Avssuc 2021 TRD Pro build

To give y'all an idea of who I am and what I am building from and building for...

I'm a recently retired 40 something father of 2 young boys living on the Gulf Coast. My wife still works, we like to camp and take road trips. No overland stuff, we have a Coachman 25BHS (5900 pounds loaded up) that we tool around in. After 2 decades in the military, I want something reliable and capable, but not impractical for groceries, kids sports, and the day to day. As I improve (play with) this vehicle, that's what my aim is.

I bought this 2021 TRD Pro 35 days out from delivery (July 2021), paid $3k over MSRP, the dealer gave me $58.5k on my AT4 (that I paid $52k for). I'm happy with the experience.



The Tundra journey so far:

-Making the trade




-On the way home (A-TRAC test):

(Better than the G-80 locker, no question)


-Toyota installed tonneau cover held up well to tropical storm winds during Ida. I'm impressed with the results so far.



[75 pounds in recovery gear box]
[Tonneau 52 pounds, but added in addendum door sticker]


-Go Rhino RB20's (raptor steps)


[71 pounds added]
Go Rhino RB20's are nice. They offer a nice step up, block rock chips, and add parking lot protection. I'm very happy with them.

-Trans cooler



-@chasenicholas93's Trans cooler build installed and working flawlessly (sorry about the crappy pic, had the dealer do it so that it was on paper). Trans was hitting 212 degrees on even grades (unloaded in light traffic and with a very delicate foot) before I had the cooler put on. Since the cooler, haven't seen it over 192.


-Kenwood DNR 1007 head unit with front and rear HD Kenwood cameras










Since I moved the screen up:


Works well in tropical downpours:




Head units are as rare as TRD Pros right now (chip shortage), I snagged mine from a local shop that had one on display. Crutchfield and everyone else are sold out, so that may be your only hope for now (August 2021)

Be careful if you have a Scangauge hooked up during initial installation of the Maestro and HU, because it won't pick up the OBD2 port, meaning you won't get trans temps. I had my Scangauge hooked up when the shop installed it and ended up resetting the HU at home and validating the PID setting. Thanks to @AZBoatHauler and @stlfan for helping to walk me through it! I have to validate PIDs every couple drives, but it beats the alternative.


-Console safe

Very easy to program code (no that's my code)

[24 pounds added]
4 bolts on the install, impossible to mess it up.

-Valhalla Catalytic Converter Shield

[50 Pounds added]

@Classy63 builds a terrific cat shield that keeps people honest and doesn't weigh a ton. Can't find the exact weight of both plates, but it's around 50 extra pounds. I had my mechanic put it on, added some extra weather stripping along the leading edge, just to make sure it doesn't squeak.

-Weathertech rear mat

If you have kids, you're a fool not to buy this.




-Weight ratings



1235-108=
1127lbs is what I started with for available payload

I added:
Side step = 71
Cat skids = 50
Recovery box = 75
Console safe = 24

'My' family of 4 weighs = 360

Puts me at 590lbs added, with 537 pounds left for luggage, additional parts, or 'just' our camper. Pin weight on the camper being 540, I've got this thing maxed out. Actually, it's 3 pounds over, but I will probably move the recovery box to my camper when I tow, just to stay between the lines.








As it sits now:







Researching lights (LED upgrade to turns and brake), push bars, and more. Diode Dynamics is who I used for my ZR2 and I liked their products, so I think that's what I will do here. Any advice or questions, feel free!

 

What cameras did you use for the front and rear? Did you keep the Toyota factory rear camera?

 

CMOS-740HD

They are bigger than the Amazon/Ebay cameras from what the shop told me. They fit real well and the picture is far better in person. These cameras are as good as the ones I had in the AT4, and the Maestro and HU really work well. The low speed front camera function is awesome.

I had the shop do both front and rear. That picture is the retrofit. It was super easy.

 

Nice looking truck! Just out of curiosity and only because I had issues with my 2015 Silverado before I got my TRD Pro.........what kind of issues if any were you having with the GMC?

And regarding the console safe.....which one did you opt for? I am going to be looking to get one very soon.

Thanks for any intel.

JT

 

Thanks, friend!

The GMC was so bad at everything. Turning, keeping a battery charge, updating, seats, transmission, audible AFM cylinder shut off, boat like ride (even with Bilstein's put on)... so.... so many things. It's like I woke from a bad nightmare when I got the Pro.

