Tacomarin’s Chubby Unicorn Build

That's a little disappointing to hear that it didn't transform the truck as everyone says. And I say that as mine is being regeared with 4.88's right now. So if the 5.29s don't feel great the 4.88s will be worse. I ended up goign 4.88 at the suggest of my local shop, Nitro, SDHQ, and TAV based on my use of the truck but am worried I'll be some disappointed.

 

It did totally transform the truck, but it's just not an amazing thing to me. It makes it so much more enjoyable to drive, and it feels better than ever. It's just not as rewarding feeling as a really good suspension, or even things as simple as bigger/better tires or a roof rack. To me it's just a necessity, so when you're all done you're like, yup, that's how it should be.

Edit - I think I'll probably get more excited about it after the break in when I can really whomp on it. Right now I'm just driving it around like a granny

 

Cool. I was also on the fence for months about going 4.88 vs 5.29 with a 295/75R16 tire and kept getting people to recommend the 4.88 since I do a lot of freeway driving and I then pulled the trigger on those. I hope I don't wish I went 5.29s.

 

You've got a 2nd gen, right? You'll be perfect.

 

I've got a 3rd gen.

 

Ah gotcha, I was going off your pic in the profile. I still think you'll be okay. I've got a slightly bigger tire and my setup is pretty heavy. My truck is pretty much only used for trips and where I live 65mph is normal so I wasn't too worried about RPMs.

 

Got the 4.88s in and see what you’re saying. A bit of a let down. It certainly did NOT transform the truck like people say. It made it better, sure, but isn’t night and day difference. Off the line I can feel more gear and the truck is easier to move but I can’t tell a huge difference elsewhere. On the freeway it’s not shifting as much but the revs are higher so it’s looking like MPG may go down. But I’m only on the first tank and still driving easy for break in. Overall I don’t regret the regear but it certainly wasn’t something that blew me away. Glad I didn’t do 5.29 for my application as revs just would have been too high on the freeway for me.

 

Well I'm definitely glad to hear the 4.88's are working for you! I will say that the more I have driven it the more I appreciate having them. I also had re-flashed my OVTune for the new gears so there was some learning that needed to happen for that. I did my diff oil change this past weekend after my break in and have finally been able to really get on it and it's definitely noticeable how much more torque there is down low. It's still not a sports car, but at least it drives well and is enjoyable to drive. The cruise control still sucks though. I certainly don't regret it, I'm just happy to move on to more exciting things.

 

I need to look into the OVTune. Is that just going to do some throttle remapping to help smooth it out?

 

Yeah it's a pretty involved tune but I'm no expert in these things. I know it includes changes to shift points, ignition timing, throttle mapping, etc. It's a bit of a frustrating process to actually get the tune, and now there's this whole vF tuner thing which lets you do all your own tuning too if you're so interested. I just want it so I can up the alternator output to charge my AGM. Since you're a 2016 they actually have the files out for your ECU, unfortunately I'm still waiting on the files for mine. I think it's worth it overall, but it's probably worth waiting a little bit until stuff finally releases.

 

The only thing that is holding me back is the cost. Tunes are crazy expensive!

 

What were your reasons for going to 17" wheels? I'll be changing colors on my Stealth 6's and wondering if it should correspond with a change in size... more tire options? other reasons?

 

Two reasons. I really like the 285/75r17 tire size at right around 34” and not as wide as the 35” options. There’s no equivalent to it in 16” rims though. The other is I plan on doing a big brake kit when my brakes are done and though stop tech makes a better caliper for 16” wheels, there are more options for 17” wheels.

 

Exact reason why I'm considering the switch to 17" I want that 285/75 tire size.

 

A while back I switched my Caliraised amber light pods over to some Diode Dynamics Sport SAE fog lights. The Caliraised pods were good, but the pattern wasn't appropriate for use on road. These Diode Dynamic ones have a more road appropriate pattern and still project a lot of light. So far I really like them, thought I do wish they offered an amber version instead of yellow. I hooked them up using the Caliraised adapter pigtail so they're controlled by the factory fog light switch.



