Athena

Athena: 2021 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab Short Bed TRD Off-road
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Hello, all. I found myself with some time on my hands and drink near by, so I figured I'd start a build thread. The truck is a Super White 2021 Tacoma DCSB TRD Off-road with a manual transmission. I purchased it with 1,375 miles on it in January 2022 and as of this writing it has just over 12,000 miles on it.

The idea is to build a capable daily driver that can go anywhere at any time. As such, you'll see modifications that either improve upon stock capability or add capability where there is none. I live in Colorado, but I don't do much wheeling. Instead, my focus is navigating mostly paved roads and some fire roads and the hazards that come with them. Also, because I live above 5000 ft., winter here can be kind of dicey. As such, a lot of the build is focused on winter. Finally, I spend a lot of time in this truck. My daily commute is approximately one hour roundtrip and that doesn't include the side quests, weekend road trips and errands, etc. So, interior comfort and capability is usually the first thing I tackle.

Here is how it sits as of 27 December 2022:


Upcoming Mods:

• Aux High Beams
  • Diode Dynamics SS5 Pro in Selective Yellow
    • Probably will wire them to a Garmin PowerSwitch which I plan on mounting on a PowerTray with the clutch reservoir relocated. I honestly have no need for a 6-bank switching system currently--it's just that this system is the cleanest setup out there and will allow for expansion if I need it.
    • Also thought about asking Dave or Johnny to build the LED conversion harness with a breakout for the high beam signal. Could run that signal to a relay and power the SS5's automatically. Not sure which route I want to go.
  • BAMF Behind the Grill Light Bar
    • Going to steal an idea from @84-4runner who stole it from someone else

On Hold:

• 265/70R17 Falken Wildpeak A/T3W
  
• Two Breedlove NMO Mounts w/ accompanying VHF/UHF antennas
  
• WeBoost Drive Fleet
• Pioneer DMH-WC6600NEX and associated harnesses, modules, etc.
• Alpine PWE-S8 Compact Subwoofer
• 6-channel amp and upgraded speakers

Interior:

• Expedition Essentials 3TPAM
• Ozy TM-D710 Head Mount
• Quad Lock 1" Ball Mount connected to a RAM Short Arm
  
• 2x RAM Diamond Ball Mounts
  
• DDI Seat Jackers with MOLLE panels
• H3R Halguard Fire Extingisher on a DDI Quick Drop Mount
• Victory 4x4 Armrest MOLLE Panel
• Weathertech Floor Liners
• $40 Vehicle OCD - Center Console Divider, Tray, and Glove Box Organizer for Toyota Tacoma (2016-2023) - Made in USA
  Center Console and Glovebox Organizer
• Clazzio PVC Seat Covers w/ Heated Elements
• VLEDs Red Footwell Lights w/ Overhead Console Harness
• VLEDs Rear Red Footwell Lights mounted to the C-pillars
  
• Goose Gear 60%/40% Rear Seat Delete w/ infill panels
• Builtright 25.0" x 15.5" Tech Plate w/ Red Anodized Mounting Hardware
• Builtright 13.0" x 19.5" Tech Plate w/ Red Anodized Mounting Hardware
  
• Builtright Large Packout Mounting Brackets
• Milwaukee Packout Deep Organizer
• Meso Customs Vent Rings, 4WD Shift Rings, and Climate Rings in MGM
• RAM Mounts No-drill Telescoping Mount w/ Laptop Tray

Comms:

• Kenwood TM-D710GA Amateur Radio (Discontinued)
• $330 AnyTone AT-D878UVII Plus – Dual Band DMR/Analog 7W VHF, 6W UHF – w/Free $97 Training Course – Bluetooth PTT - Digital/Analog APRS RX & TX - 500K Contacts Plus Great Support from BridgeCom!
  Anytone 878 w/
  $59 Kenwood KMC-45 Military Spec Speaker Microphone with Earpiece Jack
  Kenwood Mic and Earpiece
• Larsen 2/70B on a Victory 4x4 Hood Mount w/ Laird MABTO NMO Mount
• Rigrunner 4008 Power Distribution Unit

Exterior:

