so you want to build an overland

Take a bunch of small trips, thats what I've been doing in prep for my 21 day trip to Canada, make a list of shit you missed out on bring and just bring it to the next trip, rinse and repeat. I was shocked how much stuff I'm missing out on.. lol

 

Extra
-Clothes
-Jackets
-Socks
-Underwear
-TP
-Food/Water/gas(once i get cans..)

Everything else is up in the air lol

Get the essentials sorted out and then make the list work for your particular needs.

 

ill have to look up where to find dry ice around me. thats a great idea. now... the big question, will it make my beer explode or freeze!

holy moly! thats the most expensive cooler EVER! we get pretty wild temp swings down here... id love to venture up there eventually for some trips. ive got a few years worth of destinations in my area though.

thats the plan. a few years of small trips.. then after she is done with school ill quit my job and we can spend some time on the road enjoying life the way we see fit!

im good at lists. maybe too good. i can only assume that there will be a lot i deem unneccessary. i travel internationally for work.. and there is always something or a group of something i bring that i just dont need. its a problem. ive actually been entertaining the hitch seat thing... not sure how much i like shitting where i sleep, but its all intended to be contained in the truck, so driving a few miles further shouldnt be a problem.

 

im going to get a siphon, and six of these i linked below. two for gas and four for water.

http://www.buylci.com/ItemDisplayF....er-Can-Desert-Tan--5-gal--5-gal&ItemID=906396

MT girl: im almost sold on the Mt Shasta, just have to clear the expense with the boss the argument for having the ladder inside the enclosure to avoid getting in or out of bed wet was good enough for me over the bachelor. im still not sold on which bed mount though, i dont want the tent too far over the cab for aero purposes. i think i read somewhere you had yours made.. anyone have suggestions to a prefabbed one to not raise the tent more than half the height of the tent over the cab?

 

I freeze big squares of ice in the deep freeze, they seem to last longer than crushed ice.

 

as it so happens, im a stones throw from big bear california. id say im in bear country! maybe ill be convinced about the yeti if i go out with a group and see it in action. the older i get is the more i pinch pennies. pray for me! haha

ok the crap strap ad is HILARIOUS. but does it work? im all for silly but functional! not everywhere i go has trees though.. and there is no way the woman will ever "buddy" poop with me. i think thats on the list of things she would die before doing -which is a thankfully short list. shes just as excited about the great outdoors as i am. not so pumped about motorcycles or surfing though. baby steps

 

every overland rig has a bumper dumper hahaha http://www.bumperdumper.com/

 

just make sure the dry ice is completely covered by "normal" ice and it shouldn't make your beer explode! Anything in there that touches the dry ice is going to freeze solid rather than just stay cold.

 

The Baja suspension is pretty good. We get 9.5" of travel up front and 10" in the rear. Obviously it doesn't have as much lift as other kits, but it has a lot more travel than a standard tacoma. I have a 2012 Baja, Plate bumper, sliders, Full Skids, Winch and I am on 35s.

I took a trip out to Moab last year. I was on the stock suspension with the everything mentioned above besides the 35s. See Pics





Since that trip I did what Papa Taco said and I swapped in a stronger coil spring. The Baja comes with a 650 lbs. coils, but I put in a 700 lbs to help with all the weight. It brought me back up to stock height with all the extra weight.


Toytec Makes a Spring seat that adds preload to the baja shock and adds 1" of lift. I will be adding those in the next week, along with new UCA and rear leaf springs to support the High Clearance rear bumper (weighs 150+ pounds) I have coming. I will try to remember to post in here how it goes, but I will definitely post the results in my build.

Current Picture:

^ I did this. He is right about the added weight of armor.

With skids and winch alone I would suggest swapping the coil. It is an easy modification and will not stiffen it up enough to hurt the ride. A full set of skids weights over 100 lbs and my winch with synthetic line weighs over 60 lbs.



I know all about the Baja.


As for camping I have only gone with my truck once. Take some trips with people and read up. There is a lot of information out there. Take it all with a grain of salt. I will tell you from hunting trips I have been on. Things can go wrong pretty quick. Start with easy trips.

My first major trip was the Moab trip and I was around people, close to town (20 min), but still got to feel like I was in the middle of nowhere.



Some stuff I learned from that trip:
1) Don't eat all dehydrated meals. They are easy, tasty, warm, and don't go bad. The downside is you might stink up the whole camp site and they get boring.

2) Get a good cooler! I had to go get ice everyday in Moab with a crappy cooler. That won't be an option the further you get away from civilization.

3) Fridges are sweet for truck camping and wish I had one. They are pretty quiet.

4) Bring a chair, table and shade.

5) No matter what stay hydrated. I got dehydrated one day eating stuff like beef jerky (salty) and not drinking enough water. I found myself light headed and very nauseous. Luckily, I was just riding along that day so I wasn't driving. I drank water, but by the time you realize it you won't be thinking straight. A careless decision can escalate very quickly.


I hope this helps and good luck!

 

Welp..looks like that about covers it!! Cargo shorts, floppy hat, and don't die!

 

I actually keep a chuck box loaded and ready at all times. never know when a spur of the moment trip comes up. I'm a cheap SOB so I got a large container from walmart and keep:
several cans of soup, Lipton's instant sides
hot sauce, salt, pepper and seasoning
sm bottle dish soap, Brillo pads
bowls, cups (16oz), cheap silver wear, spatula, knife, roll of heavy duty foil, trash bags, 1 gallon freezer bags, paper towels, rags, pot, roll of newspaper, fire starter.
This is on top of my scheduled menu.

I've found those small green propane bottles fit perfect in a milk crate so that's all separate. my burner is a cheapo that screws onto the top of the bottle. Ill also bring a bag of charcoal and a chimney just in case ( this has actually saved my butt). If I was traveling with friends I would go with a big propane burner.

One thing I don't have and need to get is a large wash basin.

Again buckets. I love buckets lol. Also, go through your gear regularly as not to miss anything.

 

Check this out for a low profile bed rack.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/buy-sell-trade/308954-sos-offroad-concepts.html

He had a GB going but I think it ended today

 

It ends today @ midnight

 

So then its 12+ hrs to get in on this then

 

you sir have a gorgeous truck. ill probably be coming back to you for any baja related questions! did you really stuff 35's under there without anything but a bumper? i was entertaining the thought of bigger tires, but damn!

if i can fit 33's with minimal adjustment i will. as for the suspension, im not entirely sold on the hidden winch vs plate bumper.. but itll sort itself out eventually. it really depends on how adventurous i plan on being. ill make note of all of that though, thanks for the input!

i was dating a girl from germany a few years ago when i first moved to california... and she insisted on going camping in the canyons one june. well... long story short, she insisted on walking quite a distance but seriously underestimated the toll the heat takes, and by the time we made it back we had each gone through 4L of water and were dangerously dehydrated. i had actually considered leaving her in a shady spot to run ahead (im a serious long distance runner, i know my body pretty well) talking to a park ranger the next day... i actually learned a bit though. swollen hands and feet are a warning sign....

and sometimes its better on you than in you.

im really excited for this truck and all the trips the wife and i are going to take.