Mdnitedrftr's '21 1794

Welcome to my build thread.

This is my first Toyota. I've been a Ford guy all my life. My last vehicle was a 2018 F150 that I had planned to keep for a long time and just be happy with it. Instead, it turned into a major headache with almost constant problems. The final nail in the coffin was the panoramic roof that leaked whenever it rained. The dealer blamed it on the drains being clogged, but even after they cleaned them, it continued to leak and left puddles of water on my passenger side foot well. Needless to say, that was unacceptable to me, so I decided to get rid of the truck.

I don't trust a single thing that the big 3 have put out lately, so I ventured into the world of Toyotas and ended up with this '21 1794 Edition. It's a beautiful truck. The interior is what sold me. It was more than I wanted to spend, but the wife actually encouraged it!

Follow along on my journey to make this the perfect family/road trip vehicle. I hope to make a lot of great memories with it.




Day 1. Right after the dealer had dropped it off to me.

 

First mod, Offroam cell phone holder
Cost: $80

Pricey, yes, but its a solid mount, it's easy to install, doesn't need a special case for it to work, and it sits where I want to. Make sure you have your AC vent pointed where you want because once the mount is installed, the vent won't rotate. Only open and close.

 

Next up, some silicone inserts for the interior. I got them because the interior plastic is quite slick and every time I brake, my stuff slides all over the place.

Cost: $32

 

Go Rhino RB20 Slim running boards

Let it be known that I hate running boards. I'm a big guy (6'6, 280) so I have no need for them. My wife on the other hand (5'0), does. I'm a good husband, so making sure she can get in and out of it safely is a must. I wanted something minimal that sat high and tight, and ended up with the RB20 Slim running boards. I think they look pretty good. They're solid. Install was pretty straight forward.

If nothing else, Go Rhino deserves an A+ on their packaging skills. The box could have withstood a nuclear explosion

Cost: $382

 

Desert Does It Seat Jackers

The Tundra is a comfortable truck in general, but these seat jackers make it even more so. Being a tall guy, the added height these provide offer more support under my thighs, and tilt me into a more reclined position which is great, especially on long drives. Simple install.

Cost: $90

 

Pop & Lock power tailgate lock

As to why a power tailgate lock didn't come on the truck from the factory, I'll never know, because this is a necessity in my eyes. It gives you a piece of mind to have your tailgate when you lock your doors. Simple install overall. The directions were kind of crappy, but luckily YouTube had some good install videos to watch. Definitely a worthwhile mod IMO.

Cost: $168

 

Nice truck, and welcome to the forum!

 

TRD Wheels

FB marketplace is dangerous. I had been wanting to get new wheels because my stockers...its just too much chrome. It reminded me of my last truck, and for my Tundra, I was feeling something different. I like the way the TRD wheels look, so when I saw a mint set of OEM ones on FB, I decided to grab'em.

Cost: $800

 

Eibach Pro Truck Lift Stage 1 & Falken Widpeak AT4s

Obviously getting new wheels means getting new tires to go with them, and I also thought it would be a good time to level out the truck. Leveling kit was a breeze to install, just made a call to my mechanic, and he took care of it. Normally this would be something I would take care of it my driveway, but as you can tell from the picture, its been pretty raw here weather-wise. Snow, gusty winds, low 20's...no way in hell I'm gonna work on the truck in that. After the install, I brought the truck to the tire shop for a fresh set of AT4's in 275/70/18.

Cost: Leveling kit $761
Install $767
Tires & alignment $1642

 

Knockoff TRD rear sway bar

Everybody seems to agree that a rear sway bar is a must have. I liked the idea, because I too noticed how much body roll these trucks have. However, I did not see the added benefit of spending $300+ on an actual TRD bar, so I went for the Amazon equivalent for half the price. There's not much to it. It's a bent piece of steel. Aside from catastrophic failure, the only other thing is that I might have to replace the bushings sooner...and there's no sticker. I will say, it has made a big difference in the way it drives. Not that I'm ripping around winding mountain roads, but it does handle much better.

Cost: $165

 

TRD cat-back exhaust

One place I did not skimp was the exhaust. The first Tundra I test drove had this exhaust on it, and from the second I turned the engine on, I fell in love with the way it sounded. It's loud enough that you know its not stock (technically it is on the TRD Pro), but still quiet enough to not piss off your neighbors. Rolling down the highway, it has such an awesome tone to it. There's no drone, you can still listen to music or have a convo. It's really an awesome kit. Installation was really straight forward. I had my wife hold the tailpipes level while I torqued them down, but other than that, I installed it myself in like an hour. Didn't even have to jack up the truck. Wallet took an old school Tyson beating, but it was worth it.

