Carl's 2007 Tacoma Buildup [Archive]

CLynn85

04-22-2007, 11:29 PM

Figured I'd start a new mod thread for my Tacoma. The goals for this truck aren't quite as ambitious as my Jeep was. Just want a dependable daily driver that can get me to my favorite camp sites and to carry me across the country or wherever the mood takes me.

The base truck is a silver 2007 Tacoma, Access cab SR5 with the TRD off-road package.

****2010 Edit****

So it seems that it's been, umm, forever since I updated this thread, also the pictures died with the school replacing its server.

Current Status:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4292226788_0770201d2f_o.jpg

Willman

04-23-2007, 12:05 AM

Nice rig!

What are some of your future mods?

:Mechanic:

CLynn85

04-23-2007, 12:21 AM

My initial plans called for a bed toolbox and covered bed for storage, with a rooftop tent mounted over it.

The one gripe I have about the tacoma is the bed, the composite design makes most typical mounting solutions for common accessories a disaster. Also, there are no factory tie-downs in the front of the bed. To top it off there's no factory option for a locking mechanism for the tailgate.

To cope with the above I ordered a pop&lock tailgate lock, to allow secure storage under the tent. While installing this the peril's of Toyota's efforts to save weight and cost became even more apparent. The bed alone on this truck is almost enough to make me wish I bought the seemingly more robust Frontier. The construction of the bed is very disappointing, and if anything happens to it it's likely it'll be replaced with a tray of some sort.

Anyways, here's the pop & lock installed. Installation was, as is with most DIY projects, never as easy as indicated, but probably a 2.2 on a 1-5 scale. I'll post a writeup soon on the installation.

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/cslynn/webstuff/Tacoma/Lock1.JPG

CLynn85

04-23-2007, 12:26 AM

My initial round of mods on this truck are focused mainly on travelling, contrasting to the first mods on my Jeep which were geared towards capability. The rough terrain tires aren't terrible, though they quickly become clogged with VA mud. I'll likely keep the tires until they show significant wear before upgrading in size and tread design. The factory 4wd with trd Locker should be enough to keep me satisfied from a driveline standpoint, although I do plan to do the locker mod (formerly "gray-wire mod" on older tacomas) to allow the locker to be used in any transfer case mode.

CLynn85

04-23-2007, 12:34 AM

As luck would have it, while browsing craigslist like a madman one night in search of truck gear such as a toolbox, or the elusive roof tents or other accessories, I came across this little jewel. What was advertised as a 2003 Eagle model FWC appears to be a 1998 RangerII that was reconditioned and resold circa 2003. :jumping: Either way the deal was too good to pass up and I snatched it up. If nothing else I'll sell it upon returning from my cross-country trip this summer.

I did a test-fit this weekend in my tacoma. The height of the bed rails is a bit higher than that of the previous model it seems and I'm going to build a 2x4-based platform to slide underneath the camper. Also, the rear factory tie-down is directly underneath one of the bumpouts on the lower rear of the camper and I'm going to have to come up with a new rear tie-down solution. This wouldn't be a problem with a normal steel bed but again Toyota has me singing the composite blues. :( Also, I'm looking into over-load spring options to cope with the extra weight. As you can see, the extra 700lbs doesn't agree with the stock suspension very well. I'm looking at Hellwig helper springs at the moment, as I'm not sure that I'll keep the camper, I don't want to make the investment for air-bags quite yet.

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/cslynn/webstuff/Tacoma/HPIM0049%20(Medium).JPG

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/cslynn/webstuff/Tacoma/HPIM0052%20(Medium).JPG

Ridgewalker

04-23-2007, 01:57 AM

slooowr6

04-23-2007, 07:17 AM

Congrats on the FWC eagle!
Check out my setup http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3615. Tork-Lift has frame mount tie-down for 05+ tacoma. That's some really wide jack brackets! You'll want to install air bags, I've AirLift. Take a look at how close the bump stop is to the bubber bumper on the leaf spring. I need to run 70+ psi in the air bags.

erod

04-27-2007, 10:32 PM

Nice camper...thanks for the pics. If you do end up selling it I would be very interested. I am currently looking for a similar set up to replace my wildernest right now on my 02' Taco. Good find and enjoy!

Tucson T4R

04-27-2007, 11:34 PM

That should be an excellent rig for you to travel in this summer. That trip should let you know more of just what you want. I am a fan of AirLift bags myself. I've had Helwigs and some other brand of overload springs, but the problem is they create a very stiff ride when not loaded. The AirLifts are pretty easy to install and cost $189 at Wheelers. I'm not sure you can get springs for much less. With the air bags you can adjust to what ever weight you have and adjust independently from side to side. Just a thought.
Good luck!

