INTRODUCTION
This is the build thread of the truck that inspired me to create this website.
It was a truck originally built to be abused off-road and still daily driven (when things weren't too broken).
Two years after later, I am now transforming it into a home on wheels that my wife, myself, and our two dogs will live in full-time while we travel all of North America.
View attachment 141388
Follow the build and our journey right here, on our Instagram page, and on our YouTube channel, both with the WanderingWinterfields handle.
We are The Wandering Winterfields and we hope you'll wander with us!
*Photos of the trail carnage the truck has acquired over the years can be seen near the bottom of this post.
TRUCK
2017 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 6-ft. Bed TRD Off-Road 4x4 (Automatic) with dealer installed TRD Pro skid plate and OEM roof rack
MODIFICATIONS *THIS PART IS SLIGHTLY OUTDATED. WILL UPDATE SOON.*
TIRES / WHEELS |
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- Installed:
- BFGoodrich 315/75r16 KM3s on stock OR wheels
- Black Rhino Arsenal wheels in sand/black color with -10mm offset
- Full-size spare on stock steelie mounted to Relentless Fabrication rear swing gate
- Removed:
BFGoodrich 285/75r16 KO2s on stock OR wheelsSpidertrax 1.25" wheel spacers (front only)
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FRONT AXLE / SUSPENSION |
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- Installed:
- Icon coilovers with extended length shocks and 700lbs coils (~3.2” lift)
- SPC adjustable upper control arms
- Wheeler's Off-Road bump stops
- Cab mount chop, pinch weld flattened, and additional trimming of fender area to fit 35s
- Removed:
Swaybar deleteOME 887 coils with Bilstein 5100 extended shocks, set to .85 notch
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REAR AXLE / SUSPENSION |
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- Installed:
- Icon remote reservoir extended length shocks
- Dakar heavy duty leaf spring packs (4” lift rear)
- Rear diff breather mod (to be installed ASAP)
- Wishlist:
- Archive Garage shackle flip
- Removed:
Bilstien 5100 extended length shocks
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ARMOR / BUMPERS |
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- Installed:
- TRD Pro skid plate
- Apex Fabworks rock sliders via CaliRaisedLED
- Relentless Fabrication semi-custom "PREDATOR" full-hoop bumper
- Relentless Fabrication high clearance rear bumper with semi-custom taillight tubing, tire swing, RotopaX mount, and fold out table
- Wishlist:
- Victory4x4 lower control arm armor
- Removed:
Cut front bumper for high clearance as a free high clearance bumper, ran this way for over 8 monthsCut rear bumper and bed sides for high clearance as a free high clearance bumperCBI hidden winch mount with no front bumper and Smittybilt 10k synthetic winch
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PERFORMANCE / MECHANICAL / BRAKES |
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- Installed:
- OVTune ECU flash kit on Premium 4.88 octane flash
- Nitro Gear & Axle 5.29 regear package
- Remmen Brakes front "Rocky" series brake kit (pads + rotors)
- Extended length rear braided brake lines
- DobinsonsUSA snorkel kit
- K&N air intake filter
- Wishlist:
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LIGHTING / ELECTRICAL |
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- Installed:
- CaliRaisedLED OEM style light bar switch and relay mount
- KC HiLiTES Apollo lights as ditch lights mounted on CaliRaisedLED low profile brackets
- SDHQ OFFROAD Switch Pros switch panel power system (not yet installed)
- Wishlist:
- KC HiLiTES Gravity Pro 6 LED light bar
- Removed:
CaliRaisedLED hidden bumper light bar
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EXTERIOR / APPEARANCE |
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- Installed:
- OEM roof racks (free from dealer)
- Front windows tinted to match rear windows
- Replaced stock grille with SR5 grille
- Added "TACOMA" tailgate lettering inserts
- Added rrentrop TRD Pro skid plate letter vinyl
- Removed:
Flush-mounted front license plateColor matched rear chrome bumper capsDipped emblems and grilleOEM mud flaps
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INTERIOR / QUALITY OF LIFE |
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- Installed:
- Clazzio leather seat covers in matching tan insert, grey body, and red stitching, with embroidered front headrests
- Salex Vehicle OCD center console organizer and 2nd gen Tacoma top tray "hack"
- Installed driver side style hold downs for the OEM rubber floor mats on passenger side mat and rear mat
- A/C drain relocated to avoid rust to frame
- ExpeditionEssentials TPAM dash mount with Tackform his/her phone mounts
- 12Volt.Solutions plug and play remote start kit
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UTILITY / RECOVERY |
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- Installed:
- CB radio with antenna mounted behind driver side rear glass
- OEM cargo bed divider (expensive but very useful)
- Smittybilt 10k synthetic winch (not yet installed)
- Two 3.5 gallon RotopaX
- Removed:
Smittybilt Overlander roof top tent
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CAMPER SHELL
Ordered a Four Wheel Camper shell model in black on 10/31/2019. Expected delivery around March 2020. We will DIY build the inside of it when we get it. I also have upgrades planned to help the truck handle the weight. Stay tuned!
