Build ideas/suggestions for my 2023 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

[Scott_3ba81a]

Hello Everyone, I am very new to Overlanding and would welcome ideas and/or suggestions on how to build up my Frontier for Overlanding. Everything from suspension, racks, tents, electrical, comms, and anything else to get my truck kitted out. I would love to hear some DIY and low-budget ideas that some of y'all have done. I am also interested in meeting people from my home state of Alabama. Thanks.

 

[reaver]

Love the D41!

As far as mods, you really don't need much. Good tires is about it.

Get a quick pitch tent, or a swag, and just use basic camping gear. I wouldn't recommend modding the vehicle until you start encountering obstacles that you can tackle. Carry a decent toolkit, a few spare parts (tie rods, belts, air filter), and get out there.

My frontier is unmodified, but it's not my wheeling rig. That duty belongs to my 03 xterra, which is heavily modified.

You're not going to know what you need until you've gotten out there a bunch, and found out what doesn't work for you, and also what does. I'd hate for you to drop 3k on a rooftop tent, only to find out you hate it.

Comms are good if you're in a group, but not necessarily needed if you're solo. Unless you have a ham license. That being said, a gmrs handheld is certainly the cheapest option. My wife and I both carry one in our rigs, along with a Midland mxt275 15w base station.

 

[Scott_3ba81a]

Love the D41!

As far as mods, you really don't need much. Good tires is about it.

Get a quick pitch tent, or a swag, and just use basic camping gear. I wouldn't recommend modding the vehicle until you start encountering obstacles that you can tackle. Carry a decent toolkit, a few spare parts (tie rods, belts, air filter), and get out there.

My frontier is unmodified, but it's not my wheeling rig. That duty belongs to my 03 xterra, which is heavily modified.

You're not going to know what you need until you've gotten out there a bunch, and found out what doesn't work for you, and also what does. I'd hate for you to drop 3k on a rooftop tent, only to find out you hate it.

Comms are good if you're in a group, but not necessarily needed if you're solo. Unless you have a ham license. That being said, a gmrs handheld is certainly the cheapest option. My wife and I both carry one in our rigs, along with a Midland mxt275 15w base station.

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I just recently upgraded to the D41. I had a 2016 Frontier King Cab 4x4 and traded it in for my 2023. It had 192K miles on it. I got $8K for my trade. Of course it helped that I had all the body work done and got it repainted!

I have seen quite a few Xterras all kitted out and was amazed what you are able to do with them. You’re right about the truck top tents. The more I think about them the more I realize that the older I get the harder it will be to get down from it!

Plus, I already have a 2, 4, and 6-man tents. My son and I used to do a lot of camping before the Covid stuff and now he is in college and we don’t have the time like we used to, but we will be doing more in the next year as we are already thinking of a trip to Wyoming in August to September time frame.

We are trying to visit every state. He has about 25 more to visit and I have only ten left! I appreciate your help!

 

[Scott_3ba81a]

Love the D41!

As far as mods, you really don't need much. Good tires is about it.

Get a quick pitch tent, or a swag, and just use basic camping gear. I wouldn't recommend modding the vehicle until you start encountering obstacles that you can tackle. Carry a decent toolkit, a few spare parts (tie rods, belts, air filter), and get out there.

My frontier is unmodified, but it's not my wheeling rig. That duty belongs to my 03 xterra, which is heavily modified.

You're not going to know what you need until you've gotten out there a bunch, and found out what doesn't work for you, and also what does. I'd hate for you to drop 3k on a rooftop tent, only to find out you hate it.

Comms are good if you're in a group, but not necessarily needed if you're solo. Unless you have a ham license. That being said, a gmrs handheld is certainly the cheapest option. My wife and I both carry one in our rigs, along with a Midland mxt275 15w base station.

BTW, is your username in reference to to the Firefly series?

 

[reaver]

BTW, is your username in reference to to the Firefly series?

Maybe......

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I just recently upgraded to the D41. I had a 2016 Frontier King Cab 4x4 and traded it in for my 2023. It had 192K miles on it. I got $8K for my trade. Of course it helped that I had all the body work done and got it repainted!

I have seen quite a few Xterras all kitted out and was amazed what you are able to do with them. You’re right about the truck top tents. The more I think about them the more I realize that the older I get the harder it will be to get down from it!

Plus, I already have a 2, 4, and 6-man tents. My son and I used to do a lot of camping before the Covid stuff and now he is in college and we don’t have the time like we used to, but we will be doing more in the next year as we are already thinking of a trip to Wyoming in August to September time frame.

We are trying to visit every state. He has about 25 more to visit and I have only ten left! I appreciate your help!

This is a great plan. I really wanted to wait for the D41, but my previous truck was in good running order at 200k, for a chevy, so I got rid of it while I could. Replaced it with a 2013 Frontier Pro4x with about 70k miles several years ago. The only thing I've had to replace is my crankshaft position sensor (which is super easy, btw).

Just don't fall into the mod hype. If you're not going on super technical stuff, you don't need a lift. RTT's only make sense if you're going out about every month, and moving everyday on those trips. Then I feel like you get your money out of them. I didn't want one initially, but my wife talked me into it. I actually really like them, but for me, I feel like they work better on a small trailer than a vehicle, especially if you do more base camping that moving every day type trips. That being said, wife is planning on doing some solo trips this next year, so we moved it from my Xterra to hers. When I go out solo, I take the square drop.

 

[Scott_3ba81a]

Maybe......




This is a great plan. I really wanted to wait for the D41, but my previous truck was in good running order at 200k, for a chevy, so I got rid of it while I could. Replaced it with a 2013 Frontier Pro4x with about 70k miles several years ago. The only thing I've had to replace is my crankshaft position sensor (which is super easy, btw).

Just don't fall into the mod hype. If you're not going on super technical stuff, you don't need a lift. RTT's only make sense if you're going out about every month, and moving everyday on those trips. Then I feel like you get your money out of them. I didn't want one initially, but my wife talked me into it. I actually really like them, but for me, I feel like they work better on a small trailer than a vehicle, especially if you do more base camping that moving every day type trips. That being said, wife is planning on doing some solo trips this next year, so we moved it from my Xterra to hers. When I go out solo, I take the square drop.

You make a great point about the RTT and how often I use it. I currently will not be able to spend that much time out in the "wild" to make it a feasible purchase, but maybe in the future. It is great to hear that you and your wife like overlanding together and separately. I have been a single dad for about 15 years now, and most women I have encountered are more "cityfied" and do not like roughing it much. Which is fine as my son and I really like going camping and now we are expanding to overlanding.