VBTaco Build

February 2025


October 2020

Interior

• Overhead interior LED bulb swap
• Center console organizer & tray
• Glove box organizer
• Switch Pro x Meso switch plate
• Taco Garage Dashtop Multi Mount
• Meso Customs Overhead Hex Rack
• Meso Customs Chrome delete vent rings
• AJT Cup Holder
• $250 Wolfbox G900 WOLFBOX 12" Rear View Mirror Camera, 4K Mirror Dash Cam Front and Rear with 2.5K Rear camera, Smart Full Touch Screen backup camera for car, Dash Cam with WDR Camera,Night Vision,Free 64GB Card & GPS
  Wolfbox G900 Mirror

Exterior

• Meso Gas Hole
• Magnum RT Gen 2 Drop Steps
• AVS Visors
• Redline QuickLIFT struts
  
• RSI Smart Cap Evo Sport
• OEM tailgate step
• Sherpa Grand Teton
• DIY 8020 Load Bars
  
• Roam 83L Case & Sherpa mounts
  
• Taco Clout grill with 3D printed camera mount
• Hooke Road Tailgate Skin
• DIY Extended Differential Breather

Engine/Drivetrain

• KDMax Tune
  
• ECGS 5.29s

Armor

• Southern Style Off Road Slimline bumper
• Ironman 4x4 3 piece plates
• AllPro Fuel plate
• Explore Overland 15° Rock sliders

Recovery/Emergency/Convenience

• iOnBoost V8 Torque (charging in center console)
• Warn VREVO8S
• Warn Epic Sidewinder
• Gear America Brand straps & snatch blocks etc
• Maxtrax Recovery Board & Sherpa mounts
• Full Tool Kit in Step22 Pangolin Tool Roll
• ¡Cuatro! 4-Way Tire Deflator/ Inflator 2.0

Suspension

• Icon Stage 9 with billet UCAs and option 3 RXT
• 700# Eibach springs
• Torque airbags & Daystar cradles
• Versa air controls

Wheels/Tires/Brakes

• Toyo R/Ts 285/75/17
• 17x8.5 Icon Rebounds
• Wilwood AERO6-DM Front Big Brake Kit
• 285/70/17 Spare (needs an upgrade now)

Electronics

• Switch Pros 9100
• Powertrays + 2 Blue Sea Fuse Boxes
  
• $240 Midland MXT275VP4 -15 Watt GMRS MicroMobile® Two-Way Radio - ATVs UTVs and Other Off-Road Vehicles - Overlanding Gear - Extended 3dB gain Roll Bar Mount Antenna Microphone Extension Cable
  Midland MXT275VP4 GMRS Radio + RJ45 jack
  
• $552 Redarc BCDC1250D Dual Input 50A In-vehicle DC Battery Charger
  Redarc BCDC1250D
  
• 75w solar panel
• 2 Group 35 Optima Yellow Top
  
• Rago Fab Group 35 Main Battery Box
• Rago Fab Group 35 Aux Battery Box
  
• EcoFlow River power bank
• R4T Electric Tailgate Lock
• NOCO Genius GEN5x2

Lighting

• Baja Designs Amber Squadron-R Fogs
• Baja Designs Scene Lighting
• Baja Designs s8 20" Amber Light Bar
  
• LY8 Rock Lighting
• Nilight Amber LED Ditch Lights

Camping & Storage Bed Build

• Ironman 4x4 10g water container, Kus Water Level Gauge & SEAFLO Pump
• Custom faucet and collapsable sink
• Camplux 5L 1.32GPM Propane Water Heater
• Dometic CoolMatic CD30L Fridge
• VIAIR 450P Compressor (Hard Mounted)
• GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540 2-Burner Camp Stove
• CVT 270º Awning, ARB quick Mounts

Upcoming Additions

• Baja Designs on6 40" dual Light Bar
• Baja Designs S2 ditch lights
  
• Rear Bumper

 

