2017 TOYOTA TACOMA TRD SPORT BUILD
- I bought this truck brand new with 3 miles on it in Cocoa Beach, Florida where we lived at the time on December 22, 2016 and it was the first vehicle I’d ever bought new. I had always enjoyed lightly modifying all of my previous vehicles but since the truck was the first that was new, I wanted to wait to break the truck in and do things right the first time. It was only days before I had the itch to start modifying things.
- Within the first month, we took the truck on the first of many camping adventures throwing kayaks and paddle boards in the back. It was also in that first month that the truck already had new wheels and tires along with a growing list of planned upgrades. That’s when I knew it would not stay stock for long.
- Once we made the big move west to southern California, we made more friends with similar offroading and camping interests and that’s when we got the taste of everything California has to offer from the desert to the Eastern Sierra mountains. We then went off the deep end building the truck out.
- The truck has been through many phases as we’ve dialed in the setup to meet our needs but that’s part of the build process and we’ve enjoyed the truck (and the adventures it carried us on) every step of the way!
Cover feature on the October 2019 anniversary issue of 4WD Toyota Owner Magazine
Overview
- Double Cab Short Bed
- 4x4, Automatic
- Blazing Blue Pearl color
- 50,000 miles (as of 2022)
Price Paid
- Selling Price: $31,430.00
- Total MSRP: $37,512.00
- Discount: $6,082.00 off MSRP
- Total OTD Price: $34,606.33 including TTL
Performance
Nitro Gear 5.29 Gears
- ECGS clamshell bushing (to eliminate the needle bearing)
- Harrop e-Locker (rear)
- Overland Tailors “Overlander OTT 7.0 Torque Tune” (for 5.29 gears, 35” tires, 87 octane fuel)
- Rough Country in-line speedometer calibrator
- UpTop OverlandUpTake Snorkel
- Exhaust rerouted around transfer case - by @liquid_torch
- Exhaust cut to axle dump
- Low Range Off Road differential breather kit
Suspension
Front Suspension
- Total Chaos uniball upper control arms
- OME 886 coils with OME firm struts with strut assembly by HeadStrong Off-Road
- OME 5mm front trim spacer on driver side
- Total Chaos weld-on spindle gussets with swaybar mounts - by @liquid_torch
- DRT Fabrication cab mount relocation - by @GHOST SHIP (TacomaWorld)
- Hammered and sealed pinch welds - by @mixedmetalwork
- Full fender trim, removed fender liners - by @GHOST SHIP (TacomaWorld)
- Wheeler’s front superbumps
Rear Suspension - Deaver U402 expedition stage 3 leaf springs with Deaver polyurethane leaf springs
- BAMF HD shackle hangers with BAMF HD shackles and polyurethane bushings - by @liquid_torch
- Custom high clearance cross tube for BAMF HD shackle hangers - by @liquid_torch
- OME nitrocharger sport rear shocks
- Archive Garage stealth HD u-bolt flip kit
- Archive Garage yellow speed bump stops
- OME driveshaft spacer
- Custom spacers for brake and ABS lines
Wheels and Tires
- KMC KM275 Terra 17x9 -38mm matte black wheels (qty 5)
- Goodyear 315/70R17 Wrangler M/T tires (qty 5)
- SCS Performance extended thread spline black lug nuts
- Extreme Outback captive no-loss valve stem caps
Electrical
Batteries Plus X2Power 27F AGM Battery
- Off-Grid Engineering machined aluminum battery tie-down
- Generic battery tray and 10” j-hooks
- SDHQ billet battery terminal upgrade kit
- NOCO GENM1 on-board battery charger with NOCO AC port plug with 12ft extension cable
- Trigger Six Shooter accessory controller with a Blue Sea Systems terminal fuse block with a 100A fuse
- Blue Sea Systems ST-blade battery terminal mount fuse block kit
- Smittybilt X-20 synthetic 10k winch with a blue Factor 55 flatlink
- LambTek Innovations winch switch bracket
- Dometic CFX3 25 fridge on homemade platform with Dometic 12V and 12V 2-pin plugs in cab
