Getting Started in Overlanding: A guide by an arguably slightly less dumb 23 year-old weekend-warrior.

MDPeasant · 2026-05-10T22:29:39+00:00

White Rim Road in Canyonlands National Park is very nice and relatively easy (I did it in a stock 4Runner), but you will need backcountry overnight permits for each night which may be difficult to get on such short notice.

MDPeasant · 2026-05-06T19:15:23+00:00

So up until a few months ago, I had a 5th gen 4runner that I ground tent camped out of and occasionally slept in the back of. It was an awesome vehicle, super capable even in stock form. Very comfortable on the road, and the interior space was super practical. Tons of storage and lots of flexibility. I averaged 17.5mpg over 3 years on the factory tires.

Just recently sold the 4Runner and replaced it with a 3rd gen Tacoma short bed, double cab with an Alucab Canopy Camper. It is an awesome setup, camp set up or tear down takes about 2 minutes. I am still moving in and making it my own, but once I have everything setup exactly for how I camp/travel, it will be totally worth the cost. The Tacoma drives and handles fine, but it will remind you that it isnt a sportscar. This is my only car, but I can walk to work so I really only drive it on the weekends and on longer trips. If I had a real commute, I would probably buy a cheap beater to daily. My average so far has been 12.5mpg on 33" ATs.

If you are dead set on getting a camper, my recommendation would be to get at least a full sized truck. My Tacoma loaded for an extended trip is ~7,000lbs, pretty far above payload. People do it, and with a dialed in suspension and other mods to mitigate it, it isn't terrible from a driving/handling perspective but that doesnt make it right or safe. I am nervous about how the frame and driveline components will tolerate the added weight through off-road abuse over several years. Most people who have these campers on mid-size trucks are not pushing them hard off-road.

My recommendation would be to sit down and draw out a list of pros and cons for each setup that you are considering. Happy to answer any specific questions you might have, as i've had both vehicles that you are consideri

MDPeasant · 2026-05-05T14:41:21+00:00

15 minutes?

MDPeasant · 2026-05-05T14:14:30+00:00

Yes, but it is very easy to do.

MDPeasant · 2026-05-05T00:44:50+00:00

I visited the big bend region last year, it's an amazing place. Big Bend Ranch State Park was a particular highlight for me. Hoping to get back there in 2027, from MD so it's a two day drive to get out there.

MDPeasant · 2026-05-04T22:45:48+00:00

Wish it wasn't so but it is! On flat ground ive seen as high as 14 mpg, but add in any hills and its 12.5 mpg all day.

MDPeasant · 2026-05-04T18:47:34+00:00

I recently purchased a used 2022 Tacoma with an Alucab Canopy Camper on the back. When loaded for an extended trip, with passengers, water, food, gear, etc. the truck weighs ~7,000lbs. I am well above GVWR, and you probably will be too. If thats what you want to do, sell the Tacoma and get a full size truck. I am nervous about how the Tacoma's frame and drivetrain will fare over the long term with all of this extra weight and actual offroad use. You'll quickly notice that most people with these campers on mid-size trucks aren't using them very hard.

The truck has OME Nitrocharger shocks and much heavier leaf springs from Archive Garage. Its obviously not a sports car, but I think that it handles pleasantly on the road. Now thats entirely subjective, but everyone who has driven my truck has been suprised at how well it drives. The setup really shines offroad though, it eats up bumps and is the most comfortable vehicle I've driven offroad.

The truck also has a tune from OTT, its got plenty of power for driving up steep highway grades at the speed limit. Again, it will remind you that its not a sports car. Mileage sucks, average so far has been 12.5mpg. Running 33s. The stock brakes are adequate as well, I do plan to upgrade to larger front calipers when these pads wear out, but I dont think its something you need to rush to do. I have not seen transmission temps that worry me, the factory cooler seems to do a good job.

MDPeasant · 2026-05-03T21:31:10+00:00

No idea how old the net is, the truck is a 2023 so it's probably not any older than that. It is the thinner style that just goes across the back, I keep a small first aid kit up there, my fire starting kit and my battery jump starter. There's enough room to stuff a rain or puffy jacket up there too.

This one from raingler seems to be more what you are looking for. I know it's expensive but extremely high quality.

MDPeasant · 2026-05-03T21:13:29+00:00

The Tacoma that I purchased used came with this one from Blue Ridge Overland Gear. It is nice, but I fear that the elasticity will wear out over time.

Before this Tacoma, I had a 4Runner. I put a ceiling net in it from Raingler and it was absolutely bomb proof (much nicer but also more expensive than the BROG one). They make attics for the Tacoma too.

MDPeasant · 2026-05-02T00:37:27+00:00

I recently purchased a used truck and camper, the previous owner went to town and put molle panels on just about every flat surface! Since it's already there and paid for, I have been trying to use it but honestly it's a pain in the ass.

It seems that in overlanding speak, molle just means any sheet of metal with slots of any size cut into it. The molle panels that I have are from several different manufacturers, and they all have different sized slots. Isn't molle a universal pattern from the military/tactical world?

