Superbads Boring Build and not Enough Exploring

How the truck currently looks.(This pic will be updated as things are changed) BMRA 5/4/2019.



I've created this thread to document the progress on my 2017 Tacoma TRD OR 4x4 Build and to also track where I have been able to visit and explore since purchase.

My goal for the truck is a DD capable to get me to remote camp spots and to get away from the concrete jungle and back into nature. I want to be able to get myself in and out of any place I decide to venture whether it be solo or in a group. I had a simple plan of adding wheels and tires, protection(Sliders/skids etc.) and eventually a 2-3" lift after a year or so. It would also need to have anything necessary for self-recovery. As all builds go, the original plan was just a guideline to get started and I knew this before I even bought the truck. Mods have been coming much faster than I expected so I am a lot farther along than I originally planned.

Current Mods/Parts:
OVTune 1.05 Base

Armor
Mobtown Offroad Sliders(Installed 01/11/17)
SSO Slimline Hybrid Bumper
Costal Offroad High Clearance Front Bumper kit with Full Hoops
ISF, Mid and Transmission Skids from @Mobtown Offroad(Installed 08/28/17)
CBI High Clearance Rear Bumper w/Swingout, dual jerry can holder and Camp Table.(Installed 6/10/18)
Marlin Crawler LCA gusset kit(Installed 8/10/2022)

Suspension
OME Nitrochargers w/886's(Installed 03/29/17, removed 01/11/20)
King Ext Travel RR w/Adjusters and 700lb springs(Installed 01/11/20)
Dakar Leaf Pack with D29XL AAL(Installed 03/29/17, AAL installed 01/11/20)
Dirt King UCA's(Installed 8/10/2022) SPC UCA's(Installed 03/29/17)
Dirt King LCA's(Installed 9/17/2021)
CMC with Bamf fill plates(needs to be improved, May go with the Redgoat fab relocate)
Archive Garage Hammer Hangers and cross tube(Installed 01/11/20, cross tube installed 01/31/20)
12" King rear shocks RR and Adjusters w/Relocate(01/31/20)
Timbren U-Bolt Flip and Bumpstops(Installed 01/11/20)
Received but not installed:
Extended brake lines for the back and upgraded lines for the front(Needs to be installed)
Diff breather relocate(Needs to be installed)

Wheels/Tires
SCS Ray 10's 17x9 3.5 BS in Brushed Bronze
Nitto Ridge Grapplers 285/70r17 C(installed 8/30/2019)
Goodyear MTR 285/70r17 D-Rated(Installed 7/18/18)
FN F(x) Pro Wheels in Bronze 17x8(Received on 10/11/16)
BF Goodrich Ko2 265/70r17 C-Rated(Installed on 10/12/16)

Recovery/Safety/Tools
Maxtrax Recovery Boards
Hi Lift 48 Jack w/Base Plate and Slider Adapter
Smittybilt x20 winch
Factor 55 Flatlink E
Smittybilt 30' Tow strap x2
Smittybilt 6' Tree saver
Smittybilt Snatch Block
Smittybilt D-rings
ARB Twin Compressor(Finally fully functional 4/1/18)
Slee 3nd Gen Arb Twin Compressor mount(Repalcing with 2nd gen version some day)
Bubba Rope Snatch Strap
Tandem Soft Shackle
Rago Bed Rail Quick Release Fire Extinguisher mount
Dog and people first Aid kits
Blue Ridge Tool bag with assorted hand tools
Pro Eagle 2t Big wheel jack "The Beast" and mount
Ordered

Lighting/Electrical
CaliRaised 30" Hidden lightbar(replaced with SSO bumper. Light sold, Brackets are for sale.)
Heise 20" lightbar in bumper
Morimoto XB Headlights(Installed 12/11/2021) BHLM with RX350 HID Retro Fit
Ditch Lights - CaliRaised Side Shooters(Installed 4/4/18)
Depo Pro Tail Lights (Installed 4/5/18) Removed 5/2/19 due to dust getting in the driver side tail light.
Powertrays switch pro tray w/6 blade circuit fuse block, 8 circuit terminal block and 10 screw bus bar. (Received 7/11)
Baja Designs s2 flush mount reverse lights(Needs to be installed)
2019 Tail Lights with @MESO Total Tail Stage 2 mod
Meso Puddle Lights(Installed 9/7/19)
Waiting for install/Wiring
BD 20 S8 Combo Amber
BD Squadron Sport Amber Combo
BD Squadron Sport Wide Cornering

