Building a Toyota that fits Douglas

[DouglasVB]

Here's a reel from some of the clips from our dash cam in Death Valley


View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVnGjxPk4Vz/


I ordered all of the fluids I need so I'll be able to get the truck's 30k service done next weekend. I also have a few attachments for my pressure washer on order so that I can finally clean off the last bits of playa mud that appear to be rapidly rusting bits of my truck's undercarriage I might hit those rusty spots with some rustoleum after I clean them up...

 

[DouglasVB]

I did all of the service except for the brake fluid flush last weekend. It all went well and I didn't encounter any problems other than trying to get the highest bolt on the clutch slave cylinder heat shield back into place. It was really hard because of the tight clearance from the hanger that attaches between the transmission and the driver's side catalytic converter.

The clutch fluid had stuff growing in the reservoir so it was definitely time to change it. It's original fluid from 2022 so it was four years and 30k miles old.

I picked up a power bleeder to make the brake fluid change go easier so I'll probably get that taken care of this weekend. I've never used a power bleeder so there'll be a bit of a learning curve but I have to imagine it'll be easier than using a little bottle and hose hanging off of the caliper while I keep adding fluid to the reservoir in the engine compartment and cycle the brake pedal... I have never bled an ABS equipped system though so I also need to study up on how to do that.


View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWSkzdmFBqi/?img_index=1

 

[DouglasVB]

I'm back on my about trying to figure out what roof rack to get for my Tacoma. Basically I need somewhere to mount antennas. The other choice would be to flatbed the truck, put a box on that, and put the antennas on that. The roof rack would let me put some lights up high though which would be nice.

There are many different choices and it's confusing trying to make a decision when I can't see most of these in person.

I think the main features I'm looking for are:

- low wind noise
- low drag (not too big an impact on fuel economy)
- front light bar or light pod mounting
- side light provisions (holes in the sides of the rack where lights can be flush mounted
- lines up with existing roof mount holes (factory)
- good for mounting antennas
- not a problem to later add a snorkel

Of course the Gamiviti rack is a top choice for obvious reasons: https://www.gamiviti.com/tacoma-racks I think it would be about $1300 plus shipping... Somewhere in this thread about my truck I think a price was posted but I haven't flipped through the old entries enough to find it. These are old school round tube racks that are built like tanks.

These racks are about $1k and supposedly aren't too loud: https://prinsu.com/product/prinsu-pro-toyota-tacoma-roof-rack-2005-2023/

Another supposed quiet rack that's about $850: https://westcottdesigns.net/product/toyota-tacoma-3rd-gen-roof-rack/

This one is also quiet and has side cut-outs that I probably could put lights through ($1200): https://sherpaec.com/products/grand-teton

This one is a bit of a different design ($700): https://uptopoverland.com/collectio...nd-kilo-tacoma-double-cab-roof-rack-2005-2023

Oh my this rack would be perfect (because it looks cool) but with all the high end lights it's $4500: https://www.kchilites.com/fbundle-pl1-ak-92303.html

$850 for this one. It looks pretty basic: https://realtruck.com/p/front-runner-slimsport-rack-kit/

This rack is setup to take a variety of lights and is tube style ($1300): https://gobiracks.com/product/gobi-toyota-tacoma-stealth-rack-2/

The RCI rack is $680 and looks to be pretty standard/generic: https://rcimetalworks.com/product/roof-rack-05-present-tacoma/

This one appears to be the most low profile of any of the racks I've seen and is $850: https://sherpaec.com/products/grand-teton-sport

Another low profile roof rack for $850: https://caliraisedled.com/products/2005-2021-toyota-tacoma-premium-roof-rack

Another low profile rack for $750 plus another $150 for the wind deflector for the light bar: https://lfdoffroad.com/products/tacoma-low-profile-extrusion-rack https://lfdoffroad.com/products/lightbar-fairing-5th-gen-4r-gx460-full-rack-and-tacoma-rack

This one is $660 and is pretty low profile: https://www.victory4x4.com/product/VT23RK.html

I also keep thinking of making my own rack... but I really don't have the time to go into a big project. But also I disagree with some of the design choices I see on these racks.

 

[brettf]

FWIW I have an earlier version of the Prinsu rack - it's... fine. I think all of the Sherpa and Prinsu style designs are plenty strong. The new Prinsu rack design looks much stronger, and I'd guess heavier.

If you're really after an antenna and light mount, reconsider needing a rack to do those things? If you need one, so be it. But IMO it's a big penalty for MPG and weight (which is precious on these 3G tacomas).

As someone who put too much on my 3G, keeping it lighter and simpler is golden. I am putting my truck on a diet currently trying to find weight savings. It works on trails better than it should but I think it could be better.

Anyway, love your truck and all the thinking you put it into it! Go manual trans tacos!

 

[DouglasVB]

@brettf yeah... I'm not thrilled about the MPG hit, the added noise, or the extra weight.

The other thing I'm eventually planning is to put a flat bed on the back with a box. If I sped up that purchase and installation (which will also require heavier duty suspension), then I could throw all of the antennas in the box and keep a clean roofline.

I've thought about getting a rear bed mount but one of the antennas is a weBoost which looks pretty funny when mounted there

The other option would be to fashion a mount for the weBoost to put it directly behind the cab. I've got a tonneau cover that flips up so that makes it more complicated.