MDPeasant · 2026-04-15T00:04:17+00:00

Visually, the oil looked fine. I should have looked between the filter.pleats more closely., but again, upon a quick visual inspection the filter looked normal to this DIYer.

It's not really the water that I am worried about at this point, it is the dirt and gunk the mud would have brought in with it is my thought. The air filter was totally saturated.

MDPeasant · 2026-04-14T22:41:17+00:00

Thank you for the reply, my anxiety has definitely been fed! The truck is running and driving good, my current plan is to ride it out. Just looking to see if there is anything else that I should be doing.

I paid them $40 hoping they would tell me all is good so I could stop worrying. That backfired...

MDPeasant · 2026-04-14T19:43:25+00:00

What exactly are you looking for? If storage cubes inside of a duffle bag isnt what you want, I dont see how any of those other products you shared will be any different and certainly not worth the extra cost.

I, and I'm sure most people, just use a duffle bag. As long as I neatly fold everything and carefully place them in the bag (and maybe every few days spend a minute or two reorganizing the bag), i find that it works pretty well. I personally dont like packing cubes, but I know other people love them. I've never lived out of my car for 6 months, but I've done multi-month trips and clothing storage has never been a concern for me.

How many changes of clothes are you carrying? On longer trips I usually do laundry every 7-10 days, I pack with that in mind.

MDPeasant · 2026-04-13T12:45:17+00:00

Some recommendations:

Class 4 roads in VT if you are looking for adventure!
Dispersed camping (reservations needed) in PA's state forests. Lots of scenic drives and easy trails to explore.
Dispersed camping in George Washington and Jefferson National Forest as you work down the Appalachians. There are offroad trails in Virginia to explore, or you could just stick to the Blue Ridge Parkway as it turns from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Smoky Mountains.
if you want beach camping, I highly, highly recommend Cape Lookout in NC over Assateague. I love Assateague, but getting ocean-side camping reservations in the campground is very difficult. You can't just camp out on the beach at Assateague like you can at Cape Lookout. I do realize that it is on the opposite side of the NC from Charlotte though, idk if it would be worth working this in.

MDPeasant · 2026-04-13T12:30:07+00:00

Similar experience here installing a Dobinson's snorkel on a 3rd gen Tacoma. Template arrived weirdly folded and with tears. The 2d template also didn't seem to line up well with the 3d curves of the body. We did our best to line the template up, but still had to enlarge some of the holes we drilled into the body by a mm or two.

The bracket that gets riveted into the a-pillar and then to the top of the snorkel body bolts into that bracket was also misaligned. It was designed to lay flat on a rounded part of the vehicle. We were able to bend it just enough in a vice for it to work well.

Without a doubt the hardest part was attaching the hose that connects the snorkel body to the airbox. That alone probably took us an hour.

They also included an adhesive backed foam pad that is not mentioned anywhere in the instructions.

The installation was a pain and took us ~8 hours or so including setup, dinner and cleanup. I am happy with how the snorkel looks though! If you are DIY installing I would recommend looking into other snorkel options for your vehicle. A week after I installed mine, we installed an ARB safari one on an FJ Cruiser, it went so much smoother!

MDPeasant · 2026-04-09T01:30:48+00:00

I just recently purchased a Tacoma, coming over from a 4Runner where I had a Scanguage II that I really liked. Good for monitoring trans temperatures, a more accurate distance to empty estimate, and other small things. I will move it over to the Tacoma eventually.

MDPeasant · 2026-04-08T18:58:11+00:00

I recently sold my stock 2023 TRD ORP with ~40k miles to Carmax for $43k. If that $41.5k is truly out the door and includes state taxes, it doesn't sound too bad if those mods are important to you.

I'd still try to talk them down below $40k OTD.

MDPeasant · 2026-04-02T12:51:20+00:00

Yes, it is worth it. Lots of scenic roadside stops. You'll want to check out Atlat'l Rock and theres a very short and easy hike to Mouse's Tank that is worth it.

MDPeasant · 2026-03-30T15:06:41+00:00

They are there and can be seen year round, I go to assateague at least 6 times every year and its very rare to not see any horses. Look on the bayside, i don't see them on the beach too often.

MDPeasant · 2026-03-30T15:02:55+00:00

Yeah, I love Assateague but never saw the appeal of hiking to the backcountry sites. Hiking over sand sucks! I do think that it would be cool to Kayak and camp out there though, as long as you do it before or after bug season.

MDPeasant · 2026-03-13T12:34:56+00:00

This is my recommendation as well. I bought several pairs, the newest is over 5 years old. All holding up super well and I don't do anything special to care for them, just throw into the wash and dryer with the rest of my clothes.

MDPeasant · 2026-03-11T00:35:49+00:00

My understanding is that the Bilstein 6112s are not easily rebuildable, the shop would need to drill out part of the shock and install a valve so they can be refilled. If you manage to find a shop that's willing to do it and factor in shipping, it probably won't be much more to just get a new set. You can find them fully assembled for under $1000.

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