How much weight on your tacoma is too much weight for overlanding?

4 pages & OP hasn’t been back… you guys definitely scared him away.. but still good info for the rest of us.. speaking of “info” this is nice build & i see it often up here .. Soo she’s got some miles on her. Jus more options. It’s screen shot from Utube.

 

Wow! I wanna apologize as it's been hectic as hell work wise, but I'm finally getting a chance to read all these. I always thought I'd be lucky to get 1-2 replies, and I see 4 pages of AMAZING information and input. Super grateful to get everyone's input and honestly, it's all in line of what my gut has been telling me.

I've never been one to go off the instagram / youtube builds and do what they do. I've been in many other hobbies where that stuff applies, and at a young age learned quickly that it's all nonsense / partnerships to sell products. I've known a lot of guys who made their money off the sponsorships/pedaling stuff that's unnecessary to keep their channels running. I usually look at reviews or try to find problems with a lot of these parts and use my judgement to find real world reviews on any gear or mod.

I look back at even all the guns and gun parts I've purchased over the years (probably over 35-40 guns) and it's turned into a hobby where I'm building these out from scratch now and machining and gunsmithing and stuff, and the same kind of philosophy applies where when I look back and thing "what do I REALLY need to go out to the range and shoot and practice?" Nothing really except a gun, magazine, ammo, and ear and eye protection. But like any other hobby, it's fun to get into the nitty gritty, learn, build, have fun. Do I REALLY need that light weight trigger? Absolutely not, is it fun to lower the pull weight by 1-2lb? Absolutely! Expect this world is WAY more expensive. A gun mod might cost 50-200 bucks, where as a damn floor mat might cost 300 bucks lol. A legit mod on these cars like suspensions and leafs can be up to $6k.

Just confusing how these guys that pedal this stuff can pack 1500lb on a truck and expect it to last 200-300k miles, enjoy the ride, go up steeper trails with the top heavy weight, the rear weight, etc with no issues.. But it's all making a lot more sense now.. Sounds kinda like "if it's too good to be true then it probably is"...

I looked at another thread of about 400 pages worth of just camping and after 30-40 pages of hundreds of photos of trucks later, most of the trucks looked pretty stock parked with tents all around. It seems like the only REAL upgrade I might "need" is perhaps wheels and tires for better "all terrain or hybrid rough terrain" traction if I'm planning to go into snow/ice/dirt/mud, etc.. Suspension wise, the 2023 TRD Off Road comes with Bilstein 4600 Monotube OEM (which are crap in terms of off roading) but apparently more than capable of going camping. Also I know that "camp sites" are designed in places where most people can access it, but I like to do more BLM Land dispersed camping in the middle of nowhere with no one around expect me and a buddy or two so the trails leading to those places might be a little bit more taxing. So I guess if I'm using my common sense and see a trail that might look like it's gonna require rock sliders or Iron Man following behind me blasting rocks away, I should be probably turn around or find another path to another location nearby.

I guess the only real questions now are:

1. Off roading / trails to climb for the "fun of wheeling" ASIDE.... in a real world "go out there to camp and enjoy some food with some buddies by a camp fire in the great outdoors" scenario, how often are you guys running into "obstacles" that can damage the car? How often are you guys getting stuck where you NEED a winch around a tree to pull you out? How often are you guys damaging the underbelly of the car or poking holes in gas tanks, etc..? Btw, this is concerning the western coast of the US. I'm in California so I'll mostly explore Cali, before I start branching out to Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Arizone, etc..

2. So besides wheels and tires, a bed rack, and down the line a rooftop tent (I like the easy lift it up and ur done setup and takedown aspect and the comfort of them), what other truck mod related things would anyone recommend?
- I MIGHT do legit suspensions down the line if I see that the ride comfort truly truly sucks for where I go, but I'm not trying to jump into spending $6k on an entire Fox 2.5 with resy setup and Deaver Leafs. I feel like if I keep the OVERALL weight under 500lb MAX I should be fine with my stock 1.5 lift that the TRD Bilsteins give me.

3. Where I'm also stuck now is... should I get a bed cover or not because I don't have a garage so I'm open to getting stuff stolen from the truck that's not bolted on. So the routes I have are... dont put anything that's gonna get stolen in the truck bed, dont get a cover (avoiding 100lb of weight), just get a bed rack and a RTT... or, get a truck bed cover so I can keep stuff in the bed like a bin with some essential camping gear like tent and sleeping bags and cooking stuff, then find a bed rack that's compatible with that cover, and a RTT.. The mistake I don't want to make is getting a bed rack, and a RTT, then 6 months later realizing I wanna put more stuff in the bed and actually use the bed so now I need to take all that off, get a cover, then possibly the cover I get is nice but it can't fit with the bed rack I had already spent $1k on, etc.. It's all just a massive headache lol.