I got the one the dealership had, paid 275, getting it mailed to my house.

 

Thanks for the info!

On a side note.....
I don't mean to overstate the obvious but after recently getting my ARE low profile fiberglass locking bed cover broken into with some type of pry bar......be careful leaving anything in your bed even with a tonneau cover on it.

I am also in the market now for a dash and rear cam for my cab that will hopefully catch any future losers in the act.

 

I'm sorry to hear that. It doesn't shock me though, times are tough, and that's what happens.

I'm fine with losing everything in the bed, nothing in there I couldn't replace for cheap at Autozone and Walmart. Nothing fancy for me back there.

I have a Rove dash cam, works great. I have a home security system, works even better.

 

I was going to do the Kenwood dash cam, but it's not wireless, and can only hold a 32GB memory card.

The Rove is a good little Amazon cheap cam, not bad at all though.

 

Curious why did you get rid of the AT4?

 

He answers this in post #5.

 

Looking good.. Well done!

 

Great looking truck! Nice build in process. Love your documenting everything especially the added weight. I served in the 1/4 Cav (Quarter Horse), Ft. Riley KS. Scouts Out

 

Right on, brother! Haha, yea, I couldn't add weight without making note, load master training wouldn't permit it.

 

I need all the details on that head unit and camera setup. How much of a pain was it to install? What all was involved? Does it work as a dash cam type thing with recording or is it just a cam like the backup cam?

Great looking truck btw. Love the color.

 

Crutchfield has an excellent review of the tech and features:


I had a local shop put it in, so instalation was a breeze. I lost all my Toyota connect BS, but I didn't want that anyway. I had them tap into the existing GPS antenna since shops will typically put the new antenna on the dash if you don't request other. Far better reception in the sticks from all my experience.

It works with a Kenwood dash cam, but it's memory is limited and unexpandable, making it less worthy than a decent Amazon dash cam. The HU also supports one more camera input, which with additional software, can get you that magic 360 top down and side views. I didn't like the 360 in my AT4, and I only use the front and rear cams, so that's why I only added one cam.

You looking for a new HU? What's the market like now?

 

And I was pissed about the color at first. I wanted white (like yours) when I went searching but couldn't find any. My last 4 trucks have been white, but I could only find one, and it was in LR. It's grown on me now, probably my favorite color and look on a truck.

 

Love the truck man, probably because I have the exact same one haha. Mine came with W drop steps and I've been thinking of switching to the RB20s, keep going back and forth. Do you have the bedliner coated ones or powder coated? Also, I need to add a tonneau cover. Is yours an undercover or a Bakflip - something like that?

 

A man of fine taste I see!

Mine cane with the drop step too, but my dealer was kind enough to have them pull that from the build sheet while I waited to take delivery. The Go Rhinos are amazing, especially with my Nitos throwing rocks like that's what they were made to do. Those boards have saved me from several rock chips.

Pretty sure my tonneau is Bakflip. It's the one Southern Toyota Accessories put on before delivery, and as far as I can tell, they only have 2 types. Pretty sure mine is a Bakflip as the sticker I found underneath traces back by model #:






Bed came with bedliner from the dealer, something the 3rd gen Tundra folks will never understand!

Good luck on the build, make sure to share tons of pics with the group, we all live for that!

 

Awesome man, thanks for the info! I don’t mind the drop step as they tuck closer to the side than a regular predator type step - had those on a 2015 Tacoma before this truck - but I keep coming back to the RB20s.
Go Rhino has a slim version of RB10s and RB20s coming out soon. I was excited about those until I chatted on their site the other day and found out that the slim RB20s are going to taper from 5.5 inches on one end to 2.5 inches on the other, which seems like it would look a bit weird. Needless to say I’m back on the original RB20s now, or at least waiting to see pics of someone with the slim ones on.
I’m leaning towards a backflip or undercover armour flex - which I believe are made in the same factory, and thinking about adding a rear sway bar as I don’t do any heavy off roading that would need a lot of articulation.
Mine came with nittos, drop steps, the wireless phone charger, drop step for the bed, usb chargers in the back seat, led bed lights and led interior lights, so most of the things I want to do are in the outside. Thanks again for the info man!

 

Yea, that taper on the new RB's sounds like a no-go for me too. Great looking ride!

 

Very nice truck! Just looking at your cat shields and wondering if the rear one is supposed to under the front one?