New to overlanding, build direction

[Tundred7904]

I am just getting into this and am itching to get out there, I have a good amount of camping gear from backpacking, I have good tires. Now I am trying to figure out if I should start moding my truck or something else. I also am wondering about camper shells vs bed racks, I want to end up with a roof mounted tent and the rack seems like it would be stronger vs the shell roof racks. Thoughts? Thx for all the help ahead of time

 

[DanR]

Step one is to make sure your truck is safe and in full repair. Also acquire some basic recovery gear, hand tools, first aid, and a tire repair kit. I also recommend a large 5+ gallon jug for water. Next I would focus on what would serve you best; whether it be a more capable truck via suspension/armor, or storage. A camper shell will provide weather-proof storage, while the rack can have better gear mounting options. Unfortunately I cannot help with the load-bearing differences of the bed cover options.

 

[Tundred7904]

Thank you for taking the time to write that up, i have been doing a lot of research lately but this definitely does help

 

[000]

Hard to go wrong with a tundra. I use a shell on my Tacoma for my rtt. I like having my stuff out of the weather and locked up. I have a fridge on a slide in mine so I especially want to keep the weather and dust out. I did a lot of research before going with the shell and found that the snug top rebel sportsmans edition suited my needs best. I believe all or at least most of their models can be ordered with the sportsmans package. This package increases the load capacity to 500lbs and has rack mounting rails, and a crappy fishing rod rack mounted on the ceiling. I use the Yakima system on the rails and it’s worked out great. I am a big guy, my rtt is a autohome hardshell that weighs 150lbs with bedding and I’ve been camping and heavy off-roading in it regularly with my wife for the last 2 years with no issues. I opted for the electric lock option that works with the factory fob and it is well worth the extra money imo. I hope this helps.


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[000]

Another idea I almost went with was a regular shell and a contractor type lumber rack that sits on the bed rails and goes around the shell. This would be like having the pros of both, possibly cheaper and you’d have extra cargo space over the cab that you could fab a floor or basket on?


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[Tundred7904]

Thanks for the response. I did look at that option with having the regular shell and contractor type rack, but it still was coming out to be out of my range as far as budget. Also trying to fit everything in my truck bed was proving to be a challenge because it is my daily driver, and I occasionally haul stuff. I am looking into fabing up my own trailer as the commercial trailers are a touch on the expensive side. This would be a cost effective and free up my rig for moving.

 

[Justin Forrest]

Here's my two cents, trailers are cool and serve a great purpose but..... added length,weight, security, maneuverability, etc. Your tundra is a great platform. Throw a quality lift, like one of the full kits from ARB. Get some better tires and maybe a flat rack for the cab and the cap. Most canopies have a 150 pound load limit, that's mostly to match that of most vehicle manufacturers limits. (Vehicle roll over). Racks can be expensive, but if you are good with tools or have friends that are you can fabricate some for a lot less.

The biggest factor in a lot of this will be what you want to do in your truck.

 

[Justin Forrest]

Also check out Backwoods Overland if you are in the market for gear. They are located in Bel Air, Md. I think that's a couple hours north and east from you. Nick is a great dude and is constantly setting up trips and helping people build their rigs for what they need. https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=145865032531139&ref=content_filter

 

[Tundred7904]

Definitely will check out Backwoods overland. I haven't really figured out what my style of overlanding I will be doing but my objective is nothing crazy.