Port/Dealer installed accessories - What is hard to install DIY?

They're all easy to DIY. I'd avoid the OEM mudguards as they're inflexible and get ripped off easily off-road. There are better ones like RokBlokz which are more robust and provide more clearance in the wheelwell for larger tires.

 

If you shop around, you can find dealerships that ship for free sometimes. I've seen lots of people on here getting good deals. But, it might be worth it to get it at the selling dealership. In the greater scheme of costs when you buy a new truck, $150 isn't a big number.

 

It is all there, wiring and the lights. The lights are mounted under the truck and plug into the wiring harness on the side kick panel. They work like the interior lights. Come on when you open the door and fades off with the interior lights. I think it is pretty cool. I ordered from the dealer and I think it was around $100. Instructions are very detailed, it takes time to Lunt the lights and run the wires into the cab. Oh, you also get footwell lights with it. The nice thing is you do not have to splice into any wiring and it is all Toyota parts.

 

Another thing to consider is those 'factory trained' techs care far less about your truck than you do and often screw up basic maintenance. As stated above download the installation instructions for everything and decide which ones you'd be uncomfortable doing. The power tailgate lock is the most involved but still plug and play. If doing DIY on that one make sure to get the right part number based on cab and bed length. The wiring harness length varies. It's not one part number fits all.

 

for this exact list, you will save nearly 500 dollars DIY for roughly 1-2 hour total work

 

Regardless of what kind of mudguards you get, having them, at least on the rear, is important. (That is, unless you do a lot of off-roading.) The way the Tacoma is designed, there's an open space between the composite bed and the outer fender, and all sorts of debris, such as water, dust, and mud, gets kicked up into there. You see this easily if you have unsealed cubbies back there.

 

The LED illumination package is a Southeast Toyota (SET) accessory, so if you're not in that region, you won't find it.

Part number is 00016-00069 if anyone is interested. I love this accessory. Good exterior puddle lights, then the foot well lights are another nice touch. And the exterior lights illuminate when approaching the vehicle or when exiting.

 

I went the self-installed route, wasn't too hard (& I'm not the most mechanically inclined). Here's what I paid for these parts:

Bed lighting kit: $50 (online toyota dealership)
Bed mat: $80 (online toyota dealership)
Blackout emblem overlays: $35 (Amazon)
mudguards $90 (weathertech. don't know why it's linking to autoanything.)
Remote tailgate lock: $125 (online toyota dealership)

 

Came up empty when I searched my Toyota parts departments.

 

Just reviewed the install instructions for these and seems very involved and requires running several wire bundles. That said, nothing that can't be tackled by a determined DYI'er, especially considering how popular the MESO Puddle Lights are and the same level of ass pain for install (more or less). I have never heard of the SET illumination option and look really interesting. Anyone have pics or a link with pics with this option installed or in use? If you are not in the Southeast, can you request this option for install when picking up your new vehicle?

 

That's because it's not OEM. It is a Southeast Toyota port installed option only. See link at the bottom of this post.

Only available in the Southeast region.
Image search on Google
Parts search on Google

 

Available here: https://www.sparksparts.com/p-led-illumination-puddle-lights-0001600069

TW writeup here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/puddle-light-install-and-review.452279/

 

Like others have said, just get the bed mat. My truck came with a bed mat, mid guards, running boards, blacked out emblems, paint protection film, and the package that includes the iPhone and Android cables (I still use them, that’s how reliable their damn charges are). The tailgate remote lock is probably the hardest to install because it’s the most time consuming.

 

after market floor mats (the oem ones are very thin compared to the weather tech, i wore a hole in my stock one in about 8000 miles).
the bed mat is great but its the number 1 stolen item out of trucks, aftermarket are cheaper and heavier so harder to steel.
the mud flaps are 3 screws and the holes are already there and threaded it will literally take you 3 minutes per.
the tailgate lock can be a pain if your not comfortable with wiring and splicing in to a harness.
the blackout emblems are overlays to your existing ones literally peel tape and stick on, you could not f#ck that up if you tried.
never did the bed lights but again if your not comfortable with wiring might not be worth the trouble.
just my 2 cents, congrats on the new truck and have fun constantly having this site make you spend money on things no-one needs but we all reeeely need.

 

Neither the tailgate nor bed lights require splicing into your harness. They come plug and play, but routing the harness for the tailgate lock can be tedious. I had the dealer do mine upon delivery so that it had the 3 year warranty instead of the 1 year parts warranty