AdventureTaco - turbodb's build and adventures

Just post your vids to PornHub, the comments are always positive and search adheres to keywords better.

 

You read the comments too? A man of culture.

 

Must not be much to do in WA

 

I'm a renaissance man, one cannot truly comprehend without experience after all

 

I think you're right! Thanks for the correction, I was going too fast and saw Pine Sawyer Beetle, and figured that was just the variety of Pine Beetle.

By the way - planning to head up to the Sunshine Coast for the first time ever next week. Not sure if you've got any tips over that direction for amazing views, but I'm all ears if you do.

Thanks! The gifs aren't that bad. Well, I mean, compared to video in general. Moving photographs are all horrible both because of the time they take to author as well as the time to edit. What a pain. Doesn't the world move enough in real life? Why do we feel the need to capture things the way they are?

I know you were never going to say anything about my photos and just wanted to get a dig in. It's fine. I've got a teen daughter, so nothing you can say is any worse, hahaha. She's a great kid.

Wait, wut? I had no idea. You just posted that with all the other trip photos and then said "go look at my flickr" when I asked for the high res versions. I suppose "on the way home" is technically still on the trip though, ehh? Whatever, it's an amazing photo and one that proves my Americanism, because every time I see it, I start humming the National Anthem.

Whoever chose that bird - and the anthem - did a fantastic job.

Have you completely missed the point of the entire Montana story? I put it in the freaking name of the trip for you.

Also, we'll be on roads where the van won't fit, and it's a long way around.

OK, what's the bit about turning off autoplay? (I just didn't follow that part).

Hmm. If it supports inbedding...err, embedding...

 

I agree with you on all points, but I can only write in hyperbole.

A PLAGUE ON HUMANITY, THE SOCIAL MEDIA`S!!!1!

Bird people are crazy. (In a good way!) I've seen eagles up close, and I've held a camera in my hand, but never at the same time. Awesome photos!

I will have to get back up to ID some time... that state owes me some damn fish! Same for WA and OR. Would have starved this summer if not for the Doritos.

Oops, I just forgot because I got hit in the face by a supersonic tomahawk missile filled with Liberty And Justice For All. Sorry!

I've heard that great parents make great kids.

Oh yeah, almost forgot again -- I love the photos! Especially your creativity with the drone.

Now, go post more for us!

 

You'll have to find me at camp is what.

 

Two Flats and a Fire | InterVANtion #4
Part of the Montana InterVANtion (Jul 2024) trip.

It rained on and off regularly during our night at Pear Lake, with gusty winds buffeting the tent and making me glad that I'd tied down the ladder to keep the entire contraption from folding up on me while I slept. With earplugs in and knowing that the tent would have plenty of time to dry out in the morning, I slept well, the patter of rain on the roof a soothing - rather than worrying - sound.

There were still a few clouds in the sky when I awoke for the first time, about 40 minutes before sunrise.​

When I woke up a second time - just more than an hour later - the clouds were already clearing.​

Enjoying the view from up high, I putzed around for a while with the drone. As I did, a rumble - which I initially attributed to thunder, then - as it continued for more than 30 seconds - to a very large approaching vehicle, but eventually to something I couldn't identify - reverberated through the valley.

Later that morning, Monte would ask, "Did you catch it on the drone?"

"Catch what?" I replied. Feeling a little bad that I hadn't been as careful with the drone noise as I thought I had.

"The mountain calving. Or the rockslide. Or whatever?"

Of course, not knowing what it was that I was hearing - and being the worst drone pilot I know - I'd had no chance of catching it in my frame, much less on video. Bummer, because it sounded like a big one!

From above I could see Anchor Lake, a place we never visited.​

Sun playing across Pear Lake and the surrounding mountains. And a tiny Tacoma.​

With the drone back on the ground and everyone else still asleep, I packed up my handheld radio and camera gear to follow Ben's footsteps around the lake. I knew there was essentially zero chance of seeing the Bald Eagle, but I could always hope.

This little guy was the closest I got to a Bald Eagle. "Bald Eagle Breakfast."​

With no major wildlife sightings - and not wanting to hold anyone up - I made it around the lake in record time. Well, probably normal time. Whatever it was, folks were awake-but-only-just as I returned to camp and set about putting the tent away while everyone else did the same.

Knowing that we had quite a few miles to cover, Monte had suggested an early start, so naturally I suggested that we delay a bit and pull our trucks out onto the earthen dam for a group photo.

How could we pass up a backdrop like this?​

Photos captured, we sent Ben down the trail first, figuring that we could hang around and enjoy what was turning into a beautiful morning at the lake, rather than waiting at several less-spectacular spots along the trail.

Found this Hera Buckmoth (Hemileuca hera). Unfortunately, it wasn't doing too well.​

Yellow Lupine (left). | Some sort of Aster (right).​

Hey guys, if you're going to be out and about, can we play too?​

After 15 minutes or so, we decided that we'd given the beast a long enough head start, and we hoped that if he made it to Dinner Station Campground - where we'd stopped the previous morning - that he'd hold up so that we could all caravan out to the highway together.

Down the mountain.​

I really liked how this ridge seemed to loom in front of the trail as we drove through the tall pine.​

Turns out, we vastly overestimated the speed of the big gray van, and we easily caught up well before the campground. From there - rather than heading east to I-15 - we stuck to dirt as we pointed our trucks south toward MT-278. This would take us up and over a couple more ridges before dropping us down through grassy foothills where we'd air up for a 40-mile stretch of pavement and the trailhead for our next lake attempt.

It was as we crested the first ridge that Monte piped up over the radio that he was going to take a spur to the top, where we might as well eat lunch. It was only 11:15am, but given that most of us had skipped breakfast that morning, there were only calls of confirmation in reply.

Perched on the top of Tower Mountain (can you find the Tacoma in the foreground?), the views were nothing short of spectacular.​

Unfortunately, flat spots to prep and eat lunch were non-existent, so as soon as Ben showed up - and had a chance to check out the view - we piled back into the trucks and got ourselves turned around so we could get back underway.

After dropping down the south side of Tower Mountain, we found ourselves racing - literally - along a well-graded road next to French Creek.​

In other circumstances, this might have been an interesting place to stop and poke around.​

Slowest truck first, fastest truck last. I guess it wasn't really a race.
​

As we aired up, some of us - me - tried to scarf down a bit of food. As I recall, it was only a bit of trail mix and some homegrown blueberries, but I might have squeezed in a bowl of Wheat Chex as well. Whatever it was, it hit the spot and with my ARB compressor putzing along at speeds* that Ben's van would put to shame, I was finally ready to go 20 minutes after I began.

* I'm not sure why my compressor is so slow, or if it even really is. All I know is that Ben was able to air up the 33" tires on his van - from 35-70psi - in significantly less time that it took me - also on 33s - to go from 18-40psi. I'd think that pushing air at the higher pressures required by the van would be more difficult for the compressor, but for some reason, his setup significantly outperformed mine!

Determined to keep up after falling way behind when we'd previously pounded the pavement, I pushed my revs to 4,000rpm. As I pulled out into the oncoming lane to snap this shot, Zane keyed his mic and joked, "We going to slow for you grandpa?"​

After 90 minutes, we were back on dirt.​

And a few minutes later, we were a caravan.
(Ben - really missing his green truck - opted out of this photo. )​

Having left camp with lots of ground to cover for the day, we'd been pushing hard to reach the trail that would ultimately deliver us to Darkhorse Lake. Now, only the road through Skinner Meadow stood in our way, and to our delight - mostly - it turned out to be well-graded, dusty, and through some beautiful terrain. All of us kept our speeds high in this section, and it was 2:30pm when we stacked up at the turn that would have us climbing into the forest.

Climbing into the forest, towards trouble.

A magical meadow.​

This way to the lake.​

The trail up to Darkhorse started out simply enough. As with many of the trails we'd encountered, a sign at the beginning warned that it was "not maintained," a good sign as far as we were concerned. Plus, while the trail was a bit rough, and portions of it were a little wet, it was easily wide enough for the big grey machine, and that gave us hope that we'd all be able to make it to the top, where we planned to camp.

Zane's trucks are always so well built that it's easy for him to stick right behind whoever he's following, no matter the speed.​

Just wandering through a little water.​

Lumbering along.​

I don't know where it happened exactly, but as I was climbing through a steep-and-rocky - but not all that difficult - section of trail, I decided to hop out for a quick photo. And, though the rocks always look smaller and the incline more gradual, I could see Monte, Mike and Zane through the windshield, which mean that I had a few minutes before Ben would be starting up this section of trail.

Scampering down the grade was easy, but as I huffed and puffed after jogging 300 feet uphill, I noticed the first problem of our afternoon. I immediately got on the radio to let the crew know that I'd picked up a flat!

Looks level. Is not.​

What really caught my attention here - as Monte and I surveyed the situation - was that we appear to be twins.​

Flats aren't an uncommon occurrence when you've got five guys who do as much adventuring as we do, and every one of us is prepared to deal with the situation on our own. From hi-lift jacks to breaker bars and full-size spares, we've all changed our fair share of tires. A 20-minute ordeal, if that.

We'd communicated over the radio that I had everything I needed, but that didn't keep Monte and Zane from wandering a quarter mile back down the trail to give moral support, and Ben from working his way up from the bottom to do the same. We set about stabilizing the truck, and soon, Monte was loosening the lug nuts while I pulled the spare off the rear bumper.

Technically, this was the easiest tire I ever changed, since Monte did most of the work. As twins though, I feel it's only right that I get most of the credit.​

With two of us working, we were back under way in less than 15 minutes. Definitely not pit crew material, but not too shabby for a couple car campers.​

Less than a half mile from our destination, where things started to go sideways.​

We were at 8,800 feet - only a couple hundred feet below Darkhorse Lake - when ash began to fall from the sky. I'd mentioned the orange hue of the sunlight as we wrapped up my tire change, but at the time we'd simply chalked it up to the smoke that'd been prevalent for most of the trip. Suddenly, things seemed quite a bit more serious, the trucks a quarter mile up the trail from me reporting that the westerly wind had picked up dramatically, and that the air was suddenly thick with smoke.

And then, over the radio, we heard, "The van's got a flat tire. I've broken a valve stem."

Working his way through the same section of trail where I'd discovered my flat, Ben had sheared the valve stem off his rear passenger wheel. Normally - as was the case with my flat - this would have been a non-issue, but the thickening smoke and ash added an entirely new dimension to the problem. If the fire was in the process of cresting the ridge behind us, we might have mere minutes to get ourselves turned around and on our way down the hill.

Hoping to get a better sense of our situation, the drone screamed into the sky, climbing 1,600 feet above our current location.​

To our relief, the source of the smoke appeared to be at least two ridgelines to our west. While the 45mph winds were making it too smoky to camp, at least we knew that we'd have plenty of time to get Ben's tire situation sorted, without concern of fire chasing us out of the woods.

It only took a few minutes to retrace the mile-or-so to Ben's position, where I proudly presented him with the Colby valves that promised an easy fix to his valve stem snafu. I'd picked up the valves after breaking my first stem on the Plumas National Forest Discovery Trail, and we were all curious to see if they lived up to their hype.

Step 1a: Miss the shot of Ben punching the old, broken valve stem into the tire.
Step 1b: Reenact said punch-through, with exactly the same facial expression.​

Step 2: Insert Colby valve from the outside of the wheel, and tighten it up.​

Step 3: While commenting how awesome it was to not have to remove the wheel and tire from the vehicle to affect the repair, reinflate the tire to trail pressures.​

The Colby valve was magic. Changing a tire isn't difficult as we'd demonstrated on my Tacoma just a few minutes earlier, but the ease with which Ben's van was recovered was fantastic. The entire process took less than 8 minutes, and level ground wasn't an issue. "Send me a link to those," echoed through the group, as we got turned around and set out for a more pleasant location to spend the evening.

The skies were not clearing as we headed back the way we'd come.​

Down we go.​

Heading east, the smoke was moving faster than we were, though the thick forest helped to filter much of the falling ash out of the air before it reached our breathing holes. Still, as we popped out of the woods and onto the edge of Skinner Meadow, we still found ourselves wondering both if we really wanted to camp in the soupy surroundings, and whether we'd have to abort the final day of our adventure, if the places we wanted to visit were completely socked in.

Luckily, only the first of those issues was a "today" problem, and by the time we'd worked our way a few miles north, we decided that it was clear enough next to the river that we'd be fine camping there for the night.

Fire break.​

We'd admired this spot on the way up, so it was nice to call it home for the evening.​

Circle the wagons.​

It was shortly after 7:00pm when out tents were deployed and our chairs were arranged around the cold fire ring for an evening of conversation. There'd be no flames to watch as we whittled away the hours - as if the fire raging to our west wasn't enough, we'd seen USFS employees posting Stage 1 Fire Restrictions on various sign boards throughout the day - but that didn't slow us down one bit. Chips, salsa, and guacamole were consumed; a myriad of plans - pending the weather - for the following day were discussed.

In the end, while there were several possibilities as to where we would end up the following evening, one thing was constant: we were all looking forward to a group breakfast feast.


.

 

I'd be honoured to provide some insight, but unfortunately I'm not familiar with that area for wheeling. Folks tend to really only focus on fishing opportunities in the ocean in that area AFAIK. Ocean kyaking and hiking too. However, I'm sure there must be some FSR's that lead to some view areas you're interested in. Best I can do is share this. https://www.sunshinecoastcanada.com/things-to-do/hidden-gems/ Maybe you can find some ideas there? Molly's Reach in Gibson's Landing was where they filmed the Canadian TV series the The Beachcombers. Very Popular with us kids in the 70's and 80's. I dunno, maybe this map may help you plan? Forest Service Road Safety Information South Coast Region Last lead would be @WormSquirts (Braeden) He has a shop in our area. You may want to DM him. He's an awesome fella, possibly with some info to share? He did a vid on the Sunshine Coast a few years back.

https://youtu.be/QUR7ft6s3Ns?si=MEtUyA7aS_3-nPDE

Wish I had more but enjoy your adventure!

 

Ajax Ascent | InterVANtion #5
Part of the Montana InterVANtion (Jul 2024) trip.

After climbing into our tents under smoky skies, we awoke to a morning that was much brighter - and much bluer - than I think any of us expected. No one mentioned it - we're all too superstitious for that - but I'm sure this raised our spirits dramatically, as it meant that we wouldn't be going home until the next morning.