• Rokblokz Original Mud Flaps in Black/Black
• Victory 4x4 Bedside MOLLE Panels
• Victory 4x4 Bed Front MOLLE Panels
• Krazy Beaver Shovel w/ Fiskar Hatchet
• 2x Rotopax Gen 2 2 Gallon Cans
• Total Chaos Fab Bed Stiffeners
• Ceramic Tint (Make and VLT Percent Unknown)
• Talons Garage Cat Shield
• Roof wrapped in satin black
• 17x8.5 Icon Compression wheels in Satin Black
• Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 SUV Studded in 265/70R17
• Cosmoline RP-342 Undercoating

Electrical:

• Diode Dynamics SS3 Max LED Fog Lamps in Selective Yellow w/o Backlight (Shout out to crashnburn80)
• SLEE Billet Battery Terminals w/ Positive Cover
• Blendmounted 11+ year-old Valentine One (Discontinued. Recommend V2)
• Hardwired Garmin Mini 2
• X2Power 27F AGM Battery (crashnburn80 thread on batteries)
  
• OGE Battery Tie-down
• Toyota 27F Battery Tray
• NOCO GENIUS10 with GBC007 used to connect to GB40 when needed
• Redside Electric 400W In-motion Harness w/ OEM Outlet
• Diode Dynamics C1R HitchPod
• @daveeasa DIR Harness
• TRD Pro Taillights [Driver Side] [Passenger Side]
• OEM LED Headlights [Driver Side] [Passenger Side]
• FBC Harness Solutions TRD to LED Harness
  

Mechanical:

• Amsoil 0W/20 Engine Oil
• Amsoil Severe Gear 75W-90 Differential Oil
• Amsoil 75W-90 Manual Transmission Oil
• $40 Fumoto F103SX M12-1.25 Sx Series Drain Valve, Bronze
  Fumoto F103SX
  
• Ravenol MTF-3 Transfer Case Fluid
  
• $140 OBDLink MX+ OBD2 Bluetooth Scanner for iPhone, Android, and Windows
  OBDLink MX+
• Clutch ADD
• Overland Tailor Tune from Colorado Toyota Tuning

 

Exterior Pictures
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Comms Install
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This project took about 30 man-hours in two stages over four weekends. The components used are listed above in the "Comms" list and I should give some credit to the guys at XOverland for the inspiration.​

Amateur radio has been a hobby on mine since before I could drive. Now that I live in the mountains of Colorado, I'm fortunate enough to have access to a variety of well-maintained repeater systems. HAM, as it is often termed, is a form of communication that can reach where cell towers often do not. This is imperative when you're off-grid and need to be able to call for help or check in with loved ones.

The radio (and other accessories) are being ran off of a West Mountain Radio RigRunner 4008, which is the power distribution unit located under the passenger side rear seat. I put the RigRunner here specifically because of the Goose Gear system that is on order. My thought was that I wanted the electronics to be easily accessible should I have to replace a fuse or add something new to the unit in the future. The transceiver is also located here because I believe in keeping power runs short for HAM radios—less distance, less chance of picking up interference through the power cables. The data cables, along with everything else, is under the center console and through the dash.

The mic was disassembled and the button removed in favor of a Nite-ize steelie magnet mount—this idea was taken directly from the XOverland team and it works exceptionally well. I wanted to mount the mic in a way that it was reachable without having to lean over and I wanted to see it out of my peripheral so that I could keep my eyes on the road. With this method, I can reach over, grab the mic, do what I need, and then get it back in the general vicinity of the magnet and it just clicks on. Time will tell if holds up to the forest roads.

The mic is also plugged into a Forty2 keystone that is mounted in place of the Qi charging switch. The Qi charger is next to useless with how slow it charges, so I have no qualms about removing this function. However, I'll be replacing the switch mount with one that is recessed into the center console near the transmission tunnel in order to make room for the switches for the heated seats.

You’ll notice that the radio components are located on the passenger side of the vehicle. That is because, if needed, I can have a radio operator in the passenger seat so that the driver can focus on driving. All they have to do is swing the head unit around on the RAM mount.

The head unit is mounted on a shorty RAM arm which is attached to a RAM diamond ball mount which is attached on to the Expedition Essentials 3TPAM. The 3TPAM’s USB power block is powered via the RigRunner in the rear and is always on. I also have a cheap-o Android tablet mounted to a RAM mount that is attached to the passenger side Seat Jacker MOLLE panel. This tablet runs APRSDroid which is directly fed by the TM-D710 Head Unit.