Also I really love the idea of a fridge so I know for a fact I want some of kind of dual battery setup, even a standalone battery with the whole DC to DC charging setup in the back seat are or perhaps deep in the truck bed (again would need bed cover to not get it stolen)..

4. But here is where I'm at with the list

- Wheels / Tires
- (45-50lb) Roof rack - I'm debating between the Prinsu or the Front Runner slimsport one, can't decide yet) just to put a couple bins on top that are lockable to keep some of the camping gear in it
- (MAX 100lb) Bed Rack - (havent decided on bed cover + bed rack or just bed rack with no cover) to mount some stuff like propane tank, shovel/axe, maxtrax, rotopax..
- Axe / Shovel
- Cooking - Propane tank, stove, pots/pans, utensils, plates/cups, PEAK refuel type food packs, soap, sponge
- Recovery Gear - Maxtrax, rotopax, Hi-Lift Jack, Tire repaire kit, some tools like wrenches and stuff (no winch of recovery thick tree rope cuz i need some kind of front bumper for that)
- If I can figure out a good 2nd battery situation then a fridge
- (70lb) Sleeping - ground tent (really love the canvas ones from Kodiak or Springbar), cot/pad/mattress, sleeping bag/pillow
- Water can of a few gallons
- First aid kit
- Chairs and tables
- Trashbags and papertowels/toilet paper
- Small portable power bank to charge phones
- Flash light/headlamp, lantern to hang in tent
- Some entertainment like a small laptop or tablet for movies at night

I figured with all that there, I'm looking at like 500lb max. And not all of it on the rear, some of it directly on top on the roof rack so it won't be too bad.

Am I missing anything?

Also, roof rack / bed rack recommendations would be much appreciated. I would rather take your guys' real world experience over Instagram posts and youtube sales videos lol.

Thank you!

 

Agin jus go camping & add what U need. You said small portable battery bank, get med/big & ditch 2nd Battery. Top.. do watch some Utube & learn from other peoples mistakes. One guy had Badass bed rack & RTT.. then after couple trips the Hole inside buried in Dust he switched. I know couple guys up here went with Smart cap canopy & love them. Me I still need’s my bed & can fold mine down.

 

Just a comment on the roof rack think long and hard if it's really the right move those things with bins trash fuel economy. Worse than my 295 MT's did. And accessing it is not as easy as one would think. I have a prinsu with 2 Pelican v800's upto with recovery gear and tools in them. Also and awning and lighting. I pulled it off recently and the truck feels like a race car with it removed.
With what you planning I would plan on a new leaf pack at the least a bed rack and tent will sack out those stock leafs before you add any other camping gear.

 

If you are not using a RTT and are concerned about thief, then a camper shell may be a better option. Get one with rails and you can still add a roof rack on the shell. Main disadvantage is when the one item you what is at the front of the bed and now you have to pull everything out to get to what you want. Not a major issue since nearly everything comes out anyway when I’m setting up camp but if you stop somewhere to make a sandwich, then plan to have the ice chest and cook box next to the tailgate. If I were to do it again, I’d get a shell where side windows flip up so I can reach stuff in the front.

Overall, sounds like you are on right track, figure out what you need to camp comfortably cause you won’t be camping long if not comfortable. Though should warn you, if your girlfriend/spouse/significant other will be camping with you then factor in an allowance for what meets their definition of comfort. This is where the camper shell benefits as there is lots of covered storage space for the last minute stuff your traveling companion forgot to mention until 5 minutes before you planned time to leave.

For the truck, best upgrade might be better suspension tuned for washboard roads, you’ll find a lot of those in the states you mentioned.

 

Lift, tires, and a bed tent is all I really need. I think many people outfit their rides as if they live in them permanently.

 

You chose poorly. If you want to carry all that crap u need a bigger truck.

 

Overlanding is generally defined as an expedition type long-distance travel to remote locations where little prior exploration has occurred. Is Colorado mostly unexplored where you have to drive 50+ miles on no roads with no gas stations for 100+ miles nearby, or are those jerry cans just for show?

I guess you're probably confusing basic off-roading with overlanding.

