had seen that truck somewhere!
You didn't miss another cool expo truck I was in my commuter civic.
Truck looked good. Caught my eye as you came over the hill watched you go buy and my brain realized I had seen that truck somewhere!
You didn't miss another cool expo truck I was in my commuter civic.
Saguache
Adventurer
Sweet Neil, you might have seen me on my way back to Boulder from finishing up the lift. I drove right through town and up Left Hand. The amount of clearance I have after visiting Slee is just sick.
Side hilling in the snow up Left Hand Canyon (also the Snorkel is in!)
Front Adjustable A-Arms and OME Coil-Overs
Heavy-Duty OME Nitro in the Back with Extra Spring Installed
Saguache
Adventurer
Thanks again Neil, your comments really made my day. I was hoping to have some show and tell time with a friend when I left the shop. He was busy and so I had to go appreciate my truck all alone, bit of a bummer. Good to know there are people out there who like it along with me.:friday:
deadbeat son
Explorer
Lift looks great! Which control arms are those?
Saguache
Adventurer
The ride doesn't feel any stiffer than stock in my opinion and the ability to take extra weight (e.g. gear and supplies in my case) has proven very valuable. Honestly, I'm not certain why anyone would go with the regular tension version of the kit. Maybe its just the way I drive.
Saguache
Adventurer
Haven't really tried any of the others although I've seen a couple of them up close. Honestly, when I started on this build I was going to get an AT Flippac. Two things changed my mind here.
First, I already owned the MGT and had used it successfully in some very adverse conditions (southern Idaho, winter, -40º F, 60 MPH gusting winds ... with the winter hood on I was warm and cozy even though it was a lot like trying to sleep in small boat in big seas).
Second, the turn around on the AT Flippac was estimated at around 20 weeks. Given that time frame I would have gotten the replacement shell after summer which was just too long to wait.
I've seen a couple of ATs around town and they sure are nice, but I can't say that I'd decided to do it differently. The MGT is an awesome product and I'm very happy with it.
Saguache
Adventurer
Next Steps
I thought I had some of this worked out, but now that I start to examine my options I'm really starting to feel the option paralysis.
Ootek has really shaped up since my last couple of posts in the spring. So far I've crossed and re-crossed a number of high country 4x4 passes here in Colorado and can I just say its easy. Almost too easy. If you build the vehicle you can relax a lot more than if you're using a stock or not-for-purpose vehicle.
Right now the biggest outstanding project I want to take care of is getting a roof rack mounted over the cab. Followed close second by mounting a bike rack off the rear. Here's the deal.
Roof Rack: Toyota did not, in its infinite wisdom, see fit to include a roof rail system on the Gen 1 double cabs. This makes me cry when I think about it, and I'm the kind of guy that could eat a puppy sandwich with a smile. It really limits your options as far as what you can put up there. It appears the easy route is to get a matched set of Yakima Q stands and then clamp them down on the inside of the doors.
I want to get something mounted there as soon as I can afford it, even though I have the truck bed I'd much rather get some of the routine gear I take on trips up top and out of the dog hair palace. Suggestions? I'm browsing your past posts looking for additional options, after-market roof rail mounts.
Bike Rack: Fiamma makes a bike rack system that bolts to the rear hatch of a VW vanagon. Its pretty cool, and while its not quite what I want, its pretty close. The idea would be to find something similar, but still be able to open the hatch door on the back of my ARE MX topper. I think this means that I need to orient the bikes vertically on the left and right side of the door.
Ideas? The standard bike mount kits don't cut it.
I thought I had some of this worked out, but now that I start to examine my options I'm really starting to feel the option paralysis.
Ootek has really shaped up since my last couple of posts in the spring. So far I've crossed and re-crossed a number of high country 4x4 passes here in Colorado and can I just say its easy. Almost too easy. If you build the vehicle you can relax a lot more than if you're using a stock or not-for-purpose vehicle.
Right now the biggest outstanding project I want to take care of is getting a roof rack mounted over the cab. Followed close second by mounting a bike rack off the rear. Here's the deal.
Roof Rack: Toyota did not, in its infinite wisdom, see fit to include a roof rail system on the Gen 1 double cabs. This makes me cry when I think about it, and I'm the kind of guy that could eat a puppy sandwich with a smile. It really limits your options as far as what you can put up there. It appears the easy route is to get a matched set of Yakima Q stands and then clamp them down on the inside of the doors.
I want to get something mounted there as soon as I can afford it, even though I have the truck bed I'd much rather get some of the routine gear I take on trips up top and out of the dog hair palace. Suggestions? I'm browsing your past posts looking for additional options, after-market roof rail mounts.
Bike Rack: Fiamma makes a bike rack system that bolts to the rear hatch of a VW vanagon. Its pretty cool, and while its not quite what I want, its pretty close. The idea would be to find something similar, but still be able to open the hatch door on the back of my ARE MX topper. I think this means that I need to orient the bikes vertically on the left and right side of the door.
Ideas? The standard bike mount kits don't cut it.
Saguache
Adventurer
Ok rack suggestions aren't forthcoming. This is okay, I've made a decision about how I'm going to proceed. I ordered two 20 L NATO steel Jerry cans today, pretty excited about these and I'm looking at options for side wall mounting them behind the rear wheel wells or up along the topper.:ylsmoke: