I am the owner of this truck. Thank you AMD for a great video, and for making the car look better than it is in person (that Griott Garage spray!). For the watchers, a few additions: - The primary water tank is a Front Runner 10 gal footwell trunk. It sits on the floor behind the front seats, with quick-connect hoses under the car into the rear compartment to a water pump, and a sub-micron carbon block water filter. - The shower system, is using pressurized water, heated by the plate heat exchanger (in the bumper). Heated water passes through an adjustable thermostatic valve (on the fuse box), to prevent scalding, and more important, to not waste water while you adjust the heat. The whole system can be returned to stock by disconnecting the 2 hoses from the clamps and reconnecting the original plastic elbow (which I carry with me), in case of heat exchanger leaking. - The fans on the canopy is, as most other commenters said, to create positive air pressure and eliminate dust sucking via the tail-gate. - The controller on the left of the steering wheel (the Android looking phone) is an ARB Linx, controlling my relays and functions (blower, water pump, front air locker, compressor, aux lights) - The ARB fridge, when installed, sites on the rear-right, on an Alu-Cab tilting slider. For those wandering how a clutch got fried in only 41K miles - most wear was from backing uphill. The Tacoma reverse gear ratio is closer to 2nd than 1st gear - way high.
Where did you get the 32 gallon fuel tank? here in the US? Was it difficult to install? I've been wanted something like that to fit under my 6 ft bed. Really enjoyed seeing what you did to your taco! I bet it's been fun traveling to those far away places. The stories you must have!
I also have a Tacoma with 6MT, reverse is really high. I suppose I might try to use 4LO for repeated reverse uphill. I have seen there is a 2LO mod for the Tacoma that is a little janky but could be really helpful in those kinds of scenarios.
Pardon my ignorance, but why does he say at @12:50 that a manual transmission is better for overlanding? Wouldn’t an automatic transmission be more reliable?
Does he though? 42k and needing a new clutch? With the hot spots on the flywheel he probably used 4HI a lot when 4LO was needed. My 19 OR Manual has 75k miles with no signs of needing a clutch. I offroad it regularly and tow regularly. Granted, I only tow 2300 lbs wet. Offroad, these trucks need to be in 4LO.
@@Clanc54R HI - I am the owner of the truck and definitely not proud of 41K miles on the clutch. All damage happened on paved, uphill reversing (once with a light trailer). I should have switched to 4LO on pavement to avoid this - lesson learned. Further, the clutch was not slipping, and had good amount of life left, but, I did not want to take a chance for my next overseas trip coming up in March.
@PLavee01 I literally have the perfect mod for you man. The reverse gear on these trucks is trash. I'll have to remember who makes it, but it's a simple wire harness that allows you to use the reduction gear in 4LO while staying in 2WD. Look up the 2LO mod. It tricks the 4wd computer into thinking that the front diff (ADD) has already been actuated with a button you install somewhere. My truck has no options so I have a ton of blank button spots. After pressing it you simply shift into 4HI then 4LO as usual. Boom. The truck is now in 2LO. No binding the drivetrain on pavement, but you get the reduction you need. I only use it to back a trailer. It's a must have for this truck man.
The add ons to the truck say a lot about the owner, and the shop that installed them. A customer from Florida who comes to you for a clutch and flywheel replacement, says a lot about YOU! Very nice.. I'd love to have his budget!!
The filter on the cap is not for the refrigerator, it is a positive air pressure system designed to keep dust out of the bed. If you suck relatively clean air in and filter it to keep it clean, you can pressurize the cap so that it’s basically always “blowing” dust out.
it's pretty funny because I don't know anything about offroading, but my knowledge in other areas immediately told me the filter was there to filter the air in the bed. Positive pressure is a big thing in keeping dust out of my --PC-- truck bed
@@RefrigeratedTP haha I was actually going to mention that it is a very similar concept to putting more intake than exhaust fans on a PC but I wasn’t sure there would be enough demographic crossover on a car care nut video lol
Ventilation of the cab from the extreme temperature variations and maintaining a positive air pressure inside of the cab is a great idea. Like AMD said the refrigerator, as well as other important equipment is stored in the cab.
G'day from Western Australia. We have quite a few unsealed (and corrugated) roads here - with a LOT of red dust! So many off road caravans and campers also use positive air pressure to keep the dust out and the inside clean (mostly). While often an electric fan is used, others use a (home made with plumbing PVC even) raised forward facing air intake with baffles and a filter to maintain positive pressure.
