Unfortunately back in October of 2020 all of my archery equipment was stolen out of my 2002 Jeep grand Cherokee and in that same week in a somewhat unrelated incident the Jeep was declared mechanically totaled. I needed a new transfer case and that shit is expensive, I didn’t want to buy a used one because I couldn't guarantee I wasn't going to have to dump more money into the car for some other reason. I purchased the Jeep in 2012 but when I moved to NYC I gave it to my mother and when I was ready to move to Colorado she was ready for a new vehicle. Since I re-acquired the Jeep in August 2019 I have had to put in nearly $7,000 to keep it running, the math became simple … Keep putting money into an old car, or put nearly the same amount into a new(ish) one.

So in Early November 2020 I took out a loan and picked up a 2019 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab Short Bed SR5.

Tacomas are interesting in that they are extremely capable, hold their value well and are pretty expensive but unless you get the TRD pro model (which is unnecessary for most) the options are lacking to say the least. That same reason is probably why the aftermarket parts market is so robust for Tacomas and 4 Runners.

Unless life has a different idea for me I plan on having this truck for 10-20 years and over time turning it into the ideal Colorado hunting and recreation vehicle. I dont go rock crawling, I don't see the need for a rooftop tent, especially for a couple rackingtons (slang for thousands of dollars) but I do hunt, fish, hike, adventure and love driving up mountain, mining, and logging roads to see what access I could possible have into public lands.

I want to share with you my first 10 Mods and what my future plans are for the Vehicle.

First mods:

Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac Tires ($900)
- Remove Wind Guard

I actually had these on the Jeep and only drove about 10,000 miles on them. It just so happens that the Grand Cherokee and Tacoma both run 16” wheels. When these are done I think Ill try and max out with a set of 285/75/R16 ATs (all terrain).

2. Weather Tech Floor Liners ($180)

These are simply a must, especially for a newish car. It completely protects the flooring from mud and liquid, and is a streamlined look.

3. OEM Tacoma Bed Mat ($80)

I was able to pick this up for like $80 from a local dealer. I think it ties the bed together nicely, it is nicer to your gear and your gear doesn't damage the bed.

4. Cali Raised LED Bed Stiffeners ($110)

Bed stuffiness seem like a good way to extend the life of the vehicle bed or at least prolong natural wear and tear. This is a common point of failure on the tacos especially if you have a lot of weight being supported up top. With the ladder rack and roof box loaded up I'm probably only adding 100-300 pounds but occasionally I like to climb up there to get a vantage point.

5. Goodyear wind Guards ($64)

Real streamlined look, enables one to keep some windows cracked without the rain or snow getting in or allows you to vent your car on a hot day.

6. Rola T3 Ladder Rack ($250)

7. Yakima Sky Box 21 ($600)

I was considering getting a camper shell but because I have the short bed Taco it's kind of pointless, pointless in that I could only sleep in it on a diagonal and $2,000+ is a lot to spend on something you can't get the full functionality out of. I really do wish I thought about this before buying the truck, I was a little desperate to get a vehicle at the time and because I bought used my options were limited. The truck had 19,077 miles and I feel like I got it for a relatively good price of $36,090.06 with tax. If I was a bit more patient I probably could have found a long bed for around the same price. However I have been snowboarding 15 times since I bought the truck and it has served me very well in the mountains thus far. I also just saw a 2017 with 100,000 miles for sale for $25,000 so I’m sure if I wanted to swap for a long bed in the future I could probably make that move without it being such a big expense. The fact that these things retain a lot of value definitely played a part in my choice to go with a Tacoma.

Because I decided a camper shell wasn't in the budget, nor the right move for the truck I needed to find a way to have lockable storage space, especially for gear that can be kind of messy (camping, hiking, hunting, snowboarding etc.). When I moved from NY to CO I purchased a Yakima Skybox 21 because the Jeep didn't have a trailer hitch therefore I coudn’t rent a u-haul to get my stuff across the country. The skybox served me really well in getting across the country but when I was only using it to transport snowboards/ spearfishing equipment it seemed to be much larger than necessary. In the beginning of November I sold the Jeep to a former Jeep mechanic for $1000 cash, I was attempting to get rid of the sky box as well but couldn't find any buyers. I then realized it could serve me well if I mounted it to the Taco, but if I mounted it above the cab it would overhang awkwardly over both the windshield and truck bed. I was considering a ladder rack for the truck but wasn't certain of the aesthetic. One night parked outside my building there was a dessert sand taco with a ladder rack and a roof box on top and I thought it looked pretty slick.

I started researching ladder racks and found the Yakima Overhaul and the Thule Xsporter Pro which both offer a lot of height adjustability, accessories and look nice but again for over $1,000 it just didn't seem like the right move. That's when I discovered the Rola T3 Ladder Rack, Rola and their parent company Horizon Global leave a LOT to be desired, especially in the way of customer service but the ladder rack is sturdy, looks slick, mounts into the stock Taco bed rails. Plus I was able to get it at a fraction of the cost of equivalent competitors. The Rola T3 MSRP is $700, E-trailer has it for $375 but I was able to find one on ebay for $250. The only real difference between the Yakima, Thule and the Rola is that the Yakima and Thule offer an adjustable height model. Being that I use the parking garage in my apartment complex I was praying that the Ladder Rack + Sky Box on the truck would be under 7’-9”. I couldn’t find any dimensions or schematics so I just pulled the trigger and hoped … After all was said and done. Fully mounted up we came in at 7’-8”! (Which also serves as a great excuse for not putting a lift on the truck. I mean I already have 9.5” ground clearance and a lift wouldn't really change that without upgrading the tires.)

When I got the ladder rack installed I noticed that the sky box mounting hardware required the ladder rack to be somewhat compressed. Meaning I couldn't spread the ladder rack to the furthest point forward and furthest point back on the bed rails and still use the factory Yakima clamps. I thought the ladder rack would look best at maximum spread so I went to Rack Attack Denver and they hooked me up with some T-Bolts. I removed the factory clamps from the sky box and by pure coincidence found out that the max spread of the Ladder rack happens to perfectly line up with the slots where the Yakima clamps were mounted.

I was very proud of this install for 3 reasons:

I achieved the maximum spread of the ladder racks
I removed about 10 lbs of mounting hardware
The final install looks super clean like the skybox is just floating on the rails.

8. Driver Seat Shims

After a few 100+ mile drives I realized I was feeling somewhat uncomfortable in the seat, the Jeep had electronic adjustment and sat a bit higher than the Taco does. I was considering replacing the seat entirely and then saw a few people who simply shimmed the rear mounts by about 1” which decrease the seat angle. The seat now sits more level and there is less of a crunch in my hips when I'm driving. The comfort level has improved significantly, there are kits out there but I just used 12 washers. I like the washer because you can adjust to the ⅛” of an inch and they are only a couple of bucks. This is by far the best BANG FOR YOUR BUCK mod out there.

9. TRD Pro grill with raptor lights ($180)

10. Black Badging and Decals

These last two mods were pure vanity but they also bring me the most joy. The TRD pro grill with the raptor lights changed the look of my truck from a derpy midsize to an aggressive adventure vehicle.

Accessories Honorable Mentions:

Armrest Glove Box Organizer ($8.50)

Rola Load Tiedown ($27)