New here, new to tacomas. Looking for some info.

So I Just got my Tacoma. Absolutely in love. its a 2021 SR5 v6 4x4 in grey.

I wanna build it out for overlanding. i live in the south east, so not much desert, more forest, mud and clay. I plan to use it for extended wilderness hunting trips, and eventually plan to live out of it. My goal is to get skid plates, roof and bed racks, front and rear bumpers and lights all around. in addition to this, i wanna get a roof/bed rack tent, and upgrade the suspension.
I immediately swapped the tires for some A/T's to get me started.

My question is, whats the best place to start? skid plates? racks? is there a right way? a best upgrade path? Any advice is helpful.

PS. I am a poor boy, so prioritizing the cheaper upgrades first is helpful. thinking about snagging skid plates first, but i'm open to suggestions.

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to TW! Start saving up some cash! Good parts esp suspension isn’t cheap. Do it once, do it right the first time.

Start with a good set of low maintenance c/o such as Bilstein 8112/8100, then wheels, tires. And move on from there. The reason I said Bilstein 8112 vs Kings or Fox is unless you beat on the 8112 they won’t need rebuilding as often as the latter 2. Out back go with an Atlas spring co Expedition spring pack 1.5 ~ 2 inch lift and 3” up front with the 8112 def have them re valved for expedition use. They will handle the slow thru the forest/rocks and do washboards fast and still feel plush. Also feel plush on road, mountain twisties they stay firm. Go 17” wheels with 285/70-17’s with say Toyo AT3’s one of the best all around tires for everything from sand, mud, dirt, snow, rocks etc

 

Welcome! I’m still a newbie too! Good luck on the build. Should be a fun project and as mentioned start saving now as suspension components add up quick! Be sure to post photos along the way.

 

Welcome.

For a forest/wetland build where mud and clay is your primary challenge, I would be extremely conscious about weight. Maybe an aluminum oil-skid to deflect branches, and that's it. Keep in mind, the more you turn your truck into an overloaded pack-pig, the deeper you are going to sink into the Georgia sticky-mud. Most people think that the solution to that is to beef up. Naw, slim down. Light and nimble. Float like feather, not plow like clydesdale.

 

Welcome!