One of the camera-shy marmots I've ever encountered.​

For now though, our focus was elsewhere. Today, Mike was one of the first out of his tent, the potatoes that he contributes to the group breakfast requiring more prep time than the bacon, eggs, and salsa that accompany our feast.

It was 10:30am by the time we sat down to delicious. Each of us loaded up our plates with two meals - or more - of the not-so-healthy fare, and for several minutes, it was silent - but for the occasional "mmm" - around camp.

Group breakfast is always the same, and there's a reason for that!​

Most curious perhaps, was the fact that the dogs - generally good dogs, but also consistently close by when food was around - seemed to be more interested in something over by Monte and Devin's truck than they were in breakfast. "Oh my god, it's a weasel," Devin exclaimed when she finally caught sight of the little guy.

What a cutie!​

The weasel was cute, but like any small four-legged friend, would be an unwelcome stowaway under the cab. Grabbing a stick and spray bottle full of water, Monte spent 20 minutes chasing that guy from the top of the spare tire to the gas tank, then eventually to the engine bay, air intake, and front wheel well. Eventually it jumped out, but in doing so would find its way into the path of a rolling tire. An enjoyable, cute situation, gone horribly wrong.

From our camp along the Big Hole River, there were two ways - we believed at the time - to reach our first lake of the day. The short way - which we planned to take - made a beeline through the woods, taking us directly to Miner Lake Campground and then heading further up into the mountains to Rock Island Lake. The second option - which Ben decided would be best for his beast - was more than twice as long, and involved pavement.

Bidding each other farewell, we all set off at the same time, everyone assuming that we'd hang out at the campground while we waited for Ben to complete his extended journey. Boy, were we wrong!

Almost immediately, we entered a tree tunnel.​

Soon - and for nearly the entire length of the trail, the tunnel closed in, even on our narrow Tacomas.​

It was a scratchy, slow ride through the woods. There were no views. Mike's ham radio antenna was broken - and lost - by a low-hanging branch. More than half a dozen downed trees blocked our path. Each time, as we flexed our manly muscles with axes and pull saws, we'd reflect on how vindicated Ben would feel, and how much we longed for a chainsaw. "This must be why Gaia kept trying to route me the other way," Monte mentioned as we paused to catch our breath after clearing a particularly stubborn tree.

Not many people come this way, because it sucks.​

Still, as always seems to be the case in nature, there were a few little gems along the way. A spring wildflower here and a creek crossing there broke up the monotony. But mostly, our route sucked, and after driving for more than an hour to cover only a handful of miles, we all wished we'd taken the long way around.

This Mariposa Lily seemed out of place to me, but there were several along the way, and I'd see more later in the day.​

At least this muddy mess broke up the monotony.​

We arrived at the Miner Lake Campground to find Ben relaxing in his van. I wouldn't go as far to say that he was gloating, but he was certainly proud - if a little surprised - by how much more quickly he'd reached our rendezvous than the more capable Tacomas.

Easily acknowledging our defeat, we chatted for a while behind the trucks before deciding we might as climb back aboard for the ascent to the top. All of us except Ben, who'd - after the flat tire the day before, and several new scratches and broken hangy-off-bits over the course of the trip - had enough of the steep, narrow, rocky roads. "You guys go ahead," he said. "Don't worry about me, even if I camp down here and you camp up there tonight."

Right, as if that was going to happen.

Still, we weren't going to abandon Rock Island Lake altogether, so we wound our way out of the campground and onto the trail. Somehow, I ended up in the lead for the first time on the entire trip, and boy was it liberating. Over the years, as I've gotten more accustomed to driving these bumpy trails, I've either become a better driver, or - perhaps more likely - I've just become numb to the bumps. Or maybe a little of both. Whatever the reason, it was nice to be out of the dust.

My newfound freedom was short-lived. Less than three miles up the road, I saw the sign we never like to see: Closed to all Motor Vehicles. Year round. Except snowmobiles.

We'd been stymied again!​

Too slow to turn around before everyone else, I once again found myself at the back of the pack. Knowing that it was where I truly belonged, I pulled out the camera and snapped a few photos, before grabbing the blueberries out of the fridge and trail mix out of the dry box for a bit of a snack. Then - as I'd done on several previous occasions - I set out to catch the pack.

Arriving back at the campground only seconds after everyone else, we found Ben - lounging again - near the fee station. None of us had seen it as we came in the first time, but we weren't about to pay for five trucks worth of folks to camp, so this place was officially ruled out. Plus, we still had quite a few hours until dark, and Monte had one final lake on his list of "mostly inaccessible" lakes, that we thought we ought to take a shot at. Ajax Lake.

After - once again, we're slow learners - attempting a dirt route to connect our two lake trails, we were blocked by private land, forcing us back onto pavement for a few miles.​

As we headed north, there was just one problem. Mike, Monte, and Zane were running low on fuel.

Coordinating over the radio, it was decided that Monte and Zane would head to town, to fill up tanks and jerry cans, while Mike, Ben, and I would continue on towards Ajax Lake. The idea - if it hasn't become obvious this far into the trip - was that we'd be moving at a slower pace, allowing our companions to catch up as we ascended 2,600 feet in search of a lake. And a camp.

Initially, the roads were smooth, but a nice afternoon wind pushed the Redhead's dust off the track so I could maintain a reasonably short gap.​

Entering the forest, the roads stayed reasonable, and we started to wonder if we could maintain our lead over Monte and Zane.​

Ajax Mountain provided a constant frame of reference that I thoroughly enjoyed.​

As one road led to the next, only I could communicate with Monte, some 25 miles away, and with fewer than five miles to the summit, I knew we were going to be caught. He and Zane had maintained speeds above 50 mph for nearly the entirety of the dirt, a good bit faster than we'd travelled, even with the nicely graded surfaces.

And so, as we climbed through the last few miles - and most of the elevation - we were once again five.

And then, we arrived.

Ajax Lake was worth it.​

This would have been quite the place to spend the night!​

There was only one problem. As we pulled up to the lake - after completing a couple tight switchbacks - we were greeted by three women and their trucks. Part of a larger group, they informed us that a slack line was being deployed across the lake, asking us - but mostly me - to be careful as I sent the flying camera into the sky to capture the beauty of this awesome place.

If you look closely, you can see a group of (insane) slackliners perched on a rock, their slackline still too slack to traverse.​

We were all - I think, though we never really discussed it - a little bummed that we'd been beaten to this spot. Tempered slightly by the fact that Ben had decided to forgo the final push to the top - so we wouldn't have camped here anyway - I pointed the hovercraft toward a mine further up the hill while my companions started working out a turnaround strategy with the women we'd met a few minutes before.

Following an old scree road, I finally found an adit high on the hillside of the rocky bowl.​

The Ajax Mine was a small gold mine discovered in 1874. Consisting of five adits - ranging from 5-to-220 feet in length, total production from 1902-1940 was only 1,642 tons of ore, yielding 979 oz of gold, 7,621 oz of silver, 276 lbs of copper, and 140,239 lbs of lead, with most of the production taking place during the first year of operation.

Western Mining History​

Collapsed!​

The view from up here was amazing as the light filtered across the​

We probably spent 20 minutes at the top before Ben called over the radio that he'd found a nice spot for us to call home for the night. Bidding the women goodbye and good luck, we turned around the Tacomas and headed for lower ground.

