Iowa Tacomas (Idiots.Out.Wandering.Around)

Catch/trap all the dust/rust!

 

I would go crazy without front flaps. I drove my 16 for like a week or two without them and my windows were impossible to see out of

 

I got about 1" of poke on my tires and have had no problems with no flaps Course it hasn't been in mud at all.

 

I live on a gravel road.. so the truck is covered in slop 90% of the time

 

How many of you guys had to replace need bearing? After I lifted i noticed it felt like tire rubbing going straight. But after research.. I may need to replace that? Let me know

 

It's worth replacing for peace of mind. Not complicated either, and not expensive.

A win win

 

Any of you boys need oil filters? I just got rid of the taco and purchased a Tundra so i have a few left over Toyota oil filters for the 2nd gen.

 

Ten years ago - Hell, not even - I would have never considered moving to Iowa or really anywhere in the Midwest for that matter. I am a Navy brat, born in Northern California, who in addition to living in California twice (1989-1990 and 1996 to 1998) has lived in three different states; Pennsylvania (1990-1996, 2005-present), Virginia (1998-2000, 2002-2005), and Washington (2000-2002). Until maybe a little over a decade ago, I thought of places like Iowa as "flyover country"; My good friend and former boss moved here to the Philly area from Hebron, Nebraska right out of college at the age of 22 because she thought that it was boring among other things.

The only time I can ever actually recall setting foot in Iowa is at the age of 7, in the summer of 1996, when the Navy transferred my dad from Pennsylvania back to California; My parents, myself, and our dog Molly were driving across country in my dad's brand new 1996 Nissan Pathfinder, while my mom's 1990 Toyota Camry was being shipped across the coutnry for free courtest of the United States Navy. We stopped at a gas station to fill up the Pathfinder's tank, and so I could empty mine, and before we left my dad took me to an adjacent cornfield and to teach me a lesson; Corn on the cob has always been one of my favorite snacks, and my dad brought me over to the edge of this cornfield where he gave me an in-depth lesson on where corn came from, and how it ultimately made it from the farm to my dinner plate. Almost 26 years later, I still remember that! I love my dad...

Anyway, I was in bed about to hit the sack late last night; This commercial from what I'm assuming is Iowa's tourism board came on, and he tagline was "Iowa; Maybe we weren't properly introduced" or something like that...

I promptly went to the advertised website, "Thisisiowa.com", and was intrigued. Not only does it seem like a place that makes me want to impulsively hop in my truck and visit for a week or two, but if I had to leave my longtime home state...er...commonwealth...of Pennsylvania for any reason, Iowa would be on my list of states to relocate to; My other choices (in alphabetical order) are Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina, and West Virginia.

This may sound stupid to some people, but one of my top reasons for choosing a specific state is whether or not they require annual emissions testing and/or safety inspections for vehicles; Texas is the only one on the list that requires both, but it's Texas. The pros far outweigh the cons! North Carolina requires emissions testing in some of the higher population areas, but not safety inspections; West Virginia requires safety inspections for vehicles over five years old, but no emissions testing. A good friend of mine lives in the Martinsburg area, and he says that only does he not bother to get his vehicles inspected if he keeps them beyond the five year mark, this is rarely enforced by cops as long as the vehicle is registered and insured. Florida, Oklahoma, and South Carolina are all automotive enthusiast paradises that don't require any type of vehicle inspections whatsoever; This also seems to be the case with Iowa!

In the less than twelve hours I have been researching Iowa, I have come to the conclusion that Davenport would be my top choice; An old friend of mine from high school days in Northern Virginia has been living in Marion for many years, and she seems to like it there. My biggest reasons for staying in Pennsylvania are the same reasons anybody stays anywhere; Friends, family, and a good job. I've been here for almost 17 years as of this post; I've got an aunt, an uncle, and two cousins in Northern California (as well as the husband, three kids, and in-laws of one cousin), but the majority of my family is on the East Coast (spread across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida). I have absolutely no blood connections to the midwest whatsoever, so it would take a really good job offer, falling in love with an extraordinary woman from Iowa, or something really off the charts insane happening on the East Coast to make me relocate to Iowa or anywhere in the midwest; Some of my reasons for even considering moving to Iowa cannot be discussed publicly here on TW as per the rules of the CoC, and those who know me well can probably figure out what those reasons are...