For those who aren't familiar, Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) is protocol that allows for data transmission via digital and analog means. Most often, APRS is used to beacon vehicle position. The result of this data can be seen at the aprs.fi website. This is really useful when you're out exploring solo or with a group of friends and you have someone who wants to watch your position. APRS also allows for sending of SMS messages via SMSGTE, weather station data reporting, radio-to-radio SMS messaging, and more.

Finally, the antenna is a Larsen 2/70 NMO and is mounted with a Laird MABTO NMO base on a Victory 4x4 hood mount. SWR for this setup is less than 2:1, so it gets the job done.

Lately, I've been giving consideration to mounting the antenna on the roof for better performance and also installing a WeBoost Drive Reach Fleet. By mounting the radio antenna on the roof, the antenna has better line-of-sight to the free air thus more of the emitted wave will propagate out. Currently, the passenger side a-pillar is blocking some of the emissions and it's also radiating the occupants of the vehicle. Just as well, some of the areas my daily commute take me through have lackluster cell service--the WeBoost should help with that.

Some pictures of the install follow this post.

A long post to be sure. But, hopefully this helps with any one who is thinking about their comms setup in their vehicle.

 

Comms Install Pictures
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Vehicle EDC​

• Chem Lights
• Two Safety Vests
  
• Safe Jack Bottle Jack and Manual
  
• Four-way Lug Wrench
  
• NOCO Jump Pack
• Duct Tape
• 100 ft. 550 Cord
• $91 Viair 88p Portable Compressor Kit (12V, 120 Psi, Forup to 33" Tires)
  Viair 88p
• ARB Tire Patch Kit
• Cowhide Gloves
• Spare Headlight Bulbs
• Spare Fuses
• Big-ass tarp
• Electric Road Flares
• Bungee Cords
• Mylar Blankets

 

Vehicle EDC Reorganized
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Decided today to move the EDC to Packout cases in order to keep the seats folded down. I never have rear passengers, but I always have packages, groceries, a rucksack, etc. that sit better on a large flat surface in the rear of the cab. As such, I usually kept the rear sets folded down but I always had issues with things bouncing out of the storage compartment. So, I bought a two-drawer cabinet and an organizer from Home Depot and shifted everything into that. Next, I need to get a tool kit and an 18V 1/2" impact with sockets which may necessitate another toolbox.

 

Electrical: Rearranging the Clazzio Heated Seats Harness
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Given the fact that I have an electrical distribution panel already running in the cab of the truck, it made sense to me to run the heated seat elements off of that as opposed to running the main power cables through the firewall and direct to the battery. However, the layout of the harness makes this a little complicated as the factory is expecting the switches to sit in the middle of cable run. As such, I went to town on the harness with a variety of tools to make it better suited for my application.

This is what the harness looks like from the factory. It's actually two harnesses--one for each seat. Towards the rear is vehicle connection points: main power (12 AWG red), main ground (16 AWG black), illumination (16 AWG yellow), and switch power (16 AWG red with orange stripe). In the middle are the relays and the connectors for the heating elements. Towards the front are the switches.


These are the wires that are about to sacrificed for greater good:


And here is where they terminate at the opposite end of the harness:


Prior to de-pinning, cutting, soldering and so on, I did test the connection points with a multi-meter to ensure that the wires didn't rely on something I couldn't see. I pulled the relays out which should have broken any hidden points. The multi-meter indicated that the wires were still connected, so we press on.

The illumination and switch power wires on each harness were de-pinned and cut at the point where the switch harness connects to the main harness. This ensured I had enough wire to extend. The illumination wires were then stripped, twisted together and soldered into one wire thus allowing me to use just one factory illumination wire for both switches. The same was done for the red/orange switch power wire, just with a long piece of red wire.

Once the switches were effectively connected together, the harness was wrapped in Tesa Tape making sure to keep each bundle of wires coming from each switch separated so that I have enough length to put the switches on both the left-most side of the factory switch panel for the driver side and the right-most side of the factory switch panel for the passenger. Note the little L and R indicating which switch is which.


