Question about something that happened while driving my Tacoma this weekend

Disclaimer: I am completely new to this style of driving, this type of truck, off roading, etc. If my question is completely dumb, please try not to make fun.


My girlfriend and I were looking for a camping spot outside of Buena Vista, CO. We tried to go up a dirt hill and went up on one of the mounds going <=5 mph and thinking it would have okay clearance, the bottom of my truck got stuck on the mound, so I immediately put it in reverse and after a few seconds backed up and we went an alternate way.


I’m pretty sure this is what a skid plate is for and the truck is driving normally. I just don’t know what the truck can take/can’t take and I’d like to know if I could have messed something up without knowing? I checked underneath and everything seems fine. Just wanted to be sure.

It’s a 2018 Tacoma TRD Off Road and does have a skid plate


Again sorry if this is a dumb concern. Thanks in advance.

 

Nah dude you should be good. As long as you didn’t slam it, the truck should be fine.

 

Yeah you’ll be alright. Try and avoid it though because if there’s something poking up like a rock, it could hit your transmission or transfer case but you’d definitely know if that happened. If it was just a dirt mound then you’re fine.

If you get aftermarket skid plates at some point, you can bash it into whatever you want.

This is the full weight of the truck on the skid plates with absolutely no damage.

 

Do you know where it hit? You probably have some sort of mark underneath. The key when driving is to try and get the wheels as close to or on top of whatever is protruding from the ground (not too high, though, lol).

But as others said you're 99% okay. The more you drive, the more you'll be able to place the tires where they need to go in order to avoid smacking the underside as much as possible. You'll start getting a feel for how much ground clearance you have, and what you can and can't drive over. It's at that point you end up getting a lift and bigger tires, lol, and start all over...

These trucks are kinda like the human body: extremely resilient, but fragile at the same time.

These trucks can take an awful lot of abuse, but the skid plates are hilariously weak for moderate/hard off-roading, and the transmission oil pan is completely exposed. I've been wheelin' a good number of years and never hit the trany pan, but all it takes is one lucky (unlucky) shot and you're getting towed out... It's something I think about all the time, to the point I' about ready to pull the trigger on some DIY skids that cover the trany, too, just so I can stop worrying about it.

Depending on your fabrication skill level, you can make your own for relatively cheap (there's a "homemade skid plate" thread I suggest you check out, it's mostly for 1st gens, but the idea is the same).