In over my head, so I thought I'd reach out for help

[ruralpunk]

Would your Mom approve of this? If not, you'll have one heck of a guilt trip when your overlanding gear eventually turns to a bit of buyers remorse. Expensive, rarely used gear, always does.

My Mom approves of my Scuba hobby, but not my expensive truck hobby.

I'm mom would definitely be stoked on me doing this. She's the one who got me into backcountry camping and hiking. She was a big proponent of "buy one, cry once" (half of her wardrobe was Patagucci, a lot of it from the 90's), but she also was super picky about not having useless gear. When you're carrying everything on your back you don't want to bring anything you won't use.

I learnt a lot from her, I just need to remember it all.

 

[ruralpunk]

Interesting question. My reaction is - what are you planning to do? If I were in this situation I'd keep the vehicle minimalist, very much as it is right now, but replace the steel roof rack with titanium, build in some electrohydraulic controls to adjust the bed, handle the kit on the roof, and that;s about it. I would then spend the money left on shipping the vehicle between continents.

For your plans the answer could be similar, or completely different, however I suggest that you should spend only on things which are essential for your objectives and not fall into the trap of buying stuff because you can.

I can't tell if your joking or not? Titanium roof rack?? Anyways, this is probably my biggest fear with all of this. Just because I can doesn't mean I should. I don't come from money. Hell, when I was in my early twenties I was homeless for a spell. So I really want to appreciate this opportunity and make the best out of it.

What I really want to do is explore all the old and abandoned logging roads around here. There are thousands of miles of gravel and dirt all around me. There are tons of trails I've never been able to explore because I didn't trust my rig enough. I also want to explore the north. I want to drive to Tuktoyaktuk...In the winter. I want to explore Labrador. I want to drive on ice roads and visit places you cant get to in the summer. (that's half if the reason I'm thinking about the trailer).

 

[J.W.]

Invest the money and use the dividends to make the payments on a new vehicle. Rule #1: Never dip in to your principle. No matter how much money it is, it will start to look like a lot less as you get older.

 

[Alanymarce]

I can't tell if your joking or not? Titanium roof rack?? Anyways, this is probably my biggest fear with all of this. Just because I can doesn't mean I should. I don't come from money. Hell, when I was in my early twenties I was homeless for a spell. So I really want to appreciate this opportunity and make the best out of it.

What I really want to do is explore all the old and abandoned logging roads around here. There are thousands of miles of gravel and dirt all around me. There are tons of trails I've never been able to explore because I didn't trust my rig enough. I also want to explore the north. I want to drive to Tuktoyaktuk...In the winter. I want to explore Labrador. I want to drive on ice roads and visit places you cant get to in the summer. (that's half if the reason I'm thinking about the trailer).

So, I'm not joking...

- titanium? Steel is heavy, robust, and rusts; aluminium is light, harder to work with, and needs bigger section modulus to have the strength, as well as facilitating differential metal corrosion. Titanium is strong and light, however not that easy to work with. For us, we need a roof rack, at least on "big trips", and also need to keep the mass down and the CoG low, so titanium would be a good solution. We cannot afford it, really (although we're considering it seriously), however if money were no object, it would be one of the few things we'd add or change.

- what else? For us we really don't need anything else, although as noted some devices which would make some tasks easier would be worth pursuing; for example, a fridge slide which drops down coupled with a drawer slide which also drops down would facilitate access. I guess we'd buy a GPS Receiver for the iPod, can't think of anything else right now.

re your objectives:

- old and abandoned logging roads around here. There are thousands of miles of gravel and dirt...

If you pick your timing (travel when it's dry instead of when it's spring snow melt season, for example) then you can get most places with a modest lift, perhaps an upgraded suspension, and good tyres, assuming you start with a capable vehicle. A Wrangler really needs nothing more than standard kit.

- I want to drive to Tuktoyaktuk...In the winter. ...ice roads...

So, you could drive to Tuktoyaktuk in a Mini-Cooper during half of the year. In winter it'll be dark 24 hours a day so you need a couple of decent headlights. You need snow tyres, and you need to be able to handle low temperatures (I've seen minus 110 C (wind chill) in Inuvik for three days on the way to Tuktoyaktuk on one occasion). YOu'll need comms capability - we carry a satphone for "big trips".

re the trailer, we don't have a trailer and wouldn't get one if we had infinite resources. They're great for many, but not for us (extra mass, more stress on the towing vehicle, higher fuel consumption, more tyres to puncture, more difficult to manœvre on narrow tracks/deep mud/sand, double the shipping cost, and we don't need one). However as you note, if you carry a lot of stuff, then you can set up a base camp and made forays from that, leaving the trailer in the base camp.

