2011 TRD OR AC - Slow burn build

I've always meant to have a build thread for my old truck. Never managed to get it together, so let's try with this one. At least it'll remind me of what I spent my last paycheck on, right? Here's my truck as she sits today (8/10/20):



Mods so far:
Free/cheap
-Trimmed 4" off the rear mudflaps and 5" off the front.
-DIY bed mat
-Cup holder in bed, because damn it, you can't set beers on the side of the bumper by the tailgate like a first gen!
-12v Anytime https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/always-on-power-outlet-relay-modified.407458/
-Seat belt chimes disabled

Interior
-Husky floor liners (rubber floors should be required by law in anything 4x4, amirite?)
-Ram phone mount on console
-Requisite bro-verlanding patches on ceiling
-Dog platform
-Sleeping platform

Exterior
-3rd gen Softopper
-Windows tinted
-3rd gen TRD OR wheels

Performance
-OME 2.5" kit from Wheeler's with 885 springs, nitro shocks, med. Dakars
-Solid alloy lug nuts from Wheelers
-265/75/r16 BFG AT's
-Coastal Offroad Skids
-Needle bearing delete with ECGS bushing

Planned mods, at least for the minute:
-Bedrack over Softopper or roof rack
-Sliders (maybe)
-Lighting in bed
-Seat covers


________________________________________________________________
Now for the story...

I'm going to be building this thing up over time. The idea is to have something to roadtrip with, go off-roading with (just planning on mild to moderate trails), sleep in, and not force me to start selling plasma. Oh, and it's my DD. That is to say, this might just be your basic budget-build. I'm going to be whittling away at it over time as finances allow, so a bit of a "slow burn."

I'm going to start with some background info. My first (good) off road vehicle was this '03 TJ Sport. Bought it in '06 (went into debt for it too, then swore I'd never do that again). I was in my mid 20's, working a real job, living in a two room apartment, so the Jeep fit the lifestyle. It never got more built up than some spacers and AT's, but it was fun. I drove it all over WV, KY and NC and it took everything I threw at it.


After getting a little older, buying a house, wanting to take longer road trips (without being beaten to death and deafened by a rag top), wanting to sleep in the vehicle instead of a ground tent, it became pretty clear I needed a truck. So, in 2013, I swapped the Jeep and some cash for a low mileage '04 Tacoma SR5. I added a cheeeeeeeeeeaaap topper, some 265/75's on 4Runner wheels, put a sleeping platform in the back, and started seeing what it could do. First big trip was from Ohio to Nova Scotia by way of New England. Here she is, looking tired on Cape Breton island:



But comfy!



There was no denying the fact that the sagging stock suspension and the radials had to go. I found a killer deal on a 2" OME kit (which would up being more like 3" for reasons I never did understand) and got some 235/85 Coopers. This was a GREAT combination and took me anywhere I pointed it. Like the Alpine Loop and Animas Forks:



And over Hagerman Pass on the first day it was open that year:



I won't lie, the first gen pictured here is my favorite vehicle of all time. It was just so simple, practical, capable and extremely reliable. That said, nothing last forever. And metal rusts. So, out with the older and in with the... less old.

I had been looking for a '14 or '15 Off Road model Taco for a while. I wanted the newest second gen I could get, but then I happened to find a one-owner '11 OR. And it was an Access Cab (my favorite). And low mileage. And reasonably priced. As in, no debt. But it was white... Eh... a white truck?

White or no, I bought it in late summer 2019, threw on secondhand Softopper from a fellow TW'er, a set of BFG AT's and was happy enough with the truck. (For about 6 months).



Even had some fun with the power outlet for the holidays:



Ok folks, that's enough for now. Thanks for tagging along on this trip.

 

You know how it is, you just can't leave well enough alone. So, yesterday, an OME kit from Wheeler's (2885's, medium Dakars) went in. NOW we're talking. Finally rides like a truck as opposed to a minivan. CV angles look ok, very very slight vibes around 15mph but I think I can live with it for now. Took it out for a test run, found some rough roads, got dirty:


So, once again, I'm pretty impressed with OME's quality. Is it the nicest suspension out there? No. Do you get great performance for the money? Yup. I did discover that the VSC is going to need to be reset. I'm going to hold off on resetting it for a minute and see if letting the shocks settle and adding some armor doesn't sort it out. Did I say armor?

 

Had a productive weekend, weather was good, so managed to get a little work done on the truck.


Snagged a pic of the aforementioned broverlanding patches. It's like they breed or something.