I installed Airlift 1000 bags in my rear coil springs to handle extra weight when towing a trailer. I also am happy with the ability to air up for towing and air down for daily no load use.

One suggestion is to consider where you plan to drive. If primarily light use then seprating the bags may be the right choice. If you do much rough offroading that requires significant articulation, having the bags on separate air lines may raise the pressure in the compressed bag to the point of failure. To minimize this risk, I Tee'd my air lines together. That way when one bag is compressed, the added pressue is relieved a little by balancing over to the bag that is not being compressed. So far this is just a theory, I'm still testing it out.:safari-rig: :sombrero:

Ridgewalker

04-29-2007, 09:39 PM

One suggestion is to consider where you plan to drive. If primarily light use then seprating the bags may be the right choice. If you do much rough offroading that requires significant articulation, having the bags on separate air lines may raise the pressure in the compressed bag to the point of failure. To minimize this risk, I Tee'd my air lines together. That way when one bag is compressed, the added pressue is relieved a little by balancing over to the bag that is not being compressed. So far this is just a theory, I'm still testing it out.

That's a good thought. I'll be interested to here how your theory turns out.:ylsmoke:

CLynn85

04-29-2007, 11:54 PM

CLynn85

05-10-2007, 03:58 AM

Just an update. The UPS man was nice to me today and brought my airlift load levelling kit. Installed them tonight. Installation was pretty simple, and assisted by utilizing factory holes. The instructions, though the pictures were good, lacked content, and had a few inconsistencies. Inflating the air bags to "20 ft-lbs" was one of my favorites....

I did a temporary install of my CB for the upcoming trip, as I plan to install one of the new cobra remote-mounted units in the near future with a different antenna.

Will have the camper installed hopefully by monday, tuesday at the latest, and be ready to hit the road at 5AM friday!!!

Oh, and the stock front skidplate, it might as well be made of tin foil....

CLynn85

05-11-2007, 01:19 AM

Just scored a battery for the camper. It's a Sealed HD Northstar battery. Technically a starting battery but pop's been using one for a trolling battery on the boat for a while and it's held up ok so I guess we'll see how it goes. I figure I'll run it until it wears out from the deep cycling and hope it makes it through the trip. Can't beat the price though.

Ridgewalker

05-12-2007, 07:25 PM

I hope that battery treats you as well as my Optima Red Top I bought in '96 or '97. Ran it in my Samurai until shortly before I gave it to my grandson (now trashed of course). I have been using it in my camper since '04 and it just keeps going and going.:victory:

OverlandZJ

05-12-2007, 08:01 PM

Coming along nicely Carl! I predict you'll learn to love the camper and decide to keep it.

Tucson T4R

05-12-2007, 08:17 PM

I thought about if you tee-d them together, the one thing that I wondered is whether a sudden weight transfer would be an issue. If the weight suddenly shifts to one side, would all the air shift from the loaded side to the now-unloaded side, creating a really bad moment?

An update on my Airlift with the Tee'd air lines. I went out last weekend and drove over 30+ miles of dirt roads towing a trailer that was about 2200 LBS, tounge weight of about 300 lbs. A few sections of the road definitley put me into twisted positions that would push the articulation. I felt no diefference with the air bags as far as wieght shifting from side to side. The air line is small enough to not allow much of an air surge between sides. Seems to work great.....so far. :sombrero:

Davids90toy

05-16-2007, 03:56 PM

very nice taco. Not much to say other then that. whats next on your list of mods?

CLynn85

10-10-2007, 01:33 AM

Wow, seems like such a long time since my last update.

The truck and camper performed flawlessly for 8000 miles across the country and back. I've since sold the four-wheel camper. I loved it but it's just overkill for weekend trips that've become few and far between.

Photo courtesy of 7wt
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/cslynn/webstuff/Tacoma/Coyote%20Canyon%20008%20(Custom).jpg

I did pickup some new mods, courtesy of Anza Borrego. Due to the shape of the rock, sliders would've protected the rocker, but the door would've still been SOL. $600 to fix this put mods on the backburner for a while.

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/cslynn/webstuff/Tacoma/DSC03635%20(Medium).JPG

After getting back into the swing of things at work, and saving up for a bit, I finally bit the bullet and got a nice little palletized package from a far away land, thanks to Sierra Expeditions.

