1st gen story time

I bought this truck in 2014 with 189k. Pretty sure I did a build thread to where it ended up with 33s locker gears all the normal stuff. Fast forward to 2023 I haven't really know what I wanted vehicle wise and had be neglecting my truck. It is a 3rd vehicle, manly used for trips to the mtns, utility type stuff around the house. Biggest complaint it was just uncomfortable to drive, seats sucked, suspension shot, leaking oil and so on. I've been jealous of many of the trip report off road threads.

I figured I deserve a new truck right? So a few years ago I go test drive a new 3rd gen and just didn't fall in love. Changed my mind many times, a few test drives later still undecided. I go to lunch with a co worker in his 2021 JL Unlimited Rubicon on 35s and love it. Here is rig much more off road capable, I could drive to the Rubicon or Moab and drive home. I thought it actually drove pretty good and was more comfortable than a Tacoma and you don't even have to chop the body mounts to run 35s lol. What about the reliability over and over? Many test drives later still couldn't make up my mind and I had a vacation planned to see my buddy that lives in SW Colorado and check out the Telluride/Ouray/Silverton area. So I pulled the trigger and started fixing up the old girl.

 

1st up, the suspension. 8 or 9 years ago I bought some used kings, they were almost as clapped out as the 25 year old rear leaf springs. I had my local off road shop (Mikes Custom Toys in GP Oregon) order some 650# springs and dropped the shocks off for installation and rebuild. I picked them up along with a set of OME rear springs and shocks. Pulled into my garage for a pretty painless install.

 

I could have tackled a bunch of the other issues but... I change fluids, starters, alternators, did the 3rd members but I'm slow and running short on time so I drop the truck off at Mike's and end up with new valve cover gaskets, power steering rack, ball joints, ties rods a CV and probably a few other things I'm forgetting. After years of looking I ordered up some new seats, the factory 60/40 are so uncomfortable. When I got the truck home from the shop I bolted in my new Corbeau Trailcat seats and I'm done spending money for the moment.

 

At that point I only had a couple days before leaving on a 1100 mile one way journey across 4 states and was still questioning my decision on taking a 25 year old truck with 229k on the clock. I took it for a 200 mile test drive and was really happy with the new everything. The ride was much improved, truck didn't wander or leak anything, seats felt good but still to early to tell how spending a week straight in them would feel. Only one way to find out...

 

5 or 6 hours into the trip I was in the Nevada desert right at dusk. I have the CC set at 70mph and sure enough bam I take out a deer. She wasn't huge, maybe 80 or 90#s but it was loud and instantly I figure the trip is screwed. How much damage did I just do? Lucky for me years ago I ordered a NWTI winch bumper, no damage what so ever to report, just a brown stain on the bumper.

 

18 or 19 hours later I make it to Colorado. I'm in my 40s and able to get out of the truck and stand up straight. Looks like the Corbeau seats were a good idea, the drive would have been so painful in the stock Tacoma seats. I spend the night at my friends house and off to Telluride the next day. Grabbed dinner in town and off to find a spot to camp for the night.

 

The original RTT

 

Spent the next days on Imogene Pass, Poughkeepsie Gulch, Black Bear and exploring the whole area in general.

 

Following

 

A little Jeep envy here when we checked out the more difficult route on Poughkeepsie. I'm pretty confident I could have made the first obstacle but being by ourselves in 1 vehicle and so far from home I decided it wasn't worth it. I didn't get a great pic of the obstacle they were lined up for and we didn't know what other surprises were ahead on the more challenging route.

 

This is awesome. New isn’t always better. 1st gens are incredible.

 

First gens are great but so is the Trail hunter

 

Not a very impressive story or trip report compared to many of the threads I have spent hours and hours looking at. I'm happy I spent some money on my old truck, it is so much better to drive now. I did around 2,500 miles in 7 days on my Colorado trip, no problems other than my 1 deer encounter, burned about 1/4 of a quart of oil. A new Tacoma or Jeep would have been more comfortable but also cost a lot more. Its slow and I didn't want to push it, I tried to keep it around 73mph on the hwy even in the 80mph sections. These things are starting to get old enough you don't see many, I think I got 3 compliments on it while in the mountains. I probably saw 500 Rubicon's and Gladiator's so it was nice to be different. When the new jeeps are 10 years old my 35 year old Tacoma will be more reliable. Hoping that was just the 1st of many out of the area trips for me, this fall or winter maybe go explore the Northern California 395 area and Death Valley. Lots of ideas from all the forums and overland people on youtube with their $100k setups.

 

Great post....Almost make me regret selling my 99 single cab in the same color.

 

Yeah and the trail hunters gonna cost way more, more tech, and have a unproven power train. I think it looks good but the jury’s out.

 

What kind of seats did you put in it?

 

Post #3, Corbeau Trailcats and I'm still really liking them 6 months later.