And here's the finished product:


I still need to cut to the factory main power and ground and solder on my own cable to the correct length and crimp on the Anderson PowerPole connectors. But, that'll be done on Saturday.

Bonus pic of the chaos for making it to the end:

EDIT: Linked up with a guy on another forum who has done a similar install. I asked him how he went about the process and he noted this fun fact: “The way the circuit works is the switch controls a relay that doesn't work like you think a relay normally works. If you switch it to low, the relay passes +12v to both elements but wired in series. If you switch it to high, the relay passes +12v to both elements but wired in parallel.”

This means that when the switch is in the low position, the heating elements for both the bottom and back of the seat are connected together. In turn, this increases the resistance of the circuit thus lowering the wattage. Lower wattage means less power means less heat. When the switch is in the high position, both elements are connected independently. This results in a lower resistance which means more power can flow through the circuit. In turn, the elements are able to achieve a higher temperature. Very neat way to use the properties of resistance elements to your advantage.

 

Received my latest oil analysis reports from Blackstone. Everything appears to be in good shape.

 

Interior: Goose Rear 60%/40% Rear Seat Delete​

Something I've wanted for a long while, but could never justify, was a rear seat delete kit. I don't plan on having kids, but I do have two dogs and I often am hauling expensive electronic equipment for work. As such, I finally decided to drop the coin on the kit.

While I will go through the nuances of the install, I recommend watching The Ginger at Epic Overland Adventures install their kit. They show you which pieces to pre-assemble, what bolts need anti-seize, and how to rip apart the interior in order to make the install easier.

I actually wrote up the install in this thread here. But, I'll make a post here for continuities sake.

• The long bolts will thread into the body and I recommend using anti-seize
• The short bolts will thread into the factory storage compartments under the seat and into the L-brackets supplied to connect the back wall plate to the bottom plate
• You'll need a 10mm, 12mm, 17mm (3/4 drive recommended) sockets, a 3/8 open-end wrench, scissors or a carpet knife, anti-seize, and a trim panel removal tool, eyeglass screwdriver or a really small trim panel tool to pop out the "SRS Airbag" cover that hides the bolts for the C-pillar trim
• Speaking of the C-pillar trim, just pull straight back with a good amount of a force and it will release; yes, it sounds like death, and you may break a clip or two, but otherwise it should be fine
• Take the seatbelts out; you won't need them... probably
• Pre-assemble the support plates that sit in the footwell of the rear floor; align the 60% delete support plate all the way closest to the door
• Also pre-install the infill panels if you bought them
• Loosely bolt the panels to the truck and align everything before tightening things down
• The panels are wood and will flex; only tighten the bolts down just enough to keep them from moving
• If a bolt won't thread into the body of the truck, chase the threads with a tap; chances are that something is gunking up the threads

I would highly recommend thinking about what you need or want to do to the rear before installing these panels. While this wasn't a complicated or terribly time-consuming process, the platform will impede your ability to access the C-pillar trim if you need to drop the headliner and it will cover up certain parts of the factory storage compartments under the seat. The install took about three hours when you include the pre-assemble I did in my house and the removal of the rear seats and seatbelts. I did work a little slow and I had to constantly make laps around the truck, find tools in my garage, etc. If you have a well organized space and room to move, you could probably do this in two hours.

Overall, I'm happy with the product. The delete fits me very well as I don't have kids, but I do have two dogs. I am constantly hauling expensive electronic equipment that cannot go to into the bed, so the modular 1/4-20 threaded inserts allow me to move these eye bolts around as needed in order to secure the equipment. The lockable panels allow for secure storage of sensitive items (read: firearms, electronics, etc.) and the fact that all of locks "keyed-alike," is an added bonus.

At the end of the linked post, I complained about the lack of MOLLE panels that are designed for the rear wall. I was planning to build my own, even going as far as building a model in Autodesk Fusion. However, I think the Builtright Industries 25" x 15.5" MOLLE Panel will actually work due to the slots that are machined in between the MOLLE cutouts. I have one on order, but it's delayed due to a stock issue. Once it's on my doorstep, I'll make an update here.

