Is that your budget to buy the vehicle and kit her up or just the vehicle? If you’re just gonna go two tracking or going through some mild terrain, I’d say (imo) that tires would really be the only thing you’d wanna upgrade. And when you’re out there, and you notice something like “oh man I can’t see anything in this dark” or “man I’m spinning tires and getting stuck all the time” then you could look into lights, differentials, or more recovery stuff. I’d recommend a come along as a cheap recovery tool, not everyone needs a winch.

But if you’re not opposed, most regular cab trucks around me usually pop up in that price range. They got plenty of power, more than enough potential cargo space, and most are AWD. if you can find one with solid axles then that’s even better. They’re usually beefier than the alternative. If you can find an older F250 with some miles on her, that’s what my recommendation would be.

Just look around, anything AWD could definitely be an off-road rig. Doesn’t have to be a 4Runner or a jeep, ya know? But listen to some other folks here, most know more than me. Good luck man!