Ozarks Exploration Weekend

I've been on this forum for years. I joined the forum long before I had a Tacoma. As i grew into my desire for overlanding (read: Driving off road then pulling over to camp somewhere), i was sure the tacoma was the platform i wanted. August of this year i finally got a truck and this past columbus day weekend I got my feet wet.

When i started wanting what we now call 'overlanding' I had a 2006 Expedition on spacers and 34" tires; slick bumper and winch and all that. Then i moved to europe and drove a Mini. Over the last five years i've lurked on forums and facebook groups kinda emotionally-salivating to get out into the wild. I didn't even try in Europe - in Germany - because that probably does not exist. Camping is largely in what's tantamount to grass parking lots near or in cities. @turbodb probably has had the most influence on what I want to accomplish - while i cannot match the scope of his adventures, i've had a love-hate relationship with his posts because the excitement of seeing adventures like his, contrasted with me NOT-doing them. Though reading his and others - many others on this forum kept me champing at the bit to start doing the things; and truly the posts here have been inspiring as F, and I'm super grateful.

6 Aug i bought the tacoma - the day after I moved back to the US of A; and it's been wonderful - super happy with it. I'd wanted and maybe still want a RTT but in the mean time I'm just fine with the sleep platform i've built in the bed - it rests on the rails of my bedslide and can be pulled out together with it - there's about 4" of storage space under it - which i'm seeing is not going to be very useful without placing things in totes at some point. Atop the platform I have two 3" latex foam toppers - and between the both of them I slept pretty well. I'm going to need some kind of cover for them long-term - or maybe I'll put them inside sleeping bags?

I also need more cargo strategy as having to remove everything from the bed of the truck to the cab (or place outside) is kind of a pain in the butt.

So - i have things i need to work out for sure. But getting out there and starting was the whole point of my two-overnight trip. I refuse to let 'not ideal' be a reason/excuse for staying on pavement.

My route took me from the OKC area across to and past Fort Smith AR - then up State route 71, then east towards Forest Service road 124. The road was tight in places and I ended up unable to pass one tough section - I didn't need 4x4 for the sections i drove, although at a few places i was SHOCKED the truck made it, so am underestimating the tires and truck ability - I'm pretty sure if i'd had a winch I would have kept going through the tough section but am going to keep erring on the side of caution when out there. The tires were aired-down to 20psi front and rear.

Heading down the first not-very-smooth dirt road had my proverbial juices flowing (yes, waterproof seat covers - but where the hell were these juices coming from? ew) - as i descended lower into the valley between hills i couldn't help but think of this moment as 'the' moment I started my new long-desired hobby. Colors were incredible.


Of course the camera is stupid - this was much steeper than appears.

Just beyond that point i was met by two side-by-side things - buggies or whatever. We stopped to say hello. I asked about the trail conditions below - he said about a mile down the trail it gets narrow and "You ain't gonna make it in that truck" was the warning. Side note: I made it 3 more miles - and stopped only when i was facing kind of an off-camber downhill that was mostly mud, and steep and I do not have a winch. But i made it those 3 miles without engaging 4x4 except to back up 100m along a stretch of muddy trail; just to help with control.

Reaching the bottom of the hillside - GoogleEarth promised me a water-crossing. Oof. I'll take it though - as my 'first time'.



I got kind of busy driving and didn't photograph or document as i'd hoped I would. About 90 minutes later, here's me going back the other direction at that spot.



I found no solid camp sites down there - so continued across the top of the hillside towards the back (eastern-facing) side - that road was mostly just dirt/gravel - and nothing else the rest of the weekend would have even required airing down - though I was glad I'd done so purely for comfort.

This tree had fallen over at some point - someone had braced it with a y-shaped stump/log on the right side (of the pic). The following pics were taken the next morning after driving back up.

At my camp site - a wide turn along the road with a good-sized portion of flat land on the hill-side, I got things sorted and ate dinner and walked the pups and simply didn't take pics. It was all so new - and though I fancy myself a bit of a photog, i kind of half-consciously decided i'd rather be in the moment than behind the camera.



From the other side of the tree (truck facing same way it was in the pic above)


More from that path/road:


Stopped here too - and reversed. I am sure the truck could have made it down and likely back up but i am risk-adverse while out there alone without a winch.


Enroute to the next campsite - I took a little path/road branching off the main road and found what looked like a former homestead - plumbing piping still rising from the foundations. Also had this...maybe root cellar?




