TL;DR - The new scheel-mann seats are doing fine. The jury is still out on whether they are worth it (and will be for several years, I think. These seats are definitely the most expensive mod I've done to the Tacoma. I don't often post photos of the interior of the truck, but when I do, people always ask me about the seats. I wrote up the entire saga of finding new seats - which, if you're looking for a more comfortable ride is probably worth reading - as well as the installation and my initial impressions of the scheel-mann…
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TL;DR - the new scheel-mann Vario R seats are good, but they aren't for everyone due to cost. I'm adding this entry just to be able to remove the item from my list of "unchanged / still an issue" below. For all the details on my new seats, you can read my post here: Replacing My Seats with scheel-mann Vario R. At the bottom of the post are my first, second, and third impressions after several thousand miles of use. I plan to do a "one year later" review as well... in about a year. There's no question that scheel-mann seats…
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TL;DR - I replaced the only metal component in the cabinet with wood, and the rattling is gone! The inside of the cab is remarkably quiet(er) ever since I sound deadened everything. However, my dual battery cabinet has been rattling almost since I installed it. The problem is that the ball bearing drawer slide - the only metal bit of the cabinet - isn't stiff enough to resist the constant shaking, and so rattles as I go over bumpy terrain. I've tried a couple things to prevent the rattling, but nothing has worked to my satisfaction. These metal drawer slides…
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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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TL;DR - An appropriately sized (slightly thicker) spacer between the opener and the roof of the Tacoma makes the opener work quite a bit better! Fixing the garage door opener that I installed in the headliner couldn't have been easier. It turns out that there was about ½" of space between the top of the Homelink opener and the metal roof, so I simply taped a piece of plywood to the top of the opener and shoved it back in place. Now, the cover is easier to attach, and pushing on the buttons doesn't put any strain on the clips…
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TL;DR - After 21 years, my seats are worn out and I need to get new ones or refurbish the ones I've got. It was somewhere in the middle of these trips that I really started to feel my seat being worn out. Until then, I'd felt like the Tacoma seats were pretty good - especially with the Wet Okole covers, and definitely better than the seats we had in the 4Runner (which had 270K miles). Over time though, the foam in the driver seat has worn out, and while it is still in fantastically good shape - compared to…
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TL;DR - I need to find a way to secure the drawer a little more securely in the cabinet to stop it from rattling. The inside of the cab is remarkably quiet now that I've sound deadened everything. Because of that, I notice and am bothered by the drawer where I have many of my electronics installed, rattling in the drawer slide as I bump down rocky roads. It's obviously not a functional issue, so not of critical importance, but I'd like to find a way to reduce the rattle - somehow securing the drawer better to reduce vibration.
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TL;DR - the A/C blew cold this entire trip and seems to be going strong. After a couple attempts at fixing the A/C, ultimately replacing the evaporator core (and other inside-the-cabin components), the receiver/drier, and ultimately the compressor, I think the A/C is working now. I'll keep monitoring it over the next several months, and I have a new condenser and some Schrader valves on hand in case I need to replace those.
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TL;DR - I did a big sound deadening project, and it worked great. If you haven't read about the sound deadening I did, you should check out the two-part story. The first part outlines Materials and Prep, and the second part covers Mat & Foam Installation. I couldn't be happier with the different that was made by the RAAMmat, especially when on the trail. It really is quite a bit quieter.
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TL;DR - I need to replace the evaporator core inside the cab of the Tacoma so we can get cold air again. I'm not sure why this hasn't been in past rig reviews, but it's definitely been an issue for over a year. I took the truck in to get the AC recharged before trips last summer and the tech (at Toyota) initially said that I had a leak. However, upon recharging the system, they couldn't find the leak so they called it good and told me that I could come back and they'd apply the amount I'd paid for…
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TL;DR - I wish it were easier to hear podcasts, and that the long stretches on the highway were a little quieter. On long trips, @mrs.turbodb and I often listen to podcasts, music, etc. as we tick away the highway miles. Sometimes, we have to turn these up reasonably loud in order to hear them, and I'd like to not have to do that. I also wonder if I ever want to get true mud terrain tires, if I'll hate myself for all the noise they make on pavement. So, it's time to start researching sound deadening for the Tacoma.…
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