Starting Over... Taco Style!

[viatierra]

The Antichrist has a kid sister. She's not much to look at yet, but I was eager to claim my piece of the portal. So here begins my build thread (Insert smiley planting flag into the electronic frontier... here!):

The first piece of my taco build arrived yesterday, and it wasn't the truck! I should be taking possession of the actual platform next week. Many, many details will be forth coming soon enough. In the meantime, here are a few pictures of Samantha and I enjoying what landed on our door step.

[Scott Brady]

Awesome Greg! Can't wait to watch the build.

[BajaTaco]

Congrats Greg!

:wings: Samantha is going to have fun with this. :lurk:

[Willman]

Very nice!

Great first mod!!!!:jumping:

Keep us posted!

:arabia:

[SuperSoniC_110]

good choice of rooftent.
you won't regret :costumed-smiley-007

[p1michaud]

The Antichrist has a kid sister. She's not much to look at yet, but I was eager to claim my piece of the portal. So here begins my build thread (Insert smiley planting flag into the electronic frontier... here!):

The first piece of my taco build arrived yesterday, and it wasn't the truck! I should be taking possession of the actual platform next week. Many, many details will be forth coming soon enough. In the meantime, here are a few pictures of Samantha and I enjoying what landed on our door step.


Whoo hoo! :wings:

Can't wait to see the progress.

Cheers,
P

[j_nigrelli]

i'm sure with negative reinforcement like that she'll be in therapy in no time.

[Desertdude]

Awesome tent - just spent last night camping up at 6K feet in the wind - nice and cozy(and quiet).

Look forward to seeing your rack design :coffee:

[flyingwil]

Greg-
Give me a call... I am off the next 4 days and we can meet up.

[blupaddler]

Congrats Greg!

I look forward to the results.

[viatierra]

As of today... the truck is STILL not in. Although we aren't yet ready to begin, we are another step closer. The delivery boys had another nifty package waiting by the door when I got home!!

:peepwall:

[Desertdude]

hmmmm.... what could that be :lurk:





:jump:

[p1michaud]

As of today... the truck is STILL not in. Although we aren't yet ready to begin, we are another step closer. The delivery boys had another nifty package waiting by the door when I got home!!

:peepwall:

Some song lyrics come to mind:...The waiting is the hardest part....

I'm going to have to change delivery boys, they have not been that nice to me! Can't wait to see the truck and changes you have planned.

Cheers :beer:,
P

[BajaTaco]

Greg, this is pretty cool to see the goodie pile mounting before the truck even arrives :)

[articulate]

Roof tent, Deavers, Donohoes . . . yes, this is what it takes just to hang with the Stephens family on vacation. ¡Andale!

:REOutArchery02:

[crawler#976]

hmmmm,

That looks familiar! :cool:

[viatierra]

The Tacoma Era has begun...
:jump:

This move has been in the planning stages for nearly 2 years. Although my hardcore trail days are over, this truck is not to be my daily transportation. It is to be purpose-built for exploiting the generous amount of time off I enjoy as a teacher and facilitating our various outdoor adventures. By the time Samantha is 10 years old, she will have experienced the remote corners of every National Park in the western U.S. (including Denali)… explored the most southern portions of Mexico. I seriously consider this goal to be like a second job!

Here's what we've got from the dealership: 2007 Tacoma, double cab, TRD offroad package with a 6 speed manual transmission. Pretty standard stuff, except for the stick. That transmission kept us waiting over 5 weeks.

Now for the good stuff. Four critical mods are being taken care of at the beginning:

1. Demello Stage 1 suspension. I knew that I needed some kind of upgraded suspension, but the options and price tags left me scratching my head. Scott and Chris have been impressed with the Old Man Emu package on the ARB Tacoma. However, when Crawler let me take his Tacoma with the Stage 1 kit for a spin; I knew I had to have it. A simple matter of lust.

2. Cooper Discoverer ST 255 85 R16 tires. People seem happy with this combo so far. The size and brand will be a new experience for me. Since tires are consumable, I can do something else next time if I don’t like how they perform for me. Besides, I gotta save a little cash SOMEWHERE!

3. Stubbs Welding SKO sliders. Managing a 130 inch wheelbase is going to be slightly intimidating. I don’t even want to think about the surface area of sheet metal on each rocker panel. I consider the sliders a simple insurance policy.

4. Maggiolina Extreme tent. The virtues of a roof top tent have been covered on this forum before. I’ve been doing the 3-season dome tent and sleeping bag routine for years. Camping as a single Dad is the biggest reason to move this direction. It is going to streamline the workload and increase the fun factor for Samantha & myself. I choose the Extreme for the incorporated rack on top of the tent. I’m turned on by the idea of putting bikes or whatever on top without eating into the utility of having a truck bed. Being able to deploy the tent without having to unload the gear on top sounds pretty sweet too. We’ll see if it actually works!

The first issue I need to sort out is the design and fabrication of a rack to mount the Extreme just above the roofline. It is going to be beyond my expertise and resources to pull that one off. Any suggestions???

I’m sure more mods will come down the road, but this should be plenty to get things started! I’ve got some summer plans, so I need to knock this initial list off pretty quickly. I have a nice little pile of goodies waiting. Never fear my little friends, you’re wait is over.

[viatierra]

Congrats Greg!

:wings: Samantha is going to have fun with this. :lurk:

I kid you not... the first time she climbed in to the back seat she said, "Hey I have an idea. Let's go camping!"

[flyingwil]

Greg-

Great looking truck... It was also great meeting you on Friday! :shakin:

For the tent rack design, I would suggest a mounting option that places the top of the tent at the the same height as the roofline for aerodynamics. My tent rack is slightly higher to allow the Engel and TwoZone with the Engel Slide to fit in the bed of the truck... I may be going back to the drawing board here with FlyingBaby on her way! Well a good suggestion is to got to tirerack.com and get a profile picture (similar to below), and draw out designs you like, then take them to a fabricator and get prices... the best price I found for mine was at Hunter Off-Road in Tempe.
http://www.tirerack.com/images/wheelrack/car_images//Toyota/Tacoma_PreRunner_06/Tacoma.17.Speedway_Blue.gif

You will probably be very pleased with the 255 Coopers... You'll have to keep us posted with your outcome and thoughts.

[viatierra]

Just returned from Table Mesa Road with the inaugural coat of dust. It's been a long time. :smiley_drive:

I went to tirerack.com and couldn't figure out where to get the pictures. The one Wil posted works great because the background is clear. I quickly threw this scale sketch together to see what it looks like. If the hoop design is level with the roof line, I can bolt on something like the Thule 50" load bars. That will provide the width Maggiolina requires and the 1" roof clearance Pasquale recommended.

[jeffryscott]

Excellent news. Let us know when you are ready to go and maybe Chloe and Samantha can hook up again. She had so much fun with Samantha and is itching to get out again - so am I. Of course, it would be fun to see you too.:wings:

Glad you are back in the saddle ...

