New to This - Taco Journey from Day 1

Congrats on the new truck. You picked the best color.
As many have told me and some have already told you, get ready to open your wallet for your new habit.
Welcome.

 

I got off road this weekend. Did over 100 miles of it in the GA/TN Cohutta/Cherokee NF areas. Had a blast with the truck, wife, and dog. In that order. KIDDING

Some pics from the trip:

Most were pretty straightforward trails, but there were a couple real hidden gem off road spots.


Slumberjack screened in area was clutch at one site that was really buggy. Need the roof rack to get here so it's connected higher on the truck.


Doggo had a blast in the creeks.


Cheers!

 

Added a GMRS radio unit. Midland MTX115. Kind of a pain to figure out how to hard wire it really, where to mount it, how to power it, what fuses to use or tie into, where to ground, where and how to run antenna, etc etc.

Went with mount (both unit and mic) on passengers side center console.


Mounted antenna on hood near driver's side windshield. Magnet. Bigger antenna on the way.


Ran wires behind center console to interior fuse panel. Used an add-a-fuse to connect.

Was way more of a research project than it should be. I still may have made fuse/power mistakes. We'll test her out soon.

 

Really put off with @upTOPoverland right now.

Initially they said it would be "safe" to expect shipping the week of June 22nd. That week came and went with no word from them.

So I reach out (twice before getting a response), and on 6/25 they say "your order should be shipping shortly!" as they had a delay, etc, etc. Ok, great.

Still nothing. So now on July 2nd I reach out to let them know I'm not happy with how they manage expectations. It's one thing if it's going to be slow, it's another thing entirely to keep saying it'll ship and not follow through on that.

Response from @upTOPOverland_Drew was a ridiculous "I apologize that you think we are poor at managing expectations." LOL nice customer service bud. He also let me know that my order was "in que to go out Monday".

Well, guess what, it's Tuesday and they failed to follow through or even communicate.

I'm so close to cancelling this order and getting a prinsu rack for half the cost.

 

I apologize that you are put off by us. Like most manufacturers in the industry we are struggling with supply chain and getting materials, we are no different. BUT this is no excuse for the misleading timeframes you have been given. What is your order number, I will personally go down to shipping and see what is going on and provide you an update ASAP

 

Thank you. It's 1935SY

 

checking.

 

Currently being packed!

 

@upTOPoverland kudos to following up here and getting an update.

@el bandito everything is slow right now. If you can’t stand waiting an extra couple of weeks, then don’t order stuff right now. These companies are trying their hardest but some stuff is out of their control. I ordered a skid plate, and it took an extra month to ship. Some companies haven’t produced anything in months because they can’t get their materials. Some materials aren’t made, shipping is a nightmare too, so many different issues pop up. I ordered a Father’s Day gift for my step dad 2.5 weeks before Father’s Day. It shipped, but didn’t show up until 4 days after Father’s Day. Companies may be giving you estimated times for completing orders and shipping, but then get hit by a delay they didn’t anticipate. Don’t blast them for it.

 

Hey @jmauvais thanks but you're dead wrong. Delays are absolutely acceptable, especially during these times. But... The right move for any company who had given prior shipping expectations would be to revise them with customers; communicate the issue and any reasonable customer, which I happen to be, will gladly accept the situation as it is outside the control of the company.

As they admitted in posts above, they let me down repeatedly in this way. So, my friend, you miss the point here entirely with your attempt to educate me on global supply chain issues during COVID.

The post here was effective. They shipped the order yesterday, and I appreciate their response to my frustrations.

 

Trying to wire up Cali Raised switches for the extreme led bar for the incoming roof rack.

Combining instructions from Cali Raised videos, and looking at how the TWO switches for the light bar were wired, here's what I've done.

Note: one switch controls white led, one controls amber.

Also note: current configuration works ALMOST perfectly. Everything as desired except the picture/symbol on the switch (which I want to be on when the LED lights come on), is ALWAYS on.... Even when car locked and lights off.



So the add a fuse goes to the tail light fuse.

