Noob Needs Help Buying 1st Taco

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum and Tacos. My deployments to Iraq and increasing years on the knees have gotten me interested in driving further up trail to reach 13ers/14ers/remote camp sites, instead of hiking.

I'm looking at buying a Taco but, but having 0 off-road experience (other than hiking boots, hah), am lost on what to buy. I've seen threads and articles that go every which way. So, I don't know if it's best to buy the cheapest SR, and then put aftermarket mods on or just sticking with stock, or to just go with an OR from the start. I'm leaning toward 4WD, dual cab, short bed, V6. Here's what I anticipate doing with my Taco (not in order of importance):

1. Accessing remote 13er/14er trailheads in Colorado (e.g. Lead King Basin, etc.).
2. Driving up to the mountains during the winter for resort AND backcountry skiing.
3. Regular street driving in the Denver Metro Area.
4. I don't anticipate true rock crawling. I'll leave that to hardier peeps than me. Haha.

Also, for any aftermarket mods, is there a priority order that should be followed?

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

You dont have the knees to hike but you backcountry ski?

 

Either way... it doesnt sound like you need anything more than a 4x4 and a good set of rubbers.

 

1st: I'd nail down a budget and decide what you want to spend on the truck. How many miles you can live with if buying used etc.

2nd: it's fine to buy a base model truck and mod to fit your needs. Just know that a trd is going to add some resale value if you ever decide to get rid of the truck

Biggest thing to lol for on these trucks is rust. A lot of trucks left the factory with insuffient rust inhibitors on the frame. The upside is Toyota did a frame replacement program.

My vote would be a 2nd gen or with a good set of off-road tires. These trucks are remarkable cable in stock form

 

It's a matter of degree. Shorter backcountry tours vs. longer hikes, and my knees don't take the same pounding skiing downhill as they do stepping downhill. Plus, I haul SCUBA equipment when I teach lessons, so there are other reasons for buying a Taco.

 

Thank you!

 

Thanks, sincerely appreciate the advice!

 

EOD eh? Thank you for your service, shipmate!

 

Hey, yeah, I was stationed in Coronado when I wasn't in Iraq. I see that you're a fellow Navy vet. Thanks for your service as well!

 

I totally agree here. I can't speak on 1st gens, though they really interest me, I only know about my 2nd gen and I love it. I'd say, decide if you plan to keep this truck as long as you can or not. If so, get a base model and mod it all you want. Lockers come in handy but air lockers are better than e-lockers. If not, like xterra9171 said, get the TRD package for resale but then you'd likely want to bear in mind that mods make your truck harder to sell, only because you won't find as many peeps willing to buy a truck already modded but they are out there.

As far as order of modification, personally, I'd look into a good lift. You get a good 3" lift with 33" tires and it will pretty much fit the needs you described. Old Man Emu, or OME lifts are great budget lifts. Don't be afraid to youtube doing the suspension yourself. I never worked on a suspension before until I got my taco and I've already swapped it out twice, including upper control arm replacement. The only thing I suggest is to get pre-assembled coilovers, unless you want to try the coil spring compressor-less method, which I've no experience with. But then again, being EOD, I'm sure you'll laugh at the possibility of them exploding on you.

 

Same thing I thought, given the intended use.

TRD OR, decent all terrain tires, and be done.

 

Haha, having had several things detonate on me, I've lost my appetite for that sort of surprise. I really appreciate the advice you and the other guys gave. It's definitely helping to narrow the search. Thanks guys!

 

JDM, for winter use, would you recommend snow tires? I never put snow tires on my Subaru, but I've heard that trucks can benefit from snow tires in the winter, especially going up the passes.

 

If your going to run 2 sets of Wheels/ Tires then go Snow Tires, otherwise there are several AT tires that will do.

Wheeling here in Colorado is different then other places and I suggest you put more weight on what CO TW members say over others. We have little Mud and plenty of Rock so Armor is right up there with a lift. Don't buy a Pro, you can get those upgrades (better too) aftermarket and save some money.

Lastly, if already here check out this upcoming meet-up and see first hand what Tacoma guys are doing to their rigs.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/upcoming-colorado-events.187907/page-786#post-15144525

 

Just know if you buy a tacoma AND YOU HANG AROUND ON TW...this is what will happen.

1. "If I just had a tacoma, I would be able to get to that one hiking trail the subarus cant get to."

2. "If I just had a 3" lift and 33's, I could get to that one spot where the stock trucks cant go."

3. "If I just had 35's and F/R lockers and armor and a RTT and an expo trailer and...."

Personally, I would start with a TRD offroad of some sort (1st or 2nd gen w/ the rear locker), and get some good tires and see where you end up.

 

Yes, this too! But you don't intend to do much crawling though, right?

 

First of all, what is your budget and what years/generations are you interested in?

Here are some options:

1) buy a 1st gen and save $$, then add some better tires, armor, etc. with the money saved

2) buy a 2nd gen (probably a TRD Off Road) and put on some all terrains and call it good (or add things as needed)

3) buy a base SR 4x4 like you stated, and add all terrains, maybe some armor, etc.

It sounds to me like you probably don't need a ton of mods to go where you want to go. A TRD off road, or even just a 4x4, with good tires, will probably get you everywhere you want to go. If it were me, I'd say buy a TRD Off Road (either 3rd gen or late 2nd gen), put on some all terrains, and keep it stock for a while. If you find yourself needing more capability or wanting more protection, etc. then you can deal with that later on. These trucks are all very capable in stock form.

As to winter tires: My vote is for yes, get them, but there are some good all terrains that work decently okay in the winter as well.

 

I Don't "Crawl" either but every trail I have been on has at least 1 obstacle where the Armor more than paid for itself. Heck the initial "Trail Barrier Obstacle" (MSV comes to mind) on most close to civilization trails (to keep the idiots out) need armor or very precise tire placement for most.

 

I don't disagree. At the very least, rock sliders. Do you have a build page, CO MTN Steve? I'm wondering if I've seen your truck in town before.

 

Nope but here is a Pic from MSV