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Moving out west

Discussion in 'General Tacoma Talk' started by Stradman, Nov 22, 2024.

  1. Nov 22, 2024 at 6:05 AM
    #1
    Stradman

    Stradman [OP] New Member

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    Hello, I just recently upgraded from a Camry to a 2018 sr5. It came from the dealership with brand new all terrains, but since I will be moving to utah, there’s some work I would like to do to it before I leave the south. I’m just looking for low profile, practical items but here’s the list of what I’m thinking.

    -bed cover (preferably water-tight, lockable)

    -winch

    -skid plate

    If you have any recommendations or think I’m missing items on this list please feel free to respond. Also, should I look into getting some sort of protective spray coat on the under bed to reduce chances of rust?
     
  2. Nov 22, 2024 at 6:20 AM
    #2
    Thundertank

    Thundertank Active Member

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    Yeah you could the undercarriage with fluid film. Not sure how much they salt the roads in Utah though.
    Some of the best upgrades I think for the 3rd gen are the OTT tune, seat covers, and seat jackers.
     
    GTGallop and Stradman[OP] like this.
  3. Nov 22, 2024 at 6:23 AM
    #3
    G2.M6

    G2.M6 Well-Known Member

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    Fort Collins CO
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    1980 Toyota Truck MT "shifty" 1981 Toyota Truck "little orange" 1991 Toyota Pickup MT "Old Greg" 2021 4runner "Luna" 2023 Solar Octane MT "Solaris"
    The spray protection underneath is completely unnecessary. You are moving to one of the driest places on earth. Plus out west we prefer sand to salt on roads. My 1980 frame looks like new, same as my 91... they rarely rust out here.

    Why are you adding a winch? You will need an expensive bumper.

    I'm not a fan of bed covers, but if you like them great.

    A front skid plates is good. Lots of rocks in the rocky mountains.

    I'd like to welcome you to the west. Have a blast.
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2024
  4. Nov 22, 2024 at 6:58 AM
    #4
    azreb

    azreb Geezer

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    TN
    Vehicle:
    '20 SR5 crew cab; gray
    camper shell, front camera, floor mats, cheap bed mat, dash camera, catalytic converter cover, fumoto
    I second the mention of no rust protection. I moved here from Arizona (want to move back). I put camper shells on all my pickups. Bed covers are ok, but I prefer a shell.
     
  5. Nov 22, 2024 at 11:18 AM
    #5
    RichochetRabbit

    RichochetRabbit Ping Ping Ping

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    Tailgate lock from @christian06 ($40) or SaBellCo ($100)... it takes all of 20 seconds for someone to lift out your tailgate. The locks are not completely thief-proof but make the "casual methhead-tweeker" move on.

    RCI transmission skid can add catalytic converter guards.

    Replace the H11 headlight bulbs with H9s (remove the green insert for easy install of the H9).
     
    Odlcjro01 likes this.
  6. Nov 22, 2024 at 11:39 AM
    #6
    Stuck in VT

    Stuck in VT Well-Known Member

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    Moved from NE to Utah. Continued using fluid film. Yes it is dry in Summer, Winter not so much.
    Utah does use salt and brine vs Colorado sand.
    As far as offroad improvements, wait till you get out here. No benefit buying on east coast heavy offroad protection. You get killed on shipping. Off road opportunities vary quite a bit here. Figure out what you need when you get here.
    Roll-up tonneau was great for the drive. Tune and cell phone holder were two upgrades I made prior to the move and were very useful for the trip. Also installed a scangauge 2 to monitor things along the way. Peace of mind when driving 12+ hours without stops.
    In regional southwest forum there is a Utah section. Not way active, but the local members are very helpful.
     
    I-Give-Up and Stradman[OP] like this.
  7. Nov 22, 2024 at 11:41 AM
    #7
    C-Rok275

    C-Rok275 Well-Known Member

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    6112/5160s with Icon stage 2 leaf’s.
    I don’t know about other bed covers, but from my experience the factory tri-fold was not weather tight.
     
