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Old 05-21-08, 02:11 PM   #24
Brian894X4
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Oregon
Posts: 662
Quote:
Originally Posted by SaMingTRD View Post
Yea- the Taco seems like an ideal choice, however i need a double cab for room for the dog, but that means sleeping in a short box (5ft) when I am 6 foot 3. Access cab wont work, too small for dog to fit in the back but sleeping quarters would be ideal. And the 2nd Gen Taco long bed is the perfect choice, however there isnt as much aftermarket support for them and the most important issue is its way out of my price range. I do like Scott Brady's set up though where he puts all his gear in the truck bed and deploys a RTT over the bed- easier to get in and out of instead of having it pearched on the roof- very trick.

I just figured I could either sleep in the back of a LC or get a RTT and still have enough room for all my gear.

KY state is very rocky with narrow red clay trails and lots of water crossings.

I am a minimilist and dont need many creature comforts to get by, roughing it is half the fun.
I love Scott's rig too, but I'm not sure how much more mpg you can get out of a taco V-6 auto, especially after all the mods. Maybe still mid to upper teens at best? I'm sure a lot of guys over at expo that run those rigs could say better for sure.

It doesn't seem like the rear of my 80 has all that much room in the back from the front seats to the rear hatch, but maybe it is still 6 feet. I doubt its more though.

A truck tent on a Taco might be the way to go. Here's what I had on my rig. I never did put it to practical use though, so I can't speak for how well it works in the field.

trucktent

But it adds a couple of feet to a 5 or 6 foot bed. I think this would be a great cost effective possibility to add to a doublecab taco, assuming the gas mileage justified going that route.

A RTT would also be neat and would make the rig more versital. You could remove it when you don't need it.

It's a tough call. To be honest, if I was starting over, I have no idea what I'd do. The problem is what's the future going to entail. If gas prices keep going up and stay up, then there's no question that gas powered Land Cruisers are seeing their last days on American roads. But if prices ever do come back down, between now and the next couple of years, might be the best time ever to get a good deal from desperate owners who are trying to dump their 60, 80 and 100s.


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Last edited by Brian894X4; 05-21-08 at 02:18 PM.
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