Sometimes, going on various adventures meant you must look outside the usual 4Runner setup. But of course, this doesn’t mean you don’t have to amp up your game since every path you take can either be just as tough or more challenging than expected.
That shouldn’t be a problem though because these guys in their Tacomas prepare you both for the action and how to do it in style with their wicked modifications!
NICK PSAROS (@POINT.SHIFT.DRIVE)
If you think comfort and extreme adventure are two conflicting ideas just as fire and water don’t mix, then this 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro proves you wrong.
Particularly, this Tacoma dons a SuperPacific Camper that gives its owner, Nick, a chance to properly rest after a long day of exploration, while basking in nature’s company. And because of its versatility, it even gives him the chance to express his creativity in setting it up according to his heart’s content.
On the other hand, fitting the huge wheels is a different story as this became the hardest modification. In fact, Nick had to do some hands-on trimming, cab relocating, and consulting different experts in the field to ensure his rig can accommodate not only those with 34-inch wheels but also those which can be 35.
“I think in general I always had a love for the great outdoors because that’s something I didn’t get to really enjoy as a child. So, I love taking my kids (4 and 2 years old) away from the normal everyday distractions. Just seeing them get super excited about seeing streams, huge trees, and spending time away from screens is priceless.” -Nick
Tips from an Overlander at Heart
Tacoma Modification Summary
Suspension, Wheels, Tires & Brakes
- Fully adjustable King 2.5s
- Hellwig Front Sway Bar
- Stellar Built Cab Relocation Kit
- Icon NXT heavy-duty Leaf Springs
- Icon Delta Joint UCAs
- BFG K02s 285-75-17
- Stealth Customs Matte Jet Black / 17×8.5 4.30″ BS 6×139.7
Armor, Recovery, & Mounting Solutions
- CBI Front Skid
- CBI Belly Skid
- RCI Diff Armor
- RCI Gas Tank Skid
- CBI T5 Front Bumper with 10,000lb Warner Winch
- CBI Sliders with Kickout
Camping & Overland Equipment: Lighting & Electrical
- SuperPacific X1 Camper in Matte Black
- DIY Rear Fuse Box and Power Supply
- Dual 100W Renogy Solar Panels
- Dual AGM Battery Setup – Offroad Engineering
- GTFO Hard Korr LED Interior Lighting (Bottom & Top of Camper)
- Decked Draw System
- Safari Snorkel
- DIY Diff Breathers
- Dometic CX5 Fridge
- Baja Designs Amber Fog Lights (Front) and Dust Lights Rear
- Baja Designs Ditch Lights Hood Mounted
- Rigid 40-inch Top Mounted LED Light Bar
- 20-inch Front Bumper Mounted Heretic LED Light Bar
- Prinsu Roof Rack
- Magnusen Supercharger
- Nitro 5.29 Gears
Miscellaneous
- Aftermarket Remote Start Feature
Social Media Handles & Contact
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/point.shift.drive/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/PointShiftDrive
CHRIS EVERETT (@MAINETROUTWHISPERER)
Packing light means finding a way to fit your important items in one place. So, if you believe doing it is a bit handful, you can always turn to Chris’ 2015 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport Long Bed for a practical solution.
What makes his rig special is the fact that it’s equipped with a custom-made drawer under the bed. It slides out and is 7ft long, that’s more than enough to accommodate an array of cooking essentials from stoves to utensils and other extra stuff to help you last in the wilderness.
But since doing modifications don’t always flow smoothly, working on the subfloors, drawers, and slides are tricky because Chris needed to be specific in their sizes and dimensions that eventually came to him as he personalizes his truck.
