Rdiddy's Betty White Build

Picked up this 2018 4x4 model in 1794 edition trim on 12/24/21 with 47k miles from Lexus of Chandler in Arizona. The sales guy was great, he was a former top national salesman for Toyota- he knew the truck well.

Truck came with new front windshield, light tint, factory wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich KO2's, Weathertech window rain guards, spray in bed liner and Rough Country side steps.

First pic in the driveway on a rainy Christmas eve



Current mods-

Wheels & Tires
Method NV305 wheels 18x9
Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT tires in 275/70/18
Method Classic Stripes center caps

Suspension
Eibach Pro-truck Coilover stage 2 kit at 2.5"
Toytec rear shackles at 1.5"
TRD Rear Sway Bar

Lighting/Electrical
Rigidhorse 32" light bar
Lightfox light pods
Nilight Light pods
Auxbeam Light pods
Vleds License Plate Reverse Light Bar
Sylvaniua LED Work Lights
Yotaleds Grille Lights
Auxbeam 6 gang switch
MESO Customs interior LED lights
Nilight Truck Bed Lights
Rexing V1 Dash cam
Dongar Dash cam power adapter
True Mods Tailgate LED Light Bar
Diode Dynamics Hitchmount 3rd brake light


Audio
Pioneer DMH-WT8600NEX
MESO Customs Volume Fix buttons

Interior
ESP Truck Accessories rear cargo storage tray
Weathertech Floorliner HP floormats
Rago Dash Plate
Pedal Commander
Center Console safe
Desert Does It Seat Jackers and Molle Panel (drivers side seat only)
Chalk bag cup holder mod
RAM threaded stud https://amzn.to/4goc4po
RAM magsafe phone holder https://amzn.to/4gkXj7n
RAM radar mount plate https://amzn.to/4g1MFSA
RAM phone holder https://amzn.to/3ZsIjwX

Exterior
BAKflip MX4 tonneau cover
Tailgate power tailgate lock PK3B6-34JS0
Rough Country Nerf Steps
Snailarmor tailgate panel
AFE Super Stock Intake
OEM Rear Bed Step
SR5 Honeycomb Grille
RetraxOne XR Tonneau cover
Front Runner Load Bars + Feet Kit
Front Runner Quick Release mounts
Thule Tepui Kekenam 3 roof top tent
KUAT Ibex Bed Rack
OVS Nomadic 270LTE Awning
The Bush Company Awning Bracket
Topoak Galaxy 1.0 Roof Top Tent
Topoak awning brackets
Bed Rail anchor tie downs
Dee Zee Bed Mat

 

From there the mods started. The goal was originally OEM+, but that's taken a few small turns.

First mod- Auxbeam 6 gang controller setup under the HVAC controls. I had this on my 4runner that I sold, and just started out with getting it in place for light bar, ditch lights and future light options.



I'm a dork when it comes lights and LEDs so it only made sense that when MESO light kits were on sale that I picked up the front and rear light kit. I go camping once or twice a month and it's nice to not be blinded with white lights in the night.

 

Next up, knowing there was little to no built in storage inside the truck, I went with the ESP Truck Accessories under seat storage in the rear. I went with the open plastic option to save a few dollars, but also I knew I rarely had the need to lock up and secure anything special.

Went with the Weathertech Floorliner HP front and rear floor mats. I've had WT in a few vehicles and it seemed to work out well. I would have went Husky's but they changed their rear mat and it no longer provides the same coverage on the side of the hump of the rear seat. Had to cut the rear mat to work around the holes and the ESP cargo tray.

 

Got a Rigidhorse 32" LED light bar off Amazon installed in the lower grille. Removed the small insert (and left it out). Used a pair of brackets off ebay for $10.



Jan 15 - Put on a short antenna, and some Cali Raised ditch light brackets. Ditch lights are some Lightfox 4600lumen (total) pods off Amazon.

 

Feb 6 - installed VLEDS XTR LP reverse light bar and Bright TRAX LED Puddle Light Pack in the mirrors.

 

May 17 - G&M Motorsports in Mesa, AZ (thanks Jett!) installed Eibach Stage 2 pro truck coilovers upfront, and matching rear shocks, along with Toytec rear shackles. Front lift was 2.5" and rear was set to 1.5". Went with Method NV305 in the machined face, and wrapped in Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT in 275/70/18. Alignment completed. We pulled out the small front wind deflector flap, and the lower inside splash shield behind the fogs to avoid any rubbing. None was detected while test driving on-road.

 

Got the snailarmor tailgate panel yesterday from UPS. Installed today in a couple of minutes.

