SUSPENSION LIFT

Front: Old Man Emu Nitrocharger Shock (90021) with 2888 Coilovers

I wanted a modest 2″ lift that was more capable than stock suspension. Based on value and reviews, I originally chose the Bilstein 6112 lift kit, but it was back-ordered for at least 8 months at the time of my build. Instead I opted for an Old Man Emu setup consisting of 2888 coilovers with 90021 Nitrocharger shocks. With only a 2″ lift I could have gotten away with no upper control arms. But despite their high cost, I wanted to do it right the first time to avoid worry about imperfect alignment and uneven tire wear.

Upper Control Arm: SPC 25470

Rear: Icon Progressive Add-a-leaf

The complete OME lift kit that’s listed above is great, but I ended up piece-mealing my rear suspension to suit my extremely light rear end with just a Softopper. A block lift, though scorned, would probably have been fine, but not a good choice if I ever added future weight. As for a standard add-a-leaf, I was concerned that it could have given my light rear-end too much lift and a bone rattling ride. Based on feedback in discussion boards I chose an Icon progressive Add-a-leaf, and removed my overload spring. I paired it with Bilstein 5100 shocks.

The new suspension feels significantly better. The stock suspension rode mushy like a boat, with severe body lean on curves. My OME/Bilstein combo is pleasantly firmer than stock and eliminated the lean, yet is still plush on pavement.

FRONT BUMPER/WINCH

Bumper: SSO Slimline Bumper with 20″ HEISE LED

After driving around with an ARB bull-bar front bumper on my last Tacoma and never needing it, I realized that it looked awesome, but decreased efficiency in every way. Yet I still wanted a front recovery point and spot to mount a winch. I chose the Slimline Hybrid Bumper by Southern Style Offroad. It’s a good compromise to avoid weight while maintaining function and looks. I like the integral 20″ LED light bar too. As for the winch, I run a Warn 10,000 lb.

Alternative Bumper: Body Armor HiLine

This front bumper is the same style as the above-mentioned Slimline, but it’s much less expensive, and there’s usually no lead time when ordered through Amazon (otherwise, lead times can average 2 months for other bumpers).

Winch: Warn VR 10-S

Front Grill: Tacoma TRD Pro Aftermarket Grill

I liked the looks of the 2nd gen Tacoma front end, but not so much the 3rd gen with it’s blunt nose and busy honeycomb grill. I replaced the stock grill with a knock-off TRD Pro grill that made a big improvement.

What about a Rear Bumper and Fuel Cans?

I had a rear bumper with a carrier swing arm on my last Tacoma and hated it. The extra weight and constant hassle of getting into my topper wasn’t worth just having someplace to mount a rarely needed Jerry can. Now, in the rare event that I go on a truly off-grid trip, I mount a NATO spec 5 gallon Jerry can inside my bed and store it outside overnight. In Colorado it’s unlikely that I’ll exceed my Tacoma’s range before passing a fuel station. Most fuel containers leak; a genuine NATO spec can with a real (non EPA) spout is the only type I’ve found that won’t.

RECOVERY GEAR

Heavy Duty Bottle Jack: Alltrade 3 Ton

The factory bottle jack is too short to jack a truck with a lift kit without propping it up with wood blocks, and it’s too unstable on uneven terrain. Instead I used to carry Hi-lift jack , but it’s the size of an Ostrich and just as awkward to store. While very useful for rock-crawling (and on the farm),  it was overkill for me and I wanted something smaller. Besides, a Hi-lift can only jack where there’s body armor, and I only have a front bumper on this truck. I decided to try out the Alltrade jack because it has a built-in jack stand, and an extra tall neck. So far it has worked fine with no leaks, and it stores easily.

Tree Saver Recovery Strap-ARB Strap

D-Ring Shackles-Autmatch

Snatch Block-Warn 20,000 lb

Work Gloves: Ironclad Ranchworx

Complete Recovery Kit-Warn Medium Duty Winch Kit

You need a minimum of 3 items to winch: a recovery strap (tree saver), pair of D-ring shackles, and snatch block (pulley). The strap wraps around the tree –> the D-ring attaches the snatch block to the strap –> the winch rope runs through the snatch block and back to your truck –> the winch hook attaches to the second D-ring on your truck. For single line winching you don’t need a second D-ring or snatch block, but you’d always opt for double line if possible because it’s safer and doubles the winch’s power.

