Hey everyone! I hope this video provides some clarity to the changes I made. Something I should have mentioned a bit better is this: I was very unhappy with how heavy and slow the truck was in its current stage. In the future I will be adding larger tires, some heavy armor and at that time I will re-gear the truck but viewed that as being quite a ways off. So realistically the only way to get a reasonable amount of power back was to cut weight. The Tacoma was never a fast truck to begin with but it used to be more fun to drive and I missed that. So far I’m really happy with the changes I made. I hope this video helps out anyone else in a similar situation.
Looking at your rig, I see a few things off the bat. I run a 2013 tacoma. First, drag plays way more of a problem than people think. I ditched my roof rack and camper shell and run a low profile CVT mount hood at cab level or lower. This is made possible with my access cab and CBI high clearance swing out. The tent perfectly clears the 35” spare. I kept the decked system under my low profile bed rack. I went with custom Alcan springs to support his with the extended range fuel tank. 600 lbs driver, 500lb passenger side. I’m running cold air intake, throttle body spacer, AFE headers and cats, high clearance exhaust. 4.88 gears, arb air lockers on 35” bfg ko2s. Happy to report my tacoma isn’t slow at all. Ditching the roof rack and reducing drag was the biggest single thing I did making the truck faster, more fuel efficient, and gear hunt much less. Those boxes on your roof rack and blocky tent are killing you on the highway. If you’re running a short bed a low profile skycamp mini would work great also. Personally I’m about to do coil packs and the overland torque tune to finish the remaining gear hunting on highways at high speed in desert SW mountains passes.
@@truthseeker8123 cool stuff man and great suggestions. If you see have seen some of my more recent updates I have ditched the camper shell and moved on to a low profile bed rack which has made a huge difference. Some things I just can’t part with because I need to bring enough gear for the family and myself.
Going through some growing pains of my own on my 2023 Tacoma. Started winter of last year and like you the issue I ran into was weight. between roof rack, bed rack, tent, gear (awning, water, fuel, heater, tools, recovery.....) etc, I was maxing out on payload. I put in some Sumo bump stops and it helped a lot. I have been putting off the 2/1 lift kt to add bigger tires, again due to adding the weight of bigger tires etc. I'm not sure how far I can go because I still want to add a low profile front bumper/winch, rock rails and a rear bumper. Like you I want to make a comfortable setup for the wife to enjoy the adventures but it comes at a cost of weight. Thought I had all my research dialed in only to find that it's a huge rabbit hole once you get started. Thanks for your insight. It is very helpful. Subbed 👍
Yeah I think your right when it comes to the decked system but when it comes to the Ikamper… I really never should have spent that kind of money on a roof top tent even if I thought it was the best tent for us. It really was out of my budget and even after selling it I didn’t get back nearly what I paid for it. A lesson learned for sure.
I agree on everything here. The popular "overland" idea with Tacomas these days, especially the 3.5 Tacomas, is loading up with so much gear. People are adding 33s and several thousand pounds of stuff (especially on the 3.5) and it makes the truck REALLY slow. Only things in my truck bed right now is a bicycle and a foldy chair for now. I was thinking on considering a camper shell but that's about another couple grand that I don't feel like spending. I'm 5'2 and can really just sleep in the backseat haha. Mine is the DCLB 4.0 4x4. I just want 32s at best for now and new parts. I plan on having a couple gas cans and probably some travel gear and a portable grill. :)
As you know there is a big difference between camping by yourself vs. taking the family. Good choice on the Milwaukee pack out kits you may already do this but having a family kit vs. a personal one has helped me some. Have owned Tacoma's for 15 years grew up with Toyotas and die hard lifelong fan however there is a point they reach their limits. By myself or just my wife and I Tacoma is all we need. With 2 kids and add a dog or two there is only so much you can do before a larger vehicle and or trailer is needed.
Did the same thing. I had the rear tire carrier with 5 gallons of gas, drawer system, 270 awning, etc. Got rid of all that trying to shed the weight. These trucks arent built for that regardless of suspension. I've been super happy. Family of four here so things add up very quickly when packing for a trip.
I got the same truck, I ditched my Leer fiberglass canopy for an Alu-cab aluminum canopy, saved me 100lbs of weight and I noticed it. It’s not perfect, but the weight/strength/functionality ratio is hard to beat for a Tacoma. Looking forward to the future updates!