I also picked up a Heretic Studies 20" amber light bar. A few things drove me to them. First, I really wanted an amber light bar down low to cut through dust. Second, the light bar cut out in my bumper is around 22" and a lot of the other 20" light bars would have left a gap on either side. Finally, the price for the quality seemed to be right on. I can't speak to how it compares to BD or Rigid, but price wise it makes way more sense, and build quality seems top notch. All in all, I'm totally pleased with it. Install was relatively straight forward. I've got it wired up to the same switch as my rooftop light bar for now since I'm out of open switch spot. I haven't gotten a chance to really use it yet unfortunately. Somehow I've had my shit well enough together that I haven't been rolling into camp after dark lately!



And some more pics from some weekend adventures.

 

Started on drawer build 2.0. Most everything is cut and drilled. Just need to glue, screw, and finish. I thought zipping 5” holes with a hole saw would be fairly quick and easy. Man was I wrong.

 

Guess I never updated this with my finished platform.


What a friggin marathon that was! Overall I'm really happy with how it came out. Lots of test fitting and figuring as it came together. I didn't have a game plan as far as organization when I started but decided to go ahead and build in organization dividers into the drawers. Everything has a home. All the dividers are removable so if I ever need to just have big open drawers it's no big deal.



I ended up staining everything with a black poly-urethane stain. I was really torn about doing this because I'd put so much work into keeping all the corners tight and flush, and I feel like the black just hides all the detail work. In the end, I opted for function. Camping is dirty business and black does better at hiding dirt and grime. But god damn there was a lot to stain!


I changed up how I secured the drawers a little bit too from last time. I used some 1/4"-20 T-nuts inserted into the plywood which I totally love, and then modified a SST bracket for the front to secure it to the tie-down bolt up front. In the rear, I used the OEM tiedown loops from the front and put them between the bed bolts and washers, then used a turnbuckle to hold it down. This seems to work a bit better than my brackets before and having the T-nuts and some button head hardware keeps from having too many sharp things to catch your shirt sleeves and skin on.


The table is an absolute game changer. It's pretty amazing how as soon as you set up a bar-height table at camp it instantly becomes a gathering spot. It can also be used as a shelf/table just extended from the platform. I covered it in some vinyl countertop material which is okay, but it's already proving to not be as durable as I hoped. I may have to find a more durable laminate to use down the road.


I've got a couple tweaks to do to get the drawers to slide as smoothly as I want them to, namely I think I need to get rid of the Mountain Hatch tailgate panel because it sits up about 3/16" higher than the stock panel and so the drawers have a bit of an interference when they slide out. I ended up chamfering the front lip with a hand router but it still just isn't as smooth as it should be. The drawers are all out of 1/2" ply which is more than adequate for the weight. No problems or concerns extending them out all the way since they are supported by the tailgate and limited by a latch that catches on the aluminum strap on the bottom of the platform.


I ended up using peal and stick carpet tiles from Wayfair to cover it. They're pretty cheap and I can replace individual pieces if necessary. For the parts covered in trim, they're well protected. For the exposed edges on the side panels and hatch I stapled them down in addition to the adhesive backing. We'll see how they hold up but so far so good. Speaking of... more about the quick access hatch. I always found it a bit annoying to have to open up the tailgate and pull out the drawers to just grab a jacket or my flip flops. The side panels also just lift off like before, but using the aluminum Z-channel really maximizes the openings and makes it even easier to get stuff in and out.



The last change to my setup is I replaced the memory foam mattress with a Sea to Summit self expanding air pad. It always bothered me having so much of my bed occupied by the mattress when we didn't need it. This pad is super comfortable and fits perfectly. It's about an inch narrower than the memory foam mattress but still plenty wide and unlike some of the other pads it's only 72" long. https://seatosummitusa.com/collections/sleeping-pads/products/comfort-plus-si-mat


That's it for now. Happy trails!

 

That table is pretty slick. What did you use for the folding legs?

 

These bad boys: https://www.foldingchairsandtables....ight-h-style-steel-folding-table-legs-2-pack/

Surprisingly good quality too.