Stepside Adventures with Mr. Sloth

Grew up in the forums. Someone will thank me in 10 years when they need to research DIY or automotive related in the threads. Planning on documenting my adventures with my taco and seeing where it takes me. It's also nice to remind myself all the things I've done over the years and not make excuses. Time does fly as you get older and priorities change.

I'm mainly active on Facebook in the 1st Gen Tacomas and Stepsides group page. Thought of doing YouTube, IG live, or TikTok but I'm old school and just plain lazy.

2002 Toyota Tacoma SR5 V6 (130k at purchase)
3.4L 4WD Extended Cab Stepside
5-speed manual
Stock at purchase with worn bushings on the lower front shocks. Lived in New Mexico half it's life and remaining in the high desert of California (eastern sierras) and Orange County.

Purchased July 2021 during the pandemic from a buddy in the high desert. Did I prefer a fleet cab? Sure, for all the options it can provide in the the aftermarket realm. Was it a good price? It was reasonable at the time. My friend opted for a 2021 Tacoma to tow his Airstream but still misses this truck here and there every time he sees it on our adventures.

Known big issues? A CEL that won't go away. Will come on anywhere between 20 miles to 5000 miles.
P0300 - Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected
P0301 - Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected

A Toyota dealer tore this engine apart and right before they thought it needed a brand new engine, they blamed it on the ECU. They kept smogging it for the previous owner over the 5 years before it was sold to me. (SPOILER ALERT: I purchased a refurbished ECU and it didn't solve the problem) It's been driving fine since I've owned it.

Slowly will catch us up to speed on the modifications and adventures to present day.

Goals: Routine maintenance, tasteful quality of life mods, camping, the annual off-roading (mild "overlanding") excursions, fishing, and reliable hauling while my other truck is down.

 

Looks nice but what's up with the stink bug stance? Looks crazy.

 

What vendor did/sold RM ECU?

 

Worn bushing on the lower driver shock. Original at 130k miles.

eBay item Turnpike Auto Parts from NH. Seems to drive the same with less idling surges. I'm considering sending my original ECU to Relentless Motorsports in Texas for a complete overhaul of components. I recently bought Jeep Cables to upgrade my grounds as it could be a culprit with the CEL with the negative battery cable being corroded and not visible.

Replaced my suspension with Bilsten 6112s in the front, 5100 B8s in the rear paired with 1" Pro Comp Blocks. There was a sale with 4WheelParts and Wheeler's Off-Road at the time. Great customer service by the way. 4WP swapped out the correct rear shock that I didn't know were different at the time with no fuss (driver vs. passenger). If I plan on keeping this, leaf packs will be due at some point.

I've taken it to Pismo Beach, Oceano Dunes, Coral Pink Sand Dunes in Utah, Joshua Tree, Anza-Borrego, and recently Monache Meadows to name a few. The only vehicle with Michelins All-Seasons did the job just as good as everyone else with AT/MTs. No issues in the 20k miles I've put on it. My 2001 Nissan Frontier 4-banger has broken down twice in the 15k miles I've put on that. Minus the CEL issue, Toyotas have been good to me.

Added a Chassis Unlimited Octane Winch Bumper because I liked the modular 3-piece look. Repurposed lights purchased from Coastal Offroad when I had the winch on my Frontier. Paired that with my old Smittybilt X2O 10K with Synthetic line. Bilsteins seem to hold well leveled and driving didn't feel degraded. I do have some Camburgs UCA because since I'm originally from Orange County, I wanted to support local in Huntington Beach. I have ordered parts from JBA and their customer service is great. Not too many of those left in the world. Still on list of installing and aligning with the caster adjustment.

Scored an ARE stepside camper shell in town shortly after a cancelled transaction. I was seriously thinking about driving to Colorado for a cheaper one but buyer said "they're unicorns" and changed their mind last minute. Wouldn't have been the first time I drove far for a camper shell. I took my 2001 Frontier from SoCal to Austin, Texas... in the middle of July... with no AC... with my spouse. At least it fit perfectly and she jokingly was planning to divorce me if it didn't. I guess a fleet cab swap with GFC is not realistic anymore or a flat bed (like Micah Weber's OverlandUnderBudget Tacoma). That's fine, I didn't want to be that meme where I spend thousands of dollars on a mall crawler that rarely sees trips.

Camping inside the camper shell wasn't too bad being a minimalist but I'll have to figure out insulation as it can be 110+ degrees in the summer and when camping can get down to under 28 degrees. Not as worried since I only camp and offroad 2-3 times a year...for now. We'll see if I can get out of my SoCal comfort shell and do 4 seasons with snow camping like Greg "TrailNewbie".

If you've read all of this, I appreciate it.

 

Looking good!

 

Nice improvements.