[flyingwil]

I quickly threw this scale sketch together to see what it looks like. If the hoop design is level with the roof line, I can bolt on something like the Thule 50" load bars. That will provide the width Maggiolina requires and the 1" roof clearance Pasquale recommended.

Is 1" going to be enough? I was going to build a over hang over the front of my cab, but got worried about the flex. I decided that if I do go over the roof to leave about 1.5" for flex since the Tacos don't exactly have the strongest frames.

This rack was designed to rest on the roof, and since it's a Mexico truck it's not a big deal for the owner.

Click to enlarge

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/tippatim/Baja/th_DSC08904.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/tippatim/Baja/DSC08904.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/tippatim/Baja/th_DSC08903.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/tippatim/Baja/DSC08903.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/tippatim/Baja/th_DSC08862.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/tippatim/Baja/DSC08862.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/tippatim/Baja/th_DSC08828.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/tippatim/Baja/DSC08828.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/tippatim/Baja/th_DSC08820.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/tippatim/Baja/DSC08820.jpg)

[Desertdude]

1" clearance above the roof has been fine for the past two years on all the trips and terrain.

My thoughts were to keep it as close to the cab roof for clean aerodynamics (less wind drag)

I am still happy with this decision

[ChuckB]

Here's what we've got from the dealership: 2007 Tacoma, double cab, TRD offroad package with a 6 speed manual transmission. Pretty standard stuff, except for the stick. That transmission kept us waiting over 5 weeks.

Now for the good stuff. Four critical mods are being taken care of at the beginning:


Very nice!

I'm going to keep a close eye on this thread. I've decided that I'm going to splurge on a manual Taco as my next vehicle. For some reason the toyota web site would not let me build one... glad to know you CAN actually get a 6sp DC!!
I'm very interested in seeing how your progress with the mods. :beer:

[Nuclear Redneck]

Congrats on getting the truck you wanted! I will follow the build with great interest.

Manuals of any flavor are in short supply. I was all ready to buy a Nissan Frontier Duoble Cab 4x2 with a manual and couldn't find one anywhere within 100 miles of San Diego. Found a 4x4 manual, test drove it, and then went home to think about it. It was sold the next day. Looked around at Toyotas and drove a white Access Cab with the V-6 and 6-speed manual and the Off-Road package. It was one of two 6-speed equiped 4x4s in the San Diego area. So I bought it.

And now I drool over all of the cool things on this board. I blame google for fetching the fateful page which linked to Mark's 2005 Nissan Frontier build up and was ultimately the gateway page to this forum. I'm very happy with my 6-speed, although I have to remind myself that there is that sixth gear. I abolutely adore the e-locker and I intend to fully explore the limits of the stock configuration. I have to stay stock, cause there ain't any more money for mods in the near future. Besides, they don't make a snorkel for my model anyway.

Cheers,
Tate

[Scott Brady]

Awesome Greg, can't wait to watch the progress. :wings:

[flyingwil]

1" clearance above the roof has been fine for the past two years on all the trips and terrain.

My thoughts were to keep it as close to the cab roof for clean aerodynamics (less wind drag)

I am still happy with this decision

Well then that settles it!

Greg, You could also look into adding an air dam similar to Yakima in front of the tent to help reduce the drag. I have though about this idea as well.

[erin]

Congrats Greg, good to see the truck finally landed. Looks like your weekends are going to be full before the Trophy, but what better way to spend them.

[viatierra]

Just returned from lunch to find another present by the door! Gotta go. I'm off to powder coat...

[crawler#976]

Greg,

Wow! That is gonna be one cool truck!

Powder coat is great stuff, but sliders take an absolute beating from thrown rocks. I real fond of the hammered finish rattle can paint. Yes it does chip, but it takes all of about 10 seconds to recoat and blending isn't a problem at all.

[articulate]

Greg,

Wow! That is gonna be one cool truck!
:Astrologist:

It's time to get her deflowered in Mexico now.
:costumed-smiley-007

[viatierra]

Hey Everyone…
Thanks for the interest and following along. We’ve had some progress this week so expect an update after a little trail test this weekend.
Oh yeah :exclaim:

It is interesting to hear about others issues in locating a 6-speed TRD. When I started looking a few months ago, I had no problem simulating a build at Toyota.com exactly like I wanted (although I have trouble trying to do it now). Later, Camelback Toyota has happy to order whatever I wanted as long as I gave them a small deposit... I would just have to wait 3-4 weeks (although it was actually closer 6). In fact, they had an interesting truck in stock (6-speed, Sport, double cab, silver). Despite their efforts to convince me, I decided to wait because I needed the TRD w/locker and really wanted blue. :orngartis

I’ve had a couple of questions about the color. It isn’t as drastic as Mark’s black Frontier, but it is decidedly nonExpo. After my last vehicle troubles, I had the idea to do a karma throwback to some previous vehicles that treated me really well. I’d never consider myself superstitious, but I need this truck to perform for a long time. I’ll take all the mojo I can get!!

Stay tuned…

[viatierra]

In the past couple of weeks since I took delivery of the truck, I’ve taken care of a few small items. Mostly temporary solutions that get life behind the wheel functional: CB & GPS mounting, reconstituting my gear, figuring out what’s missing or junk. That is going to be a work in progress for awhile.

The good news is that we are starting to get some of the waiting goodies out of their boxes and installed! Last weekend, Mark and I slapped on the Demello Stage I kit! Other than the fact we were a bit slow at the job (think, “Darrell and his other brother Darrell…”). Everything came together nicely. Demello did short me the hardware for one of the Bilstein 5100s. Although they promised to ship out replacements, I wanted to get the job done. We simply had to make a stop to pick up new bushings and locknut.

Visually, everything in this kit is impressive. The Donahoes are Guinness Stout! What is the diameter on those shafts? 5/8 inch? The Bilstein 5100s are 2x the size of stock. My girl is developing some nice curves with the Deaver AAL…

[viatierra]

1. Call the taxidermist. We bagged our first leaf pack!
2. Did you know that in High School some of the ladies nicknamed him "Markle Sparkle"? I don't suppose this is why...

[viatierra]

Here are some before/after shots:

[viatierra]

A few days later, the tires went on. The bad news is that Discounted Wheel Warehouse called to say that the Cooper Discoverer STs are long backordered with no idea when a new batch will be in. So much for saving a few bucks here! Wanting to experiment with the 255 85 R16 size, I opted to have my local Discount Tire install BFG Mud Terrains. They’re noisy. They’re more money… but they are HOT! We all know they perform too. Now that it’s done, I’m totally happy with the result.

The only thing left was to find out what this whole package can do. Yesterday, a little group of us did a dusk run to Saguaro Lake for some hills, scenery, grilled salmon & cervezas at the water’s edge.

