Overland set-up total vehicle weight...

As can companies in the US that manufacture utility beds for all trucks. They re-issue a truck's GVW as they have modified it to accept the new wight. As a matter of fact YOU can get permission from our government to do this as well. All you have to do is get a shit load of liability insurance and be bonded for $$$$$$$$$$$ of dollars, and take responsibility if your new GVW kills somebody.
As an engineer that has always been my biggest fear... that one of my designs kills someone. Same for re-issuing a new GVW...you better put a lot of thought, simulation and testing into that number if you want to take responsibility for it.

 

That's interesting. Would the individual be liable if the government signs off on it? They would have demonstrated they met all the gov requirements, which are assumed to be reasonable.

 

The person or company who determined the GVW is responsible legally, which is why the have to be licensed and bonded and have a PE signature and a lot of insurance.
Again, no problems until there is a problem and then it becomes a big problem.

 

LOL, all that "overland" gear strapped to your poor truck and this picture of it camping in a Jellystone campground is the best you have?

 

Where does the dog ride? I see 3 kids and 1 adult.

 

Thats for a completely stock vehicle not one that has an upgraded suspension/ gears etc.

 

Different areas have different laws. Here in BC the CVSE(DOT) can and have pulled over and inspected lots of personal vehicles. The guys with 3/4 ton diesels and 2 snowmobiles on their decks were easy marks for them as technically they were overloaded.

 

Or you could just pack weed, one ounce goes a long way.lol

 

I think people get so hyperfocused on the odds of getting popped on the legality that the bigger argument gets lost. I stopped mentioning that part. Full-time running a heavy truck with altered CoG has other ways of biting you in the ass than just legal. Maintenance and repair as I mentioned is the most common and least correlated way its going to bite you. Right behind that however, is the issue of braking and roll-overs. I have had noticeable brake fade in summer traffic, on an empty truck. The more weight you pull, the hotter the brakes get, the more they fade. Multiply that exponentially when your front pads reach a thickness of 5mm-2mm: that ugly spot where they are well aged but still have enough life that you don't want to replace them yet. It doesn't take much for a three year old brake pad to fade out when you need it the most.

As for roll-overs, we can all quote rain-man until we are blue in the face, but that risk is always there. That goes double if you are exploring trails in a truck with a cap/heavy ladder rack, RTT and enough gasoline, water, and propane containers to warrant a hazmat placard. Take one off-camber obstacle and throw in some loose gravel, and the truck with the RTT will be the first to kiss the ditch, passenger window first.



-
I have previously made the absolutely outlandish claim that the number of trails that a fully armored, E-ply, outrigged truck can reach- that my 2WD towing a pop-up camper can't - are probably less than the fingers on my left hand. But I believe that to be true. They are too top-heavy to hit the technicals that they were armored for in the first place.

 

Wow good to know. I know some (US) states have crazy registration laws, like all 3/4+ trucks are automatically commercial vehicles. I don't know if that opens them up to additional state regulations here or if it's just an extra reg fee.

 

Gotta build with the mission in mind, and I'd agree that most offroad mods only marginally improve offroad ability while simultaneously destroying much more frequently used driving characteristics. I'm not throwing shade, but for a lot of people, the image is the mission. Locality has something to do with it, too, I think. If I lived 30 min from some great forest roads in CO, I would consider sacrificing some of my driveability for an increase in offroad ability. Maybe I would like trails, too, but as it stands, I'd rather hike a trail at 3mph then drive it at 3mph.

Your 2wd + trailer argument is interesting. I have been a handful of places that you would not be able to go, like mosquito pass, but I don't care to do that again. The places we have both been able to go, which is most of them, I can go faster and more efficiently. Personal choice if that is worthwhile to you. I think it's the same thing with offroad mods. They typically don't significantly change where you can go, but they do change how much effort you have to give to get there.

 

If it ain’t broke, fix it until it is…

 

Also buy steering racks in bulk now. And a fuel depot.

 

** I gotta throw in the caveat that on previous trips, I'd get about 3/4 of the way in with trailer, drop it at camp, and then go explore the remainder of the trail empty. The ability to run relatively light when I need to means I'm not bogging down as much as the big guys, and I can pick slightly different lines than one would if they are running a 4x4 with higher CoG. Are there trails where i can't go? Yes, I can tackle moderate trails at best. Are there trails where I can't go but a top-heavy rig can? That's where I'm arguing. I sure haven't seen many of them on the ungraded dirt.




I do agree with you. Build it how you need it, and you won't know how you need it until you go. Its better to add it for next time than to sell it when it got in the way.

 

I'm stealing this

 

I like a lot of the pros of a trailer. The one big thing that keeps me on the non-trailer side is the ability to point towards the horizon, go down some sketchy roads, and still have my house with me so I don't need to make it back to base, so to say. 12 one way and a dozen the other.

 

As they say in the trailer world, "every solution is a compromise." When it comes to picking what gear works for you, one of the best exercises is to put aside the wants for a minute, look at the flip side, and ask what can be sacrificed. (Time, money, weight, mobility, the ability to shit in a closet....)

 

This is the way.

 

Robert. Robert Robert Robert.

First, kudos for actually doing some math on weight. There is still hope.

Second, have you ever off-roaded before? I have no idea your experience level. I assume you are interested in off-roading. Because I see that you bought an "Offroad" Tacoma.

Have you experimented with off-roading your stock struck, which in the case of the Offroad is a little bit not stock? They are very capable.

As an example, my truck is a 2015 DCLB SR5. No locker, no substantial mods, and just 32" tires.

This is the beginning of the true Rubicon Trail at the junction of Blackwood Canyon Road. My truck is pointed downhill toward the staging area, which is 3.5 miles of mostly moderate and some easy sections.



I got this fucking pig stocker trail limo through that section, gravity on my side, no skids or sliders, with only one nick on my exhaust crossover pipe. Some spots required getting out to choose a line, and a couple required spotting by my wife. All I had in the back was air and some basic recovery tools. And water. I stacked rocks once. The hardcore buggies bounding up past me looked at me like I was a fucktard, which admittedly I can be when I want to.

If you load up your truck as you propose, you likely will not be able to do this. Let that sink in. Your proposed pile of stuff will fight against your clearance and increase your center of gravity.



Leaving the camping at the campground is a friend with benefits.



If you just want the jewelery at the mall, go for it. But it seems like you actually care about things like weight. I'd advise watching, doing, and learning, not just shopping. and math.