Welcome Ben
@OnlyDriveGMs , you came to the right place to learn about Overlanding. You are in the US Northwest Region,
@Kent R is the Regional Director,
@Gabriel Bozeman is your closest Member Rep,
@Sandpoint Steve and myself
@Slimpartywagon are also Member Reps.
Check out the Full Sized Rigs sub forums. Lots of rigs in there. The trophy trucks of years gone buy were primarily Full-size trucks with outrageous campers on the back. They were huge and heavy. But they went everywhere. I personally have built 6 full-size rigs, currently working on 7, and haven’t found my rigs to be inadequate. The biggest problem newbies have is gear envy. I suffered from this for years. And in my late teens through early 20’s this wasn’t much of a problem. Then I got married, had kids, and had actual adult responsibilities. So in order to continue my adventures I had to stop spending money on the exciting gear, and focus on the important and basic gear.
I give the fallowing advice to all new comers to the hobby:
Buy a 3 subject notebook to keep in your rig. It’s going to become a log book of sorts. The first subject is the vehicle modifications, Second Subject recovery gear upgrades, and third subject is camping gear/upgrades. use the truck for 1 year without doing any modifications to the truck, other than possibly tires and armor. Get good coms, basic recovery gear, and basic camping gear.
Subject 1: Vehicle modifications can be broken down into several groups. Mechanical, Interior, and Body. For mechanical upgrades you are looking at upgrading mechanical failures, improving specific characteristics, and performance gains. Interior is comfort and ergonomic upgrades as well as storage solutions for gear, electronics, and other interior needs. Body breaks down into armor, storage, lights, and other functionality add ons and upgrades to enhance usability and looks with an emphasis on usability over looks. Too many times we chose form over function which results in a less than capable rig.
Subject 2: Recovery gear, start with the basics, a abc fire extinguisher(or several), first aid kit, shovel, axe, gallon of water, emergency food rations, recovery straps, shackles, recovery points, an air compressor, tire Repair kit, and a set of basic automotive tools.
Subject 3: Camping Gear, bare minimum tent (shelter) sleeping bags, cook stove, kitchen utensils, and something to put them all in.
As you adventure throughout the year, write down in each section what you need to change out and why. Research different products that meet the overall goal you wish to achieve. make A list of these products. Only buy what is absolutely nessessary your first year. Prioritize your list from what you have to have down to that looks neat.
your second year is where things start to happen. Start buying the stuff in order of importance along with what your budget can afford. After each upgrade, go test it out, make sure it performs like you want. You will find that the things you thought you needed originally might not actually be a need but more of a want or that’s looks cool item.
Find like minded people to hang with (you already made a great choice coming here) to gain knowledge from others. Attend local events and Meetups, talk to your member reps, that’s what we are here for. By becoming A paid member, you will gain access to the user maps which is a huge resource to see what is going on around you, and find locals to get out and explore with. The member reps are working hard to set up some exciting trail rides, camp outs, and gatherings throughout the year.
@2RiversRanchExpeditions is hosting a
4th of July weekend at the 2 Rivers Ranch in Dayville, Oregon.
Also if your budget can afford it I highly recommend attending the
Northwest Overland Rally in June
Once again, welcome Ben. I hope we can help you with your build, and answer any other questions you might have. See you on the trails.
