Price: $26,500 (depending on included gear)
Location: Michigan
Folks, it's time to let this great truck go. I'll try to keep story time to a minimum.
This is a 6-speed 2012 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport (ACLB) in Magnetic Grey Metallic with towing package and just under 60,000 miles. It was purchased used after a lease return in 2015 with 9k miles. The rest of the mileage is mine, primarily highway miles interleaved with a few trail runs in between.
My goal with this truck was to have a relatively simple, decent mileage 4x4 with self-contained camping in comfort without sacrificing too much capability while neither overbuilding it nor making it difficult to repair on or off the road. It's without a doubt the best all-around 4x4 camper I've owned.
This truck is highly modified (or relative to local standards, "lightly modified") primarily with bolt-on or clip-in parts.
The most obvious modification is the addition of an AT Tacoma Habitat, the single-best upgrade I've ever done to a truck. Part of the original run of 8 units, I took delivery of this over a year ago and have put well over 45 nights in it. I've made some minor modifications, including riv-nut-mounted railings and MOLLE panels on the interior for gear stowage, as well as aluminum airline track along the passenger side bed floor, to which I have currently mounted a Truckfridge-brand refrigerator, storage, and Goal Zero that have zero play while in motion when strapped down. (There is also a fair amount of glue residue on the driver's side interior wall from a misguided wood veneer install, which is removed now; it's unsightly but inconsequential.)
There is also a full Bed Rug installed inside, which makes for a nice, washable surface when living in the deployed interior. Additionally, by leaving the driver's side area of the bed free, it is possible for a single person to boondock completely inside the enclosed camper shell in sketchier areas.
Armor includes an ARB front bumper, Mobtown Offroad bolt-on sliders, and RCI steel skids from the front to the center diff as well as a rear diff protector and A-armor.
Aftermarket lighting includes ARB knock-off floods on the bumper, Cali Raised dust lights in amber, as well as wired-up fogs and turn signals on the ARB and a Warn M8000 steel-line winch, all controlled through a Switch-Pros electronic switching system that is wired in the interior overhead console.
Additional interior tweaks include an A-pillar-mounted RAM x-mount for phones, a Pioneer AVIC 4300 head unit (w/Carplay and Android Auto), an upgraded speaker system including an underseat subwoofer. (Also Pioneer.) Front seats have been covered since I owned them with neoprene covers in black-and-brown, which don't exactly match the otherwise grey interior but which I still enjoy. An additional rear backup camera is wired from the rear license plate for always-on rear-view through the head unit while driving around town.
The truck is lifted with ARB Old Man Emu 90021 shocks with 996x coils, as well as a Wheel's Add-a-Leaf in the rear pack. UCAs are Light Racing. Wheeler's bump stops replace front stockers.
Wheels are the familiar Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro 17s with 255 Cooper ST Maxx with roughly 20k miles on them.
At 70MPH, the truck gets roughly 15-16MPG on the highway. (I've gotten 17-18MPG before, but in mixed mountain use, I usually see 15-16MPG.) The acceleration around town is sufficient (the manual transmission helps) but nothing to write home about.
Paint and body condition is probably somewhere in the "good" zone. It still looks sharp from almost any normal distance and has always had a good coat of wax on it, but it was also used, so pin striping from trees and small dents are here and there on the body. (I have spent ~$500 on paintless dent repair here and there, but to be honest I consider trying to keep it pristine to be an exercise in futility and a discouragement to using a 4x4 properly.) I have spent a few hundred dollars purchasing rust-proof frame treatments in an abundance of caution, including a recent wheel-and-sandpaper extravaganza to remove surface rust from the frame and diff. (Supposedly the steel issues from the early 2nd gens are not an issue for a 2012, but I didn't want to be the guinea pig, so I surprised my neighbors with a three-day paint job in our shared driveway.)
Oil changes have happened at 4-6k intervals (depending on intervals between trips). Spark plugs were changed at 45k miles. Zerks have been greased regularly, I've never had any issues with wobbling or axle wrap. This has been an incredibly reliable vehicle, which stands to reason, as it's relatively new. (I guess I'm just not used to newer vehicles.)
The rear 7-pin trailer harness is currently cracked and needs to be replaced. (I have a new plastic housing.) A signal wire for the Switch-Pro worked itself loose and is currently secured with tape, but I also have a new molex connector from Switch-Pro.)
This is an ideal vehicle for 1-2 people who want to get out into the woods or desert while still getting around town or down the highway without issue. It's a great vehicle for anyone who wants a do-it-all, but isn't trying to buy something so finicky or overbuilt that they'd be afraid to break it. We are currently putting the truck on the market as we have a commissioned build coming up for an OEM in a similar vein, and I am loathe to ever let a vehicle sit underused. We will almost certainly get in a couple more trips with it inside Michigan before we sell it, especially with hunting season around the corner.
Last edited:
