2005 Access Taco Adventure vehicle build

Adventure Taco has gotten a few upgrades. Here is how it sits now!




Completed Mods:
Weather Tech Floormats
JVC Single DIN Android and Ipod bluetooth head unit
Dog bench/Additional Storage for the rear jump seats
Cam Locks: Center Console, bed compartments
Wet Okole Seat Covers - All Black, Grey piping, Grey, TRD Console Cover
Softopper Topper Black
Sleeping/Storage Platform

Future Dream Mods:
Suspension lift - thinking 3" - Thinking OME
Front and rear bumpers - NO idea
Winch - Warn of some sort
Tires and wheels - Black rims?

Thanks.

 

Keep us informed of the mods soon to come with pictures man!! Gotta have the pics.

 

The first thing to go was the stock stereo. I did some research on FM transmitters and other AUX devices for the stock system and it can down to spending the same if not more on the adapters and cables or upgrading the system to an aftermarket unit with more features and better sound.

I want to say again how impressed I was with the technical support from Crutchfield, both with their help choosing an unit and once I began my install.

When I purchased the unit it came free with the dash kit and wiring harness. I opted out of the removal tools and wiring clips that their advisors added to my cart and check out.

I used a paint scrapper with some tape over the sharp end as my dash removal tool, worked just fine.


There are alot of great videos in You Tube demonstrating how to remove the stock cover and the temperature controls. Everything came out easy enough.

I will agree with what many others have said in head unit removals and that is getting the clock and hazard button unit removed from the stock cover sucks. It takes alot of wiggling and patience to get it out. I found that a flat head screw driver from a glasses kit worked well getting into the tight spaces and lifting it over the hooks.

Once out it fit very snug inside the new black dash kit



Once that was installed I started connecting the wiring harness to the JVC harness that came with the unit. Again very simple and with the included map from Crutchfield it was impossible to mess up.


Next was getting all the pieces for the mounting brackets assembled in the right order, everything is plastic which I thought was going to be a issue for fit but so far it has not been an issue. Just needed to be careful when putting it together and getting it into place that I didnt over do it. I took two of the stock mount screws off the original stereo and istalled them on each side of the JVC unit to get rid of the small amount of play that was still present after bending the tabs down on the bracket.


When I put it back into the dash I added washers to the 4 mounting bolts. The ones that come with the truck don't have much over lap with the new plastic brackets and I could see them wearing through soon enough. I also had some issues with remembering to connect ALL the wires before bolting it back in so for now I am one bolt short (I had to take it off to connect the antenna wire I forgot about and in the process dropped one behind the dash - still fits fine)


Something I learned the second time getting the cover onto the radio and dash was that if you put all the bolts in place, kept them loose and then put the cover on, you could move the unit and mounting system around to get all the trim to fit perfectly inside the cut out part of the cover. Once done the bolts are still easily accessible to tighten it all up.


I found that the MIC for the Bluetooth audio fit nicely in the compartment down right of the steering wheel. It was out of the way but I still had great quality when talking to people using the unit.


A cheap Ipod/Smartphone holder for the window holds all the devices while driving.

All in all very happy with it, I posted a question in audio and video about a bluetooth issue, it has been resolved.

 

Here are the WeatherTech Floor Liners. Again did some research, you can find them on Amazon for about 20% cheaper and free shipping than alot of the other online stores.

One issue I came across when installing these was that my truck did not have the inserts in the carpet for the liner clips to attach to. There were holes but no clips. I called my local Toyota dealer and then actually said that normally you cannot buy them seperately. You need to purchase the whole carpet set. (about $700). BUT there had been a recall on them recently and they had a few extra sets laying around, with approval from the manager they sold them to me for a few bucks a piece. Which is great because I would have gone without them otherwise.

Color is almost a perfect match and they fit like a glove.

 

The next improvement was to do something with the back seat. Since this truck will be mostly for my wife and I and the dog when were camping or traveling, the back seat will be his area. Though I really liked a lot of the threads on removing the back seats completely I still wanted the ability to seat people back there in a pinch.

Here are the materials I purchased:

2 - 1/2 plywood 2' x 4' : $9.50 each
1 - 8' 2" x 3" : $3.25
Set of 2 4" hinges : $3.00
2 Sterling storage bins 16.25" x 21" x 6" : $6.50 each
2' x 5' piece of carpeting with rubber backing (waterproofing) : $11.00

Not very expensive and I think it adds more surface and storage for us and the dog.

The rough dimensions of the platform are:

Width 22.5"
Length 55"
Height 6" off the folded down seats.

I wanted to give the most surface area but still allow for full use of the front seats, not too much height so the dog could get in and out, and be able to fold each side up to access all the storage underneath once filled.

One thing I did not add to the materials was that I had purchased 2 8' sections of 1" x 2" with the idea of framing the bottom of the boards so the storage bins wouldn't slid around, I have not done it yet and I might not because for now I can pull the bins out with the platform in place. I kind of like that for now.

We started by temporarily mounting the hinges to both pieces of plywood and measuring out how much wood we had to cut taking in account the approximate 1/4" the hinge took up.

We cut the two pieces as a 27" and 27 1/4" piece, which gave us a little wiggle room for the carpet.



A big challenge with making the platform hinged and able to lift is that it has to clear the lip on the back of the seat. This lip is about 1 1/2" so there is a gap between the back of the platform and the back of the truck.



The next challenge was in order to get the maximum surface area we had to cut notches from each wing where the center cup console cup holders are. This wasnt too hard with a skill saw and making rough marks where we needed to clear it. If you do this, remember that not only does it need to fit when its flat but you need extra room when lifting the wing so that it will go all the way to vertical.



Once the top was cut out and fit properly on top of the storage bins we added leg supports.

To keep the platform from moving the rear legs were mounted to sit tightly behind the hooks for the bottom seat cushions. This keeps the whole thing from sliding forward. The front outer legs were mounted in off the corners enough that they sit between the seat cushion and the support bars that are mounted on the cushions, this holds everthing tight and doesn't allow for much wiggle room.



Since the platform is hinged we then added supports on the front and back where the hinges were. The rear was no problem. However the front needed a little help in order for the legs to support the weight and still be short enough to clear the cushions when lifting the wing. a 4"x4" block did the trick and actually sits flush with the seat cushions on the drive shaft hump.



All of the mounting was done trial and error in the truck to get a tight fit, luckily we were able to make it work or at least take the screws out and try again a different way.

After it was all mounted we took the whole platform out (which can be done by one person when you fold it up). We used a industrial staple gun to mount the black carpet to it. Because of the right fit to the back of the truck we didnt wrap the edges there. Only on the front and sides (we also couldn't wrap the carpet at the cup holders because of how close we were to rubbing).



Hope you like it.

 

More Pictures of finished product. Unfortunately the lab in the pictures is not our dog, its my folks new puppy. He is product testing for our 7 yo lab.

 

Let me start off by giving all the credit to ilovetacos and his "Couple Cheap Mods" thread. http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/45925-couple-cheap-mods.html

So I started with the Cam Lock for the center console. I will leave the details to the above thread.


Then I looked at the storage compartments in the bed of the truck. The turn knobs were almost indentical to a Cam Lock. Though I don't keep the most expensive things in these compartments, between my hitch, ratchet straps, chains, etc. it adds up and it sucks to have anything taken from you.

So I decided to swap the OEM knobs out for Cam Locks. There is a small amount of alteration needed, however it is very easy and quick. If you are going to add more than one Cam Lock check the boxes and see if you can get them with the same keys (I went back a returned the second one and found a match). The tools I used.


The issue that you will run into is that the stock knob's depth is about 1/4 inch. Which after checking all the hardware stores in my area none of them were short enough. So I found the shortest one and went from there. 5/16 was it. To take up extra space allowing for the arm to fit into the OEM slot I bought a Rubber grommet.


Remove the stock knob from the panel. It only takes one screw. There is a lip on the back od the panel that needs to be sanded down to flat, otherwise the threads won't be exposed to tighten it down. I used a flat file to flatten it down, a sander or dremmel tool would make it got alot faster.


Though the hole in the panel is almost large enough the threads of the lock won't fit, again a dremmel tool would make this go faster, but using the end of the flat file rounded the hole out large to make it all fit. Nice part was I was able to take a small amount off at a time and get the lock to fit snug inside the hole.


After the hole is large enough add the rubber grommet and the trim piece of the lock, pull the grommet over the head of the lock. The grommet and the trim add the spacing needed and gives the lock a nice look when its all done.


Fit the lock into the hole and add the locking washer (you may need to hammer the prongs in to get the threads exposed enough for the locking nut to take). The long straight arm is the only one that will work. It will also need some bending to make it fit nice and tight when it is locked.


All in all very happy, obviously the lock is only as strong as the plastic surrounding it, but it keeps the curious people out. I might add a second lock to the double panel but for now with the Cam Lock secured you can't get it open enough to pull anything out.

