Outside Writer Pays Tribute to His Beloved Tacoma
Reliability and aftermarket support help make writer’s Tacoma the perfect home for his off-grid lifestyle.
The Tacoma is a great truck for nearly everything. It’s durable, as all Toyotas are. It has excellent aftermarket support. It can go from the street to the trail with little effort. It’s also the home of Outside magazine writer and photographer Andy Cochrane. Not just his ride, his home.
Specifically, he resides in a 2015 double-cab long bed that has been modified meet his needs. The Taco has been his home for the past four years, giving him the off-the-grid lifestyle he’s wanted.
“While I do my best these days to reduce my footprint, buying few things, eating vegetarian, and being conscious about travel,” says Cochrane, “There are a handful of vices I still allow myself. Driving on wide-open dirt roads is one of them. Nothing replaces a ride in my 2015 Tacoma with a friend riding shotgun, a playlist with heavy bass, and a distant horizon when I need an adventure.”
Cochrane has driven and reviewed plenty of trucks over the years, but for him, none compare to his Tacoma. As he says, none of them, from the Colorado to the Ranger, “feel or function like Toyota’s prized thoroughbred. Simply put, it’s the best truck in the world, because it’s reliable above all else.” And when your home is your ride, you better believe that is key.
“Stock Tacomas are designed and built to be used,” says Cochrane. “Whether you’re ripping through red mud in Utah, safely traveling on ice and snow in Montana, or hauling loads of gear to the next job. I wish I could say the same thing about other trucks, but it wouldn’t be true. Most new 4×4 buyers are looking for a sport vehicle over a workhorse, and auto manufacturers have taken note. In the meantime, Toyota stuck to its roots.”
His Tacoma, on the other hand, has been upgraded to fit his needs for travelling between San Francisco and Salt Lake City and beyond. Those upgrades include a lift kit, new control arms, more off-road capable rubber, LED lighting, and more creature comforts. It makes for a comfy home away from the trappings of modern life, while allowing him to interact with the world when he needs to do so.
“Admittedly, I’m far from objective,” Cochrane says. “I spent a good part of my childhood dreaming of a Tacoma and the places it could take me. This doesn’t make me unique…But my irrational loyalty may help me stand out.”
No matter where Cochrane goes, his Tacoma is ready to take him there. And while there may be other trucks out there that could do what his does, he says “the humble Tacoma is the real truck of your dreams.”
Photos: Outside; Andy Cochrane
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