What would you do to a Tacoma with 5k?

[Franco]

Well said brianjwilson!

Celerrime, start with taking care of any mechanical issues and getting her up to par as far as maintenance goes. Then some good tires, change the wheels if you want, put a decent recovery kit together, and get out there!

If you need anything else, you'll figure it out as you go. Think about wether you want to sleep in the bed with a topper, or tent, while you're out there. Everybody has different preferences.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

His 5k budget wouldn't even cover the first "cab off" engine repair on that Ford. And I guarantee its been off or will be at least once in its life. I say that half jokingly/half serious because I wanted one of those f-450's but have heard way too many horror stories.

Trade it in on a real truck? Something like this...

[/URL][/IMG]


Owww, that's bad! Couldn't help it though.


A top for the back. I was going to go with a hard side but around here finding one used was like finding Bigfoot,

[/URL][/IMG]

and new ones are apparently made out of gold pressed latinum (points for correctly identifying that) so I went with a softopper and liking it already. It's nice to have someplace to keep extra gear dry.

If it were me, I'd make sure general maintenance was up to code, grab some decent dual purpose rubber, spray bomb the rims if the accent color bugs you, lunchbox locker in the back because it's dead simple to install in your driveway, basic recovery gear, and hit the road/trail. You'll be surprised how far your basic truck will take you with some minimal additions. Personally I'm not even all that big on "armor", preferring to drive my way through or around rather than drag my belly all over the place. When did it become "armor" btw? Back in the day we just called them skid plates, and after 30 odd yrs of wheeling left coast to right coast, never needed more than what the factory gave me.

Point being, you can "upgrade" your junk to death, and in the end find 90% you never really needed, but it looks cool in the sig line.

 

[ico135]

My opinion of order of importance is.

1: Reliability - Fix any issues with truck, replace any wear items that need it(e.g. brakes, roters, etc.) , replace all fluids(oil,transmission, differential, etc), new quality tires, breather extensions to name a few.

2: Recovery - Recovery points, straps, winch, max trax, hilift or air jack, etc, etc.

3: Then a distant third Performance. Suspension, lockers, etc.


Then of course there are items that don't fit any of those that are mixed in there at random intervals like good floor mats, seat covers and communication. PTT phones are a good option to consider depending on situation.

There are situations that make it hard to follow this order of importance depending on what your overall goal. Example being with tires, size could cause need to jump to lift. Another prime exampe would be bumper/winch combo could lead to need to jump to suspension.

But this is pretty much the approach i am currently taking with my rig.

 

[ExploreNorthernBC]

I moderate lift (2-3 inches) and take a close look at the tires (are they good?).

Go slow and try different things out. I went with a Softopper on my Taco (2013 DCSB) and love the versatility. It's also cheaper than a hard top. That said, some guys love a hard top... do some research and figure out what you like. You will want some method, soft top, hard top or tonneau cover to keep things in the back dry and safe while travelling. Beyond that, take your time and figure it out. Tacomaworld has a ton of good info specific to Tacomas.

 

[tgreening]

His 5k budget wouldn't even cover the first "cab off" engine repair on that Ford. And I guarantee its been off or will be at least once in its life. I say that half jokingly/half serious because I wanted one of those f-450's but have heard way too many horror stories.

Quick response and then I'll leave the poor guys thread alone....

They aren't for the faint of heart (wallet) but if you need to tow and tow big, on a regular basis, it's hard to beat. The cab off thing, people make too much of an issue about that. It's designed to happen and a properly equipped shop, which is just about any shop with hand tools and a modern lift, can have the cab off sub 2 hours. It doesn't add much to the bill, relatively speaking.

 

[Clutch]

His 5k budget wouldn't even cover the first "cab off" engine repair on that Ford. And I guarantee its been off or will be at least once in its life. I say that half jokingly/half serious because I wanted one of those f-450's but have heard way too many horror stories.

Quick response and then I'll leave the poor guys thread alone....

They aren't for the faint of heart (wallet) but if you need to tow and tow big, on a regular basis, it's hard to beat.

Think I rather have a Fuso...

 

[cdthiker]

If..... I looked at your picture right. You have wildcountry XTX's on your rig.
They are one of the most underrated and high preforming tires out there. Rated as a true snow tire they are awesome in the winter and do decent everywhere else. They are made of a softer rubber so they wont last as long but if they are what I think they are and they have decent tread depth I say run them. You are not going to get a better tire with out dropping some coin if those things still have life in them. I have a set on my 4 runner and love them.
My 2 cents is they out preform the BFG, Open country, kelley's the Big O brand and some Coopers. I think they are better then the duratracks in the snow but not the mud. They are better then the Danapro atm's in the wet and snowy and about the same in the dirt but wont last as long. I think the out preform the cooper at3 but again wont last as long. Short of an mud tire these things are awessome

I have ran alll of the above tires on either my tacoma, blazer, 4 runner or work tundras and burbans.
Who cares what the tires and rims look like if they have life in them run umm and see the rims later. You wont come out ahead selling them now.

take the truck to the shop and pay them to tell you every thing that is worng with the truck from the it needs to be fixed now all the way down to well you could use new valve stems. fix everything you think is important

then get a topper, a decent sleeping pad and bag a cooler fill it with steak and beer and go.

I have had my all stock save the AT tires and shell 2.7 tacoma all over the country extensivly in idaho wyoming and and utah. That truc has been a few places it shouldn't have been but it will surprise you what a stock rig with a solid driver will do.
spend the rest on gas and the odd hotel room
start driving

I agree with you guys- my first objective is to start going. I've already made a couple 400+ mile trips and haven't had an issue. IT has a few issues I am trying to resolve - a small oil leak from the oil pan, and the rear diff has a bit of a leak. I want to get those figured out, replace the timing belt/water pump (came with no service records and has 180k miles), and repair the rusted through parking brake cable then simply go!

I have a bit of cash I could free up withy the current wheel and tires, too. Both have between 5k-10k on them, great shape. Could probably sell them and not spend too much more on a nicer looking set. They are a bit bro for my tastes

 

[TheViking]

I would buy some new tires and a small budget lift in the 2.5 to 3 inch range.

If you want to go super cheap get a top for the bed. Put some hard case lockable storage containers in there, Rubber Made used to make some, take a piece of plywood lay on top of containers.

Take a sleeping mat and buy yourself a first rate sleeping bad and camping equipment.

Whatever is left over put in what you need to make it more comfortable.

 

[DeskToGlory]

1) Spare tire if you don't have one.
2) Any required maintenance: $500?
3) Basic recovery gear (recovery strap, shovel, tire repair kit, compressor, etc.): $200
4) Cheap canopy: $200
5) Sleeping platform: $100
6) Skobbler GPS Nav app for your phone $10 (doesn't need a mobile plan to work)
7) iOverlander app for finding campsites (free, uses Skobbler maps offline)
8) 5+ Weeks in Baja: $1386 (http://desktoglory.com/baja-california-summary-39-days-in-paradise-for-1386/)

So that's $2396 spent. Use the rest to buy any camping gear you need and then hit the beaches in Baja. You'll have money left over to upgrade/change/add anything to the truck that you'd like to increase durability or comfort. Or... dump a couple grand on your student loans.

 

[Box Rocket]

Here's what I would do.
.
1)upgrade suspension. $1250 I love the Old Man Emu stuff on my Tacoma. Check it out here http://www.cruiseroutfitters.com/sus_Tacoma.html
2)upgrade tires: ~$1000
3)sliders: $300 I've been more than happy with the Trail Gear sliders on my truck. Just need to weld them to the frame. https://www.trail-gear.com/TG/Rock_...b___Double_Cab_/i_0_0_3212/_120011-1-KIT.aspx
4). Basic recovery gear: $200 ( Hi-lift jack, recovery strap, D-rings, Good attachment points on the frame.
.That's $2550 if you can install the suspension yourself and weld the sliders on.
.
Go have a blast. Stuff like a sleeping platform could be nice, but a decent ground tent (which you probably already have) will do just fine. If you're worried about security, then a shell could be worthwhile if you are leaving a lot of gear in the bed of the truck often, but personally I wouldn't bother with one. If you still had money left over you could consider a front bumper with a winch if you plan to do many solo trips. But you could be spending another $2K depending on the bumper you chose.

 

[nitro-gear]

Suspension upgrades would be one of the first things that I would do. Once you get larger tires, I would go for gears and lockers. Front and rear locking differentials and aired down tires will get you further then you ever thought you would be able to go.

 

[mastersryan]

Sell those wheels/tires and get some stock wheels with nice tires. Preventative maintenance and just have fun with the truck...save the money for future travel and/or savings account. This site can suck you in and make you want useless crap that you will never use. I can agree on the camper cap/shell that was probably the best thing I ever bought for my truck.

 

[SoCal Tom]

Trip to Mexico.

$5K buys an awful lot of fuel, beer, and tacos. Stock tacoma will go a lot of places.

I keep my trucks basically stock...and only upgrade if I break something...and even then, might just replace it with stock components.

Even tires, I'll cruise CL looking for brand new take-offs. I can afford new stuff...but I am cheap SOB, and like having money in the bank.

I have a friend who spent two weeks camping in Mexico out of his Prius.
stock truck is fine.
Tom

 

[tgreening]

It easy for folks to throw your money around, and lots of opinions have been presented, but here's the one thing to really think about. Short of general maintenance and making sure you've got a dependable truck (most important), go hit the road. Add bits here and there as you go and as you find you really need. Don't spend a whole bunch of time trying to make the perfect plan for your truck. It's easy to get wrapped up in that kind of thing and next you know you've spent so much time trying to devise the perfect plan you never actually implement any plan at all.

Forget the perfect plan, Plan Good Enough is the way to go because Good Enough means you're done and ready to roll.

 

[Silverback07]

1: Skids and sliders - you know you will wheel it before the rest is complete.. might as well preserve it.
2: CB/2M radio - Assuming you never wheel alone so communicate with your group, plus its cheap
3: Recovery gear - eventually you'll need a winch... but in the meantime buy a HiLift and some straps and d-shackles. Your Rubbermaid bumpers wont do any good right now but the sliders can serve you well to get it off the ground or pull it via OE recovery points.
4: Lockers F&R -will get you further than you thought imagined.. or probably should be
5: Lift - OME makes great products
6: Tires - whatever suits your needs AT/MT
7: Bumpers/winch - Gives you more points for recovery and protection from the occasional tree rub.
8: ARB fridge