 

[Shakes355]

Sounds like your head's in the right space. Everyone is different so here's my thought process:
-New does not always equal reliable.
-Factor in depreciation (market is hot now, but how long will it stay that way?)
-How much do you plan on modifying/can one be found pre-setup?
-How much "The [X]-Tax" am I paying for in my market? (The Toyota-Tax, Jeep-Tax, Overland-Tax, ect)

Some folks will only have peace of mind in a newer vehicle and that's fine. Others get it from knowing their rig inside and out. I myself and more likely to spend 20k+ on completely updating/upgrading a 20yo rig than spend 40k for a new one but I also possess the skills to do it and that's not nothing.
(Note that I'm even more likely to spend 5-6k on maintenance and repair to bulletproof a rig without crazy mods)

It's all about perspective. Whatever route(s) you follow, just make sure you've put good thought to them and you'll be fine.

 

[Alanymarce]

Some folks will only have peace of mind in a newer vehicle and that's fine. Others get it from knowing their rig inside and out.

Good point here. Just for reference, on our "big trips" we've used new vehicles (or nearly new, but bought new by us) on two trips, and a 20 year old vehicle on the third.

The 20 year old vehicle experience several failures based simply on wear and tear over the life of the vehicle, all of which we sorted out (from a failed A/C motor, to electrical issues, an exploding radiator, and a broken front differential (which led to a front bearing failure as well)). None of these was insurmountable, however they did take up some time, necessitated some changes in routing, and in some cases required importing bits from overseas. However they also opened opportunities to get to know people, learn more about the places we were visiting, and added to the enjoyment of the trip.

The number of problems we had with the new vehicles was essentially zero. We did have a 4WD actuator fail however the system still worked, and we just replaced the actuators; on the other vehicle we had a problem with alignment but this was because the dealer doing the alignment check used the wrong specifications, otherwise no problems and (more to the point) no impact on our travels and no changes in our plans.

In our case, we prefer to start with a new vehicle than buy another older vehicle (or LR) with which we'd expect to spend some time fixing it (I have worked as an auto mechanic , by the way).

 

[ruralpunk]

Invest the money and use the dividends to make the payments on a new vehicle. Rule #1: Never dip in to your principle. No matter how much money it is, it will start to look like a lot less as you get older.

I don't capitalism very well, so I'm staying far away from the stock market. The closest to investing I'll do is buy some land. I'm also donating 10% of my inheritance to local charities, so I guess that's investing in my community.

But anyways, were getting way off topic. First thing I did was get a financial advisor, so don't worry about that.

 

[MOAK]

Ok, I hope the OP is still around. You had an early 90s Landcruiser, so I’m assuming you know what their capabilities are and their limitations. You also must understand that the Toyota 70 and 80 series trucks are renowned world wide for complete reliability their off road prowess & their excellent manners on pavement. Did I mention comfortable? Well, at least the 80 series is. The question you have asked, in my mind, isn’t even debatable. True, I’m biased, albeit for good reasons, but I wouldn’t in a million years, choose brand new over completely rebuilt. Dude, you can import a 70 or 80 series LH diesel and have it completely gone through for about the same as a new Jeep would cost. Maybe you’re not planning on traveling through Latin & South America, but you just might! Or, ship it to S. Africa or even Australia. In short, if you’re ever going to travel outside the US , do you think the village mechanic is going to have a laptop, let alone proprietary rights, on hand to repair a new vehicle? No, of course not. My mantra for nearly 25 years has been to Keep It Simple, including, what you’re sitting in. Wow, I’m daydreaming what 30k would do for my 80 series.

