Driving a Tacoma around the world

Thanks. Our plan is to head out May 15, unfortunately next year. I think you should go ahead and do it. You can always come back to work later but you have a richer life because of the experience. The amazing thing is it doesn’t cost that much. A couple can drive in South America for $2500-$4500 per month. Africa, can be done for $1,500 to $2,500 for a couple per month. These are real life cost from people who have just completed it, driving a 4*4 of course.

 

Most fun ever, you're going to have a riot!

It's an Eagle, I don't know what year they stopped making them, but ours is an '07.

I know I didn't go under anything smaller than 8'2". But I believe it's about 7'8-ish? Depends on how much air is in the airbags.

 

Sorry bud been MIA for a while. That’s crazy though! What did you end up doing?

 

We’re still on track for launching our around the world trip in 11 months. We are taking the Tacoma up to Mule Expedition Outfitters in Issaquah Washington for outfitting next month, super exciting! We’re putting a flatbed on the back with a Fleet model pop-up camper from Four Wheel Campers. I could do some of the mechanical work like the suspension upgrades but don’t want to depend upon my electrical skills for the winch and fuses, etc.

 

Have you finalized your route yet? I'm curious to see what path you take...

 

I disagree. Look at the payload numbers. Yes, maybe the brochures say 1,600lb payload. But every sticker on the door jamb is around 1,200lbs. With newer models with the 38 gal tank, less than that. If you are looking to go full size, just go 1-ton. Makes no sense going 1/2 ton.

But the OP isn't asking about a midsize vs fullsize. Looks like he's got a truck and is being very thoughtful in building it up. I wish him well. I hope to travel the world with my wife one day. Probably not in a truck, but travel to some interesting places.

 

Yes, we have pretty much finalized the trip planning. Took me a while but here is a simple version of it. I used Furkot for the detailed planning. If anyone uses it just don’t try it with a tablet, needs at least a laptop. This map is done in Google My Maps. We’re shipping our Taco to Rotterdam doing a 6 month shakedown in Europe before spending over a year driving the East and West coasts of Africa. Another year or so will be spent driving one of the northern silk roads in Asia to Australia, then wrapping 6 months or so driving north to the US from Chile. 3 years, 101 countries, 150,000 miles. Heading out May 15, 2020. We’re thinking of the name, Two travelers in a Taco, what people think?

 

Have you checked your route against the current State Department Travelers Advisories? Some parts of your route are really not advisable, in fact they are deemed as “do not travel”... With that expensive rig driven by a couple Americans, you guys are going to stick out like a sore thumb everywhere you guys go. There will be more safety for you if you look less conspicuous. My French cousin toured throughout Africa in her crappy Peugeot sedan, nobody bothered her at all - probably because her car didn’t get attention and it wouldn’t have provided someone much value in the places she drove it, and she and her friends had a great time.
Good luck!

https://travelmaps.state.gov/TSGMap/

https://travel.state.gov/content/tr...ational-Travel-Country-Information-Pages.html

 

I have a buddy who specifically goes to all the places on the travel advisories because he can’t stand the crowds of tourists everywhere else.

 

I’d go to the less dangerous places, but heck, a single person with no family ties is totally free to do that risky stuff, but heck, why put family through things like getting phone calls from some stranger abroad who knows personal details about you and demands money for your return? Happened to my brother in-laws’ family when his uncle disappeared in Pakistan, it was bad but at least he was OK.

 

Most certainly there is risk in anything. Playing it too safe can lead to a dull life. Maybe meeting your end in some far off land is better than getting hit by a bus 10 steps from home? maybe not.

There are awesome people everywhere in the world, and they outnumber the assholes 1000:1. With any luck, that’s mostly who you meet along the way.

 

So true. This little girl is what reminds me of that. She always had a smile and a wave, regardless of how many times I almost died practically next door.

 

Beautiful photo.

 

Well, Ive lived in some places that make the Bronx of the 60’s look good, but wouldn't think of visiting DPRK or Sudan right now. Northern Brazil was pretty fun for the two years I lived there, and Naples was interesting in the 70’s when the Mafia ruled it. Saw a few deposits on doorsteps when I was there, but at least Americans were liked back then so it was safe. Nowadays, a lot more people hate us and it pays to hide your identity if you have dual citizenship. I use my Italian passport when I travel abroad now.

 

It’s too big a discussion for TW, but this is the sort of thing we really need to get away from as our world evolves. ‘Identity politics’ poisons everyone, and it comes at us really hard these days from both left-leaning and right-leaning factions through all the new forms of media. Everyone is assigned a label and a group they belong to. The guys in Sudan, actually don’t hate you, personally, and you (likely) don’t hate them either. If you were to meet each other, under favourable circumstances, you’d probably find you have more common ground than differences, and would have a friendly exchange.

For a long while we were heading towards towards giving the individual credit (democracy for instance), but lately we are going back towards everyone being part of a labelled group (right/left, gay/straight, black/white, man/woman, Christian/Muslim, Sudanese/American, etc etc etc). Hopefully we can swing back toward the only thing that actually matters: good people and bad people. Most people are good people.

 

I agree about what you are saying - there are amazingly good people everywhere that would give more than they have if they could, its just when you go to their country like some of us do flaunting their monetary worth, it attracts problems... that was my original point.

 

Think it's just more in your face now. It's always been there. Just easier to ignore before.

 

I could go for that. Crowds suck ass

Most places are fine if you use common sense. Most people these days choose not to and that’s when they have problems.

 

Good thoughts, yes we have looked at the State Department’s traveler advisories. They are something that we listen to but do not follow dogmatically.

For example, the democratic republic of Congo is on the “Do Not Travel” list. It’s on there for good reasons, however we will travel only through a very small strip of 70 miles along the coast that one must do on order to drive the west coast. We are planning on doing it with other people. Most of the danger lies in the interior but will listen to other travelers before we proceed.

However, Sudan and Mauritania are a bit different. Recently Sudan has been exceedingly friendly to Travelers but are unhappy with their President (google The Road Chose Me). People traveling the West Coast of Africa must go through Mauritania and typically “caravan up”, don’t linger and everything is just fine.

there are risks to doing everything in life. we will try to minimize it by using good judgment and also having a ride that looks similar to a white Hilux

 

I talked in person with Dan Grec last month at the Overland Expo. He’s the guy who just drove around Africa by himself in a Jeep for 999 days and has a website called the Road chose me. In his driving around Australia, North America, South America, and now Africa, the scariest country for him was Ethiopia who is on the State Departments level 2 list, which a fairly low level. His experiences along with others suggest that it should be much higher. People there repeatedly have threatened travelers recently. We will be wary of it when there and if so we will buzz through it.