AS SEEN IN OUR Tread Sept/Oct 2026 ISSUE – Buy Now!

One Couple’s Contribution to the Off-Road Scene

This industry is full of wonderful folks who do their best to give back to the community, and Mason and April DeCosta Las Vegas, Nevada, are prime examples of such individuals. Mason is originally from Hawaii and relocated to Vegas in 2004. Together during the pandemic, the DeCostas created VTO (Vegas Toyota Offroad), a local community on social media. Their initial objective was to spearhead fundraisers for dog rescues during this time since all in-person events were shut down. We all still remember the Covid years, right? It was a difficult period to navigate, and people had to step up everywhere to ensure that everyday life could still carry on.

“After speaking with various shops regarding our ideas, BBO (Battle Born Offroad) sponsored generous prizes for our raffles,” Mason says. “The community also enjoyed the safe, fun, and educational trail runs we facilitated. BBO recognized the value in our activities and pursued teaming up with us even further and connected me directly to manufacturers.”

To this day, the DeCostas are still going strong. Mason and April have gained official nonprofit status with the state of Nevada and now have tremendous support from an astounding number of businesses that donate to VTO throughout the year. “The generous manufacturers who support our community include Rigid Industries, Yukon Gears & Axle, Icon Vehicle Dynamics, Baja Designs, Sherpa, Diode Dynamics, sPOD, RCI Fab, Dasaita, DuroBumps, EBC Brakes, R1 Brakes, TIS Wheels, Method Wheels, Raceline Wheels, and so many more,” Mason adds. “For our annual meet, we invite the local shops and a variety of out-of-town businesses to join us as vendors.”

What sparked all of this was Mason’s upbringing and his interest in off-road vehicles. “I was fortunate to learn from my dad, who was a premier master Porsche technician in Hawaii for 32 years,” he states. “He taught me the logistics of modifications and the benefits of each. When it came time to build my 2011 SR5 Premium 4Runner, I knew right away that I had to make it unique by building it my way.” Mason estimates that 90% of the build happened right in his home garage, with the help of his buddies, Luciano, Cesar, and Calvin. All remaining fab work was handled by Q’s Customs.

“To run bigger tires, I had to strengthen many components,” Mason admits. “To accomplish this, I have installed a JD Fab lower pivot tray, a 2nd-gen Tundra rack from BasikBiker, RC Fab heim steering tie rods, and Longfield Super Axles. I also installed a Dirt King 3.5+ long travel kit up front with a Freel Good Performance 3-link in the rear. As for suspension, I like the low-speed control for better handling, so I retained my Icon mid-travel and converted it to long-travel specs.” While all those suspension upgrades are downright impressive, it’s the EValve used on the shocks that is truly unique. “The benefit of the EValve is total control from my smartphone.”

With the chassis setup well taken care of, Mason then added a set of 17-inch TIS 563 wheels in satin bronze and 37-inch TIS TT1 tires for rugged looks and off-road capability, as well as EBC Orange Stuff braking components to bring his 4Runner to a prompt halt. The factory V6 has been expertly cared for, so it was simply outfitted with a Flowmaster Outlaw Series exhaust system and an Airaid snorkel and cold air intake. Mason is contemplating adding a Magnuson supercharger in the future, so we’ll be looking for updates there.

“Our friends Mike and Jas handled the wrap,” Mason adds. “It’s a throwback to 1st-gen 4Runner style. The wrap features a satin black top with a blue bottom, which kind of resembles our small business logo for Shocks MD, our full shock rebuild center in Las Vegas.” From there, Mason got busy adding a mesh grille, AlphaRex headlights and tails, a Demello Offroad front bumper, and eight Rigid Industries lights wired along the roof, bumper, and hood. A rear swing-out from Restless Fab allows the ability to carry a 37-inch spare tire, which is always handy on the trail. The Sherpa roof rack provides convenient cargo hauling when heading out of town.

Since its completion, this 4Runner, which now goes by the name Atlas, has been an exciting vehicle to romp around in. But whenever Mason thinks back to what all went into getting it to this point, all he can think of is offering a piece of advice to others. “Once you go custom, nothing is a simple install anymore. Just remember that custom builds with custom problems require custom solutions.” Why those words haven’t been offered in a fortune cookie yet is beyond us!

Mason’s 4Runner is top-tier, and what he and his wife have accomplished in the off-road community in and around Vegas is truly an inspiration for those looking to become more involved. While some only consider custom trucks to be a hobby, others embrace truck building as a lifestyle. While there’s no rule regulating how in-depth anyone needs to be in the scene, it’s refreshing to see people take the initiative in creating a better space for everyone involved.