We've went on several family road trips in my dad's trucks but the most notable thing is he has helped me out many times with hauling things prior to me owning a truck, and I'll always appreciate him for that!
I remember him letting me shift (manual Isuzu Pickup I think?) when we drove to the stores in like the early 2000's when I was maybe like 7 or 8 years old. I also remember the truck having a built-in telephone handset.
Several years ago, my dad turned his 2014 Toyota Tacoma into a meal on wheels with a custom truck bed kitchen. We built it in our garage—him building a slide-out frame, me cutting storage panels, passing tools as his “shop sidekick.” The mod had a pull-out grill, a foot-pump sink, and LEDs for night outings. On its first trip to Joshua Tree, we hit a rut, but dad laughed, hit 4WD, and taught me to drive through. That night, we grilled tacos under the stars. Back home, we’d tailgate by Belmont Shore, cooking burgers at sunset. That kitchen made our Tacoma epic, and building it with dad is a memory I’ll keep forever.
I’ve got my own Tacoma now and can’t wait to have similar adventures with my dad again and maybe one day my own kids.