NVTaco's 2021 Pro [slow] Build

[NVTaco]

Hello All,
New here, but I have been lurking for a while picking up tips/tricks/hacks and been wanting a Taco for over two decades now! Long story short, a very recent divorce lead to a forced sale of my house, lack of a decent daily driver, and me wanting to get back to the 2 or 3 weekends a month I spent out in the west exploring prior to marriage. My lifted '06 TJ Rubicon w/150k has been showing her age and lead me on the hunt for a new rig, and here I am.

I started shopping in September 2020, however, I quickly found the Toyota region I live in inflates the cost over MSRP and inventory was not available with a waiting list pushed out until February 2021. At this point I was looking for a TRD OR with the package I wanted, but I was open to the Pro. Getting a TRD OR with exactly what I wanted would pretty much require me waiting and ordering one; not really an option as my TJ was down on compression in one cylinder and leaking just about every fluid possible. Pricing the two models out side by side, once I outfitted the TRD OR with the factory options I wanted, it was close in price to a Pro. In early October 2020 I started hunting east of Rockies seeing there were no options in the west, reaching out to a few dealerships a day looking for a Pro in either Lunar or Super White. Finally, I came across a dealership in Iowa who had a Pro allocated, not reserved and shipping out in early November, and within two minutes of talking with them I had my deposit on it. Huge shout-out to Toyota of Des Moines, they worked with me and we completed the entire deal via email and phone; they even threw in a 200k mi 20 year powertrain warranty for free.

Fast forward two weeks, finally the day came, I drove my TJ ten hours south to a relatives house for storage until I can find a place with a garage, hopped on a plane and flew to Des Monies. Once at the dealership, I had the keys in my hand in less than an hour, and I started on my 1600mi drive back to NV. If you ever want to figure out a new vehicle, I highly suggest a 1600mi drive through all weather types! Enough yapping, some photos from my trip home...

Shinny and New, just pulled out of the dealership.

Passing through Nebraska...

Six hours from home, a burning semi shutdown I80 for over three hours and gave me time to play with the audio system.

Due to the delay, the storm I was racing home caught me.

 

[Biohazard]

Nice truck. Bought an identical 2020 last May. Sorry for the change in life's circumstances, hopeful and eager to see new paths forward, and lots of adventure stories!

 

[Tacomadad18]

Hello and welcome to Tacoma3g!

 

[NVTaco]

Now for the MODs! This will be a slow initial build, as my entire home shop and all my tools are packed away in a storage unit, but I will do what I can and I will try and document everything I can (mostly a memory issue to get the camera out). I prefer to do all my own work, unless it is out of my skill level. Right now I've been laying low, as the temp permit issued to me by Iowa has expired, and I have yet to receive my title from Iowa due to COVID backup, so I have no registration at all right now, though I have full insurance, and NV will not issue me a temp permit without proof of ownership, namely a title .

What I have completed so far:
Toyota: Window Tint, Gen2 Bed Header Rail (PT278-35100-BH), Bed Mat (PT580-35050-SB)
Meso: Gasshole, Hex Rack, V2 Ultimate Dome Light
Rago Fab: Bed Channel Stiffeners
Goose Gear: Rear Seat Delete 40% Full, 60% w/Sub
JDMCAR: Center Console Organizer
OCD: Glove Box Organizer

Purchased, not yet installed:
MESO: Interior Chrome Delete Kit, Tacoma Door Handle Covers, Vent Ring Kit, Steering Wheel Logo Cover
Covercraft: Custom Carhartt seat covers
R4T: Lower Control Arm Skids
Mountain Hatch: Tailgate Panel
Apex Fab: 25° Rock Sliders w/kickout
SSO: Slimline Hybrid Front Bumper w/hoop
Warn: Zeon 10S Platinum Winch
Baja Designs: 20" LED S-8
Factor55: Hawse Fairlead 1.0, FLATLINK Rope Guard, FLATLINK E Expert Winch Shackle Mount
Crosby: Handful of 3/4" shackles
Cobra: C75WXST
Icom: IC-2730A
Expedition Essentials: 3TPAM

