Traded my 2nd Gen for 3rd Gen, finally joined the forums

I've been lurking for a while but figured I might as well make this official. I loved my 2013 PreRunner (first Taco ever) but the first winter storm left me regretting not getting 4wd, and experience with homeownership and towing motorcycles left me yearning for a proper towing package. I had learned to begrudgingly accept my driveline vibration, but with a cross country move looming in 2017, I knew some upgrades were going to have to happen soon if I were planning on keeping that truck. The deal seemed sealed for that Tacoma when a friend dropped his motorcycle against my door and left a 4" gash down the side. I just couldn't unsee it, and I knew the body work would never be up to my standards.

So when I read about the 3rd gen tacos in the works, I told myself "If they're affordable and the driveline vibes disappear, I'm gonna get one of those."

I gave it a while before I decided to take a new TRD Off Road for a test drive, and I guess I shouldn't have, because I was ordering my own the same evening. Availability is an obstacle in my sleepy West Texas town so I had to wait a week, but I've got ~150 miles on the odometer and I'm very much pleased. I'm hoping I'll be more pleased once I complete the break in.

My immediate needs are a replacement grill and a set of mudflaps. This front grill makes the car look like a catfish with chrome braces, so I'm considering either plastidipping the OEM grill or ordering an SR grill. I can't find a good close-up of a plastidipped grill on the forums here, but it seems to look good from a distance.

My hunt for mudflaps continues. Guess I'll have to wait a while for those.

 

Welcome man...nice ride!

What part of the world are you located?

 

I'm in San Angelo, TX for now. About a year left before my controlled tour ends and the USAF forces me to be on my merry way.

 

Nice nice, what's your AF job...if you don't mind saying

 

Welcome from Houston .. nice truck

 

Oh I'm just a lowly linguist. Teaching tech school right now. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about it over PM, though I prefer not to discuss too many specifics on public forums, just because sometimes we deal with sensitive stuff. Considering joining or just curious?

 

Houston?! My only experience with that town is the feeling that you're stuck in it's gravitational pull while driving through Texas on I-10. Seems like I just barely escape it every time!

I recently took a cross country trip on my motorcycle and had to pull over on the shoulder in a merge. Thought I'd never get back into traffic alive!

 

Thanks man, I'm just curious. I'm an aviation enthusiast & always up for talking aircraft so...

 

Haha! I'd be no use in that conversation. I'm a nonner. They said *GASP* "You're colorblind?! We don't want you anywhere NEAR important buttons!!!"

 

Unfortunately I-10 is probably the worst highway in Texas for a motorcycle .. I used to ride a GSXR / CBR RR and I dreaded it. But I'm alive so it worked out I guess

 

Welcome and congrats!

 

Welcome!

 

I really like the 2016's in white. My dad has a 2013 white TRD off road and it looks good. But the 2016s for some reason just look really darn good in white. The color matched door handles and mirrors were a nice touch finally from Toyota. Nice truck