The Tacoma's Finally (!) Complete

After exactly a month (date-wise, anyway) after ordering it, we finally got our camper shell installed! This is good. This means that finally, I can retire the good ol’ 4Runner. Hey, it’s not that I don’t love the old guy, but: it’s the old guy. The new guy’s better; that’s why I have it.

Anyway, yesterday was the inaugural doggy-trip with it. Nothing too big, I had to go and get some dog food as well as a doggy gate for the kitchen door (to keep them out of the rest of the house when we’re away), and I figured what the hay, take them with me so that they can get acclimated to it on a nice, easy, short outing.

I was a little leery still, because the flooring in it is not as grippy as a regular “Rhino Lining” or similar, though it is coated from the factory. I was worried that they might find it too slippery. I also wanted to make sure that the windows would provide adequate ventilation. It’s also a good 6 inches higher to get into than the 4Runner. Thus far, all’s working out OK. I had to lift Miles & Zoey into it, because they’re a little weary of it and not as athletic (and as athletically confident) as the young guys, but I think they’ll get over it. On the ventilation front, I think we’ll be OK. So far, it seems like this is going to work out grand!

Not that there’s no downsides, though; there are. For one, it limits visibility a little. The window out the rear is now further away, so I have less of a movable view of my ass-end (you know how you can move your head around to see more in the rearview? Yeah well now I just see more of the inside of the shell). Not only that, but since the windows are all tinted, I have to look through 2 tinted windows out the back, which makes everything darker than I’d really like it.

It’s all manageable though, those downsides. It’s not so limiting of visibility, really, just a slight reduction from where it was previously. It’s about like any other SUV I guess. And now I don’t have to worry about doggy dampness or anything, nor them stepping on each other as I take turns pulling .95g’s or something and starting a bitch-fest on the road.

All in all, it’s pretty sweet. Now I just have to get the 4Runner cleaned & sold!