 

Out w/ the Bakflip


Installed the Retraxone XR

 

SR5 grille with the Yotaleds led grille light kit and brackets.

 

How you liking Eibach 2s so far? Better ride than stock?

 

Definitely better than stock. I put them on w/ about 49K miles on stock suspension. I've found them to be quite comfortable when on the road/hwy, and work well for the off-pavement that I do- fire roads, and some jeep track in the mountains. No crawling or anything. With regards to towing- my setup feels very planted and stable.

 

Awesome! Thank you for reply!
Looking to purchase it for my rig.

 

Using these tie down anchors https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WQSYWN2
with these t-slot nuts https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Z8Q42D2

bed lights https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KXR799K

 

I picked up the tent a few weeks ago from @taco.verde.21 from the tacoma scene via FB. He was great about walking me though the tent, and included the Front Runner Quick Release brackets in the purchase.

Finally spent the time, and got some help to get the tent up and onto the Front Runner bars. Took lots of measurements, and was able to get it mounted with one adjustment in about 20 minutes. Will be taking it out for an overnight this weekend w/ my son, and looking forward to reporting back.

 

Recently took the RTT off and sold the Front Runner bars. Wanted to go a different direction with the rack setup.

Installed front camera which is nice to have, still getting used to using it.

Also sold the Pedal Commander.

Did the chalk bag water bottle mod this week.

Ordered Kuat Ibex bed rack (B2 model, full size, short bed) from REI (using some gift cards and dividends), and then ordered the Tonneau adapter kit and a grab handle from Kuat directly. REI had my order ready for pickup same day., and Kuat provided an order shipped email the next morning.

 

Totally forgot to post about these. Method center caps, Toyota Heritage style. Thanks to Raul Ortega at Custom Wheel House for the help.
Part# CP-YOR127P

 

Currently running these Auxbeam X-Pro 3" led pods. Combo beam patter. Good color, came with a clear lens to swap out to if you want. Not super bright, but a nice addition in a smaller compact size.

 

Kuat Ibex truck bed rack installed.

It's the Full sized, short bed IBEX-B2 model. Purchased the rack at REI (to earn those dividends), and the Tonneau kit direct from Kuat.

Had to order the AIXRMFS IBEX Retractable Tonneau Adapter - IBEXB2 - Compatible with Retrax® that works with my Retraxone XR Tonneau.

The box I picked up at REI was looking pretty abused, but all items were fine and well protected/packed.

Instructions are via a QR code to a PDF that you can follow on your phone.


Installation would be a PITA w/out an electric ratchet- so glad I had one. The allen keys they give you are sufficient- but many of the threads were SUPER tight on the aluminum struts and crossbars where doing this by hand would have taken 5x more effort. I spent about 2 hrs, given the fact that I am running it in MID height configuration and had to disassemble and reassemble some parts. The kit ships with FULL or CAB height configuration.

Running the Retrax, and the tonneau adapter will increase your height by approx 5/8" - 3/4" or so. I found that the full height setting would be too tall for my preferences and needs at this time. Running a RTT would put it 100% above the cab height and into the wind.


The powdercoating might be soft- it was easy to scrape and mark up. I did this on a clean epoxied garage floor and ended up with a lot of scuffs. The crossbars scuffed up the t slot bars as well. That's disappointing, but I do realize it will get dirty and scratched over time due to normal use.


Initial impressions are that its very sturdy. Claims to hold 1200# static, and 600 dynamic, with 300# off-road

 

Excellent build and great detail! I have been eyeballing that rack but will most likely keep mine and then do simple cross bars when I dont want to run it. Love the build so far!

 

Thanks. Yes, was following this rack since it was released and pulled the trigger. Building up a few things in advance of some big trips this summer.

 

Ordered the panel off Etsy from Bend3DPrinting. Bluesea 12V cigarette plug, and a dual USB outlet

 

Heyy this is badass. Definitely be ordering this for my truck.

 

definitely worth it.

Blue Sea 12V cig outlet https://amzn.to/49DxUS7
Blue Sea Dual USB 4.8A https://amzn.to/3xDtbCz

 

Got the OVS Nomadic 270LTE awning (for $365 shipped) mounted, and put on the Frontrunner RTT quick release clamps on the truck on Saturday. Sunday I was able to get a hand from the wife to put the RTT onto the Kuat Ibex rack. Fits and feels solid.

I am 6ft tall, and with the rack in the mid height setting (riser not installed) the awning requires just a tiny amount of caution to walk under and not hit your head on. I am going to try and pick up some new brackets from The Bush Company / Turtleback Trailers that will allow me to raise it up higher.