Interior
KBVoodoo Remote start(Installed 01/05/17)
Weathertech Floor Liners(Installed 8/13/17)
Ultimate Dome and map lights white/red by @mesojdm
Hondo Garage Unholy mount(Replaced)
Expedition Essentials 3TPAM Phone/Accessory mount from (Balls Out Offroad)
Hondo Garage Radio knobs(currently for sale)
Radio knobs by @Tacowiede
SwitchPro's 9100 w/SDHQ cubby mount(Installed 4/4/18)
Meso Chrome Delete
Meso Vent Rings
Meso Stage 2 Pro Stealth knob(Needs to be installed)

Exterior/Camping gear
AVS In-channel Vent Visors(Installed 12/25/16)
KBVoodoo Mid Bedrack(Installed 04/22/17)
Relentless Fab Axe/Shovel mount
Bed Stiffeners(from @At The Helm Installed 08/27/17)
Ultimate LED Turn Signals by @mesojdm
Prinsu Cabrac(Installed 9/12/18)
Redline Tuning Hood struts(Received, Not installed yet)
Bedslide
Tepui Kukenam Ruggedized Sky RTT(Installed 04/25/17)
On board water(Kit sold on TW here by @ProForce recieved, Installed 5/30/18)
Trasharoo
50qt Artic Freeze fridge(I think thats what its called)
RSI Smart Cap(Installed 12/30/2023
Decked drawers(Installed 1/13/2024)

Communications
Midland 2 way Radios
CB w/2' Firestick
Midland GMRS Radio(Needs to be installed)
3 BaoFeng UV5R GMRS Radio's

Future Mods, Not purchased yet:
Dual Battery Setup and possibly solar
Rock Lights
HAM Radio
Staun deflators
Arb digital Inflator maybe
and whatever else I decide...

Now more Pics:

Purchased late on 08/11/16 with 3 mi on the Odometer, the badges and TRD decals removed 08/13/16.


First change was some FN F(x) Pro Wheels with 265/70r17 Ko2's


3 Days after installing my @Mobtown Offroad Sliders. Fun day trip to BMRA with fellow TW members.


OME lift and @SouthernStyleOffRoad Slimline Bumper installed. When installing the leafs I had so much room I went ahead and chopped the exhaust tip off to have it dump after the axel.


Mid rack from @KB Voodoo and @TepuiTents Kukenam Ruggedized Sky.



Thanks for stopping by and checking out my build. More mods to come in the future along with more pics.

 

Saved for future links to updates and trips when I'm not lazy and decide to organize the thread more.

 

I'd had the truck 1 month, broke in the engine and it was time to hit the road on my first trip with 1200mi on the odometer. I was really excited to go and see what Colorado had to offer and it did not disappoint. I plan on making more trips to wheel and explore in the future. I also kept the option of going to Moab open and ended up taking it!

First stop Great Sand Dunes National Park and my first experience offroad with Medano Pass. It was a fun little trail that I found to be pretty easy with my stock truck.




Saw a little wildlife right after starting Medano Pass

Made it to the top with no issues and some light pin striping


Next up was Hermit Pass. It also went pretty easy but man was it rough! This was when I though I was almost to the top, there was more to go than I realized but I was getting close.



Some lakes I looked down on after climbing higher than they were.


Made it a little farther up and the view kept getting better!

Up and up I go!


It took longer than I expected but reaching the top was worth it for the view.


After Hermit Pass it was time to start heading west. I enjoyed Medano Pass so much I figured I'd hit it going the opposite direction on my way.




Farewell Great Sand Dunes NP, Its been fun but its time to see more of CO.


Now it was time to head west. Next destination was San Juan NF, This is when I realized my camping gear was no longer good enough in cold weather. It only got down to the 30's or 40's but my cold 25 yr old cold weather sleeping bag just didnt cut it. Still was a very beautiful area and I will be back with better gear to fully enjoy it.
I didnt get a lot of pics as this became a 1 night and partial day visit due to me being unprepared and some rain rolling in but here are some of the great views I enjoyed.




Found some furry animals near the waterfall

Here came a storm, the thunder and incoming clouds were enough to get me off the mountain.

After getting off the trail it was time to make a decision about the temperature... Heading West to the desert since my gear cant keep me warm. I knew I was getting close when I saw this view.

Warmer weather is near!


I didnt have a lot of time to enjoy Moab and was also a little scared about being completely stock but this is why I bought the truck. Its been over 20 years since I've seen this landscape in person and its as great as I remember.




I dont remember what trail I was on but it was supposed to be fairly easy. Turns out that with my stock truck and lack of experience I was going to push it a little too far. I didnt get any pics when it happened but I managed to damage the passenger side stock tube step coming down this little ledge.

I was just happy that it was only the step and not the body of the truck!


After that misjudgment I needed to make sure I took it easier and it was nearing time to head home so I could get back to work. Had time for one more trail before starting the drive back towards TX. Found an easy trail that most 2 wheel drive SUV's or trucks could do but I was just happy to be off pavement enjoying my truck.




