2017 TRD Pro Barca Red - Overlanding Build

I am beginning the process of building my TRD Pro into an overlanding rig.

Right now I am just researching some different options, but I would love to get some input and share the progress here. Please keep in mind, I am a complete rookie when it comes to trucks and overlanding.

You can follow some photos on instagram as well: www.instagram.com/seekoutbeauty


https://www.instagram.com/p/BSsLJSFDnf6/?taken-by=seekoutbeauty

 

Nice looking truck.
You'll find a few overlanding threads here. The popular theme is that stock is just fine for most of the trails you'll see.

 

Rock Sliders
The existing Predator Tube Steps will be coming off and be posted up for sale. $450.00 (I am located in SoCal and will most likely not Ship)

I am looking for something low profile that doesn't stand out much. I do not really like the look of steps or rock sliders, and the truck doesn't have a huge lift.
These are the current front-runner: http://demello-offroad.com/tacoma-2016-2017-dominator-bolt-on-sliders





Please let me know if you know of any other suggestions.

 

Wheels/Tires
I believe I am going to stick with the stock wheels.
I like the way they look and they should get the job done. The only other thing I am considering would be running the 17" TRD Pro wheels from the 4runner.


If I stick with the stock wheels, I will likely throw on a set of General Grabber X3 w/ Red Lettering (because looking cool is important)
borrowed image from a forum member.

 

The plan is to run the General Grabber X3 in 285/75/16 and do a mount chop.

I will post some pics up when complete!

 

Check out @Porter707s thread for ideas.

 

If your looking at the 4R pro wheels and running a 285, the width may be something you want to look into. From when I was researching wheels for my '17 I learned that 285/70r17's arent recommended on a 7" wide wheel. Some people do it with no issues and some shops will refuse to do it due to liablility. If you looking at the 4R Pro wheel an alternative is the FN Pro wheel. Both are 17" but the FN's are 8" wide vs toyota's at 7" wide.

 

Thank you, You are right.
I just checked General's site and they have the recommended wheel sizes as 7.5" - 9.00"

now what... lol

 

Heres a thread on the FN wheels with some good info for you https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/fn-fx-pro-wheels-show-thread-and-info-all-models.414804/
Heres one with some more pics: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/fn-fx-pro-wheels.408321/
I know I have pics of my truck in atleast one of the many threads on here but heres a pic for reference.

(This is from 5-6 months ago when my truck was still stock, first upgrade was wheels and tires, 267/70r17 I will be going 285 when I wear these out)
They look very similar to the Toyota version but wider and lighter by a little.

 

@SCSPerformance

 

Thank you.
As I mentioned, I am new to all of this, so I sincerely appreciate you saving my butt.

I have heard from others that a 16" wheel is better for off-road environments.
That leads me to the sema wheels that are 8" width, and then the links you guys have provided.
I want to stick with 16" I believe, unless what I have heard is incorrect?

Any other thoughts, as I would like to avoid frustrating mistakes.

 

16s offer more sidewall, but much less options for tires.

17s are the modern 16, IMO. 16s were great back when 20s were brand new. Now 20s are small, and the 16 inch wheel crowd is even smaller, small enough that tire manufacturers really are developing more options for a 17 and 18 inch wheel than anything smaller.

I'd get a 17x8.5 or 17x9 and have no regrets at all.

 

Having sunk an ungodly amount of money into the truck over the year of owning it (overland hype, bro), I can give you this piece of advice:

The only things you need to add are armor (sliders, proper skid plates), and good AT tires (cue the fanboy arguing). With those in place, you are done. Go out and travel, camp, overland, call it whatever you want. When you notice that something is lacking, research that single area and upgrade as necessary.

You don't need a lift. You don't need new wheels. You don't need new bumpers. You don't need a fridge. You don't need a RTT.

Buy as needed, and not only will your wallet be considerably heavier, but you'll also be able to spend time actually enjoying the truck instead of endlessly messing with it.

 

Thoughts on the SEMA 17" wheel?

The plan is skids and sliders to protect the investment, a good set of tires, and maybe some recovery gear.
The wheel thing is throwing me off.

 

I'd hold off on the wheels. They will get banged up if you do any real offroading, and sooner or later you will. My stock wheels have some serious dents in them, and I couldn't care less. Plus, with all of the people switching out their OEM wheels, these will be getting cheaper and easier to find by the day. You'll cry after gouging up your new wheels.

 

Stick as close to 0 offset as possible if you're keeping your Pro suspension and want to do minimal cutting of fenders / liners. Otherwise, be ready. A lot of that can be fixed by getting better UCAs and getting a better alignment, but not guaranteed no rub.