“I decided to build my truck camping setup so I could do overnight fishing trips. It has allowed me to travel further, meet some amazing people, and have some great memories.” -Chris
Tips from an Overlander at Heart
Tacoma Modification Summary
Suspension, Wheels, Tires & Brakes
- Front Suspension: 2” Rough Country Spacer with Stock Coilovers
- Rear Suspension: 2” add a leaf with Eibach Shocks
- Wheels: 17” KMC Revolvers
- Tires: BF Goodrich All-Terrain 265/70/17
Armor, Recovery & Mounting Solutions
- Prinsu Roof Rack
- Vantech Roof Rack for Cap (where Ultimate Rod Case is hooked for keeping 4 assembled fly rods at all times)
- Front Skid Plate
- Front Recovery Hook
Camping & Overland Equipment: Lighting & Electrical
- Overland Vehicle Systems 270-degree Awning
- Custom-made Bed over 7ft Slide-out Drawer with Cook stove & Storage
- LED Light Strip Powered by 10Arh Lithium Ion Battery Pack
- ICECO JP42 Fridge/Freezer
- LiPOWER Power Stations (For running fridge and charging camera gear and phone)
Miscellaneous
- ARE Cap bed-lined with Black Raptor Liner
- Weathertech Floor Mats
Social Media Handles & Contact
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/mainetroutwhisperer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mainetroutwhisperer/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mainetroutwhisperer/
MIKE (@LASTLINEOFDEFENSE)
When buffing up your pickup becomes a huge part of your daily travels to make it resilient against nature’s forces, then you can probably take a page from Mike’s survival book – directly from his 2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-road.
His vehicle is one-of-a-kind because of its water-resistant tonneau cover from DiamondBack. Since the cover reaches and seals over the bed rails, the valuables in the truck bed are well protected against the unexpected rain which can otherwise soak or damage them.
On the contrary, as far as grueling mods are concerned, installing the bed/roof rack on this rig is definitely tough because it requires certain methods to secure it in place without messing with the rooftop tent, something that doesn’t easily come to you unless through trial and error. Mike even mentions he reached the point wherein he waited other companies to offer some proper bed rack setup ideas just so he can finally get over it.
“I’ve been into cars and trucks basically my whole life. I also got pretty heavily into wheeling back in college. Then, one day I decided to camp out of my truck and the rest is history.” -Mike
Tips from an Overlander at Heart
Tacoma Modification Summary
Suspension, Wheels, Tires & Brakes
- Fox Factory Suspension with Deaver Leaf Pack
- 50 BFG KO2 Tires
- Black Rhino Armory wheels
- Powerbrake Big Brake Kit
Armor, Recovery & Mounting Solutions
- CBI Front and Rear Bumpers, Skids, and Sliders
- Warn ZEON 10-S Platinum Winch with Factor 55 UltraHook
- Front Runner Slimline 2 Roof Rack
Camping & Overland Equipment: Lighting & Electrical
- Diamondback Tonneau Cover
- iKamper Skycamp Mini Rooftop Tent
- KC Hilites all around
Miscellaneous
- Full Multicam Black Vinyl Wrap
- Various Pelican Cases for Gear
- Yaesu FTM-400 Radio
Social Media Handles & Contact
More info on the truck: llod.us/taco
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LastLineOfDefense
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lastlineofdefense/
ANTONIO (@YOTATRAILS)
Brawling with nature can be literally daunting but Antonio’s 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport with Old Emu 2” Full-suspension Kit can give you the advantage.
Because of the suspension kit, this Tacoma is bursting with confidence and strength to conquer the highs and lows just beyond the horizon. You got the owner’s word for it because it gave his rig no excuse for exploring different terrains as it gives the extra benefit of making it look good while in action.
However, just like with Mike, Antonio also had a similar problem with installing the FrontRunner Roof Rack. At that time, it was a new product making it difficult to find the right mounting parts, but it was eventually remedied by the same company brand.
