Back in a Taco

My first truck was a 2002 Red Double Cab Tacoma when I was a senior in high school back in Texas... I sold it with well over 200k miles in 2015 after I graduated college in Orange County and got a 2013 Mercedes Benz C250 because I was moving to LA and working in entertainment and it felt like a good move at the time.

5 years later, I traded in the Benz and got myself another Taco because... Y'all know why. The Benz was "cool" but it also wasn't. It's gone now. No need to waste time talking about it. I do still live in LA and work in entertainment but I'm also here because of the adventure opportunities SoCal has to offer! I love to snowboard, camp, fish, and go anywhere where I can make the most of my days I'm not working (even if that means remote in my living room).

I found a used 2019 Cement Gray Tacoma TRD Offroad with 17k miles on her. Double cab. Regular bed. 3 inch lift. Fabric seat trim and stock tech & entertainment. Projection & fog lights. Wrangler tires with plenty of tread left. The car search/buying experience in Southern California was an epic saga in itself but I am so grateful to be back in a truck and back in this one especially. I go to the mountains for boarding and camping. I'm looking to break my off-road cherry ASAP and I want to make mods & upgrades as I go and as I learn.

No floor mats from the dealership but WeatherTech mats coming in the mail. Put some Carhartt seat covers on the front and back seats. Driving to my buddy's ranch in Arizona on Friday for a couple weeks so just need to keep her safe during our shenanigans for now but I'll be thinking about the following in no particular order below for when I get back:

• Line-X the bed
• COI + performance exhaust
• Bed light system (big help camping)
• Bed cover w/ rails for racks like this
• Running boards - I like the Predator Step Ups
• Grill is probably coming from Texas from a family friend's shop

Obviously I'm excited! I'm happy to be here. Ready to learn and DO THIS RIGHT. Open & to all suggestion as to how to best proceed. Appreciate ya.

 

Welcome to The Forum!

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Nice and welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to the TW! Just joined yesterday and I love this site. I grew up out in Pomona and used to do a lot of snowboarding and mountain camping out there. If you haven't been, Big Bear is amazing and they defiantly have some cool deep mountain trails in that mountain range.

 

Congrats. Nice ride

 

Cool truck. Welcome back!

 

I'm set up to get a Line X appt on Thursday morning... they want $499 for the standard bed lining and wanted $649 for the premium. I'm going to get a cover one day so premium seemed unnecessary. Thoughts about brand, cost?

 

Welcome to TW

 

Welcome! I can't wait to see the build on this one. My favorite color choice as well

 

Welcome!

 

Welcome

 

Congrats and welcome, I'm confused though, that picture is Magnetic Gray Metallic not Cement also looks stock height. Either way, have owned both, both great colors. Happy modding!

 

The bed is composite, no need to linex, just snag a bed mat.

 

BRO I'M CONFUSED! Haha the interior is the Cement Gray and the exterior is Magnetic Gray Metallic. Good catch.

I was also WRONG about the lift. The guy told me it was... I'm new to this whole modding thing so, again, just me being wrong. I want to lift it though and was thinking about 2 inches in the front and 1 inch in the back because I saw a side by side video that made me feel that was an awesome combo to go with.

 

Can you explain a little further? I know some people who have lined their truck even though it was composite? I don't want to waste money by following guys who were acting silly! Bed mat suggestions as well?

 

The main reason to line would be to prevent damage to the paint / metal and prevent rust as with a traditional truck bed, ours is composite or plastic so literally would be throwing money away and adding unnecessary weight, plus they have to prep the bed basically destroying it to get it to adhere. For a 2nd gen or newer Tacoma it’s pointless.

 

+100 point to TacoBuffet. Looking at a Tacoma Bed Mat instead!

 

Well that makes more sense and yes staying below 3” will be easier on your drivetrain components and less headaches though this is a heated debate around here. Lots of options and plenty of threads here on the topic. Grab a beer and find a comfy spot.

 

The composite bed is tough and it won’t rot away. The OEM bed mat is just a rubber mat but it gives grip to things you put in it so stuff doesn’t slide around.