OK4WD is a Proud Sponsor of Mountain State Overland

Mountain State Overland is a YouTube series and vehicle-based guide service based in West Virginia. Since it's inception in 2013, the Mountain State Overland team has captured motion and still images that recount more than 100,000 miles of vehicle-based adventures.

Mountain State Overland on YouTube >> Learn More…

THE VEHICLE

The vehicles that Mountain State Overland drives are integral to every aspect of their business and YouTube series. The selection of vehicles and guides is determined by factors such as reliability, capability, cost-effectiveness, and parts availability. It is of utmost importance that the vehicles of Mountain State Overland meet their service standards and fulfill the expectations of their trip clients.

Mid-sized pickups have proven to be the most successful choice for them for several reasons. Firstly, in the Eastern region, the overall vehicle width becomes significant when maneuvering technical public roads in Vermont or sharing tracks with UTVs in southern WV. Secondly, the practicality of possessing a truck bed surpasses that of SUVs and similar platforms, especially when carrying substantial amounts of recovery gear and camera equipment.

For their most recent build, Mountain State Overland has opted for a 2020 Toyota Tacoma 4DR; marking their third time building with a Tacoma to support their adventures. The Toyota Tacoma is rated high in reliability, scoring 3.5 stars with JD Power, and offers a more appealing price tag than other comparable mid-size pickups at $40-45K.

Since this marks the third time they've built with a Tacoma, Mountain State Overland will be referring to this model as Tacoma 3.0 throughout this build sheet.

THE EQUIPMENT

Modifying the suspension and payload management is arguably one of the most critical alterations that Mountain State Overland can make to their vehicle. For their operations, lift height is not as crucial as managing the vehicle's weight. To this end, their 2020 Toyota Tacoma is equipped with bypass shocks from Bilstein, custom expedition leaf springs from Deaver, and upper control arms from SPC.

After establishing the truck's new ride height, they trimmed back the body mount in the front fenders to accommodate 34” tires and wheels. They've found success with the Cooper Tire Discoverer S/T MAXX and hence, mounted these onto five AEV Crestone Dualsport 17” rims. For those interested in purchasing a 34” tire, they advise looking for a 285/75R17 and confirming the manufacturer's diameter. Previously, they installed 285/70R17 tires, which are closer to a 33".

Larger tires can lead to an increase in power loss, which is more accurately described as a loss in RPMs. With bigger tires, the engine has to spin faster to rotate the tires at highway speeds to generate the required horsepower. To address this, Mountain State Overland had the team at OK4WD replace their stock 3.91 gears with 4.88s. This modification resulted in a rotation of 2100 RPM in 6th gear at 70 MPH, in contrast to 1500 RPM on stock gears.

Trail protection was the next item on their list. The 2020 Tacoma comes with a wealth of safety features, and they were keen to ensure full access to all its sensors and cameras when building the truck. Furthermore, the overall vehicle weight was a consideration, so exploring aluminum for weight reduction without compromising protection was a goal.

They fitted the front of the truck with a Victory 4x4 Strike bumper, color-matched to their cement Tacoma. This bumper housed a Warn Zeon Platinum 10S winch, a Rigid Industries 20” single row LED light bar, and two DOT-approved amber light pods from Rigid. They chose a steel bumper for the truck's front because the weight savings from aluminum weren't substantial enough, and they preferred steel for long-term use given the frequent winching of their trucks.

Under the truck, everything from the front bumper to the back was covered with Victory 4x4 skids. They chose aluminum front skids and steel skids for the lower-hanging areas of the truck, such as the gas tank and transfer case. Blitz sliders were installed under the rocker panels, along with rock lights for night-time wheeling trips. They decided to keep the rear bumper in its original form.

Why keep the stock rear bumper? The primary reason harks back to their last build. They had added an aftermarket rear bumper to their 2017 Tacoma 2.0 build, but during the Fall of 2019, the truck was rear-ended in an accident. The ensuing insurance assessment totalled their truck. As a result, they've decided to keep the rear bumper stock to allow for crumpling upon impact, and to enable full use of their lane departure safety system.

THE CAMPER

In their Tacoma 2.0 build, Mountain State Overland chose to install an Alu-Cab Khaya camper. This was a well-received choice due to the flexibility it offered for removal and installation, essentially allowing them to restore the truck bed to full functionality within just 15 minutes.

However, with the Tacoma 3.0, they sought some weight savings. They aimed to construct a living space in the back of the truck, complete with outlets, cabinets, drawers, refrigerators, and even a furnace. For this, they selected the Alu-Cab Canopy Camper - a lightweight, customizable living solution that closely resembles the Khaya camper, but tends to be a more permanent installation. While it can still be removed, those planning extensive modifications are likely to leave it installed on the truck.

The Canopy Camper provides full access to every corner of the truck bed and is compatible with a variety of products from companies like GP Factor and Goose Gear. They installed a black Canopy Camper, opting for a model with a higher roof than its predecessors to allow for additional storage.

On the rear door of the camper, they installed a GP Factor Traction Board Mount, accommodating four Maxtrax, two GP Factor stainless steel tables, and two GP Factor stainless steel molle panels. These panels support a DemerBox DB1 Bluetooth speaker and an Outer Limit Supply first aid kit. An Alu-Cab jerry can holder was added to the driver's rear of the camper to facilitate easy water transport on the road.

To provide shelter at camp, they mounted an Alu-Cab Shadow Awn on the driver's side of the camper. An awning gutter was included to redirect water away from the camper door during heavy storms. Beyond its 20-second setup time, the primary advantage of the Shadow Awn is its solar reflective material. Their testing revealed that the Shadow Awn not only provided rain shelter but also significantly cooled the space underneath during hot, sunny days. For instance, they found that the shade under a Shadow Awn was 7 degrees cooler than under awnings of different colors in Arizona.

