Tsumara's nameless Overland/scout/daily/dad "build"

2015 DCSB TRD Offroad Purchased 12/30/14 with 11 miles on it



Front Suspension:
Stock height: 35" ground to fender (GtF)
OME 884 springs with NitroCharger Sport soft shocks 12/1/2016 24k mi 38" GtF no load REMOVED 2/23/2017 35.5" with 120# additional weight.
OME 886 Springs after installing hybrid bumper, winch, and second battery. 2/23/2017 28k mi 38" GtF after 24hr

Rear Suspension: Progressive AAL 4/3/2016 12k mi 36" GtF REMOVED 11/30/2016
OME CS047R Dakar pack with NitroCharger Sport soft shocks 11/30/2016 24k mi 38" GtF
OME FK29 Driveline Carrier Bearing Drop Kit 11/30/2016 24k mi
OME D29XL Extra Leaf 12/15/2016 25k mi 38.5" GtF (wanted a tad more height in the rear)

Wheels/Tires:
8 Stock Toyota 16” wheels
5 BFG A/T K02 in 265/75 r16 - 11/25/2016 24k mi

Armor/Protection: APEX Sliders 12/31/16 25.5k mi High Clearance Rear Bumper Steel 1/2/2017 25.5k mi
Southern Style Off-Road Slimline Hybrid Front Bumper with Hoop 2/3/2017 27k

Interior:
Weathertech floor liners 1/23/15
MOLLE panel (Replaced behind seat storage) 4/21/2016
Generic MLV in doors and back wall 7/15/2016
Polk Audio DB6501 front and rear 7/15/2016
RAAMmat and Ensolite behind headliner 1/11/2017
Tsumara Designs cupholder 1/20/2017

Exterior:
ARE CX Top 2/20/15
WeatherTech Side Window Deflectors 2/11/15
Prinsu CABRAC 12/19/2015
Prinsu TOPRAC 2/26/2016

$107 Pop & Lock – Power Tailgate Lock for Toyota Tacoma, Fits Models 2005 to 2015 (PL8521)

Pop & Lock PL8521 Tailgate Lock 11/20/2015

Electrical:

$52 Rigid Industries 40190 Wiring Harness for 40" to 50" Light Bar

Rigid Industries 40-50” Lightbar harness 12/19/2015

$22 CH4X4 Small Push Switch for Toyota Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Fortuner, Hilux, 4Runner, Prado 12V 3Amp - LED Light Bar Symbol - White LED

CH4x4 Toyota small push switch for light bar 12/19/2015
ARB Fridge Harness 6/9/2016
Optima 8037-127 group 27f Yellow top 6/8/2016
Optima 8012-021 group 34 Yellow top 1/25/2017
Off-grid Engineering TRD-OffRoad Complete Dual Battery system 1/25/2017
60 watt solar panel with charge controller PURCHASED not installed 7/1/2016

Lighting:

Eyourlife LED Light Bar, 42" 240W Spot Flood Combo Driving Light Clear Visibility High Efficiency Heat Dissipation Jeep Off-Road Lights Waterproof with Mounting Bracket for Truck, Car, ATV, SUV, Jeep

42” Eyourlife 240W light bar ($60 Amazon special) 12/19/2015

$18 MSD 8184 2-Pin 12-14 Gauge Deutsch Connector

Deutsch 2-pin connector for light bar to harness 12/19/2015
Rigid Industries SR-M Backup Light Kit with Tsumara Designs Brackets for Prinsu TOPRAC 5/31/2016
Cali Raised Fog Lights with Apex Fab Works brackets 12/15/2016

Comms/Nav:
BadElf GPS PRO
Hema Maps on an old iPad
Gazetteer
Compass
iPhone

Camping:
REI Hobitat 6
Hennessy Hammock Safari Delux Asym Classic
Partner Steel 22” stove 3/1/2016

Worthington 299494 6-Pound Aluminum Propane Cylinder With Type 1 With Overflow Prevention Device Valve

Worthington 299494 6 pound Aluminum Propane Cylinder 3/6/2016
Magma Cook set 3/8/2016
Tsumara Designs Taco-Box bed storage 3/16/2016
Truck fridge TB51A on DIY slide 6/9/2016
Disposable Bottle Adapter for 1 pound propane tanks 6/9/2016

