What Have You Done To Your 2nd Gen Tacoma Today?

Cost wise it is minimal. About the same as GMRS. I run an anytone 778uv with powerwerx SAR antenna. I can hit 10-15 miles simplex and repeater wise 50-100 miles. With more advanced repeaters that utilize winlink I regularly have conversations with other operators as far as Alaska. Ham is more versatile in many ways but does have testing restrictions, which aren't bad at all if you enjoy electrical work.

Excuse the dirty interior.. just a quick shot of the cabin setup. I rarely use the cb anymore tbh.

 

Just another lighting upgrade

 

My son came home and parked his new to him ‘02 beside my ‘10 and ‘98. I wonder if all the neighbors can tell the brand of trucks we like?! Haha

 

Installed new carpet into my son's 2007 taco. Taco family here!

 

We plan to simplex GMRS, there aren't as many around as 2m/70cm repeaters. For us it was the time investment of the other guys to study for and pass the tech exam. They don't plan on using the radios outside of wheeling communications so it was a no brainer to pay and play. (We also joke the one guy can't read so it would have taken him a bit to pass).

As for radios I started with a UV5R which was 25 bucks on Amazon. I could hit repeaters 13 miles away on 5w 2meter. I have since upgraded to a 50w icom 2730a in my truck which has waaayyyyy more reach but is also 15x the cost as a cheap handheld. There are 40-50w GMRS equivalents but again we are only planning wheeling coms so less than 1 mile distance with clear uninterrupted communication. It was real nice when going around blind turns in a caravan on tight trails or over blind hills/drops to have guys wait until we made it without having to get out of the vehicle.

Cost wise you can get a UV5R (ham) for about the same price as a UV5X (GMRS) and they will both function the same up to 10ish miles. There are a lot more >5w ham radios than there are GMRS >5w radios. All in all I'm glad I got my tech exam, but I may throw a GMRS or cheap ham in my trailer when it's finished for home base as well.

 

I thought I would use my CB way more when I bought and installed it but too many people don't tune them properly and it makes communications suck.

Which is why I advised the group I wheel with to just start with GMRS

 

Moved some fence boards for a friend.

 

So I was helping my brother with his lights today and I thought Guys here would like to see them. He pulled his factory lights apart off of his 2013 tacoma, painted everything and now he is putting in some 7” jeep led lights from Amazon inside. Let me now when y’all think. I personally really like them.
I will follow up on them when they are finished.

 

Took advantage of the holiday weekend and did a little solo off-roading for two days in the Leadville-Breckenridge area of CO and saw this guy!


Having run a number of “moderate” trails this year, I wanted to get my feet wet and run a few “hard” trails. And I got my money’s worth that’s for damn sure! Hit skids, sliders, bumpers, rear diff got banged up a few times. Got hung up a few times. After this trip I’m definitely gonna make the jump to 35’s.

Birdseye Gulch, Mosquito Pass, Red Cone, Radical Hill, Middle Fork of the Swan River, North Fork Swan, Saints John.

All the trails were super scenic and many offered more of a challenge than I was expecting. Add to that the running and standing water on the trails both days.

Birdseye Gulch big ass rocks uphill in the water. No biggie

Red Cone had some healthy obstacles on the way up and amazing scenery from the top. And a steep steep descent (pics never do the hills justice)

Radical hill was pretty fuckin hard on 33s. Videos and such all go on about the narrow death defying off-camber switchbacks. And it was all of those things. They gloss over the super rocky obstacle filled mile before that.

View of the switchbacks from the top.
This was the easiest obstacle.

Views across to Red Cone from half way up. Mountain goats in the road near the summit


North and middle fork of the swan River were beautiful and rocky. With optional lines to bump the rating. I somehow found them all. I’m taking the harder rating for both of those trails.


The V-Notch section of the the North Fork was a steep, muddy, off-camber washed out mess that was so narrow it closed both my mirrors on the way up.

Moderate way on the right. Hard line I accidentally came down on the left.

And on the way up to the summit on Saints John trail. My truck looking muddy as usual.

 

Who did your gauge lights? I will be making my lights white at some point. not a fan of the orange.

 

I suppose I should share it here, for anyone that missed my thread. I did some minor restoration to the rear axel.

Before:


Cleaned for priming:


After:

 

Did the same, but I added BNC connectors, extra capacity battery as well as USB charge cable to min UV5R. The BNC connectors were so I can go from vehicle to ground mount easily.

 

Does your USB charger for the battery allow you to operate the radio while it's charging? I tried charging mine while driving and using the UV5r but it wouldn't transmit or receive while charging.

 

Added some sound deadening and insulation to the roof. I plan on doing the the doors, floor and back wall but the roof was a good start.

 

I did the same years back. It made the biggest difference. Then I did all the doors and back wall also thermal tint all the way around. Just need to do the floorboards. It all adds up! Good stuff.

 

Keep us updated on how it works out. I have been on the fence for a while on getting one.

 

https://www.hiboost.com/product/travel-4g/

Coupon code Grant20 gets 20% off, found that on a YouTube vid

 

The extra capacity battery has its own charging cable that goes from USB to a pin type connector on the battery itself and so far it works, just have to watch for the one you get, I got mine from Mirkit US based company that deals in UV series

 

I have an ADD one and I mounted it to my intake bracket. You might be able to mount it to the side of your power tray. That is how this one is suppose to be mounted.