Best Toyota expedition rig

Sometime next year after I'm settled in at my new job I plan on trading in the PreRunner and buying a vehicle to do as an overland/expedition rig. Which Toyota would you pick?
What would you add also suspension, armor, ect

• Must seat at least 4 as I plan on having kids eventually
• Must be 4x4 obviously
• A-trac would be nice
• Automatic transmission only, NOT impressed with my 5spd manual
• Ability to sleep 4 would be a big plus but not necessary

 

fj cruiser or 4runner

 

those or im sure u could sleep 4 in a tacoma or tundra with a longbed and cap

 

Those are the three I'm looking at currently. Leaning in favor of the suv's though

 

i would suggest a 4runner since you plan on a family, otherwise i would suggest a taco. a rooftop tent. ATRAC with a rear locker would obviously be a key peice of equipment to have. also a front aftermarket high clearance bumper that will fit a wench for self recovery, sliders. a decent mid travel suspension with coil overs would suit your needs just fine. i would also suggest a front locker especially if you are plan on being out in no mans land solo by yourself. and that's just the very basics of proprly setting up an expo rig

 

I plan on having a winch and onboard air for sure. High clearance bumper up front but havent seen any high clearance rear 4runner bumpers.

 

this is how i would have mine setup..you can still fit 4 in the cab comfetably in still have all the cargo space in the bed for all of your gear. and the bonus of a tent that folds out and ready to sleep in less then 2 minutes

 

here you go..without a doubt one of the best overland expo forums..you'll learn a lot from here

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/index.php

 

A rtt is definitely an option with a DC taco. I do like how the Tacoma looks but rarely use the bed. I've been lurking on expedition portal for awhile looking through build threads

 

Flip Pac (pop-up) type or RTT (roof top tent) on a double cab Taco.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/41259-Camper-and-Truck-Photos

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/521-Building-an-05-Tacoma-for-Expedition-Travel!

 

If I do a taco it'll be dclb with a camper or something like allpros expedition cage set up with rtt

 

I vote dcab tacoma w/ topper then a 4runner in close 2nd. What type of 4runner would you get? If its a 5th gen trail edition i'd probably choose that.

 

No need for the trail team, bumpers will get changed and I believe I can get a trac and a locker on other models

 

Here's an idea...

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-builds/184735-allblk-tacos-build.html

 

I've got what I think could be a helpful opinion on this.....but maybe not.

I've got a Land Cruiser FZJ80 and a Dbl Cab Tacoma both are moderately built and geared more for overland use than for rockcrawling. So I can speak from my own experience with a SUV vs Truck point of view.

To get to my answer right off the bat, if I were choosing one, I would take the Truck with a RTT over the SUV. Having used both of mine, there is just some versatility with the truck that is nice. Sometime you just have to haul stuff that is messy or stinky like firewood or fuel or broken parts etc that are nice to just put in a truck bed and not have inside the vehicle with you and passengers. I know there are ways to carry all of that stuff outside the vehicle on an SUV, but I'm just saying that it's been nice to have a truck bed.

The downside to the truck bed is security unless you have a topper on it. With an open bed your gear is exposed to quick fingers and the elements too. But that's why I have a topper for my truck. If I'm worried about security or weather, the topper is on it. If it's not a concern then I can run an open bed.

In either case for sleeping 4 a RTT is the way to go. There is no vehicle except for an RV that will comfortably sleep 4 people inside. With a RTT, you can sleep 4 in the right tent, or put two in the truck and two in the tent.

A big thing to also consider is how long do you intend to be out camping usually. If it's usually just an overnight run then something like an FJ Cruiser or 4Runner might be fine. If it's longer then you need to plan on having more gear which takes up more space and that space can quickly disappear in a 4Runner and especially in a FJ with a smaller cargo area. Which means more of it on a roofrack or tire carrier, or in a trailer which then causes you to reconsider the security and weather issue. On the flip side the larger size of the Land Cruiser has been really nice. Ours is super comfy for our family of 6. Although with all 6 of us gear storage has become an issue on longer trips. That's why I also have an offroad trailer. But if I were you I would look at a Land Cruiser as an excellent option. If you look on expedition portal there is an article written about the top 10 used Overland Vehicles. http://www.expeditionportal.com/resources/91-guide/351-top-10-used-overland-vehicles.html In that particular article the Land Cruiser took the #1 and #4 spot with the Tacoma as #2. I have a few slightly different opinions about some parts of that article but overall I think it is a very well thought out article and I agree with the selection of nearly all of those vehicles.

Here's my trucks that I'm basing my opinions on.

My Tacoma in a variety of configurations.








My Land Cruiser.








Some friends Land Cruisers. These really are outstanding overland vehicles.

 

^Sick!

 

If you really want to travel, a real Land Cruiser is your best bet. A friend of mine just traveled through Europe and all the way through Africa north to south with zero breakdowns in an old Land Cruiser. They are roomy enough inside for long expeditions. The Tacomas and 4-runners get a little cramped.

http://www.mission4x4africa.com/