Back the way we came.​

The afternoon was turning into a beautiful evening.​

The spot Ben had found was perfect. Even without a lake view, we had plenty of level ground and the sound of the river rushing over rocks in the background. Sheltered in the trees, temperatures were pleasant, and would stay that way through the evening, requiring little more than a light sweatshirt, even as we sat around the flameless fire pit.

Mike made guacamole. Somehow, there seemed to be more than usual, and it tasted better. As usual, there wasn't enough.

Conversation carried on into the night.

After five days, we'd finally wiped out Padfoot. We thought. A 15-minute nap on mom's lap, and his battery was full again.​

This Western Tanager made several appearances until we sprinkled a bit of food, at which point, it never returned.​

With the following morning being our last, we stayed up way past our bedtime. As always, we'd part ways with smiles and hugs, knowing that it wouldn't be long - while being not soon enough - that we'd all find ourselves on the tail again together. Next time though - after our little InterVANtion - we'd all be driving Tacomas.

On the way home...

There's a little spot in Spokane Valley that I first ate at on the way home from Monte and Devin's wedding in 2023. I forget if it was for lunch or dinner, but it was delicious - "the best taco truck burrito I've ever had," I said to my family at the time.

My departure time at the beginning of this trip - as I headed east - meant that it was way too early to stop as I passed by. Luckily, as I headed west, I was through the area just 15 minutes before Tacos El Guero opened, and you can bet I was going to wait.

Remembering the carne asada burritos, I ordered two, "for later." For "now," I decided on a carne asada torta and a fish taco. The torta was - as with the burritos - one of the best I've had at a taco truck; the fish taco, not so much.

Highly recommend the tortas and burritos at Tacos El Guero. The quality of the carne asada is second to none.


.​

 

I’ve noticed a lot of trucks tend to be region specific. Spices used in the marinade and cooking as well as condiments often differ. Even when you buy Asada at Mexican market, there is a difference between the two markets nearby.

Man, I love good Mexican food and it’s Pazole season! Or even Caldo de Res

 

Rig Review - Summer 2024

July 31, 2024

I've fallen behind with Rig Reviews since there are lots of trips to write up and share (and I think people like them more), but I'm hoping to do better.

This will cover things that have happened over the course of the following trips:



So, let's get into it!

Rear e-Locker Stuck On

TL;DR - I couldn't get my rear e-locker to disengage on a recent trip. Turns out that one of the wires broke at the frame harness, so I need to fix it.

Many have had trouble with their e-lockers - usually because they've not used them for long periods of time and so they get gummed up - but I've never had any issue or run into this situation before.​

While out exploring Comb Ridge along the edge of Utah's Cedar Mesa, there was a short section of trail where I thought having the rear diff locked might help to keep the truck from sliding into a sandstone wall along the passenger side.

Pressing the button, the e-locker engaged as it always has, and after driving through the obstacle, I pressed the button again to release the locker and didn't give it a second thought.

Until about 300 feet later when I noticed that the locker was still on. Strange.

This is where I realized the locker hadn't disengaged.​

Not sure what was going on, I performed the "usual" unlocking tricks. Forward and backward, some easy turns. Actuating the locker a couple of times. Nothing worked. Hmm.

After mentioning the issue to @mrs.turbodb, we decided that we'd better call it quits on the ruin search and get ourselves headed in the "back" direction, just in case we needed some professional help to get the locker disengaged.

The locked locker wasn't an issue as we headed south along Butler Wash, but as soon as we turned west on pavement, we experienced the telltale jumping of the rear end. It wouldn't be a problem on the highways - where turns are broad and I was aware of the issue - but I wasn't looking forward to dropping the truck off at the storage facility, where they'd have to make tight turns to park it until my next visit.

After a bit more discussion, we decided we had three options:

1. Use the hi-lift to jack up the rear end of the truck until the tires were off the ground, and then try to rotate the wheels to jostle - and release - the locker. This wouldn't fix the underlying problem, but would at least allow us to drop the Tacoma in Las Vegas as we'd planned.
2. Take the Tacoma to a shop and have them manually disengage the e-locker by removing the locker housing and prying the locking fork out of the differential.
3. Drive all the way home - some 27+ hours - so I could diagnose and fix the underlying issue.

None of these were great options, but we figured we might as well start at the top and work our way down the list, since neither of us wanted to spend that kind of time on the road.

Option 1 turned out to be harder than it sounded. Trying to balance a 5500 lbs Tacoma with the rear travel of Chevy 63 leaf springs on a hi-lift inserted into the trailer hitch is nearly impossible, and no matter how we tried, it kept falling to one side or the other.

Option 2 also turned out to be impossible given the time. Already after noon on a Friday, every shop in Page, AZ was at least a few days from being able to take a look at the issue, much less solve it.

Option 3 still sucked.

So, we resulted to Option B - find a parking lot where I could take a look at the situation and try removing the locker manually. I was not looking forward to this option given that I've never performed this operation before, and I wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion.

As I slid under the truck , I took stock of the situation. All the wiring harness were plugged in and the connecters seemed fully seated. Still, before taking the whole thing apart, I had @mrs.turbodb press the RR DIFF LOCK button a couple times to see if I could hear it attempt to acuate; I could not.

And then, I saw it.

The problem.​

Finding that wire that'd broken was a huge relief. It wasn't something that I could easily fix, but it was something I could temporarily hold together with a pair of pliers while @mrs.turbodb pressed the RR DIFF LOCK button to disengage the locker!

Five minutes later, the diff was unlocked and we were back on the road. I'd have to fix the actual wiring later - the next time the Tacoma ends up at home - but we'd dodged a huge bullet and I thought we might even have time to do those hikes we'd planned for our return trip to Vegas...


Fixing the Rear e-Locker

TL;DR - I fixed the wiring for my rear e-locker, and it was pretty easy!

In May, we were on the hunt for an elusive ruin at the edge of Cedar Mesa when my rear e-locker got stuck in the on position. It wasn't a fun few hours as we figured out how to deal with the situation, but in the end, I found the problem - a simple broken wire - and got the locker disengaged. And, while this meant that I couldn't use the locker on trips, it was way better than the alternative - having the locker on all the time - since I rarely use the locker anyway!

Why won't that light go off?​

The culprit!​

By now, a few months have passed, and after spending a few days in the Sierra with my Dad, I finally drove the Tacoma home for the summer, giving me a few weeks - between trips in the Pacific Northwest - to fix the most egregious issues, and take care of the routine maintenance that builds up while the truck lives most of the year in Las Vegas.

My plan to fix the locker was conceptually simple: figure out a way to reattach the wire that'd been broken. However, I knew that with only a quarter inch of wire hanging out of the connector, and with only awkward access to the connector, the fix was easier envisioned than executed.

Thus, I considered four options:

1. Pay someone else to fix it.
2. Manifest a fix by hoping it was fixed.
3. Do nothing.
4. Try one of the other options.

So yeah, the same four options I always consider when "working" on the Tacoma... None of them ever seem to work, so I added four more to my list:

1. Purchase a new wiring harness. I didn't consider this too much as I figured the harness probably wasn't even available for purchase, and if it was, the cost would be prohibitive.
2. Unpin the broken wire from the connector, and add a new length of wire to the pin, soldering that new length of wire to the longer wire that continued down to the rear e-locker. My preferred solution.
3. Try to strip the existing wire - without unpinning it from the connector - enough to weld it to the existing wire that continued down to the rear e-locker. I thought this was a good solution, I just wasn't sure I had the skillz (with a 'z') to pull it off. And by skillz, I mean "enough remaining wire to work with."
4. Bypass the connector entirely, using a short length of wire from one side to the other, in order to complete the e-locker circuit. I didn't really want to go this route, as it seemed like a hack. Still, it was as much of a "sure thing" as any of the options, so I kept it on the list.

