$15k Buildup Recommendations for Security Contract

You're absolutely right and we have sent some of those questions back to the point of contact to get clarification. We learned yesterday that the security company is also pretty small and new, and not the best at writing requirements. I started out real optimistic and excited but am starting to become skeptical myself that this is even a good idea for us. We also want to try reaching out to agriculture for new business since some of the real large farms have fairly large vehicle fleets. That would be more in line with what we already do.

 

Who's responsible for warranty coverage on vehicles you sell, the mfr right?

How about on modified vehicles?

Who's going to pay if you represent a vehicle as capable of crossing 3' and it ends up with a failed alternator or drowned carpets or hydro-locked or just random electrical faults as a result of a deep water crossing driven less than optimally by a low paid employee who's never "off-roaded" before and goes "whoop-boy-oh-yeah" too fast or too slow into a poorly considered stream crossing?

4 wheel parts sells a bunch of stuff, but part of what they sell is a replacement vehicle warranty that covers vehicles that they've heavily modified, including the modifications, so the buyer (typically a dealer) doesn't get caught between the buyer and the manufacturer on a denial of claim do to modifications such as supsension replacement, regearing, etc... The retail cost of such a warranty is usually around $700 if I recall correctly. Even that wouldn't cover a poorly considered river crossing, though.

 

These are the types of questions it's really more important to consider from a fleet sale business perspective - rather than which aftermarket bumper would you put on?

 

Looks like I'm a bit late to this party; oh well.

My teams run Suburbans and Land Cruisers from The Armored Group (I think that's the company...90% sure).

We've been extremely satisfied with how the run and perform. LC's are kinda small on the inside when we're all kitted up, but the Suburbans have plenty of room. The LC's are more capable off road, though, so it depends on where we're going that day.

Just for what it's worth.

 

you aren't getting 300 miles out of a tank of gas with a V6 unless you're driving like a cops behind you!

 

Only read the first page and a half, but here's my thoughts.

Go with a lower package than the TRD. You're replacing the suspension anyway and the color matched stuff isn't worth soaking up budget room on this type of a project.

This thing is going to be really heavy. Guys with just a full load of rock armor and oversized tires, carrying their standard recovery gear, are often around the GVW for the Taco. Add the glass and steel plates in the doors you mentioned and it's going to weigh a lot. I'd look at some performance options (TRD supercharger?) to help retain some of the on road performance. Plan to spend $5k or more on this, hopefully you can offset this cost with savings from ditching the TRD package.

You'll need:
-Big ol' steel bumper and winch. I'm sure there's lots of recommendations already so I wont bother listing your options. Pushing stuff out of the way and being able to self recover offroad are both going to be high priorities.
-Suspension. Depending on intended off-road terrain this could change a lot. Woods and rocky areas at low speeds -> something like an OME 3" lift. Bombing across a desert? You'll want to consider some bypass shocks and possibly a long travel kit. Long travel will eat most of your budget though. Take weight into account when you're thinking about spring rates. Uniball suspension components are popular with enthusiasts here, but are higher maintenance.
-Tires. Which specific tire really depends on terrain as well. If you have the capacity to have these modified heavily to clear big tires, I'd look into 37x12.5x16.5 military Humvee take offs. They're already designed for this type of work. You can get the 16.5" humvee rims recentered for the Tacoma bolt patern. Available at a decent price online. Search the forum for the "thoughts on 37's" thread for some more details.
-Lockers. The ARB air lockers are popular here. Selectable lockers are great for retaining on road performance and having traction when needed. A more reliable option at a lower price would be a Detroit locker. They don't handle as well on asphalt.
-Gears to compensate for the weight and larger tires.
-Communications. I'm assuming you'll need some two way radios.
-Rock armor. I'd throw the standard compliment of belly skids and rock sliders under your rigs if you're going to be spending much time offroad.
-Storage solutions. I don't recall the name of the company that makes them, but if you search for Defcon Brix's build thread you'll find some nice storage solutions including locking steel drawers for the bed. These would be perfect for holding firearms and whatever other equipment you need.

Aaaaand there goes all the money.

Edit: Auxiliary fuel tank, or at least some jerry can holders. My Tacoma with a 3" lift, couple hundred pounds of extra steel and 33" tires only gets like 200 miles to a tank.

 

They're Navy Seals. The lion painted on the door is their thing.

Sea