Ask anyone who’s ever attended, covered or exhibited at the SEMA Show, and they’ll tell you it’s an amazing week of all things automotive, and then in their next breath they’ll likely tell you just how long the week is and that it can really wear you out.

For journalists, every day of the week is spent traversing the massive show hall floors of the Las Vegas Convention Center, attending new product press conferences and scoping out the latest off-road hardware. Every night, an OEM, off-road parts manufacturer or distributor hosts a dinner, a happy hour or some other form of party at a major Vegas club, so it’s not uncommon to grab a few drinks and catch up with that friend you haven’t seen in a few years. Once the end of SEMA week hits, it’s safe to say most need a few days to recover.

For this year’s SEMA Show, Toyota wanted to put a different spin on the event. With its new TRD Pro vehicles currently hitting dealerships, and the team gearing up to tackle the SCORE Baja 1000 this week in its Tundra TRD Pro, the Toyota team wanted to find a new way to SEMA that wasn’t just the typical route along Interstate 15, 93 or 95, or a flight into MacCarran International Airport. The plan was to instead to travel to SEMA in TRD Pro vehicles, using almost strictly off-road routes. Toyota called the event Vegas: The Hard Way. Making SEMA a challenge before even getting to Vegas is a certainly a unique concept, but getting the chance to run TRD Pro vehicles through the dirt was a chance we couldn’t pass up, and we promptly accepted the invite.

We’ve had the chance to drive the TRD Pro models a few times prior to this trip, as we actually tested them outside of Las Vegas earlier in the year when the vehicles were first shown to the media, and again during Baja 1000 testing. For those unfamiliar with the TRD Pro concept, for 2015 Toyota decided to take its TRD off-road package to the next level by offering a TRD Pro version of its Tacoma, 4Runner and Tundra. There’s more that separates these vehicles from the pack than just new paint and wheels that look the part. The TRD Pro models are designed to be the most capable off-roaders Toyota has offered, and each vehicle offers a blend of upgraded suspension and ground clearance paired with more aggressive tires, additional under-body protection, exhaust upgrades and unique paint, badging and interior cues to make the vehicles a true upgrade from the standard TRD package. Even though we’ve already logged some off-road time in these vehicles, we couldn’t wait to get them dirty again.

The Adventure Begins
The handful of journalists who accepted Toyota’s challenge all met up in Palm Springs, California, the night before our departure. We had dinner and chatted about the next day’s adventure. Ryan Millen, one of the drivers of the TRD Pro Tundra that will tackle the Stock Full class for the Baja 1000, was our guide for the trip, and he scouted out a path that would take us through the Mojave National Preserve. Our original plan was to get on the dirt just outside of Palm Springs, but Millen was forced to adjust our route after some roads were badly damaged from rain in the prior few weeks.

The next morning, we started very early – like 4 a.m. early. We grabbed a quick breakfast, loaded up our vehicles, and after a short walk around each rig we hopped on the road. After covering a few hours of highway travel to get to our entry into the Mojave National Preserve, we refueled one last time and then hit the dirt. We spent much of the day driving with our friend and fellow cohort Colum Wood, Editor in Chief of sister site AutoGuide.com.

We started the day behind the wheel of a TRD Pro Tacoma, which boasts TRD-tuned Eibach springs and Bilstein shock absorbers, a 1.75-inch lift in the front and TRD mandrel-bent cat-back exhaust, among other upgrades. After traversing some weatherworn roads we arrived at our first off-road oasis – a dry lakebed. Once the dust cleared from the driver in front of us, we hit the gas and powered through the smooth lakebed, never letting off until we made it to the other side, our truck soaking up the small bumps while grabbing hold of the soft dirt as we zigzagged through the section. Although we had been awake for many hours at this point, it was clear this section did far more for to wake up Colum and I compared to the two cups of coffee we had prior.

As the day wore on, the desert terrain of the Mojave Preserve gave us a good test of the Tacoma. It was immediately apparent the added clearance and tuned suspension are true highlights of TRD Pro package. Although a 4x4-equipped Tacoma would still tackle the same trails just fine, the TRD Pro’s Eibach springs and Bilstein shocks give the truck a smoother feel over rough, teeth-rattling roads, which in turn, translates into added confidence for the driver.

The Remote Way
After an early lunch break and a few photo stops, we swapped vehicles and continued our adventure. This time, we hopped behind the wheel of Toyota’s full-sized rig, the TRD Pro Tundra. It was at this point that we realized, other than our group, we were quite alone in the desert. Although there were train tracks, plenty of worn-in trails, and at one point a group of guys working on the railroad, we were pretty much in the middle of nowhere. No gas stations. No bathrooms. No watering holes. Nada. This is when vehicle confidence and preparedness truly come into play.

After spending the morning in the mid-sized Tacoma, the half-ton Tundra was the perfect vehicle to swap into. While it’s larger and more powerful than the Tacoma, it’s also bulkier and less agile, which requires a serious driving adjustment when switching from the Tacoma. At the heart of the Tundra is Toyota’s powerful 5.7-liter V8, which gets some additional growl thanks to a TRD dual exhaust. Much like the Tacoma, the Tundra features TRD-tuned springs and Bilstein shocks. The remote-reservoir Bilstein coilovers up front provide the Tundra with an additional 2 inches of clearance, while upgraded Bilstein remote-reservoir shocks out back aid its off-road prowess. Unique five-spoke black alloy TRD wheels fitted with 32-inch Michelin LTX AT2 tires complement the package, although it is worth noting that our Tundra was equipped with more aggressive BFGoodrich T/A KO tires for this trip.

