First 5 mods to our new Taco

We’ve been wanting to buy a 2nd gen Tacoma for a while, and finally pulled the trigger a couple weeks ago on a 2015 access cab TRD sport. It’s beautiful and we love it!

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the truck so I’ve been looking up forum posts and Youtube videos of mods, and below are the 5 mods I decided to do that are cheap and easy and make the truck that much better and that much more ours. More details and pictures further down.

1. Update lights to LED (convenience)

2. Interior organization (convenience)

3. Unifilter mod (mechanical)

4. AC drain hose extension (rust prevention)

5. Tailgate hose clamp (theft prevention)


1. Update lights to LED, interior and exterior

Cost: $19.99
Time: 10-15 minutes

This simply replaces all the interior light bulbs as well as the license plate and reverse light bulbs to LED. It provides a brighter, whiter light that looks more modern. The kit is available on Amazon

$20 iBrightstar Super Bright LED Bulbs Package Kit Accessories Fit for Toyota Tacoma 2005-2021 Interior Map Dome Lights + Vanity Mirror Lights + License Plate Lights + Back Up Reverse Lights, White

here.

Replacing the bulbs is very straightforward and there are several Youtube videos on accessing the interior light bulbs (like this, and this).


The license plate and reverse lights are also very simple and explained in the owner’s manual. The license plate light has 1 screw to remove, and the reverse lights has 2 bolts holding the tail lights mount.


2. Interior organization

Time: 10 minutes

This is simply just getting some things on Amazon to create more useable spaces in the truck cab. We got:

- Glove box organizer:

$22 Vehicle OCD - Glove Box Organizer for Toyota Tacoma (2005-2015) - Made in USA

$18.99
- Center console organizer:

$18 Vehicle OCD - Center Console Organizer for Toyota Tacoma (2005-2015) - Made in USA

$14.99
- Center console lid organizer:

$17 Cocoon CPG5BK GRID-IT!® Accessory Organizer - Small 10.25" x 5.125" (Black)

$14.57
- Seat gap organizer:

$17 Lusso Gear Car Seat Gap Organiser 2 Pack, Vegan Leather Car Seat Gap Filler Organiser with Universal Fit, Adjustable Gap Filler for Car for iPhone, Android, Glasses, Keys, and More (Black)

$16.95

3. Unifilter mod

Cost: $16.72
Time: 20 minutes

This is a preventative measure to avoid potential problems down the road. There’s an air injection pump that has a foam filter that CAN break down and get sucked into the pump. It’s an easy cheap fix that can avoid the problem. The mod is quick and easy, and there are lots of videos on Youtube that shows how to do this.

Here’s the new filter installed, and the pieces you will have taken out:


4. AC drain hose extension

Cost: ~$5
Time: 30 minutes

This one seems pretty important. The drain hose coming out of the AC unit is very short, and often it drains straight onto the frame. In some places that may not be a problem, but in humid areas where the water will just sit there, it may lead to frame rust, which is already a problem with Tacomas.

To help, all it takes is to add a hose extension to the stub. This video has a good step by step guide, but the pictures below can also give you an idea.

This is the front passenger wheel well. Behind the tire, there’s this shield that you can pull aside by pulling out these two plastic pins.

The black drain hose can then be seen (where my thumb is).

You can also see if you get below the truck and look up in front of the passenger seat. That drain hose has an internal diameter of 3/8” and an external diameter of 5/8”. So get about 3 feet of tubing that has an internal diameter of either 3/8” or 5/8”. If you get the larger, just slip it over the drain hose and secure with a hose clamp. If you use the 3/8” internal diameter hose, you need to get a hose connector like I used here:

Then just thread the new hose down below the frame and cut it so it doesn’t extend too low. I used some cable ties to secure it away from elements that can get hot:


5. Tailgate hose clamp

Cost: ~$3
Time: 5 minutes

Finally, if you aren’t aware, removing (or stealing) the tailgate is very easy on these trucks, as it doesn’t lock. You can add a lock if you want, but as I am getting a topper that should secure it, I wanted to just keep the tailgate from being stolen too easily.

Here’s a video on how to do this, using a hose clamp. Basically, on the right hinge of the tailgate, just pass a medium sized hose clamp around the hinge and tighten it down. Somebody could just remove the hose clamp before taking the tailgate, but it will take a minute rather than 10 seconds, so it’s a decent deterrent.

 

Welcome to TW

 

Welcome to TW! Looks like you’ve got a nice 2nd Gen truck.

Great pictures of the mods you’ve done. Many members create a Build thread in order to document the mods and progress on their trucks.

 

Welcome to TW

 

Welcome aboard new member

 

Welcome!

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to TW!