Pictures:

 

Interior: VLEDs Footwell Lights and Diode Dynamics Red Interior LEDs
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With winter in full effect, I often find myself leaving the house before the sun gets up and leaving work after it's went down. And, often times, I am stopping somewhere to get something before going home. Just as well, I don't like being blinded by bright, white interior lights. Nothing kills your night vision better than a 5000k bulb outputting 60 lumens right into your eyes. So... I swapped them to red!

​

As for the footwell kit, I'm afraid I don't have pictures for this install; but, the process is rather straightforward. I recommend using the V2 harness that comes with the new kits. The V1 version spliced into the wiring harness in the drivers side A-pillar which introduced a considerable amount of bulk. In turn, I wasn't able to get the A-pillar trim back on safely. There are very good instructions here. I mounted my PWM controller just under the dash on the drivers side. While this allows me to tune the light output after an install, it does require me to contort myself like a Cirque Du Soleil artist. In reality, this mod is set it and forget it. So tune the PWM without it being mounted, then mount it wherever you can.

Stay tuned for the install where I mount the rear footwell lights on C-pillars in provide the rear of the cabin with much needed light. Here's a teaser of that.

And some post-install pics of the interior LEDs

 

Exterior: Talons Garage Cat Shield Install
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As sad as it is to say, catalytic converter theft is on the rise and vehicles with ground clearance are easy targets. So, I invested in some insurance. I went with the Talons Garage because it's thick enough to double as a skid plate. It is heavier than some thinner options, but the weight is low and centered. I also dropped it off at my local powdercoat shop in order to have the plate, the wings, and the spacers shot in high-temp black.

The install was pretty straight-forward. There are instructions located here, but they aren't as detailed as the could be. The TL;DR of the install is:

1. Remove the rear bolts of the skid plate, if you have one; install new hardware
   
2. Drop the cross-member support braces
3. Pre-install the wings to the main plate of the cat shield
   
4. Install the spacers between the skid plate and cat shield
5. Slide the cat shield between the skid plate and the spacers
6. Re-install the cross-member support braces with the new hardware
7. Torque everything to spec

I recommend using anti-seize on the bolts and definitely torquing to spec.

I didn't buy the security hardware for a few reasons:

1. The drive is a pentagon-shaped security bit. If you lose the bits for this, you'll have to order a new one at $25 USD or damage the hardware by grinding a slot in the heads or welding a nut on to the heads.
   
2. Speaking of price, the security hardware is $60 which is overpriced in my opinion. If you really want security hardware, go to McMaster-Carr and order a package of their security torx. This style of bolt has a commonly available bit. So, if you lose one chances are high that you can run to a local hardware store and pick one up.

However, the goal of a cat shield is not to prevent cat theft but rather deter cat theft. The idea here is to make your vehicle just enough of a pain in the ass that the potential thief decides that there is an easier target a few rows over. If a thief is determined enough, they will steal whatever they want. As such, I just installed the standard hardware that came with the kit. It's unlikely that anyone is walking around with a 12mm socket with their reciprocating saw.

 

Exterior: Roof Wrap
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Due to Toyota's inability to correct the Super White paint issue, I had the roof wrapped in Satin Black vinyl. I plan on putting a strobe light up there on low-visibility days and I also plan on punching holes in the roof for some NMO antenna mounts. So, it makes sense to apply some protection on the roof.

 

Looks good. May have to ask you some questions on the wiring in the near future.
About the seat delete. I swear when I got my truck last month the entire rear seat delete was like 800 and change. Now I’m seeing that for both sides it’s going to be close to 1300. For that price to me it has to be bulletproof and look perfect. Can you give an honest opinion of final fit finish, how well it’s made, do you think it will last…the norm. It just seems like it’s a lot of money for some wood. Just my opinion.

Thanks again for the info

 

It isn't cheap for sure; mine was $1397.16 out of the door with the infill panels. My too long; didn't read of the rear seat delete is that if you don't have kids but you do have dogs or often find yourself hauling around stuff that shouldn't go in the bed and you have some extra cash burning a hole in your pocket, go for it.

Honestly, there are plenty of people out there who have built their own rear seat delete for way less. But, the catch is that you have to have the tools and buy the material. If you don't have the tools necessary, it's probably cheaper to buy the kit from Goose Gear. I don't have the tools or willpower to design something from scratch, so I paid someone to do the R&D for me. The coating they put on there is a Line-X type material that offers some good traction for a backpack or grocery bags. There are a ton of 1/4-20 inserts everywhere that allow you to bolt things down; I have six of these eye bolts on the base plate with some bungee cords in an X pattern that I use to secure things down with.