“I want to connect with nature, go to unique places and enjoy time with my family.” -Antonio
Tips from an Overlander at Heart
Tacoma Modification Summary
Suspension, Wheels, Tires & Brakes
- Old Man Emu 2” Full-suspension Kit (Heavy Load)
- 17” TRD Wheels (4Runner Wheels)
- SPC Adjustable Upper Control Arms
- 285/70/17 BFGoodrich KO2 All-terrain Tires
- Spidertrax 1.25 Spacers
Armor, Recovery & Mounting Solutions
- C4 Fabrication Low-profile Front Bumper
- Warn Winch 10k with Synthetic Rope
- Factor 55 UltraHook
Camping & Overland Equipment: Lighting & Electrical
- Baja Design LED Bar and Fog Lights
- Front Runner Low-profile Roof Rack
- Pelican Cases (Roof Storage)
- Retrax XR PRO tonneau cover
- WeBoost antenna for better cellular coverage
- Expedition Essentials & Ram Mounts (for tablet and cell phone)
- iKamper 2.0
- Jackery 500 with Solar Panel
Miscellaneous
- 18 Gallons Front Runner Water Tank (inside the bed)
- Hook a Water Heater and Pump Kit
- 23 Zero Shower Tent
- Propex HS Propane Heat Exchanger
- MaxTrax Recovery Boards
- RotopaX Fuel System
Social Media Handles & Contact
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yotatrails/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoZViCdM4f3MXinnhD-aFWw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yotatrails/
Website: https://yotatrails.com
SHAWN & SALLIE SCOTT (@BIGSOUTHOVERLAND)
When you want to get away from the chaos of modern life in the city, what better way to do it than making a home away from home? Such is the case of Shawn and Sallie’s 2019 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab Short Bed.
Specifically, the Canopy Camper is what makes them feel right at home while taking some time off to relax and just savor nature’s splendor. Don’t forget, they also have the all-terrain tires from BF Goodrich which are very useful for anything in between or if you normally find yourself in a combo of mud, sand, and snow.
On the other hand, the solar panel installation and other electrical stuff can be tricky. Whether you’ve done it many times or just a beginner, there may come a time when you still need to do a lot of research and ask help from real experts to figure out if what you’re doing is correct.
“We’ve always had a spirit of adventure. When we bought our new Tacoma (we also have a 05 Pre-Runner that just turned over 300K miles; no mods for that one though), I started watching YouTube for mods, etc., and came across a few overlanding channels that peaked my interest.” -Shawn
Tips from an Overlander at Heart
Tacoma Modification Summary
Suspension, Wheels, Tires & Brakes
- BF Goodrich All-terrain TA 285/75/16 Tires
- Method Race Wheels MR315 Black 16X8 Wheels
- Rear Suspension – Old Man Emu Heavy-duty Leaf Pack (660# capacity)
- Bilstein 5160 Remote Reservoir Shocks
- Front Suspension – Bilstein 6112 Adjustable Shocks with Springs
Armor, Recovery & Mounting Solutions
- Smittybilt Gen2 XRC (9500# capacity) Winch
- Streamline Hidden Winch Mount from SOS Concepts (aluminum)
- Bull Bar and Rock Sliders also from SOS Concepts (aluminum) with LiquidLiner
- 2 Recovery Shackles
- Tred-Pro Recovery Boards & Mounting Brackets
- Go-Treads Recovery Boards (for leveling and recovery)
- Krazy Beaver Shovel
Camping & Overland Equipment – Lighting & Electrical
- Renogy 100 Watt Flexible Solar Panel
- RedArc BCDC1225D Charge Controller
- 100 Amp hour Lithium Ion Battery
- Alu-Cab Canopy Camper
- Alu-Cab 270 Shadow – Awning
- 23Zero Shower/Privacy Cube
- Front Runner 10-gallon Water Tank
- Expedition Essentials 11# Propane Bottle Mount
- National Luna Red/White Interior Lights
- 4 KC Hi-Lites Cyclone Underbody Lights
- Aux Beam 32-inch LED Light Bar
Miscellaneous
- Modified Prinsu Roof Rack
- Solo Stove Fire Pit
- Pop-Up Fire Pit
- RIGID Storage Boxes
- Chinese Diesel Heater
- Front Runner Drop-down Table
Social Media Handles & Contact
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigsouthoverland/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigSouthOverland/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbZCCPuCQlEHLDyUyjuoGLQ
Email: bigsouthoverland@gmail.com
CONCLUSION
Modifying your rig is all about identifying what you need and where you’ll be using those mods for. This means you’ll have to take your time in the building process until you get it properly done. If you’ll be spending so much on a particular mod, make sure it’s worth it and useful in the long run. Share us your thoughts by commenting below.
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