PcBuilder's 2018 Tacoma Build

you ever get your driveshaft fixed up? did you keep the same one or replace it? I haven't even smashed mine but get some pretty good harmonics in the rear at highway speeds- have had it rebalanced and it seemed to help for a little bit, but it's back... wondering what to do

 

Haven’t messed with it yet. Even with the increased pinion angle from the new rear suspension I still have zero vibes. Like I’ve said before, I’m sure it’s doing a number on the u-joints because there’s no way it’s not out of balance. I’ll probably just keep it until it starts to show signs.

 

Spent Memorial Day Weekend exploring the National Forest nearby.


_MG_1199 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_1203-Pano by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_1205 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_1210 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
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_MG_1245 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_1246 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_1254-Pano by Brent Prater, on Flickr
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_MG_1261 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
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_MG_1268 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
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_MG_1335 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

 

Great looking truck. I know you've touched on it but I wouldn't mind more info. You still liking the GFC? How is it sleeping 3 up there compared to the RTT? I'd love to simplify our setup with something similar, but with a 3 year old I fear it would be tight. The RTT with annex is a pain, but the room it affords works well for us.

 

Sorry for just now responding. Must have missed the notification

I'm still very happy with it if not just for the extra enclosed space that it allows for. I will admit that the GFC is best made for solo camping. I just recently finished a week long trip without family or pets and it was so much more convenient than the RTT ever was.

For the price I can't complain, but if I were to complain about something it would be how narrow the tent section is. I wish they would have made it just slightly less angled in, although it does look better than similar camper tents with vertical camper shell walls.

It is a tight fit with us and our 2 year old, but it is doable. We're also a short family. I'm the tallest at 5' 4" and 125lbs. So take that with a grain of salt. My long term goal is to have a platform at the very front that spans the width of the truck bed and rests on the wheel wells. This will eventually be where our daughter will sleep on a kid's air mattress once she's old enough. If all goes to plan, this will still be a much simpler setup than it was with the RTT and annex. However, that is contingent on me having a swing-out bumper and roof rack in order to get a few more things out of the bed of the truck.

Here is a general idea of what I want to have for the truck bed.

 

Love everything about this!

 

Another Utah trip in the books and I still can't wait to go back.

- Got to knock out Elephant Hill again, this time on some much better tires.
- Ran the entire length of Lockhart Basin Road (never again).
- Swam in the Colorado River. After 5 days without a shower it was nice, but VERY cold.
- Finally can say I've done some trails at Moab. Now that I've gotten that item knocked off the bucket list, I'm not sure if I care if I never do the main trail area again. Just too busy for my taste...
- Lastly and most importantly, made some great memories with new friends that I look forward to doing trips with again in the future. @MR E30 , @Sixthelement , @TailHook , @chrslefty , @Sapnjack

Trip report, courtesy of Mike.
- Day 1
- Day 2
- Day 3
- Day 4
- Day 5
- Day 6
- Day 7
- Day 8

 

And now for the picture overload from a week long trip...


Day 1/2
_MG_1597 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_1619 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_1622 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_1650 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

TLM - Day 2 - 25 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

_MG_1695 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
IMG_0395 by chrslefty, on Flickr
_MG_1733 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_1739 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_1753 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_1761 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_1794 by Brent Prater, on Flickr



Day 3
TLM - Day 3 - 44 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr
_MG_2068 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_2148 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_2203 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_2204 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_2212-Pano by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_2254 by Brent Prater, on Flickr



Day 4
TLM - Day 4 - 21 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr
TLM - Day 4 - 22 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr
IMG_0575 by chrslefty, on Flickr
IMG_0667 by chrslefty, on Flickr
TLM - Day 4 - 56 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr
_MG_2438 by Brent Prater, on Flickr



Day 5
_MG_2609 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_2635 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_2706 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
IMG_0911 by chrslefty, on Flickr
IMG_0913 by chrslefty, on Flickr
_MG_2739 by Brent Prater, on Flickr



Day 6
TLM - Day 6 - 28 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr
TLM - Day 6 - 29 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr
_MG_2788 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_2860 by Brent Prater, on Flickr



Day 7
IMG_0996 by chrslefty, on Flickr
IMG_0999 by chrslefty, on Flickr
_MG_2995 by Brent Prater, on Flickr



Day 8
_MG_3006 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_3013 by Brent Prater, on Flickr
_MG_3039 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

 

Living out west as you do, I'd totally have a GFC as well. Thanks for sharing your setup and adventures.

 

Installed a Sherpa Animus roof rack. Will probably only have enough room for maxtrax, firewood, and communication antennas. That means less stuff in the bed of the truck though!

 

Multiplied my overland points today. Now have my axe and maxtrax mounted so everyone can see how #overland I am. Finally have a CB antenna again too.



Not much room for anything else with these shorter racks, but it’ll do.

 

Hey Man,

Do you happen to have this route on google maps or something you could share, I am trying to plan a trip to the GC and have been having trouble finding trails

 

Which route are you talking about?

 

The Grand canyon northern rim trip, the views are amazing!

 

Didn’t really follow a specific route, just followed forest roads that led to place that looked interesting based on the topography as well as got some recommendations on where to camp on the National Forest side from the park rangers.

Highly recommend using Google maps (Gaia GPS if you’re willing to pay) and MVUMs (motor vehicle use maps) for the area you want to go to and develop a plan. Makes things more interesting too!

Below’s a great reference for ways to plan out a trip.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...te-with-google-earth-gpx-kml-and-more.553715/

 

Finally got a MIG welding setup. Still waiting on a bottle since apparently they’re in short supply, but hopefully I’ll get started on finally doing the shock relocate by the end of the month after a bit of practice. It’s only been over 10 years since I’ve welded consistently…

 

Also installed some more storage for the GFC. Now have a place to store bedding and the stuff in my pockets at night. Now I just need to go and actually use the truck.

 

After my shock relocate sitting in the garage for nearly 10 months I put myself and my new welder to the test this weekend. I’ve never done so much metal grinding in my life. And yes, the zip ties are temporary. Here’s to hoping the welds hold