The whole “try it before you mod it” mentality is key right here. Toyota 4x4s are insanely capable right out of the box. Once I found a limitation of my ‘11 Lexus GX460 I would upgrade it. Everything I’ve done to it, is there because it’s functional. Hats off to the owners of this truck for knowing exactly what’s needed and what’s not for serious off-roading.
I off-roaded all over southwest n up west coast- eastern sierras in my stock 4x4 Tacoma. Zero mods. 125k miles. Only replaced off road tires 2x. Lowest cost of ownership vehicle n I beat the heck out of it.
Cool tough truck and an interesting episode. I used to work in the Sahara Desert (Algeria, Libya, Egypt) and the snorkels that go to the roof are not for water but for the very fine sand that gets kicked up by the wheels. There is much cleaner air up at the roof than even by the hood. A roof snorkel will save your air filter. They call the fine sand "fresh fresh" in Libya and it clogs up EVERYTHING - door hinges, radiator, suspension parts, every exposed sensor. It has the texture of bread flour and is hellish harsh on vehicles.
Interesting about the sand. I remember that the military had issues with the sand clogging the intakes of their equipment such as the helicopters and such during the first Gulf war.
A snorkel isn't necessarily for water crossings, it's also for pulling cleaner dust free air up higher. When off-roading there can be a ton of dust down low and churned up by the tires and goes into the engine bay and around the stock air intake.
The LC70 in Australia comes with something called a "raised air intake". It looks exactly like a snorkel but is not rated waterproof. For most folks going aftermarket, if they wanna raise their air intake for dust reasons, they might as well just get a proper snorkel out of convenience.
I have a 2000 tundra, Trd 4 x 4 with no modifications. I’ve passed a lot of modified trucks in Baja, Mammoth, Big Bear, and other pretty serious, off-road places that have broken axles and I’ve had no problems and no breakdowns.
@janpur1417 exactly why I pulled the 33s off my wheezy 4cyl. The axles are pretty stout but the lack of gearing power I went back to something actually closer to 30s and the suspension travel I gain is impressive. Don't need big tires at all just good ones.
My understanding of the optional Toyota snorkel is that it is not for water, but for moving the air intake higher into the air to help with convoy dust. Thus allowing you to go longer on the same filter. You can also rotate it to point backward so it doesn't clog in snow storms.
I have a stock 2020 4runner. Went to alaska last summer and drove the alcan highway and camped in canada and alaska. Only mods i added is an additional agm battery for my fridge. Food is quite important not to go bad on this long journey and a reliable ICE car.
I admire your "less is more" comment. Living in the mountains of Spain I depend on my 2016 Hilux. I absolutely love it and see no reason to modify it. It just works. No I don't intentionally abuse it but if adversity arrives it's up to the task. Me being a retired Military Contractor that has worked all over the world am accustomed to seeing the Hilux many times with a machine gun mounted in the bed and most times not friends of US Forces. Yes Iraq, Afghanistan come to mind. The Hilux is tough.
Agreed! Been there done that, too much over modding and become so overwhelming and truck is overloading. I think true over landing is simple and practical with skills to survive in the wild. Love your channel and your logic!
22:04 I know you don't like aftermarket AMD, but the new Trail Hunter Tacoma coming out will have Old Man Emu shocks. So even Toyota thinks their shocks are good enough to put on the Tacoma's straight from the factory assembly line 😉
The only mod I have on my 23 TRD Off Road is a set of Toyo 265/75/16 tires on the Pro wheels, I take it off road often and am impressed with how capable it is right out of the factory
Love the low mod thing. My 15 Off Road has a Hidden winch behind the plastic bumper fascia. On board air under the hood. 32” tires on stock wheels, and a few other goodies that are all incognito.
I absolutely loved this video! I happen to have a 2019 Tacoma Sport with the manual transmission and I love it. Other than change oil and replace the tires with proper 4-season tires for our area, I have not had to do a thing to the truck.
I have the same truck as You, mine is just the extra cab by choice. Just wondering if You ever had the somewhat common problem with the 4wd actuator on the transfer case? Mine never worked correctly shifting into or out of 4 low from when I got it new. Absolutely nothing wrong with the actuator. I removed it, took it apart, clocked it , reinstalled it, and still had the same issue. ( you absolutely do NOT have to remove the transfer case and disassemble to do this, it’s easy.) I found the solution at least for the 6 sp. manual and it has worked 100% . When shifting from 2H to 4H or 4H to 4L or whatever, fully depress clutch pedal and release 2 times! Don’t ask Me how or why it works, but it does . Just thought I would share this and wondered if anyone else ever heard of it?
