Whether you are looking to use it for basic camping, running overlanding trails, Sierra Nevada mountain trails including some moderate rock crawling, or even rubicon/Dusy/Fordyce heavy rock crawling trips, the gen1&2 Monteros or Montero sports are going to be very capable in my experience both as a driver (gen I & II v6 Monteros) and observer (Montero sport and 2.6 I-4 Monteros).
My current favorite and IMHO the more capable rigs are the gen II SR's with the 3.5l DOHC engines, closely followed by the gen 2.5's with the winter package (w/ a locker).
Mine is running 35x12.5/15's. To fit the tires I had to use 15x8" wheels, a 2" body lift (4crawler.com), 2" toyota Sequioa coil spring spacers in back, and I cranked the front torsion bars for an added 1.5" lift up front. No engine, drivetrain, or gearing mods required.
With aftermarket bumpers, rock skids, and packed for the trail, I still get ~12-14 mpg with careful driving.
Id say if your on a budget, they're exceptionally hard to beat as an off road rig.
IMHO its weak spots are the valve guide seals, and relatively limited selection of aftermarket bolt ons. That said most owners here have easily found ways to get around that.
HTH.