This build is going to go as quick as it can given COVID and delays on parts and production. I've been wanting to go see some of the country for some time now and like so many others right now 6+ months of hanging out in the house has gotten to me. I needed to make a call on putting more money into my 8 year old sport (which has been the best vehicle I've ever owned) or start fresh and get another 8 years out of something new with some modern amenities. Against what many 4.0 purists will tell you I decided to spring on a new rig and take advantage of the resale value right now. Finding the exact truck I wanted took some time but I was able to get one brought in after about 6 weeks to a dealership in Richmond, VA (a 2hr drive form here in Virginia Beach). More to come on this and why but this is a start to the build. I'm going to attempt to make some terrible YouTube videos on everything this truck will have as well so stay tuned. May your new owner treat you as well as me!

 

Lots of big moves this week. First off I got the new step bars on. Before everyone hates, I'm just trying something different. These are the Magnum RT Gen 2 step bars. This isn't intended to be a rock crawling rig. I will most likely end up with some sliders but for every day street crawling and mild treks these will work. Not sure about the square profile but again, trying something different.

 

It rained most of the weekend here in Virginia but I managed to get the new RetraxOne XR bed cover on. I was really on the fence about a cap vs a cover. Economically this was 1/2 what a cap would be and I got a great deal on it from @GotExhaust. This one won out because Uptop makes a rack for it, it locks, has a low profile and looks great. I've lost some bed space with the canister inside the bed but it's not the end of the world considering the future rack.

It installed relatively easy and slides great right out of the box. It's anything but water tight though. The drain plugs have a slow leak into the bed and the side rails seem to be letting in a decent amount as well. I knew it wasn't going to be water tight but had read some people having better luck with them. Either way, still happy with this already as it kept all my tools dry while driving around Sunday.

 

Last up, I've gone ahead and gotten everything lined up for a stage 9 Icon install with billet UCAs, a body mount chop and black Method 701s on Toyo RTs. However, I have a lead on some gunmetal SCS BR6 wheels locally. I would really like to stick with black but the wheels but I like the offset/lip better on the SCS. I may grab them and cancel the 701 order. What would you do?

 

Stick with the 701.

 

Yeah? Based on aesthetics like style or color or something else like materials/offset? I also looked at the Icon Rebounds.

 

Based on your preference, it appears you like the beadlock ring style, where (if that is the case) the SCS would obviously be your answer between the two that are shown above. I just think the Methods are cleaner, more simple. Plus, I prefer wheels that not a lot of people have, SCS is clearly not the choice in that regard.

 

Souther Style slimline full plate bumper ordered!

 

Covid has been making it easy to see all the little things I want to change on my truck haha

 

Just ordered the Sherpa Grand Teton with the Black Friday deal. At this point most of the build will be done January/February with covid and lead times. I hope I'll be set for the spring weather!

 

I ordered my lift and Methods in October. Then I ordered some Icon's on Cyber Monday. The lift has an ETA of January now and I still don't have a possible ETA for the Method wheels.

 

Lift is going on Thursday after a 3 month wait and parts are starting to come in!

 

After 4 months of backlog all of the parts came in from Icon for the stage 9. This is my 2nd Icon lift and last time I went with the stage 3 and wasn't thrilled on the daily drive. This time around I went all in for comfort on the trip -to- the adventure and the ability to adjust once I got there. I'm hoping all the little things add up including the adjustable dampening, going down to 17" wheels to add a bit more side wall, rear spring replacement as well as the delta joint on the UCA will help. Also, I just want this time around to be high end. I'm hoping to get the rack on this weekend, I've got a bunch of things waiting to be installed before getting out on some trails this spring!

 

Just picked up my SSO bumper after a 4 month wait. Super excited to get this install going!

 

Big thanks to @SouthernStyleOffRoad for the fire pit fuel tonight. This bud’s for you!

 

Got the front tinted with 35%

 

Getting started on electrical this weekend.

 

Wow, that's some serious crating from SSO. Good luck with the install.