I think of us have been through similar culling of our setups, it's difficult to know what will work until you've tried some variations though, and that costs money. I absolutely love my Decked system, in fact ended up ditching my tonneau cover and went to a rack, then later a canopy, just to keep the drawers. Great video, thanks for sharing your experience.
Yeah man, we all have those hard realisations after the fact no matter how much research you do. But there's always adjustments and compromises that can be made. Great to see you you and your family enjoying it all! Airbags can help get the load impact of your springs as well as rear sag but not with overall load capacity of the truck which I think many Taco owners forget isn't huge compared to a 1/2 ton. Also you should also be very aware of the dynamic weight load capacity of your roof rack connected to your truck and canopy. Those CVTs are heavy beasts. One reason I opted for a James Baroud , 2 years wait and beer budget diverted, but so worth it.
Wow! 250 lbs for the Decked Drawer System! I thought the thing was mostly plastic. I had a KNACK tool drawer in a 1 ton van and it was really noticeable how much it weighed (400lbs) empty and how it effected the trucks drivability. I could imagine the sloping drawers being wasteful for trying to store things like cans too. Its too bad the drawers can’t be quickly removed when not needed.
Something that goes along with your hybrid idea: A bed slide. Full extension out so you can access the entire bed easily, you can modify it as needed to mount what you want/need, and it uses space more efficiently than those bed drawers. I believe for your application, it weighs under 100 lbs (around 70 or 80 lbs). Just a thought.
Nice, Milwaukee packout, thas what a put in my bed truck ( Tacoma Offroad) . I fix all the Milwaukee base on Plywood 3/4 , I don't want make hole in my bed truck . I do the same for my Cab... I make platform 52x30 inch 3/4 plywood and lineX finis... I put the arb fridge and 1 Milwaukee base... for fix different set up ... I have 3 Milwaukee base in the bed.... plus spare tire and eagle jack
Agree 100% but still refuse to go back to bins. Family camping in reality is dad hosting 3 guests. Between decked and my smart cap evoA I have everything easily accessible. Dometic on an Alucab tilt slide. Human Factors/usability > drivability in my case. But ima dedicated rig so no daily driver woes in my case. I also stick with 15 to 30 lb hub tents which allows me less weigh and more flexibility (I can bring the tent that suits the seasons and the party).
First thing I thought of when you started out was you need heavy springs and you wouldn’t have the issues with weight. I have the Decked drawers and they are not even close to 250; you prob mean when full but I know for fact bc I have one and installed it; it is 180-200. I think the tents are too much weight and consume to much room. I decided to not go with a top tent and camp on the ground if need cover use a awning. My build consists of full under armor, 6112/5160, OME hvy springs, decked, Cali raised cap rack with lights, leer cap with Prinsu, and a CBI bumper tire carrier; plenty of storage and off road ability to get camp. So many configurations and the right one is the one that works for you.
I did have heavy duty springs. Decked system weights 205 empty, but of course mine wasn’t empty. At least 250 lbs of constant weight. Add the camper shell, roof rack, tent. Sure could have gotten even stronger springs and re geared but would have cost me thousands and the Tacoma would have probably still been too heavy which is why it made sense to not spend any extra money and just slim things down.
It has surprised me how many of us have gone through the same thing. I guess it’s a topic people haven’t talked about enough. Good luck with your build! 🙌
You can get a great quality tent and awning from Overland Pros. I spent months researching RTTs and awnings until I found Overland Pros. The prices are way lower than anything else out there.
I do actually have a pair of Yakima cross bars and if I get desperate I will. But really I’m happy with where I am at now and love the functionality of the rack. Realistically down the road I’ll be getting heavy again but at a time I can afford to do things like re gear and up grade the leaf springs
cascadiatents.com/hybrid-series.html so this is the tent but it looks like the sale has ended 😢. It was still going on when I recorded this video. Looks like they do have a 20%off sale now though.
The tension from the wiring on the back side holds it shut. I will probably do a video on that in the future because I’m getting quite a few questions about it.
CVT’s website is where I ordered mine. Looks like the sale ended. It was still going on when I filmed the video and I assumed that it was going to continue until the tents where gone but I was wrong. At the moment they have a 20% off sale going on though.
@@alpinetactics nice and thanks! I’ve got an sr5 prerunner long bed with the rear diff locker. It’s not 4x4 so I’ve been hesitant as to building it up to overland. I’ve done some research and have gathered that the locker is sufficient enough to get out there and explore, as long as I don’t get into crazy trail situations like mud and steep rocky inclines. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.
