Overland set-up total vehicle weight...

Are you saying you don’t wanna turn your Tacoma into a monster truck to increase your payload?

 

I'm just saying I wish I could embrace the old ignorance is bliss saying.

 

Fair enough . My only aftermarket skid is an engine skid and the factory Toyota one is even more worthless than the one on my old Chevy.

 

You mean the the stock splash guard?

 

Yeah, I guess. What’s it even made out of these days? My first gens was metal at least, as is the one on my frontier.

 

Weigh your truck now and then plan accordingly. If you carry a lot of weight (400 or more lbs on the rear axle) then you'll probably want to upgrade your rear leaf springs. I initially went on short trips (near 400lbs) and even then I added Icon (51100) Rear Expansion Pack leafs and then added airbags. I now go on longer trips and my truck weight nears 6000#s when I start on a trip. In the next year I will upgrade my leaf springs to something that can handle about 600#s on the rear axle if I continue on these longer trips. If i were just going on Forest Service Roads and such I would be fine with what i have.

I gave up on adding a rear bumper with dual swings as that is the 2nd to last place I want extra weight, and I wasn’t willing to give up 200#s of other items.

 

This is to all those bros who think they can add a literal ton of weight and be okay because they added gears and adds leafs.

 

It’s very thin steel that one could bend with hands.

 

What’s on tap tonight sir?

 

What a good doggo. I brought my little blue girl with me to a temp assignment this summer and got the same shot on the trip there.

 

It’s Called Camping

 

So what the consensus is, a vehicle like this is drool worthy, but we damn sure wouldn't want to drive it every day?

 

If you want to go cross country, one of the heavy mods that would be worth it is a steel bumper like the ARB. Clip a deer without one and you’re truck could be totaled. All these guys make a good point but my friend just hit a cow (headlight area not head on collision) in his tacoma and a steel bumper would have saved him a ton of damage

 

I wouldn't want that pig in my driveway.
Here's the thing. The guys who truly off road build their own rigs, and they don't start with a new vehicle with a six cylinder. The start with a LS and solid axles, doubler and locked front and rear. Now, the people who want to SELL you stuff, including views and likes, will build something like in that picture. At the end of the day, do what you want and make yourself happy. Just don't expect everyone to like it.
If I were building a truck to "overland" (camp on a dirt road) and drive it all over creation, It would have a Leer topper and an ARB front bumper. I would stiffen the suspension a bit to handle the extra weight. I would not have a winch. I would not add skids, (pick a better line and use a spotter) and I would have a few totes in the back with specific gear for the trip. I would always have a nice come along with me and sometimes take a hi lift jack. I would put 275's on it and steel wheels. You can always hammer a steel wheel back into shape. That's it. I would have added around 400 lbs, leaving me 600 lbs to haul me and my gear. Never be overloaded.

 

Couldn't agree more on the wheels. Nothing worse than paying $800 to $3000 on a set of wheels when you know, from experience they're going to get gouged up.


I do think if you go off road, you'd be wise to honest with yourself about your needs vs wants. I have a 4 cylinder so every pound is considered when I go somewhere.

If I'm going to be more than 10 miles from a paved road or out of cell service I pack heavy. Most of my 1 or 2 night trips I'm probably less than 100lbs overweight. Due to my style of camping, and the area I live (think sharp volcanic rocks,) I do have sliders and skids. The skids are aluminum to save weight though. And yes my sliders and skids are scratched and gouged.

 

I just got home from a 7 day 2,500 mile trip. My house in SW Oregon to Telluride Colorado. I've always regretted putting a heavy steel (NWTI) bumper on my "little" truck. Seems like a lot to ask of the front end with a 8000# winch as well. about 400 miles into my vacation a deer steps out right at dusk, probably worse visibility then just being dark out. I had the CC set at 70mph and didn't get much brake time at all. Smack!!! I thought for sure my trip was over, head light, radiator what else??? She wasn't a huge doe, lets say 90#s but still I was moving along fairly fast and it was loud. Pulled over and ZERO damage. I was lucky but also had a big ass steel bumper on my side. Now I want one on my commuter Honda lol

 

My RTT... best part is stealth camping at wal-mart or wherever enroute to my destination.

 

Considering the hardware in that picture and comparing it to the eye-watering amount of money that I poured into mine, I'm not envious at all. More power to the person if that's their hobby, I won't yuck their yum. And at the same time, I look at the price tag of those bolt-ons and quietly think "damn, that could have been a three month vacation for two people. Or a boat. Or a new side by side with trailer."

But I'm weird like that. Trucks that are that extreme will get a polite compliment from me, but I won't go full drool unless its hand-fabbed. Otherwise it feels like "congratulations for buying all the things."


...

(To be fair, my truck is also a bolt-on credit card bill, so I'm not expecting huge compliments on it either. )

 

Get a snatch strap and a good shackle for your receiver. Get a shovel. I just use an old surplus e-tool. Get an axe (not hatchet). Get a good tire pressure gauge, some deflaters (love my Stauns), and of course a compressor. A good Viar will do, you don't need a $1000 ARB suitcase. Consider Max Traxs or equivalent for solo self recovery in desert/soft sand areas. You can leave them in the cardboard box in the bed of your truck until you need them. Put together a good tool kit, and practice replacing a wheel in the sand. Then cut some 3/4 inch plywood squares when you realize how fucked you could be. Don't go to my instagram page for more tips, because I don't fucking have one

Think hard about where you want to adventure in the desert and Alaska, and what conditions you will confront there, and how you may need to unfuck yourself if you are stuck solo in bear country without a good instagram signal.

 

You've obviously never been to EJS.
None of that is factually necessary.
After 7 EJSs I've been on several 5+ rates trails with guys that have none of that except a single spline locker and 2WD, but do have a ton of trail experience.

Of course some guys do invest in built 9" rears, 1-tons, portholes, & LS convos, but those guys are the exception not the rule.

You need off road driving experience on the rocks (mudding and the use of momentum is something all together different) but you do NOT need V8s or 1-tons or even solid axles.

I took a mostly stock 4-cylinder 1988 Suzuki Samurai to EJS with nothing but 33" tires, an axle flip and 4:56s.

I took that Sammy up TOTW with 2 V8 CJs, who both thought they needed all that and 1 ended up breaking both spines up front and the other tore out his planetary mounts (like ALL the way off to where it was banging off the floor pan)because they thought they needed that V8 power.
(took the same Sammy with a rear locker over the Golden Crack on the spike that next year)

That little 4 cylinder ran circles around guys with V8s and solids who had no idea how to drive off road.