Example photo (not my truck):
View attachment 141389
WHY I ENDED UP BUYING A TACOMA
July 2017: I had been daily driving my 1986 Chevy M1008 CUCV (K30) for two years now. It never let me down and literally received compliments daily. The truck is my baby, and always will be, but I felt like although it has 37" tires, it is mostly a mall crawler. Paige has a 2013 Jeep JK that we bought new in 2013 and it has seen many trails across the country. My CUCV definitely wouldn't be able to keep up with it, so I decided I wanted a Jeep for myself.
We went around to some dealerships to see Jeeps. I knew what I wanted since I’ve already owned a Jeep for about four years. And because I knew what I wanted, it was kind of hard to find my desired configuration on any lots, and I would've had to order it. So we left the final dealership for the day and immediately drove by an adjacent Toyota dealership. That's when the Quicksand paint color caught our eyes. Our Jeep color is called Dune, which is similar to Quicksand, so naturally we were intrigued. Well, kind of — I never wanted to own anything other than an old Chevy pickup, with the exception being the Jeep JK. Regardless, we went in to compare the price of the Tacoma to the Jeep. I figured it would be a lot cheaper since Jeeps are notoriously expensive, but the Tacoma was actually not at all cheaper. But I decided to accept my guilty pleasure for the design of the 3rd gen. Tacoma and Paige was also digging it.
Fast forward to about six hours later, I'm now driving home in a brand new Tacoma — a truck I know nothing about, except that it has a rear locker. Mmmmm, that rear locker is so nice. I'm driving home thinking to myself, "What the hell did I just do?". I had a perfectly good crusty truck that was already paid off and I definitely didn't need a brand new truck.
I made a promise to myself after I got the truck. I want to put as many miles I can on it — driving it until it dies. Despite it being a brand new $38k truck, I will not be afraid to wheel it... hard. I've always had a passion for off-roading, and that wasn't going to stop with the Tacoma. Little did we know, two years later, we'd be living out of the truck, full-time!
THE ACCIDENT
December 2017. Six months of having the truck and 4,000 miles on the odometer...
I’m on a military base headed back to work at 1200. I’m waiting to turn left in the turning lane and then get hit on the passenger side from a car behind me going straight. The dude told the police he fell asleep, but this was right at lunch time and he had someone else in the car. He was definitely texting. His car was totaled and leaking fluids everywhere.
My truck? $15,000 in damage. I’m someone that buys a vehicle with no intention of ever selling it. With that being said, my brand new truck needing this much work done to it at only six months old... it was very frustrating. For a while I didn’t want the truck anymore even though the repairs looked like it never happened. Then I guess I learned to accept it.
The only decent thing to come from this was the police ruining my rear bumper by trying to push the truck with their car. I was able to get the body shop to replace those nasty chrome bumper caps with color matched ones.
TRAIL CARNAGE
RANDOM PHOTOS
MY OTHER RIGS