 

To answer question #1, the group I'm with does a lot of pretty rough trails and some of them have done Moab, including the difficult trails.
In the last couple of years, the amount of damage done to vehicles has been almost non-existent. There has been no damage at all from just going out camping. As far as the equipment goes, in my experience is the guys with winches actively look to get into situations that require winches, so as to actually use them. I've never been on a trail with them where I needed a winch. The only upgrade I've done so far is larger tires. I'd feel safer on the trails with rock sliders and skid plates, but just going slow and being careful has kept me from any damage.
I know the desire is strong to do a ton of upgrades, but in the end, they really are not needed for the most part.
As for the 2nd battery for fridge, idk, I bought a Jackery 1000 pro on sale for about $700 and it handles my needs without the added complexity of doing the under hood mounted solution.
Roof racks? Most of the guys in my group have them, but I've never seen any of them used. Not one. One of the guys suggested a high capacity come-along winch for emergencies, so I have that and straps. Never needed them so far though.

For reference, here's one of the areas we go to play. You can go easy or as hard as you want here!
https://youtu.be/32xFZ6K80ps?si=vkufzL4fEaoIAU3s

 

This is the first time that I've seen that caveat added to the definition. Damn near the entire globe has been explored, so your only in Africa clause is invalid. Just curious, where do you live?

For the record, I think that the term "Overlanding" is played out.

 

I think the keyword is "little exploration" not "no exploration".

I got the definition from Moto trend linked below:

https://www.motortrend.com/news/what-is-overlanding/

"Overlanding usually involves long-distance travel to remote locations where little prior exploration has occurred. Other characteristics that define overlanding include, but are not limited to, self-reliance, adventure, survival, and discovery. Overlanding can involve a variety of elements such as crawling over massive boulders, wading in deep waters, slogging through mud, and sprinting across a dry lakebed."

I live in GA.

People "overlanding" 10 minutes away from the nearest gas station on a ~5 mile gravel road is not overlanding. That's like calling an AR-15 a "fully semi-automatic assault rifle". Words have meanings.

 

I figured you lived on the other side of the country. Out west we have sections of actual interstate that can go up to 100 miles with no gas stations. Once you enter the back country, it is easy to plan out a couple hundred miles of trails and not come across a single paved road, much less a gas station. Find some time and come on out! Lots of fun to be had! There's nothing like spending 4-5 days on the trail, covering a couple hundred miles, and not running into anyone else.

 

Wait there is actually places in the USA that have no paved roads for over 100+ miles and no gas stations within a 100 mile radius? Yeah I'm calling BS on that one.

I stand by my point that unless you're somewhere like Africa, or the outback in Australia, or Antarctica, you are not overlanding, you are merely off-roading.

 

I can't speak to the no paved roads for 100+ miles, but for no gas station for 100 miles? ABSOLUTELY. Coming across the great basin in Nevada I recall the sign saying 134 miles to next gas station, and this is on a paved main thoroughfare. I was worried as I had been getting 6.5mpg... I made sure to fill my gas cans.

 

TBH if you want to go heavy-duty overlanding in a Taco, you gotta copy the Aussies. Look at nearly every Outback expedition hilux and what's the common denominator?

TRAILERS. All of those guys are running trailers, either one of the kajillion-dollar Bruders or a minimalistic RTT trailer like a smittybilt or aussie equivalent. I went to an off road trailer a few years back and don't regret it one bit. Nothing like an extra axle to make your weight distribution problems go away.

Plus, don't forget that trailers let you keep your truck sane for everyday use. Just park the thing in your garage and you've got a fuel-efficient daily driver.

 

Wow I honestly didn't know that. I guess if you are getting 6.5 MPG (which is insanely low) you would actually need gas cans on that. I still call BS on 100+ miles of trails/unpaved roads in the USA, but i could absolutely just be ignorant.

 

He didn't say that the roads weren't paved. You know, words have meaning and all. But rather, that there are longer than 100 mile stretches where there is no gas.

Look up the Maze District in Canyonlands NP. Incredibly remote. I can easily drive 100 miles on dirt without passing a gas station out here in the southwest.

And you've obviously never heard of Alaska, where even your incorrect interpretation of what he said is 100% accurate.

You're entitled to your opinion, but please realize that your interpretation of what 'overlanding' is does not fit with the generally attributed definition.

 

https://www.overlandtrailguides.com/post/pony-express-trail

I've done the Dugway -> Ely section a few times. 250 miles, all on trail, not a gas station in sight.

 

"He didn't say that the roads weren't paved."

"it is easy to plan out a couple hundred miles of trails and not come across a single paved road."

Huh?

Work on your reading comprehension and also maybe realize that the Instagram bro's definition of overlanding doesn't fit the generally attributed definition.

 

My man, you gotta get out west.

Yes, it is incredibly easy out here to drive 200 or even 300+ miles on dirt without touching pavement, let alone seeing a gas station.

The US isn't just the southeast.