johnecon's bio, truck specs and trail pictures

Soo.. as the title suggests, I've been more at home on the dirt than the pavement for almost as long as I've been able to drive, often taking my cars to the desert and doing things I shouldn't have with them. Hi, my name is John Economides (26 y/o), and I love the outdoors.

I started my outdoor career with Boy Scouts. Working my way up through the ranks to become and Eagle Scout. I also worked at Popular Outdoor Outfitters for 4 years, eventually working my way to Assistant Manager before they went out of business.
I had friends with Jeeps and single cab Tacoma's, and we went out to Four Peaks once or twice a month. It wasn't until 2007 when my 1999 Civic (my third car) was stolen and I realized I needed a truck for work. So I took the insurance money and bought my 2005 TRD Sport Access cab 4x4.

Knowing little of what I was doing off road, I began exploring 4 Peaks, telling myself, "don't mod this one, you're done with that". That lasted all of 4 months. I began finding the trucks limits and slowly upgrading the components that were holding it back.
Suspension, sliders, headers rear bumper, wheels, tires and finally, an ARB locker. There are other mods, but you get the idea.
My recovery kit includes 2 3/4" shackles, 2 1/4" shackles and a 30' recovery strap.
Future items to buy before this training include: HighLift jack, Dakar rear leafs and some other small odds and ends to be ready for an overnight excursion.

At this point in my off roading experiences, I can coach people up smaller obstacles and recover stuck or high centered vehicles. My old orienteering skills from BSA are a little bit rusty.
I want to learn to navigate more efficiently on a trail, tackle harder obstacles, be a better spotter, and more recover options.

That's all I have for now

~John

 

Specs:
2005 Access Cab TRD Sport 4x4
ARB Locker and

$323 CKMA12 On-Board Air Compressor High Performance 12 Volt for Air Locker Differentials and Tire Inflation

CKMA12 Compressor w/SS braided air line
TRD Trail Team wheels w/Federal 26575-16 Couragia MT's
Trail Gear U-Bolt flip
Toytec Add a Leaf
Tom Woods 1 Piece drive shaft
Bilstien 5100's x4 w/Toytec adjustable coilovers
Total Chaos Upper Control Arms
Downey Offroad IFS Skid
Doug Thorley Long Tube headers
Powermaster D2700 battery
Midland CB w/Cobra Mag Mount antenna
30' Recovery strap and 3/4" shackles
Custom rear bumper w/quarter panel protection and recovery points. Increased angle of departure
Stubbs Welding HD-SKO sliders