Day 2 camp - just off the main dirt road - but up a little hill to provide a little privacy.



The only time i used my traction boards


In this blurry phone pic, you can kind-of see how the plaform sits - and the gap between the plywood and the bedslide. I'm going to drill through the plywood to attach it to the slide - or at least remove the rails to set the plywood (slightly wider than the slide) on the slide deck - i can use the headroom.



And my girls

Gracie - The beagle/Pit?/mix?/Thing?


Aoife - Vizsla.


That's about it. That night I slept with the bed pulled out a bit - so I was under the stars and it was incredible - until the night's dew set in. A little shove and it slid back in (thatswhatshesaid).

Next adventure probably in SE Oklahoma next month.

 

That looks like an awesome first trip, and brings back many memories of my feelings on early trips! Soon, you'll look back and chuckle at how slow you drove and what was "concerning." Just a part of the process, really!

I love getting out there in the fall colors - those reds are amazing. And to discover that root cellar/dugout thing - that would have been a highlight for me. For some reason, I really enjoy those; much more than a log cabin or anything.

 

Thank you Turbo. Means a lot. And you hit the nail on the head - I don't have a baseline of what the truck can do - and i'm apprehensive a bit having open front/rear diffs. I don't know these tires yet either - which I think are more important than the locker situation. I have tens of thousands of miles in HMMWVs and F150s and Scouts and all that - I learnt to drive off road - but it's been a decade, nearly since anything like i'm doing now.

Funny thing - before i got this truck i was thinking "First mod - LOCKER" - but the more i think about it, I think i'd prefer a winch over a locker, due to the costs being comparable. And i think that's maturity for me. Sure is cool to have a locker - but to me it sure is nice to have a way out of places i might be stuck with or without a locker.

 

If I can say anything to you, I'll say this - you're doing it right. Way more right than a lot of folks who delay and delay and delay getting out there because, "There's just a little more I need to do to the truck for it to be ready."

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing a mostly stock Tacoma on this adventure. As you've already realized, the truck is way more capable than a lot of folks realize (though, I must admit a bit of jealousy of your HMMWV time). The truck will tell you what it needs as you use it. And as you give it those things - because your capabilities increase and you get comfortable in more situations - you'll once again make the truck more capable than you are! Viscous Fabulous cycle.

Oh, and my .02 about a winch - which was also one of my first mods: useful in some situations, but those traction boards might get you out of the same places a lot more easily. I'd highly recommend finding a place where you can experiment with them before you actually need them for real, so you know what they can do, I think you'll be surprised. Actually, that's good advice for any recovery equipment!

 

Perfect. Danke Sehr. re: Practice before need.

When my daughter was 14 I had her out in my expedition sliding/drifting it around the back yard. She learned to counter steer and direct the slide while having fun - I figure, if she can do it on purpose, she won't panic when the car slides on accident.



there's a rumor - and I can't confirm - but I've had the speedometer needle of a HMMWV down around 'Per' in Miles Per Hour at the bottom of the speedometer. Truck was shaking and bucking...but dang it - we had places to be.

Don't get me started on some of the cool shit i've done in a bradley

 

Detroit Darin Just found your post on your ozarks trip - I actually did a similar route last week as well ( general area anyway ) I live in tulsa and am Looking for a guy or two to wheel with. If you wanted to connect and run some trails Ok Or AR I’d be down
I used to live in Arkansas and know the area Around the mulberry river / shores lake / and surrounding area fairly well - looking for someone to expand that reach a little further to the east in the ozarks . I have wheeled mostly by myself for years and no real miss haps but it’s always in the back of my mind
Shoot me msg if interested in meeting up and doing a day trip

 

Looks like an awesome trip man. My wife's folks live up north of the Ozarks. We have gone up there a couple of times, brought the Taco each time and I'd have loved to do some camping but unfortunately haven't gotten the chance.

If you are up there, you'd better go ahead and do the Pig Trail. It's not offroad but it is a beautiful and really fun drive. Just to check it off the list, if nothing else.

 

Been up and down the pig trail more times than I can recall. Lived in mulberry for several years. Moved from there and ended up in Grand Rapids MI - just got back to the “ local” area - my wife’s job is in Tulsa so we landed here- which is close enough for Ozark trips and south East Ok - ouchitas. Really want to do Colorados alpine loop next year