Driving a Tacoma around the world

Hi people, this is my first thread so please bear with me. My wife and I are retiring next year (haven’t told our bosses yet!) and will be driving our newly purchased 2019 bright white Tacoma 4*4 AC LB MT sport around the world and need your thoughts/advice about how to modify it for us to make it! I’m thinking it will take us 3 to 5 years or so. I’m thinking our route will be about 120,000 miles made up of 25% decent pavement, 10% pavement with huge potholes, 40% washboardy graveled roads, 25% deep sandy/very muddy tracks. I am resigned to realizing that the truck will be over it’s GVWR, possibly with the payload of 1,800 pounds, fully loaded. But since we will be retired, driving will be done at moderate speed. I’d like to be able to drive over washboardy/corrugated roads with comfort. We chose a Tacoma due to it having a very similar width to the Hilux and will fit down the same tracks. We purchased a new one because of the lack of parts outside North America.

Here’s our thoughts thanks to reading tons of TW and Expedition Portal threads:

Update: This is what we have decided on thanks to everyone’s input!!

If you’d like to read more about us, our truck or our trip, our website is: www.roguewanderers.com
We’re also on Instagram at 2roguewanderers

Truck Mods:
Pop-up flatbed Fleet camper from Four Wheel Camper
Norweld Basic Lite aluminum flatbed with 4 underbody boxes
Front and rear ARB air lockers & regeared with Nitro 5.29s
OME BP-51 shocks with custom Deaver rear springs
Total Chaos upper control arms with zerk fittings
ARB Safari Snorkel
ARB twin air compressor with a Slee mounting bracket
ARB remote air chuck accessible through the front grill
ARB diffs & tranny breathers
Front skid plate - CBI aluminum
Winch – Warn Zeon 10s
Tires – 275-70-17 load range E, BFG KO2
CBI aluminum T3 front bumper, powder-coated white
Baja Designs S8 20” light bar behind the bumper
33 gallon LRA replacement fuel tank, plus adding 8 more gallons in the rear of the camper in 2 Rotopax - for a hoped-for 600 mile range
Garmin Overlander RAM mounted on the dash with a Garmin Inreach Explorer handheld satellite communication
Scheel-Mann Vario F seats
Using a Switch Pro 9100 with a SDHQ Dash Mount running the compressor, lockers, 20" light bar, and Baja Designs S2 flood lights


Camper & Flatbed Mods:
Removed headache rack from the front of flatbed to save weight
Added four BD S2 sports for side lighting around the outside the camper - think wildlife roaming around outside at night (see photo in post #933)
Replaced OEM lead-acid camper battery with Battleborn 100 amp-hour lithium battery
Added two Overland Solar 160 watt semi-flexible (only 5 lbs each!) solar panels on the camper (see photo in post #779)
Added plexiglass wind deflector under the front overhang of the camper to improve airflow (see photo in post #876)
Added folding aluminum camp table in custom bracket under the camper front next to the wind deflector (see photo in post #876)

I welcome all ideas. Thanks!

 

Shit sounds awesome please stick around and post pics

 

I've been going back and forth on the build out of my truck and I'm going as light as possible while still having what I need. Its real easy to load these trucks up with weight and then pretty soon your fuel economy is gone and you start having issues due to weight.

You can plan on not driving at night, but odds are there's going to be some unexpected night driving. I'm running a 30" rigid SR in the bumper and 2 rigid dually SS ditch lights. It makes a huge difference and puts out an incredible amount of light. You'll be thankful you have them when the time comes, trust me.

With the build you are looking at, I'd pull the stock tank and replace it with a 34 gallon long range automotive tank and keep two jerry cans. That'll give you 44 gallons of fuel.

12v fridge / freezer is a necessity

 

Have you considered a dual battery system?


Also, I’m jealous. Please start a trip report thread!

 

Welcome to TW.
No matter what you do, do not mod any electrical. That is the biggest mod problem. Leave it OEM. Your vehicle in it's stock configuration is at it's most reliable and durable. Put some E tires on it and drive around the world.
Good luck and have fun

BTW, how many miles do you have on it off road?
You would be surprised how good it is in stock form.
Lastly, get off this forum and go to expedition portal. Those guys are much more knowledgable about your needs than we are. Those guys do this stuff.

 

Good thoughts about more lights. Driving at night sucks in the 3rd world, damn near hit a cow on my one night of night driving in Botswana this fall.

