First steps to mod for over lander?

Yes the GFC, AT Summit, Vagabond Drifter, and SNAP! Treehouse (those are the wedge campers I could think of off the top of my head) are AMAZING IMHO they’re the way to go if you can get a hold of one, set up and take down in a minute, light, STRONG, and you can almost live inside them in bad weather plus you can stand up and change or make coffee inside on a cold wet morning...

Full disclosure my GFC is sold (new owner picks it up June 22nd) and I have an Alu-Cab Khaya being installed on the 28th. It’s more weight but still a wedge but has a bit more “camper” features. I ordered mine fully loaded so it’ll have a furnace, indoor sink and stove, solar ext. my reason for explaining that is with all the additional added weight lower gears are going to help out a bunch. If I stayed with the GFC I’d go 4.88’s

I have the heaviest suspension (+660lbs) OME suspension and I’m adding air bags before the Khaya gets installed. The OME suspension I have now holds everything just fine but it’s easy to add weight so try to resist.

I mentioned earlier if it’s your Daily Driver you need to factor that in, mine is for fun only so I’m not constricted by that but LOTS of guys that own Go Fast Campers use them Daily and they work great.

The “Overlanding” world is HUGE right now as everyone has pointed out. I’ve been off-roading and camping for 20 years and it hasn’t changed a bit, it’s called something fancy now and there’s way more gear available but i fondly remember sleeping in the back of a Jeep Cherokee back in the Late 90’s with a bunch of buddies having bonfires and drinking beers. It’s still just camping....

All that said it’s FUN!!!!!! And i am an overland bound member (though my truck wears no badges or patches) and some of my best and closest friends in my life have come from within the Overlanding community so as much as people bash it, having a way to find friends with similar interests isn’t a bad thing.

Get out and enjoy yourself. It’s such a cool activity and my last trip out west was one of the best and most rewarding times I’ve ever shared with my wife.

Good luck and feel free to ask anything you may need. The information on this site and others (check out expoportal, those are the real hardcore guys) is awesome!!!

Just read back through your post. You can run 255 85 R16’s and just a GFC with no other mods. It’ll all fit and work fine, add a set of Sumo Springs and you’ll be ok even with a little added weight. I have a buddy running all over Montana right now with a Pro on stock suspension and a GFC and he’s LOVING it. I am lifted about 2.75” and i think it helps but isn’t required. Lots of threads in here about fitting the tire size I have on a stock OR.

Good luck!!!!

 

yeah just take it easy and go have fun.

The camping gear you take to the lake or on a remote trail is pretty much the same (tent, sleeping bag, chair, maybe skip the BBQ grill and bring a coleman stove instead). It sounds like you already have the camping thing down.

Sounds to me like you should focus more on safety/recovery gear.

Getting stuck on the beach at the lake is no big deal. You wave to your buddy, he laughs at you, then pulls you out. But if you're 60 miles from nowhere and you get stuck, that could turn bad real fast.

I see a lot of people with a tow trap, which is cool, but they sometimes don't realize how useless it is when they're alone until it's too late...

I ended up with a winch because of this. In order to get the winch, I needed a bumper or some other way to mount it, like a hitch mount. My bumper may be a cool looking high clearance plate bumper, but it's not like I dragged my stock bumper on rocks before - it's merely a place for the winch to mount... added bonus that it looks good, lol

Other things to consider: skid plates. The stock ones are laughably thin, and while you may not do a lot of trails where you're always bashing into them, I would at least consider something to better protect your transmission oil pan. Would suck to poke a hole in that!

Sliders are good too, but really, not *that* important. You can still drive home with a dented rocker panel/door, but kinda hard to drive if your transmission bled out on the trail.

 

@Yota4x4

@YOTA 4X4


Thanks for the tips and advice. I'm excited to be on this forum and already hearing more in one day than in a year BS'ing around town.
I hear ya about camping. It has been a huge part of my life. It can be pretty simple. And its probably the most fun thing i do.
You ever come out to Oregon, I've got a few pretty sweet spots you would like to check out. But those are secret for now. Lol.
I found a local shop that deals only with off road rigs. I called and I'm going down there to talk about strategy. For now, I'm going to get the lift, tires, and wheels. Mainly because they look cool I admit. But, I do actually camp a lot. Now, I'm looking to go out a little further and make a longer trip with it and not just hang out in one spot for three days. Down the road, I'll probably look into suspension and air bags if necessary. Also, I'll get a (is it called a slider?) to protect the side of my truck?
I feel prepared for camping season, but now I'm looking forward to a little more time outside.
I could ask a million questions, but thats enough for now.
Thanks

 

Yeah, those are rock sliders. Sliders for short... They can protect the sides - sort of. Nothing is 100% of course, the more trails you drive, you WILL come home with trail trophies...

