Known for reliability, versatility, and it’s pure grit; the Toyota Tacoma has been a beloved truck for over 25 years. Little do some know, the Tacoma has a serious cult-like following. Spend five minutes on TacomaWorld.com and you’ll understand what I mean. Spend ten minutes in the truck and you’ll decide to either love the mid-size truck or loathe it. Love it for its smaller yet capable size; loathe it for its lack of being a full-size truck – cough, cough, Tundra. I was the former. Ever since college I had wanted one even though I never truly had a need for a truck. In 2016, I pulled the trigger on a 3rd generation TRD Off Road and it was a love affair I will never forget. After following hundreds of social media accounts I found myself pulled into the overlanding community. It was a perfect fit for my interests in the outdoors and cars. Unfortunately, life dealt me a hand that led me to sell my beloved Ruby (my mom named her) and I have since felt a void I never anticipated.
Fast forward three years, I responded to a job posting and found myself a part of the wonderful and exciting BuiltRight Industries team. And, guess what? We have a 2020 Tacoma TRD Off Road! My life is complete again. While BuiltRight’s support is heavy on American truck brands, we offer great products for the Tacoma.
In this post I am going to walk you through each of these products, installation, and some ways to better improve this mid-size truck’s utility.
Bedside Rack System
BuiltRight Industries prides itself on making the best mounting solutions for trucks, and specifically our patented MOLLE Panel Bedside Rack System. Not only does it allow you to mount to the bedside, but it alleviates any need to engage use of the stock rail system, which can be used for other purposes simultaneously.
In the case of the Tacoma, the BuiltRight Industries bedside rack system is a super clean and simple install. No drilling is required as all stock hardware is used to mount the panels and only three tools are needed: 5/32" allen wrench, T30 torx screw driver, and a T55 torx screw driver. Installation is as simple as unscrewing the bolts for the stock rails, sliding the BuiltRight Industries bedside panel behind the rail, and reinstalling the stock bolts. The Cab Wall panels follow the same process; however, the the stock T55 bed bolts have to be loosened to add BuiltRight Industries L-brackets to support the cab wall panels.
I did my first install this week and installation of the bedside panels took about an hour. Not too shabby!
Velcro Tech Panel
The interior of the Tacoma is already equipped with ample storage and cubbies, but if you find yourself needing even more organization, our Velcro Tech Panels are perfect for the job. There are not many places in the Tacoma to attach these, but two of the most sensible spots are the lower backs of the front seats as seen in the picture below. The strength of the velcro to the carpet surface on the seats is strong enough to attach a variety of tools or pouches. Chris currently has the Tacoma tech panels outfitted with gloves, a knife, and a flashlight.
Molle Pouches
The Tacoma has cubbies both behind and under the back seats where our MOLLE Pouches are perfect for keeping your gear organized and clean. Not to mention, these pouches are made from a splash proof and ultra durable material that can easily be adapted for use in the truck bed too. Our team loves the versatility and size of these pouches. Matty uses the larger pouch to house his first aid kit. Matt H. uses two large pouches to store jumper cables and tie down straps in the truck bed.
I hope after reading this article you catch the bug to organize your Tacoma BuiltRight style! And just so you know, our development of products for the Toyota Tacoma is still underway. We hope to have a few more products available to you be the end of the year. Stay tuned!
Yours truly,
Leah
The Bat Cave
Meet the Fleet