Living in my Tacoma full-time: FWC build

INTRODUCTION
This is the build thread of a truck that was originally being built to be abused off-road and is now being transformed into my permanent home with my wife and two dogs. We'll be using it to travel all of North and South America over the course of many years.

Follow the build and our journey right here, on our Instagram page, and on our YouTube channel.
We are The Wandering Winterfields and we hope you'll wander with us!

RECENT PHOTO (DECEMBER 2019)


THE NIGHT I BOUGHT THE TRUCK (7/24/2017)​

*Tons of additional photos and videos can always be seen on my personal Instagram account (@sixlxvi), on the @WanderingWinterfields Instagram page, on our YouTube channel, and occasionally on the Tacoma3G Instagram page. Photos of the trail carnage the truck has acquired over the years can be seen near the bottom of this post.

TRUCK
2017 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 6-ft. Bed TRD Off-Road 4x4 (Automatic) with dealer installed TRD Pro skid plate and OEM roof rack

MODIFICATIONS *I NEED TO UPDATE THIS PART. SOME OF IT IS OUTDATED.*

TIRES / WHEELS​

• Installed:
  • BFGoodrich 315/75r16 KM3s
  • Black Rhino Arsenal wheels in black/sand color, -10mm offset
    
  • Full-size spare on stock steelie mounted to Relentless Fabrication swing gate
• Removed:
  • BFGoodrich 285/75r16 KO2s on stock OR wheels
  • Spidertrax 1.25" wheel spacers (front only)

FRONT AXLE / SUSPENSION​

• Installed:
  • Icon coilovers with extended length shocks and 700lbs coils (~3.2” lift)
  • SPC adjustable upper control arms
  • Wheeler's Off-Road bump stops
  • Cab mount chop, pinch weld flattened, and additional trimming of fender area to fit 35s
• Removed:
  • Swaybar delete
  • OME 887 coils with Bilstein 5100 extended shocks, set to .85 notch

REAR AXLE / SUSPENSION​

• Installed:
  • Icon remote reservoir extended length shocks
  • Dakar heavy duty leaf spring packs (4” lift rear)
  • Rear diff breather mod (to be installed ASAP)
• Wishlist:
  • Archive Garage shackle flip
• Removed:
  • Bilstien 5100 extended length shocks

ARMOR / BUMPERS​

• Installed:
  • TRD Pro skid plate
  • Apex Fabworks rock sliders via Cali Raised LED
  • Relentless Fabrication semi-custom "PREDATOR" full-hoop bumper
  • Relentless Fabrication high clearance rear bumper with semi-custom taillight tubing, tire swing, RotopaX mount, and fold out table
• Wishlist:
  • Victory4x4 lower control arm armor
• Removed:
  • Cut front bumper for high clearance as a free high clearance bumper, ran this way for over 8 months
  • Cut rear bumper and bed sides for high clearance as a free high clearance bumper
  • CBI hidden winch mount with no front bumper and Smittybilt 10k synthetic winch

PERFORMANCE / MECHANICAL / BRAKES​

• Installed:
  • OVTune ECU flash kit on Premium octane 4.88 flash
  • Nitro Gear & Axle 5.29 regear package
  • Remmen Brakes front "Rocky" series brake kit (pads + rotors) (not yet installed)
  • Extended length rear braided brake lines (not yet installed)
  • Dobinsons snorkel kit
    
  • K&N air intake filter
• Wishlist:
  • Harrop front E-locker

LIGHTING / ELECTRICAL​

• Installed:
  • Cali Raised LED OEM style light bar switch and relay mount
  • KC HiLiTES Apollo lights as ditch lights mounted on Cali Raised LED low profile brackets
  • SDHQ OFFROAD Switch Pros switch panel power system (not yet installed)
• Wishlist:
  • KC HiLiTES Gravity Pro 6 LED light bar
• Removed:
  • Cali Raised LED hidden bumper light bar

EXTERIOR / APPEARANCE​

• Installed:
  • OEM roof racks (free from dealer)
  • Front windows tinted to match rear windows
  • Replaced stock grille with SR5 grille
  • Added "TACOMA" tailgate lettering inserts
  • Added TRD Pro skid plate letter vinyl
• Removed:
  • Flush-mounted front license plate
  • Color matched rear chrome bumper caps
  • Dipped emblems and grille
  • OEM mud flaps