 

[Alanymarce]

Ok, I hope the OP is still around. You had an early 90s Landcruiser, so I’m assuming you know what their capabilities are and their limitations. You also must understand that the Toyota 70 and 80 series trucks are renowned world wide for complete reliability their off road prowess & their excellent manners on pavement. Did I mention comfortable? Well, at least the 80 series is. The question you have asked, in my mind, isn’t even debatable. True, I’m biased, albeit for good reasons, but I wouldn’t in a million years, choose brand new over completely rebuilt. Dude, you can import a 70 or 80 series LH diesel and have it completely gone through for about the same as a new Jeep would cost. Maybe you’re not planning on traveling through Latin & South America, but you just might! Or, ship it to S. Africa or even Australia. In short, if you’re ever going to travel outside the US , do you think the village mechanic is going to have a laptop, let alone proprietary rights, on hand to repair a new vehicle? No, of course not. My mantra for nearly 25 years has been to Keep It Simple, including, what you’re sitting in. Wow, I’m daydreaming what 30k would do for my 80 series.

I take this point, however some vehicles are available more or less everywhere and mechanics are now more frequently capable of using a diagnostic programme. Although not everyone in Malawi has a laptop, there are computers in most towns and many villages (and internet cafés come to that).

Although there are lots of new vehicles which will be completely alien to mechanics in much of the world, some are as global as a LC80. We've taken our Montero to Australia, for example, and know that it's a familiar vehicle in most of the world (Central and South America, Europe (as a Shogun), Africa, Asia , and Australia (as a Pajero). I would be confident that we could take it more or less anywhere (with the probable exception of the USA and Canada) with no worries about maintenance.

 

[David C Gibbs]

Hi Gretchen, Welcome to Overland Bound. I live almost directly south of you, in Boise, ID... You live in lovely country. In our garage is an 88 FJ62 series Landcruiser and a 2019 TRD-OffRoad Tacoma, Doublecab, Short bed. I put 140 miles on the Landcruiser, in the 4 counties, scouting a new trail, and an abandon rail right-away. Fun Day. My wife and I haven't camped for several years, we' Glamp. I hate, hate, having to travel X'# of miles back to a Hotel, after a great day of Flyfishing. My wife doesn't want to sleep on the ground. We are building a Sealth Camper, that can store all the camping gear, be secured, and not stolen... so I can run into Jackson, WY or Cody. or Missoula. We have had many, many discussions about the rise of Overlanding. In my humble opinion - I agree with MOAK, buy the best vehicle first, drive it stock. Then determine what mods you need, need, not want. Determine what gear you really require. We have multiple lists of "Required" equipment, clothing, food, etc., for a Winter trip, an early Spring "dry" camping event, before run-off ruins the creeks, streams and rivers for Fly-fishing. This came about because we were SNOWED on, during the 4th of July weekend, in Wallowa, OR. We had to run into Joseph, to purchase heavier winter clothing, because we left what we had, back in Boise! Overland is a "Learning" in progress. After each trip, what worked, what didn't? What did we need, what did we take, and haven't used... Then there's the cleaning, restocking, refilling, are re-packing. Linda can say on a Thursday afternoon, I want to go to Atlanta, ID for the weekend!
Done, we'll pull-out of the local Grocery with food stocks, hot beverages, and nothing but windshield. One last piece of thought. Don't over buy the house, if you really want to take long trips, determine if you're willing to have strangers 'rent it' via Air-b-Nb. We aren't... It's a revenue stream, but it too has riske. Nomads are nomads for a reason.
If you want to travel, wander, and explore on long trips - do you really want your home at risk?

David,
Boise

 

[ruralpunk]

Gaaa, I did it!!! I pulled the trigger!! I just put a deposit down on a 2021 Wrangler Rubicon. I take ownership in a couple weeks! As far as upgrades I figure I'm going to get a front bumper (ARB full-size) with a winch (Warn 10K) right off the hop (as I see that as a safety issue being that I spend a lot of time in the backcountry by myself), but aside from that I'm just going to wait and see what I need. As many of you have pointed out, I don't need to spend 15k kitting it out with crap I don't need/wont use. When I come to a problem or a roadblock I'll solve it.

Thanks you guys for your words. Even if I didn't necessarily take your advice it was really great to hear all your different opinions and see that for a lot of things there is no right or wrong answer. I'm really glad I found this forum (I didn't even realize forums were still a thing), but there is a wealth of information here, and I'm increadably grateful.

 

[FishinCrzy]

Have fun out there! Nobody ever lies on their death bed wishing they had worked more or watched more TV! Sounds like you have a good grasp of what you want from life. Best of Everything!

