Giving it My Best Shot: N22's Tacoma build log.

[N22]

Can you shift dual cases on the go? Dual case would probably be my preference.

Thought about a regear. Seems it would be a good excuse to put lockers in. Not sure I want to give up the highway cruising rpms.

 

[caz]

You pretty much can - same as shifting your current tcase from high to low. Are you concerned with your 1st gearing on the road, or when in low range? Dual cases are not applicable to on-road driving.

 

[N22]

On-road mostly. though it would be nicer to have a lower gear on the trail.

 

[N22]

December was:

Installing new front Coilovers.
Info here

And giving the frame a bit of paint and rust preventive on the body.

Added a First aid kit behind the passenger seat:

Let's see what 2018 brings!

 

[N22]

Photo dump.

 

[N22]

I'm terrible at updating my build thread.....
Here is the flatbed i built for the truck.

Still have to finish some stuff on it.

 

[N22]

New tires!
Decided my old ATs should probably be replaced before my trip out west. After a bit of research I settled on Hankook MTs.

235/85R16 Hankook Dynapro MT:

And I bought a set of traction boards.

Also added a toolbox and headboard from a friend's 2500 he was selling. I just bolted them down, nothing fancy. You can just see them in one of pics above.

 

[yotadude520]

Nice build N22! I really like how you mounted all the stuff behind the seats in the cab. Looks really clean and well done.

Any reason you decided to go to a flatbed? I would've thought the regular bed and shell would be more practical for camping.

 

[N22]

Thanks! It works great for me.

You are absolutely correct, the pickup bed with a cap is so much better for camping. On my last trip I was wishing for a cap, as it makes packing so much easier.
However the pickup bed is not that great at carrying cargo, and because this is also my work truck I went with a flatbed.

Based on my experience on the last trip I am tossing around the idea to build a cap for the flatbed. Mainly for trips,camping,etc. Possibly a softtop.

 

[yotadude520]

Honestly if I were you (considering you built the flatbed) I would do this. Weld some plates to the bottom of the flatbed in four corners and build a rack that goes to the top of the cab and bolts down to the plates/gussets. Throw a roof top tent on the top and you get to keep both - the functionality of the flatbed and the capability of camping comfortably.

Something like this:

Except it bolts all the way down to the flatbed. If I were you I'd weld the nuts to the bottom of the gussets on the flatbed so that you can remove it easily without having to stick a wrench there.

 

[N22]

(I know this reply is 3 months late)
That's along the line of what I was thinking, except a little taller and minus the RTT.
Then maybe a canvas cover or just make it hardsided.

 

[N22]

2018 Trip Photo dump:

 

[Prairie Swamp]

Thanks for all the pics of the "tall skinnys" on your truck. 235/85/16 Cooper S/T Maxx are going on my 03.

 

[N22]

You welcome! I am really liking the 234/85/16 tires size.

 

[yotadude520]

(I know this reply is 3 months late)
That's along the line of what I was thinking, except a little taller and minus the RTT.
Then maybe a canvas cover or just make it hardsided.

And my reply a month and a half later!

I don't think I would recommend going with full sides on it - you'll regret it the minute you have to back out of a parking lot and can't see s***!

I would say opt for the roof top tent because you get to keep the functionality of the flat bed but still be able to camp comfortably - and a RTT is easy enough to remove especially if you weld those nuts to the bottom of the flatbed so you can just undo 6 bolts and pull the whole thing off and store it on the garage...it'd be pretty slick.

Get a buddy and 10 minutes of your time and you got yourself a proper camping setup - how can you beat that? I can't even get my sleeping bags thrown in the bad of my truck in 10 minutes.

Canvas would work too, but I don't think it would be the way to go either. You'll run into the same visibility issues you would if it was hardsided.

At the end of the day though, I look forward to seeing what you do with it.

 

[N22]

It's not really where I sleep that I want an enclosed setup, as I'd probably wind up getting a RTT anyway and sticking it on top of it. More for carrying gear and stuff out of the weather, and not having to tie and untie stuff every time I setup and break camp.
Problem is that the functionally of the flatbed is completely void when I go camping. And if I did hardsides it would allow me to lock it when stopping at a hotel. Although in truth that isn't a big concern, anyone motivated enough will get the stuff.

I do see what you mean by the lack of visibility. Hadn't really thought about that. Maybe I should think how to put some windows in it?

On my last trip I stuck all my stuff in the accompanying SUV. We traded, I took all the cooler and stuff in boxes that didn't matter if it got wet, He took all the soft stuff, clothes sleeping bags etc.
So what I'm really looking for is somewhere to carry the "soft" stuff without crowding up the cab.
Anyone out there got any idea?

 

[yotadude520]

It's not really where I sleep that I want an enclosed setup, as I'd probably wind up getting a RTT anyway and sticking it on top of it. More for carrying gear and stuff out of the weather, and not having to tie and untie stuff every time I setup and break camp.
Problem is that the functionally of the flatbed is completely void when I go camping. And if I did hardsides it would allow me to lock it when stopping at a hotel. Although in truth that isn't a big concern, anyone motivated enough will get the stuff.

I do see what you mean by the lack of visibility. Hadn't really thought about that. Maybe I should think how to put some windows in it?

On my last trip I stuck all my stuff in the accompanying SUV. We traded, I took all the cooler and stuff in boxes that didn't matter if it got wet, He took all the soft stuff, clothes sleeping bags etc.
So what I'm really looking for is somewhere to carry the "soft" stuff without crowding up the cab.
Anyone out there got any idea?

if you’d like to lock stuff up maybe weld a standard tool box or bed box to the flatbed in the front? Plenty of room to keep stuff and you could put it on a platform so there’s still room underneath it to slide things to help keep the functionality of the flatbed.

Then build the other platform for the RTT. You could incorporate windows in your design too, but it’d be expensive to have the canvas made it and it’d be a pain incorporating them into the metal hardsides.

I’d almost say that a camper shell that is reinforced with metal on the inside and a RTT on an oem bed might be the best and cheapest solution here...

 

[yotadude520]

On second thought you already have a bed box and elavating it would cause just as much visibility issues as hardsides would.

I think it may be time for you to sit down and think what use you want out of your truck, would you rather have it for camping or do you want it to haul things easily with the flatbed? Make your desicion based on what you use the truck for most.

 

[N22]

Installed a new trailer connector over the weekend. Tired of having to deal with corrosion on the trailer plugs, hopefully this helps.

 

[clx16]

@N22 Do you have room under the flatbed to put in a pull out toolbox or two? I remember watching the tv show "fall guy" and he had something like that which I always felt was clever.

Also do you know what wheels you are using? I just did a suspension upgrade on mine and having compared my stock alloy with my steelie spare, I am now trying to find more steelies, but yours look pretty close to stock if not stock.

building on what @yotadude520 said I currently use a ladder rack for my kayak/ladders and RTT it is a trac-rack and stands a little high for the RTT and the garage door opening. I am thinking that a trac-rack could be modified to bolt directly to a flatbed and since it wouldn't sit on the side of the bed it would have a lower profile. Mine was 250 from homedepot back a few years back. I've installed lights in mine so that I can see what is in the bed at night.