What Have You Done To Your 3rd Gen Today?

Gotta make the kid wear the skull as a costume.

 

Those of you who have installed the hidden light bar under the grill, did you have to take out the splash guards? Videos on YouTube all show them being removed but the install video on the Diode Dynamics site show them not taking it out.

 

The side pieces that flare the radiator?

 

Six more days till Halloween... Halloween... Halloween....

 

That’s the combo to my luggage.

 

I just notched mine to fit. Left them in.

 

debadged and adding raptor lights, people will think its a ford

 

Speaking from experience, of course ...

 

just say no to
rator lights
lic plate light blockers
gas hole (oh baby)
nipple clips
ditch(bitch) lights
over 2.5 inch lifts

 

Vehicle: 2019 DCLB, TRD Sport 4x4. I am the original owner. I've got about 70k miles on it and I've been doing little mods over the past several years. Here is what I've done, and I'm almost positive I've forgotten some things. Am I done? Maybe!



Build Philosophy: Understated and simple. I use my truck to get to trailheads and I sometimes sleep in the back. My truck is not my adventure, but it gets me to my adventures. I want it capable, comfortable, and not obnoxious. It's also my daily driver, so pavement driving matters to me. I want to not be afraid of trails or hard terrain. I like it being a super capable truck that might not be noticed by the average person all that much.

Exterior:

• Rock Sliders: These are custom made by Ghost Ship, a well-known user here on Tacomaworld. They are welded to the frame. I love the look and they are actually functional as rock sliders.

• Skid Plate: RCI 3/16" Steel - Black powdercoat
• Recovery Point: ARB (this one will actually work as opposed to demon brackets or the tow point)
• Branding: Blackout the chrome on the exterior branding. Just used some cheap product from amazon that attached with 3m tape. It's held up just fine. I also de-badged the truck and took off the stickers. I'm not a fan of stickers on trucks and I don't like the aesthetic of super overt branding.
• Grill: Cheap TRD Pro knockoff from Amazon or something

• Ditch Lights: Caliraised light and bracket
• Hidden Grill Light Bar: Harbor Fright light with Caliraised mount
• Side Mirror: Sequential turn lights, smoked black. Got them off Amazon they look really good and I love how the turn signal does more than just flash, it moves along the mirror from inside to outside.

• Headlights, Low beam: VLED 5000K V50 MONOCHROME SERIES. These are vastly superior to the stock and a great way to upgrade without spending a ton of money. I will probably do the fog lights as well, and maybe the brights. However, with the light bar, it's not as important to upgrade the brights.

• Back lights: VLED Vtails - This makes it brighter, and fills out the brake light, and an improved reverse light and turn light

• License Plate Light: Upgraded to an LED, can't remember the brand, but it's way brighter and clear and it matches all the other LEDs.

• Wheels: SEMA Pro 17" These have a +4mm offset if I remember correctly. Makes the tires poke out just a tiny bit from the body, it looks perfect to me.
• Tires: 265/70/17 Toyo Open Country III. I could go bigger, and I might on my next set, but this is the sweet spot for what I am doing. Also, oddly enough, my speedometer is actually accurate now. It was under reporting my speed on stock tire size. But based on numerous radar tests and GPS speed, with these tires, what it displays is closer to correct than it was from the factory with 265/65/17.

• Suspension: Bilstein 6112 in the front and 5160 in the rear. Icon RXT leaf in the rear (option 2). This setup is ideal for my uses. I run around 250 lbs constant weight in the rear with my ARE cap and sleeping platform, etc. I've also loaded it up with ~900 lbs of stuff and it handles any bumps with ease. On the highway, it's great. On rough forest service roads or bumpy dirt roads, it's comfy, especially at rather fast speeds. There is even enough flex to do some moderate trails.

Take a look at me going in the back way to Arches National Park (on the Willow Springs Rd). The first few seconds of this video is of my truck on that road:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/W6BFAMxkNpE?si=vQcJSwGOCEIZaJhE

• Cap: A.R.E. CX Evolve. I opted for the locking back window, and side doors that can open (and lock). Also have the screens/pet window. These upgrade are well worth it. I love having a cap. Not only is it mostly weather proof, but it's more secure and also means I can't help people move larger pieces of furniture...oh darn.
• Rack: Prinsu rack on top of the cap.

Interior:

• Leather seat covers: Clazzio. These things are amazing. Soooo much nicer with them. Adds a touch of cushion as well. Wish I'd done this sooner. They were not really that hard to install, don't be scared.
• Blackout: Covered up the chrome on the steering wheel, vents, shifter, and door handles. Can't remember where I ordered it all, some from etsy, some from amazon.
• Stereo: Went with the Sony 8500 from Trail Grid. I was worried I wouldn't like the huge screen. But I love it. I couldn't go back to a tiny one. The sound quality improved dramatically, and it was wireless apple car play. Amazing. Huge quality of life increase. Highly recommend.

• Dash cam: I use the Garmin Mini. It hooks into power from the rearview mirror.

• Lights: front and rear footwell lights from VLED. These are also a huge quality of life upgrade. I also installed LED lights in the cab throughout.

• Switches: Powered/lighted switches from the light bar and ditch lights.

• Cellphone charger: I am using a magsafe charger made by Course Motorsports. I have it attached on a 17mm ball mount, that is attached to the truck with a 3m pad. This things holds the phone rock solid and charges it at the same time. So...I have wireless charging and wireless connection to the stereo, I'm in heaven.

Truck bed:

• Bed stiffeners: SOS Concepts
• Truck lights: Some basic LED lights with a switch near the power plug.
• Custom sleeping platform with pull out: I just made this myself. The right side comes completely out for more utility. It is covered in outdoor carpet. I have a post about it from a few years back. One advantage of my sleeping system is that if I lock the tailgate, you can't get into the drawer without serious tools (like a crowbar or a saw). A cap is never really secure, but I feel better keeping things of value in the drawer with the tailgate locked.

 

Personally kinda like the lic plate light blockers. After replacing the lic plate lights with LEDs (to match the rest of the truck) the lighting was insanely/too bright). It also washed out the back-up camera contrast. I was considering putting a dimmer on them when I saw the little “hoods” a forum member was selling.

 

I was where you are about a year ago ... I went from a DB to a GFC topper and I have no regrets. The gfc really gives you options in the bed. The DB was great as well, but for roadtrips, youth baseball tournaments and hauling stuff around for home projects, the gfc has been great. I got mine on Craigslist a year ago for 3k. If you can find a deal, you won't be disappointed.

 

I put seat jackers on mine today and really like them. Also removed the running boards to spray cosmoline. That was a total pain!

 

So, yeah, when you name your truck Vader I suppose you need a stormtrooper to go with it.
Done.

 

That’s a scout trooper…