 

[The Roach ...]

on a side note: if you have nearly unlimited funds. you might want to consider buying a USED global expedition vehicle from GEV. the cost to get in the door is sizeable. but you get most if not all of your money back on resale. i'd check them out... depending on where you want to go / what you want to do.... it could be the lifetime adventure rig that works for you.

I'm headed that way... but work keeps getting in the way.

 

[Red_Leaf_Overland]

As much as I hate the answer use it and find out from there. It's the best one that comes to mind. There are also 2 sides to jeeps and most people overlook the dark side. They are loud, uncomfortable, maintenance heavy and gas guzzling. But they are incredibly capable offroad with a huge aftermarket. I spent 8 years building mine and it's still not done
What I will say is if you plan on hauling a fully loaded trailer and doing any rock crawling with it ( I know it sounds crazy but it happens) make sure you have a good set of axle shafts. The Dana 44s ( or whatever they are listed in metric rating now) are great but not bomb proof. I know a guy who travels with a 4 door jk on 37s and a loaded trailer and it's either an axle shaft or ring gear that lets go on his at the worst times

 

[jeepers29]

Love your idea as I love the set up you have chosen. One thing I would add, is to put a big chunk of that money away in a high interest account so you can retire at an earlier age and enjoy the outdoors longer in retirement. Not saying to not spend any of it, as you cant take it with you, but prepare for tomorrow as well. Off Grid is the trailer I have picked as our retirement trailer and am ready for my wife to call it quits. Please update as you go.

 

[BensonSTW]

Congrats on the jeep and welcome to the jeep life. Warning - it’s going to be addicting and expensive. Now the most important piece of advice I can offer: go have fun. Take a day trip or ten. Get to know what you and you’re jeep are capable of. Don’t let it get to where it’s more about what you have then what you have. Make sure you can use every modification you make. I wheeled with a guy who had 40s on his rig, including full spare. He couldn’t lift the spare off his tire carrier let alone put the flat back on it. You’re limits are more important to know than your Jeep’s. Again have fun and show us pictures of the jeep when you get it.

 

[NMBruce]

Hey y'all! I'll try to not write a novel here but some back story will help me explain myself. My mom died unexpectedly back in June. She left me with a sizeable inheritance. I've spent months talking with financial planners and everything, and I've settled on the fact that I'm going to treat myself to a dream overlanding rig (I'm also going back to school and putting a massive down-payment on a house, so please don't think I'm just wasting all my inheritance on a car).

I'm no stranger to off-roading, camping, and getting my truck stuck and getting it out, but I've always had beater early 90's Toyotas (the 22re will always hold a place in my heart). I've been thinking about it for months, and I think I'm going to get a JL Rubicon and matching it with an Off Grid Trailers Expedition 2.0. I know that this isn't the most original set up, but that's kind of the point. The Wrangler is an amazing platform and the customizability is endless, to the point that I am lost in a sea of options and aftermarket add-ons. It is STRESSFUL.

Also with the trailer. I really like the idea of having a trailer, both to be comfortable on long trips (I have a several ideas/dreams for month long trips), and I like the idea of setting up a base camp and exploring an area for a few days. I live in the Rockies, so I have no lack of places to explore close by. But also, it's a crazy amount of money to spend.

I'm just stressed. I basically have near unlimited budget for this build, but I dont want to waste money, as anything I don't spend will go into my mortgage down-payment. I've also never spent money like this before and I'm kind of scared s*!tless. I haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet, but I'm pretty much at that point. I kist need someone to tell me this isn't insane.

Sorry to hear about your lost.

Because of your moms unexpected death and your unlimited budget, have fun and do it right the first time, then there is no reason to do it again, that will save you money in the long run. Plus enjoy it now, because you never know what's around the corner, which I think you just learned.

 

[GLOCKer]

Gaaa, I did it!!! I pulled the trigger!! I just put a deposit down on a 2021 Wrangler Rubicon. I take ownership in a couple weeks! As far as upgrades I figure I'm going to get a front bumper (ARB full-size) with a winch (Warn 10K) right off the hop (as I see that as a safety issue being that I spend a lot of time in the backcountry by myself), but aside from that I'm just going to wait and see what I need. As many of you have pointed out, I don't need to spend 15k kitting it out with crap I don't need/wont use. When I come to a problem or a roadblock I'll solve it.

Thanks you guys for your words. Even if I didn't necessarily take your advice it was really great to hear all your different opinions and see that for a lot of things there is no right or wrong answer. I'm really glad I found this forum (I didn't even realize forums were still a thing), but there is a wealth of information here, and I'm increadably grateful.

I'm happy for ya and glad you're going to derive a ton of enjoyment from something your mother left for you. Have fun! Remember her when your out on the trails! Congratulations!

 

[LONO100]

Sorry to hear about your loss. I lost my mom in 2015, and my dad a year ago tomorrow and I miss them everyday. As for the vehicle, I would suggest thinking of it like this: the problem with engineers is, if the suits upstairs say "build me a rocket ship, you are free to design it any way you like, there is no budget, spare no expense, make it so it can go anywhere there is no deadline" the engineer will most likely hit a wall trying to build the rocket. But if the suits upstairs say, "we need you to build a rocket. It needs to be 50 feet long, fit 6 astronauts, needs to be able to get to Mars in 1 year travel time from launch, and you have a budget of X amount of dollars" the engineer will have a better chance at making the rocket ship a reality.

Instead of letting complete freedom of choice lead the way, try to decide and determine what your requirements are. Will you be traveling solo? How long would you like to be out there per trip? This will factor in your payload requirements. Do you want use the rig as your daily driver as well? Or do you have room for a toy and a grocery getter? Do you have room for a trailer if you go that route? How much are you willing to spend on insurance? What kind of terrain do you wish to explore? Do you need a desert runner? A rock crawler? Would you like something that can do a little bit of everything, but nothing extremely well? How far off the grid do you want to go? This will factor into tank size.

Want to take a couple buddies? An SO? Add that to your payload requirements. Getting a midsize vehicle, or a Jeep might limit the amount of supplies and gear you can bring compared to going full sized truck. Want to get into the thickest of things the trails can throw at you? Well you might want to lean toward something with a shorter wheelbase, or a Jeep maybe. But then your payload takes a hit, and comfort and interior space will be at a premium compared to a big truck.

These are just a few of the things you might want to narrow down before picking your new ride. Once you have some of these answers nailed down, and your slate isn't as blank, you will start to figure out what you really want. You will start to figure out that you most likely will not need the budget you were thinking for the rig of your dreams. When I was broke, I dreamed of having it all, and when I made it to a point in my life where I could do and get whatever I wanted, I realized that I actually didn't want much. I would consider myself a fairly successful person, and after years of buying old used trucks and modding them out, I finally took the plunge and bought my first brand new vehicle that I could use for all of my outdoor hobbies. I had the ability to purchase whatever was out there. I figured out what I actually wanted to do, and it turned out, a 50 thousand dollar full size pick up truck, some good tires, a slight lift and a soft top was all I needed and I couldn't be happier. Granted, determining what I wanted was based on nearly 20 years of going into the wild, but I got everything that suited my needs for much less than it could have been. Good luck on your search and please keep us updated on what you come up with!

EDIT: wow, so weird, I replied to this post when it was just a page long. As soon as I post, I get the second page and it appears the OP is on his way to a new Ruby! Good luck with the purchase!

 

[outside.perception]

Gaaa, I did it!!! I pulled the trigger!! I just put a deposit down on a 2021 Wrangler Rubicon. I take ownership in a couple weeks! As far as upgrades I figure I'm going to get a front bumper (ARB full-size) with a winch (Warn 10K) right off the hop (as I see that as a safety issue being that I spend a lot of time in the backcountry by myself), but aside from that I'm just going to wait and see what I need. As many of you have pointed out, I don't need to spend 15k kitting it out with crap I don't need/wont use. When I come to a problem or a roadblock I'll solve it.

Thanks you guys for your words. Even if I didn't necessarily take your advice it was really great to hear all your different opinions and see that for a lot of things there is no right or wrong answer. I'm really glad I found this forum (I didn't even realize forums were still a thing), but there is a wealth of information here, and I'm increadably grateful.

Congrats on your purchase! For vehicle specific questions, you can find a lot of help here: (1) 2018+ Jeep Wrangler (JL) News and Forum – JLwranglerforums.com

I purchased a 2020 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon late last summer with the 2.0T powertrain and I love it so far. You've already been given a lot of advice; I'm just hoping we get to see your new rig and build pics in future posts.