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/cslynn/webstuff/Tacoma/DSC04227%20(Medium).JPG

Looks like it's time to break out the chop saw and welder. Can't wait to go :camping:

I've put a total of 23K on the truck as of last weekend's OBX trip, in less than 8 months. :eek:

Schattenjager

10-10-2007, 01:59 AM

Well, you certainly put your truck through the paces lately. I too have piled on a ton of miles lately. It is so nice to have a dependable, comfortable truck to travel in! Oh what a feeling!

:p sorry...

grouch

10-10-2007, 04:44 AM

Congrats on the Eezi Awn. How are you going to mount it? Are you putting it on a shell or a metal frame?

adventureduo

10-10-2007, 04:48 AM

Dang i liked the camper! Oh well, we need pics of the new tent setup.. please keep us posted. Sorry for the damage in Anza.. but i guess that means you were wheelin hard!

CLynn85

10-14-2007, 08:43 PM

Well I hate driveway shots, but since you insist....

I fabbed up a set of cross-bars utilizing the factory installed bed rails. I used some scrap 1-1/4"x1/8" angle and some leftover 1" Box tube. The box tubing is only .060" but it's what I had laying around left over from my jeep box. It flexes a little bit when fully loaded but the dynamic load is only the 120lb tent, so I figured I'd give it a go. I need to go back and substitute everything with locking fastners as well.

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/cslynn/webstuff/Tacoma/DSC04231%20(Medium).JPG

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/cslynn/webstuff/Tacoma/DSC04235%20(Medium).JPG

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/cslynn/webstuff/Tacoma/DSC04238%20(Medium).JPG

And here's how I modified some standard Uni-strut spring nuts to work with the stock toyota rails. I just ripped off the spring and ground them down to fit. Seems to do a pretty good job and involved minimal fab time/cost.

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/cslynn/webstuff/Tacoma/HPIM0303%20(Medium).JPG

erod

10-14-2007, 08:46 PM

Carl, awesome rtt! thanks for the pics...i will be really curious to hear how it compared to the fwc (rest in peace)! let us know!

cell4soul

10-15-2007, 12:16 AM

It looks great, I just used mine for the first time this weekend. I absolutely loved it. Just a suggestion, but I don't think the tie down rails alone are going to hold that kind of weight with people in the tent over extended periods of time. I would bring the angle iron over the top of the bed side so the weight is supported by the top of the bed.

CLynn85

10-15-2007, 02:21 AM

Thanks, can't wait to try it out in a couple weeks.

Cell4soul, I too have some concerns about the stock struts. I tried to keep the cross bars as close to the mounting points as possible and I'm planning to add a hinged "leg" in the middle of each that can swing up while the tent is not in use and swing down to provide extra support when the tent is loaded with 2 people.

You mention your tent, how do you have yours mounted?

The lack of "normal" bedsides and top bed rails is the one thing I think that annoys me most about this truck.

Ideally, can-back would release a product for the 05-07 trucks that I would purchase the day after it was released and install on my truck immediately. I love those tops and they seem to be an almost ideal solution for my needs.

I'm sure going to miss the FWC, but it's nice not having an extra 1000lbs on the back of the truck too....

HMR

10-15-2007, 02:40 AM

Just a suggestion, but I don't think the tie down rails alone are going to hold that kind of weight with people in the tent over extended periods of time. I would bring the angle iron over the top of the bed side so the weight is supported by the top of the bed.I was thinking the same thing. There's no way the tiedown rails will hold up. I'm going through a similar deal with designing a better RTT rack for the top of my fiberglass shell.

The hinged leg is a good idea but I still think you'll need to extend the bars over the rails. If nothing else, get on Craigslist and find a used set of 58" Thule load bars. You can fab up some brackets fairly easily to fit into the tiedown rails to keep the cross bars from moving fore and aft but use the top of the bed as the load bearing structure. The Thule bars wouldn't require a center support which would free up more bed space under the tent.

PS- GREAT looking setup!!!

jim65wagon

10-16-2007, 09:15 PM

Love the tent Carl. Should fit through the woods very well mounted down low like that. I've now got future plans to extend my rack to full length to mount an RTT. How was the beach? Get to play on the sand at all?

CLynn85

10-20-2007, 03:08 AM

No reports on longevity yet. But with 2 people in the tent the rails are holding pretty well so far, except for getting overzealous and over-tightening a couple of the strut-nuts and smashing the lip a little......:oops:

Planning to go to Shenandoah Valley next weekend for a good test, hopefully the leaves will be changing. If the weather out that way sucks I'll switch directions and head up to Chincoteague/Assateague.

