FlyAngler's Trailhunter | 35" KO3s, ARB Zenith Bumper, Lighting, etc.

[FlyAngler]

I use my 2024 Trailhunter as a daily driver, but since I work from home that generally means running around town. I also use it for traveling and recreating. I like to fly fish (surprise!) and my goal has been/is to outfit the truck for excursions to remote locations that get a lot less fishing pressure and perhaps harbor some monster fish (along with some tranquility, of course). I bought my Trailhunter in October 2024. I mostly have the mods professionally done.

Color: Underground

Bed: Long

Tires: ~35" BFG KO3 LT285/75R18 (pads and flaps removed)

Lift: Westcott Designs Preload Collar (Front); Airlift 5000 (Rear)

Lighting: Rigid SR-L Reverse Lights, NACHO Quatro Spot 4in. x2, NACHO Quatro Flood 4in. x2

Bed Cover/Rack: BAK Revolver X4TS w/ Elevate Rack w/ side bars

ARB Zenith Winch Bumper (front) w/ Warn VR EVO 10-S

Other:
River Quiver 4-Banger (fly rod vault)
Flycraft Stealth 2.0 raft w/ 4x Riversmith Swiftcast rod holders
Airstream Basecamp 20X

As of early August 2025, I'm currently looking into suspension changes because it just doesn't drive the same with that heavy bumper and winch I added last week. Just when I thought I just about finished! I've reached out to Dobinsons as well as my local 4x4 shop for advice.

Update 9/3/2025
I had the Dobinson 822 coils installed on the front on Aug 25. Also had the needle bearing replaced with an ECGS bearing since the front end was apart for the coil replacement (saved on labor costs). I had to keep my Westcott preload collar lift to end up approximately level (prior to the usual expected settling of about 0.25 - 0.5" in the first thousand miles or so). I've added a picture below of how it sat after installation. Also added a pic of the OEM and Dobinson coils side by side. The Dobinson 822 coil is about an inch shorter than the OEM. I do think my front end now sits a tiny bit lower than previously because I am now getting occasional rubbing that I didn't get with the OEM springs and Westcott collar. Not concerned at this time. I've hit that 1,000 mile mark with the new springs and will see how it goes. New pics are at the bottom. The new springs definitely solved the loss of stability issue I noticed after adding the bumper and winch.

Shout out to Lewis Off Road in Derry, NH who installed the front bumper, winch, and NACHO Quatro lights for me. I highly recommend them. Blake took good care of the truck, answered all my questions, and kept me updated with pictures throughout the process. He does good work and stands behind it. He also took care of the new front coils and needle bearing.

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[Vidman]

Keep us posted. Will be interesting to see what you end up installing for suspension I’m looking to swap out my suspension but not sure what direction to go.. truck looks great

 

[tgrneal]

I want this bumper! I just wish it had headlight hoops.

 

[Airborne]

Looks awesome, i also remote fly fish, im in catskills somtimes very remote old logging trails, honestly my biggest concern is “ Catskill pinstripes, “. Ugh i hate scratches……..but im in woods alot fishing remote pocket waters on esopus and Beaverkill near roscoe….i also tie my own flies, im currently working on fall boxes, i love fly fishing in fall and winter, do you tie your own ? Its an addiction lol….we need a fly/ tying fishing forum lol
David

 

[FlyAngler]

Thanks, guys. I'll keep updating as things progress with the suspension and such.

Yes, I started tying my own flies just a year and a half ago. I can't imagine starting out without YouTube. Made it easy to advance quickly through many techniques, though of course mastering them will take more practice. Fortunately, the fish usually don't care!

Yeah, I'm struggling with accepting scratches. I think I'll do what I can, but accept it's just gonna happen. Or at least I'll try!

-David

 

[bemmster]

Love that bumper, following to see the progress and what you end up doing with suspension. I will say I have dobsinsons springs on my trailhunter, 820 in the front and 819 in the rear. Truck feels so much better with them. If you go that route i would DEF get the 822 up front, the 820 springs barely gave me any lift at all but they do ride much better.

