Canuckia White AC From The Great White North

[Canuckia]

Hey Folks,
Just picked up a 2017 Tacoma Access Cab Long Box TRD Off Road a little over a month or so ago. I drove a slightly modified Xterra for the last 5 years but it was starting to nickel and dime me. I dumped over 3 grand in repairs this summer, then developed a serious cylinder missfire. I was originally looking at going to a diesel ZR2, but could not find any in extra cab long box new or used. When the X developed the missfire, I saw this Tacoma on the Nissan lot. Only 42,000 kms, was a good price and I got a really good trade in on the X, even with the engine miss.

The previous owner did a few things recently like Bilstein 5100 shocks front and rear. The goal is to make a general four wheeling and camping rig. It came with new winter tires, so new tires and rims will happen after the snow. I will get a Canopy in the spring so I can build a sleeping platform with sliding drawers. Of course, I will install one of my diff breather kits and will use this vehicle as my guinea pig to design under hood light kits, hoot strut kits, etc.

 

[bonifacio]

Welcome!

3 grand
42000kms

For the US Folks:
That's $80 and 1000 miles.

 

[406Camper]

Welcome. Nice to see a fellow AC here, and a 2017 to boot! Love the versatility of the 'long' bed.

 

[B-Man]

Welcome!

 

[Canuckia]

Welcome!



For the US Folks:
That's $80 and 1000 miles.

Pretty much!

 

[Canuckia]

Welcome. Nice to see a fellow AC here, and a 2017 to boot! Love the versatility of the 'long' bed.

Welcome. Nice to see a fellow AC here, and a 2017 to boot! Love the versatility of the 'long' bed.

Same here. I do not have kids, so there is not really a reason to have a double cab. Especially when I want the long box for sleeping etc.

 

[Canuckia]

I grew up in a 4x4 and outdoors loving family. In fact, my parents met on a 4x4 trip when 2 clubs did a long weekend trail drive. They met when dad had the CJ-5, then got a Bronco after I was born. They raced the Bronco all over Western Canada and Washington, then raced a Capri V6 powered Willys.

 

[Canuckia]

I have had lots of 4x4's over the years. Sometimes I really miss my TJ, especially in the tight trails! Locked front and rear on 33x10.50's

 

[RickinFL]

I grew up in a 4x4 and outdoors loving family. In fact, my parents met on a 4x4 trip when 2 clubs did a long weekend trail drive. They met when dad had the CJ-5, then got a Bronco after I was born. They raced the Bronco all over Western Canada and Washington, then raced a Capri V6 powered Willys.

Awesome old pics …Thanks for sharing!

 

[Canuckia]

My last 4x4 was my Xterra that I traded in for my Tacoma. It was a great rig but it was time. We have a large ORV park at the edge of our city and until recently, I had one of the last houses before the park. Lots of times I would supposed to take a right turn into the city for errands but would end up taking a left to the ORV park.

There is some things I like more about the Nissan vs the Toyota. The hood... it is huge and triple the weight of the Xterra hood! I hear people complaining about the Tacoma fuel mileage ... you have obviously never driven an Xterra! I used to get 350-400 kms per tank vs 550 km now on the same size tank.

The first photo is the last Fathers Day with my dad. My brother, nephew, dad and myself went to a car show where he saw 4x4 friends that he had not been with in years. We took a back road home and ended up getting swallowed by an underground spring. We ended up having to call mom to come pull us out in dad;s truck. We lost him a few months later to his 3rd bout with brain cancer. What a great way to spend his last Fathers Day with us though!

At the ORV park

ORV Park again

That ORV Park again

A fire lookout close to home that I have been going to since I was old enough to walk. We are placing a memorial for my dad here next summer. It is one of his favourite places.

One last pic from our ORV Park.

 

[406Camper]

Kamloops is stunning! I missed it on my way through to Banff two years ago. I was planning to go this year, but the border closed. I had a route planned from Revelstoke to Kamloops and back through Kelowna. If I lived next to an ORV park I would never get anything done.

 

[Canuckia]

I came across this canopy for sale for $500 3 hours away from me a few days after I bought the Tacoma. It is exactly what I want but had prior commitments time wise. The guy was moving and needed it gone. By the time I found someone to pick it up for me, it was sold.

 

[Canuckia]

I owned the Tacoma for less than a week before I took it on the first camping trip. Without the canopy that I missed out on.

This was a special trip for me as I visited my ex brother in law's memorial. He was killed in an avalanche there 2 years ago. By chance, I ran into my ex sister in law and Bobby's best friend that was riding with him that day and had to dig him out. We shared a few beer and lots of tears. It was Pauls second time back since the avalanche... I can only imagine what it is like to dig your best friend out of the snow and wait beside him for almost 3 hours for search and rescue to show up. As we sat around the campfire that night, I often saw my BIL Bobby sitting around the campfire with us, chatting and laughing alongside us. The next day there was a hawk that followed us along the trail from lake to lake. The guys all agreed it was Bobby having fun watching us four wheel and made sure we got out ok.