Recovery Tracks-X-Bull Recovery Tracks

Recovery tracks are cheap insurance to recover yourself when stuck, especially if you don’t have a winch. And beyond the obvious purpose of slipping these tracks beneath spinning wheels, they can also serve as a ramp to ease up ledges that you don’t otherwise have enough nose clearance for. I end up using them most often to level my truck to sleep flat than for recovery. The X-Bull recovery tracks are a much cheaper alternative to the venerable MaxTrax, but rate practically as well in tests.

ELECTRICAL POWER

Battery Jump Starter: DB Power 18000

Figuring out auxiliary power was the most confusing part of this build. At first, a dual battery system seemed the obvious choice. However, trying to decipher between the different systems, and how complex it really needed to be was baffling. My local 4×4 shops had very little knowledge on the topic, yet still charged heftily to install them. I was keen on wiring it myself, but was clearly out of my depth. Furthermore, adding the weight of a second battery to my front end along with the complexity of running wires, switches and fuses made it seem evermore unpractical. Ultimately, my power needs were basic, and I realized that there might be more practical solutions than a dual battery system. I simply wanted to run accessory lights at night, and have backup in case my battery goes flat.

Then I discovered some inexpensive gear that didn’t exist during my last build, and could serve in place of a DBS. Because of bad experiences with unreliable jump boxes, I kept an actual battery in the bed of my truck in case I needed to jump myself. But recently, tiny, powerful jump starters based on Li-ion batteries have entered the market. The DB Power jump starter that I purchased cost under $100, holds enough juice for several jumps, and can be left in the glove box for months without recharging. It can even charge e-devices, though I keep mine reserved for just jump starting.

Over the past year I’ve eagerly been on the lookout for fellow motorists who required a jump to test this mini jump starter.  I’m happy to report that I’ve successfully jumped vehicles ranging from a motorcycle to an F-250 Diesel, with each jump sipping only a scant 10% of battery power on average. About 10% of the jump starter’s battery life dissipates every 3 months when kept in the glove box.

Tailgate Lantern: Suboos Camping Light

Overhead Reading Lights: Ansuo LED Lights

The only electrical accessories that I wanted were a lantern above my tailgate to cook meals at night, and 2 small lights inside my topper to read. For the lantern I found an inexpensive, versatile tent lantern that included high, medium and red modes. For the reading lights I found simple LED cabinet lights that I attached to the bars of my Softopper. Each light runs on rechargeable batteries that can be charged while I drive, so it’s still technically a self-contained system. After trying several brands of rechargeable batteries, I’ve come to rely on the the Panasonic Eneloop Pro’s for their lifespan and power output.

Though not as impressive as a dual battery system, the combo of a jump starter and battery powered lights is infinitely simpler, and only cost me $130. A DBS with additional wiring and switches would have cost me well over $1000, plus the weight and potential failure points. A DBS is definitely more useful for people with fridges who spend a lot of time camped with their truck. However, when my current battery needs replacement I’d consider upgrading to a large capacity/deep cycle battery that accessories can be hard-wired to without concern. Combined with my jump starter, this would be like having a dual battery system.

Bed Outlet Charging Station

The Tacoma comes with a standard wall outlet built into the bed that provides 400 w when the engine is running, and 100 w when off. This is the perfect place to plug in a power strip and recharge my camera batteries while driving. Otherwise, they’d very much be in the way in the cab if plugged into the 12v outlet. I built a small platform to mount the power strip to make a handy charging station.

TOPPER

Softopper Canvas

Deciding to go with a Softopper diverged greatly from my original plan for this build. After having regular fiberglass toppers on all my trucks to camp in, I finally wanted a popup tent topper so I could stand up to change my clothes and have a spacious niche to wait out bad weather. However, they cost between $6,000-$12,000 (often with very long wait times), yet they’re nothing more than a regular topper with a pop-up tent on top. In the end I couldn’t justify the high price for something that I didn’t use daily, and also didn’t want to line somebody’s pocket for such a simple product.

I went radically in the other direction of a Softopper. It was a no-brainer for me because you get the same amount of interior space as a cab-height fiberglass shell, yet the Softopper weights only 35lbs, and you can fold it down to use the bed. Since I’m usually only in the bed of my truck for a few hours of sleep anyway, I decided that reduced comfort was worth preserving the performance of my truck.

