New to overland and need some direction.

[dustan]

So I really don't know where to start or post so maybe this is the wrong place. Looking to start from scratch literally, I have nothing not even a car. I'm looking for a SUV I can drive to work and also use for overlanding. With Toyota outpricing itself I was thinking of the Nissan Xterra. I can find those with 130k miles for $4000. I might be able to get into a 13' for $9800 with 105k with a small loan. Is the Nissan good for this? I don't want to spend much more than what I have in cash right now, that's around 5 grand without a loan, which I don't want but don't want a crap truck. I'm not looking to go crazy like SAS or anything so extreme.

 

[Shakes355]

Welcome.
Well that's a big question. The first thing I'll say is that you have a lot of options. The cost of used toyotas has really reached a fever pitch. Its unfortunate but not the end of the world. Your local market will dictate most of the decision for you based on your budget.

Yes, xterras are quite capable. If you scroll through the Vehicle Build threads you'll find more than a few of our members run them. Just remember that Overlanding can *look* flashier than it needs to be. Vehicle Dependent Travel really only requires a reliable rig and sense of adventure. So my recommendation is to find something you like and leave yourself a minor budget to get it to %100 (maintenance and repairs). Mods and gear should come after because none of it will help you if you break down out in the woods due to lack of maintenance.

My first adventure rig was a subaru. Got it cheap and sunk about 4k into repairs and preventative maintenance. Drove it for 50+k miles and 2+ years and wouldn't trade the adventures for anything. I never had a single issue for the entire time. All vehicles have their quirks but at your starting budget if its 4 wheel drive, you're probably safe.

 

[Ubiety]

If you can do your own mechanical work you will save tons. Look on YouTube for “Cheap truck challenge” - a bit whack at points but fun to watch and eye opening to see just how cheaply you can get started. Once you get a rig practice different obstacles and get out with others more experienced. You will learn a ton and make friends in the process. @Shakes355 is spot on, you don’t need flashy expensive gear and I would add if you get out and experience with others you will have first hand knowledge of what works and what does not - then you can better prioritize and purchase gear that you know to work well. If you get something longer than yourself you can sleep inside (or in the bed). I think reliability is key as well because breakdowns tend to kill a trip ;)

 

[Corrie]

Hey there, @dustan - Great questions, and you are definitely in the right place.

There’s some solid advice here in this thread already, and one thing I will chime in with is to remember that the simplest solution is more often than not the best solution. This type of travel is a great opportunity to learn a ton of new skill sets, and problem solving techniques. And there is no such thing as a dumb question - please feel free to ask away on our forums!

Welcome!

Corrie

 

[LONO100]

Please post back with the type of terrain or trails you plan to tackle, if you plan on doing solo trips or with an SO, family, a dog, etc. I think there is a number of ways you can go for very little money (relatively speaking). You may need to define your requirements first.

 

[dustan]

Please post back with the type of terrain or trails you plan to tackle, if you plan on doing solo trips or with an SO, family, a dog, etc. I think there is a number of ways you can go for very little money (relatively speaking). You may need to define your requirements first.

Ok great,

Current planes are to go to the 4 corners states and see the sites. I guess the first few trips will be doing this type of driving. I would like to see the Moab, Grand Canyon and up through San Juan National Forest in Colorado. For travelers it's pretty much me, my wife doesn't like to camp our go outside much. My dog stays home as he would eat everything in sight.

I have a list started for NM

White sand
Carlsbad
Bisti
shiprock
valles caldera

My biggest concern is buying used cars, I did in my younger years and always was breaking down. I have 3 mechanics in the family now so I can get things fixed and fabricated but still want a good starting base vehicle. I lost my high paying job and pretty much lost everything and now back to 25 years ago square one. Thank you big government!

 

[Sparksalot]

I overland in an old highway patrol Tahoe. I picked up thecopcar for under $8,000 with 171K. It had been a supervisor rig, and didn’t have the wear and tear other might have.