When I first got my tacoma I went nuts on all the consumable maintenance wear items. Then I priced bed rack, roof rack, front bumper, tent........then I realized the companies selling this overlanding gear smoke more crack than hunter Biden. All you need is a roll up tonneau cover, a regular tent, cooler and some tools. People go overboard with this stuff and the truck becomes a meme. Solar panels? Refrigerator? That's a whole lot of money and weight to sit in the mall parking lot. Spend your money on suspension, wheels, tires and lockers. Oh yeah don't forget the iron skillet for cooking.
Hey everyone! I hope this video provides some clarity to the changes I made. Something I should have mentioned a bit better is this:
I was very unhappy with how heavy and slow the truck was in its current stage. In the future I will be adding larger tires, some heavy armor and at that time I will re-gear the truck but viewed that as being quite a ways off. So realistically the only way to get a reasonable amount of power back was to cut weight. The Tacoma was never a fast truck to begin with but it used to be more fun to drive and I missed that.
So far I’m really happy with the changes I made. I hope this video helps out anyone else in a similar situation.
Is your cap fiberglass? If so, how well is it holding up with the tent on it?
@@jarrodrobertson1879 yes it was reinforced fiberglass (snugtop Rebel sportsman’s package) held up great the whole time I had it.
Looking at your rig, I see a few things off the bat. I run a 2013 tacoma. First, drag plays way more of a problem than people think. I ditched my roof rack and camper shell and run a low profile CVT mount hood at cab level or lower. This is made possible with my access cab and CBI high clearance swing out. The tent perfectly clears the 35” spare. I kept the decked system under my low profile bed rack. I went with custom Alcan springs to support his with the extended range fuel tank. 600 lbs driver, 500lb passenger side. I’m running cold air intake, throttle body spacer, AFE headers and cats, high clearance exhaust. 4.88 gears, arb air lockers on 35” bfg ko2s. Happy to report my tacoma isn’t slow at all. Ditching the roof rack and reducing drag was the biggest single thing I did making the truck faster, more fuel efficient, and gear hunt much less. Those boxes on your roof rack and blocky tent are killing you on the highway. If you’re running a short bed a low profile skycamp mini would work great also. Personally I’m about to do coil packs and the overland torque tune to finish the remaining gear hunting on highways at high speed in desert SW mountains passes.
@@truthseeker8123 cool stuff man and great suggestions. If you see have seen some of my more recent updates I have ditched the camper shell and moved on to a low profile bed rack which has made a huge difference. Some things I just can’t part with because I need to bring enough gear for the family and myself.
@@alpinetactics I will check them out. You randomly came up in my feed, so the algorithms are being good to you.🇺🇸😀👍
Going through some growing pains of my own on my 2023 Tacoma. Started winter of last year and like you the issue I ran into was weight. between roof rack, bed rack, tent, gear (awning, water, fuel, heater, tools, recovery.....) etc, I was maxing out on payload. I put in some Sumo bump stops and it helped a lot. I have been putting off the 2/1 lift kt to add bigger tires, again due to adding the weight of bigger tires etc. I'm not sure how far I can go because I still want to add a low profile front bumper/winch, rock rails and a rear bumper. Like you I want to make a comfortable setup for the wife to enjoy the adventures but it comes at a cost of weight. Thought I had all my research dialed in only to find that it's a huge rabbit hole once you get started. Thanks for your insight. It is very helpful. Subbed 👍
Yeah man all that weight and money adds up really quick lol! I am still right there with you it’s a constant learning process
Wouldnt say these were mistakes, more like trial and error as your needs change
Yeah I think your right when it comes to the decked system but when it comes to the Ikamper… I really never should have spent that kind of money on a roof top tent even if I thought it was the best tent for us. It really was out of my budget and even after selling it I didn’t get back nearly what I paid for it. A lesson learned for sure.
I agree on everything here. The popular "overland" idea with Tacomas these days, especially the 3.5 Tacomas, is loading up with so much gear. People are adding 33s and several thousand pounds of stuff (especially on the 3.5) and it makes the truck REALLY slow.
Only things in my truck bed right now is a bicycle and a foldy chair for now. I was thinking on considering a camper shell but that's about another couple grand that I don't feel like spending. I'm 5'2 and can really just sleep in the backseat haha.
Mine is the DCLB 4.0 4x4. I just want 32s at best for now and new parts. I plan on having a couple gas cans and probably some travel gear and a portable grill. :)
33s aren’t bad and you have to have decent size tires to get clearance. 35s and 37s sure.