That said, I just wanted to let it be known that Iowa (specifically Davenport) is on radar for a change of scenery if I ever choose to relocate, and I was hoping some of my fellow TW members who live there could give me some in-depth info about not just Davenport but the whole area!

 

Think the Iowa board of tourism would hire you based on this write up alone

 

After that write up, I want to move there and I already live here!

I really wish there was public land, BLM, National Forest, etc. It's both bad and good. Bad that there is nothing close. Good that we are centrally located to some great public lands. I'm in central Iowa, so within 6 to 8 hours, I can be in Wisconsin, Missouri, Arkansas, South Dakota, Minnesota, and others. Lately we have been spending time in Wisconsin and the Michigan UP, or Arkansas National Forests.

 

Well, I do have an associate's degree in journalism so that might have something to do with it...?

 

I take it you mean Bureau of Land Management and not something else with that abbreviation...?

So you live there; Can you confirm that there is no annual or biannual vehicle inspection involved? I know that Iowa, unlike my current state of Pennsylvania, requires two license plates; However, if they don't require emissions testing or safety inspections, I'd say that compromise is more than fair!

I would be a bit disappointed at having to replace my American flag with an actual license plate though!

 

I mean, Missouri "requires" two plates.... I haven't run two plates for 5 years and have never had a problem

 

Only one plate here in PA! My truck originally had the blue and yellow stand issue PA plate, which was issued at the dealer when my dad bought the truck new back in September 2009. My dad signed the title over to me in December 2016 and since we're obviously related, we just kept that plate to avoid paying additional fees. By 2020, my now decade-old plate was starting to peel, so I went to the tag agency and picked up a special issue Railroad Preservation plate in January 2019; Pennsylvania's most beautiful plate in my opinion!

 

However, I'd rather have two plates than have to pay about $50 a year for my mechanic to say my truck is in perfect condition and to get these two stickers!

 

Blue is for safety inspection, which is required on all vehicles not registered as an antique; Even classic cars that have regular passenger plates are required to get this. The safety inspection is honestly not what irks me...

 

Yellow is for emissions, and this what I think is pointless; I've had my truck since 2009 and it's never failed the inspection or emissions test, EVER. My mechanic tells that as long as the emissions equipment on my truck is intact and working properly, and the CEL isn't on, my truck will pass emissions; Emissions testing is not required for an diesel-powered vehicles, from Volkswagens all the way up to 18-wheelers, or gas-powered vehicles over like 10,000 pounds GVW. For gas-powered vehicles smaller than that, emissions testing is only required if you live in 1 of 25 Pennsylvania counties; There are 67 counties in Pennsylvania, and only 25 of them require emissions testing. I live in Bucks County, which is in the Philly burbs and thus one of those counties, so my truck has to get the emissions test...

 

No vehicle inspections at all. Iowa did away with inspections probably 40 years ago. They do require 2 plates, but I know a lot of Jeeps not running a front plate and have not ever been stopped. I'm sure if you're a jerk, they could use it as probable cause, but I have not heard of anyone stopped for it. Most just keep it in the cab and claim they are trying to figure out how to mount it.

The DMV is pretty lax about other registrations in my experience. I bought a used utility trailer off craigslist with no title. Went to the DMV to register it and told them what I had. They issued a "homebuilt" title right there, sight unseen.

 

I've definitely got a title; It's been sitting in a fireproof safe for probably five years! Would have no problem transferring from Pennsylvania to Iowa if I moved there, but my other question is this...

In Pennsylvania, tag agencies are separate entities from the DMV. You go the DMV to take the driving test when you get your license, and get your license renewed; Titles and license plates are handled by privately run notaries. If you are a Pennsylvania resident buying a new or used vehicle from a licensed dealer in Pennsylvania, then the dealer can issue you a plate on the spot; By comparison Virginia, where I have lived as well, will transfer plates from the trade-in vehicle to the vehicle being purchased but will not issue new plates to a newly purchased vehicle.

 

I will add that annual registration fees suck in Iowa. It's some formula based on vehicle type, weight, age, purchase price and whatever the DOT wants to throw in. I think I'm paying over $450 a year. There used to be an exemption for trucks, since they were primarily "farm vehicles", and had a flat fee of something like $50. Then everyone started buying trucks to get around the fees, so that state added the formula. After 12 years, I think it drops back to $50 annually.