I liked it so much that when job change (loss) took my company car I bought a second for $4,000 to use as a a daily driver. Thenewgirl had been a K-9 unit, so was missing a lot of interior. I just so happened to have already pulled most of those parts out of thecopcar to make it more overland dedicated.

the only real overland mod I needed to make was swapping in KO2 tires in place of the pursuit tires. I’ve done other things, like adding a footwell water tank, and repurposed the weapon locker thoughtfully left in the rig.

 

[LONO100]

I think going with a 4x4 Xterra is a great route if you can find one in solid condition. I love Toyotas, but for the prices they go for used, you might as well buy a new one. I have a lot of experience with Xterras, and if you can find one that wasn't abused it's a great deal, very capable and you won't have to do much to them to go where you are planning. It will also have enought room for you and your wife if she ever decides she wants in on the outdoors. A used Subaru Forrester or Outback is also another great option if you are on an under 15k dollar budget. You can sleep out of it, they often come stock with crossbars so you just add whatever basket, bike, kayak rack system to the top without needing to spend 500-700 bucks on crossbars. They are also super reliable. I've owned two of them. I bought a new Forrester back in 2004. We racked 300k miles on it before the transmission went out, and only cost 800 bucks to get another one dropped in. Then I gave it to my niece as a present. She flew into the CA, and drove it back to Albuquerque back in 2016. She still owns it. Runs like a top, and takes her to all of her snowboarding trips in Northern NM and CO.

If you are certain it's just going to be you on these trips, I can't speak highly enough of the Ford Ranger. I owned a 96, and my buddy owned a 00, and those things are bomb proof from my experience, are very capable with slight modifications, and cost much less than a Tacoma. The best thing about the Ranger is that there are millions of them, and many of them live in salvage yards, so you can go to your local pick and pull and grab extra parts like shafts, CV's, body panels, leaf springs, you name it for dirt cheap. Same goes for any late model explorers. I will forever love these vehicles, I have been on my best trips in my ranger based vehicles and the cost of ownership per year was super low. Best of all, I had all the confidence in the world in them while I was out in the sticks with them.

Going used though, I will preface that you will either to know some very mechanically inclined people, or be handy yourself to give you the most benefit from these types of vehicles. The more you can learn to do on your own, the better. My all time favorite vehilce that I ever owned was my awesome 03 Sport Trac. This is, I believe the most underrated overland/camping/adventure vehicle out there. Mine was a beast, was cheap to modify and repair, easty to work on, and never failed on me in the field. And I took this thing everywhere. If you can find one that's an 03-05 in great condition with low miles, jump on it. All the benefits to the ranger based vehicles that I have mentioned above go for the Sport Trac too as it is also a Ranger based vehicle. Good luck on your search!

 

[dustan]

I think going with a 4x4 Xterra is a great route if you can find one in solid condition. I love Toyotas, but for the prices they go for used, you might as well buy a new one. I have a lot of experience with Xterras, and if you can find one that wasn't abused it's a great deal, very capable and you won't have to do much to them to go where you are planning. It will also have enought room for you and your wife if she ever decides she wants in on the outdoors. A used Subaru Forrester or Outback is also another great option if you are on an under 15k dollar budget. You can sleep out of it, they often come stock with crossbars so you just add whatever basket, bike, kayak rack system to the top without needing to spend 500-700 bucks on crossbars. They are also super reliable. I've owned two of them. I bought a new Forrester back in 2004. We racked 300k miles on it before the transmission went out, and only cost 800 bucks to get another one dropped in. Then I gave it to my niece as a present. She flew into the CA, and drove it back to Albuquerque back in 2016. She still owns it. Runs like a top, and takes her to all of her snowboarding trips in Northern NM and CO.

If you are certain it's just going to be you on these trips, I can't speak highly enough of the Ford Ranger. I owned a 96, and my buddy owned a 00, and those things are bomb proof from my experience, are very capable with slight modifications, and cost much less than a Tacoma. The best thing about the Ranger is that there are millions of them, and many of them live in salvage yards, so you can go to your local pick and pull and grab extra parts like shafts, CV's, body panels, leaf springs, you name it for dirt cheap. Same goes for any late model explorers. I will forever love these vehicles, I have been on my best trips in my ranger based vehicles and the cost of ownership per year was super low. Best of all, I had all the confidence in the world in them while I was out in the sticks with them.

