Iowa Tacomas (Idiots.Out.Wandering.Around)

I would like to see some shots from the easier stuff. There's no way we could make it through those mud holes.

 

I've seen some pics of just offroad trails, a couple of ruts going through the woods type of thing, but there is some stuff there that I wouldn't touch with my truck.

 

http://desmoines.craigslist.org/cto/3713719721.html

 

Well let me use your truck to make 2nd gen skid plates so you can go through it all.

 

How about a bumper?

 

Front or rear? I'm trying to get my truck armored before I go above and beyond my generation. I think my rear bumper design could easily be adapted to 2nd gen unless you want a high clearance. Would just need to change the brackets and overall dimensions really.

I could probably have some sliders fabbed up early this summer too.

 

I'd really like a tube bumper up front with a skid, if I was going to do a rear I would do high clearance.

 

Tube is probably a no go. I don't have a reliable fab shop around that can bend much tubing for me. That's why I'm not making sliders yet. 4X can probably sell me a set for less than I can fab my own at this point. There's a place in Boone I might investigate.

 

I looked through your pictures a bit, what have you made so far? Doing it in your garage at home?

 

Skids for 1st gens are all I have actually fabbed out of steel so far. I'm ready to get my first rear bumper for 1st gen welded up within a couple weeks. If it's welding and grinding I work out of my buddy's garage, otherwise cutting and bending I farm out to a local fab shop. I'm trying to design more products to sell, but it takes a while.

My order is something like this coming up: 1st gen rear bumper, sliders, 1st gen front winch bumper. Hopefully I can get them all done by fall semester. Somewhere in there I might do a full transfer case skid and a gas tank skid.

 

Sweet.

If you need a 2nd gen to work on let me know.

 

I probably will. I'm gonna go peek under one at the dealer after hours and decide how hard it will be to fab some 2nd gen plates. I don't want to require moving the exhaust cross over. The budbuilt skids look a little more fabricationally involved compared to 1st gen skids.

 

The crossover pipe is retarded, cant believe these things left the factory like that.

 

I was at QT on 2nd & Broadway getting gas a little bit ago and came out to see two Nissan Xterras that were highly modded and packed with gear. One was completely covered in graphics from xterranation.org. I was going to talk to them but they seemed kinda busy so I headed on my way. Not two blocks down the road I see 5 more in a convoy heading towards QT!

I had to look them up when I got home and see that they're on the way to Moab for a week long event. Would have been cooler if it was a bunch of Tacomas but I thought I'd share.

 

How's that weather down there boys? Gold ball size hail west of des moines.

 

doing good in Ankeny, no hail as of yet, just some winds. New Garage worked out well. 3 vehicles and all the crap fit nicely.

 

Had a little bit of hail up to 1" or so here. Round two coming through now but just rain so far.

 

Gold? Wtf. LOL

 

I've talked to a couple of those guys on the MIOBI page, the one that is wrapped in vinyl is from Carlisle. They wheel at MIOBI quite often.

 

hey guys,
I don't own a Tacoma, but did a few years back. I currently own a couple of 4Runners. I was asked by ISU2014 to come over here and post up. I frequent a couple other Toyota forums and we chatted a little via PM. I was asked to introduce myself and share a little information regarding offroading in Iowa. (for those interested) I organized a Toyota offroad event for a couple years here in Iowa. The event was hosted at MIOBI "grounds". In some of the prior posts I noticed that some of you guys are concerned that you wouldn't be able to go there with your current trucks. I understand based on the pictures that were posted from there. I took my 97' Tacoma there a couple of times when it had a 2.5" lift and 31's. There are trails there for slightly modified and stock rigs. I don't always get on a lot and my time right now is limited so, if nothing else here are some pictures.

Pictures from one of the Toyota events I organized at MIOBI "grounds"....
http://s100.photobucket.com/user/kr...3&page=1&_suid=136915778775007198898295812546

Free free to ask questions and I will do my best to answer them.