I don't know if it's a real problem or not, but I keep hearing about guys getting their tailgates stolen. I know it would only take a minute to pull this clamp off, but I figure most thieves would just move onto an easier target. Can't hurt I guess.

Now, the biggest project was getting my Coastal Offroad skids installed. A good buddy and his dad's well-equipped garage made this job a whole lot easier. By some miracle, we didn't break a single bolt. Reused what OEM hardware was in decent shape. I only managed to get one pic at the garage, but I'll get some more later.

This of course came as a kit and I had the local career/tech high school welding class burn it together for me. They did a good job, not perfect, but more than acceptable. I have a few little complaints about the kit but the biggest problem with it is the directions. They could have been way more clear, especially concerning installation. After some trial and error, we figured it out and I have to say, it looks pretty slick. I was really on the fence about whether or not I really needed skids, but after comparing the new kit with the factory "splash guards," I think this was money well spent.

Also, picked up a security system for back-country adventuring....

 

Another shot of the CO skid:


And my iPhone 4 filling in the role as a real phone. I'm fairly pleased with the placement of this phone mount, but I don't know. Might redo it later, somewhere on the dash where I won't have to look down so much to see it.


And here's me just being sneaky. I've always had the opinion that when modifying something, you should make it like the factory should have. That is, subtle but better. I'm wondering if anyone will even notice this addition though:

 

Been needing to cross this one off this the list for a while.

One of the reasons I'm a fan of an access cab is because it gives the dog a place to ride. Problem is, the backseat isn't exactly conducive to that. That's easy enough to fix. First stop was Habitat's ReStore to pick up a sheet of plywood. It took a couple tries, but with a little patience I scored big with these 4 half sheets of poplar cabinet plywood, 3/4" thick. Perfect. The edges were beveled, but that won't be a problem. Really nice stuff, cost all of 5 bucks.


I dropped the ball on taking pics, but I pulled the rear console and started test fitting. I found a small sheet of HDPE plastic, black, and cut it to fill the gap between the two cubbyholes. It was frustratingly just barely big enough but I stuck it in place with a little strip of velcro.

Originally, I pulled the bracket that held the console in place thinking I wouldn't use it. The more I looked at it though, the more I thought it was really handy. So, I reinstalled it, then drilled a couple holes in the HDPE that lined up with the bolt holes on the console bracket. These holes also correspond with holes I drilled in the wood I cut for the dog platform. All I needed was some longer bolts to put it all together.

Without the bracket and again, I'm sorry for not taking more pics:


I cut the wood to fit, then used some vile smelling contact cement to glue down indoor/outdoor carpet I had laying around. I stapled it and glued it and was pretty please with it until I realized the color didn't match anywhere near as well as I'd hoped. But the price was sure right, so I guess I can't complain.

I picked up a couple of these tool DeWalt boxes a while ago and they'd been hanging out in the rear footwells:

$23 DEWALT TSTAK II Tool Box, 13", Flat Top, Holds Up To 66 lbs, Flexible Platforms for Stacking (DWST17807)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B6K4V80/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
One holds recovery gear and the other holds badly organized tools. (Gotta work on that later).

Long way to go to say what this badly lit photo says, I got the platform built, carpeted and installed:


I made this in two pieces, there's a cut right down the middle. So, should I choose to, one 10mm bolt and a moved tool box makes one seat usable. Repeat that process and the other seat is open. Granted, not the most convenient way to get to the jack in a hurry, but I'm pretty satisfied with how it came together. Very sturdy, just have to get my big lab mutt to really test it out. My ViAir compressor found a good spot to ride too.

I'm debating putting a molle panel on the back wall above where the compressor is. Just gotta find one for a price I'm willing to pay.

 

Slightly better shot of the platform. Those two white spots are the bolts holding everything down that goes into the console brackets, helped out by some big washers.


And just for the sake of being thorough, here's a cheap DIY bed mat I made. Nothing fancy, just a rubber mat form Lowes that was made recycled tires. I used a utility knife to notch the wheelwells and D-rings. Note the bedside cupholder on the utility rail.

 

The doggos seem to be enjoying their new spot. Well, the one does. The other just enjoys anxiety.

Dare you to guess which is which.

 

Over the weekend I got a little work on the truck done, namely rigging up a sleeping platform. I actually had built this platform years ago for my first gen and it's served me very well. For the past 5 or so years, I've probably spent a month a year (at the least) camping out of a truck and sleeping on this platform, all over the country. It's made form 1/2" ply and some 1x12's, which *just* lets gear in milk crates fit under the platform, along with a bunch of L brackets and is topped with some indoor/outdoor carpet.

