2nd gen Tacoma off road build

Hey! New to Tacoma world. I live in Arizona and have a 2013 4x4 TRD tacoma. I've already got a 3" lift, a shell, and off road tires. I came here to look for advice as to where to get started with building for off road adventures. I really dont know a whole lot but Im eager to learn and would like to do as much as possible on my own. I'm thinking starting with a good suspension kit (please, if you have advice on what kit that would help a ton), doing metal bumpers, cab rack, lights (including ditch and bar), molle setups in the bed, etc. I want to do this smart and I'm open to all advice. I want to take care of the truck and replace anything under the hood/body that would improve performance first or just for general maintenance that I should be aware of while I do this. Any advice would be awesome! thanks guys!

 

Don't do anything....for now. I would take it slow and enjoy the truck as is until you figure out exactly what you need/want out of your truck.

Lots of guys are going to chime in here and tell you to waste a lot of money on shit you don't need.

 

I agree, enjoy your truck and see how it works for you.

 

Well, I've had it for 2 years now and I'm ready to make it better.

 

I mean even a 3” lift is not gonna drastically improve your truck off-road. Approach/brakeover/departure angles will improve but axles are still the lowest points.

Good tires, skids, and some experience, a stockish Tacoma is very impressive off-road.

 

C4 bumpers are the way to go.

 

Just use it as is and upgrade once you hit your limitations that way you know exactly what you need. I’ve found if you’re camping a lot quality of life mods go a long way. They make me want to get out more since it’s more comfortable. I.e. fridges, lights, bedding etc…

 

That is really vague. 'Better' in what way?
Is the truck failing to perform in some way or situation? Are you getting stuck?

Your stated wants were:
1) 'a good suspension kit', but your truck already has/had Sport suspension and now with some kind of lift. So what's not to love, exactly?
2) You want 'doing metal bumpers'. Are you running (or planning to run) a winch? The extra weight is no joke, so be sure to factor that into your suspension budget. Or maybe all that could wait until your perfectly nice stock bumpers get 'in the way' and then replace them with aftermarket ones?
3) You want a 'cab rack' for all your overlanding gear that didn't fit in the bed, I presume? Or maybe just limit what you take to what can fit in the truck? Remember, keeping weight as low as possible is ideal, and maybe consider embracing a modicum of the 'roughing it' spirit?
4) You want 'lights (including ditch and bar)' which are best used at night, and can only be used for off-roading. But maybe wait until you've done a bit of off roading in the day, yeah?
5) You want 'molle setups in the bed', but is that the best way to store and access the equipment you are hauling? Wait, what equipment? Exactly!

You seem desperate to empty your wallet and make your truck look exactly like every other 'coma on the gram', but that may be because I am a presumptuous @$$hole!
But I'm also one who could genuinely save you $, some of which could be spent, idk, on a tent, cooler, state university tuition, and a week camping and exploring forest service roads and trails?
Or at least direct you attention to what you 'really want' and save the landfill a bunch of excess fill.
Put what you have to the actual test. Sometimes the answer is something you already have, or where you can employ some old fashion human ingenuity and find a work-around.

TL/DR:
accessorize truck for instagram < tent, cooler, state university tuition