- Kenwood DMX906S receiver (wireless Apple CarPlay, gauges and engine data, steering wheel controls, HD radio, anytime front and rear cameras)
- WOLFBOX dash cam backup mirror with front and rear dual cameras, BOYO VTK501HD front camera
Armor
Bruteforce Fab front plate bumper (steel, powdercoated)
- Hoop with side supports
- Light cutouts
- Winch cutout
Bruteforce Fab rear high clearance bumper (steel, powdercoated) - Side rub rails
- Swingout tire carrier
- Fold-down table
- Light cutouts
- Camera relocation box
- Dual jerry can holder with Scepter military fuel cans (tan) and military water cans (tan)
- Expedition Essentials propane quick bottle mount with a 11 lb Flame King propane tank
- Trasharoo (tan)
- SOS Concepts rock sliders with kickout (steel, painted with bedliner)
- RCI Metalworks front skid plate (aluminum)
- RCI Metalworks mid skid plate with catalytic converter guards (aluminum)
- RCI Metalworks transfer case skid plate (aluminum)
- RCI Metalworks lower control arm skid plates (aluminum)
- RCI Metalworks gas tank skid plate (aluminum)
- RCI Metalworks rear differential skid plate (steel, powdercoated)
Lighting
Front Lighting
- Morimoto XB LED Headlights V2 with amber DRL
- Baja Designs LED squadron sport fog lights (amber, wide cornering) mounted in Bruteforce Fab front bumper
- Baja Designs LED S8 20” light bar (amber, driving/combo) mounted in Bruteforce Fab front bumper
- Baja Designs LED S1 chase light (amber, wide cornering) mounted to GoFast Camper
Side Lighting - MESO Customs ultimate LED smoked mirror turn signals
- MESO Customs puddle lights
Rear Lighting - Rigid Ignite rear lights (flush mount, white, diffused) with reverse signal trigger mounted in Bruteforce Fab rear bumper
- OEM Pro tail lights with MESO Customs total tail light kit stage 1
General Exterior Lighting - Baja Designs LED dome light (white) under hood
- Yotomafia rock light light kit (white, 6 KMC Cycylone pods)
Interior Lighting - MESO Customs ultimate LED map lights (red)
- MESO Customs ultimate LED dome light (white) with door trigger disconnect
- KTJO 4x4 LED door bowl lights (red)
- Generic LED footwell lights (red) with dome light trigger via DSIM Solution’s DomeRock harness
Truck Exterior
- Taco Vinyl raptor grille with white running lights, custom 1985-1987 Land Cruiser grille emblem)
- SUMA Performance wide angle convex side mirrors (blue tint, hydrophobic, defroster, built in turn signals)
- 20% window tint in the front, 35% window tint in the rear over privacy glass
- Tacoma Vinyl Decals matte black decal tailgate letter inserts
- Matte black bed decals
- Removed spare tire hoist
- Removed OEM front spoiler and OEM front skid plate
- Removed OEM pinstriping, dealer decal, tailgate V6 emblem, door Tacoma emblems
- Homemade AC drain mod
- Homemade tailgate securing
Truck Interior
- Clazzio all black leather seat covers (front, rear, center console)
- Desert Does It front seat jackers, rear seat jackers, front multi mount panel, and quick drop fire extinguisher mount with a First Alert home1 2.5 lb fire extinguisher
Accessories Mounting
Taco Garage Dashtop Multi-Mount - RAM short arm with a Quad Lock RAM adapter with a red lever (for an iPhone)
- RAM short arm with a RAM Garmin inReach Mini adapter
- Hondo Garage un-holey dash mount a RAM short arm and a @Kiddmen57 (expedition portal) UV-5R radio mount
Trim
MESO Customs interior chrome delete kit (black) - Center console cup holder, shift boot, push to start button, 4WD selector
- Door handle covers
- Steering wheel cover
- Vent rings
- Climate control rings
- MESO Customs push to start button (red, TRD start/stop)
- Black mirror control knob from a 2016-2020 Prius
- OEM door still protectors
- Taco Vinyl Decals glove box decal (red) and steering wheel phone button decal (red)
- Taco Vinyl glove box key blackout decal
Switches - Aug-Motive overhead center switch panel
- MESO Customs puddle light switch
