Tacoma Audio Systems: Adding a Soundtrack to Your Overlanding Adventure

Improving the factory sound system is easily done by upgrading the speakers. Aftermarket speakers will improve sound quality. Before you head to the stereo shop or the internet and start shopping for new speakers for your Tacoma you will need to know the sizes that will fit in your truck. For the best results, you will want to replace the speakers in your Tacoma from front to rear.

Below you will find the factory speaker locations in second and third-generation Toyota Tacomas and their corresponding sizes.

2008-2015

• Front: 6”x9”
• Front Door: 6”x9”
• Rear Door: 6.5”
• Rear: 6.75"

2016-Current

• Corner Dash: Tweeters
• Front Door: 6”x9”
• Rear Door: 6.75”

What makes the difference between the sound quality in aftermarket speakers and stock speakers is the level of quality put into them. Car manufacturers use speakers that are designed to hit the minimum standards.

They aren’t designed to last nor are they designed all that well. Aftermarket speaker companies specialize in designing speakers. A higher-quality design will be used with aftermarket speakers and this is just one contributor.

The materials used are also just as important as the design. Car manufacturers specialize in manufacturing cars and the materials used for other components and accessories tend to be sub-par.

Aftermarket companies will use higher quality materials which also contribute to their superior level of performance. The materials used also make aftermarket speakers much more durable.

Speakers capable of producing loud sounds will need the help of an amplifier to do so. These units take a low input signal and amplify it. These units will really help when you are looking for the best possible sound quality and high sound. It’s important to note most amplifiers for this purpose are designed to work with a total of two speakers.

So if you were looking to power 4 speakers you would need two amplifiers, six speakers would need three amplifiers and so forth. Though there are four-way amplifiers which will power a total of four speakers. These are the best choice as they can power the speakers in the front and rear doors.

How to Pick an Amplifier: In order to pick the right amplifier you need to look at the speakers you are looking to install. The manufacturer’s specs will tell you the acceptable wattage range the speakers can operate with. Sending the higher amount of amps acceptable to the speakers will give you the loudest and clearest results possible with those speakers.

Installing additional speakers will help improve the sound systems sound quality. It’s important to note that these additional units will require cutting or fabricating areas for the speakers to mount to.

This is not a job for beginners to take on lightly as it can be quite expensive and complicated.

Subwoofers: When you get into the world of sound system upgrades for your Toyota Tacoma you are bound to come across subwoofers. These units are meant to increase the sound quality of bass frequencies.

The installation of these units is totally up to personal preference. They can take up a considerable amount of space in the interior and will also have a quite complicated installation process.

Upgraded sound systems draw a lot of power and this can cause strain on your factory charging system. Your overlanding set up will also likely have recovery equipment, such as a winch, and auxiliary lighting drawing power from the battery.

All of these components hooked up together can cause major problems and may require you make some upgrades to keep you from killing your battery.

Alternator: The factory alternator is only meant to keep up with the draw of so many amps. Aftermarket sound systems and other auxiliary upgrades can draw enough amps to keep the alternator from being able to properly charge the battery.

Aftermarket alternators can be purchased that will charge at higher rates. This is an easy upgrade to make and can be the difference between an enjoyable adventure and a nightmare in the woods.

Battery: A very common upgrade for overlander vehicles or off-road trucks equipped with a ton of electrical upgrades is to add a dual battery set up. These units mount a secondary battery away from the engine bay and can be used for two purposes.

They can be used as a secondary source of power to run equipment or as a backup to keep the primary battery alive in a sticky situation.