Updated: 07/04/2021

Besides items being backordered due to COVID, which I have no legitimate complaint about, my only gripe so far has been with Rago Fab. I ordered the Bed Channel Stiffeners and 3 days later they went on sale, about $40 cheaper, so seeing that my order hadn't shipped yet (label was created, it was pending acceptance at the post office, ie; the PO does not have the package yet), I contacted customer support to see if I could have the discount applied. I was politely told no, because my order had shipped.... At the very least credit could have been offered IMO.

The Future:
My plan is to have a capable and self sufficient rig with the most minimal footprint possible in order to spend a few days at a time in the boonies without the need to visit civilization. It wasn't the best setup, as I slept on a cot, but I did this all the time in my TJ and eventually in my ex-wife's Xterra. I know my Taco, still nameless, will not have the capability of my TJ (nor am I currently willing to push it that hard), but it will have the reliability! I'm building this rig to fit me and my tripaw K9, Sage, which throws a few obstacles my way...

I have a few more items on the short term list to purchase:
RTT: I would like a hard shell that will fit over the bed so I can keep it low profile and have a window that fully opens to the tailgate so I can lift Sage up and in. Still shopping.
Bed Rack: This will depend on the RTT I purchase, mid-height vs full height, maybe even a cap? My other hobby is restoring vintage Honda motorcycles, so I would need to be able to remove the rack fairly quickly to go grab a bike.
Tires: This is the only item in my life I am brand loyal to; BFG AT/KO2. The only reason these aren't already on the truck is there is a current nationwide shortage due to COVID and BFG factories shutting down. I tried to purchase tires before I even had the keys in my hand, no joy and still back-ordered.
2nd Row Delete Kit: I will purchase the Goose Gear second row seat delete so I have a place for Sages crate and my Engel. The holdup right now is the sub and audio components, as I would like to relocate them so I can do a full delete on the passenger side. I haven't yet seen a good thread with detailed photos of what I am dealing with and I do not have to opportunity right now to start tearing seats and paneling out.

Mid Term MODs (wishlist) in no particular order:
Dual Battery
Aux Power Setup (I really like clean electrical work)
Solar - If I get a hardshell RTT
Onboard Air
Awning (currently own a full length ARB, not sure if I can reuse it)
Underbelly Protection
Rear Shock Protection - No one currently makes them for the Pros.
Rear Bumper - Must be tow capable and work with TSS

Long Term MODs (Dreams?):
Lift/Suspension Upgrade
Larger Tires
Front Locker
Regear

So in far too many words, these are my plans and I look forward to learning and sharing them all with everyone here!

 

[nickyreno]

Where at in NV are you?

 

[NVTaco]

Where at in NV are you?

Not far from you, temp in Carson area right now. I'm looking to relocate to Carson or S/SW Reno.

Window Tint - My local Toyota dealership does in house tint, so I went as dark as I legally could all the way around. On the windshield, they offered a small strip at top to block the sun from coming around the visor, I gave it a shot. BIG MISTAKE! The little strip is really 6" and it breaks at my sight line. I find myself ducking or crouching while driving to look under it and if I drive more than 30min, I end up with a migraine. I will be removing that ASAP.
View from eye level

 

[Heavily Meditated]

Welcome to the Tacoma family. Reminds me of when I found my 2018 Tacoma OR in cement grey. Picked it up in Salt Lake & drove it down to Southern Cali. Tacoma 3G is growing bigger every day & IMO better than other overly saturated forums.

 

[NVTaco]

First official MOD in the book

 

[dustytaco]

200k miles/ 20 year powertrain warranty is mind blowing i never heard of a car company/ dealer doing anything like that

 

[NVTaco]

200k miles/ 20 year powertrain warranty is mind blowing i never heard of a car company/ dealer doing anything like that

Same, especially for free! I did end up tacking-on a 12 year 150k mile everything warranty on top of their free warranty.