Inside the camper, they installed a complete Goose Gear storage solution comprising a baseplate, four drawers, and two utility boxes. Before installing the Goose Gear, they placed a BedRug on the sides and removed the section that was on the floor, providing insulation.

Between the two Goose Gear utility boxes, they secured two Engel MT45 fridge/freezers to the floor, offering a total of 90L of fridge storage. This was crucial to their expeditions as they need ample cold storage for their cooking needs.

Finally, to ensure complete rear visibility, they integrated a Rostra Precision Controls camera into their factory wire harness. This easy-to-install camera features adjustable positioning, allowing them to fine-tune the view displayed on the truck's dash, complete with birds-eye viewing capabilities.

ELECTRICAL

Given the high electrical power demand of their operations due to constant camera usage and equipment charging, Mountain State Overland has equipped their expedition vehicles with a dual battery system and solar charging. This enables them to maintain their power needs for several days, whether stationary or on the move.

They differentiate between "house power", which includes lights, radios, charging ports, inverters, fridges, and compressors, and "starting power", which pertains to the starter and stock harness power. They categorize add-on power separately because it essentially increases the power demand on the existing system, necessitating a separate power source to avoid premature failure.

Under the hood of the 2020 Toyota 3.0, they installed an Off-Grid Engineering dual battery kit with two Odyssey Extreme Group 35 batteries. A Power Tray was mounted to accommodate an sPod Bantam and a 100A circuit breaker, which serves as the primary cutoff for all accessory power whenever they wish to switch it off.

Other "house power" accessories include an air compressor secured with a Slee Offroad compressor bracket; an Expedition Essentials TPAM to support their Garmin inReach and Overlander; and a Midland MXT400 GMRS Radio.

They've run heavy gauge wire to the rear of the truck, anticipating the installation of a 2000 watt inverter and various other accessories. Within the Alu-Cab Canopy Camper, they have a Goose Gear electrical panel fitted with two 4.8V USB chargers, a switch board, and a temperature monitor. They've installed a 180W Sunflare solar panel on the camper's roof and are monitoring the panel's health and charge with a Victron Energy charge controller.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Mountain State Overland is truly thrilled with this truck! It's lighter than their previous Tacoma 2.0 build, boasting cleaner lines and a sleek, stock appearance that they deeply appreciate. They had previously contemplated color matching the front bumper on earlier builds, so they're particularly pleased that it worked out for Tacoma 3.0. They fully expect to accumulate scratches over time, but believe that it will only add to the truck's rugged appeal!

The overall ride quality of the vehicle is impressive, offering a quiet, comfortable, and supple experience. They've put it to the test over many challenging miles on large stone roads, tight trails, and off-camber situations without deflating the tires, and have found nothing to complain about. Even though they haven't yet perfected the suspension settings, the truck has performed admirably over the first 5,000 odometer miles.

The experience of sleeping in the camper is fantastic, and they are enjoying the extra storage space on the top when it's closed. They've found great pleasure in being able to stand at the back of the truck and cook on a camp stove. Truly, this truck embodies the spirit of a "camp anywhere, get up and go" adventure vehicle.

Mountain State Overland extends their compliments to the skillful team at OK4WD, who have once again helped bring their vision to fruition with this build.

Watch the Complete Tacoma 3.0 Build Series on YouTube >> Learn More…

BUILD SHEET

YEAR | MAKE | MODEL

• 2020 Toyota Tacoma 4DR TRD Offroad Premium

SUSPENSION

• Bilstein 8112 Heavy Coilovers (front)
• Bilstein 8100 Shocks (rear)
• Deaver Custom Expedition Leaf Springs
• SPC Light Racing UCAs

TIRES WHEELS AND GEARS

• Cooper Tire Discoverer S/T MAXX 285/75R/17
• AEV Crestone Dualsport 17” Wheels
• 4.88 Gears

TRAIL PROTECTION

• Victory 4x4 Strike Front Bumper w/ Warn Zeon Platinum 10s WInch
• Victory 4x4 Blitz Sliders
• Victory 4x4 Front Skid Plates
• Victory 4x4 Transfer Skid Plate
• Victory 4x4 Gas Tank Skid Plate

CAMPING

• Alu-Cab Canopy Camper
• Alu-Cab Shadow Awn and Gutter
• Alu-Cab Camp Table
• Goose Gear Drawers
• Goose Gear Utility Boxes
• Goose Gear Base Plate
• BedRug
• GP Factor Traction Board Mounts
• (2) GP Factor Stainless Tables
• (2) GP Factor Stainless Molle Panels
• DemerBox DB1 Bluetooth Speaker
• Outer Limit Supply First Aid Kit
• Rostra Precision Controls Backup Camera

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES

• Off-Grid Engineering Dual Battery Kit
• Power Tray
• sPod Bantam
• 100A Breaker
• Slee Offroad Compressor Bracket w/ Compressor
• Expedition Essentials TPAM
• Garmin InReach Explorer
• Garmin Overlander
• Midland MXT400 GMRS Radio
• 180W Sunflare Solar Panel
• Victron Energy Charge Controller
• Blue Sea Temperature Monitor
• (2) Blue Sea 4.8V USB Chragers
• Blue Sea Switch Panel
• 30A Breaker
• Safari Snorkel
• Blue Ridge Overland Gear Visor Panels
• Blue Ridge Overland Gear Seat Back Panels
• Relocated Mic Plug for the Midland MXT 400
• We Boost Fleet Cellular Antenna