Taking a Tacoma to Central and South America

Hi. I'm just about to purchase a Tacoma Double Cab with a long bed for a trip to South America. I'm looking for ideas to prepare the vehicle and experienced individuals who know the ins and outs of travel in Central and South America for advice.

 

What are you going to be doing with your tacoma? And welcome to TW

 

We'll travel from California to South America passing through Central America first, then probably jumping the Darien Gap from Panama to Ecuador by ship. From there we will continue via Bolivia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego. From there we'll go to Brasil where we will travel extensively. We may return from Brasil to the US or put the vehicle on a ship for home. We figure the vehicle must be capable of all kinds of travel and weather conditions. We did a similar trip to South Africa from the UK in 2010 (www.kickaboutafrica2010.com). The vehicle, a 1996 Landcruiser, Series 80, was put through grueling and adverse conditions including prolonged periods through deserts in the Sudan, severely taxing ground conditions in Northern Kenya, multiple river crossings and some prolonged passages through deep and challenging mud. We assume we need to be prepared for a similar situations / challenges when traveling through South America.