• Welcome to Tacoma3G.com, a free resource for 2016-2023 Toyota Tacoma owners!

    This website is the passion-project of a USMC veteran/mechanic, @Tyler. I created Tacoma3G.com to share my knowledge of this subject with others and to provide like-minded folks with a comfortable space to ask questions and create 'build threads' within our Tacoma Forums. Now, if the format of this website is confusing to navigate for you, or if you're interested in my full mission and T3G's history, check out the Help and About pages.

T3G Feedback and questions about Tacoma3G.com - How can our community and website be better?

We're running a little late on going live. But I would much rather open with a quality product than a half finished one. There are only small things left to add or fix. Not to keep giving false dates, but I'm hoping for tonight or tomorrow night. Thanks for bearing with us.
 
Legend: Priority | Regular | | Long Term Goal | Completed | Canceled

UNCATEGORIZED IMMEDIATE IDEAS (SORT LATER)
  • Smaller what's new widget listing more posts
  • Random YouTube instead of latest
  • Convert all cost comparison threads to our new tables system, then link to them in the tutorials tab and around the net
  • Use tables for other things, such as common acronyms and whatever other tutorials we can
  • Rewrite vendor program. AGAIN!
  • Sticky thread in general for list of helpful threads
  • Better about page/history
  • Redo the footer and add a link to the about thread
  • New posts link on mobile fixed
BACK-END/TECH
  • Finish configuring server
  • Optimize disc space
  • Implement a good backup system - external hard drive included
CONTENT
  • Better about page
  • Thread with all of our history
  • Giveaways page - included in history
  • Gallery page via Instagram widget
  • Meets page - included in history
  • Have an actual homepage with industry news and shit
  • Update tutorials system - add T3G created tutorials
  • Finish FAQ system
  • Create a wiki
FRONT-END
  • Cross-posting of sticky threads
  • Native iPhone app
  • Better emojis
  • Build thread links in posts
  • Reorder truck colors in user profiles
  • Disable profile posts
  • Add 2020 as a year
  • Revise welcome PM, add how did you find us question, link to supply shop
GIVEAWAYS
  • Find sponsor and then publish 20k posts giveaway
GRAPHICS/DESIGN
  • Update rotating trucks and slogans
  • Add Army green theme
  • Add dark themes
  • Update main logo image to be more HD and have new logo
  • Update category background images
  • Update forum new posts icons
  • Update all favicons and social media icons to have an actual Taco in them
MEETS

MERCH

  • Create patches
  • Better store add-on
  • More sticker designs
  • Find quality prints for shirts
NAVIGATION/FORUM STRUCTURE
  • Photography section
  • Separate feedback and announcement forum
  • Use thread prefixes for more things
  • Use thread prefixes for marketplace including automatically moving sold items to archive
  • Outdoors/camping section
  • Fix outdated navigation links
SECURITY
  • MySQL and cPanel security improvements
  • Hire server admin
SEO/PROMOTION
  • Get higher on Google
  • Optimize speed tests
  • Start analyzing competitor analytics
  • Learn how to properly use paid advertisements - keep trying with Google AdWords
  • Buy more domains, redirect them to our site
SOCIAL MEDIA
  • Build YouTube up
STAFFING
  • Reevaluate all permissions including vendor permissions
  • Create business cards
  • Ensure all business accounts are streamlined for staff members
  • Increase security across the board
  • Add website gurus and staff writers
  • Add forum moderators
SUPPLY SHOP
  • BDS Tactical = place for physical shop
  • Build Shopify store
  • Find first drop-shipping partner
  • Business credit card
VENDORS
  • Rewrite vendor program to be a paid / free program and contact vendors about it
  • Create an affiliate program for the vendors
  • Premium vendors and regular vendors
  • Contact inactive vendors
 
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Hey guys. Just thought I'd fill you in on what I've been up to for T3G lately.

My current focus is SEO, or search engine optimization, which is ideally having the site on the first page of a Google search for "3rd gen Tacoma" and other similar keywords. My goal is to get more active members here, which will result in more activity, which results in more members, and then it goes full circle. I've spent a decent amount on advertising so far, but I'm not so sure it has been paying off to be honest.

I'm also getting stickers made but it's taking a little longer cause I wanted to be sure they are good quality stickers that won't fade.

Anyway, thanks to all of you guys for the T3G support. I love our little community and it always makes me happy to wake up in the morning and see a bunch of new posts.

And while we're here, is there anything I could be doing better? Please let me know.
 