Recovery:
Tool bag (might be its own post)
BooBoo Kit (might be its own post)
Jumper cables
Grade 70 drag chain 20’
Helko Scout Ax
ARB tire repair kit
ARB CKMA12 mounted under hood
ARB tire inflation kit 171302
ARB Snatch Pack
ARB Shackle x2 .75”
ARB Snatch Block 20k lbs
ARB Tree Trunk Protector 26.5k lbs 10’
ARB Snatch Strap 17.5k lbs 30’
ARB Recovery Damper
Smittybilt X20 COMP 10k Installed: 2/3/2017 27k
Factor 55 Fatlink
Factor 55 Fairlead
Maxtrax
DIY Amsteel Blue 3/8” x 24’ bridle

In the future:
Install solar charger
Mount under-hood lights
Radio of some sort (CB, HAM, GRMS, Cans with a string)
RAAMmat and Ensolite the floor and as much of the firewall that I can get to
Window Tint
Safari Snorkel (Maybe)
Skid plates
Black wheels (this is a want that I more than likely will not be able to justify)
RTT (I like the ease of setup and that it isn’t taking space in the bed, but don’t like the change in CG and MPG. Probably will not be able to justify)
Supercharger (a guy can dream right?)

 

I got the Tacoma bug when my brother bought a 2012 TRD Baha/Pro. In late 2014 the time was right and I bought my 2015 DCSB TRD OR in my favorite color (Pyrite Micah) brand new for $32.4k.

In the beginning I only planned on adding an ARB bull bar, shell, and a roof rack for yacks and bikes. I got my short list setup and minus the bull bar and everything was good for a while.

Then I noticed the weight of the shell on the rear end was giving my truck the poopy diaper look. It was time to shop for suspension. I decided on a Dakar pack at a minimum. Shortly after making that decision an OME and ARB group buy popped up. Boy I was excited! However, In May 2016 I got laid off and reluctantly backed out of the OME and ARB group buys.(I should of stayed in and saved some $) As a compromise I purchase and installed the wheelers progressive add a leaf. With the help of a buddy, it went smooth and life was good. No more poopy diaper look!

Not having a day job gave me some time to travel. In June 2016 I covered over 100 miles off pavement in southwest Texas over the course of a week. This included trails in Big Bend NP, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and a few unpaved ranch roads. This was all with the stock tires and shocks. If I wasn't koo-koo for overlanding before that trip, I certainly was after. Look for a trip report soon.



After my Texas trip I had renewed enthusiasm for improving the truck. I started out trying to keep things inexpensive. I replaced what I thought were blown speakers. It turns out that the stock head unit just outputs a really crappy signal at higher volumes on XM radio. Oh well, the new speakers are WAY beefier and the doors are now sound deadened with some MLV I had leftover from a project years ago. With these additions I got some great clarity at lower volumes, but Bluetooth calls sounded horrible for a while. Calls eventually leveled out and are not nearly as harsh as they were. I'm not sure what changed, maybe I got used to the sound. Next up was sound deadening the headliner. Believe it or not dampening this project went off without a hitch and only took a few hours. I installed a healthy layer of RAAMmat followed by a layer of ensolite over as much of the underside of the roof as I could. There were a couple of areas I didn't have as much access as I would like. Under the plastic honeycomb in the rear and behind the pipe bombs, I mean airbags were essentially inaccessible for the amount of effort needed. Even with those gaps in coverage, the roof is MUCH quieter. The PRINSU rack with light bar are now unnoticed at any speed. With those projects complete, I'm approaching the end of the inexpensive mods.


On a whim I decided to drive out to Southern Style Off-road and see what they had to offer. Everyone there was friendly and the place was buzzing with activity. They brought out some examples of the slimline hybrid for me to check out. They were well thought out, quite solid, and welded with an attention to detail I haven't seen on trail armor. On top of that, I arrived at the beginning of a 20% off sale. My wallet account didn't stand a chance.




With the front bumper ordered, I went armor crazy. I hopped on a free shipping deal from All Pro and got Apex Sliders and a plate bumper with the hidden hitch. I came close to pulling the trigger on skid plates, but couldn't decide on steel or aluminum. I'm leaning towards aluminum skids in the near future.



Next I decided that the hybrid needed a winch. I shopped around a bit and settled on the Smittybilt X20 comp 10k. Things I liked about the X2O were the water proof rating, synthetic line, wireless option, water proof rating (I did say that twice?), the warranty looks great, and it looks like it will spool line faster than the Warn. I am a little apprehensive about not getting a Warn, but I read too many negative reviews for the Warn in the same price range as the X20. Time will tell.



Next on the list is a dual battery setup from Off-grid Engineering. I exchanged messages with Matt for a few days and we got everything lined out. Keeping my 27f as my auxiliary battery in the stock location and the starting battery is a group 34 starting on the passenger side. The system also has a fuse box and a volt meter for both batteries.

I'm ready to put some off-road miles behind me and smoke test all of the mods I have added.

