I have to say this is all new to me but I'm pretty stoked to start outfitting the rig.
The Story:
I've actually had the Tundra (Big Blue) dubbed by the kids, since 2009. It's chalked up 157k miles on it with only a bad starter. We've used it as the family camping , mountain bike rig for years and always wanted to make the move to a Sprinter van or something close. We've kicked around travel trailers, Pop-ups, and everything in between since the common theme was we were tired of tent camping and cramming everything in the truck and taking hours to pack and unpack, setup and tear down.
We are mostly hitting the Sierra's, fireroads, camping, fishing, and mountain biking with the option of parking just about anywhere and easily getting out the door and getting home without a ton of hassle.
After looking at things from a different view we decided to start trying stuff on the Tundra and see what works while being able to use the equipment on any future rig. I've had Tacoma's and 4 runners but it's really hard to beat the space of the Tundra when camping with 4 people, although the Sequoia has my eye as well.
The plans are:
-Truck beds with slider drawers underneath
-12v cooler fridge
-Battery to power accessories like fridge, gadgets
-RTT for the kids (bed and RTT to sleep 4)
So far I've upgraded :
-Suspension to Rancho Adjustables RS900's since the front was a bolt on with springs. The ride is better than my 5100's on the Tacoma.
-AAL
-Slider / steps made by Offroad Addiction in Auburn. Needed something that was flush, and allowed kids to get in and out. I hit a large 1 ton-ish boulder and moved it about 3 ' the first day I had them welded on. Saved the truck.
-Installed track system on the camper shell for paddle boards and what not.
-Just added ARB 2000 awning
- Working on the bed sleeping quarters/drawers now.
Honestly, I 've been researching electrical systems, dual batteries, solar, to the point of absolute confusion. I think i'll just bite the bullet and work a Yeti/Goal zero 400 lithium into the bed. I just need to figure out how to run some power for charging while driving into the bed without too much hassle. Ultimately, I think a dual battery so I can run some camp light LEDs and charge a phone or run the fridge at night in the back of the truck would be the ultimate goal without getting too crazy.
Any ideas or input?
[/ATTACH]
The Story:
I've actually had the Tundra (Big Blue) dubbed by the kids, since 2009. It's chalked up 157k miles on it with only a bad starter. We've used it as the family camping , mountain bike rig for years and always wanted to make the move to a Sprinter van or something close. We've kicked around travel trailers, Pop-ups, and everything in between since the common theme was we were tired of tent camping and cramming everything in the truck and taking hours to pack and unpack, setup and tear down.
We are mostly hitting the Sierra's, fireroads, camping, fishing, and mountain biking with the option of parking just about anywhere and easily getting out the door and getting home without a ton of hassle.
After looking at things from a different view we decided to start trying stuff on the Tundra and see what works while being able to use the equipment on any future rig. I've had Tacoma's and 4 runners but it's really hard to beat the space of the Tundra when camping with 4 people, although the Sequoia has my eye as well.
The plans are:
-Truck beds with slider drawers underneath
-12v cooler fridge
-Battery to power accessories like fridge, gadgets
-RTT for the kids (bed and RTT to sleep 4)
So far I've upgraded :
-Suspension to Rancho Adjustables RS900's since the front was a bolt on with springs. The ride is better than my 5100's on the Tacoma.
-AAL
-Slider / steps made by Offroad Addiction in Auburn. Needed something that was flush, and allowed kids to get in and out. I hit a large 1 ton-ish boulder and moved it about 3 ' the first day I had them welded on. Saved the truck.
-Installed track system on the camper shell for paddle boards and what not.
-Just added ARB 2000 awning
- Working on the bed sleeping quarters/drawers now.
Honestly, I 've been researching electrical systems, dual batteries, solar, to the point of absolute confusion. I think i'll just bite the bullet and work a Yeti/Goal zero 400 lithium into the bed. I just need to figure out how to run some power for charging while driving into the bed without too much hassle. Ultimately, I think a dual battery so I can run some camp light LEDs and charge a phone or run the fridge at night in the back of the truck would be the ultimate goal without getting too crazy.
Any ideas or input?
[/ATTACH]
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