The Story Behind the Build

It was the beginning of the overland boom, and I had spent about a year figuring out how to get into a truck and build my own version of an overland “expedition” vehicle. I had always liked Tacomas, but the 3rd generation was the one that finally pushed me over the edge.

In 2021, I bought this Tacoma. Less than two weeks later, I was already wrenching on it, installing parts, and starting what would become several years of building, testing, and changing my mind.

What made this truck special to me wasn’t just that it was my first overland vehicle. It was the first vehicle I really learned to build myself. I started with simple bolt-on parts, installed my first suspension with my grandpa in his shop, and learned to work through problems as they came up. There were stripped bolts, late nights, parts that didn’t fit the way I expected, and more than one moment wondering how I was going to get to work the next morning with the truck still sitting on jack stands.

That process changed how I looked at trucks. I went from someone who liked modified trucks to someone who wanted to understand how everything worked, how to install it, and how to build a vehicle around the way I actually wanted to use it.

The Tacoma also became the starting point for Overlandaholic. It gave me something of my own to photograph, write about, experiment with, and eventually build a much bigger creative outlet around. Through it, I met people I probably never would have met otherwise, worked with brands I admire, and found new opportunities in the automotive and outdoor industries. A lot of the experience that shaped where I am creatively and professionally today started with this truck.

I sold the Tacoma in September 2026, but I never really considered it finished. My taste changed, the way I used it changed, and there was always something I wanted to simplify, improve, or completely rethink. That was probably the part I enjoyed most.

This page documents where the build ended up, the parts I used, and what I learned along the way. I may no longer own the truck, but it’s still a big part of the story behind Overlandaholic.