tortoise_taco's desert rat build & misadventures

RIP:



Here's the new one on the dealer lot:



MGM, access cab, 4x4, V6, tow package, nothing else. Came with Weathertech floor liners and a Leer camper shell.

I camp out of my truck for decent stretches for my work as a wildlife biologist, and a lot of my time off is spent cruising around the most remote parts of the desert and mountains in NV/CA/UT/AZ that I can get to, alone or with company.

This is where I'll document everything I do and some of the trips I take. BS encouraged

Gonna enjoy sharing the truck build and the places I get out to with all of you! I will not enjoy remembering how much money I spent but, comes with the territory

 

Got the camper shell set up with weather stripping, bed stiffeners, bed mat, and a simple platform build:



I had these Rago Fabrication ones sitting around, would've preferred a design like Total Chaos that goes all the way to the top but this works! Amazon special on the tailgate seal but it seems to work good.



Bed mat that will never be clean



Simple sleeping platform that others have posted about here. It was really useful to be able to read through a few threads with designs.

The only "upgrade" I made over the basic 2x6 + 2 sheets of plywood design was an extra cross brace that splits the underneath storage into 2 areas:



It's attached to one plywood sheet with L-brackets so it's sturdy but still easily removable. I also split one of the sheets into 2 pieces and made a door to access the compartment near the cab:



I originally wanted it to be hinged but i had some clearance issues with the camper shell, so right now it just has a handle and can be pulled off. I'm going to see if piano hinges work better than the door hinges I tried first.

Everything fits super snug with the carpet and I was out the door for like $80 at Home Depot. I have 43" between the wood divider and the tailgate, so I'm going to look for some good storage boxes to fit underneath in that length and order up a matteess too.

We're going out to work this week for a first off road test!

 

C load 265/75/16 Cooper Discoverer AT's and TRD Baja wheels that originally came on something called the "Rugged Trail" Tacoma:



The wheels looks good when they're clean catch some light:



Hadn't seen them before in this color, just black. I had a line on some black FJ trail teams locally but the guy was kind of a pain and I decided that the silver (Toyota says these are "graphite" but they look lighter than some other wheels I've seen)/MGM contrast looked better and these were easier to get.

 

No real build updates, but I found the service records online through Toyota because the truck was dealer serviced for its whole life.

At 30k they turned down everything but the oil change, so I did the diffs and spark plugs in addition to an oil change, greasing the driveshaft, and changing the engine and cabin air filters. I also upgraded to the Lexus front diff drain plugs. Nothing to report there, the spark plugs looked pretty bad though.

I had been hearing a popping noise going over bumps offroad, and I noticed that the carrier bearing has a ton of play while I was down there and the bolts are the wrong size--guessing it was replaced at some point with the wrong part (or the rubber is just worn out, I couldn't tell) and that's causing the noise, so I ordered the correct Spicer part (5002007) online and new bolts from the dealer. Should be able to tackle it next week when everything comes in.

I read that the t-case really likes Toyota fluid, but at the dealer they were charging $90/quart like it's liquid platinum or something. The parts guy said it's actually cheaper to have their service dept. do it than to buy the fluid and DIY, so I guess I'll make an appointment for that.

I also camped out of the truck for a week at work:



Great time solo in the desert surveying for plants. Not much out here because it was so dry last year--Las Vegas recorded ZERO rain from April-December, which was a new record. Still found some stuff and had a good time, but our tortoises just don't have enough to eat.

I also did a day of wheeling at a secret canyon. Pretty sad thag this pla free I used to go is nearly inaccessible now due to new construction to feed Vegas' urban sprawl. It's a really special place and you now have to trespass to drive there.




The drive out featured nothing technical, but had some tough steep slopes and big rocks and some slippery washes. The truck handled everything no sweat although she did pick up her very first desert pinstripes.



Next up is figuring out the suspension and completing the camper shell build out.

 

TRD Baja suspension kit + Icon AAL (no overload):



Stoked on how this turned out and it rides great. Getting some dirt on it this weekend!

 

Nice build. You have a really cool job!