Cuda's Photography Overland Truck Build & Portfolio & BS

At the end of 2014 I had realized two things about my old truck: a regular cab wasn't adequate to travel with both my photography gear and another person, a 2wd truck was no longer getting me to and from where I wanted to go. After a little searching and a Hail Mary email to the salesman I was working with I was the owner of the exact spec 2015 Tacoma that I was after by shortly after the New Year in 2015.

Starting point: 2015 Tacoma DCSB TRD Off-Road 4wd in Blue Ribbon Metallic.

THEN:


NOW:



Goal is simple - the truck was already capable from the factory to get much further off the beaten path than my old truck, with at least one other photographer along for the adventure. So that right there checked a lot of the boxes already. I wanted to enhance the truck's looks and further improve and tune it's functionality and capability to my needs as a landscape and travel photographer. I travel both on and off road regularly in search of photo locations, the mix of 3-5hr highway runs each way with frequent forest / logging roads for the final stretch.



Thus far I've kept the mod list fairly short with minor visual tweaks to give the truck a unique look while adding a little protection to the sides (it's currently my daily driver and doors are a far bigger threat than rocks at the moment).

Exterior:

• Wheels: Level 8 MK6 in gunmetal - TRD Center caps (Feb '15)
• Tires: Cooper Discoverer AT3 265/75r16 C-Load
• Color Match Grill: ECG Fabrication w/ custom order small mesh, TOYOTA emblem.
• Exhaust: Gibson Muffler and Stainless tip, stock tubing (for now)
• Rago Fab Bed Corner Brackets w/ CB and LED pod
• with side and top panels (ordered Jan. '18)

Suspension:

• Front Springs: OME 885x w/ OME Nitrochargers (installed April '17)
• Rear Springs: OME Dakar (2017 Revised version) removed 3rd leaf, w/ OME Nitrochargers (installed April '17)
• Upper Control Arms: JBA Standard for Lifted Tacoma (installed April '17)

Lighting:

• Tail Lights: DEPO Blacked out Tails, LED Reverse Bulbs
• 3rd Brake: Smoked Red lens with Red LED bulb
• Bed Lights: MattGecko LED kit w/ wireless remote
• Aux Driving Lights: PIAA 520 ATP mounted on BAMF mount (horn relocation to left top radiator)
• Aux Fog Lights: Rigid D2 floods in bumper, positioned to shine to the corners.
• Jumper's LED Licence Plate, Reverse and 3'rd Brake bulbs
  
• Bussmann RTMR Fuse / Relay panel (May '17)
• Rigid SR-Q Backup Kit (diffused) flush mount in rear bumper (June '17)

Armor:

• Front Bumper: US OFF ROAD Winch Bumper with ENGO 10k synthetic
• Sliders: SOS Concepts bolt-on sliders, painted with Rustoleum Bedliner with satin black overlay coat.
• Rear Bumper: Brute Force Fab Standard Rear w/ flush mount lights (May '17)
• Skids: RCI Aluminum IFS (April '17)

Interior:

• Jumper's LED dome & map lights (red LED map lights as of March '17)
• ImMrYo mirror riser
• Auto-dimming mirror w/ compass and temp.
• WeatherTech floor liners
• OTRATTW Switches in Overhead for Aux Lighting and winch control
• Cobra 75 wx st CB

Misc:

• Rear Diff Breather Relocation (behind tail light)
• G-Tek door sill protectors
• Toyota Tacoma bedmat
• Engine airpump filter mod

First the wheels went on - Valentines Day sale at Discount Tire, shortly after the Gibson Exhaust as I couldn't stand not having any exhaust note. It's no V8, but it's decent.

Follow the latest: https://www.instagram.com/trd.adventure/





Drove it like this through my first major photo trip - 10 days in the Texas Hill Country. Truck drove great, but found the lighting to be somewhat limited driving twisty roads at night. Also had a close call or two getting in a few tight spots, so shortly after the plans for the grill, Aux lights and sliders moved forward.





The rest of the mods were sprinkled in over time as money and need required. I'll try to dig up some more during-mod photos to post in subsequent posts below.

Future Mods:

- LED Fogs lamps - decided to put better Philips bulbs in for now since I have aux fogs now as well.
- Improved mount for GPS / Phone in cab
- Roof rack system for additional gear and/or kayak - Rago Fab ordered Jan '18

Thanks to @ChadsPride to get me motivated to put together a build thread.

Latest Mods:

 

SUUUUUUUBD!!!!!!!!!!

 

On Adventure Photos:

Foggy day on the Talimena Scenic Byway, Oklahoma


Waiting for the arrival of the storm - Montague, Texas


Under the Stars at Fort Griffin State Historic Site


Lavon Lake after a thunderstorm blew through beginning of July '17

 

Mods in Progress Photos:

Out with the Chrome, in with the Blue


PIAA 520 on BAMF mount


DEPO Tails - in case anyone still wondered what they looked like.

 

Nice truck and photography. I like that picture with the sunset a lot. You mentioned led fog lights in your future mods and I'm getting ready to install these:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/a-better-fog-light-led-mount-apex-fabworks.440114/

The price is pretty reasonable and so far the product has really good reviews.

Looking forward to seeing more of your photography here!

 

I ran into that post yesterday as well. Haven't decided between those and the Morimoto XB's just yet. I still find the total amount of light at night to be slightly inadequate when running 70 mph on roads frequented by deer, hogs and coyotes. The 520's help, but after a trip with a buddy who has a couple LED bars on his Tahoe, it's not even comparable. I so love the look of the circular halogens though.

 

Yeah led's aren't the most visually appealing in oem housings - retrofits look pretty cool, but light output is king like you said.

 

@justinmbowen

 

Great pictures! Sub'd for the future fun

 

Nice, same color as mine only I am rocking the prerunner. I have yet to find somewhere that she can't get me for photos, minus up a mountain or to the base of a waterfall, but that's what legs are for.
ig: kyleaphotography

 

@fergsonfire - followed you on IG.

Grill has to come off the weekend, discovered that I'd failed to flip the PIAAs in their housings before I installed them, probably why very little extra light was actually reaching the ground and I was getting a lot of high's flashed at me when I forgot to turn them off on the road. Eyeing a PELFREYBILT rear bumper for Xmas gift from 'Santa' but still not quite convinced it follows the lower roll of the bed sides enough for my taste. Searching for more photos.

 

US OFFROAD front winch bumper, ENGO 10k winch and Sirius Pro cube floods ordered this morning. Will see how much front end droop I get on factory suspension before I make a decision on how much lift to install later this year.

Also have a set of G-Tek door sill protectors I still need to install, as well as a set of upgraded Fog bulbs to put in. Hopefully I'll get a chance with the warmer weather this week.

 

my buddy has this setup in the front, but prerunner. after running it on stock coils and it being a little harsh, he installed 886s

 

Debating between 885 and 887's, don't think I'll have quite enough weight up front for 886's and stay around the amount of lift I'm looking for (2" give or take)

 

Finally found some of the photos I'd taken while working on the SOS Sliders.

 

Damn!!! Those are very nice!

 

Thanks! I'd forgotten how much work those stupid things were to prep and paint till I saw the photo with the scrub pad sitting there. So far the paint is holding up really well, we'll see how they look after September. They might actually get some real use.

 

Awesome!!!

I ordered some from BAMF. Full Bolt ons. Can't wait till they arrive!

Keep up the good work man!!