I live in the desert and have a snorkel on my 80 series Landcruiser. Although I do not encounter many water crossings, the benefits I see with the snorkel is that it lowers the ambient air temperature going into my engine by about 10 - 15 degrees and when on trails following other vehicles it keeps my air filter a little cleaner as I am not sucking in as much dust.
@@tomr9661 the air coming into the engine is a little cooler than the ambient temperature as I run an ultra gauge and monitor my incoming air temps and after I installed the snorkel it lowered my incoming air temp on average 8 to 12 degrees lower.
I am going to miss the 3.5L V6. I have a Tacoma with the 6-speed manual in the TRD Sport access cab configuration and I love my 2020 like I love my wife. I hope my 2020 lasts forever.
I go offroading with my 2019 TRD Off Road Tacoma fairly often. I've only upgraded the wheels and tires. The wheels are the same as the 4 Runner TRD Pro wheels. I live near the mountains where there are miles of trails. The area I live in I see lots of new Jeeps with thousands of dollars in off road modifications. Funny thing is that I never see any of those Jeeps on the trails. I see lots of Tacomas and 4Runners.
Very cool. So glad to see a video pointing out what’s truly needed for off road. I get a little bit of a chuckle when I see people throwing giant super wide tires on some Jeep or truck and adding snorkels and a ladder jack and all kinds of stuff that screws up the balance of the vehicle and makes it handle like garbage.
Great video...as always! I'm a huge fan of the less is more approach. That's how I'm incrementally getting our family adventure vehicle ready to go out and have some fun! It's a '21 4Runner SR5 4WD because that's all we really need, not a TRD Pro or anything. Off-road tires, a roof basket to hold some camping gear and we'll be set for our purposes. We'll be using it to find some trails in Eastern Tennessee, and to spend time on our property out in the west Texas desert. Nothing crazy, so I don't think we'll need any more mods. Only want to do what's necessary for our actual use.
We have tested our trucks and what it comes down to ,is. Tire size,we can't get to our favorite camping spot anymore cause people with 35s 37s and bigger have dug such big holes.
I'll let you know, it's JUNK get a 3rd gen while you can. Gas version get the same gas milage as a 3rd gen. Only good about it is rear defrost and heated steering wheel.
@@cbayless4294 If one isolates the MPG metric sure it's bad but one will be getting 52 more lb-ft of torque (or 48hp and 200 lb-ft in the iforce max) for the same fuel effiency along with lower emissions. hybrid one is rumored about ~25mpg according to landcruiser mpg leak with same powertrain
AMD, you are a legend, thank you and God bless! Not religious myself, but hopefully this comes across OK. What a success story and inspiration for us all. ♥If you are comfortable talking about it, I'd love to hear more about your experiences with maintenance in less luxurious countries than the USA! Either way, all the best, love to you and yours
Meh sliders weigh hardly anything on the grand scheme of weight, maybe 100 lbs. Not really worth removing them for day to day, not to forget the protection from impacts/door dings.
Snorkel is not necessarily for water, but it's a good idea if you do a lot of water crossings. The snorkel just moves the air intake higher so that it breathes easier. If you look in the US, you'll probably see a lot of people running the grill head backwards because of rain.
Great video (as always). I don't know how I missed it when it came out 2 weeks ago. Thanks for showing off such a cool truck and thanks to the owner for letting you show it. I've got a 2023 Tacoma Off Road and people at work are always asking if I'm going to build it out like others have done. I tell them, "No" and that a stock Tacoma is EXTREMELY capable and more that what I need for what I hope to do.
Im enjoying reading the comments on the CCN channel. There are many knowledgeable people who also are willing to share their expertise in a positive and constructive manner here.
CCN - you noted that the front sway bar was removed for increased ground clearance. I think that you meant what is in fact a sway bar ?( it stops the car rolling) - this also necessitated removal of the links to each A-Arm - this allows greater independent front wheel vertical movement to get over ridges and thru troughs.
I built a 1998 Jeep Wrangler when I was in my 20s. Ended up with a long arm lift, 2iin body lift, and 35in tires. Had a whole bunch of other mods and whatnot hanging off of the Jeep. I learned that most of it was not even necessary. Now I have a 2021 Tacoma TRD Pro and I'm being much more selective with modifications. Less is more!