Since the Maggiolina showed up, Samantha must ask me 10 times a day, “Are we going camping today?” Hopefully a picnic at the lake will hold her off for a few more days…

[viatierra]

Overall stance is increased 3.5 inches (1.5 from the 255’s and 2 from the Demello kit). Other than the fact that I need a bit more practice operating 3 pedals… we handled everything the Coves threw at us quite easily. We marched up nasty hills, crawled rocks & straddled ruts like a champ. The BEST part is that she handled the thick sandy washes and washboards like an interstellar battle cruiser!
:ar15:

[jeffryscott]

Excellent Greg, the truck looks great and glad to see you gettin her done ... I especially love that you still have temp tags on and already have all these mods.

So what's next? the sliders or the rack for the tent? or ?????

[kcowyo]

Cervezas at the lake with Aaron and Mark..... What a boring afternoon that must have been. :cow:

Your new Tacoma is getting started off nicely. I like the dark blue. Good call on the MT's and Demello set up.
Nice to see little Ms. Co-Pilot approves too.

[viatierra]

Excellent Greg, the truck looks great and glad to see you gettin her done ... I especially love that you still have temp tags on and already have all these mods.

So what's next? the sliders or the rack for the tent? or ?????

The sliders are next since they are ready to go. The logististics for the tent rack going a bit slow. I have a couple of lines out there trying to enlist some help with the fabrication... Sam is really applying the pressure! :violent-smiley-031: Let's get the girls together soon. We'll have to settle for sleeping on the ground.

[viatierra]

Cervezas at the lake with Aaron and Mark..... What a boring afternoon that must have been. :cow:

Your new Tacoma is getting started off nicely. I like the dark blue. Good call on the MT's and Demello set up.
Nice to see little Ms. Co-Pilot approves too.

Yep! The good life... What else could I want??

[erin]

Looks real good Greg, and great to hear Samantha is dying to get out now.:)

[kcowyo]

What else could I want??

Well I was going to say some Chips Ahoy, but I see you have those covered as well. :chowtime:

Be wary of your sibling & sibling-in-law, however. Apparently they prefer to eat cookies while naked.

Naked-cookie-eating-Stephens.....

[crawler#976]

WOW - that look great! Glad it all went well on the install and test run.

After our 8 state vacation trip I'll get back to posting up some day trips - hope to see ya on one!

Mark

[BajaTaco]

Greg, it looks awesome! Especially with those 255 BFG's - muy macho and well proportioned to the body. I dig it.

[viatierra]

Chips Ahoy

It can't ALL be nuts & berries...

[viatierra]

I'll get back to posting up some day trips - hope to see ya on one!

Mark

Mark... thanks again for your help! That Demello kit is worth it's weight in gold.
Post a trip!
Go ahead... Make my day. I dare ya! :ar15:

[viatierra]

Greg, it looks awesome! Especially with those 255 BFG's - muy macho and well proportioned to the body. I dig it.

Dude, you're the inspiration! Can't wait to hang out again on the trail, Mexico, Trophy, where ever.



By the way, how do I do a post with more than one quote?? :confused:

[kcowyo]

Manually.

Quote one comment using the quote feature. For a second, third, etc. quote - copy and paste text in your reply window. Then use the word balloon looking thing (next to the Insert Image icon) in the reply window menu bar to make multiple quotes.

Ain't the interweb cool? :beer:

[articulate]

Be wary of your sibling & sibling-in-law, however. Apparently they prefer to eat cookies while naked.

Naked-cookie-eating-Stephens.....
Sorry you missed it? :cow:



Gregory's Taco is looking saaaaweeeeet! Tall-n-skinny tires, racing suspension, and and expeditionportal.com sticker. Without the fridge, she's not quite ready for Baja, but as soon as I get one perhaps we can just go together and share? Attached some pics of her in action out at Saguaro Lake ...

[Desertdude]

I really dig how that tacoma is looking...

Is this (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=8596&d=1181790510) some sort of family sign language? :shakin:

[viatierra]

Prior to this year's Expedition Trophy I did complete a few minor additions that I wanted to post.

Inside the truck, I installed a Jeniko laptop mount as posted by 1legLance. It is a simple, affordable mount that has worked great so far. It did wobble a bit, but it was easy enough to fab up a simple brace that connects to the seat rail. The wobble seemed to come from flex in the transmission tunnel. Perhaps there was a better place for the mounting plate. Despite how it looks, the whole system doesn't interfere with the passenger's comfort too much. For $50 how can you miss??

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2138/1952486584_f5474cb57c.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2381/1952514734_b3d54f8ec4.jpg

In the bed, I mounted a Hi-lift and shovel. This was intended to be temporary until I move these to my tent platform, but I'm satisfied with how this is working. Moving the jack to the platform with only raise my COG and decrease accessability to the goodies in the bed. The jack base rests on the wheelwell so stress on the mounting should be minimized. I have some large fenderwashers for support on the backside. We'll have to see how it holds up over time.

I'm really pleased with the shovel mount. I copied this system from John at Hunter Offroad. It is an $8 shovel from Home Depot that I cut to length and about $3 in hardware for the mount. Now I am only 1 wingnut away from digging holes or smothering fires. Pretty cool.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2375/1951712583_0e5771029f.jpg

The Tacoma is FINALLY being dropped off at Hunter Offroad on Tuesday for the next phase: Tent platform. As documented in Jeffery Scott 's photograph of Camp Hanson overlooking my squalor...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2052/1851139678_03112e75b3.jpg

the Maggiolina still sits unused in my garage. Although, my vision for the truck is to maintain simplicity, I have increased to scope of the platform a bit. TacoDoc and others have such cool tent setups that it's hard to keep the wheels from spinning! I hope to have a nice update in 2 weeks!

[4Rescue]

WOW! Ya know mate, I have not yet really taken a shine to the new Taco's, but your rig looks absolutely great. Perfect wheel/tire combo, perfect stance. It looks so simple and purpose built, very utilitarian. Nice rig.

Cheers

Dave

[HMR]

It's about time you share an update... my Tacoma lives vicariously through yours!:)

Can't wait to see the tent mounted and ready to go.

:luxhello:

[heeltoe989]

Very cool truck. Look forward to seeing more.:chowtime:

[viatierra]

Well guys... thanks for your encouragement. While others were enjoying their rigs in the Arizona rain, I went to check in on the tent rack progress. I haven't seen my truck in over 2 weeks! In fact Saturday was an anual BBQ at Hunter Offroad. My truck was to have the honored distinction of being one of the projects in progress for folks take a peek at. I was anticipating taking a few cool pictures. Well with the rain, the vehicles were evicted and tarped so folks could eat inside. What I was able to get a good look at was pretty sweet. I'm getting antsy. Who knew it would take 6 months to get this Maggiolina perminately mounted!
:smilies27:

[viatierra]

For my own entertainment... here are a few pictures of my truck from the past couple of months as seen in other threads:


Expedition Trophy 2007
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2027/1849947543_6b4f6bdbcc_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2359/1850000857_7129d17471_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2212/1850981234_52c1baa492_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2183/1850981814_93c52b3b6c_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2349/1851181256_5e945ab648.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2140/1851193472_a6c39bec45_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2301/1850371977_c01f5e5158_o.jpg

[viatierra]

A few more:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2314/1850333375_6d0c45d050_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2273/2083168400_65f56de362_o.jpg

Mogillon Rim:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1221/1175947865_608a240587_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1012/1230251221_cb3181e38c_o.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1118/1176806660_34665343e0_b.jpg

[viatierra]

Credit for all of the above photos goes to a variety of Expedition Trophy participants and of course Articulate.

