What To Look For in an Overlanding Rig

[izzywolf]

Like many users have mentioned, high clearance is a definitely must for South America, and having a smaller rig helps you get into a lot of cute towns here! 4x4 is useful and i would not do without solar or a fridge (:

Sounds like a cool idea to overland there. What would you recommend as a smaller rig?

I kinda thought a small off-roader was an oxymoron (typical off-roaders, I mean without over-the-top mods).

 

[jolyn]

Sounds like a cool idea to overland there. What would you recommend as a smaller rig?

I kinda thought a small off-roader was an oxymoron (typical off-roaders, I mean without over-the-top mods).

haha always been eyeing a 4x4 sprinter but those are expensive (above 60K USD). our overland friend has one (they are in Chile too!), and it's nice and spacious.We have a 4x4 delica and are glad we got it and not a car or 2wd. though standing space inside would have been nice (: we would definitely stick to a 4x4 for our next rig / continent, and perhaps also look at 4x4 small truck campers

 

[freak4life]

I don't know the ins and outs of frame mods, but from all the articles and videos I've seen online on GX470s (hey, if it's on YouTube it must be true, right?),
they seem to be able to go almost anywhere (not sure about the Rubicon trail or someplace like that).

Are there specific advantages of SUVs over trucks (besides more covered space, seats, and internal features)?

As a side note, from what I glimpsed online, the vast majority of SUVs for overlanding (within the U.S.) seem to be just 2 models:
the Wrangler and 4Runner (there's also the Lexus GX470 and FJ folks). Personally I don't know if I could trust a Jeep.

I believe the wheel base on the trucks is just a little bit longer than a 4Runner and Wrangler, if that is true then the clearance becomes an issue when doing technical trails. But I did not look too deeply into to that when I purchased my 4Runner. I wanted a new full size Tacoma and the wife wanted a used suv. We compromised and bought a used suv. ( yes, compromised ? ) Anyway I am extremely happy with the 4Runner as it is a most capable vehicle. As for advantages, open bed is nice in some ways but in other ways ( dust ) it can have unique issues. I am happy with the Runner and have no complaints about the Runner.

 

[Sneaks]

Interesting, I never said that.

 

[North40overland]

Happy to hear you are thinking of getting into overlanding. It is tons of fun and never seems to get old (I have a short attention span so that is saying something). I have owned all manner of off-road vehicles (Jeeps, hummers, dodge trucks, Chevy trucks, Chevy SUV's) over the years and for me personally I like the midsize truck as my platform. There are many arguments for and against this but for me, it seems to be the best. I like midsize because it is small enough to go where the jeeps go and I like a truck because it can haul like a truck. I am a GM guy so I am running a Colorado ZR2. There are a few pro's and con's I considered when making this choice. Hopefully, some of these strings of thought will help you in your decision:

Pro - The ZR2 has front and rear lockers, as well as an upgraded, factory lifted suspension with stronger shocks and control arms. It also comes with factory rock sliders and skid plates.
Con - Even though it only has a rear locker option and no sliders the Toyota Tacoma is the only midsize truck that legitimately has good aftermarket support. This being the case everything for my truck costs more, or has to be modified to work on my truck from a Tacoma part. As such, it is an expensive pain to upgrade my rig. Also, let's be honest, the Toyota is more reliable than a Chevy (sorry GM gods but it is just true)

Pro - The midsize truck is smaller on the trail and can go where the jeeps go. It is also a truck so it can haul like a truck hauls. I like both of these things about my rig, or any midsize truck. Also, (Sorry jeep guys) the midsize truck has much better road manners.
Con - The cab on a midsize truck is small so it is really only comfortable with 2 people on longer hauls (and overlanding seems to always be longer hauls). The bed is also only 5ft so many Roof Top Tents are longer and either hang over the cab or the rear. There are currently only about 3 models of RTT that fit on a 5ft bed. Also your breakover angle is not that of a jeep. It is definitely better than a full size truck but you will want to consider rock sliders and skids if you go truck vs. jeep

Pro - The midsize truck is great because it has a bed vs. a cab and can haul more stuff. It also keeps your stuff lower on the center of gravity that stacking it high in the back of a jeep. You also don't have to lose your rear seats to get 5' of cargo space. It also rides much nicer on the highway than a jeep, especially when loaded.
Con - Most all midsize trucks are IFS so it costs double to lift or modify the suspension over the solid front axle jeep. Also, you MUST get a tonneau to cover your stuff or it gets completely covered in gravel dust, mud, rain, etc. Which means you have to get a rack system that works with a tonneau and that typically costs more than a drawer system for the back of a jeep. Oh, and you are going to want the drawers in your truck anyway so you are just gonna pay that much more my friend. You say you won't but you will. That pull kitchen haunts my dreams.

All in all I love my midsize truck. There are many times that I wish I had bought a Taco but at the end of the day I wouldn't trade my ZR2 for anything. Oh, and no I would not buy a Gladiator. My buddy has one and he HATES it. If you are going to go jeep 4-door wrangler all day long. If you are going to go midsized truck I would say Tacoma. If you are going to go full size you need to move to Utah, Arizona, or San Diego :-)

Best of Luck, hope that helps. Let us know what you end up with!

