The Off-road Knowledge Dump

1. What year and model is your rig? Why did you select that model?
2016 Tacoma TRD OR. Selected it because it was on the dealer lot and had low miles (under 35000), at a really good price (in 2018), and had a factory locker and low range and it just looked good.

2. What was your intended off-road use? (overlanding, wheeling, both?)
Wheeling on trails and in the sand dunes

3. What was your first modification to it, to make it more off-road capable? And, in hindsight, knowing what you know now, would you have reprioritized anything or done anything different?
A/C drain line mod was first thing done. In retrospect, that was useless - the rest of the frame gets beat to death by saltwater all winter, so it was a meaningless mod.
First off-road mod was tires. I put on actual all weather all terrain tires rather than the on-road all season tires, went 1" over-size. It was a good choice for first mod.

4. What suspension, tires, and armor (if any of these) have you upgraded (or not) to? What drove you to select these?
2.5" lift Bilstein and OME springs up front, OME leafs in rear with bilsteins, RCI aluminum skid trilogy, RRW sliders, 33" KO2s. Selected the lift based on getting the leaf springs traded to me in exchange for teaching the guy and his wife their CPL class. RRW sliders were a TW group buy thing, as was the RCI skids. I thought the aluminum skids were sufficient for the limited trails I drive, but Drummond Island proved me wrong. I should have gone with steel.

5. What other modifications have you made to the truck, specifically, for off-road and/or emergency capability?
SSO Slimline Hybrid front bumper with Warn EVO12 winch, plus appropriate accessories stored in the truck for recovery purposes. Plus first aid kit, fire extinguisher, CB, GMRS, 400W anytime mod, interior 110V outlet

6. What recovery gear (if any) do you carry with you, and what conditions are they intended for (daily driving, off-road, or both)?
Warn EVO12 winch, recovery straps, shackles, tree saver, snatch block, rear hitch shackle mount. Intended for off-road recovery and for pulling trees on property (steel cable).

7. What other gear do you carry with you always vs. when off roading? Or do you always have your truck kitted out and ready to go, why?
The only thing I add when heading for a weekend drive off-road is the hand-held GMRS radios charged up, extra water (two bottles per door), food. Otherwise it's always ready to go in case I get the urge to drive off-road at a moments notice.

8. What are your plans for your rig going forward?
Rear bumper, repair damaged skids, debating regear to 5.29's.

9. List a few of the coolest places you’ve been in your truck, that are unique to you and/or your home/grid?
Drummond Island in the Michigan UP. Climbing Marble Head (a Jeep badge destination) in a daily driven Tacoma pisses off the Jeep fanboys with their trailered rigs.

10. Lastly, pucker factor moment in your truck while off-roading – what happened? Then tell us about the coolest or most serene moment (for you) while off-roading, or just something memorable in a positive way.
Best moment - getting off-road with my kids. Oldest has a 4Runner and we are in a club together, so the trail rides shared with him are moments I could not otherwise have and I love every one of them no matter how simple or challenging the trails. Best pucker factor moment was on Drummond Island running through the area known as Connors Hole - a couple of hundred yards of mid-door depth water crossing. It sounds like you are in a boat when you hear the water lapping at your sides and you know darned well that if you stop for even a moment then the truck is flooded and the recovery will suck. Most memorable recovery was a January run through Dorr, MI and we were crossing an iced over water spot that was probably only a foot or so deep. Not bad as long as it's either all water or solid ice. Bad when your son breaks through the ice and jams 2" thick ice floes against the truck stopping it dead. I was in front, so was able to winch him forward but the boy tried connecting the strap from on his bumper, slipped, got to his knees in water soaked cold, then spent rest of drive very moist with heater on max.

 

That rig is gonna be a great part out someday