[TACODOC]

Nice truck man! Love the Indigo Ink! :bigbossHL:

[Spikepretorius]

It's so nice seeing cute brats having fun camping outdoors. That's memories that will be with them forever. :luxhello:

[kcowyo]

Love the Indigo Ink! :bigbossHL:

x2 :punk03:


My little Diva still isn't up for a full night camping out yet. Hopefully next summer she'll be ready for it. Taking the wee ones out is more fun than I thought it would be.

A tall, chilly Cerveza for a good Dad - :beer:

[articulate]

I'm friggin' dying to see this rack.

[viatierra]

Stopped by Hunter Offroad today to take a look and the progress. Should be finished Friday!! (ish)

I can't wait to break it in...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2168/2090672838_704e3470be_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2203/2089890811_058510465b_b.jpg

Looks like my copilot digs it too!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2161/2089887751_ab1cb79ede_b.jpg

[LexusAllTerrain]

The truck is looking very nice!



Oh! and do not forget to return your mexico permit!:Astrologist:

[cowboy4x4]

I like the looks of that rack. I do fabrication work and I love stuff that is different ,can't wait to see the finished product.:gunt:

[viatierra]

Oh! and do not forget to return your mexico permit!:Astrologist:

It's just the gooey residue, but it gives me warm fuzzy feeling when I see it. I just don't feel like scraping it off yet!

I picked up the truck today. Platform is done and tent mounted! I am totally pleased with the final product. I'll take pictures tomorrow during an initial trail test. Of course its raining so we'll see how that goes.

[Ryanmb21]

that rack is lookin sic... me likey

[viatierra]

Sleeping platform and Maggiolina are finally in their permanant home. The details need to be finished up (lights, anteneas & awning) but I'm totally pleased. I did an initial trail shakedown yesturday. Take a look:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2305/2099197133_15e7720cae_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2082/2099969124_fede045676_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2263/2099216149_f67c40d5c9_b.jpg

[viatierra]

About the design... in one of my earlier posts I drafted an earlier concept that was very simple. I wanted to have a few curves instead of a box so it would match the style of new Tacoma's. My fabricator, John Hunter (http://expeditionportal.com/forum/member.php?u=2675) did that and more! I stole several ideas from others on the board. The basic idea of mounting a Maggiolina like this came from DesertDude's Tacoma.

Then TacoDoc's platform got me thinking about adding a front piece to create a place for lights and anteneas.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2061/2099196213_c70feeb674_b.jpg

Flyingwil's older rack incorporated removable crossbars for easy tent removal and increased utility of the truck bed.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2231/2099273615_3ae9aa86aa_b.jpg

To make that feature even cleaner, Hunter used these babies. (http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/ID-Tube-Clamp_p_21-1467.html) Haven't tried them out yet, but they are pretty trick. They fit together like puzzle pieces and secure with 2 allen bolts.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2279/2100051618_d7970e9b21_b.jpg

All the the angles match various lines in the truck. Little aluminum blocks were milled and threaded to fit in the stock tie-down rail for mounting. The tie-downs are still usable and adjustable.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2203/2099990252_0f0e5aa06a_b.jpg

For additional rigidity, gussets were added that can function as additional tie-downs. All in all, I think it looks great and is uber-functional!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2186/2099197987_a04f9b9b3b_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/2099212291_fc1a3be634_b.jpg

The Tacoma is pretty tall now, but the rack and tent only weight around 200 lbs. Any changes in performance while rock crawling, highway acceleration and street cornering are barely detectable. :ylsmoke:

[jeffryscott]

SWEET, glad it is done.

No more ground dwelling for you. Will you keep the tent attached, or take it off until needed? What kind of hit are you getting on gas mileage?

And finally, What is the intended use for the space just in front of the tent over the cab?

[HMR]

Sleeping platform and Maggiolina are finally in their permanant home.The finished product LOOKS GREAT!

CONGRATS on a VERY cool setup!!!



What kind of hit are you getting on gas mileage?FWIW- I see an approx. 3mpg decrease with my Maggiolina mounted in a similar position on a 6cyl Tacoma.

[viatierra]

Will you keep the tent attached, or take it off until needed?

What is the intended use for the space just in front of the tent over the cab?

My intention is to keep it attached. I don't drive the truck during the week so the milage drain will only effect trips. The space up front has 6 tabs - 4 lights, CB & 2m anteneas. The hoops are to protect the future lights from trees or whatever. I also needed a few more inches for flipping the latches to the tent's clamshell.

[ckkone]

Very nice rack!

[Jacket]

I'm really diggin that rack. Very nice design.

I'm curious - what was your decision criteria to go with an open bed with that rack versus a fiberglass topper with a rack on top? It's something I struggle with quite a bit in my long term vision of my truck. For now, I haul a trail bike in my bed so it has to stay open (which is why I have the convertible Bestop).

[kcowyo]

Wow, congrats Greg! :jumping:

That's a great design and looks awesome, very unique. Those welds are amazing. Some really nice details and touches.

The truck is really coming together quickly. Well, from my point of view. I can see why you've been so eager to get the rack completed. That rack and the Maggiolina has taken your truck from off-roader to adventurer. Very, very nice.

Congrats to you and Mr. Hunter. Well done - :beer:

[Scott Brady]

That looks awesome Greg! Well done.

[Desertdude]

Really nice design and welding work - fits well with your truck!

What are your plans for the bed?

btw keep track of your crank handle, and clipping the front of your tent ;)

[viatierra]

btw keep track of your crank handle;)

Ummmm. What if I told you that I already know that a replacement is $34.00???

[Hunter]

Wow, congrats Greg! :jumping:

Congrats to you and Mr. Hunter. Well done - :beer:




Thank you for the kind words. I got admit, it's all Greg's idea and design. I just added a little flavor. It was something new for me to do and I enjoyed. I admit, am nervous about what Greg has cooking in his mind now. I'll tell you though, his little observer he's got...she can be a tough critic. :p

All though for as happy as Greg is about his rack, I am probably just as giddy thanks to him introduceing me to this website. :wavey: I signed up about a week ago. This place is great and definatly my speed. We got to chatting in the shop and he mentioned this site. He gave me the address and the rest history. Definatly a great place..

[viatierra]

I'm really diggin that rack. Very nice design.

I'm curious - what was your decision criteria to go with an open bed with that rack versus a fiberglass topper with a rack on top? It's something I struggle with quite a bit in my long term vision of my truck. For now, I haul a trail bike in my bed so it has to stay open (which is why I have the convertible Bestop).