 

PRINSU CABRAC with light bar install

I did this install solo. Painted the clear anodized aluminum with a very low solids hi temp engine paint. Drilled the holes in the weatherstripping with a fostner bit. I highly recommend using a

$15 Bastex Heavy Duty 12 Piece Hollow Punch Set. 3mm to 16mm. Leather Working Tools Perfect for Holy Punches in Fabric, Belts, Shoes and More.

punch. I have assisted with two other installs after this and the punch is much much better. Other than that the rack install was super easy.



For the light bar I went with a $60 40" dual row set up from Amazon. Figured I could always swap it out if I wanted to upgrade.

The brackets that came with the light needed a little milling to square up the slots for the PRINSU bars. Other than that the light bar install was smooth. I routed the harness up the outside of the A pillar tucked into the windshield molding and secured it with 3M automotive DST.



The light has been on my truck for almost 18 months and is still working great. I did get some water intrusion in June 2016 after my dealer ran it through a car wash. It was really easy to open up and dry out. I got water in it again in October. After that I decided to hit the seal with some clear RTV. So far so good.

Eyourlife 42 inch Light Bar Super Bright Light Bar 240W Driving Bumper Lamp SUV UTE 4X4 Truck Jeep

Eyourlife LED Light Bar, 42" 240W Spot Flood Combo Driving Light Clear Visibility High Efficiency Heat Dissipation Jeep Off-Road Lights Waterproof with Mounting Bracket for Truck, Car, ATV, SUV, Jeep

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NHMAJ40/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8hdCybFQ1Z5X4

Rigid Industries 40190 Wiring Harness for 40" to 50" Light Bar

$52 Rigid Industries 40190 Wiring Harness for 40" to 50" Light Bar

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D619OGQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_.idCybZZZWGV8

MSD 8184 2-Pin 12-14 Gauge Deutsch Connector

$18 MSD 8184 2-Pin 12-14 Gauge Deutsch Connector

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000630362/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MjdCybBPG1BNJ

 

ARB CKMA12 compressor install

This was my first bolt on accessory for the truck. I got a hell of a deal from Amazon as an open box item. When the compressor came in, there was only a compressor in the box. I called Amazon and they said that was the way it was supposed to come. I told them they didn't know what they were talking about and wanted the rest of the parts. Amazon's stance was I could keep what I got or send it back for a refund. I called ARB to see what the missing parts would cost and they ended up sending me everything that was missing for free. That's some seriously awesome customer service from ARB, take notes Amazon.

Waiting for the harness to arrive gave me plenty of time to find a suitable location for the compressor and order a Toyota style switch for the center console. I ended up mounting the compressor under the hood between the fuse box and the firewall. I was able to use some existing threaded holes in the engine compartment. All that I had to do is drill a couple holes in the mounting plate that came with the compressor. The only part that was difficult is running the wires into the center of the dash. Toyota didn't give us easy access to there.



I used a micro fuse tap on the top row, third from the right fuse for illumination power. I believe it's labeled Acc.



Switch from http://www.aironboard.com/online/pu...oyota-oem-replacement-air-comp-green-red.html

Micro fuse tap

$6 Lumision ADD CIRCUIT BLADE STYLE ATT LOW PROFILE LP MINI FUSETAP FUSE TAP + 5AMP FUSE

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00I0...o+fuse+tap&dpPl=1&dpID=31K1M0GMLtL&ref=plSrch

 

All Pro APEX slider install

Tools used:
14mm socket with 2" extension
10mm and 12mm socket for removing factory bolts.
14mm wrenches
5mm Allen wrench
1/2" center punch. Should of been a little larger.
3/8" drill bit
Corded drill
Floor jack
48" section of 2x4

I prepped for paint with goo-gone for the shipping labels, denatured alcohol to remove the goo-gone and rust inhibitors. Then red scotch bright pads on a die grinder for surface rust and to knock down a few sharp edges. Then back to denatured alcohol to clean up the mess the scotch bright pads made.

For paint, I used U-pol acid #8 black primer, Rustoleum bumper and trim paint in black, and Rustoleum spray can bed liner. I'm hoping this will be pretty durable and easy to touch up when needed.

The install was pretty straight forward. Make sure you drill the rear most mounting hole in the frame before you start mounting things.

This job will be much easier with an assistant and a nice floor jack. The floor jack is great for lifting the slider into place and for drilling the holes in the bottom of the frame.

I've mentioned drilling twice now. You will have to drill 10 3/8" holes in the frame of your truck. It's not real hard with a good corded drill, floor jack, 2x4, and some help. You're probably thinking what's a 2x4 and a floor jack got to do with drilling holes in the frame. In this case a photo is worth 1k words easy.



