TL;DR - I've raised the height of the center console by 1½ inches, and it's much more comfortable to lean on now, since it's the same height as the arm rest on the door. You know how they say it's bad to keep your wallet in your back pocket because it makes you sit crooked and messes up your spine? Well, I haven't kept my wallet in my back pocket for more than 20 years, but I've still messed up my spine by sitting in my Tacoma for so long. The problem is that the arm rest on the door,…
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December 15, 2021. It's been three months since the last rig review, and in that time I've put another 10,000 miles on the Tacoma. With a nearly catastrophic failure, as well as a few great successes, it's time to dive into the good and the bad from the last several trips: Last Minute Rush (Oct 2021) Lowest Peak in the Park - aka Into the Owlsheads (Nov 2021) Highest Peak in the Park - aka Pushing into the Panamints (Nov 2021) Back for More (Dec 2021) Seemingly solved from previous Rig Reviews The Axle Housing is Cracked Oil Leaking from…
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The inReach Mini is now part of what I take on every hike.
TL;DR - After a couple solo trips where I had limited cell coverage, and some thinking I should have done long ago, I now have an inReach Mini.
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A few items I recently added to my kit that I should have added years ago.
TL;DR - I should have gotten one of these long ago; it makes opening the Scepter Jerry Cans so much easier.
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I highly recommend Toyota Tundra OEM Brake Pads.
TL;DR - I couldn't be happier with the performance, longevity, and low dust of the Toyota Tundra OEM brake pads.
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Adding blueberries to breakfast is a huge win. They aren't cheap, but they are worth it.
TL;DR - we're always looking for ways to speed up meal time. Storing spoons, bowls, cereal, and paper towels separate from the rest of the kitchen stuff - and within easy reach - makes breakfast a snap.
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Cheap and convenient.
TL;DR - I love this simple modification and it's made cooking with the propane stove much more enjoyable.
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An avocado a day...is better than an apple a day.
TL;DR - if you're a fan of avocados, a little care can keep them safe and unbruised for up to 10 days.
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You've served me well, but I'm still a little disappointed in you.
TL;DR - The top, military wrap half-leaf on the driver side broke in two places. I'm not sure what I'm going to do as far as replacement goes, but I have two options.
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Nearly a full tank of gas.
TL;DR - I recently added a third jerry can to my pack-out for certain trips, and it's been great.
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I've already picked up the replacement transfer case I'll be swapping in.
TL;DR - I need a new transfer case.
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It's amazing what a little metal glue can accomplish. This fix was a huge success.
TL;DR - I've put 10K miles on my reinforced axle housing and it's working great. I'm really in no rush for my new one to arrive.
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September 12, 2021. Whereas my previous update was several months in the making, it seems that I've already got several updates regarding the Tacoma after my trip to Canada and a few days in California, so let's get right down to it. Seemingly solved from previous Rig Reviews Relentless Skid Plate Attachment Hella HIDs fail to turn on, sometimes Unchanged / Still an issue from previous Rig Reviews There are some things that have been featured in Rig Reviews that are - as yet - unchanged from when I originally reviewed them. Rather than highlight those things again, I'll simply…
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To say I was not happy upon noticing this would be the understatement of the day.
TL;DR - My rear axle housing cracked at the passenger spring perch. I've ordered a new axle housing.
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Ready to protect the paint for another bunch-o-thousand miles.
TL;DR - Just a little bit of maintenance, replacing the insulator under the hood. Easy and done.
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The Accuterra maps I had with me (left) vs. some actually useful maps I should have downloaded (right). 
TL;DR - I got lazy with my offline maps this trip, since they've become so "easy" for me over the years, and it really bit me in the butt.
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In this photo, note the clearly defined beams of the fogs and Hellas, with a nice transitional area between the two. Additionally, note how much yellow light reaches the mountainside some quarter-mile away.
TL;DR - I love these lights.
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It's always fun to drill a square hole.
TL;DR - I finally got off my butt and fixed the skid plate by cutting a square hole so I can use a carriage bolt to secure it to the transmission crossmember, rather than the small welded ears that kept breaking off.
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The Hella's (and the related HID components) were never the actual problem.
TL;DR - My Hella's are working again, and the problem wasn't the Hella's or the HID upgrade at all. It was my Bussmann relay/fuse block.
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