Driving a Tacoma around the world

I know the OP's build process is probably already under way, but I'll second what @SoCalTacoTruck said: you're looking to put too much weight on that Tacoma.

Between what the 3.5l v6 is capable of and the GVWR the vehicle is rated for, I think you're asking too much from that vehicle. You really won't have the optimal low-end torque to properly motivate that kind of load; lower gearing will help some, but it will also pretty much negate the entire mpg advantage that a Tacoma offers over a 1/2 ton. The Tacoma's GVWR is ~5600lbs. Where will your vehicle weight be once everything is added? If it's over that limit, modifying the suspension and gearing can help in some ways, but that does not sufficiently address all the engineering issues related to GVWR.

For a pop-up camper, flatbed (which truly isn't necessary but its okay if you want it), fuel, water, all the other accessories, I'd plan for a payload of at least 1.5k lbs'...at that #, you really should be looking at a 1/2 ton. The Tundra specifically if you want the nth degree of reliability. 38 gallon fuel tank, 1.6k payload (w/ double cab), beefy brakes and axles, can take arb air lockers, factory 4.30 gearing...that thing is purpose-built for what you're looking to accomplish and is ultimately the better choice IMHO. Vehicle size won't be an issue for what you're trying to do...American-built pickup's are heavily used in many parts of South and Central America. Unless you're trying to cross the Darien gap (which I don't think is even allowed for 4x4's anymore), a 1/2 ton shouldn't inhibit your travels much, if at all.

Edit: also, I wouldn't approach this trip with the mentality of "if it breaks we'll start over." If you have a breakdown during a prolonged trip through South America, you are going to have a major and costly headache on your hands. I think it makes a lot more sense to go into this trip with a mindset of being over-prepared, rather than being under-prepared...that applies to vehicle selection.

 

Our kids have just moved out, well mostly and our two labs unfortunately died over the past three years so we’re there. Just listened to two different couples at the Overland Expo talk about their travels from Alaska to South America for roughly $3000 to $5000 a month...it doesn’t take much. My son is just finishing a 7 week, 1,600 mile bike ride from Santiago, Chile to Tierra del Fuego and spent less than $1,000 once in country. He did it a little too rough for us camping and riding in 30 to 40 degree mostly rainy weather

 

I wish I would have know you were going as we were at Overland Expo West as well! It was very insightful being able to see so many builds close up and see what we wanted to buy or replicate to finish off our 'Round the World Tacoma.

That's interesting that LRA is installing tanks in CA now because when I checked last the LRA tank didn't pass emissions in CA and thus they wouldn't even ship to CA. Congrats on getting the install dates lined up, can't wait to see how your build turns out. We will be picking up our camper in mid to late June if everything goes to plan.

 

Point well taken. If we were just driving North and South America we would definitely do it in a three-quarter ton as a half ton would be well over it’s GVWR as well. Don’t know if you caught some of my earlier discussion (check out #342) about vehicle selection, but full-size pick ups are unfortunately just too wide to fit down many of the smaller roads in Africa and Asia. The weight will be 6500 pounds with potential he 500 more pounds of water, fuel, and food. Basically the only thing we’re not changing that could be a problem is the axle shafts and the open C frame aft of the rear axle. In talking with people who have traveled over multiple continents they are always traveling over their GVWR. We will be retired, so there’s no need for us to beat the truck up going fast on washboarded roads.

I agree with you that there is a risk

Definitely our motto is not, we’ll fix it if it breaks. That’s why we bought a brand new vehicle with the idea of it not having problems at least for the first 100,000 miles. Although couple of speakers at the Overland Expo had some amazing good stories that happened when they were broken down and got to meet some great people while their vehicle was being repaired. I smile at these people who take 25-year-old Land Cruisers on multi 10,000 mile trips. They were hoping for the best but you can only buy what you can afford. I think it’s better to go now rather than wait for more money and go in the future.

 

I am very bummed we didn’t get to meet and fun talking with you!
Yes LRA is putting a tank in for us since we live in Oregon; away from all the CARB crap. Their shop is in Sacramento. We paid for the tank over the web with us based in OR, I think that’s the difference. I think the four wheel camper people got you and I mixed up yesterday as he said he was delivering a fleet to someone on a Tacoma with a delivery I think the four wheel camper people got you and I mixed up yesterday as he said he was delivering a fleet to someone on a Tacoma with a delivery agent in June

 

Damn, the weather was cold in Flagstaff with just a fleece jacket!

 

How funny! We are actually picking up our Swift up in Oregon and having it installed up there. I will need to add the solar panels, controller, awning, second battery, and additional LED lights myself though.

In reference to the weight I'm curious what the XOverland Tacoma weighs after looking at it in more detail. With their camper setup with additional batteries, cabinets, fridge on slide, swing out bumper, roof racks, skids, sliders, camera gear, 33s, and some big dudes inside they must be quite a bit over the GVWR. Our setup with swift FWC, tailgate/ rear seat removed, my wife and I being ~270lbs combined should be a bit lighter than theirs. Given that you are running a heavier setup with flatbed maybe its a good idea to add some reinforcement to that frame after you take the stock bed off for some extra peace of mind.

I agree that a full sized truck would be a PITA most places besides North and South America which is also one of the reasons I went with a Tacoma.

 

We'll I'm sure that you've given this issue some thought, so I don't mean to lecture anyone here.

I've traveled in a good number of places throughout the world, not necessarily on one long trip. Roads are roads...a well-made 1/2 or 3/4 ton will get over 99% of them just as well as a midsized truck, and in fact many people have taken 3/4 ton w/ campers on global trips. I don't think the size and width of the vehicle will be as much of a limiting factor as you make it out to be (at least not for Tundra).

Going over GVWR for short duration trips here and there is okay...going over GVWR for an entire extended global trip isn't a good idea IMHO. Too much risk for very little, to no, reward. While the Tacoma is perhaps over-engineered to some degree, the Tundra is over-engineered to an even higher degree and it was meant to handle heavy abuse and high workloads for the longterm...going fast has nothing to do with it. It's much safer to have a vehicle that is overkill for your payload/towing requirements rather than to trying to "improve" a vehicle that is rated below your requirements.

Your Tacoma may very well get through this whole trip without any issue...but the probability of a hard failure/malfunction with an overloaded Tacoma is much higher than it is for a Tundra carrying loads at or below its GVWR.

Edit: And BTW, I'm definitely not saying the Tacoma CAN'T make for a good global travel vehicle...it most certainly can. But if you truly need to carry that much weight, you're better off going with a vehicle has a higher GVWR. Maybe another option is to look at minimizing the weight you plan on taking...Expedition Overland did a Tacoma build with an AT Habitat camper shell, aluminum bumper, aluminum sliders...Tacoma's can do very well, but the weight should be minimized as much as possible.

 

I'm curious what their actual weight is including camera gear, fuel, occupants, etc because I'm willing to bit they are quite a bit over the GVWR as well after seeing their setup in person and doing some mental math.

 

They very well could have been, but the amount and type of gear and personnel they were carrying is probably different from what the OP is looking to carry. Even if they were overweight, they did make an effort to minimize their payload (aluminum bumpers, skids and sliders) because they recognized the longterm issues associated with going over GVWR. They've also recognized the hard limits of GVWR and have started to move up to platforms with higher payload ratings (Tundra, Ram 2500).

The point is that there are some components out there that are better suited to a Tacoma than are others. Putting a Four Wheel Camper and Flatbed on a Tacoma, in addition to all the other components the OP is considering, is going to yield a vehicle that is over its GVWR and sluggish in engine response w/ poor mpg's. If OP is truly tied to the idea of having a popup camper and flatbed, there are other trucks out there which are much better suited to carrying that kind of load. Otherwise, if the OP were to consider using a camper shell (like the AT Habitat) mounted to a the stock bed, it would be much easier to stay below the Tacoma's GVWR.

 

Given the Tacoma's tow rating of 6800lbs I think that the stress on the axle/frame would be more of a concern than sluggishness from the powertrain.

Another thing for the OP to consider would be the total height of your rig. One thing I considered at length was the ability to fit into the door of a standard shipping container. Given that the flatbed FWCs are a bit taller than the standard models, you may have to ship your truck in a high cube or RORO limits your options a bit. And if this will be a known constraint and you want to have such a heavy rig heavy it makes sense to go up to a Tundra flatbed like the rig shown below:

https://www.overlandexpo.com/cool-ride
https://www.mrbox.co.uk/container-dimensions/

 

We did not choose the Oregon dealer because the Washington dealer, Mule Expedition Outfitters personally owns a flatbed Fleet and has done extensive work with lithium batteries and their shop is highly rated for doing a lot of truck mods.