- CH4x4 switches for e-locker and master kill switch for Trigger Controller
- OEM all-weather mats
- OEM Pro shift knob with Tacoma Vinyl Decals decal (red)
- MESO Customs extended fuse panel cover
- MESO Customs QQND coin tray with OG TRD lid
- Salex Organizers OCD (organized console device) center console tray
- Essentially Engineered car cup holder expander
- MESO Customs minimalist key fob (voodoo blue) and titanium key rings
GO FAST CAMPER
Overview
- Unit #472
Options - V1 platform camper
- Custom blue frame
- Black panels
- Front and rear windows
- Driver’s side tent door
Build timeline - 2018-12-17 Deposit in
- 2019-06-07 Color samples shipped
- 2019-06-13 Transfer complete (purchased someone’s build spot)
- 2019-07-23 Options Set
- 2019-07-24 Invoice sent
- 2019-07-31 Invoice paid
- 2019-08-06 Ready for production
- 2019-09-03 In production
- 2019-09-19 Components produced
- 2019-11-04 In assembly
- 2019-11-25 Sealant curing
- 2019-12-05 Soft goods installation
- 2019-12-20 Complete
- 2020-02-08 White glove delivery (met in Joshua Tree, CA)
Production summary - Time from Deposit In to Complete: 52 weeks, 4 days
- Time from Deposit in to Color Samples Shipped: 24 weeks, 4 days
- Time from Deposit In to In Production: 37 weeks, 1 days
- Time from Color Samples Shipped to In Production: 12 weeks, 4 days
- Time from Ready for Production to In Production: 4 weeks, 0 days
- Time from In Production to Complete: 15 weeks, 3 days
Electrical
Dakota Lithium 100 Ah lithium battery mounted in a NOCO battery box
- Blue Sea Systems on-off switch
- Blue Sea Systems terminal fuse block with a 75A fuse
- 175W Anderson plug
- Renogy 175W flexible solar panel mounted on GFC roof with cable entry housing on roof and a 50W Anderson plug
Following mounted on a Cali Raised LED front bed molle panel (powdercoated) - Victron Energy BMV 712 smart battery monitor with temperature sensor
- Victron Energy smartsolar MPPT 75/15 charge controller
- Victron Energy phoenix 12/500 inverter with bluetooth cable and a Blue Sea Systems terminal fuse block with a 50A fuse
- Blue Sea Systems 6 circuit fuse panel with negative terminals
- Blue Sea Systems common bus bars (qty 2)
- Blue Sea Systems 25A circuit breakers (qty 3)
- Molle storage pouch
Blue Sea Systems 3 switch accessory panel with master switch mounted in cubby - Blue Sea Systems dual fast charge USB ports
- Dometic 12V and 12V 2-pin plugs
- Dual fast charge USB ports with on-off switch upstairs in tent
- ProForce Onboard pressurized water system mounted in cubby (water pump with quick disconnect input with in-line filter and quick disconnect output with 7 pattern spray handle)
Lighting
- MadCap Supply LED GFC lighting kit (for both downstairs and upstairs, white and red selectable, dimmable)
- Baja Designs LED dome lights (white and red) mounted to GFC frame
- Rigid Ignite (white, diffused) mounted to an adjustable RAM arm on the GFC frame
- Matt Gecko bed lights (warm white)
Exterior GFC
- Rhino Rack batwing compact awning (passenger side mount) mounted with GFC awning brackets
- GFC cross bar rack mounts with Yakima 58” round bars and Yakima SupDawg paddle board carriers
- GFC platform wind skid
- GFC ladder
- 5% ceramic window tint on rear window
- Levels (rear, driver side)
- Handles (rear, driver side)
- GZila Designs rain fly pole holder kit (qty 2)
- Josh Edgar Designs tentlock (lock tent closed) (qty 2)
Interior GFC
- VRNCLR Sewn Storage top shelf upstairs storage (coyote color)
- Custom 1 inch latex mattress topper and GFC fitted sheets (white/black)
- D-rings on GFC frame for miscellaneous accessory mounting
- Custom bungee cord bedding catch
- Homemade paracord paper towel and toilet paper holder
- Homemade paracord clothesline
- Josh Edgar Designs stepup (step to get upstairs) (qty 2)
- Josh Edgar Designs hatchlatch (lock rear door from inside)