 

[SauteArabia]

Yeah this is sick. Very jealous. Keep us posted

 

[Trailhunter Mark]

I use my 2024 Trailhunter as a daily driver, but since I work from home that generally means running around town. I also use it for traveling and recreating. I like to fly fish (surprise!) and my goal has been/is to outfit the truck for excursions to remote locations that get a lot less fishing pressure and perhaps harbor some monster fish (along with some tranquility, of course). I bought my Trailhunter in October 2024. I mostly have the mods professionally done.

Color: Underground

Bed: Long

Tires: ~35" BFG KO3 LT285/75R18 (pads and flaps removed)

Lift: Westcott Designs Preload Collar (Front); Airlift 5000 (Rear)

Lighting: Rigid SR-L Reverse Lights, NACHO Quatro Spot 4in. x2, NACHO Quatro Flood 4in. x2

Bed Cover/Rack: BAK Revolver X4TS w/ Elevate Rack

ARB Zenith Winch Bumper (front) w/ Warn VR EVO 10-S

Other:
River Quiver 4-Banger (fly rod vault)
Flycraft Stealth 2.0 raft w/ 4x Riversmith Swiftcast rod holders
Airstream Basecamp 20X

As of early August 2025, I'm currently looking into suspension changes because it just doesn't drive the same with that heavy bumper and winch I added last week. Just when I thought I just about finished! I've reached out to Dobinsons as well as my local 4x4 shop for advice.

Shout out to Lewis Off Road in Derry, NH who installed the front bumper, winch, and NACHO Quatro lights for me. I highly recommend them. Blake took good care of the truck, answered all my questions, and kept me updated with pictures throughout the process. He does good work and stands behind it.

Did you install the bumper yourself? If not, who installed it & what did they charge? They did a fantastic job! Do you know if they used the fender cut out that came with the instructions or did they adjust the cuts afterwards. They is definitely the next purchase for my 2024 Trailhunter.

 

[FlyAngler]

Did you install the bumper yourself? If not, who installed it & what did they charge? They did a fantastic job! Do you know if they used the fender cut out that came with the instructions or did they adjust the cuts afterwards. They is definitely the next purchase for my 2024 Trailhunter.

Same info as in my post in the Pro thread about this that you "liked" recently. LOL Hard to keep track of who is who on here, I know! In short, the installer is linked in my original post above near the bottom (Lewis Off Road). He cut less than what the template called for.

There's a Question and Response on the ARB site page for this bumper that mentions the Trailhunter is a bit different re: the cuts. Here's a snippet linked to the page where I found it in the Q&A section:


Here's the installation invoice so I've got it all in one place, though it is in that other thread too since someone asked for it there.

I purchased the bumper, lights, winch and relocation kit from forum sponsor @MERAKIAUTOWORKS. Definitely DM Josh for a quote before pulling the trigger on a purchase. He was able to give me the best price I could find. Not by a huge amount, but totally worth it. I'll be going back for a quote on the Dobinsons coils that I expect to add now due to the additional weight. It just doesn't drive the same and doesn't feel as safe at highway speeds. Gotta get it back closer to original handling by adjusting the suspension.

I expect there is a learning curve installing this bumper, so using a shop that has done at least one before should help. This shop had done several ARB bumpers, but not this particular model since it is quite new. It was different enough to make it more challenging that expected for this first install by them. I bet it will go significantly quicker the next time they do one of these.

 

[PR_21]

@FlyAngler

Thanks for posting the total cost of the labor. Most people post showing off thier new stuff and when then someone asks for the cost they go silent.

Thanks again and have a great day homie.

 

[Bcphoto3]

Love that bumper, following to see the progress and what you end up doing with suspension. I will say I have dobsinsons springs on my trailhunter, 820 in the front and 819 in the rear. Truck feels so much better with them. If you go that route i would DEF get the 822 up front, the 820 springs barely gave me any lift at all but they do ride much better.

I have the 822 for front and the 821 for back ordered. Also have a CBI Covert Bumper with Warn 10 up front and AluCab Contour Canopy on back pulling a Teton X Hybrid camper (3500#). Definitely droops when trailer attached..
Will post something after I get springs in and test with trailer..

 

[FlyAngler]

Following up regarding suspension changes to accommodate the front bumper. I contacted Dobinsons and ARB. See below, along with my thoughts to date.