Hmm I should look at that last option more. I haven't seen anyone making a bracket for that case so I'll probably have to fabricate it myself.

 

[brettf]

Can't wait to see the flat bed!

 

[DouglasVB]

Okay my build is now complete. I found the perfect license plate frame.

 

[DouglasVB]

Does anyone know what topper brand this is?

Facebook

www.facebook.com

I'm probably going to get a topper soon as an interim solution for more cargo space.

 

[DouglasVB]

I need to do a gut check on my recovery gear to see if there's anything I should be replacing or anything I don't have that someone going out on their own should have.

This is precipitated by pulling a USFS pickup out of a ditch last weekend in Big Sur on a back road. That truck didn't have any front recovery points and the ranger and I settled on using the sway bar. Maybe if we had spent an hour digging dirt out from the front of the truck we could have found a hole towards the front of the frame rails or the front crossmember but we didn't. And everything was fine using the sway bar right at its connection point with the frame. It was only a small, gentle tug.

musical interlude

Here are a few photos from last weekend. There are more on my truck's insta account including videos of fire helicopters putting in the work on the Timber Fire which is burning in Big Sur.


View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DcbWEFIm9ey/?img_index=2


I've got video that I need to process to blur out anything identifying on the truck or of the ranger if I'm going to post it. Don't want to get anyone in trouble. It definitely wasn't the ranger's fault that the truck ended up in the ditch.

Musical interlude

I've got:

• Harbor freight badlands 12k winch with 80 ft of synthetic winch line with a metal eyelet at the end and I've got a thimble I can put on it. One challenge is the eyelet is too small for a regular metal d ring shackle so I have to use a soft shackle or pull out the thimble and mount it.
• Fidge tool to fix synthetic line
• ARB snatch strap (about ten years old)
• ARB tree saver strap (about ten years old)
• Cheapo tow strap (about twelve years old. I really need to cut the metal hooks off of it. I've never actually used it.)
• Harbor Freight tree strap
• A half dozen d ring shackles
• A single soft shackle
• A harbor freight snatch block originally meant for a wire rope
• A hitch receiver for a d ring shackle
• Two decent recovery points on my front winch bumper
• A harbor freight high lift jack that's really too long for my truck bed
• An ARB winch line recovery damper
• Four aluminum sand ladders
• Four plastic traction mats

I feel like I should get some additional soft shackles.

And maybe an additional length of rope or a long strap to extend my winch's reach.

Do any of my straps need to be replaced due to age? They all look in great shape.

I would like a pull pal but I've only had two instances where it would have been potentially useful. Plus if I really had to I could bury a sand ladder to use as an anchor.

The recovery points on my truck are not suitable for soft shackles from what I can see. They don't have smooth radiuses of sufficient diameter. So I use metal shackles there.

I have only had to use my recovery gear to get myself over a rock once in the last ten years. All the other times I've used it, it's been for recovering other people or dragging logs out of the way.

So what else should I be adding to the kit? Is there anything I should be replacing?

 

[allen.wrench]

Good setup, I'd say.

Maybe add a few rolls of electrical tape from HF. A 10 pack is sometimes on sale for ~6$. Always having a bunch of rolls on hand I've found myself using them for piles of stuff that's not at all electrical. For all intents and purposes I use it like duct tape, but I prefer it because it's stretchy plus easier to get tight by wrapping multiple times, less expensive, narrower, and takes longer for the adhesive to gunk up.

Some examples include:
1) bundling stuff together on a temporary basis,
2) grafting tape on my fruit trees,v
3) in a recovery situation, if I was being meticulous, I would use it to hold stuff in position to avoid pulling on a shackle the wrong direction or having a winch line slip off a pulley wheel,
4) thin padding material between metal parts in a temporary situation, but remember temporary is only temporary unless it works,
5) a third hand when repairing stuff. Like imagine having to bolt something in an awkward position. The bolt or part keeps falling, then just tape it until you're able to get the threads started,
6) bandaid to keep the red goop inside your body and off your nice clean truck interior.

I am NOT saying electrical tape is meant to be a recovery tool by itself. But it helps make a stressful recovery situation, or other stressful/annoying situation a little more workable so you can focus where it counts most. In situations like that it is important to breathe, control your heart rate, control your nerves which are electrical signals after all. Thus I recommend you consider packing some electrical tape in your kit

Allen

 

[DouglasVB]

I think I've got a half dozen rolls of Scotch Super 88 tape in the truck already

 

[allen.wrench]

Hell yeah! You're totally fine then

But also I now read the part about your recovery points having sharp edges. If there's enough metal there, like 1/2" or preferably thicker, you could take a rotary burr (or hand file) and round over those edges. A smooth 1/4" or larger fillet should be good.

Allen

 

[DouglasVB]

Hell yeah! You're totally fine then

But also I now read the part about your recovery points having sharp edges. If there's enough metal there, like 1/2" or preferably thicker, you could take a rotary burr (or hand file) and round over those edges. A smooth 1/4" or larger fillet should be good.

Allen

I'll have to look more closely to see if that's practical on these points. I'm not thrilled with the front bumper and I plan to replace it with something with a much better approach angle eventually. There's probably enough material there to radius it... Probably.

On the rear I should get a new receiver hitch for soft shackles. It's probably not worth the hassle to grind this one to have smooth edges