A day in the life of our favorite Baja driver and soon-to-be retired Fire Captain, Cris Cornette.

The Setup

1. BajaRack rack holds a ton (not literally, but close) of gear inside Zarges cases, plus MaxTrax sand ladders and a locking Hi-Lift mount.

2. Here’s a close-up look at the swingarm of the Demello rear bumper. The diagonal tubes serves as braces for the whole arm, and it easily holds the spare tire and wheel, plus two jerry cans. Note the retaining strap at lower left.

3. Once you discover how great a powered freezer/fridge is, you’ll retire your ice-cooled Igloo forever. A new-generation ARB unit keeps the steaks, eggs and beverages cool in Cris’ truck.

4. Aggressive front end is done courtesy of a rugged Demello Offroad bumper. A Warn winch wrapped in synthetic line sits inside the bumper for recovery duties, and two 6″ HID Soltek fog lights are ready to lead the way on a murky night.

5. An awning from Camping Labs makes for a pleasant space to sit, have a cup of coffee or dinner, or enjoy the last hours of a long, hot day on the trail.

6. Demello Offroad came through with a gorgeous piece of rear bumper fabrication. Built with signature Demello strength, the unit also looks just right on a Tacoma, neither too big nor too small. Dual recovery points and a 2″ hitch add to the utility. Cris sleeps in the back of the Tacoma, so he chose an Outdoorsman bed shell from A.R.E. which has been color-matched white. A 1.5″ rear adda-leaf kit from Icon Vehicle Dynamics keeps the rear end up under added weight.

7. Dual XS Power D5100 AGM batteries are found under the hood in a Columbia Overland battery box and are monitored full time with a custom computer monitored regulator.

8. It’s a major drag—literally–at best and a fatal problem at worst to be stuck and bogged down in the desert. This Tacoma has MaxTrax sand ladders on hand to help give the tires traction and get moving out of the dunes. Look for a test feature on these units in an upcoming issue of 4WD Toyota Owner.

Cris Cornette’s 2010 Tacoma is an awesome combination of brains and brawn. Brains because it’s been built strategically and with a vision—for supremely reliable, long range expedition work in the roughest of conditions. Brawn because it’s hard to kick sand in the face of Demello bumpers, BFG KM2 tires, dual batteries, Safari snorkel, Warn winch and more, and not expect to pay a price! Rhino Lining down the sides of the Tacoma keep rock and brush rash at bay, as well as look sharp. Demello rock sliders keep the door sills healthy when under rock attack. That’s an A.R.E. rear shell, by the way, complete with roof rails to hold the BajaRack and gear. 4.88 gearing and a rear ARB Air Locker also help with traction in tough terrain. Do you like the steel wheel look?

Wake up and do it all over again!