2014 Stock Tacoma Dual Cab/4x4 Advice Needed

Hello Guys

First time poster and soon to be first time Tacoma Owner.

I'll be purchasing a 2014 Tacoma 4x4 Dual Cab, short bed.

Question is: What options should I get initially and what options can I add later to save on the initial cost.

The truck will be used to Tour the U.S., Traveling to Ski Lifts in the Winter not to much offroad.

Sorry if this is off topic for this thread, wasn't sure where to post..

Thanks for your time,
-J

 

If you're going to be using it for skiing and other outdoor activities I would say one of your best investments to keep it clean would be some weathertech digital fit floor mats. Skip the Toyota ones they suck. Other than that I would spend some time here looking through the forums there is tons of information out there.

 

ditto on floormats. I ended up with Husky x-act contours and am very pleased; they were cheaper than weathertechs here in Canada and have been awesome in terms of water/sand/dirt containment.

I still have stock dunflops on mine but haven't tried them in the snow - I've heard they suck so tires might be a wise investment.

Thinking some more, the most important I'd suggest a pop n' lock and some sort of tonneau or cap. I had a roll-up soft tonneau on my old ram and no one thought to cut through that to get to my surf gear inside; I've got a bakFlip now and that's even more secure. Being able to keep my gear dry and secure is pretty important to me, and it's definitely better than arriving at the parking lot with a soaked wetsuit or ski boots.

 

wet okole seat covers with seat warmers. Adds comfort, waterproof, and protects your investment. low heat setting also helps to reduce fatigue on longer drives I find.

stock roof rack is a nice feature for skis or a cargo box.

 

Avoid all dealer options you can...almost everything can be added aftermarket much cheaper and, in most cases, better quality. TW was a revelation to me...wished I had done more research here before buying. Problem is, dealer will try to load up the truck so it'll probably be hard to avoid options and find a truck that suits you. Just minimize to the ones you would add anyway. If you still haven't bought, see my post on the What Did You Pay For Your 2014 thread.

Best mods, in no particular order:
1) IMMRYO mirror bracket...great improvement for visibility
2) Bed mat - OEM or custom horse mat job...keeps shit from sliding around back there
3) Brighter backup lamps
4) Tailgate theft deterrent mod
5) Redline hood struts
6) Bed lights (don't have mine in yet...keep cussing at myself)
7) Trim mud flaps
8) I definitely agree with the mats suggestion...I got the Maxpider carpet mats instead of the Weathertechs....they are digital fit and look really good, but either will be better than the OEMs and will save your carpet.
9) Rear window theft deterrent - I just got a 1-foot piece of stock steel rod from HD and plasti-dipped it (to keep it from rusting)
10) Agree with the tonneau and pop-n-lock...got the Roll-X, but not certain I would get it again...lose the ability to use the stock track system in the bed.
11) Flashing 3rd brake light

Cheers and may you have fresh powder each day.
Randy

 

If you get a base model (I did - 2013) it will probably have everything you need except intermittent wipers. In Canada at least, the base model comes with AC, power locks, power windows, anti-theft, a decent stereo (I'm sure stereo purists would disagree), blue tooth etc, just no intermittent wipers. Conveniently, the part is only $200 in Canada (south of the border others have posted a much better price) and it is literally plug and play. A quick mod which makes the truck fab. By the way, if you ask the dealer, they'll tell you it can't be done. They're wrong.

If you are looking to save cash and have an awesome truck, get the base, add intermittent wipers and go from there. This side of the border at least a double cab short box is only $29600. Awesome truck for cheap by comparison to the competition.

 

An alternative to the tonneau cover is a soft topper. Check out Softopper or if you get a long box, Bestop. Inexpensive and fabulous. I love my Softopper.