You know, I think the Canbacks are kind of cool. However, the regular toppers just don't appeal to me. I wanted a truck so that I'd have a TRUCK and all of its usefullness. This rack provides a sleeping platform, a place to carry big stuff like a kayak or canoe... and the crossbars are removable so I can haul something tall in the bed like new 56" plasma TV (hypothetical of course). I also like maintaining excellent visibility. The design gives me everything I want!

As for the bed? No plans. I'll just load the gear in bins or whatever. For the same reasons, I would't want to do something permenant that would reduce the utility of the truck. Maybe inspiration will hit me down the road.

[Jacket]

I just re-read the bit about the removable cross bars. PERFECT! I want one :)

[viatierra]

That looks awesome Greg! Well done.


Thank you for the kind words. I got admit, it's all Greg's idea and design. I just added a little flavor.

I'm glad everyone's diggin' it!

Also, I'm so glad I went with a professional fabricator! I thought hard about renting equipment and teaching myself to bend and weld on this project. There is satisfaction in doing things yourself, but I could NEVER have pulled off anything like this. John (http://expeditionportal.com/forum/member.php?u=2675) did a great job of listening to what I wanted and then just running with the ball. To a large degree he knew what I wanted (needed) more than I did. When I first picked it up I told him that I felt like the Pope "Hey Leonardo, why don't you paint my ceiling?" When you let a master craftsmen do his thing... you get a masterpiece.

[Desertdude]

Ummmm. What if I told you that I already know that a replacement is $34.00???

Next time we see each other around the campfire - ask me how I know that????:smileeek:

[BajaTaco]

Wow Greg, I love it!

John, nice work! Welcome to ExPo, it's great to see you here. I have seen and admired many of your works of art over the years.

[Ursidae69]

What an outstanding design, very well thought out and it looks damn sweet. :jumping:

Greg, I would be curious to hear about any increased wind noise and what sort of mileage differences you might get with the rack.

[Hunter]

Wow Greg, I love it!

John, nice work! Welcome to ExPo, it's great to see you here. I have seen and admired many of your works of art over the years.

Thank You! BajaTaco. I am so diggin' this board and this group. I am definatly looking forward to getting out more and meeting folks on the forum.

When Greg made his "paint the ceiling" crack, I laughed hard. "Dude, that needs to be on a T-shirt!".

I know Greg is kickin' over a few more ideas on the rack. Looking forward to jazzing it up a bit more.

[BajaTaco]

Thank You! BajaTaco. I am so diggin' this board and this group. I am definatly looking forward to getting out more and meeting folks on the forum.

Cool! I am in Prescott so hopefully we'll get to meet up sometime. Yea, Greg is good at that witty humor stuff. It must run in the family (wait util you meet his brother Mark...)

[FourByLand]

Greg,

Looks well thought out and very functional, can't wait to get some shots of it in January!

:clapsmile

[Overland Hadley]

Nice job on the rack.

Be sure to post some photos when you get the lights on.

[HMR]

Ummmm. What if I told you that I already know that a replacement is $34.00???My McGyver solution:
http://wileyp.smugmug.com/photos/236908527-L.jpg

:o

[TACODOC]

The rack looks great, well done! :REOutArchery02:

[viatierra]

My McGyver solution:
http://wileyp.smugmug.com/photos/236908527-L.jpg

:o

I had to use a slotted screwdriver with a vise grip clamped on the handle. My pride won't let me post a picture... What do you have on there that syncs up the the slot? No matter. New crank arrived already.


The rack looks great, well done!

Doc's approval!
:victory:

[HMR]

I had to use a slotted screwdriver with a vise grip clamped on the handle. My pride won't let me post a picture... What do you have on there that syncs up the the slot? No matter. New crank arrived already.LOL! I thought about doing the screwdriver/vice grip combo! I cut a piece of aluminum to fit inside the socket. I'll post a pic just in case it helps someone:
http://wileyp.smugmug.com/photos/237017733-M.jpg


New crank is on order. Old one is laying somewhere in Anza Borrego. :wavey:

[Desertdude]

oh was that your crank? :shakin:


I fashioned a large driver piece for my Dewalt screw gun... it was fun until the new cranks arrived - somethings are better to do by hand ;)



... Back to you Greg :coffee:

[p1michaud]

Late to the party here, but I just caught up on the new rack. Very cool design. Now when the Expedition Trophy pull up to a boulder strew ledge for the overland portion, you can sleep in comfort off the ground!

Well done Mr. Hunter, clean welds and details. I like how it attaches to the factory tie down points while still alowing the tie downs to be adjusted.

Cheers,
P

[Willman]

Love the Rack!

Whens the 2m going in?

:)

[Sloan]

You are killing me, my 03 Tacoma just got totalled in a rear end collision and I figured it would be nice to make my FJ60 my daily driver for awhile and save some cash. That blue is awesome, the truck looks killer, and now I can only take streets that don't go past Toyota dealerships.

[viatierra]

Love the Rack!

Whens the 2m going in?

:)

Thanks everyone! I should have a pretty hefty update in a couple of days... (unless I over indulge at New Year's Fiesta)

http://www.mikebarre.com/site/pictures/2007-arizona/slides/2007_12_Arizona_022.jpg

[Sloan]

Bumping this for my bud to check out.

[viatierra]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2060/2187892995_67cb6eecd5_b.jpg

I've got some lights and Yeseau 7800 radio installed. I have a few details to finish up, but here's how she sits so far. I have a 12 circuit Blue Seas auxilary block mounted behind the rear seat along with the main deck to the 7800 HAM radio.

Up front I have a Firestick for the CB, Larson for the 2m and 4 55w Procomp lights.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2032/2187905847_2fe018c17a_b.jpg

Back inside I relocated the GPS on the dash to make room for the radio's faceplate in front of the stick. I put switches for my various exterior lights on the center console. It was a tight fit for the upper driver's side switch, but the rest were easy. I think it came out clean and functional.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2017/2187950667_7f7e017af3_b.jpg

In the rear, I picked up some inexpensive driving lights to try as reverse lights. Next, I have a couple more goodies not installed yet to light up the bed so I can sort through gear at night.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2328/2187904887_70d3500225_b.jpg

All that is left is to put this whose system to the test next weekend in Death Valley!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2100/2188693280_eeb2e3bf48_b.jpg

Looks like the kids love it!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2244/2187914447_5a6af74355.jpg

[kcowyo]

I love that all of the functional mods were done before the "might need it, might not but it looks good", mods. This build has been a lot of fun to follow and well documented.

I hear I might have the pleasure of seeing this truck in person in the coming months. I certainly hope so - :beer:

[Willman]

Looks great Greg!

Your rig has sure changed since the ET!

Keep it up!

:26_7_2:

[HMR]

Your amazing rig just gets better and better.
Once again... NICE WORK!

:bowdown:

[Overland Hadley]

I like the lights. Looks good.