Going used though, I will preface that you will either to know some very mechanically inclined people, or be handy yourself to give you the most benefit from these types of vehicles. The more you can learn to do on your own, the better. My all time favorite vehilce that I ever owned was my awesome 03 Sport Trac. This is, I believe the most underrated overland/camping/adventure vehicle out there. Mine was a beast, was cheap to modify and repair, easty to work on, and never failed on me in the field. And I took this thing everywhere. If you can find one that's an 03-05 in great condition with low miles, jump on it. All the benefits to the ranger based vehicles that I have mentioned above go for the Sport Trac too as it is also a Ranger based vehicle. Good luck on your search!

Thank you for you input, I was looking at the forester but heard they have head gasket problems. Apparently not with 300k on that 2.5l engine, I know the timing belt needs to be change every 100k tho. Never thought about a Ranger, I had a 2000 Mazda B3000 and it was nice. I'm looking everyday online and around here for something to show up but the north east is not a place to get vehicles as after 5 years they are already a rust bucket.

Was that the 3l or 4l engine in the ford?

I can fins subaru's all day long for 3500 that are 2010 through 2012's but they all have 180k+

 

[Trail_pilot]

only problem I have with Xterras ( I have never owned one but wheeled with some) is that the alternator is low on the engine and doesn't like deep mud or water. That being said the guy I know that wheels his and replaces alternators more frequently than oil, is used to driving a back halved square body chevy on 40s so picking a line for an Xterra ay not be his strong suit.

 

[Ubiety]

If you do go Subaru with a boxer engine make sure to check the oil often as they have a reputation for burning said oil and things go sideways real quick if you burn through too much. That said I had a WRX for a while and it was a great car for me, I drove it hard and it never burned oil; maybe it's an age thing. I really liked it a lot and it had great features only found on more expensive cars - interior was "plasticy" but that is great when tracking mud in and out. Interesting that a used Subaru is an affordable choice where you are at as they hold their value really well on the West coast.

The VW Touareg is supposed to be an "overland sleeper" - super capable offroad, really nice inside and can be found at a good price used (never got too popular). Never owned one.

 

[dustan]

I have a list I've seen for recommended rigs

If you do go Subaru with a boxer engine make sure to check the oil often as they have a reputation for burning said oil and things go sideways real quick if you burn through too much. That said I had a WRX for a while and it was a great car for me, I drove it hard and it never burned oil; maybe it's an age thing. I really liked it a lot and it had great features only found on more expensive cars - interior was "plasticy" but that is great when tracking mud in and out. Interesting that a used Subaru is an affordable choice where you are at as they hold their value really well on the West coast.

The VW Touareg is supposed to be an "overland sleeper" - super capable offroad, really nice inside and can be found at a good price used (never got too popular). Never owned one.

There are plenty of the VW Touareg around here for 4k or less and around 125k to 150k miles. I even found one with a diesel engine. Just know nothing of that engine so was worried. They are nice cars tho, my sister had a golf turbo and that was nice. I just drove a CC with the 2.0 turbo and was pretty surprised.

 

[Ubiety]

One thing to consider is the availability of aftermarket parts for your vehicle of choice. Ever want to lift it? Want burley bumpers (and a winch)? You can find those kinds of parts for some vehicles all day long; others not so much.

 

[LONO100]

only problem I have with Xterras ( I have never owned one but wheeled with some) is that the alternator is low on the engine and doesn't like deep mud or water. That being said the guy I know that wheels his and replaces alternators more frequently than oil, is used to driving a back halved square body chevy on 40s so picking a line for an Xterra ay not be his strong suit.

This is true. The starter is also near the bottom and I have had to replace one once before after it got beat down.

Of all the vehicles I have mentioned and even the ones I haven't, they all have some kind of common problem. I have found that if you find a well taken care of specimen, and you continue that care, you can really get good bang for your buck.

I owned a ranger with the little 4 banger, and my sport trac had the SOHC 4.0L V6 which was pretty much bomb proof. Transmission was solid too, but those motors did have an infamous chain tensioner issue where if they broke, it would mean lifting the motor out. I felt like this was happening to people who weren't keeping their oil levels right. I stayed on top of mine and put 153k miles on mine no problem, and never had a catastrophic issue occur.