Cost: $1798

 

TRD Performance air filter

So this worked out in my favor. I ordered 1 filter for my truck, and they sent me 1 case of filters. Whoops. Should I have sent the extras back? The would have been the right thing to do, but then I remembered they charged me a mortgage payment for my exhaust, so...

Installation, its an air filter. It added at least 50hp...maybe 100hp. That's my conservative guess.

Cost: $58

 

Diode Dynamics Hitchmount LED C1R

Originally I had purchased this for my work truck, but that has a 2.5" hitch, and I had to use a reducer, then the pins didn't line up right, and it just...it's going on the Tundra. It's a nice light, definitely helps while reversing in the dark, and it also adds a layer of safety with the 4th brake light. Installation took all of 5 minutes.

Cost: $160

 

I like the idea of the silicone in the long piece. Do you happen to have a link?

 

Rough Country Tri-fold flip up bed cover


I hemmed and hawed over which bed cover to get. When I bought the truck, it came with a crappy soft tri-fold, that offered no real security, and was a PITA to open and close. My biggest gripe was that it only let me use 2/3rds of my bed. I really liked my Bak Revolver that I had on my F150, but I didn't want to spend another $1400. Their tri-fold wasn't much cheaper either, so I took a look at RC. I know they get a bad rap about some of their products, but the majority of reviews on their bed cover were positive, and the cover was half the cost. Installation wasn't bad. If you've installed one bed cover, you've installed them all. This one was nice because it came with the brackets to mount to my factory deck/cargo rails and not just pinch the top of the bed . The quality is decent and I'm happy with the fitment. I can definitely tell the difference between this and the more expensive ones, but it looks good and serves its purpose.

Cost: $700


Update 1: We've has a lot of snow, ice, and rain in the past couple weeks, and I'm pretty impressed with this cover. It kept out damn near all the weather/water. It's doing a better job than my Bak Revolver on my old F150.

Update 2: Loading up the bed with a bunch of construction debris, I managed to break one of the prop rod holders. Gave RC a call, and they are sending me out a few replacements, free of charge. RC gets some solid customer service points for that.

 

Here you go!

$33 JDMCAR Compatible with Toyota Tundra Accessories 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 Premium Liner Accessories, Custom Console, Cup Holder, and Door Pocket Inserts Kit - (Bucket Seat, Black Trim)

https://www.amazon.com/JDMCAR-Compatible-Accessories-Premium-Console/dp/B09LY4VTRS

 

MESO Customs steering wheel control fix kit

As to why Toyota decided orientate their stereo controls the way they did, I'll never know. But thankfully MESO Customs created this kit to change the layout to a more sensible position. Very easy install...10 minutes or so. Now the buttons make sense.

Cost: $50

 

TacoNets truck bed cargo net

I got tired of having smaller items get loose and roll around the bed so I decided to purchase a cargo net to keep things under control. This specific net I really like because if you want to tuck it away cause you're not using it, it folds up into its own little pouch.

Cost: $25

 

Vanity Plate

So this isn't really a mod, but it is a personal touch for my truck, and also how I try to live my life.

Cost: $150

 

Kaspen Metal Works water bottle holder

Does your SO need to bring 15 various bottles or cups with them every time they come in your truck? If so, this mod may be worth looking into. This one attaches to ther passenger seat mounting bracket and adds 2 spots for larger water bottles. The holder sits low and out of the way, so it doesn't impede you passengers comfort. For me, this is a worthwhile mod.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1430882874/toyota-tundra-hydroflasktumbler-cup?frs=1

Cost: $67

 

RCI Skid Plate

The stock plate is pretty worthless. Mine was scraped up and started to rust in spots, so I saw RCI was having a sale, plus I used the forum discount to save me some more money, so I got this plate for a good deal. Easy install, looks better than stock, and now when I do an oil change, I don't have to take the entire plate off.

Cost: $313

 

Weileite Console Safe

The stock center console is cavernous, and sits mostly empty, so I decided to get a console safe for those times I want to lock up a firearm, or a wallet, etc. I know it's not gonna do me any good if someone steals the truck, but it will help during a smash & grab. It installed super easy. Remove 4 stock 10mm bolts, drop in safe, install 4 supplied 10mm bolts and washers, and you're done. Even comes with a tray to help organize your small bits.

Cost $150