Spot this on Ebay...Sexy TRD PRO

If I had to guess, @Stocklocker hit the nail on the head. YouTube, IE: Social Media. People just don't take a stock truck seriously. It doesnt matter if you keep up with the "SEMA" version of the same truck. People like seeing flashy shit. People like the vanity of it, both the owners and the viewers. I think people do all these things not because they need it, but because it LOOKS cool, and since looks get views, and views money. Well yeah.

 

Fully agree. Well said.

 

There is a big difference between a weekend camp trip and so called overlanding! When your traveling several thousand miles for months at a time with the wife and 3 kids some confort amenities are a must! Otherwise the trip can be pretty miserable after the first week or two. On a lot of our trips it's not uncommon to hit hot 115 temperatures in the desert with no shade and rain/snow in the same trip, sometimes the same day, so in this instance I guess I am comfortable saying an awning is a need. For me it's a must to be prepared for every element we may encounter, not only to keep the family safe but to keep them comfortable at the same time.
I really don't understand the viewpoint of people that rag on others for how they build their vehicles when they really have no clue as to how and why the vehicle is being built that way. If you don't like a fully outfitted vehicle and have no need for these products than simply don't outfit your vehicle. for some this is what they enjoy, building a vehicle for a specific purpose. I know for me half the fun is building the rig and preparing for the unexpected on my trips. I can also say there is not a single piece of equipment or gear mounted to my truck that does not get used. That being said, if you don't like it or need it don't put on your truck, it's really that simple.

 

The observations I made, as my contribution to this thread, were not meant to be “ragging” on the guy who built the EBay truck for the act of building his truck. I was just pointing out how often we see this exact scenario where trucks are purchased, fully built up in the garage with the standard, verbatim, “TW overland kit”, right down to the Angry Beaver shovel and Yeti coffee mug, only to be sold at a deep discount after a couple trips or less. It’s gotta suck terribly for those guys. It might help others to hear another perspective before they blow all their dough on a rig they won’t end up keeping.

 

I get that, my first conversation with my customers is typically what are you goals and what do you plan to use the vehicle for? I will give them the pros and cons of the items they are interested in. From what I have seen, the guys that are able to buy a 50-60k truck, put another 20-30k into it and sell for 40k can afford the hit. I have customers that can buy 6-10k worth of armor from me without even blinking twice on the price and others that save up for years to buy one bumper at a time. I guarantee the ones that are saving up for years have done a lot more research on what their needs will be, the others can afford not to.
In the end it comes full circle imho as now there are opportunities for some great deals on fully built rigs or slightly used parts for the guys that cant drop 70-80k on a build.

 

Great points.

 

Sometimes times it's hard to fathom but for some spending 80k is no different than the average guy like myself spending 2k on a build lol.

 

Y’know, I never thought of it that way, because I was thinking from my own perspective, where my truck is one of my most valuable purchases, and I need to consider how I spend my disposable income.

I guess if your are the sort of guy who can afford to spend $80k on a fully built and kitted Tacoma TRD Pro, then decide its “meh”, think to yourself “Next”, then have your assistant flog the Taco for $48k while you plan out your drift car build, I’m on some level just jealous. That’s not my story.

 

Me too! What’s the deal with the leaf blower mounted off the hood going up the right side?? Ugliest thing I’ve ever seen.

 

It’s a wood stove. Comes in handy.

 

I just want to chime in and say this is an excellent conversation and I wish there were more like it on TW.

Re: beaver shovel, I always thought they were overpriced and dumb. Well last trip my trucks driver front tire broke through 2” ice I thought was solid ground and I was immediately stuck. That shovel was crucial to digging out all around it. Without those teeth, digging through the ice would’ve been impossible.

 

I don’t doubt it. I know I will own one someday. Just takin the piss outta something obvious.

 

^This
My truck is way over provisioned. I’m fine with that. I’ve earned it, work hard for it, am not jeopardizing my financial future doing it, and frankly am wiser to know its way smarter to part out later should we part ways. This is true for so many hobbies.

People waste money every day... don’t hate, congratulate. Someone’s gonna get a steal.

 

I seriously hope you’re kidding.

 

Technically just the chimney for the wood stove, I have one too

 

If you’ve got your exhaust going up your snorkel, you might wanna look in the trash for those instructions.

 

I looked it up. It’s for when you guys take your trucks scuba diving.

 

Don’t knock it til ya tried it!

 

Nah, for taking the truck snorkeling

 

I scuba dive all the time. Just not with my truck. lol