Figuring that I was likely to end up at option 4, I set about execution of option 2. The first step was to disconnect the two halves of the connector - always easier said than done on Toyotas, it seems - and then unbolt the harness from the frame so that I had more convenient access to the important bits.

​

Eventually, with the help of the most insane pliers, I got the connectors apart.​

Now able to pull the harness a few inches behind the rear axle housing - still a tight work area, but a lot better than trying to work in the two-inch space between the bed and frame - I set about trying to remove the pin from the connector.

I stuck a lot of things into the appropriate hole (that's what she said) in order to get the pin out. None of them worked.​

Not wanting to break the pin off in the connector and leave myself in a worse position than I started, I figured that I might as well try option 3 - stripping the little stub of wire and soldering the original wire back together - before jumping straight to the hack option and bypassing the connector.

To my delight, I was able to get about 3/16ths of an inch of the insulation stripped off the wire, and after doing the same to the opposite side, it seemed like my soldering idea might just work!​

Success! And I even remembered to put the shrink wrap on before I soldered everything together!​

After a small celebration under the bed of my truck, I gathered up all the tools that I'd amassed in a pile around me and got the harness bolted back onto the frame and the connectors reconnected. Throwing caution to the wind, I decided not to test my fix at all until I was out on the trail. I find that this testing method is best because it means that the discovery of failure is delayed. Plus, when you finally remember to test whatever it was that you fixed, you're either extremely happy that it worked (because you need that thing in the moment) or you get to add an entirely new dimension to whatever adventure you're on (as you figure out yet another trail fix).

It wasn't until I was out exploring Montana that I finally remembered to give the locker a shot. To my glee, it worked beautifully!


I Can Hear My Tundra Brakes Squealing

TL;DR - It's finally time to replace my front brake pads on the left (driver) side, and I've been so happy with the Toyota OEM pads I've been running that I'm not even looking for other alternatives.

​

I'm not sure exactly how long it's been going on, but on my trip through the Inyo Mountains, I could hear the wear indicator of my driver side brake pads squealing away. Or at least, I could when the windows were down, so I made a point to keep them up.

Problem. Solved.

Really though, I'm glad those wear indicators are there. While I won't be replacing the pads immediately (that'll wait until I bring the Tacoma home next time), it's sure nice to know they are there and doing their job. Incessantly.

As far as replacing brake pads goes, I'm once again going with Toyota Tundra OEM Brake Pads - and the associated shims - because they have great stopping power, seem to last forever, and don't create a lot of dust.

I installed the Tundra brakes in 2017, and pad life has been as follows:




That's pretty darn good, especially with the Tacoma weighing in at two-and-a-half tons!

scheel-mann Seats - 2 Year Review

TL;DR - The scheel-mann seats I bought two years ago are the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in and continue to work as designed. The only thing better would be Toyota OEM seats that were built/upholstered to provide the same support but with a slightly less bulky form factor.

Without a doubt, quality seats.​

It's been just more than two years since I installed scheel-man seats in the Tacoma, hoping that they would be the last seat I would ever install. In that time, I've posted a few updates as to my impressions, and I think that I'm now at the point where I can give my final take - at least, for several more years - about how I like them.

I assure you, it's mostly - but not entirely - unsurprising.

In fact, none of my impressions from my first, second, third, and 9-month reviews have really changed, though some have become more or less important. Therefore, to make for easier consumption, I've included them all below, and added updates in red for this two-year milestone as well as a new two-year review section at the end.


First Impressions
I've driven about 20 miles in the scheel-mann Vario R seat - around town and a little bit of freeway. Actually, I was busy testing the new (used) transfer case to ensure that it was trip-worthy - or at least, worthy enough to start a trip.

So far, the seats are great - and
exactly what I was looking for, comfort-wise.​

Like

• By far the most important thing is comfort. The scheel-mann seats are certainly comfortable. They feel like what I would think of in a high-end German luxury car, though the closest I've gotten to actually sitting in one of those is a 2008 Audi A4 Avant. These seats certainly offer a lot more support than the stock Tacoma seats, and I'm really digging the larger bolsters and thigh support. After two years, I can say that these seats have maintained their comfort, and I can easily drive for 20+ hours without any of the pain that I'd feel from the original seats.
• The side bolsters - both on the seat as well as backrest. When driving with my foot on the accelerator, I have often found myself propping my right leg up - by shoving my hand under the middle of my thigh - to keep it aligned, since there are no bolsters on the stock seats at all. The scheel-mann seats make this a thing of the past; the seat keeps my leg aligned properly.
• I must admit that having the seat belt receptacle move with the seat as it slides forwards and backward is really nice. I didn't like the Corbeau's for that reason, and I'm very happy to have purchased the bracket that allows for the movement.
• The seat heaters seem nice too, though I admit that I only got them since I was spending so much money anyway. I've never missed the lack of heaters in my stock seats, but I am a frequent user of the seat heaters in @mrs.turbodb's Audi.

Meh

• I don't love the fold-forward and slider designs in that they not spring-loaded like the stock seats. I'm sure I'll get used to it but sliding and/or folding the seat forward is now less convenient than it was previously. This has become a bigger issue for me recently; check out the two-year update below for details.
• The seats weigh a lot more than the stock seats. Each one weighs in at 60lbs with the mounting bracket, which is quite a bit more than the 36lb stock seat. Obviously, I'm not lifting them except to install them, but driving around extra weight is something I'm always trying to avoid. Of course, I'm sure the additional heft adds to the comfort, so this isn't a total detractor.
• The seats look good, but they aren't as snazzy or color-matched as my Wet Okole covers or even the Corbeau Baja XRS. I really wish I could have gotten a custom logo stitched in place of the scheel-mann branding, or that the fabric choices were a better match for my truck, as I've really enjoyed that on my covers. On the flip side, I totally understand why these seats look the way they do - they are perfect for the cars they end up in most. This really hasn't been as big of an issue as I thought it might be at the beginning.

Dislike

• Thickness of the backrest. I'd say that it's a good 2" thicker than the stock Tacoma seats. That doesn't seem like much, but when the entire backrest is only 5" thick, it's another 50% thicker and takes up room in the Xtracab. The reason for this is the lumbar support system (which seems very nice so far). I'll need to see over time if it's worth it.
• The headrest in one of my seats doesn't work correctly - as in, it's nearly impossible to make it go up and down. Indications are that this is a manufacturing defect, since "clearing out" the internal runners for the head rests didn't fix the issue; my impression is that the runners weren't welded quite parallel, and so they make pushing the headrest in/out nearly impossible. Frankly, not something I'd expect from this caliber seat. scheel-mann was great about this issue, and sent me an entirely new backpanel to the seat in order to address this issue.

Second Impressions
I've now driven a six-day, 2,600 mile trip to Death Valley in the scheel-mann seats (see Lipstick on the Pig). They are good seats; orders of magnitude better - for me - than the Corbeau Baja XRS that I'd previously installed. The scheel-mann were comfortable for the entire 1200-mile trip down to Death Valley, but I noticed that they were a bit firmer in the butt than I was used to with the original Toyota seats. No surprise there, but the second day of driving - approximately 400 miles due to some re-routes in my original plan - I noticed that, by the end, my butt hurt a little bit.

