New Trucks, New Possibilities

Personal Daily Commuter and BOV

Intro

2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road

There is a level of happiness, akin to that of your first kiss when you buy a brand new vehicle. I had it when I bought my second motorcycle (2014 Yamaha Bolt R-Spec) a couple years ago and I had it just recently when I bought my new truck. It's an odd sensation - drunk on the thrill of something new as you drive it home for the first time. Simultaneously you feel that anxiousness in your stomach of your new bank account balance after the down payment.
All in all it's an exciting experience, but once you settle in and the new car smell disappears, you wonder: what's next?
For me, it's the possibility to make this truck unique and more functional to my liking.

Purpose

I sold my primary commuter car (2008 Subaru Impreza) in order to purchase this truck as well as my previous pickup (1998 Nissan Frontier), which wasn't going to pass inspection anymore anyway, so the new pickup takes on the responsibility of both. And so far it hasn't disappointed. The interior it feels more like an SUV than an old gym locker, which would describe most older pickup truck cabs. The exterior is all business.
Going forward this new Tacoma will have two purposes: 1.) daily commuting and  2.) bug-out-vehicle.
In a short time it has proven to be a comfortable, practical daily commuter, be decent on mileage (even on back-roads), and the concept of getting out of dodge with this seems incredibly plausible. With my previous primary vehicle, the Subaru Impreza, I knew it could handle rain, snow and a multitude of other on-road conditions, but off road? Not so much. My 1998 Nissan Frontier 4x4 was ready for more hairy situations, but its age and the condition of the frame made me weary when driving and its 4-cylinder engine was more cute than practical.

New front fascia for 2016

Now I have a vehicle that fits the bill for any activity I may have planned or any unplanned emergency that may fall upon us. With winters getting more and more serious (as I write this the U.S. capitol is seeing the worst winter in over 90 years) in our neck of the woods I feel that a car, even with all-wheel-drive may not be enough to get my family and myself out of harm's way.

Plans

While the daily commuting side of the truck doesn't really need modifying, the BOV side certainly could use some polishing. For transportation, I can safely transport my family (dog included) as well as enough supplies to get us to a number of different bug-out locations within 100 miles.  One of the most important, yet simple packages that came with the truck was the tri-fold bed cover, allowing for the covered transport of anything that will fit into the 5-foot bed.
Inside, like the previous  generation Tacoma there's some storage hidden under the rear seats, especially in a full Double Cab model. With that storage there should be enough room for at least one standard 72-hour bug-out-bag at all times.

Other upcoming additions:
*CB Radio
*HID Lights
*Mud Guards
*72-hour bug out bag