Build Of The Month, June: WanderTaco

Jake Ingolia's truck has to wear many hats. When he's not punching his time card as a professional wedding photographer, he's shredding Northern California gravel as a dedicated overlander. Since his 2019 Tacoma TRD OFFROAD is equal parts work and play vehicle, it's aptly named the @WanderTaco.

For his second Tacoma, Jake knew what he wanted. Every accessory added to the WanderTaco is selected to work hard and play harder.

First things first. Can you explain how the WanderTaco got its name?

The adventure rig is named the Wander Taco ! We named it this as we wanted to tie the name into our full time wedding photography business, which is named @Wanderlovecaptures .

There aren't many streetlights off the beaten path. The WanderTaco lights the way with Dark Defense auxillary lighting and TEQ Customs headlights, and it looks meaner than a stepmother.

What was the mission on this build, and what makes it different?

The purpose of this build was to start fresh with a stock truck and document our build on Instagram/YouTube for the community to follow! My biggest thing with building a 3rd Gen Tacoma was to build a truck that was different from the million other built ones. It’s the little details in my truck that make it stand out from the crowd. We had an older second Gen truck that we used for overlanding, but she was getting tired and it was time to build a newer truck to go out and overland off the grid in any state and not have a worry about breaking down or not being capable enough! It's daily driven yet built to take any terrain (to an extent) thrown at it!

TrailFort campers are known for their usability. Their quick setup and durability made them an easy choice for the WanderTaco.

Are there any custom modifications or details you're proud of?

I’m proud of our newest addition… our Trailfort overland camper! This was a camper that set us apart from the crowd and still gives us all of our overland needs… Being able to set our camp up in seconds was a huge priority of ours whether we came into camp late and/or just the simplicity of overlanding it self. Plus…glamping at its finest! Haha. The little details we’ve added into the armor, grille, headlights, etc that incorporate " wander" and topography from places that mean a lot to us really bring the truck a special touch that may not mean much to some people, but to me means the most!

The WanderTaco rocks some serious footwear. Jake opted for Falken Wildpeaks tires, which excel in offroad conditions without rattling the kidneys on the pavement.

Is there an item you cannot live without?

I’d say we can’t live without Apple CarPlay. Yeah I know… a 2019 Tacoma doesn’t come with CARPLAY! We love the simplicity of CarPlay and incorporating onX Offroad on the screen is a huge plus! The comfort of our leather seat covers on long trips and not having to worry about mud on the seats is a huge plus as well! My favorite MUST-have mod is the 35” tires. We started with 33s and I knew right away, 35s were the way to go! Don’t hesitate, just DO IT.

An upgraded suspension is a must for serious offroading. The package Jake put together allows the WanderTaco to remain responsive on rough terrain, despite the increased overall vehicle weight.

Overlanding rigs usually have a lot of gear. How do you stay organized?

We keep most of our gear stored in our DECKED storage system most of the time! Having a watertight, lockable, and easy system to store all of our overland and offroad recovery gear at all times is a MUST! You never know when you’ll need something and having it in my truck all day every day to use in any situation is a huge plus! Knowing that no one can get into my system from DECKED is the biggest plus of them all! Our drawers carry our camp stove, dishes, tool boxes, coffee necessities, Morflate system and air compressor, recovery rope and more!

Overlanders tend to have a lot of gear, and it ain't cheap. Jake's Drawer System keeps everything organized and secure.

The DECKED storage system has kept me nice and organized especially when it comes to camping! I am a huge overpacker and the DECKED storage system helps me minimize all of my overland needs even though I still bring some boxes of gear when we go out camping! Locking the most important gear in the system is the best part of the DECKED storage system.

The attention grabbers: the WanderTaco sports Me-Su Custom taillights for some extra flair. Plus, it even has a nametag.

If you won the lottery, what would you add or build next?

If we won the lottery, I would buy a Power Wagon AEV Conversion and make that my full time overland/tow rig. I’d then proceed to throw the truck on 40s with either the RCLT kit from Marlin Crawler or a full SAS conversion kit!

Full Mod List for the WanderTaco: