Looking for Common Problems (Long Expedition)

Hi all -

I have been a long time lurker and have learned tons from you all - thank you. I'm here looking for your expertise, again.

In February, I will be starting a relatively long drive/expedition from Seattle to a town called Tuktoyaktuk, NWT (the arctic ocean). Many of the roads on the way up are relatively isolated - I'm looking to identify what my most "common" problems might be and what spare parts I can carry in the case an issue arises (beyond the generic: flat tire, additional oil, etc) - or any advice/suggestions.

For details, I drive a 2017 Tacoma double cab extended bed with approximately 55k miles. The car is lifted on OME BP51s and running stock sized KO2s. The front bumper is replaced with a C4 Fab Overlanding bumper and winch, in addition I've installed dual batteries, a truckvault, and a canopy (only bringing these up if weight is of concern on certain parts).

During the trip we expect to see temperatures as low as -40F and are expecting a total of ~5.5k miles.

Disclaimer: I've searched through the forum to see if I can pick out common issues and sadly I'm not seeing anything "trending".

Thanks in advance!

 

On those roads, tyres. Make sure you have a great patch kit, and compressor/s.

Carry a sat phone/tracker with someway to get help if needed.

The roads are fairly wel travelled
In the winter time as they are in better conditions then the summer.

Parts don’t bother, you win’t want to be out replacing parts in minus 30.

Decent bug out bag.

Make sure you bring appropriate clothing/camping materials for arctic conditions.

Other then that enjoy the trip, everything else you should be fine to be honest. The roads are not that bad as everyone makes them out to be.

 

Swap your tires when you get north to winter studded tires.

Patch kit and compressor.

Get chains for the rear.

Warm clothes and extra clothes in the cab.

Lots of extra gas.

Enough food and water accessible from inside the cab to survive for a bit if you go off the road and can’t get to the bed.

Sattelite messenger/tracker like a Garmin Inreach.

Honestly though, the drive you described is not that long or an expedition by any means. You’ll be driving on well maintained roads with fairly regular traffic and available services for almost the entire trip. Just watch your gas gauge and make sure the truck is in good shape before leaving home.

 

I would worry most about CPS failure but seeing that you're 2017 and at 55k I'd imagine you're clear of that issue. Blanket, water, basic tools, and gas container if possible.

 

Oh I forgot. The winch will be useless. The roadd are elevated above the tundra in a lot of spots with zero trees/rocks to winch from. Drive to road conditions

Check the weather before leaving your lodging/camp.. don't drive there if its high winds and snow. You will not see the roadway.

Also get some good amber lights. Don’t use a light bar. Try it in a snow storm you’ll be blind. Same with hid/led. The light refracts off the snow. Reason why most lights are illegal for street use.

Tyres, umm ditch anything wider the 265. Otherwise you’ll have zero traction. You don’t need flotation tyres that are ever so popular. Don’t believe me go drive down a gravel road with both tyres and see which tracts correctly. They have a purpose in mud and rock crawling thats about it oh and maybe deep snow in the arctic but then your going to be running huge tyres or a track system.

 

I would carry a spare serpentine belt, and a diagram. Maybe download the repair manual to your phone. You can find a link on here if you look hard enough

 

CPS sensor. You never know . Cheap enough for a peace of mind

 

Gas container is a must. Minimum two.

 

Oh, and baby wipes. You may not know why you need it, but if you get stranded for a few hours, you will...

 

I would bring a plow anchor in the above situations to assist with winch pullout... http://www.explosivepowersports.com...7jRtNv6lsZf6FJOHyP7TUUh-pjt-X5FxoCCEoQAvD_BwE

 

you won’t get up over the banks. It usually takes a massive recovery vehicle to get ya out. They are not gentle slopes. And where do you place it. Pull
Pals have a use, this terrain is not one of them. You won’t have enough winch rope to make it effective as you’ll need to go up over the bank and down the other side. The road itself is frozen solid.

Plus your gonna be pulling at a horrible angle and lose the effectiveneas of the winch/anchor pt.

This is stuff I deal with all the time. Ask anyone whom has worked or travelled above the arctic circle.

 

If you stop for more than a couple hours when it’s cold (below -10°F probably) you’ll notice a really bumpy, rough ride for about the first five to ten minutes. Don’t be alarmed, nothing it broken, your tires will just be so cold they aren’t round anymore after sitting with the vehicle weight not moving.

 

ah yes, the infamous square tyre. I've only ever had it happen once or twice, my buddies tyres were horrible, it was a daily occurrence for him.

Speaking of tyres, make sure you adjust your pressures as you come north, they will drop drastically, nothing to lose 10psi due to the cold temps.

 

Thanks for all the call outs folks.

I have a few things to put together with all the information provided.