Reorder truck colors in user fields

Giveaway page with numbers, giveaway name, sponsors, winners, and photos of the received products

Update tutorials

Update rotating photos and slogans

Change cement color to be less blue

Contact more vendors

Create stickers

Create patches

Create shirts

Create laminated advertisement cards

Update vendor list

Jay's vendor forum

MySQL cron

PayPal purchase complete page
test
 
INTRODUCTION TO TACOMA3G.COM
My name is Tyler Winterfield and in April 2018 I set out to create an organized and friendly community dedicated to 3rd generation Toyota Tacoma and overland enthusiasts, known as Tacoma3G (T3G). I was unhappy with the existing Tacoma and overland communities due to their outdated designs and the elitist attitudes from their seasoned members and moderators toward newer people who are trying to learn. I felt that I could do it better myself with a combination of my 15+ years of forum administration experience and laid-back personality. Hopefully my formula for leadership and website design is enough for you to stick around for a bit. But if you do think something could be different, please share your suggestion(s) as I'm always looking to improve T3G according to the needs of its members.

On a personal level, I am a disabled United States Marine with a passion for off-roading and trucks. I grew up wheeling with my dad who only owned 4x4s and have been drawn to big tires, pulling that 4wd lever, and aimless drives off-the-beaten-path since before I can remember. I'm married to @Paige and together we have tens of thousands of miles explored throughout the US in a handful of different rigs. As of spring 2020 we are living in our Tacoma full-time via a Four Wheel Camper shell while we continue to wander all of North and South America with our french bulldog and pug. As a group, we're known as The Wandering Winterfields and if you'd like to follow our journey, more information can be found in my truck's build thread.

If you need to contact me for anything at all, you can send me a private message, send an email to tyler@tacoma3g.com, or you can message me on one of the associated social media accounts.


THE MISSION
The mission of Tacoma3G.com is to provide 3rd generation Tacoma and overland enthusiasts an informative, organized, and friendly community to discuss and learn to modify their trucks, entirely for free. Other similar pages tend to be cluttered, not as user-friendly as T3G, and filled with elitists that are not willing to share their experience to new members who are looking to learn. Tacoma3G.com is designed to be very easy to navigate whether you are using a desktop computer, tablet, or mobile phone, and our homepage is not a never-ending list of junk you don't need. The core of our community is built from like-minded individuals with a wide array of knowledge that are willing to guide you if you just bought your truck and have initial questions and/or are recently picking up the overland lifestyle. Even the most experienced can learn something new here and we always approach each discussion with a "no stupid questions" mindset. In addition to the concise network of resources we offer, we occasionally host local meet-ups to get to know each other and our rigs on a more personal level. Lastly, we have many popular industry vendors onboard who will be happy to assist you with their products as well as occasionally provide exclusive T3G discounts and sponsored giveaways.


FORUM GUIDELINES AND ETIQUETTE
As mentioned a few times above, it is important to me that our forum is a welcoming and organized resource for people to continuously want to come back to. Without those core principles, we risk the tight-knit community we've built and we could eventually become one of the rest. I, along with our moderators, will do our best to ensure that doesn't happen and I ask all members do the same by abiding to the following set of guidelines.

  • Use respect when you have a different opinion than other members. People often come to this forum looking for advice on how to modify their truck, what gear to buy, etc. I encourage everyone to participate in the various discussions this creates, and there will usually be no right answer -- only suggestions. Disagreeing with other members is acceptable as long as you support your opinion with informative details and use a respectful tone in your writing. It goes without saying, but you should be respectful to whomever you speak to in life, and if you apply that on the forum, the experience will be better for everyone. If you do end up in an uncomfortable confrontation with another member, you can use the report button at the bottom of the post in question to send it to the forum staff, or you can message any of the forum staff directly.

  • "Use the search function" should not be an answer to ANY question. One of the main purposes of being on this forum is to learn and teach others. Replying to people by just stating that their question has already been asked and answered a million times, and that they should've searched first, is not helpful to them. It does not hurt the community, the server, or anything else if a new thread is created about a question that has been answered some time ago. To make even more of a point about it, two different members that asked the same question could and often do require a different answer based on their application and goals. It is much more useful for them to receive a response that is specifically tailored to exactly what they asked. However, if you've made your best attempt at an answer and feel they could benefit from information that you don't have, you may politely suggest they try searching to further dial in on what they need at the bottom of your reply.

  • A newbie question is not a stupid question. Not everyone has been doing this for years and not everyone has mechanical or DIY experience. Do not shame someone for asking a question that you believe they should already know the answer to. Use your higher level of knowledge to properly inform them. I don’t care if they’re asking why their push-to-start won’t start their truck -- just tell them that they need their foot on the brake and if that still isn't working, feel free to help them troubleshoot to the best of your ability or wait for someone else to respond.

