Road to Tuktoyaktuk!

Well congrats! I'm trying to get out and explore as much as I can now at this age too (30s) when I'm flexible (AND don't have kids at the moment, that's a big thing there!)

One nice thing about "an" truck I own. It's just another Tacoma, there's nothing old or unique or special about it. Less cool factor, but maintenance is dead simple!

 

The Prado is actually a 4runner that is 10" shorter and AWD when not in 4WD - The Gas version is what I got - I _wanted_ the 1KZ (in my heart) but my brain said the 5ZF - So far it has been a wise choice as Rock auto has had every single thing I have needed so far - Right from gaskets and washers all the way up to Denso replacement rad (I was worried about a 25-year-old rad and the infamous Cherry shake failure)

Now to satisfy my Diesel fix I bought a Diesel Galloper from Korea (Basically a gen 2 Pajero/Montero)

The funny thing is BOTH the Prado and the Galloper total cost me less out of pocket than a sub 200,000KM Taco or 4runner would have cost me.

 

Oh - yeah I mean it's still a high runner toyota, I'm sure it's easy (enough) to maintain.

My next truck won't be a tacoma. They're great, but for 10k less I can get something also great, that isn't a Toyota. Nissan comes to mind

I chuck muddy, dirty, nasty crap in the bed far too often to have an enclosed SUV, at least now-abouts. I do want a miata though.

My wife drives a hybrid sedan. Once that "expires" I'm going to take it instead of trading it in. Strap a RTT to the top, and drive it until it dies. 50mpg (probably less once I put a sail on the top of it...) road trip machine? yes please!

 

The 2008+ Nissan was for sure on my radar before I got the Prado - I actually took a few for a test run in "an almost bought a Taco" (Too long and off-topic for this thread) adventure - If you can spin a wrench and take care of the cherry shake rad and replace the chain guides you have a truck that is _almost_ as good as a Taco - The one thing that was very noticeable though was the interior was very cheap and flimsy compared to the Taco.

 

I feel young as fuck reading this thread haha. I’m 19. I’ll attempt it in either late 23 or summer of 24.

 

I'm out for '23.

Putting some plans and laying the tracks for thru hiking the AT in '24, and this unfortunately does not jive with that happening.

Still, on my bucket list. And I hope to see y'all out there sometime in the future when it happens.

 

I hear that. Haven't said it but I'm feeling 23 will not be the year for Tuk. But then again....... Who knows.

 

The circumstances which would have allowed Tuk to happen are still on the table, but the AT is taking the top spot to prioritize. To dive into it, right now it's me wife dog. I am not about to up and leave my pregnant wife/mother alone for 6-8 months. I can adapt Tuk to bring kids, I can adapt a lot of other plans to children. AT is less kid friendly to thru hike. So it's either NOW or after, should we decide to spawn. When I am 55+ I am sure I will be WAY less enthusiastic about kipping up in a hammock for 6 months.