mmuscare's 2018 Tacoma Off Road

muskie

TCG Elite Member
May 26, 2011
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Been a long time since I've gotten to post up something interesting on here so I present my 2018 TRD Offroad Tacoma.

The wife-to-be and I have really gotten into outdoor activities and have been interested in the idea of weekend trips and camping around the country. Longer term goal is a teardrop style off road trailer that can accompany us on our adventures.


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Planned Mods
Swap the grill for the TRD Pro
Lorado Roll-up bed cover
Nice dashcam setup
Window tint
Clazzio Leather Seat Covers
Speaker upgrade

This thing is more than capable of anything I want to do right now or the near future so no power or suspension mods for the forseeable future.

I was doing some research on the forum last night about discussions on Tacos and I know they weren't getting much love here but I really dig it. This is my first truck and looking forward to many adventures going forward.
 

muskie

TCG Elite Member
May 26, 2011
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317
Palatine
think long and hard about the bed cover you go with since that will influence your entire build direction really.



im a nerd in that i love the racks on the taco's.

I don't know if I want to do the full rack setup or just go the trailer route. While I love the idea of a RTT on a rack I'm thinking realistically more often than not we would be in a "base camp" type of situation. Take a day trip deeper into the woods either via truck, hike, or kayaking and then returning to camp for the night. That is why the teardrop idea appeals to me. I don't want to have to mount and remount the rack every weekend because I'm not going to daily it with that.

Still up in the air though and the rack / tent combo may be the most versatile. I was thinking soft roll cover but maybe it would be worth checking out harder covers that are bed rack compatible so that things can be stored under the rack. I just wanted a soft roll-up like the Lorado so I don't lose space in the already short bed if I actually needed it. I could always remove the cover though if I needed as they aren't that hard to install.

I have a soft spot for Tacos. Where do you do your outdoor activities?

Right now it is mainly hikes and exploring stateland and parks in IL and WI. My future mother-in-law lives up in Door County so it would be nice to get some Kayaks or braap machines for up there. We don't own any toys yet and we had no way to really haul them.

One thing I absolutely want to do is the TWAT (Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail) and camp along the way. I've never really been to some of the scenic outdoor areas around us as we never did that growing up and I'd really like to just see the country in general. I know there are similar roads across the country and hope to be able to plan and do those soon. This truck is so capable stock I can use the money saved on mods for good gear or toys to really enjoy the destinations
 

Yaj Yak

Gladys
TCG Premium
May 24, 2007
122,206
87,810
Niche score of 2,363
I don't know if I want to do the full rack setup or just go the trailer route. While I love the idea of a RTT on a rack I'm thinking realistically more often than not we would be in a "base camp" type of situation. Take a day trip deeper into the woods either via truck, hike, or kayaking and then returning to camp for the night. That is why the teardrop idea appeals to me. I don't want to have to mount and remount the rack every weekend because I'm not going to daily it with that.

Still up in the air though and the rack / tent combo may be the most versatile. I was thinking soft roll cover but maybe it would be worth checking out harder covers that are bed rack compatible so that things can be stored under the rack. I just wanted a soft roll-up like the Lorado so I don't lose space in the already short bed if I actually needed it. I could always remove the cover though if I needed as they aren't that hard to install.



Right now it is mainly hikes and exploring stateland and parks in IL and WI. My future mother-in-law lives up in Door County so it would be nice to get some Kayaks or braap machines for up there. We don't own any toys yet and we had no way to really haul them.

One thing I absolutely want to do is the TWAT (Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail) and camp along the way. I've never really been to some of the scenic outdoor areas around us as we never did that growing up and I'd really like to just see the country in general. I know there are similar roads across the country and hope to be able to plan and do those soon. This truck is so capable stock I can use the money saved on mods for good gear or toys to really enjoy the destinations


there are soft roll covers that are bike rack compatible

ill find our bed accessories thread, i think ive posted some.

that's a REALLY sweet option because then you can have stuff dry and secure along with be able to have bikes accessible... and past that if you need to carry a tall something you aren't limited.

biggest thing with my truck is it to be modular/easy really... the fridge/platform/shelves come out within 5 minutes from inside.

i wish i had a bigger garage so i could get the entire cap off faster- id setup a pulley system and lift it right off... in time.



I'd love to rip the twat... maybe we could chase the enduro bros on here and provide truck support for them hmmmm
 

muskie

TCG Elite Member
May 26, 2011
1,749
317
Palatine
there are soft roll covers that are bike rack compatible

ill find our bed accessories thread, i think ive posted some.

that's a REALLY sweet option because then you can have stuff dry and secure along with be able to have bikes accessible... and past that if you need to carry a tall something you aren't limited.

biggest thing with my truck is it to be modular/easy really... the fridge/platform/shelves come out within 5 minutes from inside.

i wish i had a bigger garage so i could get the entire cap off faster- id setup a pulley system and lift it right off... in time.



I'd love to rip the twat... maybe we could chase the enduro bros on here and provide truck support for them hmmmm

TCG TWAT Tour 2019 sounds awesome!

I'm starting to lean towards the hard Tri-Fold covers compatible with a mid height bed rack. That way I can possibly store some things under the rack on the cover and leave the option for a RTT. I think for things like bikes I'll stick to my hitch mounted carrier since if I go the teardrop route later I can always add a hitch mount to the rear of the trailer and use that. I'll be able to keep semi secure storage with the locking bed cover then.

I've seen a few pulley systems on YouTube for bed racks and tents. Just back the truck in and winch the whole setup onto the truck easily. That would be ideal.
 

Yaj Yak

Gladys
TCG Premium
May 24, 2007
122,206
87,810
Niche score of 2,363
TCG TWAT Tour 2019 sounds awesome!

I'm starting to lean towards the hard Tri-Fold covers compatible with a mid height bed rack. That way I can possibly store some things under the rack on the cover and leave the option for a RTT. I think for things like bikes I'll stick to my hitch mounted carrier since if I go the teardrop route later I can always add a hitch mount to the rear of the trailer and use that. I'll be able to keep semi secure storage with the locking bed cover then.

I've seen a few pulley systems on YouTube for bed racks and tents. Just back the truck in and winch the whole setup onto the truck easily. That would be ideal.

SO MANY OPTIONS

:nanapunk:

ease is definitely the name of the game for all of this
 

muskie

TCG Elite Member
May 26, 2011
1,749
317
Palatine
First couple of mods were accomplished a few weeks back. Big thanks to Dave (@02BlueGt) for helping out and letting me borrow his driveway.

Added a Pop-N-Lock Auto Lock for the tailgate

TRD Pro Style Grill
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Access Lorado Rollup Cover
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So far I love the locking tailgate and cover combo. Obviously not the most secure but gives me a little piece of mind while out and about. I don't leave anything in the bed so this is just more to keep things out of sight and keep all the leaves and junk out.

I like the style of this grill better and I plan on deleting most of the rest of the chrome. The Pro grill fits that chrome delete style better IMO.

Next up is window tint to match factory and then 12v power in the bed and aux panel under the hood for an eventual Switch Pro setup to run a couple lights.
 

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