I gotta ask, how are the bushings and ball joints holding up on your Chevy? My BIL has a Colorado and got the bad news that his ball joints are shot. Less than 25,000 miles. Maybe 4 or 500 on easy to difficult technical terrain, and he finesses it through. It’s just sad..

Not sure I can answer. I had the Chevy perfornance leveling kit installed and it comes with new upper control arms and ball joints. Plus my rig just rolled over 9k miles so not enough time yet to tell. I do know the ZR2 has a different suspension thank the stock - z71 so not sure if there is a difference. Sorry for not being more help.

 

[izzywolf]

Hi. New guy here. I have a 2005 Ram 1500 with a 5.7 hemi with about 160k on the odometer but very well maintained Truck. Suspension recently started getting loud squeaky recently and I’ve been wanting to upgrade it so now is the time. Looking for recommendations on a 3” -4” lift and type and size tires to run on stock wheels.
I’ve off roadbed (mud) as a kid but I’m not wanting to do that anymore.
I currently live in western PA north of Pittsburgh. So suggestions for places to go would be appreciated.

I think I just got "thread bombed" lol.

My welding company had a 2009 RAM1500, was a nice machine. I probably pass near where you live all the time (I commute to Northern Ohio from NJ often).


Guys, I want to hear your advice to John about his question, I could learn something as well.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Hi everyone. Just joined the forum yesterday, got into overlanding recently (hope I'm in the right section!).

I've hiked since as long as I can remember, and used to be a welder some years back (I do bookkeeping now. Quite a contrast, I know).
Grew up in Northern Ohio (live in Central Jersey now), been to all kinds of far-off places (lived 4 years abroad in a non-English speaking country too),
and love the outdoors, trucks, and custom builds.

So I did my research with google and now I know everything there is to know about overlanding. Period. (hey, what's that sarcastic look on your face?)


Seriously though, here's what I think I know so far, and would love to hear your opinion (and especially criticism).

Seems like to start:

• I should get a used 4x4 truck (still not sure which make and model), preferably from outside the Salt Belt, less than 125k miles, with (at least) a limited differential.
• I'm thinking a truck as opposed to a Jeep or SUV since I'd think it could also pay for itself with occasional side jobs.
• Look for easier trails at first before taking on harder trails.
• Get additional equipment when the time comes.

So, am I on the right track? Any advice? Things to consider?


P.S. I currently drive a 2019 Corolla sedan. I'm too self-conscious to drive it to a corporate office with a lifted frame and a front winch Lol.
Call me a close-minded- That's just how I feel about it.

Lift the Corolla! Make sure to put red tow hooks on the front, though. And BFG KO2's on it. Do it. You know you want to.

 

[izzywolf]

Lift the Corolla! Make sure to put red tow hooks on the front, though. And BFG KO2's on it. Do it. You know you want to.

While you're at it I think I'll cut the back and convert it to a truck bed and switch to 36" wheels.

We'll call it the "Corollanator".

There really is an old Subaru model found overseas that is literally a car with a truck bed. Don't know what it's called.

 

[Billiebob]

Is there a reason why people don't buy an SUV and a trailer instead of getting a truck?

I'm going with, most of us follow the trend. In the 1960s, wagons were popular, 1970s pickup campers, 1980s the dreaded minivan, 1990s SUVs stole the show. Today, its the quad cab pickup in every flavour.

SUV trailer, Pickup RTT, no right or wrong choice, personal choice, follow the Joneses or, break from the pack, pluses and minuses with every compromize.

 

[Billiebob]

There really is an old Subaru model found overseas that is literally a car with a truck bed. Don't know what it's called.

Both of these were sold in Canada and the US.
Subaru Brat was the first one. 1980s ?



Subaru Baja the most recent one. Early 2000s.


The Subaru Brat had 2 jump seats in the box to get past the Chicken Tax which puts a 30% tarrif on light truck imports..... which is why the US misses all those fabulous little trucks from around the world. Even the first Ford Transit vans imported from Italy came thru Customs with rear seats to be classified as passenger vehicles rather than trucks and be hit with the 30% tarriff. As soon as they were legally in the US the seats were removed and shredded.

 

[izzywolf]

Both of these were sold in Canada and the US.
Subaru Brat was the first one. 1980s ?

View attachment 203058

Subaru Baja the most recent one. Early 2000s.
View attachment 203054

The Subaru Brat had 2 jump seats in the box to get past the Chicken Tax which puts a 30% tarrif on light truck imports..... which is why the US misses all those fabulous little trucks from around the world. Even the first Ford Transit vans imported from Italy came thru Customs with rear seats to be classified as passenger vehicles rather than trucks and be hit with the 30% tarriff. As soon as they were legally in the US the seats were removed and shredded.

Nice. Wonder if there are any issues with that design. Though to be annoyingly technical, if a model is available in Canada it doesn't necessarily mean you can get it in the U.S. (ex. Hilux).

