Why choose a Tacoma for overlanding?

Hi everyone, I recently bought a 2018 F 150 6.5' bed 4x4 to be used for long term travel/living out of. Before buying, I was comparing the specs between comparable models of tacoma and F-150 and from what I can see, the F 150 is better is almost every way, including better MPG (at least for the 2.7L ecoboost) especially if you will be building it out for longer off road expeditions. Mainly, it has so much more space both in the cab and bed.

So why get a tacoma? I mean, I know they are great trucks, but they are a lot smaller and get worse MPG. Do they have better off road capabilities? I'll only be driving normal dirt and gravel road, not doing any serious off road stuff so the normal 4x4 works for me.

Curious to hear thoughts on this. Thanks!

 

I looked at both:

• Supercrew with 4x4 was about 10k more than the Taco.
• Supercrew with smallest bed was just too long to fit in the garage. My DCLB baaaaarely fits. Trails are pretty tight around here, so the Taco being narrower also was appealing. I still manage to get places the DCSBs do fine, but I'm often the only LB in the group and have bonked my HC rear bumper on trees in tight spots.
  
• Toyotas are generally more reliable, though the ecoboost in the newer Fords is a great engine.

I wouldn't hesitate to get a Ford right now, the quality is much better than my old Ranger was. For me it came down to cost and size.

I'm not a huge fan of the aluminum body either - I prefer the steel on the Taco, but the aluminum does have advantages too. That said, if I was to get a truck right now, I'd probably be looking at a F250 crew cab since my kids are growing up and we need more space. That sadly means I'd also have less trail capability, so I'm planning on keeping the Taco as long as I can. The Tundra is hot garbage and very outdated compared to the 250, it's not even worth considering.

 

Only disadvantage an f150 has would be its size. I've been on trails before where I barely fit. I've seen videos of full sizes doing the same trail and it took them 4x as long to get through obstacles.

I would keep the f150 though, they're great trucks.

 

F150 and F250 share the same exact cab. So same exact cabin space.

Not sure how the Tundra is outdated compared to an f250, tundra has a 5.7 and f250's have either a 6.2 or 7.3 that also gets shitty mileage. Diesel is $9k last time I checked.

Can't really compared a half ton to a heavy duty though.

 

The stick shifter did it for me

 

I own both a 2007 Tacoma and a 2014 F150. Both are good trucks, but fill different roles. I have the 5.0 V8 in the Ford and fuel mileage isn't enough worse to matter. The Ford is bigger and much more comfortable on longish trips. It has much better payload and tow ratings The Tacoma is much more nimble in traffic and on narrow trails.

And while I like both trucks, I can almost guarantee you'll spend more on repairs to get the Ford to 200,000 miles than the Tacoma. I have 101000 on the Ford, 210,000 on the Tacoma and I've spent just about equal amounts on repairs. That isn't meant as a knock on the Ford. It's just that the Tacoma is better. I have no complaints about either as far as reliability.

The Tacoma will probably still be on the driveway when I die. The Ford will be traded for another truck in 2-3 years. I'm torn between another F150 and getting the 2.7 EB engine or going F250 with the 6.2 gas engine. The 2.7 will tow and haul the same amounts as my current truck with the 5.0 V8, but get better fuel mileage than my Tacoma while still being a big truck. The 6.2 in an F250 will get about the same fuel mileage as my F150, will cost no more than $1000 more than an F150, but will tow/haul MUCH more. And while the F250 might cost $1000 more, they already have a mild factory lift and come with 33" tires. Modifications I'd have to pay to have done with the F150. The F250 would cost less in practice and be a more capable truck.

 

No point in comparing if you already made your purchase. F150 has the bigger capacity and by far the better road manners, but the wheelbase is too big for rough terrain.
Welcome to TW, enjoy your vehicle.

 

Check out Down2Mob Overland on Youtube. There are a variety of different builds you'll see that he interviews, I went down that rabbit hole and there isn't a right answer from what I can tell.

 

I don't think one is better than the other no matter what someone else's opinion is. The key to the answer might just be in the last sentence in the first post. But this term (overlanding) is way over used and may have a different meaning for every single person that uses it. For me 99% of those that use it don't come close to doing what I think overlanding truly is (just my opinion). Too many look for some sort of validation from others for what are there personal choices.
Ammoniteshell You made your choice based on your needs. Own it and enjoy it. If you change your mind because your needs change change your choice. Having a lot of choices can be overwhelming for some (not pointing fingers) but the great thing is no choice has to be permanent. Just a different experience.
Ok I am done with my rant for the day.

 

I've met people overlanding on a bicycle. I don't think the model of pickup truck actually matters.




Turbos do make me nervous though from a reliability standpoint.

 

Crank windows (lighter weight means I can accelerate to 4 mph more quickly)

 

Thanks for the input. Even though I already made a purchase I was scratching my head trying to understand the dominance of the tacoma in the general truck camping world after comparing specs on each. I'll admit I was trying to suss out how much of that comes from it actually being "better" (I know, subjective) vs it's brand image. Don't get me wrong, not trying to knock the tacoma, it's a proven truck, and was actually my first choice. But I own a landscaping biz and also wanted something with bigger payload and and towing for occasional work use. That was ultimately led me in the direction of the F 150. Plus I own two F-250's for work and I like them. Makes sense that the taco is smaller and nimbler and lasts forever, very reliable. All good things. This is a great forum with tons of great info, thanks again!

 

Yeah, that was one of my main hesitations, but decided I'd go for it.

 

comparing a full sized p/u toa mid sized p/u is lame

biased & NOT credible

why not compare a f150 to a dodge power wagon...................or a dually

Ur preise is specious

U got what U wanted ...........hope it works for U

 

Frankly, if I were to build one of these gussied up boondocking vehicles today, I think I would start with a surplus Humvee. A bit wide for some places, but since you're building a luxury vehicle you might as well start with a great base vehicle.

 

Tacoma and F-150 aren't even in the same class. The Tundra has more space than a Ranger, too. That's not exactly surprising, is it?

I wouldn't say the F-150 is "better" in almost every way. That's highly subjective, and depending on what you're using it for, the 150 is likely WORSE in almost every way.

I'm going to say a Tacoma is better (specifically a 1st gen). But that's because I don't need the size or towing capacity of a 150. I prefer the smaller size for trails.


Also curious why you decided to get a membership to a Tacoma enthusiast forum... kinda weird... but welcome. I guess since we allow people who buy 4Runners (you know who you are) to keep their membership, why not Ford guys, too.

 

Because... reliability (overall) and resale value.

Let’s talk in 10 years when you try to sell that F150 with 200K miles on it...