I also have a theory on the Subie boxer motors and their head gasket/overheating issues stemmed from people driving tbose things like maniacs. People pushed those little motors hard. I took care of the two I owned and again, never an issue, and the 04 I bought new still runs like a clock to this day.

Pretty much any vehicle will have some type of known issue, even the mighty Toyotas (especially from the 90s) were known to have frames that were known to rust out when they spent time where it snowed, and that's pretty much a death sentence.

Just try your best to find a well taken care of vehicle, and then learn that vehicle. Any time I have taken interest in a vehicle, the first thing I do is join an enthusiast forum dedicated to that vehicle and I start asking questions. Maybe start there once you find something you are serious about buying.

Another tip might be to look for rigs in the south or out west. It can be worth it to find a vehicle that's rust free.

 

[Ubiety]

I also have a theory on the Subie boxer motors and their head gasket/overheating issues stemmed from people driving tbose things like maniacs.

Guilty as charged! Part of the reason I bought a JKU was to slow me the heck down. Like you say staying on top of maintenance and knowing your vehicle will pay off in many ways. A stitch in time saves nine.

 

[LONO100]

Guilty as charged! Part of the reason I bought a JKU was to slow me the heck down. Like you say staying on top of maintenance and knowing your vehicle will pay off in many ways. A stitch in time saves nine.

I know what you mean. Although I try my best to drive my vehicles like an old lady, I would have my moments where I would take my legacy GT with a manual transmission and have a ball driving up and down the mountains going to Tahoe in the snow. Sometimes you just can't help it!

I just purchased a 2020 F-150 with the 5.0 L Coyote engine, and that thing can get up and go! I think I can get this giant machine to do 0-60 in 6 seconds flat running E85. You just got to pick your moments and make sure those moments are all the time.

 

[Billiebob]

travelers it's pretty much me, my wife doesn't like to camp our go outside much. My dog stays home

the ultimate goal..... travels without any consideration for others.... we all dream of that life

An reliable, maintained Xterra for $4K with receipts is a great starting place. Sounds like your travels will be pretty mainstream so there is zero beed for mods. Good brakes, good tires, a spare and a jack and have at 'er.

Where will you sleep? How many days between civilization?

Touareg.... no, you mention the nightmare of head gaskets and timing belts.... everything on aTouareg is a nightmare.... which is the reason they are sooo cheap to buy.

 

[dustan]

the ultimate goal..... travels without any consideration for others.... we all dream of that life

An reliable, maintained Xterra for $4K with receipts is a great starting place. Sounds like your travels will be pretty mainstream so there is zero beed for mods. Good brakes, good tires, a spare and a jack and have at 'er.

Where will you sleep? How many days between civilization?

Touareg.... no, you mention the nightmare of head gaskets and timing belts.... everything on aTouareg is a nightmare.... which is the reason they are sooo cheap to buy.

I plan on sleeping in the back or a rooftop tent. I'll only go to town when I need stuff so every few days. I have Idea's for a shower and toilet to keep clean. shame on VW they are nice cars but in my price range they are all but worn out then. I have a solar system already for power and hot water I'll use the ABS diy tank with an air compressor.

 

[LostInThought]

So I really don't know where to start or post so maybe this is the wrong place. Looking to start from scratch literally, I have nothing not even a car. I'm looking for a SUV I can drive to work and also use for overlanding. With Toyota outpricing itself I was thinking of the Nissan Xterra. I can find those with 130k miles for $4000. I might be able to get into a 13' for $9800 with 105k with a small loan. Is the Nissan good for this? I don't want to spend much more than what I have in cash right now, that's around 5 grand without a loan, which I don't want but don't want a crap truck. I'm not looking to go crazy like SAS or anything so extreme.

Nothing wrong with Nissan. I'd suggest checking out vehicle specific forums like ClubXterra.org, NewX.org, or XterraNation.org to find out about what tends to break and what tends to be mod'd. They'll also have resources for aftermarket parts.

 

[dustan]

Anyone have experience with the Mitsubishi Montero