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

That is not a safe setup.

I'd like to see at least a bungie cord on that case of beer, don't want any of them getting hurt before getting to the campsite. A Walmart cooler with ice would be even better, but I understand we're trying to keep weight under control.

 

Cooler is behind seat in cab..

 

This style setup REALLY had me thinking the long bed. Still went short though because I like the look of the short bed on the daily. But I’m digging your style!!!

 

Those are not lightweight. They are more middle of the range.

A lightweight would be more like a Vagabond Driver, Go Fast Camper, or one of the other newer brands that are not a fully enclosed style that wastes weight when you have a perfectly good truck bed to use as the bottom half.

 

What cot is that?

 

^^^^^ this ^^^^^

You really need to choose between rock crawling and camping rig.

If emphasis is taking FSRs/trails to remote camp sites, skip the skid plates, bumpers, etc to save a bit of precious payload for camping gear/supplies.

Start with little and add as necessary, but recognize that every option adds weight, and a weight works against vehicle performance, durability, etc.

 

I'm going into my third iteration of the soft wheeler/camping rig.
First year was a leer 100xl and I just tossed an air mattress in the back.
Pros, super warm and quiet in the wind. Relatively quick set up.
Cons, weight not really water proof and all your gear has to come out so you have somewhere to sleep.
Second year topper was sold picked up a bakflip mx4. Just ran a ground tent.
Pros, light as possible, didn't take up much room
Cons. Lengthy set up time more gear to organize back into the bed miserable if there's a ton of rocks around.

This year I'm trying the RTT route since I lined up a smoking deal on one.
See how that works out once spring hits

The only thing I would note is a fridge is a huge asset if you plan on being out for longer than 3 days. I'm done fighting with ice next year I will sort out a fridge set up.

It's a serious balancing act. To optimize function of camp and still a useful truck. Easily half of the people with heavily armored trucks will never use all that steel armor on it. I go for aluminum as much as I can as I never intend to hit anything but it's plenty strong to save you when mistakes are made.

 

& sorry hope “we” didn’t scare the OP away. Our trucks are like golf clubs or Boats. They all serve a different purpose & do different things. I had Big plans then ran outta money. & so far so good. For example today I put wood in my truck & drove 110mi away & am now back. My “Costco” run is 300mi away but can still camp & stop & get away..

 

& for Cot.. drum roll… the greatest cot that gets least amount of coverage on YouTube or anywhere else. CampTime
roll-a-cot. Great family owned small company in Washington. We’ve been using for over 15yr. & speaking of Utube.. to the OP “Arkansas off-road” did Vid bout weight one time was interesting & another fellow i watch is Softroading the West he has pretty simple build. & is DYI guy. sorry been on road for bit.

 

Respectfully man:

- youre absolutely right about the weight stuff, dont fall into that trap. You shouldn't buy anything until youre in a camping / 4x4 situation where you think "it would be really helpful to have ___" and realize it comes at a notable cost.

- consider taking a couple years to approach the final stage of your truck outfitting, dont rush,

- "the experts" like CBI, local 4x4 shop, might mean well but they are not you, they will get things wrong about what you need and are just motivated to sell you the nicest stuff.




Going cheap / simple is great:
Walmart water carrier > rotopax water thing.
Cooler > fridge + battery + solar.
Stock lights > led light bar.
Stock spare tire > tire carrier and big tire.

Get yourself out there, see if you like camping, how far off grid, if you even need 4x4 tires etc. I found I needed good tires for rocks, snow, speed bumps... So i spent a ton on them.
Maybe all you actually want is a nice fridge and a camp shower. So buy the best ****ing fridge instead of $20k worth of stuff you dont need.
go have fun first

 

And watch Craigslist/FB marketplace/OfferUp/Goodwill, etc. Peeps are always dumping gear due to upgrading, divorce, job location changes, kids, failing body, lost interest, and so forth.