Bravo! Most that have built a heavy monster with the weight up high, haven't figured it out yet.
As you know there is a big difference between camping by yourself vs. taking the family. Good choice on the Milwaukee pack out kits you may already do this but having a family kit vs. a personal one has helped me some. Have owned Tacoma's for 15 years grew up with Toyotas and die hard lifelong fan however there is a point they reach their limits. By myself or just my wife and I Tacoma is all we need. With 2 kids and add a dog or two there is only so much you can do before a larger vehicle and or trailer is needed.
Yeah you are spot on there and thank you!
Did the same thing. I had the rear tire carrier with 5 gallons of gas, drawer system, 270 awning, etc. Got rid of all that trying to shed the weight. These trucks arent built for that regardless of suspension. I've been super happy. Family of four here so things add up very quickly when packing for a trip.
Yeah 100% man!
Glad I saw your video! I am in the same boat. Love the Mill pack out Idea. I think I am going with that as well! Subbed!
Awesome thanks for watching!
I got the same truck, I ditched my Leer fiberglass canopy for an Alu-cab aluminum canopy, saved me 100lbs of weight and I noticed it. It’s not perfect, but the weight/strength/functionality ratio is hard to beat for a Tacoma. Looking forward to the future updates!
Man, I have been considering the same. I think what’s been holding me back is how much it would cost.
I think of us have been through similar culling of our setups, it's difficult to know what will work until you've tried some variations though, and that costs money. I absolutely love my Decked system, in fact ended up ditching my tonneau cover and went to a rack, then later a canopy, just to keep the drawers. Great video, thanks for sharing your experience.
Yeah it really is all part of the process, thanks man!
Yeah man, we all have those hard realisations after the fact no matter how much research you do. But there's always adjustments and compromises that can be made. Great to see you you and your family enjoying it all! Airbags can help get the load impact of your springs as well as rear sag but not with overall load capacity of the truck which I think many Taco owners forget isn't huge compared to a 1/2 ton. Also you should also be very aware of the dynamic weight load capacity of your roof rack connected to your truck and canopy. Those CVTs are heavy beasts. One reason I opted for a James Baroud , 2 years wait and beer budget diverted, but so worth it.
I camp out of a 2021 2dr Rubicon and I went through a “minimizing” period. It happens to all of us bro..
Yep, I don’t think I have ever not been in a minimizing period haha
Wow! 250 lbs for the Decked Drawer System! I thought the thing was mostly plastic. I had a KNACK tool drawer in a 1 ton van and it was really noticeable how much it weighed (400lbs) empty and how it effected the trucks drivability. I could imagine the sloping drawers being wasteful for trying to store things like cans too. Its too bad the drawers can’t be quickly removed when not needed.
Something that goes along with your hybrid idea: A bed slide. Full extension out so you can access the entire bed easily, you can modify it as needed to mount what you want/need, and it uses space more efficiently than those bed drawers. I believe for your application, it weighs under 100 lbs (around 70 or 80 lbs). Just a thought.
That is a pretty good idea, and definitely might try something like that in the future. I’m always down to change things up 😂
Sweet setup!
🙋🏼
Thanks!
Nice, Milwaukee packout, thas what a put in my bed truck ( Tacoma Offroad) . I fix all the Milwaukee base on Plywood 3/4 , I don't want make hole in my bed truck . I do the same for my Cab... I make platform 52x30 inch 3/4 plywood and lineX finis... I put the arb fridge and 1 Milwaukee base... for fix different set up ... I have 3 Milwaukee base in the bed.... plus spare tire and eagle jack
Nice! Sounds like a rad set up!
really appreciate you sharing your lessons learned. videos like this are more important to me as a beginner. thanks you and happy holidays. 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
Thanks for watching!
Agree 100% but still refuse to go back to bins. Family camping in reality is dad hosting 3 guests. Between decked and my smart cap evoA I have everything easily accessible. Dometic on an Alucab tilt slide. Human Factors/usability > drivability in my case. But ima dedicated rig so no daily driver woes in my case. I also stick with 15 to 30 lb hub tents which allows me less weigh and more flexibility (I can bring the tent that suits the seasons and the party).
I like what you did with the power center stuff in the small cubby on the bed. Would you mind sharing more info on that?
Not at all. I’m not gonna lie the wiring is kinda a mess but I’ll make sure to include that in a future video.