Well, I tried to get new tires today and failed. I had ordered a set of 265/75R16 BFG AT/KO2s three weeks ago and made an appointment for today at Costco. I dropped my truck off, no issues and then an hour later they called me and told me they could not install the tires because they do not match the size on the door sticker on my truck. Costco company policy is no more than 3% over size, and 265/75/R16 is 3.3% over stock size. Needless to say I was disappointed...

 

[mgmyota]

T

Same, especially for free! I did end up tacking-on a 12 year 150k mile everything warranty on top of their free warranty.

Well, I tried to get new tires today and failed. I had ordered a set of 265/75R16 BFG AT/KO2s three weeks ago and made an appointment for today at Costco. I dropped my truck off, no issues and then an hour later they called me and told me they could not install the tires because they do not match the size on the door sticker on my truck. Costco company policy is no more than 3% over size, and 265/75/R16 is 3.3% over stock size. Needless to say I was disappointed...

Thats the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard lol. They wouldn’t let you just purchase them and not install them? You could’ve taken them somewhere else to install

 

[NVTaco]

Thats the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard lol. They wouldn’t let you just purchase them and not install them? You could’ve taken them somewhere else to install

I could have purchased them and gone elsewhere to get them installed, but I decided against that for 2 reasons: 1. Costco's pretty flexible warranty would not cover them. 2. A number of places around here only cover the warranty if you purchase the tires from them, so taking them elsewhere may have not worked out. I like to purchase my tires at Costco as pretty much every state in the west, where I primarily travel, has a nmber of Costcos and their replacement warranty has not screwed me yet.

The manager I spoke with did give me another option, bring my wheels in off the truck, and they would mount the new tires, but I would need to take them home to put them back on the vehicle. I'll probably go with this option in the future, but I do not have the time for that right now as I am in the middle of moving.

 

[NVTaco]

I'm not a huge fan of personalized plates, but I couldn't resist! After being flagged twice for 'inappropriateness', I convinced DMV to release the plate.

 

[3cent.Taco]

Sweet truck man! Your list of mods very similar to mine. I would consider looking into a suspension upgrade sooner than later if you're looking to add all that weight as you'll start to lose some ride height. The less miles your Pro suspension has, the more cash you may be able to reel in.

I too wanted to take advantage of a good warranty policy on the tires, but I found a small tire shop that was able to get me 5 tires for significantly less than a Discount Tires or Costco. So much less that I could buy a 6th tire and match the major retailers in cost. I opted for no warranty with room to buy a 6th if needed. Find a good local tire shop that rings in volume and you may come away with a steal.

 

[mgmyota]

I see you want a rear bumper that works with tss. I'm assuming you mean the backup sensors and blind spot monitors. Check out Apogee off road's rear bumper here. Both systems are retained on it.

 

[NVTaco]

Sweet truck man! Your list of mods very similar to mine. I would consider looking into a suspension upgrade sooner than later if you're looking to add all that weight as you'll start to lose some ride height. The less miles your Pro suspension has, the more cash you may be able to reel in.

You are right, seeing I was shopping skid plates today, I should probably start looking at options sooner rather than later.

I too wanted to take advantage of a good warranty policy on the tires, but I found a small tire shop that was able to get me 5 tires for significantly less than a Discount Tires or Costco. So much less that I could buy a 6th tire and match the major retailers in cost. I opted for no warranty with room to buy a 6th if needed. Find a good local tire shop that rings in volume and you may come away with a steal.

I checked with a few small mom & pop tire shops in the area, but none of them could get me close - all about 1.5 tires more than Costco.

I see you want a rear bumper that works with tss. I'm assuming you mean the backup sensors and blind spot monitors. Check out Apogee off road's rear bumper here. Both systems are retained on it.

Yes, that is what I meant when I said TSS. Thanks for the link! That is exactly what I am looking for! My BSM has saved my lazy ass more than once. Once they finish the dual swing-outs (Rendering HERE), they will have my $$$!!