Use the jack and 2x4 for drilling pressure. This setup and a good sharp bit will pop through the frame in about 15 seconds.


The drivers side had a bracket that was easily moved over the the slider once it was in position. There are a couple of plastic clips that hold the rear break lines to the frame. These clips occupy holes in the slider that could be used to secure the slider to the frame. I need to call All Pro and see what they recommend doing here.

The passenger side has more holes available because the break lines are on the other side of the truck. The complication on this side is a box that covers a couple of large junctions in the wiring harness. The box isn't waterproof and will not fit with the sliders installed. For now I have removed the box and the connections are free hanging and unprotected. When it stops raining ill get back under the truck and figure out a way to tuck and protect the connections.

I spoke to Brad at All Pro and he says it's ok to leave the plastic break line clips in the frame and not worry about bolts there. We also talked about the passenger side wire harness cover and concluded that it would be safe to run without the cover.

 

All pro bumper and hitch install 1/1/17

I prepped for paint with goo-gone for the shipping labels, denatured alcohol to remove the goo-gone and rust inhibitors. Then red scotch bright pads on a die grinder for surface rust and to knock down a few sharp edges. Then pack to denatured alcohol to clean up the mess the scotch bright pads made.

For paint, I used U-pol acid #8 black primer, Rustoleum bumper and trim paint in black, and Rustoleum spray can bed liner. I'm hoping this will be pretty durable and easy to touch up when needed.

After painting I attempted to install the break lights that came with the bumper. The lights look pretty well made, but the screws that came with it fell short. They might be great for plastic, but snapped easily when trying to install in the steel bumper. All Pro predrilled holes for these screws but it didn't help. I ended up drilling the holes a little larger and tapping them #10-32. I think I'll revisit this once I get a 6mm tap. I like to keep my hardware the same as the rest of the hardware on the rest of the truck.

Next was the flip up license plate bracket. I bought the bracket below from Amazon.

Pilot FLP001 License Plate Flip Kit For Roll Pan

$52 Pilot FLP001 License Plate Flip Kit For Roll Pan

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQQN2M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_W9CAyb1S4B9V9

This bracket holes didn't line up with the holes that came in the bumper. Back to drilling and tapping. This time I tapped 1/4-20 and used the same bolts that are used in my PRINSU rack.

Now that the prep work was finished, I got real impatient. It was a cool rainy day and my daughter was with her grandparents for the afternoon. As soon as the rain stopped I ran out and laid down a tarp to stay a little dry. Removing the factory bumper was pretty straight forward. One thing I didn't recall reading about were the locking pins that hold the bumper in place after the bolts are removed. I took the factory bumper off with the hitch attached to it. Overall it felt like half the weight of the All Pro with the hitch.

Putting the new bumper on without an assistant had me a little worried, but I figured I could always bolt the old bumper back on. To lift the new bumper I used a large floor jack with a 2x4 block for a little height and a buffer from metal on metal contact. Once the bumper was high enough I threw a couple of jack stands under it for added safety. In hind site it probably would of been easier to bolt on the bumper and install the hitch after, but I did it all at once. In this configuration the bolts that hold the hitch to the bumper should be lose. Line up and attach the six bolts through the bumper mounting plates. Then attach the hitch to the frame of the truck. There was a bit of an issue here. The hitch has holes for four bolts, however the holes in the frame only line up with one hole on each side. After the hitch is attached to the frame, tighten the bolts that hold it to the bumper. Lastly I spliced the license plate lights on to the trucks harness. In my case Green with Silver stripe was positive and White with Black stripe was negative.

In addition to threading the holes for the license plate and license plate lights, I swapped out the SAE hardware securing the hitch to the bumper with metric hardware left over from the factory hitch. I had to purchase some metric nuts to make this work, but I like the idea of not having to carry more SAE tools if I don't need to.

Other things to note, a 265/70r16 spare will still fit under the bed with the hidden hitch. A 265/75r16 will not. I was really hoping I could stuff the 265/75 under there... I put my 265/70 spare under the bed and it hangs down quite a bit below the bumper. Looks like I need to get comfortable with the spare in a different location. Thinking a swing out might be the best solution. Too bad there isn't a swing out retrofit for this bumper.

 

No nudes?
No dirty pics?

 

Photos inbound. Gotta copy all the text off my phone first.

 

More on the way.

 

Feels good to get all this information out there. I've been compiling it for quite some time.

 

Nice truck!!!!!

 

Thanks!

 

Whats up brother. Met you at Walmart today. Sayin hey!

 

Glad to finally meet you. I’ve seen your truck around town several times.