We took a different way back and ended up in some tight trees, rocks and mud. After the tight stuff, we drove 8kms with aspen trees branches scraping the side of my new to me truck. As Grant said when following me, he had new truck anxiety for me. That is why I did not buy a black vehicle again!

MIke and his swag tent is a perfect fit on the Hummer!

 

[Canuckia]

Kamloops is stunning! I missed it on my way through to Banff two years ago. I was planning to go this year, but the border closed. I had a route planned from Revelstoke to Kamloops and back through Kelowna. If I lived next to an ORV park I would never get anything done.

Kamloops is great! I have lived all over the country and came back about 10 years ago. Never leaving now!

 

[Canuckia]

Fall is my favorite time of year!

 

[Canuckia]

First mod was glove box amd console organizers. Second was installing the VHF radio that was in the Xterra. I will make a console mole panel to mount it in tje next few months. I put a few screws in for the meantime.

 

[Canuckia]

Next trip was to a fire lookout with a side trip to Cougar Point and the Fraser River.

 

[TITS]

Great pics Canuckia!

Are those the stock Kevlar tires?. I hated those stock Kevlar "Highway Tires' that came on my Taco. My 265/75/16 Duratracs have been awesome so far. The 3 peak snow designation gave me enough confidence to sell off my dedicated winter tire package. No regrets......

 

[Canuckia]

Great pics Canuckia!

Are those the stock Kevlar tires?. I hated those stock Kevlar "Highway Tires' that came on my Taco. My 265/75/16 Duratracs have been awesome so far. The 3 peak snow designation gave me enough confidence to sell off my dedicated winter tire package. No regrets......

They are Goodyear Winter Command tires. They are brand new and were on the Tacoma when I bought it. Not my first choice for a dedicated winter tire, but I will run them and see what I think. On the Xterra, I ran studded Duratracs in the winter and Firestone MT2 in the summer. There is pros and cons to running studs, not sure if I would go that route again. I loved the Firestones MT2. Great price, good wear, good on the rocks, my size was made in Canada. They are high on my list for when I buy new tires in the spring, but am thinking of going to something a little less aggressive.

 

[TITS]

I bet those Goodyear winter Command tires are great in the winter. I used to own Goodyear Ultragrips, which were fantastic.

 

[Canuckia]

Hard to believe I have had it 2 months and yesterday was the first time I took it to the ORV park. The first one gives an awesome view of Kamloops.

 

[B-Man]

Great pics!

 

[Meclizine]

Belated welcome! Nice choice on the long bed. Shame on missing out on that cap, but there should be other deals. I never planned on getting such a high one myself, but it showed up on FB and was too good to pass on. I thought about getting one with full doors, but I really like having a backup camera and tailgate. It's an ARE, and I understand they make decent caps when it comes to aluminum.

Those are nice pictures. I'd love to get out that way, it's gorgeous. I'll hopefully have my camper shell done by Spring so I'll put my pile of vacation hours to use next year! I'm not sure if your border folks would let a weirdo like me in, though.

 

[Canuckia]

Belated welcome! Nice choice on the long bed. Shame on missing out on that cap, but there should be other deals. I never planned on getting such a high one myself, but it showed up on FB and was too good to pass on. I thought about getting one with full doors, but I really like having a backup camera and tailgate. It's an ARE, and I understand they make decent caps when it comes to aluminum.

Those are nice pictures. I'd love to get out that way, it's gorgeous. I'll hopefully have my camper shell done by Spring so I'll put my pile of vacation hours to use next year! I'm not sure if your border folks would let a weirdo like me in, though.

I really want to go with a canopy that has doors as I think it would be easier to close a door from the inside rather than lift up the tailgate and close the canopy lift gate from the inside.

 

[Canuckia]

I picked up a female friend last night. It was the first time she had seen my Tacoma. She thought it was "cute". Sigh.

When driving, a text came and I had the stereo read it. Because the stereo has a female voice, she decided that my Tacoma is a female. She had already asked a few weeks ago what I had named it. Now apparently I have to pick a female name...

Until I had met her years ago I had never named my vehicles. Her and her daughters helped me name my last two vehicles.

So any ideas on what to name my Tacoma?

 

[TITS]

Henpecked?

Sorry, couldn't resist Canuckia.

 

[Canuckia]

Henpecked?

Sorry, couldn't resist Canuckia.

Haha! It is my ex that we are working on our relationship, so yeah... I do not mind naming my vehicle. I was more bothered when she called it cute!

 

[Meclizine]

I really want to go with a canopy that has doors as I think it would be easier to close a door from the inside rather than lift up the tailgate and close the canopy lift gate from the inside.

That totally makes sense. It's also the only 100% effective way to prevent tailgate theft.

 

[TCOTUE]

Welcome!

 

[Canuckia]

Have not posted much... been wheeling lots over the winter and spring but did not take many photos!
This was a day trip on our Candian Thanksgiving to a fire lookout a few hours away. Fire Lookouts are a passion of mine... so much history and great views! Check out my BC Forest Fire Group in FB.