 

[NVTaco]

Work has kept me busy, all of May was 10+ hour days, 6 to 7 days a week. I'm finally getting caught up and getting the boat load of parts I have installed.

I started with adding a Gen2 OEM bed rack to the front of the bed. Not sure if I will keep it long term, depends on what I decide for a rack system. For now I will mount basic stuff to it and probably a MTB bracket.

Next I added some RAGO bed stiffeners, simple mod, only took ~30min, as 2 days previous I helped a buddy install them. I did notice an big difference on the flexibility of the bed sides, and I installed them as in the future I will have a rack mounted on the bed.

 

[NVTaco]

Over the last week I have installed, removed and re-installed Goose Gear Rear Seat Delete. Having the factory sub/amp, I purchased the full 40% and the sub-60%. I wish there was a bit more instructions with it, as a YouTube video is all that is included. After removing all my seat belts, there were four holes that needed plugging, see that process Here. I also had to trim the 60% back factory panel to fit the 40% back panel, something that isn't mentioned anywhere.

Overall, I am super happy! I do wish I didn't have the factory sub/amp and could install the full 60%. I will be looking into if removing the sub/amp is an option. One flaw in the system is the hardware for the hatch doors; every screw in entire system is countersunk, except the hardware for the hatches (and the joint plate). Sliding items in and out, they will hang up on the hatches hardware. I may try to fix this in the future, but for now, I will live with it.

 

[bonifacio]

Same, especially for free! I did end up tacking-on a 12 year 150k mile everything warranty on top of their free warranty.

Well, I tried to get new tires today and failed. I had ordered a set of 265/75R16 BFG AT/KO2s three weeks ago and made an appointment for today at Costco. I dropped my truck off, no issues and then an hour later they called me and told me they could not install the tires because they do not match the size on the door sticker on my truck. Costco company policy is no more than 3% over size, and 265/75/R16 is 3.3% over stock size. Needless to say I was disappointed...

Wow. Just dab it with Sharpie.

 

[NVTaco]

Wow. Just dab it with Sharpie.

It is in their computer now... I'm looking to see if anyone remakes that tag...

Had an hour to kill tonight, so I got the MESO Hex Rack and MESO V2 Ultimate Dome Light installed. I ended up replacing the Hex Rac hardware with the same hardware, but black oxide. I also went ahead and used some purple loctite, just to keep stuff from rattling loose. Install was straight forward, thankfully MESO included extra jack nuts, as I had one of the legs on one fold inward during compression.

 

[Hunter399]

Over the last week I have installed, removed and re-installed Goose Gear Rear Seat Delete. Having the factory sub/amp, I purchased the full 40% and the sub-60%. I wish there was a bit more instructions with it, as a YouTube video is all that is included. After removing all my seat belts, there were four holes that needed plugging, see that process Here. I also had to trim the 60% back factory panel to fit the 40% back panel, something that isn't mentioned anywhere.

Overall, I am super happy! I do wish I didn't have the factory sub/amp and could install the full 60%. I will be looking into if removing the sub/amp is an option. One flaw in the system is the hardware for the hatch doors; every screw in entire system is countersunk, except the hardware for the hatches (and the joint plate). Sliding items in and out, they will hang up on the hatches hardware. I may try to fix this in the future, but for now, I will live with it.

View attachment 33770

Did it make it louder in the back? (Cabin noise)

 

[NVTaco]

Did it make it louder in the back? (Cabin noise)

At first a bit, but once gear and stuff was there, I stopped noticing it.

 

[NVTaco]

I decided to put the original factory under seat compartment back in place to make everything a little more finished. I forgot to take photos along the way, but it involved removing the lids, cutting the hinges off and after I had it in place drilling holes so I could access the nuts for the rear-seat delete.

Back in place.

Hole to access nuts:

While I was there, I've noticed that my dog prefers one side of the door sill to jump up on, and that it wasn't a location I installed grip-tape on.

Paw prints show areas being used.

Added more grip-tape.