Deekyn’s build of Kevin the 2015 TRD Off Road Tacoma

Spent my holiday weekend off-roading and camping in the Buena Vista/ Salida area. Including finding a dog running miles from where it’s owners lost it and reuniting them. Had a fantastic time.

Least favorite thing might have been Tin Cup Pass, only because it was crazy crazy busy. More sxs than you can shake a stick at. It was super scenic anyways. having most of Aspen ridge to ourselves Sunday night was great.

 

Time to start the real mods soon!

It’s not the fanciest. But I just couldn’t justify several thousand dollars for something I’ve never done. So I got myself a cheap but recommended by a few people VULCAN migmax 215 mig welder and a few accoutrements. And a welding cart.

Next I need to get a helmet, a bottle of gas and get 220 hooked up in the garage (shouldn’t be a problem since we have 220 in the next room for the dryer)

Ignore the mess I have 3 other projects going this weekend.

 

To continue with the garage organization, I finally finished building my cabinet. It’s not perfect but not bad for my first real woodworking project. Plus it’s for the garage so it will get beat up anyways.

 

Got to use my truck for work the last few weeks…


I work for the state environment department and spent the last three weeks doing wetland surveys in northern New Mexico. Got to take my personal vehicle since we were camping 4-5 nights a week. It rained 13 of the 16 days we were out. CVT Mt hood roof top tent did great. The OVS 270 awning was key. Everyone hung out under it most nights. Got to see some beautiful places and even some local wildlife.


Funny thing is we drive through this traffic jam of ~200 bison and I now realize there was a herd of elk on the hill above.

 

Nice build! Did all the sound deadening in the floor and back, make a difference? I saw you said the roof did, but not the doors?

Also, any idea how much weight it added?

Thanks!

 

Thanks

I would say that the floor and back wall made minimal difference. I used a decibel meter before and after and it was like 3 decibels or something. Like a little quieter but not a lot. My truck is loud. Roof rack before, now bed rack and RTT. Plus I did the cowl intake mod which makes it louder. plus it’s an access cab and I think that’s a bit of a source of sound. If you have a roof rack or RTT I’d do the roof. Otherwise start with the doors. Use dynamat/kilmat/etc and consider using some thin closed cell foam. The mass loaded vinyl is expensive and heavy and I’m just not sure it was worth it. The floor is stiff with padding/carpet so it’s less critical. And the back wall… just not sure.

As for weight I’d say I added 50lbs or more, a fair bit of it was the MLV.

 

Another Utah trip on the books this weekend.

Wife and I had a backroads camping adventure planned for this weekend but she is in a boot for a foot injury. So no climbing RTT ladders for her.

At the last minute we decided on Moab. In part because we got a great deal on a hotel room. And oddly Moab was super quiet this weekend.

I wanted to explore some mild trails we hadn’t done up there since she can’t get out and spot.

So Saturday we did about 75 miles of dirt. Left Moab up and over La Sal Pass, random dirt roads behind the La Sals and back to Moab via Onion Creek. Onion Creek was interesting, the rest was pretty bland.


Today we went up Long Canyon, side trip to Day Canyon Point (rated 5, low end of hard, one big set of steps give it that I think. The rest was moderate), then down Shafer Trail, which we’ve done but is always beautiful.



Not the hard part ⬇️

 

Another successful Moab trip on the books!


Wife and I spent last weekend doing the White Rim Road in Canyonlands. Up the Potash road, around the white rim, over and out mineral bottom, then across Gemini bridges. We camped the first night in Airport campground. The next night was supposed to be Potato Bottom, but being so close to the river with no access is bullshit. Plus we got there at like 3pm. So we drove in and found a great campsite above north mineral canyon right on the canyon edge. Way better.

Great trip.



Airport camp


A little shade and a great view for lunch

The green river

Camp above Mineral Canyon

A quick lunch spot on the drive home, along the Dolores River outside of Dove Creek, CO

 

We were on the other side of the canyon all last week in the maze district.

 

Not what I did for my truck, but what I’ve been up to in the garage recently

Got myself a lapidary cabbing machine and cheapo drill press recently to make myself stone earrings (plugs) recently.


In ear pic for all you fuddy duddies who dont know what plugs/gauges are. I’ve have ~5/8” hole in my ears for 20 some odd years. I’ll be a cool old man with saggy ear lobes some day.




Get the stones cut into thick slabs. Place it in plaster of Paris in a cake pan. Once it sets, put it under 1/4” water to keep the diamond core bit cool. Drill out the cylinder. Grind rounded faces, grind out the saddle, polish it all. Have diamond embedded wheels that are 100, 200, 280, 600, 1200, 3000, 8000, 140000 grit.



Different stone but same idea



Lizard stone jasper



moss agate

Agatized dinosaur bone

 

Nice build I like it, other than gas mileage and lack of power does using stock gears with 295s strain any mechanical parts like transmission, driveline etc? Asking cause I'm about too upgrade tires and have a DD so not concerned with mpgs.

 

295s are gone, I went back to 285s. In large part because 295s are really hard to find. And I get 2 flats a year give or take. So it was unsustainable. But it was fine. Engine had to work a little harder and she constantly shifts on hills. So probably harder on the engine and transmission than anything

 

At 180,000 miles, with something like 1500 miles of dirt this year, feels like all I do these days is chase rattles, squeaks, and clunks. And endless maintenance.

This time it was a wheel bearing. New hub assembly it is.

 

Well another trip to Moab in the books. And to quote my wife “That was really lame wasn’t it?” And the answer is yes.



We had reservations to camp an few nights in Canyonlands, but she had a work trip pop up so we changed plans and ran the Rimrocker Trail from Montrose, CO to Moab.

And to be honest it was quite bland. Lots of really easy trails, some pavement. And the end towards Moab was super bone-rattling rocky and over grown. There are prettier trails in the Uncompagre, and probably 100 more scenic trails in Moab.

We ran it. And found a cool camp spot, but I will not be running that trail again, nor actually even recommend it to anyone.

These two were the highlight of the trip


Otherwise it was fine but not amazing.

 

Installed the sweet new Bluetooth rear driveshaft! So clean, like those amazing SEMA show trucks.


Or had my driveshaft rear tubed because I had apparently given it a few little love taps.

To this:



When I got it back, I replaced the carrier bearing and ujoints.

 

sweet build!!