 

The best mod.

 

I did the center console a few weeks ago in a different state so I wasn't able to get that one. However when I started the bed compartments I didnt even think about it until I had the first one in. The locks from Lowe's have a sticker on the box with the key number that unlocks them. So I took the second lock I bought and returned it for another set that had the same key number. The keys also have the number engraved on them so you can match them up that way. I talked with the guys at Lowe's and they didn't think they could reset the locks. So the only way I know of is buying same keyed locks.

 

Werkro01. I wish he stayed with the truck, unfortunately he had to stay in Chicago. One day well get another one.

 

I did a lot of research and really appreciate the input that everyone has put into the different "custom" seat covers on the market for Tacos. I decided to go with Wet Okole, found a good deal on AutoAnything with a discount and free shipping!

They were unable to add the additional features like the map pockets and console cover so I called Wet Okole directly and they were able to add them to my order. I was a bit concerned with how everything was going to turn out with ordering different option through two sources, but they got it right!

I had noticed on the GB 2013 thread that some folks were having issues with the tightness of their covers in the curved sections of the seats. I had the same issue. Though the seats were by no means a loose fit, I was surprised that they were not tighter, especially if they will stretch over time. I would have liked to see them made a bit tighter. It made the install very easy but would sacrafice that for a tighter fit.

I took the center console top completely off which allowed me to mount the cover under the black trim and get the elastic strap inplace. It fits awesome! Only slight issue is that I tucked it under the latch and now there is some rubbing when trying to push the latch in.

The only install problems I ran into was getting the buckles and hooks all in place and tight. I don't have the smallest hands with would be one problem. Though it was not neccessary, removing the seats would have made it easier and short install time.

I am VERY VERY happy with them, awesome look, and great fit (impressed with the small custom fits for the thigh extenders and other small curve changes)

One day I may add covers for the back seats, but for now they are fine with the platform covering them

 

I am very glad I found your thread. I also have an Indigo Ink TRD access cab.

I love your back seat mod, you've sparked some ideas for me. As a dog owner as well I'd like to get some sort of protection. With your knowledge in this, would it be possible to have the same floor as you but one that would just lay flat on top? That way I can take it out and throw it in the bed when not needed.

Looking at your future mods I see we have many of the same goals. I am currently looking at the OME lift as well, just have to gather the courage to pull the trigger. Finding lift pics of OME with the access cab is fairly difficult. I really hope you're planning on doing it soon so I can see what it would look like for my truck. Only difference in our trucks really being the hood scoop

Keep up the awesome work!

 

Thanks! Great truck.
I am assuming when you say lay it flat on top you mean making one without the bins underneath? or are you just wanting to make a platform without legs that would just rest on top of the folded down jump seats? If it is just the platform without legs it might slid around a bit, the jump seats also slop the wrong direction when folded down. I can remove this setup in about a minute by myself.

I will definitely keep you posted on the OME. It is the mod I want but I am out of money. Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it) If i get out on a few fires this summer that will pay for it, hahah!

Though the hood scoop doesnt do anything I really like the look.

Let me know if you build a platform and make any changes always like to see a mod improved.

 

Thank you! I'm thinking of having what you have just without the legs or bins, just cut out some plywood in the shape of the back area maybe put some cushion and carpet it. So basically it will be completely flat cushioned surface that is removable if I have passengers. I think that would be pretty cool. If I do it I'll make a build and refer to yours as inspiration.

I want to say best of luck getting the money for your lift, however I don't want to wish for any fires so instead I'll say I hope you win the lottery! Can't wait to see your lift and any other modifications. Keep up the good work!

 

New addition to the AdventureTaco. Will add more information soon but thought I would get the photos up. Purchased a Softopper from the guys down in Boulder,CO. They are awesome! Also built my own sleeping platform/storage in the bed of the truck.

 

awesome build...

 

Thanks for this idea!

Just did this mod to the single lever cover in the bed. Super easy!
Had about 30 minutes to do it and got it done in about that much time.
I did do things a little differently than the steps above.
Used the same measurement for the cam lock (5/16"), but didn't take all the plastic down flush in the back. I just filed off the little nub that was there to stop the factory latch and then a bit more to bring the cam lock threads out. Worked great!
Going to do the other side too, eventually. May take pics along the way to show what I am doing.

Now time for that console lock....

 

awesome build and excellent work....

 

Hey guys new to the site now for these model tacos what did you do to compensate for the added weight did you get an aal or different shocks

 

You did a great job with that back seat to bad im not as good with wood as i am with yotas