Electrical modifications is the one thing I do not feel confident in doing, good for you.

Regards to your XOverland Tacoma question, I looked at my modified Tacoma with a fully optioned out Alu cab Kayla totaling right at 6,000 lbs. This would be a “dry” weight including 340 pounds of my wife and I, mostly me with no water, fuel, or food. For everyone’s understanding, a Kayla model is an essentially a hard topped rooftop tent permanently mounted on a cab height canopy. It allows you to stand in your canopy working on cabinets with stove, sinks etc. When sleeping, you fill in a removable floor above in the rooftop tent portion. Already this is dry setup is 400 pounds over GVWR, and it does not meet my wife’s requirements of a shower and a toilet. Myself, I cannot see myself living out of this for three years. So we rejected this option. But for shorter trips this would be very nice

 

Have you seen this build? My favorite.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2011-extreme-tacoma-build-for-guyana-south-america.233101/

 

I agree with your thoughts regarding The Tacoma’s ability to tow 6500 pounds. I don’t think the engine, transmission, clutch, brakes, or drivetrain will be strained. With upgrading the tires and suspension, it leaves the axles and the frame whetherthey can handle the additional weight. Since the 2019 TRD sport, which I have, now comes with the same rear axle (8.75”) as the much-vaunted Hilux, which have payloads ranging from 2,000 lbs to 2,200 lbs, I feel like that’s covered, especially since I’m upgrading the both diffs to ARB lockers. Which leaves the frame as the final unresolved question. When the bed is off I will ask Mule Expedition to look at reinforcing the C channel frame aft of the rear axle. Joe one of the owners, is a mechanical/civil engineer who seems to know his stuff quite well

I liked I saw that tundra flatbed at Overland Expo, totally cool but I think I would upgrade to a three-quarter ton if I was sticking to North America as the Tundra is over GVWR as well.

Thanks for the specs on the shipping containers as I am planning on shipping in a standard size container for four different occasions. I do think though that it will fit into a standard height container.

 

Definitely a bad ass truck. Seems like it’s built for more mudding and less for extreme distance, slow travel rate. We are trying to keep ours as low-key as possible, not cool pulling into a tiny West Africa village in a total blinged-out truck

 

Well, it's built for carrying a lot of extra weight/supplies and getting to remote parts of the jungle on poorly maintained tracks, and traveling at speed on better maintained but still primitive roads. Probably a bit more extreme than you need, but maybe an idea here or there around carrying more weight.

Are you going to hit the Road of Bones?

 

can't wait to follow this build/trip!

Wife dogs & I just did 1.5years in North America in our rig- you're going to have an unbelievable time!

One thing to keep in mind from the beginning for you is needing to be able to fit it in a shipping container for the non-continental trips. Or being able to remove enough stuff, air down & squeeze in.

 

I wonder how much the GVWR is dictated by the drivetrain, considering it doesn't change with the 4cylinder motor? I personally have driven cross country with my old 5 lug, very likely over weight, multiple times. It's all about rpm's, which is also why I prefer to drive a manual. Maybe it's the stock suspension, that wallows in self pity with a couple friends and a few bushels of apples in the back. Maybe it's the frame? I don't know, but it definitely handled much better once I upgraded the suspension. Personally, I think GVWR is limited by that sticker in the doorwell.

Anyway, I think it's all doable. Especially if driven conservatively. Honestly kinda jealous, and I've been slowly dropping hints to my GF about driving to a wedding we are invited to late next year... in Ecuador. Problem is, I'd just want to keep going, so we'll see.

Definitely eager to follow along on this adventure!

 

Had to look up what the Road of Bones was. No, unfortunately that part of Russia we’re not going to go to. Will go to St. Petersburg and Moscow while we’re driving along the eastern edge of eastern Europe. We will also go through a bit of southwestern Russia between the countries of Georgia and Kazakhstan.

 

Very nice! Must have been amazing. Is that a Fleet? Our truck will look very similar other than having a flatbed version of the Fleet. Do you have any idea how tall your rig is as I think that the flatbed fleet is the same overall height as your slide in. Also our truck will have a 2 inch lift with 32 1/2 inch tires. So I think ours will be 7‘6“ tall without airing down as we won’t have anything on top