Fitting it to the second gen took a little modding, but nothing too crazy. I had to add a 2x4 across the front the keep it from shifting left to right, had to cut a notch to make it fit around the the bump out by the passenger taillight, and added a turnbuckle to take advantage of a rear tie-down.



The biggest mod involved that awkward looking leg on the rear passenger side. I built this platform for maximum flexibility. Parts of it can flip up, letting me pack in either two Coleman coolers, one big Pelican cooler, or two Rubbermaid tubs, etc, etc. Basically it keeps me from filling up the cab with stuff, while letting me pack all that I need on long-term trips. With my old truck that leg had plenty of room to flip up, but not so much with the Softopper. No problem, just flip it 90 degrees (although that did make part of the platform a little "bendy" so I had to add a reinforcement strip). Anyway, here's all the sections flipped up:



Sticker collection is coming along too:

 

I don't know if anyone else has had this problem or not, but after a month or so, the exhaust pipe started vibrating against the skid plate. I don't know if that was just "settling" or things working themselves to where they wanted to be or what. It wasn't that much contact, but when I got in certain situations (like a tight turn going up hill), the noise drove me crazy. "BRRRRRRRBBBRRRBBRRRRRRRRR...."

I didn't take any pics, but I came up with what I thought was a slick fix. I decided that the easiest was to fix things would be to gently bend the brackets the exhaust hangs from up, just a little. I thought about just hitting them with a BFH, but that seemed a little too dangerous should I miss. So, I wound up using a jack to push up on the brackets, bending them ever so slightly, and damned if it didn't work perfectly. I'm just putting that out there in case it helps someone else.

 

nice setup. its interesting what works for who, and how many options there are for platform setups. heres mine

 

Thanks, and it looks like you've got a pretty nice set up there as well!

When I built mine it was really a compromise between weight, maximum flexibility, maximum storage and using what I had on hand (for some reason I have a ton of milk crates, so I built it intending to use them for gear organization). It's worked out great, although a little more headroom would be nice.

 

being 6'3 i built it for headroom, and figured out the rest later. can fit underbed storage bins, and skis and surfboards under it, and just put any other gear in the cab when im sleeping

 

I guess I’m an 0vErL@NdEr now?

 

Haven't been making much progress on any truck stuff. My motivation had been a summer trip to Colorado to do BBP and a couple other trails I've wanted to tackle. With the whole shelter in place stuff, or at least with the whole economic shutdown thing, well, the trip more than likely will have to wait. Nothing to do but carry on though, right? Over memorial day weekend, I did manage to clean things up and get my windows tinted:


I like it. Should have done this is long before now. Gotta find me a set of wheels next.

 

Snagged a set of third-gen wheels on FB marketplace. Money well spent!


I also reset the stability control and have a slick way to do that. I'll have to make a post about that when I get a minute. About to delete the needle bearing too with an ECGS bushing.

 

When I first put the lift on, the VSC alarm would occasionally go off. But, as the suspension broke in and got more flexible, it kept happening over and over and annoyingly over. Last straw was it killing the acceleration as I tried to merge from an on-ramp. I followed the directions here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ibrate-your-vsc-computer-the-easy-way.467485/ but with one exception. Instead of a piece of wire I used this:


The twisted wire held nicely in the ports and all I had to do was flip the switch back and forth to mimic plugging and unplugging the wire. Dig those cigarette burns . Thanks original owner. Gotta get some seat covers.

 

I'd put it off a long time, but finally took the time to polish and wax the truck. Even polished the chrome. The paint looks so much better, the pic just doesn't do it justice.

 

Nice work OP!

Any chance you could update on the mat you used and if you still like it, provide a link? I’m interested in a cheap bed mat.

 

I believe it was this one: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Mohawk-Hom...n-4-ft-x-6-ft-Actual-48-in-x-72-in/1000043729

As far as how I like it, it's holding up fine. My biggest complaint is, when I'm sleeping in the back it will smell like a tire store from the recycled rubber in the mat.

 

Bit of an update; I snagged a bed rack from the classifieds here. I intend to add an awning and some kayak carriers, but for now, I'm running it empty.


Came in really handy on a socially-distant vacation in CO. Spent most of the time in the Leadville area, and being able to attach a tarp/shelter made the afternoon showers more bearable.




I did decide on this trip that the sleeping platform needed redone. There just wasn't enough headroom. So, I got some 1x8's and some 1/2" ply and came up with different set up. Pics to come.