@@alpinetactics sounds good. Thanks man!
Really cool 2nd Gen Taco!
Thank you!
First thing I thought of when you started out was you need heavy springs and you wouldn’t have the issues with weight. I have the Decked drawers and they are not even close to 250; you prob mean when full but I know for fact bc I have one and installed it; it is 180-200. I think the tents are too much weight and consume to much room. I decided to not go with a top tent and camp on the ground if need cover use a awning. My build consists of full under armor, 6112/5160, OME hvy springs, decked, Cali raised cap rack with lights, leer cap with Prinsu, and a CBI bumper tire carrier; plenty of storage and off road ability to get camp. So many configurations and the right one is the one that works for you.
I did have heavy duty springs. Decked system weights 205 empty, but of course mine wasn’t empty. At least 250 lbs of constant weight. Add the camper shell, roof rack, tent. Sure could have gotten even stronger springs and re geared but would have cost me thousands and the Tacoma would have probably still been too heavy which is why it made sense to not spend any extra money and just slim things down.
How much does your tent weigh and what kind of wheels tires do you run?
@@tpharo34 tent was 170 wheels are the Baja Tx wheels for this model and tires are Falken Wildpeak AT3W 285 75 16
Less is more! I hope your new set up works better for you and the kiddos but either way it'll adapt to your needs 🙂
Thanks!
Informative and honest. Subscribed
Thank you!
Bro! Went thru the same process with my build albeit a ZR2 but none the less I am in the process of doing the same thing you are slightly.
It has surprised me how many of us have gone through the same thing. I guess it’s a topic people haven’t talked about enough. Good luck with your build! 🙌
You can get a great quality tent and awning from Overland Pros. I spent months researching RTTs and awnings until I found Overland Pros. The prices are way lower than anything else out there.
Thanks for the heads up!
If you’re interested in saving weight, why have the RTT mounted on a heavy full rack? Just mount it to two crossbars and lose the rack.
I do actually have a pair of Yakima cross bars and if I get desperate I will. But really I’m happy with where I am at now and love the functionality of the rack. Realistically down the road I’ll be getting heavy again but at a time I can afford to do things like re gear and up grade the leaf springs
If u ever sell ur wheels please let me know ?? 😀 located in Cali also
Would you happen to have a link to the deal on the CVT tent!?
cascadiatents.com/hybrid-series.html so this is the tent but it looks like the sale has ended 😢. It was still going on when I recorded this video. Looks like they do have a 20%off sale now though.
How were you able to keep the cubby hole closed when you installed the electrical panel in the bed? Looking to doing something similar
The tension from the wiring on the back side holds it shut. I will probably do a video on that in the future because I’m getting quite a few questions about it.
I’m sure that will clear up a lot of questions I have on this mod
What solar panels? Mine were too heavy.
Top solar flexible super light weight
Where can I get the tent from? 40% off
CVT’s website is where I ordered mine. Looks like the sale ended. It was still going on when I filmed the video and I assumed that it was going to continue until the tents where gone but I was wrong. At the moment they have a 20% off sale going on though.
Is your truck a prerunner? Also how is it 4x4?
czcams.com/video/KgsxC3c8R9E/video.html
@@alpinetactics nice and thanks! I’ve got an sr5 prerunner long bed with the rear diff locker. It’s not 4x4 so I’ve been hesitant as to building it up to overland. I’ve done some research and have gathered that the locker is sufficient enough to get out there and explore, as long as I don’t get into crazy trail situations like mud and steep rocky inclines. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.
More weight on the roof than before lol
250lbs overall though. cut even more since
I bought an RTT Used for $600 in hopes my wife would come more. Didnt happen. But I didnt commit to a full Ikamper at least
A much smarter man lol. I should have done the same
Buy a full size truck long bed
That’s definitely not the right move for me lol
When I first got my tacoma I went nuts on all the consumable maintenance wear items. Then I priced bed rack, roof rack, front bumper, tent........then I realized the companies selling this overlanding gear smoke more crack than hunter Biden. All you need is a roll up tonneau cover, a regular tent, cooler and some tools. People go overboard with this stuff and the truck becomes a meme. Solar panels? Refrigerator? That's a whole lot of money and weight to sit in the mall parking lot. Spend your money on suspension, wheels, tires and lockers. Oh yeah don't forget the iron skillet for cooking.
Lol well said. Of course everyone’s needs are different and it’s important people stick to their personal needs over following the crowd