My hope is that over time as the seats wear in a bit, they become a bit more comfortable as they form to my body, since - beside this issue, all my first impressions still seem to be right on.


Third Impressions
A second trip to Death Valley (Hiking Saline Valley) is now in the books. Unlike the prior trip, I never had any butt soreness on this trip - perhaps the seats are wearing in a bit. I will say that there are a couple things about them that I wish were a bit different - or that I miss about the original Toyota seats:

1. I find myself missing the spring-slide forward and spring-fold forward. Those features made it easier to get into the extended cab, which is tougher now. This has become a bigger issue for me recently; check out the two-year update below for details.
2. The scheel-mann get dirty easily. Or, they show dirt more readily. This has turned out to be not that big of an issue. The seats are easy to clean and look the same now as they did two years and 65,000 miles ago.

There are some things I find myself like now more as well:

1. The seat heaters. I've now got these hooked up so that they are only powered on when the key is in the Accessory or On position - so I don't need to worry about them draining the battery if they are left on accidentally. I have to admit that they are very nice.
2. The bolsters provide much more support - for my legs especially - than the Toyota seats, and that is great for my knees.
3. The seats are very comfortable - provide a lot of support and keep me planted - on bumpy dirt roads. I never realized how much I bounced around in the seat prior to my last trip. After two years, I can say that these seats have maintained their comfort, and I can easily drive for 20+ hours without any of the pain that I'd feel from the original seats.

9-month Impressions
I've had the scheel-mann seats for nine months now, and I continue to like them conceptually. My previous impressions - both good and bad - continue to be true. I do find myself wondering - for two main reasons - if I should have tried re-foaming my original seats prior to buying the scheel-mann:

1. I am worried about the lack of seat covers. The seats still appear to be in great condition, but I know that with all the dirt and dust that they are subjected to, covers extend the life by a good margin. Like, years. This has turned out to be not that big of an issue. The seats are easy to clean and look the same now as they did two years and 65,000 miles ago.
2. Cost. Even if the cost doesn't really matter for me from a budget standpoint, I still feel like the cost of these seats was so great that I have a hard time justifying it. I probably should have spent half the amount on a really good re-foaming - perhaps adding larger bolsters in the process - to the OEM seats, before I bought these.

Two-Year Impressions (new)
While none of my impressions have changed significantly, my biggest takeaways after two years are as follows:

The comfort is nothing short of spectacular.​

Really Like

• By far the most important thing is comfort. After two years, I can say that these seats have maintained their comfort, and I can easily drive for 20+ hours without any of the pain that I'd feel from the original seats. The comfort is nothing short of spectacular. I'd put these seats up against any others in terms of long-distance comfort, both on and off-road.
• The side bolsters - these are a big part of the comfort for me, especially on the seat, as those bolsters help to keep my legs more aligned - especially my right leg - with the pedals, easing the strain on my knees.

Things I'm No Longer Worried About

• I am no longer worried about the lack of seat covers. While I'd like to be able to put on some Wet Okoles for the visual appearance they give, the seats are easy to clean and look the same now as they did two years and 65,000 miles ago. I have no doubt they are going to last much longer than a pair of Wet Okole seat covers would last.

Really Dislike

• The folding and sliding functionality of the scheel-mann seats - compared to the OEM seats - is terrible and getting worse. There are two aspects to this that I dislike:
  1. Spring-slide-forward - there is no spring that pulls the seat forward, and movement on the track mount is difficult enough that I cannot move the seat without sitting in it. That means, if I am in camp and want to move the seat forward to access the rear of the cab, I have to physically climb into the Tacoma to lift the locking bar and use my butt momentum to move the seat forward. It's such a pain that I never do it.
  2. Spring-fold-forward - more annoying than the lack of sliding forward is the fold-forward mechanism. The scheel-manns use a lever near the top of the seat to release a catch that holds the bottom of the backrest to the bottom of the seat, allowing the backrest to manually fold forward.
     
     
     
     Articulating the lever on the top of the seat pulls this hook out of the way, releasing it from the post on the seat bottom.​
     
     This mechanism has always been clunky, but over time I got used to it. However, recently, it has begun to malfunction. The lever - which pulls a cable that releases the backrest lock - no longer works all the time. The reason for this appears to be that the cable which releases the backrest lock seems to have stretched out over the last two years, and no longer allows the locking mechanism to clear the catch.
     
     
     
     Given that the problem is most pronounced in hot weather, I believe this cable has stretched out over time.​

And Now, For a Real-Life Customer Service Experience
Given my impressions after two years, I figured that another great data point would be to see how scheel-mann's customer service was, now that I was a long-forgotten customer with seats that were well out of warranty (I suppose).

This last issue mentioned above - difficulty in fold the seats forward - is very frustrating. Essentially, one of the most important functions of the seats no longer works. I reached out to scheel-mann, and sent a video that demonstrates the problem.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/zPJBGgsalZQ?si=OPy-rcrS2GOTeZzv

The problem, at least as it appears to me.​

The back-and-forth with scheel-mann was not quick, but my responses to them were also slow - due to various summer trips - as well, so I can't fault the back-and-forth speed too much.

When I heard back from Toby - the U.S.A. scheel-mann distributor - he sent a clear, concise video, asking me about the operation of a little cable that pulls the locking mechanism clear of the catch.

Hi Dan,

Please watch this video, and let me know what you find out.

Best,
Toby


https://www.youtube.com/embed/jQ9y8y7qHDA?si=-6A6cGljRZVq8kOM

Toby's video was great, and with a very specific operation to check out, I let him know that I'd check my seats as soon as I was back from a family reunion. Yep, it was going to be a week before I could reply to him!​

Upon my return, I fired up the phone and gave the levers a pull. Sure enough, Toby had hit the problem on the head - the cable on the passenger side of the driver seat was getting caught up on a little plastic clip, pulling it just far enough off-track that it prevented the locking mechanism from clearing the catch. Great diagnosis Toby!

I sent the following video back to Toby, along with a message:

Hey Toby,

I’ve uploaded two more videos here: [redacted] which begin with 20240722 (the last two, if sorted by date).

The first one (20240722_002959000) shows the driver side of the driver seat. You can see that when I operate the lever, the metal “hook” does not come all the way up to the stop. I didn’t see anything “blocking” the hook from coming up, until I looked over to the passenger side of the driver seat...

The second video (20240722_003115001) shows the passenger side of the driver seat. You can see that on that side, the wire that runs to the metal hook is initially in front of a plastic clip, and when it is, the hook cannot be pulled all the way to the stop (which prevents the catch from releasing the back of the seat). When I manually push the wire behind that plastic clip, it operates correctly.

So, what’s happening is that sometimes as I’m driving the wire seems to vibrate to the front of that plastic clip, inhibiting operation of the seat. To me, it seems like one of two things needs to happen:

• 
  
  
  • Best: some sort of retainer to hold the wire in place behind that plastic clip, so the metal hook can always travel through its full range of motion
  • Possible fix: Seems like the metal hook might have too much in-out play (note how far “out” it is in the first frame of the second video). It seems like keeping it sucked in might help to keep the wire in place, though this is just speculation on my part.

