NW WA Meet / BS Thread

I love those video's. My bengal cat is pretty good but obviously can't fit in tiny places. But if I see a rat in the back yard I yell out "who's out there? you get him". He comes running to the sliding glass door. I slowly open and he darts out and kills the rat and brings straight back inside.

 

I'm afraid to ask, but what's a 'pink'?

 

baby mouse, before it grows fur

 

Would anybody be down to to go get Christmas trees off Keechelus Ridge on Sunday Dec. 6?

I don’t know how the snow looks at the moment, but I’ve made the run before with others. We could meet up in North Bend in the AM, maybe get breakfast etc, and convoy to Kachess Lake Road.

It would be up to you to acquire a tree permit and have your rig ready for some moderate snow/ice. A couple rigs with winches or recovery equipment would be a plus.

If enough people wanted in, we could scout it first this coming weekend and check it out?

 

I would be if my back was feeling better!

 

Might be interested. Will be up in that general area this Saturday looking for trees.

 

I'd be interested depending on how much extra snow we get by then. Was solo up by Salmon La Sac yesterday scouting for a christmas tree, but didn't make it past 3,000ft elevation with chains and traction boards. Once the truck started repeatedly sliding sideways toward the edge I noped out of there; could have made it further but not worth the risk that day.

 

Everything is super icy at the moment. Its either frozen over or in the afternoon wet and muddy, just depends if your on the north side or south side of ridge.

 

Hey folks, new Tacoma owner and noob off-roader. I just bought a 2019 Tacoma TRD OR and I'm anxious to see some sights in the Pac NW. Figured I would say "hi" and see if there were chances to meet up with folks. I'm slowly acquiring gear and making some mods (any suggestions are welcome, as I said, noob!). I've gone out North Forks in Snoqualmie a couple of times with my wife and daughter, however I realize if I'm going to do anything cool, I need to make sure I'm around some folks that will at least give me a ride back to civilization if things go badly I rode up parts of NF-7030 towards Stampede Pass this weekend and got off the beaten track and legit thought I was walking out at one point but I made it home with everything where it ought to be.

I live in Sammamish/Issaquah area and would love to follow some experienced folks around and make some new friends.

At the moment, the truck had a 3" spacer lift when I bought it and I've put some 33" tires on 17s and side steps (although in hindsight, I'm realizing I should have bought sliders instead). I'm thinking suspension, lights, bumpers? Thoughts?

Anyway, hi!

EDIT: In light of my adventures thus far, recovery gear has moved to the top of the list.

 

Welcome to TW! Self recovery gear is always a good choice!

 

Hello!

It really all depends on how much you want to spend and what your goals are. Suspension can run you $4k+, but if you aren't doing desert racing or hardcore rock crawling it can be overkill.
Shocks:
King, ADS, Fox, etc are all great and all cost a lot but are considered the best. Bilstein makes some good mid range kits that will run you about $1-1.5k (6112, 5160). Bilstein also makes a good entry level kit (5100s).
Leaf springs:
Deavers are considered the best outside of custom ordered and are around $1k. Icon makes a nice adjustable unit for around $700. Or you can do an AAL for about $200 (headstrong)

Talk with Marie @HeadStrong Off-Road (best prices and best advice)

Sliders and skid plates are a good starting point for armor. Get some recovery gear (shackle hitch receiver, snatch strap, etc), carry a tool kit in your truck, and get some traction boards (i prefer maxtrax).


You mention you are in the Issaquah/Sammamish area so go check out Mule and chat with them (be prepared for your wallet to get lighter)

 

Good call, I did go over and chat with the people at Mule and they had some good recommendations although they have a 2 month waiting list to get into the shop, which kind of made me sad. I'm not going to be doing anything hard-core, however the guy at Mule did say that bumpers, a winch, and misc overlanding gear would add enough weight that I would want to upgrade so there would be no sagging, he was talking about $2k-ish.

I want to be able to not shy away if there are a few rocks/ruts on the trail but I do not want to get youtube famous. I want enough to feel confident that a little bit of flexing is not going to mean there's a good chance I'm getting towed home. I did a bunch of camping the last couple of years in my Subaru WRX and I got rid of it for the Tacoma in order to expand my reachable area.

 

Yah that’s what I saw on mountain loop too. Hoping for a fresh hammering of some snow. I want to get out in the snow but don’t necessarily want to waste the time with shit conditions.

 

You don't need bumpers until you do. If you're not doing anything hardcore you won't.

 

Hit up Monroe at Michaels Toyota of Bellevue.

 

The truck off the factory showroom floor is super capable. You would be surprised what you and it can do in it's pristine state. Get an air compressor, even a ciggarette lighter style will do for the time being and air down. Once you take pressure out of your tires the improvement in capabilities and drivability off-road will improve even more. Keep a shovel, some traction boards and maybe some kitty litter for the snow and that should get you going for the time being.

 

Thanks, good info! A compressor makes a lot of sense, I specifically didn't air down because I didn't have one. Do you think a winch is a necessity, especially since I'm probably going to be out there by myself?

 

I had planned on waiting but I was thinking it might be smart to get a winch, given I may be solo for a bit. Could I do that without replacing bumpers?

 

welcome man! if you want lighting tips look on this forum. i was showed rigid and diode dynamic brands. both fantastic. be prepared for a rabbit hole. these trucks are addictive to buy cool mods for.