Batteries - the camper will have 2 deep cycle batteries, not counting the trucks OEM.

Does your warning about not modifying the electrical include not installing two batteries?

I have not taken my new truck out off road. I did have a slightly modified Hilux in Botswana that got stuck three times in deep sand. Ive been a professional forester for 35 years I’ve driven in lots of condtions. Being in a national park there, I realized I was not top of the food chain anymore, getting out of your rig can be scary. I realize that having two locker differentials is important.

Yes, I have checked out expedition portal. Was hoping though TW is the place to get advice for modifying the truck itself.

If I can figure out how I will set up a build site. We will also have a blog site at some point

 

Check out @Hodakaguy and his father's build page. His rig sounds about right for the conditions you have planned.

 

Also, based on the added weight, an 8000 lb winch may be too small.

 

Adding electrical is fine but you want to make sure you can easily isolate it. For example I have everything into a switch pro and I can disconnect that and all my accessories are disconnected in the event gremlins pop up. When you goto multi batteries you want to have some way to easily isolate the systems.

 

Agreed. You probably want at least a 10s

 

I'd sell it and find a Nissan Frontier. I'd be worried about parts support if you're going to travel the world

 

Two tanks is a good idea in a remote area in case you puncture one tank, or get a slug of water or contaminated fuel in one tank.

 

that sounds like a lifetime adventure! I wouldn't do it in a tacoma. I would do it in a diesel fueled rig. diesel is easier to find than gasoline in remote areas.

 

In theory I’m a huge fan of the dual battery set up (with an isolator) ... @hiPSI why do you suggest not messing with the electrically on a 3rd gen?

 

I think the idea is a good one. I would keep the truck as simple and lightweight as possible, and keep it somewhat low key with some generic parts that could be substituted for locally available equivalents if they break. For example, don’t change your rear shock mounts so they only work with a proprietary shock.

Myself, for this kind of trip, I would not go with 33”s (285s). I think the smoother ride, greater torque, and higher efficiency of a 31” Tire would pay dividends beyond the additional 1” ground clearance offered by a 33”.

I would see if a local Toyota Dealer would sponsor your travels and offer parts support.

 

Basically 90% of all untrained people and 75% of “trained” people do crappy electrical mods and have no idea what they are doing. They construct systems that work in the short-term, but are not properly installed to prevent chafing, overloads, ensure waterproofness, and achieve other reliability factors like the OEM Toyota electrical systems are.

As an electrician, I can tell you that your neighbor talks a good talk, but has no idea what he’s doing.

Funny story:
I took my Work truck in to have an aluminum canopy fitted that had interior lighting. I took it to a national chain, that guaranteed a top-quality install. Two days later the lights went out because their “professional automotive technician” had strapped the canopy lighting circuit wiring to the exhaust manifold heat shield and it finally burned through. I digress......

 

Simply, people suck at them. Dual battery mod is a great mod... if done correctly. Correctly does not mean a Saturday and a six pack in the driveway. It means an EE and tech drawing up a competent design and bill of material, with a tech (EE tech, not automotive) supervising the install.
Now, can the accountant in the driveway drinking beer on a Saturday install a dual battery setup? Sure. Would I trust my life with it? Nope.
Electrical mods are the mods that statistically fail the most and most likely to leave you stranded.

 

I hope I can do this type of trip one day.
But I wouldnt do it in my tacoma. Parts being the main reason, Then hi high techness of the truck being a second. Bad gas with a DI system, Electronic 4x4 actuators etc etc.... Also it might stick out like sore thumb someplace else.

I would probably do this in something like a weathered looking but mechanicallyq sound landcruiser 80. Pretty sure those can be fixed with a hammer and a screedriver and parts for those sold all over the world. Just me opinion.

Good luck regardless! Really eager to see how a taco would fare this type of expedition! They are probabaly tougher than many people think.

 

Interesting thread.

I won't comment about modding a Tacoma, but some off the cuff comments.

Sounds like you have international experience, so wondering why not get a vehicle with a more "international pedigree"?

An all enclosed vehicle will be more secure- a pickup truck leaves your possessions more exposed.

Diesel fuel is probably easier to get everywhere except North America.

Having to drive from point A to point B might take you through places you would rather not be- there are places in the world where it is better to blend in, driving a vehicle only sold in North America will make that difficult.

Good luck though, sounds like a real adventure!

Edit: looks like @Burro09 beat me to it

 

During and when the journey is finished play Space Oddity.