 

Overlanding. I’m gonna ruffle feathers but what a bullshit term. I’ve been on the road since May. Bought my truck in December of 22. I have 53874 miles on my truck. Been all over Alaska Canada Montana Wyoming and now I’m in Mexico, currently Malpaso southwest of Guadalupe.

I have 33’s, front skid and trans skid, Softopper, a ground tent, an iceco JP 40 cooler, foldable solar panel jackery 500 snow shovel small spade shovel backpack with clothes small shave kit recovery boards tool kit and an Iridium phone. Also a shotgun, which has no problems traveling across any borders.

I don’t have a 20th of what these so called overlanders have. Been fine. Get what you need not what’s cool or what everyone else has.

I don’t have a lift yet was told I needed one. Been through all kinds of shit.

Was told roof top tent to stay safe from bears. LMFAO. Lol. Seen bears from Wyoming to Barrow AK. Still slept in the ground tent or hammock. But you can be killed they said. Yeah should have been dead countless times on active duty or as a contractor. My thread has already been woven and I can’t change that.

Run 0W20. The engineers say to. Been running whatever I can find. 5-30, 0-30,0-40,5-40,0-20, and I think I had to use 3?quarts of 10-30 with three quarts of 0-30 once. Running fine. No issues.

Didn’t listen to any of the bullshit. I’ve been fine. Find what you need not what some jackwagon with tons of throw away income Instagram warrior says to get.

 

overlanding is just car camping so no need to skimp on beers to save weight

 

Don't be dumb like us heavy-weights. You speak of wanting longevity, but I know my truck's time is limited. Wife and I are currently planning to buy an F450 to replace our ridiculously overloaded Tacoma for heavy hauling, but the Taco will stay for trail use. Can it do it? Sure, but for how long? Most of those fancy youtube builds only need to last a couple years til they build their next new setup and sell their old one. They don't need it to last.

1. Deaver stage 3's are rated for 2 inches of lift on your 3rd gen, at 700-1000lbs. 3 inches on a 2nd gen like mine. Meaning it takes even more weight to get them down to stock height. I have these, and love them. And 1400 pounds? hahaha. I WISH I was remotely close to 1400 pounds on my truck. Double that and you're getting close. Again, it's stupid. Do as we say, not as we do.

2. If you are running heavy, why would you think 33s don't need re-geared? Re-gear is your friend, no matter the tire size. I re-geared from 3.73 to 4.56, and am running 32s. I have zero issue cruising cross country with the below. But gas mileage SUCKS, and you don't accelerate quickly. Let the motor rev up and you can still do the speed limit up the mountains.




3. If you aren't looking to offroad, but instead "overland", most stock vehicles can handle the terrain without bumpers, skids, and sliders. Sharp rocks, water bars, and occasional slippery (but not deep) mud are usually your biggest concerns. If I hadn't damaged my rear bumper on a "mild trail run" my buddy took me on through an offroad park, I'd still have the stock bumper and be happy. At the time, I thought, hey if I'm gettin a rear bumper, why not sliders?? They've never touched a rock or tree since install, and i've never been anywhere I needed the clearance of my rear bumper. Since I put the front bumper on with the winch, I've never used the winch. Full set of four Maxtrax is all I've ever needed. Skip the armor and bumpers unless you want to lean more towards the harder offroad trails.

Fridge though, get one. My wife and I have always said we'd go back to a ground tent before losing the fridge. It is the #1 piece of kit for car camping/Overlanding comfort.


And yes, my stupid-heavy beast has been on "trails" like the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route which is all most overlanders are looking for. My biggest issue isn't ground clearance, but overhead clearance. Just drive your truck stock. throw your gear in the back, and decide what you NEED as you go.

