[Rodge]

No it's not another "I'm sick of the downfalls of this truck" thread.

I just got back from my second trip to Paragon. While I have an absolute blast wheeling and enjoying the comradery of my fellow wheelers I'm in a constant state of worrying that I'm going to break something, or dent a panel, etc etc.

The guys I went out with today made an excellent point. Why spend 500 on sliders, 1500 on a winch and bumper, and another couple hundred for beefier skid plates, when I can take the 2 or 3K I'd dump into this one and get a beater and start building it up.

I came back from Paragon today with NOTHING to show except a t-shirt, and a nice dent in my rocker panel and driver's side door. Speaking of which, I got the shirt because of this little incident. It says on the back, "I came, I wheeled, and I went home in one piece" However, there's a little arrow pointing to the space between I and went that says Almost. LOL. I would have pictures and videos but my camera man bailed on me this morning. :sosad:

My trip to Paragon taught me a lot! For instance, the level-o-gauge I got is just plain worthless. I was way too busy keeping an eye on the trail in front of me than that stupid little gauge. Although I know my truck's roll over angle is somewhere between 40-45 degrees, as I would of laid my truck on it's side today if it wasn't for the rock that dented my rocker panel and door. I glimpsed down and saw the ball floating somewhere between 40, and 45. I also learned that I need more ground clearance. I came down real hard on the driver's side of the frame and got stuck...really stuck. I also learned that when someone with more experience waves you on to take a bypass...take it!

Anyways, I'm still going to keep this truck, but after I install my sliders, no more mods, and only light wheeling. I'm gonna start hunting down a reg cab toyota from the mid 80s. One that already has a solid front axle and build it up. This way I can go wheeling, beat the piss out of my beater and not really care that I did, have a blast doing it, and not worry that my DD will be out of commission til I get the money to fix it.

Anyways, happy wheeling, and be careful.

 

[denvertaco07]

If I were going to do expert trails, i'd definately go with an older truck and mod it. I'll probably just do some moderate off-roading in my Taco.

 

[currentsupply]

Yeah man, the Taco would do fine if you weren't scared of scratching the paint. It's too expensive of a truck to be bashing against rocks for fun, or running up next to branches along the paint and scratching a 2006 Vehicle.

Also, the Tacoma isn't the kind of truck you even want for rock climbing. The tacoma is designed to be a high speed desert offroad mobile. You wouldn't buy a mountain climber truck to haul ass through the desert.

 

[BillBrasky]

Don't let them scare you. Running those "most difficult" trails in those beaters gets just as expensive as denting or scratching a new truck on moderate trails. Not to mention that it is way dangerous. You'd also most likely have to find a trailer to haul a beater with, too. Especially after you break it on those hard trails.

Here in a year, my truck will be paid off and completely built to my needs. I'll then take the money I spend on it now and buy a new truck and a trailer to haul my beater 05 taco around.

 

[Calculus]

I understand where you're coming from entirely. While I recognize the pay to play dictum, these trucks are monsters on the trail. Give me a shorter wheelbased vehicle any day. Most of my wheeling has been in older Toyotas and Jeeps, and my new Tacoma is far from nimble offroad. Sturdy and stable, yes. Point and shoot, no. Ever tried difficult reverse maneuvers? Narrow trails with sheer drops and tight corners?

Enough, I love my truck and am not lighthearted offroad, but I've had to re think more than a couple of trails due to the size of my truck. If you're serious about wheeling, I definitely think an older dedicated rig is the way to go.

 

[Rodge]

Don't let them scare you. Running those "most difficult" trails in those beaters gets just as expensive as denting or scratching a new truck on moderate trails. Not to mention that it is way dangerous. You'd also most likely have to find a trailer to haul a beater with, too. Especially after you break it on those hard trails.

Here in a year, my truck will be paid off and completely built to my needs. I'll then take the money I spend on it now and buy a new truck and a trailer to haul my beater 05 taco around.

That's not my point. My being worried of doing something to it because it's new and not paid off is taking away from my experience. I'd like to push my truck harder, but I'm afraid to, because of said reasons. At least with a beater, I can let it sit til I get the time/money to fix it. I can't with this, it's my daily driver. Although there was a couple spots where I did push my truck really hard, made it through unscathed, and had such an adrenaline rush afterwards. I loved it, and I wanted to keep pushing the limits. But that worry of am I gonna do something bad kept bothering me.

With all this being said I still had an awesome day. The trails were nothing but mud and everytime we stopped we basically had a mud ball battle. Plus any chance we got we'd spin the tires on purpose to fling mud all over each other. Then we all went to Applebee's which was cool. 10 of us walked in covered from head to toe in mud. Should of seen the look on the faces of the people there. Plus I learned that the engine compartment makes a pretty damn good oven.

 

[BillBrasky]

I understand where you're coming from entirely. While I recognize the pay to play dictum, these trucks are monsters on the trail. Give me a shorter wheelbased vehicle any day. Most of my wheeling has been in older Toyotas and Jeeps, and my new Tacoma is far from nimble offroad. Sturdy and stable, yes. Point and shoot, no. Ever tried difficult reverse maneuvers? Narrow trails with sheer drops and tight corners?

Enough, I love my truck and am not lighthearted offroad, but I've had to re think more than a couple of trails due to the size of my truck. If you're serious about wheeling, I definitely think an older dedicated rig is the way to go.

If you're going all-out hardcore, then yeah. But for general trail use, I beg to differ. These new tacos are hardly the size of an old K5 Chevy (and lets not even get started on steering abillity), and they're all out there running trails. Range Rovers, Hummers, full-sized pick-ups. They all do it, too. Park that new taco next to a new F-150 and then tell me how big it is again.