[TACODOC]

Looks great, cant wait to see it in person! :friday:

[Jacket]

More info on how you ran all the wires for the lights and antennas into the cab please! Really great truck - I'm still in awe of that rack:bowdown:

[viatierra]

More info on how you ran all the wires for the lights and antennas into the cab please! Really great truck - I'm still in awe of that rack:bowdown:

Sorry for the delay Jacket... I've have the details to finish up before I wanted to post the nitty gritty and pics. It'll be up this weekend.

[viatierra]

I've had a great month playing with the new configuration of the Tacoma:

My esteemed brother and I took a Daddy & Daughter day and ran Montana Mountain together. It was a gorgeous day after rain so Mark snapped one of his insane pictures that ended up in the 2008 Expedition Portal Calander!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2101/2235656332_468828b8af_o.jpg

Next I headed off to Death Valley with the girlfriend and had an increadible time. I hadn't spent multiple days in the Maggiolina before. I'm always up at first light when camping, but this tent is so comfortable I was shocked at waking up late each day...

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g230/devildoc25/100_3015.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2253/2213451561_b9d1875997.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2401/2214226298_f625011729.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2370/2234899841_a8d9916aa0.jpg

Last I did a portion of the Great Western Trail and camped with Samantha:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2141/2224098214_e1859d24d4.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2076/2223316459_f15765523d.jpg

[Overland Hadley]

The truck looks great!

[SOAZ]

I've always wanted a dark blue truck. I was so excited when toyota finally had a dark blue tacoma. Yours look particularly good! Its my favorite 2nd gen tacoma right now!!!!
:26_7_2:

[p1michaud]

Your rig has sure changed since the ET!

Very functional updates! The rig is coming right along and by the looks of things you have all the basics covered for now. The rack design together with the lights came out very nice. I dig it! :wings:
Cheers,
P

[viatierra]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2127/2287646370_c04af9fc62_b.jpg

Here are a couple of more electrical mods that I've finally finished up. It has taken many more hours to get this done than I'd anticipated. I'm still thinking about adding rock lights, but that will mostly be a bling item so it's on hold. I don't want to look at another piece of electrical tape for awhile...

Okay for starters I ran a main fused line directly off the battery, through the firewall, under the plastic thresholds of both driver's side doors and into the compartment behind the rear left seat. In that compartment I installed a Blue Seas Marine fuse block, the main unit for my Yeseau 7800 and two relays for my lights on top of the cab. Yeah, I know that relays are supposed outside, but the wires were there and it was just too convenient. We'll see what happens when one of 'em blows. I've cleaned up this area quite a bit, but still looks abit like spaghetti. Everything is labled and pretty clean. Any ideas on how to make this look any better?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2052/2286852959_f1fb907c52_b.jpg

From here I have one set of wires running back up my center console where I have all my new light switches. The left two are for the the lights on top of the cab. On the right side I have my new LEDs for lighting up the bed and an empty switch for the coming rock lights.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2013/2286853525_46e7d7dd48_b.jpg

The rest of the wires run outside to the bed/rack. When you remove all the plastic panels there were aready 2 1/2 inch holes in cab filled with rubber plugs. I poped out the plugs and put in a couple of Ace Hardware rubber gromets. Through one I passed my CB and 2m antenea cables. The other handled all the power wires. From there everything ran up the gap between the cab and bed. I drilled holes in the tubing of my rack and ran everything inside. Drilling all the holes and fishing the wires around was tricky, but I'm digging how it came out.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2221/2286852029_ef3270ecbd_o.jpg

Over the cab I strung up the antenea's and the 55w lights.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2411/2287639102_5139514823_o.jpg

[viatierra]

Through the help of some good folks on the forum, I learned what a potted enclosure was: a little plastic box! Google is worthless if you don't know little bits of jargon like that. Well thanks again... Radio Shack had what became a little junction box where I installed 2 12v outlets.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2266/2286851727_d4d821e267_o.jpg

The box has a screw top and seals up quite nicely. Not waterproof but a bit of silicone fixed that. At 2" x 2" x 4" it was the perfect size to install 2 outlets. I put one on each end. The Maggiolina has a dome light that I will plug in one side. The other side I can plug in a fan, electric blanket, laptop... whatever. It is even a convient place to plug in my dorky air compressor.

[viatierra]

I've been looking for a long time to locate bright LEDs that will work to light up the bed of the truck. Now I can easily locate gear at night and not sweat the load on the battery. Here's what I installed from KMT Trailer. (http://www.kmtparts.com/catalog.asp?prodid=477966&showprevnext=1)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2223/2286856343_8ca0219647_b.jpg

For some reason, I was really stuck on using something stealthy...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2235/2287644356_3a7734e4af.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2388/2286858291_c0f4291c9f.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2125/2286862783_bcca8627de_b.jpg

[kcowyo]

Nice job sorting through the details. I like the stealthy lights, good call. Stealthy light switches too.

:beer:

[Jacket]

Very nice! I like how you ran all the wires through the tubing on the rack. Clean and stealth! Thanks for the detailed write up.

[TACODOC]

:peepwall: Nice job!

[viatierra]

Very nice! I like how you ran all the wires through the tubing on the rack. Clean and stealth! Thanks for the detailed write up.

Thanks guys!

Hopefully I answered your questions about how it was wired up.

[maxama10]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2127/2287646370_c04af9fc62_b.jpg

Here are a couple of more electrical mods that I've finally finished up. It has taken many more hours to get this done than I'd anticipated. I'm still thinking about adding rock lights, but that will mostly be a bling item so it's on hold. I don't want to look at another piece of electrical tape for awhile...

Okay for starters I ran a main fused line directly off the battery, through the firewall, under the plastic thresholds of both driver's side doors and into the compartment behind the rear left seat. In that compartment I installed a Blue Seas Marine fuse block, the main unit for my Yeseau 7800 and two relays for my lights on top of the cab. Yeah, I know that relays are supposed outside, but the wires were there and it was just too convenient. We'll see what happens when one of 'em blows. I've cleaned up this area quite a bit, but still looks abit like spaghetti. Everything is labled and pretty clean. Any ideas on how to make this look any better?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2052/2286852959_f1fb907c52_b.jpg



Hey, Great looking truck! As for that fuse box, heatshrink and zipties. Thats what I would do anyways.

Carry on :wavey:

[keezer36]

[QUOTE=viatierra]
I don't want to look at another piece of electrical tape for awhile...

Yeah, I know that relays are supposed outside

Any ideas on how to make this look any better?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2052/2286852959_f1fb907c52_b.jpg
[QUOTE=viatierra]

X2, Don't you just love electrical work, the tedium of doing it right?

Could you expound on your "relay" comment if possible? Relays are suppose to be outside? I wasn't aware of this.

I'd fashion a cover of sorts. How are your woodworking skills? Perhaps using those two bolts as anchor points. If you can remove the two bolts and replace it with threaded rod (metric!), You could spin nuts down to secure what the bolts are currently securing and still have the rod come out to secure a cover.
Don't know if the seat would flip back up if that's an issue.

