Cheers, Y'all. I'm Russ and I have a story. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh but moved to Birmingham, AL in 2017. I bought a 2020 Tacoma TRD 4x4 in the beginning of COVID with no intentions other than needing a pickup to haul stuff. It's the first truck I've ever owned but had a few SUVs, including a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder that I wheeled occasionally. Quickly, I got into the overland/off-road activities and took our first long range trip through the San Juans and Moab in September 2020. I was hooked so I started continued building out my Tacoma.
Sometime in 2021 I met a group called Roam4Lo and regularly joined their guided rides all over the country. In 2022, my girlfriend and I bought a 19' IntechRV Sol Horizon camper, quit our jobs and traveled North America for a year. We left Alabama on July 4, 2022 and over the next two months, we slowly made our way up to Alaska and explored the wilderness for 6 weeks. Then, we traveled south, following the west coast, to Cabo, Baja. After spending a month there then a few months in the Southwest US, we made our way back to the Southeast states. Now, we both have jobs again (remote) and we're headed back to Pittsburgh until we make our next move.
Back to the truck. Currently, we're in Atlanta waiting for a fabricator to finish work on the truck. The next big phase of the build includes a custom bed replacement, a 270 awning and roof top tent. We stripped down the bed and roof rack and bobbed the frame. The build starts with two bed-side toolboxes mounted onto a new flat platform. Then, using DOM tube, he's building a frame around the toolboxes and up to support the RTT. He will also be adding a high clearance bumper with hitch receiver plus a swing-down tire carrier in the center of the rear. This will be a much more efficient setup for me and will drastically improve the departure angle.
Instagram @steelcities.russ
www.russgiovanetti.com
www.roam4lo.com
Current build info below. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Sometime in 2021 I met a group called Roam4Lo and regularly joined their guided rides all over the country. In 2022, my girlfriend and I bought a 19' IntechRV Sol Horizon camper, quit our jobs and traveled North America for a year. We left Alabama on July 4, 2022 and over the next two months, we slowly made our way up to Alaska and explored the wilderness for 6 weeks. Then, we traveled south, following the west coast, to Cabo, Baja. After spending a month there then a few months in the Southwest US, we made our way back to the Southeast states. Now, we both have jobs again (remote) and we're headed back to Pittsburgh until we make our next move.
Back to the truck. Currently, we're in Atlanta waiting for a fabricator to finish work on the truck. The next big phase of the build includes a custom bed replacement, a 270 awning and roof top tent. We stripped down the bed and roof rack and bobbed the frame. The build starts with two bed-side toolboxes mounted onto a new flat platform. Then, using DOM tube, he's building a frame around the toolboxes and up to support the RTT. He will also be adding a high clearance bumper with hitch receiver plus a swing-down tire carrier in the center of the rear. This will be a much more efficient setup for me and will drastically improve the departure angle.
Instagram @steelcities.russ
www.russgiovanetti.com
www.roam4lo.com
Current build info below. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
- Lil B's Fab front hybrid bumper
- Warn VR EVO 10S winch with Factor 55 Fairlead and Flatlink
- Race Relations Wheels DIY sliders
- Diode Dynamics SS5 x3 Crosslink, SS3 Max x2 driving, SS2 Pro x2 fog, SS2 Sport x2 ditch, SS2 Sport x2 chase, SS2 Sport x2 reverse (sponsored)
- VoSwitch 8 Panel switch
- Expedition Essentials 3TPAM
- iPad mini for GPS
- Midland MXT275
- ARB single onboard compressor
- OTT 9.0 tune
- CSF HP Aluminum Radiator
- Nitro 5.29 regear
- ARB Air Locker (rear only)
- SCS BR6 17x8.5 -10
- Spidertrax 1.25"
- Yokohama MT 35x12.5
- Dirt King UCAs & LCAs
- DRT Spindle Gussets
- Total Chaos Coil Bucket Gussets
- Fox 2.5 DSC 14" 60# (front)
- Fox 2.5 DSC 9.4" Tundra (rear)
- Deaver U402 Stage 3
- Archive Garage Hammer Hanger, 3.6" Shackles, U-bolt flip, Super Bumps & Cross-tube
- Terra Firma Overland Co Minimalist RTT & 270 Awning (sponsor)
