Project Tundra

[Chad]

I’m watching an epic Arizona sunset from the bed of a truck parked on a volcano, and I can’t help but grin from ear to ear.  Stretched out before me is an endless expanse of Northern Arizona painted in the kinds of colors you find on Instagram when someone first discovers the saturation slider—but this isn’t an enhanced image.  This sunset, viewed from my current vantage point is the reason why we get outside: because outside is awesome.  The truck that got me here happens to be pretty awesome too, it’s a brand new 2017 Toyota Tundra.  And in it’s factory-stock form it happens to be a really capable vehicle, as evidenced by the fact that I’m not parked at the bottom of the volcano.

This Tundra is the platform that over the course of the next few months, with the help of some great companies, I’ll be building into a quiver-of-one adventure vehicle that will...

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[Jeff Fujita]

I'm looking forward to your build and excited to see you working on the same truck I own. My wife and I have been fulltiming in a 2005 Airstream since 2014 but we totaled our 2012 Tundra when we hit a cow crossing Nevada in open range territory. We love our replacement 2014 Tundra and look forward to enhancing it to further support our adventures.

 

[WashingtonTaco]

Ill be watching this build! After driving between Escalante UT and Winnemucca NV last Wednesday in my first Gen Taco I was really was longing for V8 power! My gas mileage was crap with the wind and mountain pass climbs, so you might as well have a V8!

 

[BoldAdventure]

Looks like a fun project. Not to many Tundra's being built right now. I was just talking with a friend, I think fullsizes might start to gain in popularity. Especially with guys that had smaller midsizes and grow into families.

Subscribed.

 

[Chad]

I'm looking forward to your build and excited to see you working on the same truck I own. My wife and I have been fulltiming in a 2005 Airstream since 2014 but we totaled our 2012 Tundra when we hit a cow crossing Nevada in open range territory. We love our replacement 2014 Tundra and look forward to enhancing it to further support our adventures.

Thanks Jeff. Sorry to hear about the '12! I'm really enjoying the third gen Tundra as well - so far it has proven to be a great platform.

Ill be watching this build! After driving between Escalante UT and Winnemucca NV last Wednesday in my first Gen Taco I was really was longing for V8 power! My gas mileage was crap with the wind and mountain pass climbs, so you might as well have a V8!

Yeah, I'm pretty damn happy with the power in the Tundra!

Looks like a fun project. Not to many Tundra's being built right now. I was just talking with a friend, I think fullsizes might start to gain in popularity. Especially with guys that had smaller midsizes and grow into families. Subscribed.

Fullsize is a whole new world for me. I started off by looking at the thrid-gen tacos, but I just couldn't get excited on that motor...

Thanks all!

 

[Gallowbraid]

This is going to be a great build to follow! The new Tundras still share quite a few components with my Sequoia so I'll be following along to see what ideas I can pick up from you.

 

[itsky]

How many in your family, do carseats and/or kids fit comfortably in the rear of the extended cab?

 

[Chad]

This is going to be a great build to follow! The new Tundras still share quite a few components with my Sequoia so I'll be following along to see what ideas I can pick up from you.

Thanks! I need to get my build thread going with all of the good details...

How many in your family, do carseats and/or kids fit comfortably in the rear of the extended cab?

My wife and I just had twin boys in early April. Doors that open the correct way, and a few more inches in the back seat that allowed us to fit the car seats we have steered us to the Tundra over an F-150 project.

 

[tundra11]

Just picked up my 2017 off road and have started doing some basic mods. look forward to see what your ideas are on your truck.

 

[jscusmcvet]

I understand that yours is a very different vehicle from my "new to me" 2003 Tundra, but I have to agree... I am surprised at the stock capability of my truck. After a decade and a half of jeep upgraditis I am trying to avoid that on my current truck. Hope as you build yours you find a path to reasonableness in lieu of overbuiltness (yes that is a new word I just created). Perhaps a goal of doing only what you need to in order to fuel your adventures.

 

[Chad]

Just picked up my 2017 off road and have started doing some basic mods. look forward to see what your ideas are on your truck.

What all have you done?

I'll be dropping the next article any day. It's all about suspension.

I understand that yours is a very different vehicle from my "new to me" 2003 Tundra, but I have to agree... I am surprised at the stock capability of my truck. After a decade and a half of jeep upgraditis I am trying to avoid that on my current truck. Hope as you build yours you find a path to reasonableness in lieu of overbuiltness (yes that is a new word I just created). Perhaps a goal of doing only what you need to in order to fuel your adventures.

Agreed. Being a 'gear whore' is definitely a thing, and all the gear in the world can't compensate for lack of skill and experience. There's something to be said for spending the money on gas, and not on every last farkle out there.