As far as fitment goes, the holes have a really low tolerance; the trick is to assemble everything loosely and then tighten the bolts down by hand. Once everything is together, it looks damn near factory. The locking hatches that allow you to store stuff is a solid bonus; I have no idea where they sourced the locking mechanisms from, but I want some for other projects.

Overall, it's a solid buy if you have the cash and it suits your needs. If you're a DIYer, you can certainly build something for cheaper--but, it won't look as good.

 

Interior: Builtright Tech Panel
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While I absolutely love the Goose Gear Rear Seat Delete, I was less-than-happy at the lack of MOLLE panels for it. I searched high and low, left and right, forwards and backwards, for a panel that worked for the kit to no avail. I started to prototype my own panel before I stumbled upon Builtright Industries. They're a small company based out of Connecticut and they seem to primarily focus on what they call "Tech Panels." To my knowledge, this is only company that actually follows the PALS/MOLLE standard of 1" x 1.5". As such, any gear you have that is based on the MOLLE standard, should work effortlessly with these panels.

What was extra appealing to me about these panels were their "block and slot" design. Because no one apparently makes MOLLE panels for the Goose Gear system, I figured that the slots in their 25.0" x 15.5" panel would allow me to locate it on the 60% delete effortlessly. Turns out, I was right. Unfortunately, you can't mount the panel on the four corners thus distributing the load equally on the panel, but you can use 8 bolts to mount the panel on center; in my testing, this should be more than appropriate for the weight I'm putting on the panel.

The parts I ordered for this job are as follows:

• 25.0" x 15.5" universal panel
• 42 pc. tech panel mounting hardware
  • This gets you up to 1 1/2" spacing between the wall and the panel and countersunk washers that allow a bolt to sit flat against the panel
• 1 1/2" black oxide, flat head, hex drive screws
  • Keeping the theme of the Goose Gear bolts and keeping the same bit size; if you decide to go the full 1 1/2" spacing, get 2" bolts instead

This gets the panel mounted on the seat delete rear wall. I used the middle-of-the-wall inserts, but there is some flexibility in where you can mount the panel in order to suit your needs.

I bought these panels not only because they follow the PALS standard, but because Builtright also sells the Milwaukee Packout Mounting Brackets which I had intended on using in order to secure my large Packout case. These brackets interface with their panels effortlessly and my current Victory 4x4 panels in the bed do not; I even bought Builtright's MOLLE nuts in the hopes that I could slide those behind the Victory 4x4 panels--I was sadly wrong. Next I plan on ordering their 11.5" x 15.5" panel for the 40% along with the requisite hardware.

Overall, this wasn't a cheap endeavor...nothing ever is with me. But, Builtright is a small business that manufactures everything in the U.S. using U.S. metal. And for that, I'll happily pay their asking price. When the above facts are coupled with their attention to detail and the quality of the parts coming out of the CNC and laserjet, you couldn't ask for a better product from a better company... in my opinion.

And now, the pics!

 

How long from order to delivery for the GG?

 

Quoted 12 weeks, took about 8. Ordered through a dealer out of Denver, CO.

 

Did you happen to see this? A consideration to what looks like would be a tad lighter and give a little more spacing without the GG panels and having to mount to them.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/molle-panel-for-cabin-rear-panel.516528/

 

I have seen this and a few others like it. If you're not running the Goose Gear delete and want a MOLLE panel for the rear, this is certainly an option. The fact that you can fold the seat back up allows for a lot of security and the retention of the child seat tie-down points is a definite plus. While I don't own one of these, I am little concerned about the apparent lack of chamfering in the MOLLE grid. Over time, I fear that a sharp edge may wear away a strap causing an eventual failure. If those were filed down, I'd feel a lot more comfortable about it. But, it's probably an unfounded concern.

 

All a trial and error with all the possibles out there. I've sent an email to GG about it but doubtfull they'd sell the kit without the panels so might as well use them.

Nice build and info. Have a good weekend and safe travels.