Let me know what you think the best next steps are.

Cheers,
Dan


https://www.youtube.com/embed/6RpvjQGLqpc?si=ts4MUlFGbThq4MbF
​

When I heard back from scheel-mann, it was via both a voicemail and email from Jesse, which I thought was a nice touch, since I was out on the trail exploring, and contacting me both ways meant that I could get the information in whatever way was most convenient for me.

Dan,

We are creating a short tutorial on a fix you should be able to implement on the road, and will have it ready very soon. Watch for an email as soon as it is ready.

Thanks for your patience.
Best,
Jesse Fairbank​

And, a couple days later, I got a PDF from Kevin that had a set of troubleshooting steps for me to try.

Greetings Dan,

I hope this email finds you well, I've put together a few things this morning to problem solve the issue your having with your seat.

Thank you for your patience and continued understanding as we try to get your seat back into action.

Cheers,
Kevin VanBlarcom

I wasn't sure these would make a difference, but I was willing to give them a shot!
(click for larger image)
​

Ultimately, step 1 and step 3 of the scheel-mann troubleshooting guide did seem to solve the problem - or at the very least, it never presented itself on our Unexpectedly Wet trip to Canada - which was awesome! Ultimately, I'm happy with the support I received, and the fact that these guys really worked through my specific situation - remotely - in order to get my seats back into working order.

Kudos scheel-mann.




Six Years Later - Cooper S/T Maxx Tire Review

TL;DR - I have been extremely happy with Cooper S/T Maxx tires over the last six years. I would not hesitate to recommend them as one of the best tires you can run for the type of exploring that I do.

Fantastic tires.​

I think it's important to recognized that all tire impressions are relative to whatever one knows or is used to. In that light, for as long as I've run 33" tires, I've been running Cooper S/T Maxx in a 255/85R16 size. Effectively 33x10", I've liked that these are a skinny tire, for several reasons:

• Skinny tires weigh less because there's simply less material.
• They are covered (more) by the wheel well, so less mud thrown onto the truck.
• They present a smaller profile, so there's less wind resistance (and noise) when traveling on the highway.

I've also liked many other aspects of the S/T Maxx

• They are a hybrid tire - more aggressive than an all-terrain (AT), but less aggressive than a mud-terrain (MT). They've never let me down from a traction perspective on wet/dry/snow pavement, dirt, mud, or rocks. I'm not a snow wheeler, so I can't really speak to snow.
• They are stout - Through five sets of five tires, I've never gotten a trail flat with the S/T Maxx. I've chewed up the firewalls and torn chunks out of the tread, but the tires have ticked along without a hitch.
  
  
  
  
  I ran this tire for years - all the way down to the wear bars - after getting this gash. It never failed.
  
  ​
• They last a long time - with regular rotation (at each ~7500-mile oil change), I get approximately 60-70,000 miles out of a set of five tires.
• The beginning tread depth is great - 18.5/32nds of an inch. Lots of traction with those deep lugs.
• Road noise isn't bad - this is subjective, but I think they are a relatively quiet tire.
• Least important - they look good.

That's not to say there aren't drawbacks:

• They are only available in E-load - stiff even at low tire pressures, they don't conform to variations in the road as nicely as a softer C-load tire would.
• They are expensive - each tire costs upwards of $350 or more.
• They don't come in narrow sizes above 33" on 16" rims.

Overall, I'd argue that these are - or at the very least, have been - some of the best hybrid tires on the market. For those who use their vehicle the way I do - in varied terrain across both pavement and dirt - I would not hesitate to recommend them highly, and I'd be surprised if there weren't S/T Maxx in my future.



Seemingly solved from previous Rig Reviews
I didn't solve much from previous rig reviews this time, but I waited long enough to write up this review that all of the new issues were resolved! I'll chalk that up as a win.


Unchanged / Still an issue from previous Rig Reviews
There are some things that have been featured in Rig Reviews that are - as yet - unchanged from when I originally reviewed them. Rather than highlight those things again, I'll simply link to them here.

1. The Transmission is Leaking
2. My Suspension Squeaks
3. Skid plate attachment could be better

 

For the locker there is one other option, you can unbolt the actuator from the axle housing and then using a flathead (or something similar) push the locking worm gear into the nuetral position and then slap it back together. not elegant but is worth noting as an option if your actuator fails and you dont find the broken wire. Its pretty obvious what to move once you pull the actuator, just move the worm gear that aligns with the gear on the actuator you just pulled.

 

I had to do that with the front dif actuator a couple times before getting it replaced

 

Installing a USB Charger on the Dash (for Navigation)

I like to keep the cab of the Tacoma tidy. And, I'm not great at keeping the cab of the Tacoma tidy.

Really, I think most folks would say that the inside of the Tacoma is amazingly clean-looking given all the adventuring I do, but to me it always feels dusty and a bit of a mess. I've added various containers in order to contain some of the chaos - largely in the extended cab area, with the 12v house battery box and some cardboard storage containers for our clothes - but one of the things I haven't ever done is figure out a good charging solution for the tablet that I have mounted on the dash for navigation.

This works well enough, but I've never liked the stray wire leading to the glove box.​

The current setup was convenient in that the USB cable for the tablet connects to one of the USB ports on my Kenwood head unit, leaving the two USB ports on my dedicated charger for other devices. However, that convenience came with two drawbacks: the unsightly cable snaking down from the tablet into the glove box, and an error message that comes up on the Kenwood head unit every time the tablet is connected, alerting me to the fact that an "Unsupported Android device was detected."

Dismissing a dialog every time I connect the tablet or restart the truck - sometimes a few dozen times per day - and wasting hours of my life doesn't bother me at all, but that unsightly wire really bothers me.

How really? So much that I've decided to fix it (after 8 years). I guess that's not very really.

To solve the problem, I wanted to install a low-profile, future-proof, USB charger on the top of the dash - so it would be hidden by the tablet - that would fast-charge devices and not interfere with the climate control ducting that's directly under the dash. It was surprising difficult to find such a charger, but I eventually settled on a Linkstyle surface mount USB-A/C 18W Quick Charge 3.0 + 18W PD 3.0 charger, which seems to me to just be one of several similarly-branded chargers that comes out of a factory somewhere overseas and gets reasonably good reviews.

Marketing material. I especially enjoy the "easy installations." ​

There were a few other bits and pieces that I needed to pull together as well, all of which I had around from other projects:

• Linkstyle surface mount USB-A/C 18W Quick Charge 3.0 + 18W PD 3.0 charger
• Electrical Wire (18ga) - I used red and black, but any two colors would work just fine.
• 1/4 inch braided wire sleeve - to protect the 18ga wire.
• Heat Shrink Glue Lined Variety Pack - To secure the braided wire sleeve at each end.
• Wire blade connectors (assortment) - I used two piggy-back, two spade male, and two spade female.
• Some copper foil tape - to shield some of the RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) and EMI (ElectroMagnetic Interference) from the USB charger.
• A soldering iron.
• Some solder.
• A crimping tool.
• Wire cutters and striper.
• A drill - to drill a hole into the dash. (#omg)
• A 3/8-inch drill bit - I used a spade bit, but any 3/8-inch will do.

Everything in hand, it was finally time to figure out how "really" bugged I was about not having a charger on the dash, because it was time to drill a hole in my dashboard.

