'16 Bobcat '17 Tacoma

[James T Kirk]

More time to enjoy the fruits of our efforts...Kirk Out

 

[Vic Harder]

6 shooter peak?

 

[James T Kirk]

Yep, doing some climbing at Indian Creek. The truck is a tiny speck in the foreground...

 

[buckland]

looks like heaven to me!

 

[James T Kirk]

More camping at 'The Creek'....kirk out

 

[CougarCouple]

Looking nice there James T

Russ

 

[James T Kirk]

Been doing a bunch of stuff to the camper last summer. I should update...

Picked up a Dometic CF-40

Tore apart the bench seat and reshaped it to create a new cubby for the fridge.

Fits perfect. I guess because I built the cabinet to fit it! Raised the level of the cushions to sit flush with the carpeted shelf against the wall. Thus raising the floor cabinet height, increasing storage. Just fits the 18" high fridge. Installed a swing away table mount and built a table top.

Here we have the forward compartment with the fridge, AGM marine battery, IOTA DLS-30/IQ4 , solar charge controller and battery isolator. 120v or 12v autoswitch for fridge power. 120v for Iota charger.

More to come....kirk out

 

[jimjxsn]

Very nice work. I want to do something like your fridge box.

 

[ski3pin]

Just food for thought. We have a truckfridge chest refrigerator in the same spot. I also installed a cabinet enclosure. I was concerned about getting air moving over the condenser via the vents in the bottom corners of the fridge and cut the matching area out in my cabinet face. Air flow - from the way I looked at it - was already compromised having the fridge up against a wall. On my fridge the air flow - check with hand (or piece of paper) over the vents when running - is from the camper to the wall through the cooling unit. I cannot see if you did the same in your photos as there is a box in the photo.

 

[James T Kirk]

I slide open the turnbuckle doors when it's hot....

 

[James T Kirk]

So here's that cabinet work....

So, i decided to split the floor cabinet in two. first i thought i would have a little sitting area with table. but it's just too small. It was nicer keeping the top cushion 1 piece and long.

i may yet go back to the single cabinet but, it's nice having that little foot cubby to put stuff that will be instant access. or it makes the floor storage space a little wider there.

Then, next to the door i built a corner storage cabinet. I put bedding and linens and whatever in there. makes for a nice shelf on top too. right under the upper narrow cabinet. next i plan to install more charging/power outlets right by that shelf. the lower cabinet on the floor is room for misc utility stuff...need to get the door on that thing.

time to finish up some details, electrical!

-kirk out

 

[James T Kirk]

Oh but first...had to keep up with the FWC Silver Spur folks! A little aluminum protecting the lower camper.

 

[CaptRussia253]

Awesome build!

 

[Kodachrome]

Nice job on the diamond plate, I did that to mine as well when I re-painted the underside a few years back.

How is that Gen 3 Taco handling it with what I assume is a stock motor?

My 05 has 194K on it now and every time I think about moving into the new build for the niceties like heated seats and modern nav, I think about the huge difference in usable torque between the 3.5L 2GR (265 lb-ft) and my S/C'd 4.0 1GR (380 lb-ft) and decide to just keep rolling.

Nice setup either way!

 

[Vic Harder]

miles don't matter if you know the maintenance history! I love that s/c 4.0 you have.

 

[CougarCouple]

Nice job JTK
Like your rear cabinet storage.

Russ

 

[James T Kirk]

How is that Gen 3 Taco handling it with what I assume is a stock motor?

You know, I really don't have a comparison or else I'd have a better review. But, it seems to do just fine. I get around 15MPG with the camper on. It gets up and goes from the stoplight. I've been on very steep off-road terrain, steep enough for 4L+MTS and it did just fine.

Like all 3rd gens, it downshifts a lot on freeways when there is a slight grade. I keep it in 5S mode with the A/T. There is a TSB that re-flashes the ECU and fixes a few things. Then, of course, there's OVtune to improve performance.

Thanks- Kirk Out

 

[Kodachrome]

You know, I really don't have a comparison or else I'd have a better review. But, it seems to do just fine. I get around 15MPG with the camper on. It gets up and goes from the stoplight. I've been on very steep off-road terrain, steep enough for 4L+MTS and it did just fine.

Like all 3rd gens, it downshifts a lot on freeways when there is a slight grade. I keep it in 5S mode with the A/T. There is a TSB that re-flashes the ECU and fixes a few things. Then, of course, there's OVtune to improve performance.

Thanks- Kirk Out

Thanks, I just found out this week my 05's frame is totally shot with rust and thus far, Toyota is not giving me any love. So instead of paying upwards of $15K for a new frame for a 14 year old truck, I am going to have it welded and keep it as a second truck, rough off roader and likely pay cash for a 2019 dub cab this Fall.

But I have to say I will be going the OVtune route right out of the gate. Earlier this week I did test drives of the Gen-3. I first took a spin in a TRD Pro with the 6 speed manual, then took the sales guy for a ride in my truck, then did the 6 speed auto and finally a 5.7L Tundra for kicks. On the upside, I LOVE the new tech and interior....but the power delivery, darn. My truck blew the doors off of all of them, super smooth and responsive torque from idle with no where near the pedal input I had to give the 3.5L, the sales guy was stunned and this was with heavy rock sliders, big load range E tires, etc.

​I have to manage my expectations of this new platform, I built a spectacular powertrain in the 4.0 and did not expect the delta to be so big but it really is.

 

[Vic Harder]

what about finding another truck like yours that has had the frame replaced, and doing an engine/supercharger swap?

 

[Kodachrome]

what about finding another truck like yours that has had the frame replaced, and doing an engine/supercharger swap?

I have definitely considered that but have not found any with the swap and not lot out there in general and they cost as much as a frame replacement would. I’ll wait until Toyota has given their final answer and then develop a game plan and then start more serious planning.