Help Building a Beach Truck!

Hi, guys!

I recently purchased an 01 V6 5spd 4wd SR5 taco with 62k miles on her. I really enjoy going to the beach weekly. Also, going on mild trails. I believe it has a 3in lift in the rear and 2in in the front. Other than that it's stock.

This is my first truck btw..

I want to build a basic beach rig that will also be good on mild trails(getting to the beach).

If y'all can help me out on how to do so it'll be great! Such as tires and wheels. Also, what basic upgrades I need to make her last forever.

Thank you so much for your time

 

Air down to 20psi and you have yourself a beach truck. You don't need to buy anything extra for mild trails other than an air compressor to air back up afterwards.

Keep up with the regular maintenance, and use quality parts, no junk. That'll keep her lasting a long long time.

Enjoy your new truck!

 

That looks low for a 3" lift... But it's hard to tell with pics anyway.

The key with sand is airing down. You could easily work with what you have now as long as you air down appropriately for the sand (15-20ish psi). If you find that's not enough, then you could easily go for some more aggressive all terrains in a 265/75r16 size, of 285/70. The 285's might rub a bit, though.

These trucks wheel perfectly well bone stock. It's amazing what you can get yourself into with them...

So I'd just drive it as is and air down when you get to the sand. If you find that's not enough, work on some more aggressive tires.

 

I'd peruse the 1st gen build threads and see if you can't find some inspiration/information there. Tread lightly, however, because the TW rabbit hole is deep and can be expensive.

As far as making it last forever, do your regular maintenance, buy good quality parts and just all around take care of it and it will take care of you. With those miles your truck is just a baby anyway. Lots of life left.

Welcome to TW!

 

Fluid film on the frame and have fun!

 

Oh no............











https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dheh4f-Zzw8

 

This. The Tacoma is the national truck of Hawaii, and they have just as many rusted frames that salt belt trucks do. It's because of the salt water spray from the ocean when driving on the beach, as well as the close proximity to the shore and ocean spray.

If you plan on driving it on the beach you absolutely need Fluid Film and to wash it off after every drive or your frame will corrode.

 

Thank you all for helping out! I will definently buy an air compressor for the sand driving. Also, will rinse the truck off after every beach drive. I can't wait to see her on the beach!

Do I spray the fluid film on everything underneath the truck?

 

I'd spray everything but the exhaust

 

Great video of what not to do with your truck.

 

You ain't gunna kill it...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnWKz7Cthkk

 

That truck still runs lol, after being caught on fire, lost at sea, smashed to shit, put on top a building then blowing up the building lol. Good old hilux

 

Would you guys recommend using spray on bed liner as your paint? I was thinking about doing it. What you guys do if you wanted to do a cheap paint job?

 

Spray on like getting it linex or rolled on like you can buy at Walmart

 

No, like Lindsay Lohan leave the paint alone. The DIY stuff is trash

I also don't think that your truck is an SR5 since it has no bucket seats or power windows

 

Its an sr5 in spirt.

 

Agreed. Factory paint is factory paint, and to quote an old-timer saying "it's only original once". It has character. I'd take a clay bar and some wax to it and then leave it alone. Definitely do the Fluid-Film thing, that shit works. Make sure to coat the inside of the frame. Fluid Film is not really a permanent thing, it lasts a while but you have to touch it up from time to time. If you do your own oil changes, that's a good time while you're under the truck to hit any spots that may have washed off.

One other thing I'd recommend is pulling the plastic bedliner to check the condition of the bed underneath. When I pulled mine, some of the ribs on the bed floor were stripped to bare metal from the thing sliding around ever so slightly with sand trapped between the metal and the plastic liner. In a dry climate, no biggie, but if you're spending a lot of time by the ocean, that wet, salty air will go to work on bare metal pretty quickly.

Sweet truck, btw. 62K seems almost impossibly low; that thing's not even broken in. If you keep up on the basic stuff Toyotas really do live up to their rep for being able to rack up insane miles with minimal headaches.

 

I mean if you spend the big bucks to have your whole truck taken apart and the whole frame linex or powder coated and everything else under there then yeah do it. But if your not gunna do that then just do fluid film and maybe sand down parts you see surface rust or where paint got scraped off then use some rust olm frame paint or something similar

 

Here is an exhaustive and all encompassing list of what comes with an sr5.

1. Sr5 badges
2.

And that's it. My 01 was an sr5, most stripped down vehicle iv owned in a long time. Power nothing, right foot cruise control, intermittent wipers until you got tired of turning them non/off, manual hubs the list of what it didn't have was impressive.

And yet the original owner paid extra.

 

Get a limited or get rid of it, jk sr5 are cool too. I think you get some crome dash trim and trim outside in a sr5