What Have You Done To Your 3rd Gen Today?

I like my new Tacoma a lot less, since learning of this after the fact.
Every time I drive it, the APP tells me.
If I turn the truck off, the APP tells me.
If I leave the door open, the APP tells me.
If I leave the windows down, the APP tells me.
If I do not lock the doors, the APP tells me.
If I leave the tailgate down, the APP tells me.
I hate being Micro-Managed.

 

I put a second hand Leer topper on. I've been wanting one since I bought the truck and my buddy offered his to me at a steal of a price this morning. Went and swapped it out. I really like it even though it's not a matching color.

 

I have had a topper on every truck since 1980. Wouldn't want to be without one. Your top looks good in black. Roll with it.

 

Looks great in black

 

Looks good, I think.
If it were mine, I would go talk to the body shop, and look into de-glossing it for a matte finish.

 

I would but I'm a CHEAP SOB haha. It'll get dirty enough soon enough and the shine won't be as prevalent.

 

Ordered! They sent me a Spotter Mirror TW weekend code for anyone else on the fence:
W10H313

 

Can you set the “spotter” portion to see parking spot lines and still use the main portion as normal?

 

That's a skid plate. Is spent some time under the truck today. I don't know what that plastic lunch tray under the gas tank is supposed to do. You have a proper skid plate now.

 

It looks good to me! Congratulations on the new shell!

 

someone made a dongle that will allow you to connect the usb portion of the camera cable to the rear view mirror

$33 Dongar Dashcam Power Adapter (12-pin for '15-'23 Toyota Tacoma. Also Compatible with Select Sienna, Honda, and More), Connects to Rearview Mirror, Built-in USB Power Source, Easy to Install

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DMW3DML/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8

You can charge your phone via the rear view mirror with this thing too

 

Mounted a Buyers LT25 cooler rack to my Rago Fab bed rail mount. Now my Stanley cooler and work buckets won't roll around the bed anymore.

 

I'm pretty sure you can turn off the telemetry from your truck, involves the sos button if I remember correctly.

 

Yes, but that's because tire gauge at the shop isnt accurate at that low of pressure. I thought I had maybe 5psi, try more like 12psi. Went and bought a low pressure guage and found my error.

 

Question for you about the Sokietechs (or anyone else who has installed them)

1. Do you notice any play side to side as you’re closing the hood?

2. If you stand in the side of your hood and look inline to where the side ball mounts are, do yours have a noticeable slant towards the front of the truck? Like too much force is being put onto the ball mount?

 

I'm not to impressed with the mounting points. The driver side inner fender really flexes from the stress. I'm afraid the mount will break off and then you loose the battery ground!

I think I am going to go a different route, even if it means drilling holes.

 

Thanks for the input. I’d be interested to know what you end up going with. I saw a few other options out there but like the idea of not having to rivet anything. :/

 

Not a matter of too much force, it's the weight of the hood pushing against fairly thin metal. Why OEM set ups the mount locations are reinforced. Why I won't do this to my taco, they are mounted to one not reinforced location

 

OK... new project. Saw these nice TRD Off Road raised emblem's on Amazon.

SO... since it went pretty good with the whole Black/Red theme I was going with - and not that I am trying to re-brand my truck as a TRD Pro - I think this would look nice and also give it that TRD kind of look.


I wanted to see how it would look, so took some double sided scotch tape and stuck it on for a quick pic. Not too bad!


Honestly - it looks pretty damned good. BUT... there is one major problem with these (per the reviews on Amazon) and THAT is that the damned things fall off a lot because the double sided automotive adhesive tape used doesn't have much to grab on from behind...


So I peeled off the tape - and they are right - the back of these things is completely and utterly - empty. The only thing keeping them on is these tiny little plastic ribs - that didn't even hold on the automotive tape that it was shipped with. It peeled off *easily*. So that would not work for me. At all.

But, since I happen to be extraordinarily gifted, talented, smart and good looking (as well as humble as a bumble) - I decided to come up with a unique way to solve this problem.


Top view to show that its flat on the back.


Both sides - nothing in there for the automotive tape to really adhere too - except those thin ass plastic ribs.


In the 70's - they used to have this grey epoxy tub of goop you could fill plastic with. This is probably the closest I could find at Ace Hardware.
I figured that the thick rubber paste should work well if it dries to a hard rubber finish. They had white and black. So I picked up a quart of the black.


I taped off the sides and face with blue painters tape and got to spreading this stuff on like peanut butter. It is *THICK* and very sticky.
Wear rubber gloves as this stuff gets EVERYWHERE and its just very very hard to clean up.
So if it goes over the edge onto the emblem - the painters tape will make this an easy cleanup job once it dries.


First layer in place - now let it dry for a day or so...
If anyone asks if this makes the plastic pieces heavier - yes it does. They are very lite to begin with - so adding on the thick rubber paste makes them about 1/2 lb each.
This is also about the same weight as the OEM TRD Pro pieces as well.


Tomorrow I will give it another nicer *final* coat of this rubberized flex paste. Should make it a lot smoother on the back.

 

Yeah I don’t have the app. I guess it’s something I’d have to pay for so.....nope I’m out. Besides the cellphone does a much better job tracking me than the truck can. Apple for the win.