I like my Taco it’s an 2007 Regular Cab 5 lug that’s been lowered a few inches. We pulled the 2TR-FE out w/ 36,109 miles. It was replaced with a 2006 5.3 LS all aluminum L33 with a truck cam in front of a Tremec TKX and the rear differential has a TrueTrec. It’s riding on coil-overs, running two piece StopTech’s behind fully forged 19x8 & 8.5 wheels running 235/50 & 245/50-19 rubber. WHP of over 325
Overlander typically is referring to operator of the vehicle. I definitely read this comment wrong but know what you mean. So yes true. Lots of clean jeeps and forerunners out there
I'm really glad you addressed the modifications. I often have wondered why people buy these trucks and take off the OEM suspension parts and replace them with aftermarket ones???? I've always been under the impression that the struts and shocks, say on the GX 460, which I have, must be a much better quality than anything else out there. Always enjoy your content!!!!
Sir (car care nut), while I get your point, I would like to add a few comments to your ongoing putting down other peoples cars and changes. I deliberately say changes, as they are not always upgrades. Before and after every mod, I roll the car and make other such tests, steering abilities, avoiding slalom abilities, and much more. On one of my sportscars, I have done numerous mods. Suspension, more adjustable arms, stronger gearbox housing together with stronger clutch because of more torque (and a lot lighter car as well), stronger internals of the gearbox, axles, special diff, modded syncros, slightly taller 1'st and 2'nd gear, with 1'st straight cut, lighter and more grippy seats, different steering wheel with better grip, bigger original wider wheels and tires, softer tires, lighter panels, NO air filter mods, lighter engine parts incl. cylinder head mods, better air intake for engine, bigger brakes, calipers, hoses, pads etc, but all together lighter brakes, bushings that are only slightly harder and non-wearing, better engine and gearbox bushings, NO stereo, speakers etc, modified gearchange, so better, faster more precise shifts (now also allowed by the gearbox itself), another cleaner better flowing cat, better downforce both front and rear so balance is retained, lighter exhaust (not noisy for the sake of noise), lighter roof and tailgate, fully adjustable suspension which is also lighter and far more precise with far less stiction, very slightly lowered, full geo done by myself and checked on an advanced Hunter geo computer, and it was spot on, to the angles I wanted, considering wheels, suspension etc, and much more. And the car looks like itself, not a totally changed car. Overall, I now have a car that is lighter, FAR more capable then it was. And I can tell you for sure, it was already an extremely good car to begin with. Steering is better, more precise, faster, gearchange like wise, grip is so much higher and so on. Car is now faster and can take all sorts of turns faster. No crap parts, only high quality and properly executed. Do I need this? NO, not ALL the time. Do I use the higher capability? Yes, sir, I do. Does it make the car safer? Yes, by a mile. Is it more enjoyable? Yes, a lot. Do I shop groceries in it? No, never. Is it as easy ) or complicated to work on as before? Yes, apart from the exhaust manifold and turbo, I have now lift out in 1½ hour, compared to 5-6 hours before. Not all mods are bad and worsen the car. In fact the opposite. Some times cars are a hobby. And can be used as well. I can also enjoy it when driving slowly out of town. The mods seen in your video are good and purposeful. I also only do mods for specific purposes, not for the sake of change. I also use driving shoes/boots, suit and gloves, when need be as well as staying fit to use the cars potential in certain situations, as well as training my own driving abilities. Kind regards.
I like how he used the Tacoma instead of using the Tundra. While my wife's 2012 RAV4 was in the bodyshop, our rental car was a 2020 Tacoma same color as this one and we were impressed at how roomy it was for its size. My wife even enjoyed driving it and she's 4 foot 11 inches. Thank you and the owner for showing us a beautiful and well planned/modified truck!
Great story! You are a grade A mechanic. Honest and so knowledgeable. It is no surprise that your business continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Our Toyota dealers in this area are untrustworthy and really provide poor customer service. Their prices are outrageous and the work is still not done correctly. I sure wish you had a shop in sunny Savannah GA. HINT. Continued success to you.
Cool to hear your thoughts on a decently modified truck. The aftermarket shocks are a no brained though for Anyone who really offroads. You will quickly realize the Bilstein (non pro) overheat with extended offroad driving and it becomes extremely uncomfortable, even dangerous. Love your videos!
Some pretty strong opinions on the off-roading scene Amd! In my opinion, I think the worst trend in the off-roading scene are the gatekeepers that try to tell everyone what mods you should or shouldn't have and how you're supposed to use your vehicle.