It'd be nice if there were a charger right there on the dash, next to the Ram Mount.​

Taking apart the dash is easy (here's how) except for removing the climate control faceplate.​

Every time I drill into the interior, I cringe.​

Came out clean.​

With the dashboard prepped, it was time to prep the charger itself. There were two things I wanted to do: first, I wanted to line the entire charger with copper tape - effectively creating a faraday cage around the electrical components - to reduce the EMI and RFI that would be thrown off. Second, I wanted to add a couple of crimp-on connectors to the wires, which would connect the charger to the wiring harness.

Working with the copper tape was a lot of fun.​

Charger - minus the cover - in place!​

With the charger in place on the dash, I made a quick wiring harness. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary in this process with one exception: I figured out a cool way to source power for the USB charger.

A quick harness.​

By using some piggy-back connectors, I was able to pull power from the same circuit that powers the USB charger I installed into the cigarette lighter location.​

Clean!​

Using a few zip ties to secure the wiring harness behind the dash - I don't want any rattling on the trail (!) - I reinstalled the various connectors, screws, and clips that secure the dash trim, and plugged everything in to make sure that both the new and existing chargers were functional.

Working great, and no wire running to the glove box!​

Given how easy the entire process was, I probably should have done it 8 years ago. Oh well, long live procrastination.

 

I've been mulling over mounting ideas for my phone and GMRS radio today.
I haven't quite ran into a need for a charging port just yet but I do like the idea of adding one to the back of the center console for the passengers I never have and I bet that one would fit nicely

 

I think that would fit nicely, and the back of the center console would be a great place for this one, which would fit even more flush.



Though, depending on exactly how much room there is between the outer shell and the inner compartment, you might be able to go with one of the cylinder chargers - those are a lot easier to install because you simply drill a round hole the appropriate size.

 

There may be plenty of space for the deeper cylinder style charger. I remember quite a bit of space in there when I made a few changes to fit the Corbeau seats.

 

“I'm not sure why my compressor is so slow …”
I had an underperforming compressor. I squirted some oil into the cylinder and the performance returned.

 

I'm Trying New Tires - Kenda Klever RT

For the last 5 years, I've very much enjoyed the wheel-and-tire combination I've been running. Not only did the 3rd gen 4Runner 5-star wheels look great - especially after I went to all the trouble to paint them - but they fit the larger calipers I installed as part of the Tundra Brake Upgrade and are the lightest OEM wheel manufactured by Toyota! Likewise, while I felt that the Cooper S/T Maxx were a little stiff and heavy - largely because they are only available in a 10-ply, E-range rating - they have been a great tire from a performance perspective. I've had four sets and have never gotten a flat or felt like I was lacking in traction on the trail. They also seemed reasonably quiet - especially given their hybrid tread - on the pavement.

But there has been one major downside: I'd like to have more choice in tires. I'm a fan of skinny tires - something in the 10-10.5" range - since they are generally lighter and incur less rubbing in the wheel well than wider tires of the same diameter. The 255/85 R16 S/T Maxx have fit that bill nicely, but they are one of the only tall, skinny, hybrid tires out there for 16" wheels.

So, hoping that I'd have more tire choice, I started looking into 17" wheels. There are lots of aftermarket options, but they all seem to be at least 8" wide and push the wheel further out of the wheel well, the exact problem that had provoked me to replace my SCS Stealth6s with the 3rd gen 4Runner 5-star wheels.

Then I discovered the 1st gen Sequoia Double 5-spoke wheels. Turns out that I'd probably known of these previously, given that they were already on my list of wheels that fit the Tundra brake upgrade, but I'd never really considered them at the time I added them, since my 4Runner wheels were great. The Sequioa wheels are slightly wider at 17x7.5", and they weigh significantly more at 27.5 lbs each (the 4Runner wheels were 22 lbs each).

So, I headed over to Craigslist, and with the help of a couple buddies who ferried wheels to me from around Washington state, I soon found myself with eight wheels, five of which I'd be putting to use. First though, I needed to paint them. Luckily, I knew that with Extreme Labor, the result would be a Totally Non-Functional Mod.

Sandblasting five wheels took about 10-hours and reminded me that I really hate sandblasting. Or at least, I hate my janky setup which entails a cheap nozzle, play sand, and a big tarp in the driveway.​

I did learn one thing the last time I'd done this - it would have been much easier to paint the wheels off the ground. So, I built a jig that would hold them in the perfect position.​

I really like the flat-army-green color of the primer. If the Tacoma weren't green itself, I think I'd keep them this color.​

Ahh, bronze. Or, as Monte @Blackdawg would call it, "shit poop brown."​

One thing about Craigslist wheels are that they rarely come with center caps. New OEM Toyota center caps are expensive, so I was on the hunt again for an alternative. Amazon had some without a Toyota logo, but eventually I found caps - likely unlicensed - on eBay for $10/cap which seemed pretty good to me!

The caps looked pretty good, except for the color!​

After more work sanding, etching, and painting, I had the caps looking passable from a distance.​

With the wheels sorted, it was time to find tires. Thinking I'd have tons of choices, I set off to find something great - and significantly less expensive - than the Coopers that I've been running. I figured that one of the following sizes - in this order - would be where I'd end up:

1. 255/80 R17 - my ideal size, since I'd maintain a 10" wide tire @ 33.1" diameter.
2. 33x10.5 R17 - close to the ideal size
3. 34x10.5 R17 - I wouldn't mind a slightly larger diameter, though I'd likely need to do some firewall modification (tubbing) to make it fit.
4. 285/75 R17 - similar to the 34x10.5, but even wider

Given those sizes, the tires I considered were:

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Unfortunately, this really had me wanting to choose the S/T Maxx again, since it came in my ideal 255/80 R17 size, but I'd heard a lot of good feedback on the Kenda Klever RT, not the least of which included:

Very quiet [on the highway]. Much quieter than the S/T Maxx. And still are quite quiet with some wear on them. They've been some of my favorite tires I've ever had. I don't think you'd be disappointed. They perform better than the S/T Maxx in every way. Quieter, better grip on all surfaces including snow, and are a tall 33. They were noticeably taller than my 255/85s.

​

"Might be the best tires I've owned."​

@Blackdawg​

Not only that, but the price - at $1,420 for a set of five tires installed - wasn't cheap but was significantly less than the $1,834 that a set of S/T Maxx would cost.

I had a bit of trouble finding a place where I could purchase these tires with installation - DiscountTire doesn't sell Kenda tires at all, SimpleTire won't sell installation, and Amazon doesn't have an installation option - but ultimately, I was able to buy them on eBay, and use eBay's installation service to get them installed at my local Firestone.

That new tire smell.​

Once my tires showed up, it was off to the installer!​

Turns out that my local Firestone was undergoing renovations, so the two-hour appointment - which I already considered to be one hour longer than necessary - turned into a 24-hour affair. Luckily, I wasn't in a huge rush, and my favorite burger joint - Wibbley's Hamburgers - is nearby, so I was able to drown my disappointment in charbroiled goodness, fries, and a chocolate shake.

A full day later, the tires were on the truck, and they looked good.​

Driving home, I put 11 miles on the tires. They felt significantly softer than the S/T Maxx and seemed quiet enough on the highway, so hopefully they will live up to expectations. I will say - they are definitely more aggressive-looking than the S/T Maxx, something that I'll have to get used to, and that has me a bit worried.



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