Dust Proofing

Expanding Insulation Foam: Great Stuff Foam

Bed Cap Tape: 50 Ft Adhesive Foam

Tailgate Seal: TruXedo

All toppers are inherently dusty without additional sealing, and the Softopper has a few more slits than usual. Rather than waiting to see if this is a problem on the dusty roads of the American west, I preemptively sealed up the gaps. I squirted expanding insulation foam down into the hard to reach crannies, used foam seal tape along the bed rails, and sealed the large tailgate gaps with a strip of tailgate seal. After a multi-thousand mile trip through the Southwest, the inside of my topper stayed clean and dust free.

Cargo Net: Toolux Adjustable

Overland travel entails the art of maximizing small spaces. I suspended a cargo net from the roof of my topper to stow light items like clothing to save deck space.

Sleeping Deck

I built this sleeping/cargo deck for my 2nd gen Tacoma, and it still fits the bed of my 2017 Tacoma perfectly. However, to fit the lower height of the Softopper I’ve chopped 5″ off the supports. It rests on the wheel wells and a center column, and has 9.25″ of cargo space underneath. You can place only 1 section into the truck for a single sleeper while keeping half of the truck bed open, or 2 sections to form a large flush floor for 2 sleepers. The whole deck lifts out of the truck in seconds for full use of the bed. I found only 1 specific tote on the market that’s voluminous enough to store all of my dry food and gear, yet still fits beneath the deck. I can fit up to 6 of these totes in the bed.

Mattress: Full-size Memory Foam

When I’m alone I just use my camping pad as a mattress, but when the GF tags along I use a 2″ thick memory foam mattress. The full size fits perfectly on the sleeping deck in the bed of my Tacoma.

Emergency Box: Plano XXL Tote

I permanently carried this sturdy, large capacity chest in the bed of my last Tacoma for emergencies. Because I lowered the height of my sleeping deck, this box no longer fits beneath it and I’ve built my own chest to fit, but it’s still an awesome choice for any truck with an open bed or taller deck. I keep the following items in the chest for emergency, some of which I’ve used:

Fire Extinguisher-Car Mounted Extinguisher

This is cheap insurance to stop potential disaster. Though I’ve never had a close call with fire, I do think the chances of encountering fire are greater in an off-road/overlanding environment considering all of the extra electronics and cooking gear carried. A fire extinguisher would also be good should your camp fire misbehave.

CONVENIENCE

Remote Start: Start-X

When doing photography in the Rocky Mountains I often start the day when it’s still dark and icy. With remote start I can emerge from my sleeping bag and hop right into a warm cab with the ice already melted off the windshield. The Toyota dealership quoted me over $500 dollars to install remote start, but I installed this easy setup kit myself in about 25 minutes saving me over $300!

Console Organizer: 6-slot Divider

This organizer adds partitions inside the console so that items won’t be piled on top of each other, thereby doubling usable space.

Phone mount: Scosche Magnetic Mount

It might seem funny to include such a seemingly trivial product, but this phone mount has made my life way easier while driving. I mounted it horizontally to reduce the likelihood of falling off. It attaches perfectly on the flat space above the vent by my right hand where I need my phone most. Without the phone mounted, it’s nothing more than a small nub that occupies little space.

Wire Gear Ties: Tipu 16 Pack

This pack of gear ties is a good bargain with 16 ties of various sizes. They can be found all throughout the cab and bed of my truck keeping equipment from rattling and securing gear in place.

Access Cab Cargo Deck

I built this deck to fit behind the front seats in my access cab to double the cargo capacity, effectively giving you the storage space of a quad cab. There are no front legs underneath as to allow long items to fit all the way across. In lieu of front legs, 2 straps suspend it from the front head rests, and it rests on the center console. I covered it with thin carpet to prevent objects from sliding around.

LED Backup Bulbs: Alla SuperBrights

Pound for pound these LED backup lights were among the best upgrades because they’re cheap and easy to install, yet make a big improvement. They’re also a good compromise to installing expensive stand-alone LED lights. Where the stock bulbs were just bright enough to get the job done, these LED’s are several times brighter.

FOOD/WATER STORAGE

Keeping your gear organized, separated and in specific places goes a long way in making overlanding a frustration free adventure. I use these items because they’re both tough, and fit beneath my decks system.

Water Container: Reliance 7 gallon with spout

Gear/Dry Food Storage: HD 17 gallon Tote

Cooler: Igloo Marine Ultra Cooler

Stove: Camp Chef 2 burner