Yes, I have been in tight quarters on trails where I had to back up and re-align myself to get thru and scraped paint off in the process...that's part of it. I see little trucks do the same. I've also seen places that my taco will go (due to it's longer wheel base) that a Jeep wont (given the right conditions)....like short slimy hills.

Every trail I've been on has bypasses for the harder stuff. If you don't want to take your truck thru there, don't. But, I don't buy the excuse that these new tacos aren't trail worthy. I'm pretty damn happy with the way mine performs off road. So is every other person I've wheeled with (jeepers and Yota guys alike). And there is nothing wrong with taking these trucks out on decent trails. Now, if you want to rock-crawl and put your truck up on steep inclines, hey, go crazy with it. Not me. I get plenty of enjoyment watching those guys break their rigs. I'd much rather enjoy the just hard-enough trails and just being out in the woods with other wheelers.

 

[Rodge]

I definitely agree Bill. These trucks are very trail worthy, even in stock form. Although the way the trails were yesterday, I wouldn't of want to have been running with anything less than MTs. ATs would of got someone killed yesterday. There were plenty of times where our trucks had absolutley no lateral traction. And that's what caused my little incident.

 

[Jredneck480]

i would just know your limits on ur new tacoma, its fun to wheel but if its ur daily driver you have to know when to stop. i just had a friend who took his 05 offroad and while driving through wrecked it and did $4000 worth of damage, and what really makes no sense is the day he got it back he took it out and got stuck again. so i def say go with a beater truck for the more serious offroading and the daily driver to the light stuff.

 

[BillBrasky]

I definitely agree Bill. These trucks are very trail worthy, even in stock form. Although the way the trails were yesterday, I wouldn't of want to have been running with anything less than MTs. ATs would of got someone killed yesterday. There were plenty of times where our trucks had absolutley no lateral traction. And that's what caused my little incident.

Yeah, I had similar feelings after my last outing. Frozen mud will make even the simplest of trails difficult and dangerous. I also learned that all the arrows in the mud point directly to trees.

Let's see the damage.:naughty:

 

[toku58]

I understand what you guys are saying! This truck is so nice I'd really hate to even put a scratch on her!!:lol:
I agree with Rodge I would rather have a beater to attack obstacles and not worry about scratching the paint. Something that you don't even care about washing it when you get home!:naughty:

Hell I only got my truck lightly muddy the other day and it took me 2 1/2 hours just to wash it.:dunno: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Rodge]

Yeah, I had similar feelings after my last outing. Frozen mud will make even the simplest of trails difficult and dangerous. I also learned that all the arrows in the mud point directly to trees.

Let's see the damage.:naughty:

I'll post pics after I get it washed. The rocker panel is mushed in about 6 inches from the end of the driver's door, and the door panel above it has a nice dent, paint rub/scratch thing going on. The paint on the rocker panel actually cracked off, and bare metal is showing. Oh, it wasn't frozen mud, it was 50 degrees out. It was goopy sticky mud. The kind that if you stand in it for too long, your boot pulls right off your shoe when you go to lift your leg.

 

[Adventure North]

Beater rigs are fine if don't mind trailering a rig to a local trail head or if you live close enough to drive it there solo, but if you are going thousands of miles into Mexico,South America, or even into remote areas of the US or Canada having a truck that is fully capable as well as being reliable is a major priority. It's all a matter of what your goals are while "Off-roading" and what you're willing to sacrifice. If just having some fun on the weekend is your thing then I would go with a beater as well.

 

[BillBrasky]

I'll post pics after I get it washed. The rocker panel is mushed in about 6 inches from the end of the driver's door, and the door panel above it has a nice dent, paint rub/scratch thing going on. The paint on the rocker panel actually cracked off, and bare metal is showing. Oh, it wasn't frozen mud, it was 50 degrees out. It was goopy sticky mud. The kind that if you stand in it for too long, your boot pulls right off your shoe when you go to lift your leg.

:sosad: ouch. Sorry.

reach: Dude, sliders, get some.

 

[Rodge]

Beater rigs are fine if don't mind trailering a rig to a local trail head or if you live close enough to drive it there solo, but if you are going thousands of miles into Mexico,South America, or even into remote areas of the US or Canada having a truck that is fully capable as well as being reliable is a major priority. It's all a matter of what your goals are while "Off-roading" and what you're willing to sacrifice. If just having some fun on the weekend is your thing then I would go with a beater as well.

I may be wrong, but I think my brother-in-law has a trailer that I could use if need be. I have to drive an hour and a half to get to Paragon, so even if I do break it, and don't have a ride, I'm still good. As the guys I go with would be more than willing to help me out. Hell, they already said get a beater and we'll help you build it up. So, the more I think about it, the more I'm going towards getting a beater. Plus I won't hold them back from having a better time since we'll be able to tackle tougher terrain.

 

[Rodge]

:sosad: ouch. Sorry.

reach: Dude, sliders, get some.

LOL, I did, three days ago. Too late. :lol:

 

[BillBrasky]

So, whatcha gonna get?

 

[Rodge]

So, whatcha gonna get?

I guess I'm gonna try to find an older regular cab, with a good frame, and hopefully a solid axle up front. And then get a 5" lift spring kit, throw some 35s on it, and call it a day. Then I'll be able to ride with the big boys.

Once that's done, I'll get it locked front and rear, and start tackling the black trails. Right now my truck can handle Green 1, 2, and 3s, and blue 1s without risking body damage. Blue 2s could be done if I really really took my time, and then blue 3s will start getting really tricky. Blacks are just out of the question as I don't have the ground clearance.

The green trails at Paragon are pretty much take your time and you'll be fine. Blues start getting more technical. Blacks really up the technical aspect, and Reds are just plain straight up extreme rock crawling. The red trails are basically boulder piles, and the chances of rolling are very high.