What Have You Done To Your 3rd Gen Today?

^ Rock on

 

Good to know, although I hope I'm not concerned with any of that for years to come. I did paint the outside of the repair but couldn't get the inside (it was where the gasket to the sliding rear window was). Thanks.

 

I highly doubt there’s no clear coat.. unless I’m completely wrong, I believe mine has clear coat.

 

When I went to a local 4x4 shop that does lifts, RTTs, etc, they talked me out of a lift. In fact they said they did so with most of their customers. They would do lifts for hardcore rock crawlers and such, but otherwise generally not. They said too many complaints from guys who got lifts and then did not like the outcomes.

In my case, I have never had a lift despite 4 different 4x4s over 40 years, all used primarily for off road on deactivated trails in BC. I am off road every week.

I asked them about a lift as I often carry 800-1,000 pounds in the bed for either going to, or searching for remote fishing lakes. A lot of bumper dragging in deep washouts.

They said get rear air bags. Best decision ever, they work great. Stabilized the entire ride of the truck on and off road, and I can carry a heavy load and still lift the rear by 1.5 inches which eliminates most issues in washouts.

I am old school and practical minded to a fault. Nothing changes on my trucks unless it is essential and frequently used.

I am on a lot of ATV trails too. On a recent trip I ran into 3 ATVs. They thought the trail was pretty rough and were surprised to see me. To me it was just typical of the trails I drive to find remote fishing spots. Lots of fun always driving on new trails.

Many of the trails are less than truck width and no pullouts. Thankfully I seldom see other trucks. I freaking hate those long reverse outs. Maybe I should get a drone for the real sketchy spots. Use that to scope out the next section of trail in case it stays too long at less than 6 foot width. Save some grief.

But man, when I search out and finally find the way into a new lake and pull up on something like this, what a rush!

Get out and enjoy your truck!

 

Agreed, way way back in the day cars were painted with enamel/oil based paint. When they switched to water based paint, which is virtually all vehicles now, they all got some sort of clear coat.

 

Sounds like paradise!

 

Installed V2 grille

 

Nice terrain to look at, even though challenging. Someone told me about their friend who went down the wrong path for 12 miles ... then had to back out because there were no turn-outs. I only recently discovered a drop-off-hugging trail that had cut-off roads every 5 miles or so ... I was probably white-as-a-sheet because I had never been in such a no-escape as I ignored my inner coward and just carried-on.

 

Excellent advise. These trucks are amazing out of the box. I will have to consider air bags too. Whenever I have the wife and 2 teen kids in the back and some supplies in the box we bottom out at times on trails searching for abandoned mines and huckleberries with our 2020 DCLB sport. Also, fully loaded with gear and bikes leaving the Lower mainland, heading to the Boundary area cabin the back sags. I don’t think I need a lift either, but want a practical off roader. Maybe just shocks to replace the factory Hitachi’s. Already, have one tire size up in a Toyo open Country A/T in SL load. Take my chances with staying with SL. I still daily drive to work majority of the time. Maybe a rear air locker in the future when I semi-retire in about 2 years and we consider moving to the cabin to live year round. Like to possibly explore deeper and farther in the back country then.

 

The air bags are phenomenal for my driving. This pic, only 13 psi in the air bags, max is 150. That is with only 300 pounds in the bed.

With 800 pounds in the back and at only 40psi I can lift the rear another inch over this photo. Biggest surprise was how the air bags stabilized the truck on highway driving. So solid, no sway or roll.

I have Bilstein 5100 front and back, no lift. Tires are KO2 265 75 16, E load. E load simply because of high blowout risk on my trails, and I am alone with no backup.

I have had some bad blowouts in bad spots prior to E load tires. I blew 2 SL tires on my first outing with this Tacoma. One sidewall huge hole, the other a sidewall massive bulge. End of same day I was on KO2 E load. A Kal tire in Kamloops saved my butt that day. No tire shop in town had even 2 spares in my size and only this Kal tire had a full set of KO2 in my size. E load are very stiff, so not for everyone. I air down on every off road trip.

I am alone on my trips simply because I love the quiet and solitude. Slow and easy wins…

 

It really sucks when that happens, and yes it can be very scary. I have had many occasions where I backed out and pretty shakey once I made it back out. Starting to get smarter with age. Maybe.

 

THIS, deserves the BEST participation Trophy EVER made!!!

 

I learned much about handling the inside 90-degree turns that slope down-to-the-left (with a minor ditch to the left). I still am not sure when I want to take that trail again.

 

I continue to remove steel and add Ti where I find opportunities. I got serious about installing the bed mounted tire cage. Be aware if you do this. Its not as simple as you might imagine. This, especially if you want it in a certain spot. I did my best to avoid running into obstructions under the truck but, I failed. I had to grind/sand a little section of fiberglass molding under the bed. Sanded it all nice and smooth and painted it black. While I was already covered in fiberglass dust and had a grinder in my hand, I removed the little steel spare tire guides from the frame and ground it all smooth and painted it. The cage install requires two people and it should be someone you communicate well with and has some automotive knowledge. I tried my little nighbor dude but, he is like a T-rex and just couldn't wrap his head around what I was asking him to do. (0 man points!)
I'll recruit my son tonight. The hardest part will be above all of peripheral fuel tank crap. Gonna have to glue or tape the nuts to the wrench while my help threads the bolts in from above. Getting the under bed bracket up in there ought to be a PITA too. Serenity now!

 

This. A 200 foot high cliff on one side in reverse. Other side a 500 foot drop. This pic a straight section. So roll back 3 feet, stop, correct, roll another few feet, stop, correct, repeat. Now when I go back there I park it 2 miles back and hike up higher.

That first time I should have parked it and hiked a mile or 2 to scope it out before continuing to drive. Spots like this a drone would have come in handy.

 

Backed out of shelf road trail a few weeks ago. Was about a mile of reversing, I won't go back to that trail and was the last time I'll go on a trail I haven't scouted.

 

You could tell yourself "I was an idiot!", but you got *something* from that experience. Maybe more caution, maybe finer control ... something. Like the trail I took, I added to my skillset for handling dropoffs, narrow passing (a few vehicles cam the opposite direction), mud-sections (had those) and a beginner-introduction to solo-rock-crawling. Take what you can, adapt later trips.

Maybe others read this and dismiss my words as babble, maybe they see a little of their experience.

 

This would be a concern that I would dread. Fun getting there but meet another vehicle part way and can't turn around but have to back down. Even on easier trails I'm always keeping in mind where I can pull over safely to let another vehicle pass if I have to.

 

Many trails near me I avoid on weekends ... AZ folk emerge en-masse on trails on weekends. Weekdays mostly a few obnoxious SxS that think no one else is out.

 

Agreed, but in almost every new trail I take looking for some remote lake, I can find no trail information online other than satellite maps. So I am often driving into the unknown. I am cautious. Forty years of this stuff and I don’t like taking chances. BC is full of thousands of miles of trails like this, open through crown land from past and current logging and mining activity.

Like this trail. The white spots left and right are the start and end point of this one section. I added the red line to show the trail between these spots. Impossible to tell much from the satellite photo what its like. It is an ATV trail and does lead to one of my now favorite small lakes to fish. It is pretty rough but passable. My first time there I thought a few times about turning back. Glad I did not.