- Josh Edgar Designs BuddyMount with lift/drop plate (mounts Mr. Heater propane buddy heater)
- Mobtown Offroad tailgate reinforcement plate (powdercoated)
- At The Helm bed stiffeners (painted black)
- OEM front bed rail header sealed with butyl tape
- Micwillia bed cubby caps
- D-rings on the cubbies
- Eezy Supplies rig pull (to pull up tailgate)
- Camco little red campfire propane fire pit
- Front Runner Outfitters wolf packs stage boxes (qty 4)
- Front Runner Outfitters stratchits (several)
Recovery and Safety
- Viair 400P portable air compressor
- ARB E-Z deflator
- Safe Jack sergeant off road kit (6 Ton bottle jack with extension screw collar, 3” and 6” bottle jack extensions, 8.5-12” adjustable bottle jack extension, flat jack pad, universal round pad) and Safe Jack universal bottle jack base
- GoTreads traction boards / leveling blocks (orange, qty 2) and storage case
- Garmin inReach mini (orange)
- BaoFeng UV-5R radio with a 15.6 inch whip antenna and spare battery
- NOCO boost plus GB40 1000A lithium jump starter
- Jumper cables
- ARB snatch strap 17.6k 2" x 30ft
- Smittybilt tow strap 20.6k 2" x 30ft
- Smittybilt tree saver 40.0k 4" x 8ft
- Smittybilt d-ring 9.5k 3/4" with Daystar d-ring isolators (several)
- Smittybilt snatch block 17.6k
- ARB recovery dampener
- Peerless z-chain snow chains
Notable Previous Truck Mods
Performance
- MBRP T409 stainless steel turndown exhaust
Suspension - OME dakar heavy duty leaf springs with stock shackles and OME u-bolts
Wheels and Tires - Yokohama 285/75R17/E (33.8x11.2) Geolandar M/T G003 tires (qty 5)
- BFG 285/70R17/C (32.7x11.2) KO2 A/T tires (qty 5)
- BFG 265/70R17/C (31.6x10.4) KO2 A/T tires (qty 4)
- SCS Performance 17x8.5 -10mm dark bronze F5 wheels (qty 5)
- OEM 17x7 -4mm matte black 4Runner TRD pro wheels (qty 4)
Electrical - Dometic CFX3 55IM fridge with protective cover mounted to a DFG Offroad tilting fridge slide
- Dometic CFX 50W fridge
- Dometic PLB40 portable lithium battery
Armor - Southern Style OffRoad slimline hybrid bumper with a bull bar, light/winch cutouts, and 20” generic LED light bar (steel, powdercoated)
Lighting - Baja Designs LED OnX6+ 20” light bar (amber, driving/combo) mounted in Bruteforce Fab front bumper
- Baja Designs LED S2 sport ditch lights (amber, driving/combo) mounted on RCI Offroad ditch light brackets
- 4 Baja Designs XL sports (white, spot) mounted on a BAMF behind the grille bracket
- OEM headlights with black headlight mod (BHLM) and HIDs
- Element LED 40” mounted on Prinsu Offroad roof rack
- Element LED 20” LED light bar mounted in SSO slimline hybrid bumper
- 30” generic LED light bar mounted on Rago Fabrication hidden bumper brackets
Exterior - Prinsu Offroad roof rack
- OEM TRD Pro grille
- Yakima SpareRide bike carrier
Bed Setup - KB VooDoo mid-height bed rack with a Freespirit Recreation high country series 55″ roof top tent and a ARQ4WD 270deg Awning with custom brackets
- ARE V-series topper with tilt-down front sliding window, fabric headliner, LED battery dome light, black Vantech J-1000 roof rack (custom cut to 48")
- MobileStrong HDPE bed drawers (carpet top, locking) with MobileStrong dividers and d-rings for securing cargo
- Custom sleeping platform with full-length powdercoated drawers and three-piece red oak deck
- Thule Xsporter bed rack
- Access Vanish tonneau cover
Gas Mileage
Photos
Partnerships
Events and Media:
- November 2022: LA Auto Show event in Los Angeles, California at the Go Fast Camper Overland Experience
- May 2022: Rig Talk x Pit and Paddock Cars + Coffee event in Rancho Cucamonga, California
- September/October 2019: Cover and centerfold feature for 4WD Toyota Owner magazine
Brands we’ve worked with: GoPro, Dakota Lithium, Baja Designs, MESO Customs, Trigger Controller, Taco Vinyl, Madcap Supply, Brute Force Fab, Southern Style Offroad, GoTreads, ARQ4WD, Showstoppers Offroad, RPM Offroad Garage, and more
Slide in the DMs