Philrab’s 2015 camping truck/road warrior

Audio thread: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/philrab’s-audio-otherwise-known-as-mission-creep.725511/



I’m the second owner of this 2015 Pyrite Mica Prerunner DCSB. Carfax indicates it was purchased brand new, driven 86,000 miles, and traded in. In the interim, it was meticulously and consistently maintained at the same local dealership it was purchased at, no indication it was ever flooded or abused, and was reasonably well taken care of outside some scratches here and there.


First thing was to toss a Scangauge leftover from previous cars in it. Still trying to decide where to mount it, it lives in the cubbyhole in front of the cup holders for the time being.

Also dropped in a Unifilter, just to head off potential issues. Stock filter didn’t look half bad.
This truck has to walk a fine line. It isn’t exactly a daily driver (I ride a vanpool to work to keep the miles off my vehicle) but will make multiple long road trips a year for family camping and trips associated with my podcast. I’m thinking mild lift, upsize the tires to 265/75/16’s, and mainly focus on those mods and gear that aid it for camping trips and road trips. Looking forward to figuring this truck out, my last Toyota was a 1994 pickup I drove in college all the way to 289,000 miles.

 

If anyone listens to podcasts, I do a weekly show mostly about prepping, guns, politics, and anything else that comes to mind.

Matter of Facts Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/matter-of-facts/id1146270198

 

LED’s from MedlinAround.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/interior-dome-led-light-kits.347450/
Worked fine, had to bend the contacts on the dome light just a touch on my 2015 and blew the Dome fuse under the hood, otherwise everything worked out nicely.

Also put a pair of olecoot’s seat spacers. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/fs-aluminum-seat-spacers-for-seat-mod.563339/
Spending some time tweaking the driving position but so far no more pain in my back. Wish my hip were as cooperative.

 

While washing the truck this weekend, I realized that on a recent camping trip (had some reasonable grades to drive up and down) I apparently managed to rip a mud flap off.

So, the other three went in the trash. Otherwise, I’m waiting on a TRDfaux grill to come in while considering tough boxes to store camping gear in the bed.

 

Faux Pro grill looks nicer than the factory grill. Slowly getting storage figured out for camping gear. Have a tough box that looks the right size to play nice with everything else, just need to get to the Fall and head out.

 

Relocated the trailer plug today. Sawed off one of the ears and used Silicone to seal it and make up the gap.

 

Washed both vehicles, installed my Meso Customs molle rack. Now to start getting pouches lined up.

 

Added some extra D rings on the tailgate and above the storage bins. Wouldn’t slap a ratchet strap on them but they’ll be good for bungee cords to strap down light items.

Also tossed a couple pouches on my Meso Molle Rack, for a light, admin pouch, and IFAK. Have two more pouches I could add but waiting till I figure out what’s going in them and how to arrange it.

 

Washed the Taco, applied Griot’s Vinyl and Rubber dressing. Didn’t seem like it did much till I saw a spot I had missed and side by side the difference is obvious. It’s subtle, but knocked years off the age of the exterior plastics. It didn’t have the effect I hoped for the window trim, but hopefully the UV protectant will help.

 

My inelegant solution to securing Jerry cans. A ratchet strap to keep them from flying around, and a cable lock threaded through a D ring fastened to the toolbox so they don’t walk off. The Jerry cans also keep the two water jugs pinned in place under the tool box.

Headed to North Carolina for the weekend.

 

Smart move.

 

Spent last weekend up in Saluda, NC at Prepper Camp. It’s become the annual meet up for myself and a growing number of guys that listen to my podcast. Good time and fun was had by all, Taco made a fine trip and turned in a bit over 21MPG average hauling several hundred pounds in accumulated camping gear, water, food, etc.

 

Came back from a four day trip (took the wife’s Grand Cherokee) to find my truck in limp mode with a check engine light. Short version: rodent chewed my knock sensor wiring. Four days and a Comprehensive claim later she’s fixed. Worst part was having a Jetta rental car and missing my Tacoma every mile I drove.

 

Big bottle of this stuff to keep applying to some rags strategically placed around the engine bay. Hopefully it keeps the little furry jerks off my wiring.

 

Little update. 265/75/16 Cooper AT3 4S’s on the stock wheels and suspension. Nothing rubs but I’d already torn two mud flaps off on a trail and removed the other two.

Also installed Diode Dynamics SS3 yellow Sport fogs. Definitely throw more light, they’ll come in handy next time the fog is bad around the lake I live by (which is a seasonal problem down here).

 

More I’m OCD and can’t go camping projects. Hit the bed bolts with VHT Rust Converter and followed up with a couple coats of flat black. Also pulled any other scattered hardware and D rings that were showing surface rust out of the bed and did the same.

If this quarantine doesn’t lift soon I’ll have a full restored 2015 Tacoma before too long. Or I’ll throw my tent up in the front yard.

 

Weekend adventures.

Family went up to the Red Bluffs in Mississippi to see the sights and do some hiking.


We finished the day walking the boardwalk in Bayou Lacombe on the way home.

 

Little behind on documenting mods.
Infinity 6x9 component set in the front doors, 6 1/2” coaxials in the back door, and about a sheet of Dynamat in each door. Definitely nicer sound than stock, but missing something.

Added a Kicker Key 180.4. Built a T harness and it was plug and play. Auto tuning nailed the frequency response on the first try, really super impressed with how nice it sounds and more volume than I think I’ll ever use. Set gains with my SMD DD1 and rocked on.

 

New shift knob from Nostalgic Grains and Laser Works. Absolutely beautiful addition to the truck.