Help Replace or Rebuild Randy the Truck

Hello friends and family,

In the early morning of March 19th Randy, my 2000 Toyota Tacoma, was stolen from outside my apartment. One day he was there and the next day he was gone, and with him the memories, experiences, sights that we explored together, as well as my entire set up camper setup –winter clothes, camp stove, crockery, tapes and cds, books, field guides, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, hatchet, power bank, lighting, propane heater, countless love notes, maps, and other things I’m surely forgetting. I had all the essentials for life on the road.

Although still missing, it is time I start funding for his eventual repairs or for his replacement.

Randy was truly a hidden gem. I found him on Facebook marketplace in 2020 after searching for a good 6 months. I drove 7 hours to a small mountain town where an older gentleman who had garaged him most of his life was ready to let him go. He was 4-wheel drive with the optional locking rear differential for off-road adventures. I test drove plenty of trucks but the first time I sat in Randy I knew he was the one. I bought him with 230,000 miles on the clock and was hesitant to pull the trigger because of how many miles he had under his belt, but he had been well taken care of and I promised the old couple to keep him running until his little V6 heart gave up.

Of course I didn’t know Randy was Randy until I found the camper shell. An old aluminum-sided canopy that came from another kind person who wanted it to go to a good home. In faded lettering you could see the remnants, the history of the camper shell still present. “Randy’s Horseshoeing” how fitting, a Western-style name for this new truck. It fit snugly on the bed and would become my de-facto home on wheels for the entirety of 2021.

Randy and I spent a lot of time together driving up and down the West Coast. Whether it was the blazing heat and smoke of the California summers or the snowy, below freezing conditions of the PNW winters, Randy never failed to start first try. From Seattle to San Diego I started to trust him more, and found out he was a tough son-of-a-gun. He carried me and my belongings all over the place, kept me safe on the road, and provided shelter for me and Sophia.

We shared a lot of cherished memories, lots of hours alone listening to tapes and CD’s, lot’s of dirt back roads explored. I had just celebrated the 280,000 mile mark on the original engine and transmission, and was excited to cross the 300,000 mile mark in the coming years. The experiences I had in the truck were not stolen from me when the truck was taken, but it is time to make new memories with another vehicle.

As for a vehicle to replace the truck, I am looking to buy outright, as I do not wish to have a car payment. I am looking for another V6 Toyota or Honda, as they are reliable engines that I know I will be able to trust long term. Since my life as a seasonal forestry technician is very transient, the car I choose will need to be able to carry my belongings to wherever I end up.

The funds you contribute will go towards putting me back on the road in a safe and reliable vehicle that I intend to drive for the next 5-10 years. The spirit of Randy will still live on, and I intend to give the next vehicle a new set of memories to make.