The Ultimate Multi-Use Toyota Tundra: A Prerunner and Mobile Home in One

Built for Adventure and Everyday Life

Building a fully capable prerunner is no easy task, especially when juggling the rising costs of living. But for Ryan Vazquez of Newbury Park, California, he found a way to build his dream truck while also creating a home on wheels. His 2000 Toyota Tundra, affectionately named Hawk, isn’t just a high-performance off-road machine—it also serves as his primary residence, proving that innovation and determination can go a long way.

“I’ve always wanted a prerunner since I got my license,” Ryan says. “But with California’s insane rent prices, I figured I’d build something that could be both a serious off-road truck and a place to live.”

And that’s exactly what he did.

Suspension: The Backbone of the Build

Building a prerunner starts with dialing in the suspension, ensuring it can handle the demands of high-speed desert runs while also accommodating the weight of a pop-up camper in the bed. Ryan wasn’t about to cut corners—he taught himself shock geometry, MIG welding, and fabrication to ensure every part of the suspension was fine-tuned to perfection.

His first step was installing Total Chaos Fabrication bypass hoops along with custom hydraulic bump mounts for added frame reinforcement. From there, he assembled a long-travel suspension system featuring top-tier components from BTF Fabrication, MCM Fab & Design, and BBM Offroad.

Front Suspension Setup

• BTF Fabrication long-travel kit (modified by Rip Knowles), paired with a custom-built spindle
• King 3.0×16-inch coil springs (600 lbs)
• King 2.5×8-inch coilover shocks with triple bypasses for better high-speed control

Rear Suspension Upgrades

• MCM Fab & Design Tundra rear cantilever suspension kit
• BBM Offroad rear leaf hangers & shackles
• Deaver C27 spring-under-leaf pack
• King 3.0×10-inch quadruple bypass shocks for extra damping control

To further stabilize the added weight of the Four Wheel pop-up camper, Ryan incorporated 2.5×10-inch King air shocks, utilizing a modified Tacoma shock relocation kit. This thoughtful upgrade ensures that Hawk remains planted and balanced, even when fully loaded.

Keeping It Reliable: Power & Drivetrain

Ryan chose to keep the powertrain stock—and for good reason. “The truck has nearly 250,000 miles, and it still runs like new,” he says. “So I left the 4.7L V8 untouched, aside from a K&N cold air intake.”

While the engine remains stock and reliable, the drivetrain and exhaust system received a handful of performance enhancements:

Drivetrain & Power Mods

• Custom Y-pipe feeding into a MagnaFlow muffler with a 4.5-inch DirtSkum exhaust tip
• Aisin A340E automatic transmission with:
  • Electronic shift override (center console switch)
  • Winters gated shifter with a RAD Designs electronic kit for manual gear selection
  • Torque converter lockup control for improved efficiency

Out back, a Camburg 3.50-inch rear axle housing was paired with a Quick Performance 35-spline Ford 9-inch third member, 4.56 gears, and a Detroit TrueTrac limited-slip differential—providing the ideal balance of strength and traction for aggressive off-road driving.

The shortened driveshaft was reinforced with 1350 U-joints and an Inland Empire Driveshaft polyurethane center support bearing, ensuring smooth power delivery even under heavy loads.

Braking, Wheels, & Tires

With such an extreme suspension setup, Ryan needed a braking system that could match the Tundra’s newfound capabilities. He upgraded the front with 2005 Tundra calipers and outfitted the rear with Wilwood Superlite discs and calipers—all connected to a Toyota T100 master cylinder and power brake booster.

For added control on technical terrain and drifting, Ryan installed a cutting brake handle, allowing him to lock up the rear wheels on demand.

His wheel and tire setup consists of:

• 16×8.5-inch Method 305 NV wheels
• 315/75R16 BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires with 4.5 inches of backspacing

This combination delivers durability, traction, and an aggressive stance, making Hawk ready for any terrain.

Interior: Built for Functionality & Comfort

Inside, Ryan swapped out the factory Toyota seats for black cloth and vinyl Corbeau USA Baja RS suspension seats, offering extra support and durability for long off-road trips.

His custom-built center console—designed and fabricated by DirtSkum—is a standout feature. This steel tube-frame console with bead-rolled aluminum plating houses:

• Winters gated shifter & switches
• Handbrake for the cutting brake system
• Neatly concealed wiring for a clean look

For entertainment, Ryan installed a Pioneer MVH-1400NEX stereo system with a 6.2-inch touchscreen, ensuring that long drives are never boring.

Final Thoughts: A One-of-a-Kind Prerunner

Ryan’s 2000 Toyota Tundra is unlike any other prerunner out there. Not only is it built to handle the toughest terrain, but it also serves as his home on wheels, blending rugged performance with real-world practicality.

From the hand-built suspension to the custom drivetrain upgrades and one-of-a-kind design, Hawk is a testament to Ryan’s skill, creativity, and dedication.

Would he do anything differently? “Honestly, I love where the truck is at,” he says. “Maybe down the road, I’ll tweak some things, but for now, I’m just enjoying the adventure.”

 UPGRADES

2000 Toyota Tundra “Hawk”

Owner: Ryan Vazquez
Newbury Park, California

Chassis & Suspension: Total Chaos Fabrication bypass hoops with custom hydraulic bump mounts; BTF Fabrication long travel front suspension kit modified by Rip Knowles, fit into a custom spindle; MCM Fab & Design Tundra rear cantilever suspension kit; BBM Offroad suspension components including rear leaf hangers and shackles; King 3.0×16-inch 600-lb front springs; King 2.5×8-inch front coilover shocks with triple bypasses, strapped at 15 inches; Deaver C27 spring under leaf rear; King 3.0×10-inch quadruple rear bypass shocks strapped at 18 inches; Additional 2.5×10-inch King air shocks used in wheel wells with a modified Tacoma shock relocation kit to help hold the weight of the camper

Wheels & Tires: 16×8.5-inch Method 305 NV wheels; 315/75R16 BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires with 4.5 inches of backspacing front and rear

Engine & Drivetrain: 2000 Toyota 4.7L V8; K&N cold air intake; Custom Y pipe to a MagnaFlow muffler; 2.5-inch exhaust to to 4-inch tip; 4.5-inch DirtSkum side bezel; Aisin A340e transmission; Electronic shift override via switch in center console; Winters gated shifter with RAD Designs Winters shifter electronic kit for manual gear selection; Torque converter lockup control; Shortened driveshaft with slip; Camburg 3.50-inch rear axle housing; 1350 U joints; Quick Performance 35-spline Ford 9-inch third member with 4.56 gears; Detroit TrueTrac limited-slip differential; Inland Empire Driveshaft Ford Ranger polyurethane center support bearing; 2005 Tundra calipers up front, Wilwood Superlite discs and calipers in rear; Toyota T100 master cylinder and power brake booster; Cutting brake handle

Body & Paint: Full Hannemann Fiberglass Inc. body kit, complete with hood, front fenders and bedsides; GrillCraft mesh grille; Custom tube bumpers with front skid plate; Stock headlights with The Retrofit Source ACME projector kit; KC HiLiTES FLEX secondary lights; 52-inch light bar with BBM Offroad mounts; Eastwood Cosmic Gray Metallic single-stage paint with urethane clear coat; Four Wheel pop-up camper

Interior & Stereo: Black cloth and vinyl Corbeau USA Baja RS suspension seats; Custom steel tube frame center console with bead rolled aluminum plating built by DirtSkum; Pioneer MVH-1400NEX stereo system with 6.2-inch touchscreen