Enthusiast III
I'll be in Tennesse by this summer. We should get together and hit some trails. I drive a '17 F250.
Enthusiast III
Me and the copilot are absolutely in! Look up Royal Blue, Windrock and Prentice Cooper. One of them may appeal.
Enthusiast III
Enthusiast III
I went through a similar thought process one time. I had a 1979 k2500 suburban. I put a 427 in it that I had sitting in the corner of the garage, SM465, 205. I drove it for several years before I got a great offer on the 427 from a corvette restorer. I sold the engine a set the rest behind the barn. I bought an 98 XJ . It never felt right even after a 4" lift and 33s. I traded the XJ for an old Chevy 292 I6 plus some cash. I put the 292 in the suburban and with a little help from Sissel made a great vehicle.
Member III
Enthusiast III
Absolutely love your build! Very similar to where I am heading with my f250. Where are you putting your spare tire?
I am going to run the Expedition One rear bumper with the spare on the drivers side swing out and all my recovery equipment on the passenger side. For now Im just strapping it down in the bed under the cover. IM not to worried about blowing a tire though, these tires are absolutely ridiculous when it comes to strength and durability, but, I feel better about having a spare.
Thank you so much. This is exactly what I have been searching for and they make it for my '13 Tundra!
Enthusiast III
What part of Michigan are you in?I’m gonna throw in my 10 cents (my opinion is worth more than 2 cents) as a midsize guy.
I have a 03 trailblazer. This is my first truck and a hand me down. Here in Michigan I commonly run Atv sized bypasses. The midsize provides my camping needs while still allowing me to squeeze through the tight trails.
I also like to run more difficult trails so the capability of the shorter wheelbase is nice.
Daily wise it is terrible mpg wise. I have been averaging 13-14 city (and I have a light foot). I plan on changing out my fuel filter, plugs, and etc. these I learned from my dad are all original parts. (At 220,000 miles) that should bump it up quite a bit.
Sorry, I like pictures haha.
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Sorry I'm late to this post. Great pics and perspective. I've been driving Suburbans for years - I've had two now. I love them but never really considered my Sub for overland. I was really focused on the technology (gear) on the Jeep Wranglers. I love the way they look and the level of customization is an expression of personality - but they don't carry a lot even with the rack. I debated getting one for what seems like months and then realized that what I really wanted was the comfort, engine power and carrying capacity of my Sub. The reason the carrying capacity was so important was because to get my twin boys to go out overland with me, I had to bring a lot of stuff. Even packing kits as was recommended on the Overland Bound YouTube channel I was bringing a crap-ton of stuff. We are definitely not minimalists! When the three of us go out we're carrying over-size cots, air mattresses, an 8 person tent, screen room, kitchen, the whole shooting match. It's a lot of fun but takes up a lot of space. So - I kind of had the answer right under my nose the whole time. Funny how that works...
Enthusiast III
I’ll throw in my opinion as a new guy to overland bound but an old guy who has gone the Jeep route and now the full size truck route. 
Full size because I need the room. I have a family of 5. And I've found our fullsize a lot more capable than a smaller rig pulling a land anchor. I mean trailer.
I do not find the size to be all that particularly limiting. It really depends. I've been on very tight trails with my rig and they were a challenge for the Jeeps in the group. It becomes more of a challenge for sure. But when the trail is too narrow, it's already a challenge for Jeeps. Hasn't become a real-world concern or issue.
Frankly, I have found the longer wheelbase to be more stable offroad and on trails compared to the shorter wheelbase vehicle we had previously. While it might have been more nimble around turns, that's about it.
With this particular rig, I also found myself spending A LOT less in mods, and more time just out doing things. I didn't need to waste money on lifts and upgraded suspension. I slapped some 35's on it, sliders and diff armor and was good to go. Already came with lockers and winch. Hard to argue with the value there. More time out exploring and doing, less time figuring out what mods to do.
We get plenty of places that I've been told we shouldn't be able to get to in our rig.
And yeah, I did just liter your thread with pictures of my truck. :P I'm a picture whore.
My first overland build was a Trailblazer. Matter of fact, that build is on here and on offroadtb.comI’m gonna throw in my 10 cents (my opinion is worth more than 2 cents) as a midsize guy.
I have a 03 trailblazer. This is my first truck and a hand me down. Here in Michigan I commonly run Atv sized bypasses. The midsize provides my camping needs while still allowing me to squeeze through the tight trails.
I also like to run more difficult trails so the capability of the shorter wheelbase is nice.
Daily wise it is terrible mpg wise. I have been averaging 13-14 city (and I have a light foot). I plan on changing out my fuel filter, plugs, and etc. these I learned from my dad are all original parts. (At 220,000 miles) that should bump it up quite a bit.
Sorry, I like pictures haha.
