Beginning Overland overhaul of Tacoma

I have a 2022 Tacoma Offroad manual that I'm planning to turn into an overlander. I know the basics of what I need.

1. tires
2. bed racks
3. roof racks
4. roof tents
5. etc...

I was told wheels are the best thing to start with. What wheels and how big?

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld

 

You're going to need at least 35's on 17's if you're going to be taken seriously in the bed rack flip tent roof rack instagram-overland scene./S

You're looking at this the wrong way my dude, get out there and overland first, only by doing can you really find out what you need for what you want to do and enjoy things before you drop thousands on stuff that might not even work for you.

Don't blindly follow the crowd.

 

just go camping so much easier and same thing

 

Put on some decent tires and figure out the rest as you need. Add things as you run into a need for them. Otherwise you end up with a bunch of money and weight in things you never use

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Tires. Tires are the best thing to start. That and floor mats. Things get dirty when you aren't walking around your living room floor.

Just get a good set of all-terrains, and get out there.



I always follow this flowchart: Did last night suck? Why or why not? What needs to happen to make tomorrow night not suck? More importantly, what is wasting valuable space and should be left at home?

 

I'd suggest first understanding the difference between wheels & tires.

 

I know very little about this kinda stuff so I apologize if this is a dumb question.

What are some reliable tire brands to get a set of all-terrain tires?

 

Ive been camping for 30+ years now, and I still follow that logic chart.

Last trip sucked. Note to self; next time, don't park the pop-up next to the bison herd's feeding trough.

 

That's a hornets nest. Everyone has a favorite.

Falken AT3,
BFG KO2,
Cooper ST Maxx,
GY Wrangler Duratrac
Nitto Ridge Grappler
General Grabber,

Just to name a few

 

The OR is plenty capable as is for overlanding. Honestly, I personally feel roof top tents are WAY overhyped. Spending a couple grand on something you will use maybe a couple weekends a year, is not a good ROI for me. However, your money, you do what you want. I personally use a Gazelle T3. Never had an issue finding a spot-but, then again, I only get out a few times a year, and almost always to the same area.
I would start with tires. Bigger tires will give you better clearance, but, again, its diminishing returns the bigger you go. If its your daily driver, consider gas prices. Every pound on your truck takes away gas mileage. Bigger tires, roof rack, roof top tent, armor, bumpers-all negatively affect that.
Me, I had the Sport edition. I do light overlanding, everything goes into the back of the truck. I can set up camp, go drive around all day, and come back, and the tent is set up. Thats the beauty of having a separate tent-you can leave and come back, without having to pack everything up.
And the truck can still be used for truck stuff too .

 

1. Falken Wildpeak AT3W or Hankook Dynapro AT2 in 265/75-16 size.

2-4. Gazelle tent, Exped MegaMat mattress, Quilt of your choice.

All you need, bud.

 

Never got them either. Does the ground bite, and you need to put the thing away just to move to truck. I prefer a shelter not attached to the truck (tent or some kind of trailer) That way I can drive away for some reason if I need to. Imagine an emergency and you need to put away the tent to get moving...

 

Welcome!

 

I mean, I wouldn't go this route. You're looking at spending a considerable amount of money. Start small. Get an inexpensive ground tent and see how you like it. Honestly, RTTs have some downsides beyond the price. Start on shorter trips and learn what you need. You may be surprised with how little you need. I would upgrade the tires though.

 

In support of some of the excellent advice above - definitely hold on the majority of those spends. Find out what kind of overlanding you really want to do and what you really like.

Couple of points from my experience:
1) I love my KO2s on the stock wheels (even though I hate the way the wheels look). I ran the stock tires for about 40K mi on rough 4WD and gravel mine/forest service roads and only got the KO2s when they were totally done - but I'm cheap. I slightly regret being cheap because I had 3 flats in one day (yes, that was Type 2 fun).
2) Consider a tune - I can't believe what a difference it has made especially at altitude fully loaded, and the fun to drive factor.
3) Consider sleeping in the back of your truck if you don't want a ground tent - how much experience do you have with camping? I would definitely wait to see what you like in lieu of spending the $$$ on a RTT. I got an ARE MX shell when I bought my truck, then with some lumber and cheap carpet have a lovely camping experience in the back and can still use the truck as a truck. (I camp/get out on average 2-3 weekends a month, with a few multi week trips a year). That said, I splurged on an exped megamat and it was a life changer. I prefer camping in the truck to a ground tent because of the winds - I'm mainly in the deserts of the intermountain west and the flappity flappity of tents tends to keep me up at night - I've spent most of the last 40+ years (since I was a kid) camping or living outside for months at a time and really love sleeping in my truck. That's also one reason why RTTs are not for me. I have looked at the fancy campers like GFCs etc but they would not allow me to use my truck like a truck, which I still do.

Get out there, enjoy your lovely new truck and learn what you really like or want. Welcome to TacomaWorld!

 

Bingo. An old SAR instructor of mine gave us a good chart. The pack over time chart:

Over time, you constantly subtract the gear you pack and never use, then hit the "Asymptote of Misery" inflection point of finally removing that one item that had made things unexpectedly better, then you course correct to your ideal loadout. In my case, it was "not packing the lightweight rain gear cuz it wasn't supposed to rain" that now rides in my pack taking little room, but worth the ounces.

 

Also finding a spot clear of Sage brush big enough for a tent is tricky a fair bit of the time.