I had a prado 120 with no modifications. Used it for overlanding and medium offroading in the mountains snow sand... he(i named him a boy name) never let me down. after 300000miles i sold it last year. The only services it required in all those years was oil, filters and changing a radiator and a cv boot and sparks and breaks. Before selling it i put it in a detailing shop. And after that it looked like new. It is unbelivable that mechanically nothing was broken. Nothing made sound inside and outside.
I agree with the remarks on cleaning the K&N air filters. Best to buy another one, but probably let it sit flat outside of the packaging for a day so the oil in it will not accumulate in one spot as it might be while it was sitting on the shelf before purchasing it.
Wow, those are some knowledgeable owners who have a very cool truck. I bought my first Taco in 1991 (called an SR5 back then and only an Xtracab) and have owned older Landcruisers and a 2010 FJ since. My current ride is 2021 Taco SR5 Access Cab and I love it. I've made some simple mods and added some things but otherwise will drive it for many years. Thanks for your video. I'm sub'd!
Its the same here in Australia. There is alot of 4x4s that are fully fitted out with all the mods and never go off road. Take a Hilux to arb spend its value again in mods and use it to drive around the city
AMD this was a very interesting story and the subject fits very well for a CCN video. Very well done. I appreciate your message that much can be accomplished through keeping things simple and thoughtful. Proverbs 21:5 says, "The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty."
That's one nice truck! I have an 02 Silverado Z 71 4x4. I purposefully kept everything bone stock. No modifications. If I'm off road, something has gone wrong. I've done a ton of work on the truck to bring it back to as near new mechanical condition as possible for a truck with 325,000 miles, and it's had a hard life, but I'm confident that if needed I could drive to either coast with little risk of breakdown. The main reason for me to have Big Red (That's her name) is to be able to get out in bad weather to my mother's house. She's 83 and homebound. Anyway, these off road trucks that are six feet tall at the top of the hood that never get a speck of dirt on them are ridiculous, not only do they block the vision of any other car around them, but every one of them have obscenely loud exhaust. To me it's the classic example of more money than brains.
Great show and content with a nice truck, Tacoma owners have always had a fierce sense of loyalty when it comes to what generation and configuration is the best. That said, my 2 cents are the 07 - 015 second gen, with a 4.0 V- 6 MT Access cab, then throw all the mods, trick upgrades and cool aftermarket fabricated parts on it,
Recently got my first Tacoma - 2007 access cab, long bed, 6 speed manual, TRD Offroad, 120,000 rust free New Mexico miles. Love my new truck. Throw a mattress in the back, a sleeping bag, ice chest and dogs and I'm good to go.
I watched this whole video to learn what I could do to my Tacoma... and then i realized mine is just for work. I beat the shit out of it and it takes it like a Toyota.
On Van Island in Canada where I live, I see so much of these Tacoma build. Like most they are a flex. I only know a handful who actually off road and over land. For camping, we see more Delica, Hiace or our other JDM van imports.
Just to be clear. Overland travel is different way of driving compared to 4 wheeling or going off road. A stock 4WD will do just fine for remote travel around the world. 4wheeling on the other hand it’s modify according to the obstacles you are planning to drive the vehicle on, basically you build a 4WD to see what’s the biggest rock you can climb with it.
Am an armored vehicle enthusiast, that fan on the RH topper door is a a pressurization thing. Keeps the sand and dirt out i believe but it needs to draw in air so it has a filter.
AMD as for the K&N air filter they are being improperly used. They are for racing use. Farm Project Channel did a test on different stock air filters and K&N. K&N showed best airflow at the cost of filtration. WIX had the lowest airflow and the best filtration. There is no free lunch, you have to choose filtration or increased airflow. I bought a WIX and compared it to the factory Toyota 4Runner filter and they looked very similar in construction and material integrity.
I have snorkel on my Tacoma. I used it alot. I used oem air filter. Works great. I been water over the hood sitting in water in my cab. Good times. Toyota ball joints suck!
I wonder too about drawing air higher too might help and bag cover it when stopped in a sandstorm. I could see the desert heat would be hard on a clutch. Every time you start to roll you probably need to transmit more engine torque to tires with more drag in sand. Just more slipage befir lockup.
amd made no comment on the Amsoil stickers lol. that is very cool. extended oil changes must be important in over-landing. need some amsoil stickers for under the hood lol.
