Chuckers Expedition Taco build thread

Currently working on a way to convert money into Toyota parts. So far it's going well!

Now:

Interior
2003 electric 4Runner seats
Removed rear seats
Cobra CB radio
Kenwood Bluetooth stereo
Sweet retro seat covers
Semi-Custom IPad mini mount
Custom bed deck
Blackstone propane cooktop
Whynter 45qt refrigerator

Exterior
Prinsu Design Studios roof rack
Tepui Ayer series Explorer RTT
ARB bumper
Lumitek 9” LEDs
ARE topper with Thule Tracker 2 rail rack
2017 4Runner TRD Pro wheels
255/75r17 BFG KM1s
4x innovations rock sliders
4x innovations rear bumper and swingout

Suspension
Toytec Boss 3 inch lift
Diff drop kit
OME dakar leaf pack with AAL

Engine & Drivetrain
Safari Snorkel
K&N air filter
Dual battery and Aux electrical system components

Recovery gear
Knockoff maxxtraxx
Flat shovel
ARB tire patch kit
Tool set
Hi-Lift jack
Straps, tree saver, shackles, snatch blocks

Purchased but not installed yet
ARB compressor
6 switch panel for accessories


The Starting Point


2004 Double Cab TRD Off Road with 167,000 miles for $13,000. Craigslist found and picked up just how it looks in these pictures. I didn't even drive it before I bought it since I was out of the country. I sent the wife and said, "Get me that truck!" She crawled around under it, banging on the frame with me on FaceTime. God bless her.

I'll post all my mods here as I do them.

 

Annnnd last night I ordered a snorkel kit and a Tepui roof top tent. Deployment money gone.
Anybody want to buy a 2011 twin turbo'd 6 Speed Cummins? I'll turn that into Toyota parts too.

 

That's a good lookin' truck right there. I had a 2003 model back in '05 that was nearly identical minus the shell and 3rd gen sport wheels.

 

Thanks Carver. I was on the fence about a new one or an old one, but the first gens just do it for me. Glad I went that route.

 

Thank you for your service.

Nice truck, great starting point. And welcome to TW.

 

Shoot.. thanks man.

 

Pics of said Cummins.

 

Well, I started wrenching on Wednesday. Got the ARB bumper installed, but I had a hell of a time with the Smittybuilt winch. The bumper is made for a Warn, and that's the issue. The smittybuilt is too big.I clocked the gearbox to put the clutch lever facing down, but it still didn't fit, so that winch is out, and a Warn is in order. The instructions on the bumper were, as everyone else said, horrible. Half way through I tossed them. More of a headache than they were worth. The install was straight forward after that.

The lights are Lumitek 96W LED Flood lights.

 

Cleaned the Headlights up with a Mother's restoration kit. Installed an LED headlight conversion as well.
All the lights on!

 

Thursday Morning the Tepui Explorer Series Ayer 2 arrived and I immediately mounted it over the topper. I wasn't stoked on that. Not because of the topper. It seemed strong enough, but the Thule rail system didn't. Naturally, we couldn't wait to sleep in it, so we hit the road to a good little camping spot to try out the new house. It fits a two person sleeping bag perfectly, but you'd better like the person you're in there with. This 97lb tent is only 48 inches wide.

 

Got home today and my Prinsu Designs 1st Gen roof rack was on the porch waiting for me. That was way faster than expected. Assembly was very easy, but the instructions are on their web site and not in the box. I ordered one with a 40inch light bar cutout, and the invoice said 40 inch cutout, but the wind deflector had no cutout. Decided to push with the instal anyway, since after giving the tent a good shake, the topper isn't the best place for it.. Drilling holes in your roof is not the best feeling.. Also, drilling through your headliner.. I added some silicone under the plusnuts to make extra sure it doesn't leak. Fingers crossed.Moved the Tepui from the topper to the cab and installed a CB antenna on the ARB bumper. The antenna is a bit taller than the tent, so if it clears, I know the tent will clear. I reinstalled the roof rack on the topper too. Tent over cab made a huge difference. Everything felt better- more balanced and much more solid.

 

Tonights project.. Ram Mount/Otter Box Defender hybrid. This, running Gaia or Hema will be the primary Nav tool. I like both initially, but haven't fully committed to either. Hema seems a little more intuitive. I have an iPad Mini 3 with LTE.

 

Love the truck! Excited to see more of your fast progress. I have a similar truck but much slower progress on my end

 

Thanks man. I like your truck too. 1st gens are rad.

 

Template for the snorkel didn't come in the box, so that gets put on the back burner. I will have to email Safari and ask them to send one. Im worn out on drilling holes in my truck anyway. Good news is, it poured rain all day and night and no leaks under the roof rack.

 

Drove out to Raleigh to pick up a set of TRD Pro wheels from @STrooper today and put the old TRD Sport wheels and BFG AT's onto the wife's 4runner since it was in need of new shoes anyway. I put a set of BFG Mud-Terrains on and picked up a matching used one for a spare. They are a little narrower than the AT's (went from 265/75R17 to 255/75R17), and I added about an inch of width in my track with the TRD Pro wheels. As with everything, we immediately have to go test it out so we headed deep into Richlands in search of some dirt that didn't have pavement on top of it. And, a little scrub-down afterwards. But not for the 4Runner. She likes to stay dirty.

 

My bumper wasn't quite sitting as flush as I wanted it to be, so I loosened all the bolts holding it on and then set jacks under it to get all my gaps looking right, then tightened everything back up. Maybe the directions from ARB said to do this, but I don't know since I threw them out. I see a lot of ARB bumpers with a large/ uneven gap, so I doubt the instructions mentioned it.. It took a few times of going through the same process, loosening, jacking, and tightening, since as I let the jacks down everything relaxed a bit and the gap widened. Heres some pictures.

With the jacks

End result. You can see in my older pictures how bad the gap was before. Thanks @STrooper for the sweet TRD Pro wheels!

 

Nice!! You have quite the build going on!! You have a link for the cab roof mount rack for the tent, it looks good.

 

Thanks! I sure do. Here ya go:

https://prinsudesignstudio.com/category/toyota/toyota-tacoma/toyota-tacoma-1st-gen-tacoma/

Theres a Prinsu page on TacomaWorld too that has some good info on it, and Im pretty sure that the guy who makes them is on here as well.

 

Thanks man!! I was scrolling through and saw pics of the roof rack on top, and I said great just another thing I am going to have to get for my build. It never ends, lol. Btw thank you for your service!!