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2002 Toyota Tacoma (Bupkis) - JoeyIV's Build Thread

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by JoeyIV, Apr 6, 2024.

  1. Apr 6, 2024 at 3:36 PM
    #1
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Hi all,

    I purchased my 2002 Tacoma in August of 2023, and have since been building it out to eventually make it into a fully off-grid camper. His name is Bupkis which is a Yiddish word that means "absolutely nothing." I figured it would be good to document the progress and show people what I have been working on!

    I have been into the offroad scene for years, but this is the first time I have actually owned a truck myself... I'm learning a ton as I go, so forgive me for my naivety :D

    feel free to PM me if ya got any questions!

    Here's the truck the day I bought it!



    Here it is now:
     
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2024
    Area51Runner and Road_Warrior like this.
  2. Apr 6, 2024 at 3:40 PM
    #2
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    First time I took the truck off road:



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  3. Apr 6, 2024 at 3:44 PM
    #3
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Unfortunately, my transfer case was leaking gear oil pretty bad... Was too big of a job to reseal it, so I took it to a local transmission shop and they fixed it for me. No more leak :thumbsup:

     
  4. Apr 6, 2024 at 3:55 PM
    #4
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    One of my first DIY mods was installing a new head unit and backup camera. I had never done any wiring or soldering, so it took me a while to get it done... but when that screen lit up and I could finally play my own music... jeez, I can't even tell you the pure joy that ran through me!

    I wired the backup camera to the reverse light in my brakes; it's mounted to the top of my license plate. Hardest part of that was soldering and actually running the video cable from my head unit, out under the driver seat, and all the way along the frame:



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  5. Apr 6, 2024 at 4:00 PM
    #5
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Got festive for Christmas time and picked up a tree for the family :santa2:

     
  6. Apr 6, 2024 at 4:04 PM
    #6
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    While doing a couple of odd jobs and cleaning up after the previous owner, I discovered the paint on my truck bed had been eroded away by debris trapped under my drop-in bedliner... yikes:



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  7. Apr 6, 2024 at 4:08 PM
    #7
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    After some heavy rain, my dog and I went through some deep puddles in Holy Jim Canyon:



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  8. Apr 6, 2024 at 4:14 PM
    #8
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    In February, I took my truck on its first major road trip. I visited my girlfriend up in San Luis Obispo, CA and hit a bunch of offroad trails. We did Prefumo Canyon, Hang Glider hill in Cayucos, and Cuesta Ridge... Cuesta Ridge was, by far, the most beautiful trail I had ever been on... like seriously, can't recommend it enough.



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  9. Apr 6, 2024 at 4:19 PM
    #9
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    My headlights were fogged up, so my dad gifted me a black headlight set off of Amazon! Since the headlights he bought were black, I decided to try out a black grill to match... I think chrome looked good, maybe even better than how it is now. I like the black too though. Here's some before/during/after pics of this mod:

    p.s. I also got new headlights and stuff which are sooo much brighter at night. Big quality of life upgrade.



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  10. Apr 6, 2024 at 4:21 PM
    #10
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    My extra cab pop out window latches broke... unfortunate. I got a set of aluminum ones off Amazon for like $9 to replace them!

     
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2024
  11. Apr 6, 2024 at 4:32 PM
    #11
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    After saving up enough, I pulled the trigger on the first major modification for my truck which is a Softopper. I went for one of these for the light weight versatility. I also did some plastic restoration to better match my fenders to the Softopper. Down the line, I knew I wanted a rack to wrap around the Softopper with a RTT... big purchases on the way.



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  12. Apr 6, 2024 at 4:48 PM
    #12
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Finally, after much deliberation, I committed to a bed rack and RTT... I love Softoppers and knew I wanted a rack that would complement and work well with a Softopper. However, not many companies make racks that go around Softoppers for first gen Tacos! The only two companies I could find were Xtrusion Overland and MaxModular (@KB Voodoo). I decided on MaxModular because of their presence on the forums and the customer service I got through a phone call to them. Really cool company. Here's the rack.

    I haven't seen any other First Generation Tacoma owners buy the Softopper rack from MaxModular, so I'll definitely get some good photos and reviews up when I get the rack...

    As far as tents go, I really like the design of wedge clamshells... However, I didn't have the budget for a name brand one. I found a tent made by the same manufacturer who makes Roof Nest tents, but for a third of the price! It's on Amazon and has solid reviews; I'll definitely continue to update this thread depending on how it performs. If I end up loving roof top tents I may invest in a name brand one down the road.



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  13. Jun 6, 2024 at 1:26 PM
    #13
    vengie

    vengie Member

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    Did you end up installing the bed rack and tent? Curious for updates!
     
  14. Jun 6, 2024 at 6:01 PM
    #14
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Yes sir! Posting now :)
     
  15. Jun 6, 2024 at 6:01 PM
    #15
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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  16. Jul 22, 2024 at 9:22 AM
    #16
    G-Dudeman

    G-Dudeman Member

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    How is the Naturnest RTT working out?
     
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  17. Aug 23, 2024 at 9:25 AM
    #17
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    It's been great! I have used the tent for about 6 or 7 nights this summer and they've all been good experiences. One night was during a torrential down pour and hail storm and the tent stayed completely dry inside... I really like how the overhang goes on all three windows as opposed to just the rear on many wedge style tents. Haven't had any issues with condensation either.

    My main gripe is that the memory foam sleeping pad it comes with kind of get's thin where my hips are, so side sleeping isn't as comfortable- I am looking into finding an air mattress that fits inside the tent.

    Overall, for half the price of a Roofnest, it's very solid.
     
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  18. Aug 23, 2024 at 3:44 PM
    #18
    G-Dudeman

    G-Dudeman Member

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    BTW, nice job on the rebuild!! The truck looks great!
     
  19. Aug 26, 2024 at 3:12 PM
    #19
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Thank you good sir!
     
  20. Aug 26, 2024 at 3:46 PM
    #20
    JoeyIV

    JoeyIV [OP] Well-Known Member

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    HUGE UPDATE

    After much deliberation (like, a year of deliberation), I pulled the trigger on King 2.5 Coilovers in the front and King piggy backs for the rear!!! I also am picking up a set of OME leaf springs with greasable shackles... Lastly, to tie it all together I got some delta joint UCAs from Icon. And yes, I am terrified of the money I just spent on a truck from 2002.

    You might be asking why I went with Kings over OMEs, Icons, etc. for my setup... I looked into OME for a while and came sooo close to buying Nitrochargers, but I decided I wanted more adjustability. I also looked into stage 4 Icons but I heard the digressive valving was rough on washboards, and I am constantly on washboards in Southern California. So, with the comfort>handling ideology, I felt Kings would suit my needs more.

    So, yeah, pretty soon I will be ripping the 22 year old suspension out and putting the brand new suspension in. Stoked!

     

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