There are dozens upon dozens of trails through the Mojave Preserve, and Millen took us on a route he recently traveled in the area, albeit with a few modifications due to weather erosion. This middle section of the day consisted of a lot of soft sand and plenty of whooped-out roads – fun stuff if you’re comfortable in sand.

Toyota racing legend Ivan “Ironman” Stewart was also with us for the trip, and we’ve had the chance to spend some time with him in recent weeks during his testing sessions with the Tundra TRD Pro Baja 1000 racetruck. Stewart has logged countless miles through the dirt, and his words just drip of off-road driving wisdom every time he speaks. One piece of advice he offered during testing in Barstow a few weeks prior was to find the sweet spot for the truck where you’re traveling at a safe enough speed that you’re just barely touching the brakes when a large bump arises. This not only saves the truck from unnecessary abuse, but it also helps you find that zone where you are making time but not traveling too fast to the point that you’re constantly stabbing at the brakes and diving the nose. One whooped-out section of the course in particular allowed us to truly put that concept to the test, and we quickly found the sweet spot, traveling at just the right speed to let the TRD Pro’s suspension do all the work.

Like the Tacoma, a standard Tundra 4x4 would be able to travel the same route, but it would have to do so at a much slower pace (unless you truly wanted to punish the truck and spend a good amount on repairs after the trip). The added clearance and performance of the Bilstein shocks and Eibach springs give the TRD Pro Tundra tremendous off-road savvy. This is the type of environment for which the truck was designed.

Although we were in soft and sandy terrain, we also thought the heavier Tundra might bog down in the sand, but that was certainly not the case. If anything, the Tundra was even more playful, as it has plenty of power to get on top of the sand, while the BFGoodrich T/A KO tires provide added grip to keep the Tundra tracking right where you point it.

After what we thought was our final stop, we ventured up into the mountains to make our way out of the preserve. We traveled up through the middle of a mountain range in a large wash that was maybe once a road but now looked like a washed-out rock yard. We were fortunate to have another one of the four drivers of the Tundra TRD Pro Baja 1000 race team in the car with us, TRD engineering team manager Ted Moncure. The plan was to hop in a 4Runner for the final leg, but those seats wee taken, so Ted and I snagged another Tacoma for the final leg of the journey. Moncure, an experienced off-road racer himself, has seen plenty of time in the dirt, and he was the perfect person to chat with about the TRD Pro models since he worked first hand on the trucks. We both agreed it had been a great day so far, and we looked forward to grabbing dinner once we made Vegas. I marveled at the day’s trip and the fact that we’d seen no flat tires or accidents in spite of some of the journalists being novices in the dirt. I had to say it, didn’t I…

As we passed some particularly ugly-looking, jagged rocks, I turned to Ted and said, “You know, it’s pretty surprising we haven’t seen any flat tires in this stuff – there are some really nasty rocks.” Ted agreed, saying how much the area reminded him of the many washes in Baja he sees while racing. It was only about a minute later we found ourselves slowing to a stop behind the 4Runner driven by my buddy Colum. As we stopped we could see both he and passenger exit the vehicle and look at the right rear tire. I looked at Ted and said, “That’s my fault – I jinxed them.” Sure enough, Colum found one of those ugly rocks with his right rear tire, as he was unable to swerve the 4Runner away from the rock in time and smacked it square on the tire’s sidewall and wheel. By the time we were out and looking at the tire with them, air was hissing out and we knew it was done. We grabbed the spare tire kit, dropped the full-sized spare out the back (Note: TRD Pros comes with full-sized spares!), and Colum did the work pulling the lugnuts off after Ted hoisted up the 4Runner with the jack. Our only trouble came when the jack slipped slightly while putting on the new tire, which damaged a few of the lugs. We had to limp the 4Runner back with only four of the six lugnuts properly secured. The Ironman decided to hop behind the wheel to make sure we got back safely.

Eventually we made it a road running through the Mojave National Preserve, hit the highway and made our way to the Northwestern section of the preserve to Baker, California. We jumped on the 15 and made the final hour’s worth of driving to Vegas on the pavement. Since we were forced to adapt the trip due to weather erosion, we didn’t stay on dirt the entire way to Vegas, but we did spend a full day getting dirty and certainly came away with honest impressions of the TRD Pros. The great thing about each package is the added capability offered over the standard vehicle. Sure, each of these are specialty trucks outfitted with TRD and TRD-tuned upgrades, but what’s most important is they are available that way right off the showroom floor – assuming one can find them! But even if you can’t, don’t worry about trading in your standard model right away. All of the parts on the TRD Pros are available in the TRD catalog, so you can upgrade your current rig if you so desire.

We had a great trip with Toyota, and we certainly made our trip to Vegas for SEMA “The Hard Way.” We punished the vehicles on our adventure, and our one flat tire just proves we weren’t taking it easy – in all honesty, it could have happened at any point during the day. Most of all, we were glad to finally make Vegas so we could get some rest. That might sound odd to be looking for rest in Vegas but that’s exactly what was needed once we got to there – I guess that’s what happens when you travel the road less traveled. There are certainly easier ways to get to Vegas, but we can’t imagine any that are this much fun, even if we started out the long week of SEMA a little more tired.

For more information on the 2015 lineup of TRD Pros, be sure to check out Toyota.com/TRDpro.