Overlanding: Sport or Off road

HOOZE 2WDing?

 

I feel that the conversation of this thread has taken a little bit of a turn. From my understanding, the OP wasn't asking if the difference between the Sport and OR were with it as much as if it's worth him trading into a new vehicle for those features.

IMO, it's not. Why spend more money to get a few extra features when you have a perfectly capable and appropriate rig for your application already?

I cannot speak for A-Trac as I've never used it in real world. From my understanding it's a great tool to have and I agree that these are just tools that we have at hand, but I don't see it worth trading in a perfectly capable and appropriate truck for these features. Run what you have, learn from it so that your next purchase (if you ever find yourself in the situation) is exactly what you want.

 

I don’t “need” a Tacoma. I wanted it. I bought mine specifically to build up to off road. I don’t daily drive it but if I feel like it I get in it and drive it. As for using it as an actual truck, it’s not that great. Even if I had the longbed that extra foot isn’t going to do miracles...but I do enjoy it. I’ve had several vehicles that were built to off road and I’ve yet to use crawl control, but I’ve built up enough experience to learn how to pick my lines. That being said, if I’m super stuck I’d like to try it out. It’s not like the difference in cost between a sport and an off-road is insane and all of the other stuff you’re taking about getting instead of getting crawl control I have. What it really boils down to is how someone wants to spend their money.

 

You'll be fine in your truck. "Overlanding" is the new hip term for dirt road cruising.

Spend the money on gas, ridiculous amounts of patches, overland bound memberships, and awnings for every side of the truck.

Do not buy long travel suspension.

 

You will be just fine. Enjoy your truck and more importantly your adventures. I spend a lot of time on the coast surfing, Deep sand... check, Hunting....mud check, Camping and kayaking in the mountains Easy to moderate rock trails.. check. My truck is stock except for a leveling kit. (and its a sport) For most of us especially with families we are not trying to beat the crap out of our vehicles. I know mine is the mule that hauls my gear to our fun.

 

I took the stock stickers off too. Dig mine better

 

I dig the 4runner wheels a lot more than I thought I would!

 

Thanks. Can't take credit. On it when I got it but I really like them. Only one I've seen around here with them

 

Thanks fellas, I really appreciate everyone's opinions, regardless of whether you thought the original question was ridiculous. I knew it was ridic to trade or privately sell a barely used taco for a new one to begin with but that didn't really change the temptation of the available long bed with trd off road trim. Buying a mid size pickup at Toyota's price point is pretty ridiculous to begin with, but since you're all here on this forum, I assume you're aware of how irrational/illogical brand loyalty can be. There's plenty about Toyota and the Tacoma to be unhappy about but for me there's a lot about vehicle preference that defies reason and explanation. I like mid size, and until the Ranger hits the US I have no real interest in any other brands, even with the new ZR2 which has a way nicer ride than the Taco judging from the half hour test drive I took. I
1 question: Why's everybody putting the term overlanding in quotes? Is there a more politically correct term for the extended, self sufficient boondocking travel the Australians coined the term "overlanding" for?

 

I believe the term overlanding is used too much in most circumstances. Hence the quotes. It’s always seemed like a lifestyle to me. People all over the world overland with anything from motorcycles to Unimogs. You will be fine with the Sport. You can spend thousands of dollars and years preparing for a trip or just get the basics in recovery, camping and storage equipment to get out there and have fun exploring.

 

I bolded the part where you basically answer your own question.

It wasn't that long ago that "overlanding," at least in the states, was just called boondocking, or even just "camping" with the 4x4. No special name required.

Then, someone started selling RTT's and other mods you "need" to go wheelin' to Americans (you know us, we like to buy shit). Fast forward a couple months and you have trails flooded with squids driving brand new rigs with racks, RTTs and $10,000 in other stuff.

RTT's are really cool and useful, but the way they have been marketed is that RTT's basically give you the ability to all of a sudden take your 4x4 off road and, wait for it, CAMP!

 

No doubt, The marketing department did their job and as you so appropriately put, we like to buy shit!! Spend a bunch of extra money to do something I've already been doing 20 years........I'm in!!

 

For sure I'm guilty of this. Usually, it's cheap stuff that I probably didn't "need", but the investment was minimal as well, so no harm, no fowl. However, with a good RTT costing $1000+, that's a little more of a strain on my budget, so I'm certainly going to think hard about it before jumping in. I like the concept of the roof tent, as they are super easy to set up, etc... however there aren't really any tents that simultaneously fit my family (wife, 2 kids), fit my truck, or fit my budget.

The other thing for me is we tend to base camp it, and find 1-day trails, rather than go long distances and boondock it, so not having one isn't exactly cramping my life style...

 

While the locked and lifted look is awesome and I am planning some things, the 2 rigs on the right got to our destination in the same time the ones on the left did...

and for what its worth, the blue tacoma is a sport...

 

Great info/opinions! Thanks OP for starting discussion.

 

A 4x4 with a manual trans and a rear locker will take you almost anywhere. I will never own a 4x without at least a rear locker ever again.

 

@David K well done sir!!!

 

Thanks... that was years ago. Looks like you are another Baja Tacoma guy? See my Trip Reports to Baja in the Off Roading/Trip Reports section here on TW:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/trip-reports.180/

 

All three of my Tacomas (2001, 2005, 2010) were/are Off Road TRD 4x4s. The reason primarily was the rear locker. I 'discovered' A-TRAC after I bought the 2010 model (didn't know or care about it and the sales staff had no real idea what it was). I would learn that A-TRAC is amazing and turned the Tacoma into a Sherman Tank off road... with its "automatic front and rear locker-like traction system". Now, the rear locker doesn't get used (but is there for 'emergency' as it is intended by Toyota). With the front and rear 'locking' (stopping tire spinning by matching rotation across the axle), you really feel confident that you won't get stuck or need a buddy along for security.

 

@David K thanks for the input. I imagine that the A-Trac is great in certain scenarios, but I drove a friends 4Runner with it and it just felt clunky and odd to me. I also drove my buddies 2017 Tacoma with crawl control and I was not a fan, to each his own. I am still a fan of manual locking diffs. Maybe at some point I will give in