[LandCruiserPhil]

[QUOTE=viatierra]
I don't want to look at another piece of electrical tape for awhile...

Yeah, I know that relays are supposed outside

Any ideas on how to make this look any better?

<SNIP>
Wiring duct (http://cgi.ebay.com/THOMAS-BETTS-1X1-WHITE-RIGID-WIRING-DUCTS-COVER-SETS_W0QQitemZ280198694934QQihZ018QQcategoryZ42886 QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247Q QcmdZViewItem) would help you clean up the look. Mount all components in a row or at least facing the duct and install the duct below or in the center. Extra wire can be concealed inside the duct. Duct is available in a lot of different sizes. Makes changes and service nice.
HTH

[viatierra]

Yeah, I know that relays are supposed outside


X2, Don't you just love electrical work, the tedium of doing it right?

Could you expound on your "relay" comment if possible? Relays are suppose to be outside? I wasn't aware of this.

Thanks for the advice guys... I'll tinker with it somehow. As for the relays, the advice I'd gotten from a couple of sources said to put the underneath or under the hood. The story was that when they eventually go bad relays smoke. I extrapolated that into an unlikely but possible fire hazzard??

I put them inside anyway.

[maxama10]

Also, I see you already added some switches but next time, you might look into rocker switches from 4x4mods.com they fit in the existing holes next to stock switches and look awesome.

http://4x4mods.com/Product/Jeep/Rockerswitches/rockerswitch40.html

[richard cabesa]

Also, I see you already added some switches but next time, you might look into rocker switches from 4x4mods.com they fit in the existing holes next to stock switches and look awesome.

http://4x4mods.com/Product/Jeep/Rockerswitches/rockerswitch40.html


Oh, man. What a great score, thanks for that! I was just about to spend $38 on a Toyota switch

[Mlachica]

Wow, nice thread.

Those are some cool LED's illuminating your bed. Nice potted enclosure too!

How's the jeniko mount mounting these days? Holding up well still? Any regrets? What hardware did you use? I like the price, I'm just looking for some real world feed back... Thanks!

[viatierra]

Thanks Mark!
I suppose I'm due for a few minor updates here...

As for the Jenko, certainly for the money you can't beat it. That setup is only in the vehicle for special occasions & big trips. It is simple to pop in and out. I have the base plate permanently mounted to the tunnel. No special hardware used, except for the additional brace I added. I still get a bit of vibration, but it is less than what movement comes from the computer screen itself.

I say give it a shot! As before, for the money you can't beat it. Lately I've been dreaming about a different system. I think it would be incredibly cool and efficient to remove the radio and permanently mount a small tablet PC in the center of the dash!

[ECVMatt]

I love that rack! I was thinking about having a similar rack built for my 05 Tacoma. Have there been any clearance issue with the roof? I was wondering if the frame flex would allow the rack to bump the roof?

I am considering a two tier system that would allow me to carry action packers below the roof line or move the bars up one level to carry my OZ tent, lumber, etc..your fabricator hit it right on the mark. The moveable bars are awesome.

Could you give me a general guestimate on the price. I understand if you want to keep that private, but I am trying to come up with a budget for this addtion to my truck.

Thanks so much for any info you can provide.

Matt

[viatierra]

ECVMatt,

PM sent!

[viatierra]

I'm going to post up a few highlights from the year and include some of the brushups to the truck...

In the meantime, if you ever want to tag along on one of our adventures, it looks like I've created a place just for you!

http://www.markdstephens.com/rocky_mountains/images/rmt_0603.JPG

Happy New Year!

[viatierra]

We started the spring with a good ol' snow run. It was Sam's first enjoyable trip to the snow. Monumental...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2160/2278805716_b08c5043fb.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2121/2278021753_9d3ce74242.jpg


Most of you know about traveling across the Barry M Goldwater Airforce Range when doing Arizona's famous El Camino Del Diablo... but did you know that you can use your permit to explore a different section of the range on the east side of highway 85? Christine and I had a great time checking out the spring flowers in this less popular area. Highly recommended.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2322/2343539407_888db31e46.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3060/2343524785_7e9b8e88e8.jpg

We caught up with several Expo people for some fun near the Chiricaguas...
Ran into Tim (SOAZ) and many others at the first Four Peaks Cleanup...

[viatierra]

The big event of the year was a 3 week trip this summer. The #1 purpose for this build was to hit National Parks and other places with my daughter, Samantha. We hit the road with my brother & Brooke & Chloe and made a serious dent in that grand goal! To Yellowstone & back with 100 places inbetween!

http://www.markdstephens.com/rocky_mountains/images/rmt_0072.JPG

Here's Mark's crazy cool album of all the fun:
http://www.markdstephens.com/rocky_mountains/index.html#thumbnail9

[viatierra]

Here's a quick overview of what we did:

We blasted north in order to take our time on the return.
Lunch at Bear Lake in Idaho(click for more pics)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3108/2568593806_68782dfae4_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/viatierra/sets/72157605538951420/)

[viatierra]

We basically froze our nickers off when we finally landed in Yellowstone. We pretty much experienced the park through the windows.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3048/2581093213_b644f36755_b.jpg

So much for pedaling amongst the Buffalo!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3038/2581920712_1e4a8bbc15.jpg

We caught up with the Utah Expo folks for Father's Day. It was great to meet some new faces, lets the kids play and plant ourselves for a couple of days...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3143/2581958012_421bf966a1_b.jpg

More pictures (http://www.flickr.com/photos/viatierra/sets/72157605626990116/)

[viatierra]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3191/2593136845_96690c3066_b.jpg

After freezing up north, we tackled 100+ degrees in Southern Utah. Child's play really. We're from Phoenix! What a contrast in just a few hours drive though.

We spent 3 AMAZING days poking and napping our way along the White Rim Trail.

Blowing bubbles at Gooseneck
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3053/2593097743_9557ef358c_b.jpg

Vagabond stress:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3090/2593953506_d04d1f7b39_b.jpg

Canyoneering like a princess
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3116/2593969080_219d579493_b.jpg

More pictures (http://www.flickr.com/photos/viatierra/sets/72157605702972616/)

[viatierra]

After the chill of Wyoming and the sweat of Utah... we found perfection in Colorado! San Juan must have been quite a dude:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3164/2611817438_27a4f9da48_b.jpg

Mobil snowball fight! If you quit looking at my kid's butt, you'll notice the cool flower clip courtesy of Mrs. Willman. That was her favorite prize of the trip.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/2628027039_42bfcf59ca.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3138/2628844322_20a4259752.jpg

Sam lost her first tooth while camped outside of Durango. Funny life milestones:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3151/2611008241_0d287e52ab.jpg

If you want to see more... (http://www.flickr.com/photos/viatierra/sets/72157605818576485/)

[viatierra]

We wrapped it up with stops at Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. An outstanding Epic Stephens Aventure!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/2628878320_94d130073d_b.jpg

The last batch! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/viatierra/sets/72157605924872437/)

[HMR]

Could your truck be any cooler?
Probably not.