I think the add a fuse part is working correctly - as when the dash lights come on, the words on the switches light up. Perfect. The issue is that the icons/symbols (which I think should light up when the light bar comes ON) are always on. I have now confirmed this by firing things up with the add-a-fuse entirely removed from the circuit- result = light bar symbol still always lit up.

Cc: @CaliRaisedLed and @upTOPoverland

Additional info: Overall hot wire for light bar wiring harness goes to the battery, has fuses and relays in between, then comes in to the diagram i drew out above. fiww.

 

ABOVE ISSUE RESOLVED!

So for posterity here (and as I've mentioned before, this is a documented journey here so that others who follow can maybe have a little easier time than I do with certain things) I'll post the fix:

The wiring harness power source needed to go to the green cali raised switch wires. (In my case harness red daisy chained to each switch's green). Then the white harness wire (for white light), and the blue harness wire (for amber light); go to their respective switches' red wire closest to the green switch wire.

Hope this helps someone down the road, especially if you're getting the roof rack and led bar that I am, and using the cali raised switches.

Cali raised should update their videos and info to help folks out with this issue. Even their comments on the install videos are filled with people like me with the same issues.

Cheers.

 

I was late to this party, sorry i was no help, i actually knew the answer LOL

 

A few new things on the way here:

1. Baja Designs squadron sport amber fog kit. (I was on the fence about getting this, as I'll likely get a new front bumper at some point, but the folks at BD let me know it wasn't a big deal to get the one that fits a stock taco, and a simple bracket purchase later down the road will let you use the same one on other bumpers.
2. RockyMounts Lowball truck bed rail bike fork mount. Cause I bike a LOT.
3. KB Voodoo/max modular bed rack. I've wanted a bed rack from the get-go, but my wife talked me into the tonneau cover as a more 'practical' solution. I hear ya, it works great for luggage, golf clubs, etc. But I just love the look of a bed rack, soooo... this one I got with some brackets that specifically allow you to mount the bed rack WITH the bakflip tonneau cover. So you lose the ability to fold up the tonneau cover for easier access to what's inside, but you gain the addition of the rack while keeping the security/weatherproofing of the tonneau. I think it's a good solution. Time will tell!

 

With the wiring done for the roof rack light bar, thought I'd give an update showing the cali raised OEM style switches installed.

It's not as ideal a solution as I'd like (a little OCD w/ different sized buttons, not side by side - given they're controlling the same device), but I'm super happy with it as a phase one type deal. Honestly was just concerned about how to tap into the center console. Pulling out the left panel was super easy for a beginner like me. Here it is. One for white LED's in center of the bar, and one for the amber's on the outside edges of bar.


In the future (if I don't have a switchpro or something like that) I'll get the custom buttons, so one would say 'white' with the light bar image, and would say amber. And they'll be the same size, side by side. If not a switchpro, then some add-on panel w/ more slots.

 

I've been turning wrenches for 3 days! Typical troubleshooting along the way, you know how it goes.

Installed the KB Voodoo bed rack as well as the upTOP overland roof rack.

I had a few questions & issues during the install of each (from both of these companies)- and boy I have to say it's some of the best support I've ever gotten. Text threads going with each and they were very helpful!

Here's what we're currently looking like:


Today/next few days I should be getting my pelican case in, amber fog lamps, as well as the bed rack side bike mounts. Far side of bed rack (not shown above) I've got shovel & axe mounted.

The one thing I'm uneasy about is just how much red I'm slapping all over this truck... kind of not sitting well with me. Red recovery boards, red rotopax, red shovel... kind of too much red. Will think it through and keep playing around. Definitely wanna take a look at the recovery boards on the side of the bed rack - love that look.

Anyways, really happy with how this taco is coming along.

 

Looks great! Need to start doing all these same things to my truck! Looks like you are going for/have done exactly what I'd like to turn mine into.

 

Looks really good brother!

 

Bike mounted!

 

Baja Designs Squadron Sport fog lamps installed. Such a huge improvement looks-wise from the stock fogs. Not to mention the improved light output.