Sam the Taco (Build Thread)

Everybody meet Sam! This is going to be a sslloooooww build.

What he looks like now (6/2014):


List of mods in order performed (as best I can remember):
-Yakima roof rack over the cab
-iPod controller (basically fools the factory stereo into thinking an iPod is a CD player)
-ARE Topper w/ 2nd Yakima roof rack
-Home made storage system and platform for the bed
-Tepui Rooftop tent
-Console Safe
-BFG ATs (265/75/16)
-Columbia Overland Dual Battery Tray and National Luna Dual Battery Controller
-3 Blue Sea USB plugs (front seat, back seat, bed) (wired to aux battery)
-2 Blue Sea Cigarette plugs (back seat and bed) (also to aux battery)
-2 Blue Sea fuse boxes (one under the driver seat and one in the bed) (both pulling power from aux battery)
-LED Bed lights
-Uniden Bearcat CB radio and Firestick antenna
-Replaced the dome light w/ LEDs
-Edgestar 43 quart fridge
-60 Watt Solar panel (to run the fridge, etc.)
-Custom roof box
-Yaesu FT-2900R (2 meter/75 Watt radio)
-Pulled out the Bear Cat CB (to make room for the Yaesu)
-Installed a

$90 Midland 75-822 40 Channel CB-Way Radio

Midland 75-822 CB radio that just lives under my driver seat
-Cut the roof box in half to make it more aerodynamic and lighter.
-Mounted a 1000 Watt Pure Sine Wave inverter behind the driver side rear passenger seat.
-ARB CKMA 12 Mounted in the engine bay
-EGR Slimline in-channel window vent visors
-OME Ultimate Heavy Kit from Cruiser Outfitters
-Customized Metal Tech Sliders

Near Future plans:
-Upgrading the solar panel from 60 to 100 Watts
-Wet Okoles with heated seats

Way Future Plans:
-Rear Plate bumper w/ tire swing out
-A dual-band (2m/70cm) radio that can monitor 2 channels at once
-LED Light Bar?
-Rear Air Locker
-Maybe one day a front bumper with a winch


The day I adopted Sam:


Less than a month later I had some roof racks on the cab and drove Sam out to Moab:


So, then I got a topper (ARE) and built a cabinet/storage system:




The main goal was for it to look like the bed was empty when it's all closed up. I live in the city and unfortunately have to worry about someone helping themselves to anything I leave in the truck:


Then I got a roof top tent from Tepui:

 

Welcome to TW! Nice rig. Might I suggest, since you're concerned about security, a pop-n-lock 8250! I have a hard top tonneau with the pop-n-lock and I can rest assured no ones getting into the back of my truck without a lot of work!


How did you come up with the name Sam? Curious. LoL

 

Yea. Why Sam? and welcome!

 

Thanks for the pop-n-lock suggestion. I figure making it look empty is the best security in the city. Usually people won't break in unless they can see something they want. (Knocking on wood.)

I can't really explain why his name is Sam. It just seemed fitting.

 

Damn you people! Just read this thread:
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/audio-video/77521-pop-lock-8520-8521-guide.html

Now pretty sure I'll be adding a pop n lock to my mod list. Thinking about getting one with a camera and wiring it up to a little LCD monitor mounted somewhere in the cab. Would have to find a convenient and discreet place to mount it so as to keep the truck looking non-descript.

I'm gonna need a second job...

 

So, my girlfriend, our dog, and I finally got to use the RTT. We headed up to a spot on the Switzerland Trail for the night.

On the way in my girlfriend helped me out with a cool racing stripe mod:


And here's a pic of our camping set up. The stove sits on the tailgate, under the tent:

 

It's been a while since I added anything to my truck... Over the last week I put in a dual battery system and some knick-knacks:

Here's the system as it sits in the engine compartment:

You can see the National Luna Intelligent Solenoid in the background. The controller now lives in the little coin tray on the right side of the steering wheel.

There's a total of 3 lines coming off the aux battery thus far. One to a fuse box in the cab, one to a fuse box in the bed, and one to where the inverter will eventually be (under the passenger seat):


Here's the fuse box in the cab. I just put it under the driver seat. It is grounded to the seat bolt:


The wiring for the fuse box above and for the inverter that I don't have yet:


The fuse box in the bed:


A blue sea 12v cigarette lighter port and USB port. Both running to the fuse box under the driver's seat:


Another Blue Sea USB Port


While I was doing this, I went ahead and put in the wiring for the CB antenna. Will install the CB radio in the next couple weeks:

 

Love my Console Safe:


New Shoes:


LED Dome Light:

 

CB:


Firestick CB Antenna:


Great little iPhone mount:


Dual battery controller sits in the tray to the right of the steering wheel:


Made a little junction box for the bed. It mounts to the exposed metal there w/ 4 rare earth magnets. Has a Blue Sea USB outlet, cig lighter outlet, the switch for the bed lights, and one of the LED units mounted there to illuminate the tailgate.


Bed lights:



Edgestar 43q fridge:

 

The fridge was requiring me to run the truck for at least an hour everyday to keep the battery charged up. So, I decided to add solar.

Testing out the system:


Here's a crude wiring diagram:


I mounted the solar controller next to the dual battery solenoid:


Then I set about making a roof box to hold the solar controller and store things like camp furniture:


And here's the completed project:


The 2x4 across the front will eventually hold a 40" LED light bar.

 

This is an awesome build! Get this thing lifted, armored, locked, and a couple of extra goodies and you are definitely ready for the zombie apocalypse. LOL. At least a fun weekend or two off the trail.

 

Thanks! How's the Line-X holding up on your sliders? I just picked up a pair for $300 and was just gonna put some bed liner spray on them. The Line-x looks a little more... Like someone who knows what they're doing did it.

 

Holding up fine. Typically use bedliner, but didn't see a good way to complete with what I had. They were bigger/heavier than I thought.

 

Woot! Got a set of Metal Tech Sliders on the cheap! Let the real wheeling commence!

 

Made a hole:


And relocated the trailer wiring plug that was placed in a really stupid location:

 

And finally painted the sliders. Will hopefully get them mounted in the next couple weeks.

 

So yeah… Those sliders were for a Long Bed, Double Cab… Back to the drawing board. $300 if anyone wants them.

 

Took out the Uniden Bearcat. Replaced it with this:



I cut off the cig lighter plug and put on an Anderson Powerpole connector. It connects to the fuse box under my driver seat that runs to the auxiliary battery.

And then got this awesome little gem installed:



Super stoked and have been on a HAM binge all morning. Checked into a net on a repeater 30 miles away, talked to a guy up on SugarLoaf Mountain on Simplex (15 miles away), and just now talked to some friends who are hitting the Vail repeater (on the Colorado Connection) as they drive down I-70 (about 120 miles away). All this without using more than 10 Watts!

 

Like the truck and I am pretty much planning a expedition style rig like yours. I would like to know how the roof top tent has held up on your ARE shell. I have a new Tacoma with a Leer and was provided nebulous information from Cascadia (here, just look at the pictures). Have you had any issues and could you see using a heavier tent with two medium size adults and a child. Mainly concerned if the shell will hold all this weight.

My Build

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-builds/301096-arrowshots-build.html

 

Lots of people seem to worry about this… But I've never heard of anyone who's done it having problems. Probably would not be a good idea to get one of those extra-tall, weird shaped toppers as the extra bends in the fiberglass will reduce it's strength. I've had no problems with mine and I've spent quite a bit of time sleeping up there and driving around (on and off road) with it up there.