Jim, the beach was great, nice little getaway, did a lot of little stuff that we'd never done before, Wright memorial, Jockey ridge, Frisco Native American Museum, Bodie lighthouse, just to mention a few. Got to play on the sand around Avon and been trying to map out all the good sound access points off of 12. I want to go down in the spring and just concentrate on the area north of Corolla.

CLynn85

10-29-2007, 12:21 AM

Just for an update we had our first weekend of camping with the Eezi-awn this weekend. Wanted to try it out so we went to Shenandoah national park to do Skyline Drive.

As far as the tent and my current mount goes... PERFECT. The tent worked flawlessly. Despite 30+mph wind gusts and the temperature being 38*F when we got up this morning, we were nice and comfy. The stock rails using my mounts held up fine, no deformation that I can tell. I'm working on a universal mounting system to replace the stock rail mounts eventually, but for now these work fine with ~420lbs of weight on them, so it's time to coat them with POR-15.

I also picked up a "Contico" brand storage trunk at walmart. The edges have a nice lip so they're not water tight, but under simulated rain tests it stayed dry inside. I slid all my gear (cooler, stove, storage box) up agains the back of the truck under the tent, then closed the gate and locked the pop'n'lock, and it made for a moderately secure setup. To get anything out you would've had to crawl between the tent and the front of the bed and back under the tent to get to it. After I get my toolbox mounted in the front of the bed, there'll be no way to get anything out without unbolting/breaking something.

Here's the box (except mine doesn't have the wheels), it was only $17 at my local walmart. It's not the best box when compared to pelican and hardigg cases and I'm still looking for something nicer, but you can't beat it for bang-for-the-buck.

http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/02/00/27/00/0002002700363_500X500.jpg

jim65wagon

11-08-2007, 08:29 PM

That's the boxes we currently use for our kitchen kit, backpacks, and the offroad kit. Three boxes hold a lot of kit. On the rack in a rain storm everything stays dry, cheap and a little flimsy but they work. Some day we'll get to "upgrade" to something more, um, better; but till then...

maxama10

02-19-2008, 04:22 AM

Update?

CLynn85

01-21-2010, 02:14 AM

Soooo.... A lot's happened since my last update. So here's a quick run down.

Recently hit 80,000 miles in just under 3 years.

Entered a few RallyX events with the truck
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2781/4291453103_61b37313a8_o.jpg

Added a UWS toolbox, Firestick NGP antenna mount, and the best camping accessory ever, a vintage STARR Canada Dry Bottle Opener
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4291485691_d04eb7f9a6_o.jpg

I've only gotten a few uses out of the roof tent unfortunately, and while we love it, has not been quite the solution we hoped it would be, back in the market for other camping solutions. Also regarding doubts on longevity of the stock rails, they're actually surprising me. They've been abused as tie-downs in general, and though it's only been out on 4 or so trips, the 1" square tube cross bars are holding up fine.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2426/3564685107_d922b28145_o.jpg

Went to Seattle with a popup trailer, fun times, crappy trailer, ditched it when we got back
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4291453327_2e58f4a7e9_o.jpg

Upgraded to Bilstien 5100's and Alcan AAL, not the ideal solution, but it works, seen here in Mon, WV (Thanks Haggis for photo)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4291485425_b5acf925ca_o.jpg

And most recently scored a well used 8427 for next to nothing. Unfortunately there's no aftermarket bumpers that accomodate it, so I've started a custom build
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4291460559_46372dddb4_o.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4292201856_43ea773801_o.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4292202038_429e7404b0_o.jpg

As for future plans, not 100% sure yet. We're debating between a FlipPac, camper shell, custom camper, or FWC. Ideally we'd like another FWC Eagle, but they're hard to come by this side of the Mississippi. I'm definitely going to start looking at the flatbed possibilities, as I think that'd give us more utility out of this platform.

grouch

01-21-2010, 02:38 AM

So when are you guys going to head up to New England?

Cackalak Han

01-21-2010, 02:46 AM

What was your gripe about the RTT?

CLynn85

01-21-2010, 02:51 AM

So when are you guys going to head up to New England?

Plan is actually this fall. Last fall I had scheduled a week and a half of leave and we were going to do a leaf tour of Vermont, NH, Connecticut, etc, but I got sent to Camp Pendleton, so we aborted the NE trip and flew the wife out with me the week after and did our fall vacation in San Diego. While that's nothing to complain about in itself, I was REALLY looking forward to New England. So it looks like we're going to try it again this fall. Are you still up that way??

CLynn85

01-21-2010, 03:01 AM

What was your gripe about the RTT?