Dobinsons (by email)

Your 2024 Tacoma Trailhunter is equipped with OME suspension from the factory and your truck comes with a 2" lift in front and 1.5" in the rear. If you select a coil spring from our catalog you will need to subtract those measurements from what we have advertised in lift height but our spring rate will be different than OME (for example C59-822 holds a bumper and winch with no issues 110-220lbs).
The OME front struts that your Tacoma has are not adjustable in preload so you can not compensate the strut seat with preload and gain some extra lift. Also our coil springs have a different ID & OD (inside and outside diameter) than you currently have and the Dobinsons springs are not compatible with OME strut shock in the front. You can switch to Dobinsons MRA59-A490 strut (currently in backorder) and is 3 way adjustable + C59-822 front coil spring + Strut top hats (whole strut assembly)
For the rear suspension you can reuse your OME shocks and switch to a Dobinsons spring since the OD & ID are the same but keep in mind that you need to subtract your current lift height from our advertised lift. C59-821V sounds about right for what you need.

ARB Old Man Emu (by phone, so these are my notes)

It sounds like their Old Man Emu BP-51 adjustable bypass coilovers would work well on the front. If I want just the front, it would be part # 1214K. They said that the existing Trailhunter control arms would work fine with these. Since the Trailhunter comes from the factory with 2" of lift on the front (and 1.5" on the back), I think I would end up 0.5 inch lower than I am now with the 1.5 inch Westcott preload collar (assuming the collar is removed). I'm not sure this would matter much(?). I know those 35's are pretty tight though.

Both look like good options. The Dobinsons look like the cheaper option while still very good quality and adjustable, so I'm leaning that direction but still factfinding and mulling it all over. I don't think I'll do anything in the back right now because I have the AirLift, but if I end up adding a Decked system or something I may need to reconsider.

I could swear some of you already confirmed that the Dobinsons coils fit our Trailhunter(?).

Thoughts/advice welcome. Thanks in advance. I'm also waiting on my shop to get back to me with recommendations after sending them this info just this morning.

 

[FlyAngler]

I almost forgot. I was curious about safety with the ARB Zenith front bumper. I think it has undergone more rigorous safety testing than most others, but I could be wrong. I did submit a question to ARB that was just answered re: crash testing. Wanted to share that here just FYI.

 

[bemmster]

I think Dobinson is giving very inconsistent answers depending on who you talk to. I can def confirm that their springs work on the OME suspension both front and rear. I have the 820 in the front and 819 in the rear on my TH and it drives great. The shop I had them installed by even confirmed the diameters were fine and they installed them without any issues at all, they said it was a perfect fit. Already had the TH on a trail with them and it was great. Several other Trailhunters on the forum also have them.

The amount of lift they are telling people with Trailhunters is not accurate. When I emailed them back and forth they recommended the 819 in the rear and told me I would need an additional .5" spacer to get a 1.25" lift in the rear and then they recommended the 820 in the front to match the rear. They told you they don't fit at all in the front.

The rear 819 spring ended up lifting the rear of the TH 1.5-2" with around 300lbs in the bed, that's what I currently have with my Leitner rack and the gear pods. Luckily I never got the spacer. Even loaded up with around another 150lbs of fishing gear I'm not noticing it sagging at all. I would guess you need about 600-700lbs in the bed to start to get them to sag. So the "subtract 2" from our measurements" thing they are saying is NOT accurate at all.

The 820 up front barely gave me any lift to the front at all, maybe .5" at most. In retrospect, I would go with the 822 instead. But - the rear hasn't had time to settle yet so we'll see.

I would Def suggest you do the 822 up front with that bumper and winch if you go the Dobinson route. With the trailer you have, I agree with their recommendation of the 821 in the rear. Without the trailer though, you will probably have a little rake with the bumper in the front on the 822 spring. I like just a little bit of rake though.

They are great springs, truck rides great - def improvement over stock with them.

 

[FlyAngler]

Thanks, @bemmster
Super helpful!
I'll take real world experience over luck of the draw tech support any day!
Much appreciated.
This should save me a bunch of cash.

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