A List of the Upgrades and Gear that I use on my Tacoma
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Now, y'all probably figured out that I am not a wrenching/how-to channel. Most of the time spend working on my truck is spent by looking for the right tool and then dropping it into oblivion... Then after a few choice words, some spilled oil, and blood.. I eventually get the job done and just pray I did it right.. But, I do want to share some of the upgrades that I have done to my tacoma, to make it ready for the road and trail. None of these are sponsored and these aren't necessarily recommendations. If I can find the links for everything, I will include them. Amazon links might earn affiliate commission.
Suspension upgrades
Bilstein 5100 Shocks on all 4 corners. These ride height adjustable shocks allow for a true 2" suspension lift, to lift or level the truck without drastically changing geometry. They run around $120 for rear shocks and $175 for front shocks.
https://yotaxpedition.com/products/5100-front-shock-absorber-tacoma-2016-2023
https://yotaxpedition.com/products/5100-rear-shock-absorber-tacoma-2016-2023
Old Man Emu springs in the front provide a 2" lift over stock without having to change the spring clip on the front shocks. Looking back, I should have gone with a heavier spring weight rating, so take that into consideration.
New Dobinson Leaf packs in the rear give the rear a 2" lift with no load. That keep some of the factory rake. It levels out by the time I'm loaded down and the trailer is hooked up. Again, take into consideration, realistically, how heavy your truck will be and get the spring rating that suits your needs.
https://yotaxpedition.com/products/rear-leaf-spring-tacoma-2016-2023
JBA Offroad Upper control arms helped correct the angles and allow for more adjustments to the caster, giving it more control and a better right on and off road.
Cab Mount Relocation kit- I got this from C4, but DRT is very popular as well. Gives room for the bigger tires..
Tires are BFG AT TA-KO3 load Range C - 285/75r16 - 33" tires. Honestly, these are definitely good tires, but I think I liked my Toyo Open Country AT3's more.. Not enough to swap them out, but I doubt I'll buy another set when these wear out. The biggest gripe is they get out of balance quickly and pick up gravel like nothing I've seen before.. and subsequently throws that gravel on my camper.
Wheel Spacers - this one may be more controversial, but it helped the wider tires clear the upper control arms and gave the truck a more aggressive stance. The hate on cheap wheel spacers is well deserved. They suck, they're dangerous, and they really aren't saving anyone any money.. Except maybe the manufacturers.. So.. Don't cheap out on spacers. I went with spidertrax 1.25" hub centric spacers.
Exterior Upgrades
Brush guard - This was actually on the truck when I bought it used. It's a Ranch Hand but I don't know the exact model. Would I have paid money for a brush guard? Probably not... I would have been more likely to put my money into a bumper, or a bumper with bars/brush guard built in. That being said, this is the first brush guard that I have had on a truck and it's growing on me.. Much lighter than a bumper and I can still, and probably should, trim some of the from bumper so that the tires stop rubbing on bumps at full stop while turning. The only downside is the inability to add a winch at this point. However my motto up until now has been to not get myself into situations that might need a winch, and therefore I don't really need one, plus they're expensive...
Bed Molle Panels - These ones from Amazon weren't an exact fit and I had to do some cutting with an angle grinder to make them fit. It was only minor though. These mount on the sides of the inside of your bed and give a solid molle panel for you to mount whatever you want. I have a Hi-lift Jack which I found on Facebook Marketplace, a kinetic rope, fire extinguisher, and an axe mounted on mine currently.
Blackout Emblems and bumper covers - This is purely vanity and preference. But, since everything is black and dark grey now, too much chrome doesn't fit as well. So, I got some blackout emblem covers and rear bumper covers. These are just molded black matte plastic with double sided 3m tape to cover the existing chrome emblems, as well as the chrome rear bumper. Much less expensive than a new black rear bumper and a little easier than removing the old emblems and sticking new ones on.
Racks - I won't go into too much detail, but I have waited for about 4 months for the roof rack portion of the bed rack + roof rack combo that I bought earlier this year. We are hoping it comes in this month (July) and I will update this post with info on the actual roof rack.
What I have is the Backwoods Adventure Mods Driftr Roof Rack and Bed rack combo. So far I have enjoyed having a bed rack, as opposed to the softopper and tonneau cover that I have used I the past. The obvious downsides are the lack of being able to lock the contents of your bed securely, and the lack of rain protection. if those are deal breakers for you, a hard topper, soft topper, or tonneau cover may be a better option. There are bed racks that are tonneau cover compatible, but I needed better access to my bed than the tonneau cover would allow. Do I miss having a covered and rain proof bed? Yes. Would I prefer a hard topper like the OVS Expedition cap? I don't know. Maybe something that I will explore down the road, but for now, I am enjoying the versatility of the bed rack. Its has so many mounting options for awnings and gear.
So... What do I have mounted on it so far?
- An OVS HD Nomadic 270 LTE Awning on the passenger side gives me the opportunity to have full coverage of the side and rear of the truck, in case I and using only my truck and need rain or sun protection.
- All-top Shower awning is on the driver side of the bed rack. This one is planned to go on the roof rack eventually, but I may move it back depending on how that feels while driving it. Definitely an essential on multi-day trips. Dude wipe 'showers' are great for the first day or 2, but it's always nice and refreshing to get a good deep clean. This comes with a shower basin, so if you are in an area that requires you to catch all your grey water, you are covered! Camplux Nano 3 Pro Portable Water Heater provides the warm water and showered.
- BougeRV 300w Bifacial Solar Panel: This keeps my lithium batteries topped off via the Renogy DC-DC and MPPT charger. See below for Power Upgrades
- That's all for now!
Power Upgrades
We just touched on the solar panel that I have mounted on the roof rack. That solar panel, in conjunction with my alternator, are going through the Renogy 50 Amp DC-DC and MPPT Charge Controller. That is charging 2 x 200AH Renogy lithium iron phosphate batteries. Those Batteries are hooked up to a Renogy 2000W pure sine wave inverter
I have all of this inside of a low-profile toolbox, which I have wired in various plugs and outlets, that allow me to use my truck like shore power. I am working on an in-depth blog post just on the power setup. I'll come back and update this blog post once that is live.
Interior Upgrades
I swapped those out with some LEDs that are able to be set to red, which helps reduce eye strain and preserves night vision, plus it looks cool too.
https://yotaxpedition.com/products/dual-color-map-lights-tacoma-2016-2023
https://yotaxpedition.com/products/ultimate-dome-light-v2-tacoma-2016-2023
I did add a bulletpoint mounting solutions phone mount. This is one that I recommended for my Colorado, but not the tacoma. The way that the tacoma mounts are installed, allow for the phone to shake while driving, which is not fun. The Colorado installation was solid and there was no chance for it to move or vibrate.
Seat protection: There were some Carhartt branded seat covers already on the seats of the truck when I bought it so obviously those stayed on. I added a basic rear seat dog seat cover for Buck in the backseat.
One more thing that I did, is that I removed the plastic trim and organizer, as well as the insulation, that is found behind the rear seats.. If Maximizing storage is your main goal, this is a great modification that costs nothing. I was able to fit all of my tools and tool bags behind the seat now, when before there wasn't enough room for 1 of them. The downside is that plastic and insulation were your sound deadening and now that it is gone, you will be able to hear all the road and wind noise that was blocked by that. The positives and the amount of storage space gained far outweighed the noise increase for me.
I'll come back to update this post periodically as things change or are added over time. If you want to see me and my dog Buck travel around this great country in this truck, be sure to subscribe to our channel over on Youtube! https://youtube.com/@trawickellis?si=MjFPE0edCo7weP9j