Yeah, we know there's plenty of snow in northern Arizona, but Ken Francisco, the off-roader formerly known as ZUK, resides in Chandler, Arizona, where there's plenty of heat but none of the white stuff. He wants his vehicles to work everywhere though, even in snow. Ken has owned a number of capable vehicles, including his famous Samurai, a few Toyota pickups, and now this Toyota Tacoma Xtracab. Ken searched for a clean Tacoma, which is a daunting task as most Tacoma owners drive their trucks into the ground then try to sell them for more than the trucks cost new. He finally found this clean '01 with 3.4L V6, automatic overdrive tranny, and TRD Off-Road package that includes a rear electric differential locker.
Ken wanted to use this truck for his favorite pastimes: camping and exploring the backcountry. He also wanted a reliable daily driver, so he decided to perform a mild build of the Taco' so it wouldn't be too radical but would do what was asked of it. To this end, he contacted All-Pro Off-Road and ordered front and rear bumpers, rocker guards, and All-Pro's Tacoma suspension system. The suspension includes Bilstein coilovers for the front that Ken set at 2.5 inches of lift and supple leaf packs for the rear damped by Bilstein shocks. The suspension allowed Ken to mount 285/75R16 Interco TrXus MT tires on the stock Toyota alloy wheels. The 285s are approximately 33 inches in diameter - not that much bigger than the stock 31s that came on the TRD Taco' - so Ken elected to leave the factory 4.10 gears in the differentials. He also left the transfer case stock. Besides the excellent All-Pro bumpers and rocker guards, Ken bolted up a tough bellypan skidplate and front IFS guard from BudBuilt to keep rocks at bay.
Ken's Arizona Taco' works perfectly for him. He drives it daily to work and on the weekends takes the truck into the Arizona desert and mountains. He ventured all the way to northern Utah, then into southern Idaho where we found the deep snow. Ken says he likes the reliability of his Toyota. With 80,000 miles on the odometer, he's had no issues at all. Being Ken, the off-roader formerly known as ZUK, he tells us that a straight-axle swap is in the future for his Tacoma. Other than that, his Arizona Taco' already works great in the desert dirt, sand, rocks, and in the snow he finds. Even around Arizona
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Ken's Arizona Taco' is a clean, well-built truck that performs its tasks on- or off-road. | 
All-Pro Off-Road's Bilstein coilovers can go from 0 to 3 inches of lift, depending on the preload dialed in. Ken's Tacoma has about 2.5 inches of lift. | 
All-Pro's upper arm and uniball allows more droop than the stock ball joint does. |
Arizona Taco's rear springs are All-Pro 3-inch packs that are diamond-cut with Teflon spacers. These provide a good ride as well as afford off-road travel and articulation. Bilstein shocks reside in back. | 
The rearend is stock, with Tacoma drum brakes, 4.10 gears, and the electric locker that comes with the factory TRD Off-Road package. | 
The electric locker actuator sits on the front of the rear third member. Ken plans on adding a small skidplate to protect it. |
A Ramsey REP 9000 was installed when we did this photo shoot. While the REP 9000 worked fine, Ken has since replaced it with a Ramsey Patriot Profile 9,500-pound winch. | 
The All-Pro front winch bumper not only holds a winch but also protects the grille and radiator without ruining ground clearance. The IFS skidplate from BudBuilt is strong and good-looking and continues the protection under the truck. | 
The BudBuilt bellypan skidplate is tough and flat, allowing the Taco' to slide over rocks and other breakover obstacles. |
With the Tacoma Xtracab's 122-inch wheelbase, the BudBuilt bellypan gets tested often. | 
The Toyota transfer case is stock and sits protected above the BudBuilt bellypan skidplate. | 
The All-Pro rocker sliders provide good protection in rocks and trees. The rear kicks out just a bit to protect the bed too. |
The All-Pro rocker sliders provide good protection in rocks and trees. The rear kicks out just a bit to protect the bed too. | 
285/75R16 Interco TrXus MTs wrap around the Tacoma's stock alloy wheels. The TrXus tires work well in all environments. | 
The All-Pro tubular rear bumper wraps around to protect the rear quarter-panels of the bed. The bumper features a receiver and sits high up. |