    GTGallop likes this.
  8. Nov 22, 2024 at 11:47 AM
    #8
    Stuck in VT

    Stuck in VT Well-Known Member

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    Roll up truxedo, never had a problem. If you are buying a new home, they are not landscaped. It has been nice having a roll-up so you can do truck stuff, picking up material etc. PM me and I and I can try to answer specific Utah questions.
     
    Stradman[OP] likes this.
  9. Nov 22, 2024 at 11:58 AM
    #9
    RichochetRabbit

    RichochetRabbit Ping Ping Ping

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    "West" is not the main factor. Elevation is. ABQ one would think is desert, but stretches on I-40 can be closed in winter if necessary ... 7000 ft is the reason.
     
    Stuck in VT[QUOTED] likes this.
  10. Nov 22, 2024 at 1:56 PM
    #10
    I-Give-Up

    I-Give-Up Well-Known Member

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    West Phoenix, AZ
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    2023 Ice Cap Tacoma TRD
    Meso spare fuse holder. Aluminum gas cap holder. Genuine Toyota bed lights. Bed molle racks. Ammo case storage under hood. In-bed spare tire. Automatic underhood lights. Gooey glurp on frame.
    What he said is right.

    My 2023 came from Utah. I spent some time underneath with a garden hose with a nozzle set on "jet" and then on "full," followed by a power washer and then Eastwood's salt dissolver, and then more volumes of water. I dislodged a goodly amount of sand from the bowels of the frame. Then I did the flushing again until no more sand came out. Once it would dry without what looked like dry salt on the black paint, I gave it multiple coats of Eastwood black interior frame spray, then Eastwood sticky frame & body wax and also Cosmoline black spray.

    I used up several types of multi-spray wands. The most useful turned out to be 51 inch long red spray straws that replace the short straws that come with the spray cans. They can be cut to length. Mangling the business ends differently can produce different spray patterns. It's hard to get rid of their factory curl, so I hung them with weights on their ends in a in a warm place for a week. It's good to have some curl because that allows you to twirl the straw for coverage. Messy but effective. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09K3T496C?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
     
    Stuck in VT[QUOTED] likes this.
  11. Nov 23, 2024 at 6:45 AM
    #11
    soundman98

    soundman98 Well-Known Member

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    it's not really a preference thing. it's got to do with the temperatures and formulations of the snow. in the midwest, we salt specifically because if we sanded, it would just turn to a still-very-slick icy sand mixture. salt is used because the temperature doesn't get low enough to maintain the grip of cinders/sand, and it's far better safety-wise to use salt that will drop the melting point enough to transition the snow/ice mixture to water, which can then flow off the roadway and leave the grip characteristics of the raw asphalt in place.

    the places that can drop sand or cinders are in area's where temperatures drop 10-20 degree's below freezing that salt formulations work at. it also means the snow doesn't turn directly to ice under compaction, which changes how road crews need to add grip back to the road surface.
     
    G2.M6[QUOTED] likes this.
  12. Nov 23, 2024 at 6:53 AM
    #12
    GTGallop

    GTGallop Well-Known Member

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    Anthem, Arizona
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    Dash Cams and Hams!
    Can Verify! No not weather tight and in the desert is sucks in a TON of dust.

    I took mine off and beefed up the seals and re-aligned it when I put it back on. Also put on more seals in other areas like tail gate. Now it's 80% better but still dusty after a while.
     
  13. Nov 23, 2024 at 7:56 AM
    #13
    Sprig

    Sprig Well-Known Member

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    N. Calif. The Twilight Zone
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    Why do you feel you need to modify your truck just because you are moving to another state? The mods you suggest, why those mods, what’s the purpose? What area in Utah are you moving to? What do you use your truck for, daily driver, off road or ??? We need a little more information from you. You’ve had 12+ reply’s, be nice if you responded.
     
    Stuck in VT, I-Give-Up and soundman98 like this.

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