So what's your budget on the lift, wheels/tires? If you're trying to save some cash, go for something like the Bilstien 5100's. All 4 corners will set you back like $400 with an add-a-leaf and you can easily get a couple inches of lift. The next level up is suspension is going to easily be over a grand, more like 2 grand probably. Adjustable coilovers, upper control arms new rear springs, all that jazz.

I ran 5100s for over 6 years, and they treated me very well, I don't regret having them, even though I've since upgraded to King coilovers.

 

Sliders are bars/armor that are either bolted or welded to the frame of the truck to protect the rocker and lower doors of the cab from damage. This damage can come in the form of coming down hard on a rock/stump or scraping up along the side of an object. That part of the truck is hard to repair so it's better to protect it before it gets damaged. If your rocker gets bent it can interfere with the doors opening and closing.

 

Yep, Sliders... I’m running Mobtowns bolt on’s And they’re awesome!!!! This damage was actually from a @$?*-ing deer just east of Chicago on my way west. i will say the damage would have been WAY worse without them. Added bonus. It’s nearly impossible to get a door ding at the mall

They’re a good first step in armor, I have full Skids as well but if I had to chose one I’d pick sliders. The wheelbase on a Tacoma makes that a pretty vulnerable spot.

While I love my sliders due to shipping if i were you I’d look for a company on your side of the country. They’re HEAVY!

Sounds like you’re on the right track!

 

SOLID ADVICE!!

My biggest concern has always been getting stuck way out there. In fact, thats exactly why I bought another Tacoma. I tell my son that whatever rig we use, the most important part is getting home. So thanks for the wake up call. I'll get the skid plates and sliders on before I go out anywhere qu estionable.
Right off the bat, I can see how you go broke with this stuff. But for whatever reason, I LOVE it. Having said that, I will need to go step by step no matter because of budget. But I've got a great idea about what to do first. Really, nothing. Just go camping and scout some trails that I know are not going to leave me stranded. Then, start in.
Thanks

 

@jbrandt:
I figure 2K for wheels/tires. $500 for the lift (5100's)
then probably 1K for the sliders/skid plates
So probably 3500-4 bones for the lot.
I'll have to do wheels/tires/lift first. Then everything else.
By the time I'm fully rigged up, then I'll probably need to add air bags and switch to 529's for the weight.
Overall, I'm thinking bit by bit for many years. Barring destruction of the taco, I figure I'll have this for 10yrs+
Thanks for the tip on Bilstien's and add-a-leaf. I'm definitely leaning that way for now.

 

You could save several hundred by just doing tires. Freshen up your stock wheels with some paint or plastidip or something.

I've had my Taco for ~14 years, expect to have it at least another 20, lol. It will NEVER be "done", there's always something to change, add, subtract.

It's easy, just

 

Now thats funny!!!
Thats really how I'm looking at it, One thing at a time and it will never be done. I had my last taco for 13yrs, the only reason I traded in was i needed more room for my fam. But, the extra power is very nice. (I had a 4bgr before).
The wheels look pretty good, but like most folks, I'd like to black them out or make them less blingy.
Question: doesn't the taco come with Bilsteins? Or are the 5100s just an upgrade?

 

The TRD trucks do come with bilsteins (the double cabs for some reason I think came with tokikos or something), but they aren't the same as the aftermarket 4600s or the 5100s. The shock bodies on the 5100s are bigger. The 4600 and 5100s are more or less teh same, except the 5100s are height adjustable. The rear 5100s are longer, too.

 

Thanks!! I'm going with 5100's. Keep everyone posted on my mods as they happen. For now, stock and camping trip starting tonight.

 

you'll like them. They are far and away (IMO) the best bang for your buck suspension upgrade.