Chuck surveys the desert landscape ahead through the front window of his 2004 Toyota Tacoma. He’s going to need to engage 4HI as he proceeds to his destination. To many people, this may seem like a barren desert wilderness but Chuck Hathcock, a wildlife biologist, knows this area is actually teeming with a wide array of intriguing flora and fauna. He shifts into 4HI and pushes ahead to his destination over the rock and sand-laden trail. Upon spotting something up ahead, Chuck pulls over to move a snake off the road. He expertly and skillfully catches and handles the snake with admiration…

Wow, now doesn’t that sound like a fun weekend excursion in the southwest?! The thing is, for Chuck this might as well be Monday and just another day on the job! Chuck often gets to do by vocation what many of us perform as avocation; “Using 4x4s is just part of the job as a wildlife biologist and I admit it is a pretty cool perk.”

Chuck’s extended cab Tacoma was purchased new with the TRD off road package. Under the hood is the 3.4L V-6 followed by a 5-speed manual tranny and 4.88 gears. The only mod to the power plant is a K&N air filter. The suspension has been lifted and upgraded quite a bit from stock. The rear leafs have been upgraded to custom Deaver 10-packs with 3 inches of lift and the ride is dampened by OME N-85 extended rear shocks. In the front the Tacoma has Tundra coils to keep the truck level until Chuck installs some ICON Vehicle Dynamics coilovers. Finally, the Tacoma rides on Maxxis Bighorns (255/85 R16).

Chuck prefers to get as remote as possible so most of his mods facilitate self-sufficient travel. His ARE shell is what he considers his most valuable mod; allowing him lockable gear storage, easy access side windows, and a dry place to sleep and stow gear. Future plans call for a storage and sleeping system in the bed. On board is an Offroad Air 10-gallon CO2 tank for airing up tires after a trail is complete. For rocker protection Chuck designed his own rock sliders and helped fabricate them. Various other mods including a Waeco Coolmatic fridge/freezer and UHF communications are detailed on his website.

As far as capacity goes, Chuck is happy with his Tacoma. Although he sometimes wishes for a 3rd door to his extended cab, the gear and personal space are to his liking. He is very pleased with the capability of his rig, noting that “remote trails in the southwest and Mexico can be pretty narrow and this suits the Tacoma well.” The stock rear locker was an important consideration for him when purchasing. Chuck expects the durability and reliability to be the most important long-term benefit of his truck.

When the trail ends Chuck frequently hikes, backpacks, or kayaks for further exploration and enjoyment of the great outdoors. Whether it is hauling kayaks down to Baja or transporting Chuck to the trailhead, his Tacoma is an important part of most any trip. Of his travels Chuck highlights that he is “really into unique and rare wildlife encounters and those often require getting to places few have been.”

Details on his various trips and modifications to his Tacoma can be found at www.chucksweb.net