I originally wanted an Ironman 270 tent, but the XTR71 was discontinued, and replaced by all new model line up. PLUS it was going to be too long length wise to fit on the rack w/out hitting the cab and hanging off. The overall length of the OVS awning is great, its about 5.5ft long and I'm happy with the compact size.

One of the better parts of this Ibex setup vs the FrontRunner bars I was using is that I can now see out the rearview mirror much better.

You can see the position of the tent, relative to the roof, where it's only sticking up ~ 4" into the wind, which was something I wanted to accomplish to avoid hurting MPGs. This would definitely be lower if I wasn't running the FrontRunner Quick Release clamps.

I purchased these T Slot bolts for mounting the tent and awning brackets to the Ibex bars. https://amzn.to/3wqLdaR

Also added a few eyebolts to the rack in the corners for securing loads and hanging things on. https://amzn.to/44tYDj2

 

Made a trip across town to meet Barry at The Bush Company USA. They took over Turtleback Trailers AZ location. I picked up a set of their Awning Heavy Duty L Bracket (sku 4UALBWB)

https://www.thebushcompanyusa.com/product/awning-heavy-duty-l-bracket/

I was able to get them sorted and installed. I had to step down from M8 hardware to M6 which required a trip to the hardware store. The spacing between the larger slots at the top of the bracket did not work with the spacing of the slots on the awning backer. I could get the M8 slots to work if it was mounted lower, but thats not what I needed. I may trim the bracket a bit to get the lower foot part 1-2" shorter to clear the quick release brackets. This would bring the tent closer into the side of the truck which I think I want.

Will be giving it all a shakedown test next weekend while camping in the area and attending Overland Expo West.

 

Hello! Your build is amazing and has become the inspiration rig for some of the projects I'd like to do. I recently traded my 2020 TRD Off Road for a 2020 Superwhite 1794 like yours! I also have the same retrax bedcover that the dealership took off my old rig and put on the new one. For years I've been wanting to add a rail system via the T-slots with a rooftop tent as that is why I went with the cover we have. However, I'm going to need an XL tent as I want to camp with my wife, 2 kiddos, and dog. I know it will be tight quarters while we're sleeping but it's the best option I can think of for now. To that end, do you know what the weight specs are for a setup like yours (mine as well if I keep the retrax and go with the IBEX system)? I have been bummed for some time thinking that the wight of the tent, the crossbars, and my family will be too heavy. Again, super awesome build and thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

 

Nothing major to report, but did knock out the MESO Customs Volume Fix kit, that switches the left steering wheel buttons around to a proper orientation. <20 min install.

Requires a trim removal tool (or flathead), a T30 Torx, and a Philips screwdriver. I also needed small snips to cut a zip tie.

 

Sorry for the late reply here! Per Kuat - the Kuat Ibex Truck Bed Rack has a static weight capacity of 1,200 pounds and a dynamic weight capacity of 300 pounds. There were no additional notes about the tonneau adapter rail and whether or not it impacts the weight limits.

 

Sold the Tepui RTT and ordered a new hard side tent. For now, and keeping this budget friendly, I went with a Top Oak Galaxy 1.0 tent off Amazon. I had a coupon code for $200 off. I thought about picking it up and saving $299 freight, but I would spend $299 just getting to socal and back-not worth it. I ordered on Nov 19, and I received a call that I could schedule delivery on Nov 27. Quick!

I also raised the Kuat Ibex rack from the mid-height setting to the full-height setting. I was able to keep the lower half of the hoops on the truck bed, and insert the full height bars. May have stripped 2 of the bolts due to the thread tapping not being deep enough in the extruded aluminum of the full height bar inserts. Ugh. Everything is snug and put back togeher. I was heavily concerned that the full height setting wouldn't be high enough to cover the roof of the cab. Looks like I've got 1.5" of clearance. If you're not using the Retrax tonneau adapter with your Kuat Ibex then I think you'd be about .5" lower in height giving you 1" of clearance.

mid-height setting


full height setting


Roof clearance

 

Also from a couple weeks ago, removed and sold the Diode Dynamics hitch light pod. I still wanted a 3rd brake light, and got this tailgate led light bar with signals (for free). I like that it is 2 parts, so you can access the spare tire winch port w/out having to remove the light strip.

Link to the led turn/brake light by True Mods

I wish there was a way to set the brake light to flash 3x, but this is fine. I did not wire up the reverse light yet, as I still have the VLEDS license plate revese light- which is SUPER bright.