The RTT definitely has it's pros and cons. I like the quick setup and low profile of it, and it does look perty cool all set up, but it's not ideal for us. We do a lot of highway running, and it definitely does not lend itself to covert camping in a parking lot or hiding just off the highway, as it would not be a quick ordeal to pack up and skiddadle if necessary.

To be honest, I really can't quite put my finger on it, but there's just something about it that doesn't fit us. If all we did was explore forest roads and had endless BLM land or long off highway trails to explore, it'd be great, as that's what it's really meant for. Maybe I need to integrate it into the truck differently. I mounted it where I did because it provided a level of protection for the items in the bed with the tailgate locked. As a result though, usable cargo space is limited and I can't leave it on the truck for any extended period of time.

The cover design in my opinion is terrible. It might have worked 30 years ago when they were first designed, but it's a pain and takes two people to stretch it over and fasten it down. The velcro oozes goo out from under it too.

I also get tired of opening it up constantly to show friends and family what's inside...

So, yeah, it's kind of like the person you seem like you should be friends with, but you just don't "click"...

jim65wagon

01-22-2010, 01:56 AM

That's going to be a cool bumper! When you get that done, you're going to ( help me ) do one for the Tundra, right? I may just have to drop by to get a closer look at that....

Haggis

01-22-2010, 02:30 AM

As for future plans, not 100% sure yet. We're debating between a FlipPac, camper shell, custom camper, or FWC. Ideally we'd like another FWC Eagle, but they're hard to come by this side of the Mississippi.

We feel your pain. We're debating on what to do with our set-up too. While our Fleetwood EV-1 has been a good trailer for us, it's not the ideal set-up. To much forethought as far as where you can go and the feeling of being held back (and I feel that way about all trailers) is making us rethink our next move. We've decide that we're heading West in June '11 and don't feel like luggin' the trailer. Something different is called for. And like you, the thought of a RTT really isn't that appealing. To much bother swapping off and on when your truck is a work truck and the kids would still need a tent. For now I'm building a storage/sleep module for under the cap and we'll see if the low buck set-up works before we lay out some real cash. But we're leaning towards a FlipPac much like TacoDoc's. More steathy, still able to use the bed of the truck for work, but with a hefty price tag. Especially with shipping involved.

Hopefully we'll meet up again this year and we can bench race our plans for the Brotherhood of the Silver Toyotas around a campfire somewheres.

CLynn85

01-22-2010, 02:35 AM

We feel your pain. We're debating on what to do with our set-up too. While our Fleetwood EV-1 has been a good trailer for us, it's not the ideal set-up. To much forethought as far as where you can go and the feeling of being held back (and I feel that way about all trailers) is making us rethink our next move. We've decide that we're heading West in June '11 and don't feel like luggin' the trailer. Something different is called for. And like you, the thought of a RTT really isn't that appealing. To much bother swapping off and on when your truck is a work truck and the kids would still need a tent. For now I'm building a storage/sleep module for under the cap and we'll see if the low buck set-up works before we lay out some real cash. But we're leaning towards a FlipPac much like TacoDoc's. More steathy, still able to use the bed of the truck for work, but with a hefty price tag. Especially with shipping involved.

Hopefully we'll meet up again this year and we can bench race our plans for the Brotherhood of the Silver Toyotas around a campfire somewheres.

Right on. We just went out this weekend to look at trailers and convinced ourselves that it's just not the right option.

That being said it looks like I'm playing hookie tomorrow and running down to NC to pick up a Leer shell with Thule racks for next to nothing (it's black but the price is def right), so I guess we'll give a sleeping platform a try! Maybe we'll have that ready for Pine Barrens.

Anyone want a very slightly used Eezi Awn 1200? Think it still has the plastic on the mattress.

grouch

01-22-2010, 03:21 AM

Are you still up that way??
Yup, I will keep a light on for ya until you get here. New England in the fall is unreal. I am sure we could scrounge up Streakerfreak for a local run if nothing else but it would be cool to plan a scoot through VT or even a little further. I guess it all depends on exactly when you guys get up this way. It will be nice to see you guys again, the first time around got cut a little short.

CLynn85

01-23-2010, 08:15 PM

Yup, I will keep a light on for ya until you get here. New England in the fall is unreal. I am sure we could scrounge up Streakerfreak for a local run if nothing else but it would be cool to plan a scoot through VT or even a little further. I guess it all depends on exactly when you guys get up this way. It will be nice to see you guys again, the first time around got cut a little short.

Roger that, thanks for the invite, it's definitely on the list for this year.