Could your kid be any cuter?
Definitely not.

:sombrero:

[keezer36]

So much for pedaling amongst the Buffalo!



Yellowstone, where the buffalo roam, down the road for as long as they please.

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z235/keezer36/DSC00164.jpg

Best post I've seen in awhile. Great pictures. Thank you.

[Jacket]

Diggin the pictures! That's really what its all about.

[viatierra]

Diggin the pictures! That's really what its all about.

Well Matt (all hail the reigning King...)

The last event of the year worth posting here was Expedition Trophy 2008

In ’07 Mark and I took 3rd overall, this year Christine and I took 2nd! She did fantastic and had a great time. Will 2009 finally be my year? Perhaps I should step down and let someone else have a chance… Nah, the Trophy is WAY too much friggin’ fun. Don’t worry, I’ll post pictures if I make the cut again.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3217/3154790350_743b0c3a71_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1222/3267504282_59ae587b28_o.jpg

[kcowyo]

Awesome Tacoma, a choice itinerary and a fun family to hang with. :clapsmile


Great photo set, worth the wait (ahem...). I shudder to think how many Princess DVD's you endured on the road, but pleasing that shy little heartbreaker of yours is worth enduring every sugary sweet lyric. So did the Tooth Fairy make a visit to the Maggiolina? Sorry about the snow in YNP, but Alaska would have been worse. ;)


I'm so glad I got to join up with the Traveling Stephens Family Circus Tour for a few nights. Let's do it again soon.


:beer:
.

[viatierra]

A couple of more recent improvements to the truck:

Once again, I can’t say enough about what an upstanding guy John Hunter is and his work on my tent rack. When I picked it up a year ago, John was apprehensive and wanted to add a support along the rear window. I said No and that I’d keep an eye on it. Well, I didn’t and it failed. I called John about bringing it in to be fixed, which he did right away at no charge. Amazing and ridiculous.

(Looking for busted pictures to be posted here)

The fix is solid and slick. I really appreciate John’s top notch service and support with his work… It’s a matter of pride to him, although I see the failure as more my fault. I won’t hesitate recommending his work or using him again in the future.

Since the rack had to be taken apart & rewired after John’s welding, I took the opportunity to upgrade a few things that weren’t quite done right the first time.

Powder coat
Can’t believe the difference compared to the rattle can job that was done the first time. No more rust spots, touch ups and the textured finish is an improvement too. Check out the fixed rack: Layered tubing & new gussets at the break points PLUS a new cross member above the rear window.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3053/3265457678_8bbd789847.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3391/3265456478_fcf9e66849.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3304/3264633947_f80f7a7fa8.jpg

Penne vs. Spaghetti
I have been keeping my eye open for a good solution for cleaning up the wiring around my auxiliary fuse block. I never found what I was looking for, so I invented my own budget solution. I got the largest wiring loom I could find and screwed it in place making a loop around the compartment behind the rear seat. Man, I HATE wiring so it was huge to get this done.

From THIS:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2052/2286852959_f1fb907c52.jpg

To THIS:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3341/3264630979_015ca513dd.jpg

[viatierra]

Okay, since we're here. I relocated my GPS awhile back. Since there are very few flat surfaces to be found, perhaps this might be helpful to someone else.

I squeezed it in next to the CD player on the factory radio cover. It is flimsy plastic so I cleared out an area and backed it up with a piece of aluminum to screw to.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/3154774480_e9cec4bca7.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/3153934519_3e1d2063ab.jpg

Voilà!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3224/3154777772_baeee5db28.jpg

I'm toying with the idea of removing the radio and permenantly mounting a tablet PC in the dash here. I could do everything that I use my GPS, laptop, radio, cd player & mp3 player for and much more. Any experiece or thoughts on the concept? It's money I don't have at this moment, but I'm still rolling the details around in my brain for now.

[Ryanmb21]

awesome! looks very similar to what I did here (http://www.toyota120.com/forum/showpost.php?p=27990&postcount=6).

[viatierra]

During the 2008 Expedition Trophy, I had the brilliant idea to use my Maggiolina ladder as a piece of recovery gear. Since the Maggiolina ladder is extendable, I figured that the two pieces could be seperated. I thought I could use the two halves as sand ladders... one in front each rear tire. Unfortunately, the the ladder hardware comes riveted together! What sense does that make??

I used it anyway with great effect. Since I had my rear locker on, I only needed one side to gain traction. Plus, leaving the two pieces together provided additional strength so they didn't get totally mangled during the process. Still, I couldn't help thinking that the rivets were a stupid way to make a piece of gear less usefull.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3256/3154789692_79983dc592_o.jpg

When I finally got home I drilled out the rivets and inspected the damage:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/3151466133_03183eed8b_b.jpg

Not too bad! I tweaked the ladder back into shape and reassembled the pieces using normal Ace Hardware nuts & bolts. Having made this simple mod, my ladder is able to be quickly seperated with just a screw driver. Who knows what other used I might find for it now?


tent ladder
self recovery - pair of sand ladders
???

[kcowyo]

I used mine for a drying rack to dry towels and such in Saline Valley. I'm sure they'd work for that on the sea shores of old Mexico too...

That's a great idea in an emergency.


:coffee:
.

[ChuckB]

I just read through this whole thread. Awesome build!

[Jerseytaco]

Great build! Love the rack design. About how much did it cost?:victory:

[RHINO]

i'm diggin that cast iron wash basin.

[ETAV8R]

Great build. Subscribed

[GenPuller]

This is the best rack I've seen on any forum. I would add two things: 1) a wire mesh floor for the front for more storage. 2) Gussets, just like the bottom for the top for an added tie option. I'm going to buy a Tacoma in the near future and turn it into the best expedition vehicle I can imagine, built for adventure and memories that will last a life time. This is the exact rack set up I want.

[ETAV8R]

Would you happen to have contact info for the guy who built your rack? I'm considering a similar set up but I want to keep my hard tonneau cover. Whats the avg cost for something like that rack?

[sk8rjess]

i know this thread is dead(sorry to bring it back) but this is an awesome build! i love that you take your daughter out like that.. i'm sure she does too!

[o0synge0o]

I just browsed through this thread real quick before bed, but damn I am looking forward to spending some time over the next couple of days, reading it page by page! Great post and a nice Taco build!

[Nigel Caffiene]

A really great build thread! You have an excellent example of an Expedition Tacoma.

This is fairly close to how I want to kit out my 2010 Taco.

Cheers!

[RSB]

x2 for this body style Tacoma. Matches the truck beautifully!


This is the best rack I've seen on any forum

[Mr. D]

great build, and terrific pictures

[Detslider]

been searching for some ideas of how to mount a RTT and came accross this thread. Awesome rack. I'm on the east coast so as much as I'd like to have the original fabricator build one for my truck it's not practical. I appreciate the detailed pictures though. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to find somebody local who can duplicate it.

I guess you decided to quit this thread while you were on top eh? Too bad, an update would be cool.

[clcoyle]

great set-up