Steve’s 2017 Toyota Tacoma

Let’s Taco bout it!

Hi. I’m Steve, and I am one of the founding members of Tri State Overland. I’d like to share with you how I got into this lifestyle and I want to also share what my “why” is. I have a custom plate that reads TCO2SDY because my youngest daughter called it (and still calls it) her “Taco Tuesday Truck”.  

It all started back in 2017, albeit on a very small level back then.  I leased my 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport but had to wait about 4-5 weeks to get it because I HAD to have a manual transmission! I have been driving manual now for over 20 years and absolutely love it. At first, I did not realize that I would be doing anything with this truck other than driving it. So one day I decided to google “Off Roading Near Me” and found a local off road park. I went and really got woken up to off roading – I was in love with it!  The truck was crazy capable right out of the box. Since the truck was a lease, I didn’t want to go too crazy with it so I put some all terrain tires on and that’s about it.

Fast forward a few years and I ended up really falling in love with this truck. Every time I walk up to her I feel nothing but happiness – seriously the best vehicle I’ve ever owned. After doing some research I ended up organizing a small run to Bald Eagle State Forest with a few random strangers we met on Facebook and we ran some basic forest service roads and did some light camping and, well, that was it for me. I was HOOKED! That night around the fire those random strangers who wheeled all day together collectively said, yeah this is something we want to do… and Tri State Overland was born. 

After I purchased the truck off of the lease, the lift got ordered almost immediately (see list of mods) and the build began. I wanted to show what the truck could do so it went up 3.5″ (total front and rear) and I put some 33″ Cooper ST MAXX tires on and started exploring more. And more, and more! Each time I have gone out, I have realized that I was missing something or I had something I really did not need. Through trial and error, I figured out what worked and what didn’t, and the truck build has been evolving every day.Currently, we have plans for some major trips for the group and plans to explore places that we have not ever been, camping along the way and experiencing all that nature has to offer – which is so much more than you could ever imagine. I love the fact that my wife loves to come with me on these trips – so much so that she decided to go buy a new Jeep Wrangler JLU that we are building for the trails now!

It’s a great feeling to be lost in the right direction. We travel and explore a lot and try to get out as often as we can. Experiencing the wonderful things on this planet that others may not get to is great, but what’s even better is being able to share those experiences with strangers who become friends. That’s why we do it. I think one of the neatest things I have ever experienced is the night sky in the desert, miles away from civilization. There’s nothing like it. I have never seen the Big Dipper as BIG or BRIGHT as we did out in the deserts of Moab, Utah.