Which off road mod should be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd?

Maybe I should have provided a little more background but so far I appreciate all of the info The problem that I have is that I also have a wife, 2yr old daughter, an old dog, and we are hoping for another kid in the near future and they all go camping with me and they don’t pack light. I would like to get into some places even more off the beaten path and once camp is setup do some wheelin’ but I have to have a 4 door truck for practicality reasons but I think the Tacoma is one of the best options. I even looked at possibly getting a Raptor or a Power Wagon but I really enjoy not having a truck payment and am a Toyota fan.

In response to some of the statements above…
I would likely be doing 50% solo wheeling
I wouldn’t be in the mud very often since it’s pretty dry here
I already have a few trail gear items but plan on adding more

No front locker is an option I hadn’t really thought about and the winch would be able to take on some of that duty, plus with the 1k savings I could upgrade some other stuff.

 

I'd say save the cash for the front locker and put it elsewhere like some other people were mentioning. Majority of members on here do not have a front locker and have no need for one. If you find you are struggling big time getting where you need to go and feel it will really help for your application just buy it later. Otherwise the winch setup will have you set for a sticky situation.

 

If you are traveling with the family and no other 4x4 KEEP IT SAFE and don't try anything too aggresive. You can reach plenty of good spots with just good tires and a mild lift. But of course there is plenty of money to spend if you want to go in deeper... But save the tough off-roading for when you have another 4x4 with you, just in case you have a serious problem. Even something as simple as a dead battery in the middle of nowhere can be serious with a family and your old dog. My wife gets all worried at the slightest incline, so I keep it real easy when she is around.

 

^^^^^X2^^^^^

 

You are in Boise! Come check out our BS thread! Feel free to say Hi, we have a few guys in Boise.
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/north-west/174613-idaho-campfire-bs-thread-pnw.html

I just kind of skimmed over the posts in this thread, but I would say this

1. 2-3" Lift (clearance is important, and the lift will help you fit bigger tires)
2. Tires (again more clearance, 33's are a decent size for most, good traction is also important)
3. Sliders (I really like to keep the sides of the cab safe)



On the front locker thing, I love mine. When out rock crawling, my front locker is what helps me keep up with the Jeeps and Yotas on 37's. It is also great for extra traction. In Idaho we have lots of loose lava rock that we crawl on and traction is hard to come by... It's also great for sand, mud, and snow. Whereas Moab most of the easy and moderate trails, traction is so plentiful you practically don't need 4wd.

As for the DCLB, I know several guys who wheel the crap out of their DCLB. They really aren't that much longer than the DCSB. This is one guy, who has gone to Moab a few times now and passes up very little. Long wheelbases have their perks because they handle off camber stuff better and steep climbs (they are less likely to wheelie over than a 2 door jeep). The down side is you high center easier though. But I would rather high-center all day long than rollover or worse wheelie over...