17" wheels have far more options for tires, but it all depends on your look. I have 285/75/16, and my next set will be 255/85/16. Same sidewall, better fuel economy, and I'm not going mudding.. on purpose at least.

 

Thanks for the links.

These look interesting.
The difference in weight would offset the added weight of the larger tire vs stock.
My heart was set on the General grabber X3 w/ red lettering.
These are the size options.... http://generaltire.com/tires/light-truck-crossover-suv/grabber-x3

 

The 285/75r16 and the 285/70r17 are almost identical in size and specs:
(info copied from the link you listed)
LT285/75R16 126/123Q E BSW 32.8" dia, 66.6lbs, 11.3 wide, (8.0) 7.5 - 9.0 3750 3415 18 633 Yes
LT285/70R17 121/118Q E SRL 32.7" dia, 69.4lbs, 11.5 wide, (8.5) 7.5 - 9.0 3195 2910 18 635 Yes
BSW=Black Side wall on the 16" and SRL=Solid Red Letters on the 17". So it actually looks like if you want the red letters you need to step up to the 17" version not the 16" you are looking at.
There is no offsetting the weight the tires are going to add, either option is atleast 20lbs heavier per tire than the stock tires(~42lbs).

What links are telling you the Sema wheel is 8" wide? 4r Sema Wheel is a 17" that is 7" wide.

 

I've always thought: do people want to overland or have the overland look. It's like people that walk around with EMS, REI, northface stickers all over their stuff and everything on their backpack (aka schoolbag) clipped on with carabiners walking around campus. I get it. you like to shop at outdoors stores. yamaste to you too mother humper.

Overlanding's great. slow down the urge to buy.
we started with a tent, an air mattress, a cooler, tarp, hiking bags, a tankful of gas and a Mazda tribute. anywhere we went, we were about 90 miles from something in the states so we just needed a few days worth of stuff. We had a great time and never really overburdened our vehicle.

We slowly added a water tank for the rear footwell, jerry cans, an extra cooler and air compressor. one cooler for cold, one cooler for frozen (dry ice). air compressor for tires.

We've always had intention to stay out in the middle of nowhere for DAYS, but after about 3-4 days the desire for 5-10 pints of cold draft beer over comes us. Even in the middle of nowhere, we have been 45 minutes away from food and gas resupply sources. so, we never needed the fridge, RTT, etc.

I'm planning a 10 or 15 day "no highway" trip this summer from central PA to NC, Appalachia by linking state and national forests with dirt roads. There's about 50 miles of asphalt combined once I get out of the city. I'll be deep in the heart of Appalachia in VA, WV, and NC. Even on that trip, at any point, I'll be 45 minutes from food and gas at any one point. so I think I'll be good. Coolers and tent should do me well.

Beauty of tent: I can leave all my shit unloaded at the campsite and take my unburdened truck off roading. Great thing about staying light with gear is I don't need heavy springs that are great with 700lbs of gear but feel like crap once everything's unloaded at the site. I'm a camp setup overlander. I like to stay somewhere for at least 2 days. 1 day of vehicle, 1 day of foot exploration at a minimum. therefore, a basecamp setup works for me. But everyone is different. I have colleagues who stay 1 day at an area and keep moving on. For them, a vehicle based setup works best for them. I know how I like to travel/explore so I set myself up for that type of travel. It's so nice leaving everything at basecamp while I explore in my truck. I think you have to figure out the type of travelling you like to do.

My camp supply:
coleman air mattress (damn thing's 20 years old now)
outland 3 person tent (Outland was target's store brand from about 15 years ago, still holds up)
dual fuel stove
duel fuel lantern
rear footwell water tank (frontrunner)
1 burner propane grill/burner
2 coolers
sleeping bags.
Mess gear
coffee pot
Various emergency gear
1 bottle: Lagavulin.
5 gal shower bag
Shower stall thing (tall tent looking thing)
empty cat litter bucket, hole in center with plunger (out door laundry; only had to use twice but damn it worked well).



Vehicle prep: good tires, rockers, and some skids.
We keep reliability and travel range in mind when out in the middle of nowhere. The less we carry, the lighter we are. The lighter we are, the more we can stay stock. the more we can stay stock, the more reliable we are. The lighter we are,the better our travel range.

https://expeditionportal.com/the-10-commandments-of-modifying-an-overland-vehicle/

Live the lifestyle or look the lifestyle?

 

Na'maste*.