Need all the things

I disagree with this. My sliders function perfectly in both capacities. Me, the wife, my small kids and my dad all have no problem using the cali raised trail edition (not even the wider step edition) sliders as steps. In fact, i would argue the sliders actually work better than steps in that, the rhino lining is super grippy, no way to slip, and because the slider is the same level the whole length of the cab, you dont have to guess where the steps are, like the stock predator steps that were really easy to miss step if not looking down, not to mention the fact that you lost 4 inches of ground clearance with them.

 

i dont wash the truck or wheels very often lol

 

I agree, just did that tonight.

 

Oh get the amp bed step, so clutch

 

Nice truck! I'm with you on all of the above. Did the same thing and threw in the towel. I was waiting to see how much more efficient the new model was going to be with updated styling, but for $65k to get the trim I want... justified my 2016 CPO purchase by thinking about all the gas I can buy for $25k more than I paid.

2019 pro headlights and platinum grill are high on my exterior list.

 

Thats a good looking truck. Agree on the plat grill - so much better looking

 

Just looked it up. The Cali ‘step’ is beautiful. Too bad it’s 3x $. Time to start saving!

I’ve seen conflicting reports on the 3 skin options. Which did you go with?

 

Good floor mats if on a farm. I love my Husky mats. Must have imo.

 

These lights were recommended too. Assuming I’ll need both.

 

There are probably vendors on here selling interior LED dome lights. Try to search or thumb thru the appropriate forums and I have no doubt you will find a few. I’ve not heard of those lights before, but I’ve been out of the loop for a bit.

 

Welcome from South Carolina! I started out like you but with a 2016 1794. Mine was totally Grand-Popped to the max when I bought it! One of my regrets after finding this site was that I didn't research enough before I bought my Tundra - I probably would have bought the TRD Pro but I do like a few of the bells/whistles and interior on the 1794. Anyhow, I decided to keep the truck and just mod / convert it to what I wanted. Take your time and research all the various upgrades as there's plenty of good folks to help and resources to find most, if not all, the answers on this site. For me, keeping everything as close to OEM as possible, a good ride, and a mild lift was near the top of my list. I went ahead and invested in the TRD Pro Fox suspension (which I do not regret for one second). I also bought the TRD Pro LED headlights, Rigid fogs and I-Hacker harness (for the LED lights) which made a HUGE difference too. The TRD rear sway bar made a big difference in handling. The TRD front sway bar helped too, but not as much as the rear. I still like the looks of the TRD Pro BBS wheels and ride of the Cooper Discoverer XLT AT3 tires. Other items like the driver's grab bar, Huskey floor liners, bed step, bed rug, and Leer 100XR camper were also great additions. If I had the $, I would probably install the Magnuson supercharger too, but that is purely for fun and not need.

Before:


After:

 

How many miles does the truck have on it? What does the service history look like? Part of the fun of owning a Toyota is religiously sticking to the maintenance schedule and getting extremely high mileage out of it.

Regarding mods, if you’re wanting to save some cash, you could look for a set of take-offs of the TRD Off Road shocks. People dump them right away all the time because they want a lift, but they are great shocks. The Off Road wheels are solid, too. If you’re doing farm work, you’ll probably want some LT E load tires. 275/70R18s will fit on factory suspension with no mods.

For cat protection, I have a Desert Eagle cat plate with a Valhalla’s Shield rear plate. They’re behind an RCI engine skid, so it looks like a vendor grab bag under my truck, lol.

 

I don’t mean to be a stick in the mud but that doesn’t seem like a whole lot of fun to me. I mean, it’s nice to have a truck that lasts forever but I wouldn’t describe routine maintenance as Fun.

 

I'm not religious about my schedule, but it is fun for me. I'm an old boring guy though!

 

Compared to every other modern vehicle I have worked on (I do all my own maintenance), the 2nd gen Tundra is an absolute joy to dig into. The way everything is laid out and easy to reach is extremely refreshing and cathartic. My wife’s Yukon on the other hand can be a nightmare depending on what I’m trying to do. For example, if I want to drop the transmission pan, I have to loosen a couple of exhaust hangers and ratchet-strap the pipe out of the way because it’s running underneath the pan. Unbelievable.

Even if you don’t like maintenance, the fun part is earning membership in the 300k, 400k, 500k, etc. club…

 

I don’t mind doing it but it’s not usually a whole lot of fun. Just stuff that needs to get done. Which reminds me yet again that I need to change my oil before I throw a rod lol

 

Welcome from AZ. Be careful, the longer you're on this site, the longer your list gets.

 

Yeah, I’ve got an annoying skid plate to remove and oil that goes everywhere on my 2017. It’s not terrible but it’s not usually a joyous experience. Better than my Tacoma though. Filter on top of the engine seems like a good idea until you actually take it off lol.

 

Get you a TRD Pro skid plate and you won't have to remove it anymore to change the oil or filter... but it is a bit pricey new. Always wondered about how the top-mounted oil filters come off without making a mess - now I know!

 

I looked into that a year or so ago but it didn’t seem worth the effort and cost. 6 bolts and the factory one come off, but getting it back on is the hard part usually lol.

As to the top mounted filter on the Taco, it did actually have a draining catch tray that had a hole in the bottom of it, though it usually just emptied the oil out on top of the front frameworks. It was messy if you didn’t have something around to catch all the oil in it. And if you were in a hurry, the filter often held a good bit of oil (having not had a chance to drain).

 

Thanks for the guidance. Agree on keeping oem where possible. I’m in love with your truck and want to copy most of it!

 

Many Thanks for the compliments. I saw your post and thought you are about where I started. It's been a fun and educational journey. If you ever have any questions I'm always happy to help. You can just PM me as needed.

Best of Luck!

 

You're the man! Would you recommend me tackling the sway bars or shocks 1st?

 

Others may differ, but for me the sway bars are easier to install and cost less than the suspension. Also, there are SO many suspension options, I think you may want to take more time and research this a while. The sway bars shouldn't interfere with any suspension upgrades later. The rear sway bar would be priority #1 for me - most bang for the buck. You may want to search the site before you go after the front sway bar as there are more varying opinions about this upgrade (I like mine, but sway bars in general are not optimal for those who do serious off-roading as they do restrict travel/articulation). There are many places to purchase OEM stuff (OEM on-line parts stores, E-bay, Amazon, etc.) I've always had good pricing from McGeorge's on-line parts site and shipping is free over $75 purchases. https://toyotaonlineparts.mcgeorgetoyota.com/ Sparksparts in Myrtle Beach, S.C. is another good supplier and they tend to customize Toyota upgrade kits more than most others. There's also Lewis Toyota if you live in the mid-west and want something closer: https://parts.lewistoyota.com/

 

You aren't lying about the suspension upgrades...doing a lot of screenshots and head-scratching!

For the sway bar - do most go with the trd sport or trd OR?

 

I talk about several of those things on my build thread:

https://www.tundras.com/threads/avssuc-2021-trd-pro-build.93944/

 

Sometimes asking what's the best suspension and lift for a Tundra is like asking folks what tires they like the best - you will hear a lot of differing opinions. It's best to just learn as much as you can about the different suspension types, search the build and other threads to see how they work/look, and try to figure out the one(s) that check the most boxes for your particular situation. For me, it was the TRD Pro Fox, but that might not be what you ultimately want or need.

 

What do you think of that Kenwood head unit? It looks awesome.

 

'Yea it does. And love the color of your truck!