  • Do not link to or post sexually explicit images, graphic images, or illegal content, in threads, avatars, or anywhere on the forum. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself if it would be allowed on Instagram. Even then, please keep potentially NSFW posts to our off-topic section. I don't mind slightly inappropriate humor or images that could be found on Instagram as long as it is kept out of the Tacoma and overland discussions. Use good taste and while I don't mind the occasional curse words either, please do not use them in a derogatory way toward a member, their truck, a brand, or anything else. Slander and racial slurs are not allowed with no exceptions.

At this time, I do not feel the need to make this list of basic rules any longer than this. We have a history of great behavior between members and seldom need to moderate posts. I do however reserve the right to update these rules as necessary and moderators make take disciplinary action on your account when they feel it is necessary, usually with a warning first.

We are all adults here I and just ask you use your common sense when engaging in discussions. Don't attempt to circumvent these rules in some clever way. Loopholes are immature and immediately reveal your questionable integrity, so don't bother!


HOW TO SUPPORT TACOMA3G.COM
Tacoma3G.com is, and always will be, privately owned. I did not create this forum to eventually sell it off to some major company that buys forums and ultimately ruins them, which I see happen often. I pay for the monthly server costs, yearly software and domain fees, and advertising fees out of my own pocket. If you wish to, there are two ways you can help me:
  • You can send a donation of an amount of your choice via PayPal. I will mail you a Tacoma3G sticker and you will then forever have a blue username and a "T3G Supporter" banner in all of your posts to show that you made a donation. This is a one-time payment but I still have to pay for the server each month so making multiple donations throughout the year is greatly appreciated. Funds made from donations are always put back into the T3G, whether it be paying to keep it online, giving away products, or creating T3G merchandise. Donations can be made here: https://tacoma3g.com/account/upgrades

  • You can share the Tacoma3G.com link to friends and other Tacoma owners on your Facebook, Instagram, and other social media pages. Putting the link to your build thread on your truck's Instagram page is not only a way to bring new members to the forum but also helpful for you to quickly show people the modifications you are running. If you are a YouTuber, you can also link to the forum in your video description or mention Tacoma3G in the video itself. A community like this works best with participation, so the more members we have, the more input we'll have in our discussions, and then the ideas, knowledge, and other resources available to everyone will grow!

DISCLAIMERS
  • Tacoma3G.com and associated social media pages are in no way affiliated with Toyota Motor Corporation.
  • Tacoma3G.com uses basic cookies to remember your account preferences and forum settings: https://tacoma3g.com/help/cookies/
  • Tacoma3G.com is not responsible for your transactions with other members when buying, selling, or trading products. If an issue does arise during a transaction, please let me or one of the other staff members know so we can take disciplinary action on their forum account as necessary. You will need to deal with your funds or product with your payment provider on your own.
  • Everything posted to Tacoma3G.com is public. Do not publicly post email addresses, phone numbers, or mailing addresses, unless they are for your business and you want them visible to anyone.
  • Everything mentioned in this thread is subject to change as needed.


Please "like" this post so I can tell how many people took the time to read it. (y)
 
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Lock In demello Offroad
Speak with CBI
Start organizing raffle/giveaway for 1000 users registered
Talk to mike about open house
 
  • Reorder truck colors in user fields - Cement is not alphabetical order and I have OCD
  • Better About page with photos, staff bio, giveaway history, and more
  • Update tutorials - create categories and rewrite user tutorials to be T3G consistent
  • Update rotating photos and slogans - ongoing, need to teach Jay and Malcolm how to help with this
  • Don't seek more vendors, instead build strong relationships with the ones we have
  • Create patches
  • Create shirts
  • Create business cards
  • Write official vendor program, contact inactive vendors
  • MySQL and FTP security improvements
  • Ensure Jay and Malcolm have working accounts to PayPal, Shopify, etc.
  • Deal with people requesting 2nd and 1st gen Taco stuff
  • Promote, promote, promote - why the fuck are we not higher on Google
  • Navigation buttons at top of thread on mobile
  • Lightening icon on mobile points to new posts
  • Build the Shopify store
  • Think about 1,000 member giveaway
  • Contact 951_yota about the giveaway he wanted to do
  • Planning for Pelfreybilt open house
  • Recaptcha questions
 
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Tacoma3G vendor agreement

Thank you for agreeing to becoming a vendor on our forum.
Joining the forum as a vendor is more than just that and because of that we offer two types of vendor programs,

Premium is our First vendor program requires constant activity on the forum. With no more than 3 days of inactivity. If inactivity is required, please reach out to one of the administrators to let them know.
The perks to being a premium member include your own sub-forum. Having your own sub-forum allows you to post anything you want, like deals, sales, new products, etc.
You will also be listed on the vendor tab giving you premium views.

Standard is our Second vendor program, this program allows those who don’t have the man power to constantly monitor the site. This option will give you access into the vendor tab to post when you choose. There will be no specific vendor tab for the vendor instead all standard vendors will be under one common thread. still with the ability to post when they please. Your name will also not be listed under the vendor tab

(Or we do it like this..