 

I have to admit, when I see a lifted, kitted out "overland" rig, I think they look cool. I don't know how many actually use all of that stuff, hopefully most of them do. But I'm old(ish) at 51, and grew up regular old camping and backpacking. I'm fine with my tent on the ground (as long as I have a nice, comfy air mattress under me)
I like to keep my truck as lean and nimble as possible. Watching offroading videos of guys loaded with weight and roof top tents making them top heavy look scary to me. if I can't get to where I need in my stock truck, I'll either hike in, or turn around lol. It's plenty capable to get me out exploring

 

You just got to go out and figure out what you like and don't like. You need to decide if you're actually going to wheel your truck, or just take dirt to a campsite. Start off stock and then go from there. Never base your setup off some dudes youtube or gram. Figure out what you actually want and need. Since this won't be your daily, you can open up more options for yourself. I can tell you that 5.29's on a 3rd gen with 33's feels great! I will also say that a 12v fridge is life changing lol!

My truck is not my daily driver. It is only used for wheeling and camping. I like to run moderate to difficult trails and I also like to be comfortable at camp. I try to ride the fine line between performance and comfort. I'm running 33's (255/85R16), Icon stage 5 w/ Deaver stage 2 leafs, 5.29 gears, factory rear locker and front ARB. The only heavy parts I have added are a Topo Toppers Badlander, sliders, and a rear bumper with swing out. My current setup has evolved over time and multiple different vehicles. All three of my heavy items get used. The Topo is a quick and comfy camp setup. My sliders are scratched up. The bumper and tire swing are to get my tire out from under the truck. I'm really tall and pushing 50. Not really a fan of getting under the truck if I don't have to. It also has a super handy drop down table and jerry can holder. The spare on the back is also a great place to hang a Trasharo, aka the Trash & Poo. All in and loaded for a trip, I'm still 100 pounds under gross weight, with me in it.

Take your time. There's no right way to do it

 

I’d bet that REI and Cabela’s coined the “Overland” term to pump up sales on expensive and unnecessary camping items!

 

As with any time this topic is brought up, loads of hate surrounding the good advice.

Start small and see what you need as you grow with the hobby. I originally began sleeping on a 1" mattress pad underneath a tarp stretched over the bed of my truck. I went through almost every iteration of car camping until I arrived at what I have now, which most folks will quickly call out as 'overboard/impractical/etc.' or 'you're just doing it for Instagram', which is hilarious, as the truck isn't even on IG. I have a build thread here on TW and that is it.

Your truck doesn't become a pile of rubbish just because you add things to it. I still get ~17 mpg on the highway, which is what a stock Tundra gets. The truck isn't 'slow' at all. I can still be the first one in the group after a light turns green. I still easily get up to freeway speeds on inclined on-ramps. I almost always use S5 on highways, and sometimes even get it into S6. I've climbed 10%+ grades without the truck exploding.

At the end of the day, it is your vehicle and your money. Nobody online knows what you prefer, or understands your finances. If you have the means to do it, then go ahead and do it. You'll always find people who vehemently hate what you do, so you might as well do what you want to do; the criticism is unavoidable.

I will add the caveat that if you want longevity, as I do, then be ready to spend the money. For me, that meant extensive modifications, and a more frequent maintenance schedule. Enter into this with that in mind and you will be starting off from a good place. I will also add that I do believe the term 'overlanding' has become too much of a hype word, justifying massive price tags just because an item is associated with this hobby/phenomena. I also personally dislike that ability to finance any and every modification under the sun, but that's just me. But extended travel in a capable vehicle, or even living in one (like I do) is incredibly pleasant, and dare I say, extremely good for you. If you need a bunch of gear to make that happen then by all means, there is plenty to buy!

And big LOL to the folks that an overlander can't offroad/rock crawl. My friends and I didn't get that memo:

Untitled by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

_MG_4478 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

_MG_1890 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

_MG_1964 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

_MG_2732 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

 

Yeah Dude, the whole Overland(ing) term is getting out of control! Whatever happened to just going wheeling and camping? My friends and I just say that we're going on a "trip". We just want to run some fun trails, scratch up our trucks, eat some good food, drink some cold beers, talk shit, sleep good, wake up and take a poo with a view.