Finished the trail and started towards home. It was a great re-entry to camping and getting out and enjoying nature. I learned a lot and knew I needed to replace a lot of camping gear and start fine tuning what gear I had to better enjoy my time. I had about 2 months until my next trip and couldn't wait.

 

Made a run to Houston to pick up a new grill! Finally no more cheese grater.


I feel I got lucky and was able to purchase this beaut from @perpetualenigma3 and am extremely happy with the look. RIP the Enigma build. Going off his build log it was created by @HerT4R. Happy to have come across a great grill and been able to purchase it when it went up for sale. Only took me 3 weeks or so to get the time to go get it so I could install.

 

MY next trip took me and a buddy to Big Bend NP. I didnt take a lot of pictures but heres a few I did take.
This is from our first camp spot.

We did some exploring the next day.

This was our second camp spot.


After leaving Big Bend I had a few days before I had to go back to work but my friends had to be back the next day. It had been many years since I had seen the beach so I decided to head over to PINS for a day or two before heading home.

Got there late and woke up to find that the water was coming up way to far. I probably should have checked the weather because a big storm was rolling in and the beach was flooding. There was almost no safe spots along the beach.

I only got to spend one night there. The weather wasn't going to let up so I decided it was best to just head home and make sure there was no salt left on my truck.

 

Through the end of the year I didnt get to travel anywhere but once Jan came I was able to go do some offroading with some members of the DFW group and we met up with more members from the Golden Triangle group out at Barnwell Mountain Rec Area. Fun park and it let me see what to look forward to for Jambo coming up in May!



It was a wet and muddy day but it was a lot of fun and a great time learning about my truck and its abilities. I had to cut my time short due to some health issues. An aggravated muscle on your rib cage can be very painful when off roading.

 

Come Feb. I was ready to get some more time off road in my truck so the DFW guys and I headed to Bridgeport OHV, N of FW. Heres some pics from that day.
Convoy out with some of the DFW guys.


Pics of me courtesy of @Suprajim54

 

Next trip was Jambo 2017, Ran into some camera problems and sadly I didnt get any pics during the event but man was it a fun time. After that I only had 2 days before it was time to hit the road to AZ for Overland Expo! Switched back to a reliable camera and was able to get some pics.

I made it to Flagstaff around 3a and camped on some BLM land near the expo. Woke up to find just how great of an area I found in the dark.


After that night it was time to head to the expo and setup camp onsite. I took quite a few pictures during the expo and saw a lot of great setups and items.
Camping next to me was one of the most entertaining vehicles to see. Not something you see everyday but it shows you dont need much to get out and enjoy yourself. This thing had everything!

Heres are some pics from the actual expo.
The Off-grid Eng dual battery setups are so sweet!

At the Bilstein booth

Demello Offroad

A clean LB behind the booths

Some pics from booths I dont recall

Some 1st Gen Love

Relentless Fab

CBI


More random pics

Expedition Overland


Found these in the parking lot.


It was a really good time. Met a lot of really cool people and even went to Sedona with a couple Tacoma guys the next day before heading to Phoenix to visit my sister. More pics to come of the trails I hit while in AZ!

 

I am going to need you to re-upload those pictures good sir.

 

I will soon. Should have time this weekend.

 

Kevin, it looks like the pics are showing up again. If they arent let me know and I'll get them fixed.

 

Worth the suspense, awesome pictures Jason. So jelly of your trips, I need to make it west asap.

 

In Austin this weekend for a little getaway before starting a new job. Got to meet alot of the Austin TW peeps on cheeseburger loop, Cars and Coffee, and Hidden Falls Adventure park. Even met the man, the myth, the legend @ChadsPride. Still pretty much babied it at hidden falls. I got no stones... or armor.

 

Nice, sounds like a good time. I love spending time out west. growing up out there hooked me at a young age and there so much to explore. I will be taking many trips that way and I will probably end up moving out west again one day.

 

I find myself looking at 285's even though I cant afford to purchase them right now and my current tires have under 10k on them... I will also need to have the CMC done to prevent rubbing. On the positive side I'm glad I have skids finally ordered! They should arrive in the next 3-5 weeks! Now to find an exhaust shop to get the reroute done.

 

Almost forgot about another item I ordered until it showed up on the door step today

Now I just need time to paint and install.

 

It's, something metal!?

 

Bed stiffners from @At The Helm. I have noticed a slight separation between my tailgate and besides since mounting the rack and RTT. These should close that up and prevent it from getting worse or the bed cracking down the road.

 

That was actually my guess. Worth it for the bottle opener alone.

 

They should be very useful. Bottle opener, extra tie down points, Antena mount with possible sand dune flag location and there main task of supporting the bed. Now I'm torn do I rattle can them or powdercoat. I'll get a quote and decide.