INTERIOR / QUALITY OF LIFE​

• Installed:
  • Clazzio leather seat covers in matching tan insert, grey body, and red stitching, with embroidered front headrests
  • Salex Vehicle OCD center console organizer and 2nd gen Tacoma top tray "hack"
  • Installed driver side style hold downs for the OEM rubber floor mats on passenger side mat and rear mat
  • A/C drain relocated to avoid rust to frame
  • Expedition Essentials TPAM dash mount with Tackform his/her phone mounts
  • 12Volt.Solutions plug and play remote start kit

UTILITY / RECOVERY​

• Installed:
  • CB radio with antenna mounted behind driver side rear glass, in the bed
  • OEM cargo bed divider (expensive but very useful)
  • Smittybilt 10k synthetic winch
  • Two 3.5 gallon RotopaX
• Removed:
  • Smittybilt Overlander roof top tent

CAMPER SHELL
Ordered a Four Wheel Camper shell model in black on 10/31/2019. Expected delivery around March 2020. We will DIY build the inside of it when we get it. A lot of modifications will be made to the truck to help it handle the weight. Stay tuned.

Example photo (not my truck):


WHY I ENDED UP BUYING A TACOMA

THE ACCIDENT
Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhw1AnynBvJ/
Photo:


December 2017. Six months of having the truck and 4,000 miles on the odometer...

I’m on a military base headed back to work at 1200. I’m waiting to turn left in the turning lane and then get hit on the passenger side from a car behind me going straight. The dude told the police he fell asleep, but this was right at lunch time and he had someone else in the car. He was definitely texting. His car was totaled and leaking fluids everywhere.

My truck? $15,000 in damage. I’m someone that buys a vehicle with no intention of ever selling it. With that being said, my brand new truck needing this much work done to it at only six months old... it was very frustrating. For a while I didn’t want the truck anymore even though the repairs looked like it never happened. Then I guess I learned to accept it.

The only decent thing to come from this was the police ruining my rear bumper by trying to push the truck with their car. I was able to get the body shop to replace those nasty chrome bumper caps with color matched ones.

TRAIL CARNAGE
*to be added at a later date

RANDOM PHOTOS
*to be added at a later date

MY OTHER RIGS
1986 CUCV M1008 and 2013 Jeep JKU

 

Note: If you are reading this thread while it is relatively new, I still need to go through and create posts showing the installation of each upgrade. That will take some time and I will get to it soon. Thank you.

 

That's a really long first post! Nice rig!

 

Thank you. I have a lot more I wanted to add to it, such as the photos of it on the trail, the body damage it has, and other planned modifications that I didn't list yet. But I needed a break and just wanted to get at least something posted tonight.

 

Good to see you on here, Tyler. Been waiting to see a build thread on here

 

I figured I would try it out. It becomes a lot to manage though.

 

Sweet build and subbed.

 

We're a little partial but those bumpers, wheels, .... well everything looks awesome!

Really nice build!

Relentless Fabrication
www.relentlessfabrication.com

 

Thanks, guys! That rear bumper never gets old.

 

Before (bottom) and after (top) new leaf springs. Went from Dakar HD squeakers (600 lb rating) to Dobinsons super HD silent glory (800-1000 lb rating). Also gained around 2” of additional height. This is part of the prep for my Four Wheel Camper. Next are the airbags and Archive Garage hammer hangers with crossbar.

 

You might not need/want the airbags with those springs.

how stiff of a ride is it unloaded?

you could always go to Home Depot and get a 1000lb. Bag of gravel to try them out with a full load. The the gravel is like $25 and you can probably return it too hehe

 

That's not a bad idea about the test gravel. Never would have thought of that.

But to me, they aren't stiff. Maybe they are, but maybe I am used to it, and I think I prefer it to feel that way over squishy. But combined with my Icon remote reservoirs, they feel great over speed bumps and such (only testing I have on them so far).

I also drive a 1986 Chevy K30 on 37s that is stiff as hell and breaks my back over speed bumps. So maybe that is why the Tacoma feels so nice, even with these springs. But I still want to know how much weight they can handle before they sag lower than the front, so I'll probably do your suggestion.

 

In this video I show you how to upgrade the leaf springs on your Tacoma. This is the first video I have ever made and it was quite a learning experience. Any feedback you have on how I can improve my next video would be greatly appreciated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSU77AE97L4

 

The second video on our channel is up. My wife installs a roof rack on our Tacoma. It’s a short video and not too serious as far as it being a tutorial goes. Let me know what you think.

https://youtu.be/MysIhm96cYU