Light Vendors

Armor vendors

Wheels/ tires

Everything else.

This way we aren’t cluttering the standard vendor tab).

just something we can add to.
 
XenForo marketplace add-on; more advanced buy/sell/trade
3rd gen Wiki - photo comparisons of different parts and shit
Better store
Better t-shirts, consider printing in-house
Revamp vendor system
More help links on tutorials tab
Consider adding more forum sections when needed
Photoshop breast cancer logo
Create patches
Create business cards
 
Now that we're coming up on four months of being online and have been thriving ever since, I thought I'd check in with the community to find out what you guys would like to see updated/changed/added to the website. I admit I have totally neglected the forum lately, but I haven't been neglecting T3G itself; just posting less cause of how busy I am behind the scenes.

Anyway, we've had a strong run with the site exactly how it is, and I've gotten a ton of positive feedback on the way it looks. But I'd like to start expanding to make it even more useful for 3rd gen owners. Please drop all suggestions in this thread, whether it is the addition of more forums and sub-forums, or more site features that we don't currently offer.

Things I have in mind:
  • A real homepage. Rather than the forum being the first thing you see, I'm thinking an actual website homepage with videos and articles related to 3rd gen stuff could be cool.
  • A real marketplace. The marketplace system we have now is working, but I'm thinking it would be cool to have a no-shit buy/sell/trade system in place that makes browsing much more user-friendly, kinda like how OfferUp looks.
  • A wiki. This would rely on the community, as most wiki's do. But so many people ask me simple 3rd gen and wheeling questions. It would be kinda cool to just link them to the relevant wiki page.
  • More forums. Launching the forum I didn't wanna have too many forums cause I don't like having dead sections on the site. But now I think we're at the point where a few more wouldn't hurt, depending on what you guys want.
  • Better vendor system + premium vendors and regular vendors being seperated
  • The supply store and drop-shipping of actual parts - this one is big and has always been "under construction"
 
It would be great if within their thread titles on for sale items people listed stuff like “the old days” of the web

FS: NC
WTB:CO
FS:WNC


In other words showing their general location or using their State code.

Just an idea,
 
I dig the instagram presence, it makes it easy to find and connect with local people but I would like to see more build features. Like instead of just posting up a photo of someone's rig it would be cool do go a little deeper and get some more information about it in the post.
 
I dig the instagram presence, it makes it easy to find and connect with local people but I would like to see more build features. Like instead of just posting up a photo of someone's rig it would be cool do go a little deeper and get some more information about it in the post.
Good idea!
 
Just a few ideas;
- Have a response area of 5-50 mile radius based off of current Location (from profile info) in regards to events, trips, friends, deals/sales, trails, etc.
-Just a tad more user friendly would be nice as well.
- More giveaways because who doesn’t like free cool Shit!?!
 
Maybe a monthly vendor spotlight which could include in depth product breakdowns, discount code or even showcase builds. If you coordinate with a different vendor each month, it may be a great way for them to increase exposure while simultaneously incentivizing purchases by offering a discount for each monthly featured vendor.
 
Also, and this feature would probably be most helpful to folks whom are new to Tacoma, but maybe a thread that breaks down some of the most popular mod options, tire sizes, where to buy, etc. One of the problems with the old site is that there isn't one centralized thread that contains this type of information. Consequently, there are a million new threads started about suspension, tire sizes etc.

Structure of the page could be as simple as having the basic categories, then under each one, offering several options with the corresponding links on where to buy, whether it be one vendor or multiple so as to not show a bias towards one or another vendor.

Another member on here put together a beautiful spreadsheet on bumper options, not that this thread would have to be that in depth, but it was a great example of showcasing several options in one place.

Just a thought.
 
Also, and this feature would probably be most helpful to folks whom are new to Tacoma, but maybe a thread that breaks down some of the most popular mod options, tire sizes, where to buy, etc. One of the problems with the old site is that there isn't one centralized thread that contains this type of information. Consequently, there are a million new threads started about suspension, tire sizes etc.

Structure of the page could be as simple as having the basic categories, then under each one, offering several options with the corresponding links on where to buy, whether it be one vendor or multiple so as to not show a bias towards one or another vendor.

Another member on here put together a beautiful spreadsheet on bumper options, not that this thread would have to be that in depth, but it was a great example of showcasing several options in one place.

Just a thought.
I totally agree. And ultimately I would love to have this displayed in a wiki format so the information could be endless. But for now I think we can create a FAQ forum.
 
I totally agree. And ultimately I would love to have this displayed in a wiki format so the information could be endless. But for now I think we can create a FAQ forum.
That's a damn good idea.
 
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