 

[MOAK]

Both of these were sold in Canada and the US.
Subaru Brat was the first one. 1980s ?

View attachment 203058

Subaru Baja the most recent one. Early 2000s.
View attachment 203054

The Subaru Brat had 2 jump seats in the box to get past the Chicken Tax which puts a 30% tarrif on light truck imports..... which is why the US misses all those fabulous little trucks from around the world. Even the first Ford Transit vans imported from Italy came thru Customs with rear seats to be classified as passenger vehicles rather than trucks and be hit with the 30% tarriff. As soon as they were legally in the US the seats were removed and shredded.

Absolute truth. If it weren’t for that tariff the big three would have suffered miserably & jeep would have been swallowed up long ago. I kinda like a regulated economy. Then again, I’d trade my 80 series for a 70 series troopy in less than a heartbeat.

 

[izzywolf]

Absolute truth. If it weren’t for that tariff the big three would have suffered miserably & jeep would have been swallowed up long ago. I kinda like a regulated economy. Then again, I’d trade my 80 series for a 70 series troopy in less than a heartbeat.

I never thought about those effects without the tariff. Ford too?

Something tells me that the Chicken Tax is extremely outdated.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

While you're at it I think I'll cut the back and convert it to a truck bed and switch to 36" wheels.

We'll call it the "Corollanator".

There really is an old Subaru model found overseas that is literally a car with a truck bed. Don't know what it's called.

I remember those. They were called the Brat and the Baja. In the 1980's the Brat used to have rear facing seats IN THE BED

 

[LostWoods]

I don't know the ins and outs of frame mods, but from all the articles and videos I've seen online on GX470s (hey, if it's on YouTube it must be true, right?),
they seem to be able to go almost anywhere (not sure about the Rubicon trail or someplace like that).

Are there specific advantages of SUVs over trucks (besides more covered space, seats, and internal features)?

As a side note, from what I glimpsed online, the vast majority of SUVs for overlanding (within the U.S.) seem to be just 2 models:
the Wrangler and 4Runner (there's also the Lexus GX470 and FJ folks). Personally I don't know if I could trust a Jeep.

I believe the wheel base on the trucks is just a little bit longer than a 4Runner and Wrangler, if that is true then the clearance becomes an issue when doing technical trails. But I did not look too deeply into to that when I purchased my 4Runner. I wanted a new full size Tacoma and the wife wanted a used suv. We compromised and bought a used suv. ( yes, compromised ? ) Anyway I am extremely happy with the 4Runner as it is a most capable vehicle. As for advantages, open bed is nice in some ways but in other ways ( dust ) it can have unique issues. I am happy with the Runner and have no complaints about the Runner.

Most definitely some wheelbase issues. Turning radius is significantly worse which means a lot more 7 point turns where the 2dr Wranglers can just whip it. You also have a lot more back end hanging off so when you drop off ledges or boulders, there's a lot of vulnerable sheet metal that requires heavy bumpers to cover completely. You also can't get around the atrocious breakover angles and where shorter wheelbases hop over obstacles, I often find myself between them getting my money's worth out of my skids.

But to its advantage, stability is significantly better climbing obstacles and cruising trails. The cargo area can be protected with a cap and now I have a seats-down 4Runner worth of space with 3-side access and without having to smell it or risk having it come up front in an accident. The longer wheelbase also means you're not dealing with ruts dug by the shorter SUVs since the Toyotas and long Wrangler are all at least a foot and a half shorter.

IMO the T4R/GX is the best platform out there for anyone not crawling and who doesn't need the extra bed space... that payload is ridiculous and beats every mid-size except some Gladiators and Rangers and there's a substantial aftermarket for it. If the drivetrain was a little more updated I'd likely have one instead of my Gladiator.

 

[RemoteBound]

The standard answer is, "there is no right answer and you can overland in anything" blah blah blah butttttt really you want:

• Tires with excellent traction, preferably all-terrain tires
• Some power/torque for getting up steep hills or out of mud or sand
• Plenty of clearance
• A high enough payload so that your vehicle isn't sluggish and bogged down from all of the people/dogs/upgrades/gear inside of it or on it
• Reliability
• Enough of an aftermarket community so there are plenty of parts/upgrades/mods available
• 4WD (yes you could get through a lot of places with Subaru's AWD)
• Some sort of locking differential, or at least a center locker

None of this is necessary, but it's all quite nice to have.

 

[Alanymarce]

Are there specific advantages of SUVs over trucks (besides more covered space, seats, and internal features)?

As a side note, from what I glimpsed online, the vast majority of SUVs for overlanding (within the U.S.) seem to be just 2 models:
the Wrangler and 4Runner (there's also the Lexus GX470 and FJ folks). Personally I don't know if I could trust a Jeep.

Apart from the advantages you mention, a significant advantage of a wagon over a pick-up is handling (by which I mean cornering stability (horizontal and vertical corners) and ride). Lateral stability is significantly less when travelling in a pick-up on good gravel roads. RIde quality is, in my experience, better in a wagon.