2018 Platinum Crewmax 4x4

I've owned this truck for a little over two years now and have been slowly chipping away at upgrades and mods. Just now finally getting around to posting my progress. I hope to keep this thread updated as my projects continue.

First up: The Truck.
I had been driving my 2005 SR5 Access Cab for 13 years and 160,000 mi when my wife finally convinced me to check out some new trucks. Apparently she was tired of the outdated and dirty cloth interior, and tiny back seat. Needless to say, after sitting in a few some new trucks the nostalgia for my 2005 AC quickly faded and I was ready to choose a new truck.

I looked at a bunch of options but finally settled on the Platinum Crewmax for the following reasons: 1.) By far the best looking interior, IMO. 2.) HUGE backseat where adults can comfortably sit, and 3.) Exterior also had some plus's over the rest of the fleet, most notably the color matched bumpers and honeycomb grill.

The major downside of the Crewmax was the 5.5' bed, but for our primary uses we could make do.

Last decision was the color. The dealership that I purchased from had one in White and one in Magnetic Gray. I went back ad forth for well over an hour before finally deciding on the gray. While white was certainly the more practical option, just about every truck in our town is white, so I opted for something a little more unique. Plus, I thought the black leather/dark silver interior looked better on a dark gray truck.

Here she is, fresh off the lot. 2018 Platinum Crewmax 4x4

 

My goal with the truck was to have a clean, aggressive, not-quite-stock look, but nothing over the top or flashy. I don't do any serious offroading, and just wanted to have a truck that could manage any backcountry road for hunting and camping trips.

The first upgrades were mostly cosmetic:
1.) Got rid of the chrome mirrors and door handles for some that were color matched- this made a HUGE difference in the appearance!
2.) Black 4x4 badge
3.) Ditched the OEM running boards for some N-Fab steps
4.) Front window tint to match the rear windows
5.) Some storage under the rear seat (I can't believe this doesn't come stock!)
6.) Some vehicle-specific floor mats

 

Next came the more functional mods. I wasn't a fan of the "street" look that this truck came with (e.g. 20" wheels) and wanted something with more of an an offroad look. I had 2.5" Icon coilovers on my last Tundra and thought about going that route again. Ultimately, I decided on going with a Rough Country leveling kit (2.5" front spacer). Realistically, I just needed the clearance for some larger AT tires and probably don't "need" the upgraded coilovers. I may go to a coilover system down the road, but for now the spacer does the trick for my uses.

Here's a crappy photo of the front end after installing the spacer, but before upgrading the wheels and tires. The RC leveling kit came with a block to lift the rear, but I didn't end up using it. The front end sat a little high initially, but after the OEM coilovers have settled, the truck has nice stance withe the front ever so slightly higher than the rear.

 

I spent a lot of time researching wheel options and even pulled the trigger on some Method Mesh wheels, but then ended up cancelling the order after re-thinking my plan. I knew I wanted a black wheel, but wasn't a fan of the chrome bolts around the rim of the wheel. I'm also not a fan of the large offset wheels. Again, I was going for the "not quite stock look".

I liked the wheels from the TRD Pro Tundra, but wasn't having much luck finding a set for a reasonable price. So, I ended up buying some pull-offs from a regular TRD Tundra and having them powder coated flat black. I wrapped them in Nitto Ridge Grapplers in 285/70/18 (The PERFECT size tire for this setup. Only required some minor bending of the edges of the skid plate to eliminate all rubbing).

I really love the end result; the TRD Pro look but with a flat black wheel (the TRD pro wheels are a little glossy) and considerably cheaper. I also purchased some TRD center caps and painted them flat black to match the wheels. I contemplated changing the color of the "TRD" logo on the caps, but ended up leaving it red.

 

The stance is a little bit narrow and I may add a small wheel spacer at some point, but I think it still looks pretty damn good!

 

Welcome from NC! Great looking truck!

 

My last truck had a camper shell and I really enjoyed having the ability to lock up my gear and keep it out of the elements. I was hesitant to get one for this truck because the bed was so small and I was worried that I'd be limiting my ability to transport large loads. I held out for about a year an a half until I finally broke down after learning that we'd be adding another member to our family; our first child, a little boy. This meant that the dogs, who previously would ride in the back seat, would be demoted to the bed so that the little guy could be in the back seat without being smothered by a couple of wild dogs.

So I ordered a SnugTop Rebel with (almost) all of the upgrades: sliding windoors on both sides, a prop-up front window w/ gas shocks (key for the Tundra with roll-down rear window), upgraded LED lighting, Yakima racks, and the SnugTop "Keyless Pro Lock" (ties into the factory locks so that the OEM keyfob will lock/unlock the camper shell). I didn't get their "Sportsman's package" which doubled the roof's carrying capacity because I don't intend to use a roof-top tent.

Shortly after getting the camper shell, I realized that having two dogs in the back significantly limited our space for gear, so I added a BajaRack MegaMule rack for extra storage. I immediately regretted not spending the extra ~$200 for the reinforced roof. Doh!

Oh well, the shell is still rated for 200lbs and the rack weighs around 60lbs. Limiting the cargo to ~140lbs shouldn't be too much of an issue. I should also mention that BajaRack makes a model that mounts directly into the Yakima rails, however, I wanted a cargo rack that I could also use on my wife's SUV (2018 Ford Explorer Sport). The MegaMule uses a universal mounting system that clamps to any factory or aftermarket cross bar. The rack sits a little higher (since it's on top of the Yakima bars), but having the ability to switch between vehicles is a major plus for our family.

 

Thanks! I've been a member of other Tundra forums, but haven't spent much time over here yet. I'm digging the content and community here so expect to see more of me!

 

Beautiful Vizsla.. truck is nice too!

 

That's Arrow. He is a handsome fella! Remi is his younger brother, the black and white GSP. From your avatar, it looks like you've got a Vizsla as well?

 

I sure do, V's are the best. Really like the look of your truck. The wheels turned out great from the powder coat. I think you really nailed the look you were going for.

 

Yes they are!

Thanks! I've been happy with how my truck has turned out and it has already served our family well for camping and hunting trips.

The powdercoater had a full brochure with a spectrum of "flatness" for the coating. I picked something that was pretty far on the flat end of the spectrum, but in hindsight, I could have gone even a little "flatter". I still like how they turned out though.

I don't have anything major planned in the near future, but I'll aim to keep this thread updated as the projects continue. And I'm always open to ideas and suggestions!

 

Glad you posted your upgrades! Truck looks great!

 

Thanks! This also helpful for me to remember what I've done