After market seems to forget 1st gen??!

I am looking to build my 2004 into a moderate overland camp rig. Everything I am finding says 2005+

What happened to the design in 2005 that made it so much better for accessorizing??


I would like suggestions to have a rack, and bed top tent and do some weekend trips to the mountains for trout fishing in WV

From bed racks, to roof racks, to bed storage slider shelves the internet is full of 2005+... is everything DIY with 1st gens?

 

15 years is a long time. Not too many 1st gens left on the road, especially in areas with road salt.

 

Theyre old.

 

Just comes down to demand. There isn’t a huge enthusiast market for first gens compared to second and third gens.

 

Used to be a much bigger market for 1st gens but in the last few years especially since the 3rd gen came out, most companies have been phasing out their 1st gen stuff or stopping it all together.

 

I see the market is smaller for sure. A lot of 1st gens are no longer in service as opposed to 2nd and 3rd Gen. The production numbers of 2nd and 3rd Gen are higher per year than 1st Gen. And also, 2nd and 3rd Gen share some similarities that allow more parts to be interchangable. That doesn't exist for 1st gen Tacoma.

But... I think it's laziness, and lack of marketing. There is still a market for 1st Gen parts, as evidenced by your question and the responses to your question... as well as the constant activity on the 1st Gen forums.

The parts for 1st Gen wont turn as fast, but that can be worked out with less on hand (pre fabricated parts). It's not a reason to completely shut the generation of trucks out of your product line up (from a vendor perspective... IMO).

 

But to answer your question.


Rear bumper = DIY
Swing out = DIY
RTT rack = DIY
Awning brackets = DIY
Skid plates = will probably be DIY (because 1st Genners are too cheap )

 

What they said

 

True, there's lots of brolander stuff being sold to the 2nd/3rd gen crowd. But there's still tons of stuff for 1st gens, or universal fit type stuff, too.

RTTs are NOT vehicle specific, the only limitation is what size would fit your bed/rack, and the larger RTTs might hang off the end especially if you have a doublecab. There are several bed racks available, too, All-Pro makes a bombproof one.

I think there is also a bit of a difference in mindset between your typical 1st genner and your average 2nd/3rd genner. The whole "built, not bought" mentality...

The other side of the coin is that IMO a "mild overland rig" is a 4x4 with a tent in the bed. You won't get many #instagram followers, but it gets the job done nicely.

 

i put an air mattress from cabellas, and a whole bunch of pillows from head to toe in the back of my truck and slept pretty well on my side in the middle of the Wisconsin jungle. that is roughing it though lol

glad the bugs went away when temps dropped way down! damned things were flying in my ear hole while trying to get shut eye

i need to find a good cold weather setup for brutally cold temps in Canada,
what do they have out there?

 

Buddy we’re out there, I may not prove you wrong myself but hang on to your yota they are rare. They we’re shipped to Iraq in droves so the government likes em’ they are disappearing so those that have good ones can get a treasure of money off them, if they ever let someone have the keys! My lady hates how well I take care of my truck, lmao.

 

I know they’re out there. But the simple fact is the first gen just isn’t as popular as second and third Gens. They also aren’t as numerous as the other two.

They’re old trucks with little enthusiast aftermarket support. Simple economics.

 

Thank you

It's been a lot of work, but totally worth it. Still a work in progress.

 

No, that's simply not true. That's what vendors say, that want to cater to the higher margin parts in the other Gens. The high turn around, high mark up stuff is not there. Because 1st Genners aren't normally as dumb as the posers with 3rd Gens. But the market is there.

There are less Toyota trucks on the road than Tacomas, yet you have Marlin, Trail Gear, Ruff Stuff and other that cater to them. (Example) And part of the reason people go the 2nd Gen route is due to aftermarket availability... not becsuse they don't want a 1st Gen.

 

Yup... tilt your phone sideways. It's in my signature at the bottom of my posts.

 

Not to argue but just go look at production numbers for the first gen versus second and third gens. The latter are far higher.

As a vendor myself, only 15% of my customers are first gen owners. Majority are second and third gens.

While you do have a point, the market is just far far higher with the other two gens.

 

1) People harp on production numbers. Here are a few flaws in that arguement. The VAST amount of new trucks remain stock. More older trucks are used off road than brand new trucks. People don't tend to customize Leased vehicles, which a lot of new trucks are.... The production numbers of 1st Gen Tacomas are FAR higher than Toyota Truck... and again, I'll go back to Trail Gear, Marlin Ruff Stuff and others.

2) What was it that I said about 3rd Genners above?

3) But the market is still there for 1st Gen. You can find evidence of that by the simple fact we're having this discussion.

 

Yes, there is a market. I never said there wasn't. But the fact is that market is significantly smaller than the second and third gens.

I asked @Mobtown Offroad if he would ever make armor for first gens. His answer to me was that the market just isn't there.

 

I'm going to take back my argument on production numbers, I looked at the sales stats and they're just as numerous as the newer trucks. There was a huge zip in 2008 which makes sense, but it went up after that.

 

I think if the vendors would actually make and market (ESPECIALLY skids) the market would be there. Look how many first Genners end up fabricating them themselves. It's really actually kind of dumb, they don't. There's really very little effort that goes in to designing them. Especially for a shop with all the equipment on hand.

Hell, working skids are designed and built off of cardboard templates, in a weekend, by guys with 4 1/2 inch angle grinders, drills and a welder, in a weekend. With lead times the way they are. As long as they had the CAD files and/or templates made, how hard would it be to make limited runs based on demand?

Again, vendors are more interested in making shit for 3rd Genners so their product pops up on a brand new truck on Instagram.