Taco for Pan American trip?

[1speedlos]

Hey everybody,
I'm hoping to get a bit of advice from the Toyota crowd. My wife and I are planning a trip next year from San Antonio, Tx to as far down South America as we can and back in a year.
From the Central/South America forum, I've gotten the word that the HiLux is highly common, so that's what I'm aiming for.
What's the ticket as far as best bet for generations/models years to look for?
I'm hoping for something under $12k, as I'll have to have room in the budget for a Flip-Pac, fridge, etc., etc.
I definitely would prefer manual, 4wd, just in case.

Thanks in advance for your input!

Los

 

[corax]

Well . . .

How mechanically proficient are you? This will impact how old of a vehicle you might want to look at - most are reasonably bullet proof if taken care of, but they are getting old.

How much do you want to take with? This will influence your model year range as well. The 80's and early 90's were a bit small by today's standards. Add in that the venerable 22RE 4 cyl was popular those years and you can begin to see how cargo load will start to slow you down a bit.

Are you looking for a nice coil-sprung ride or can you deal with leaf springs and torsion bars? Would an SUV hold any interest for you of are you set on something with an exterior bed?

I don't have a whole lot of experience with Tacoma, but I seem to remember hearing that pre '05 Taco's were a little bit better (even if you couldn't get a 4 door w/ manual trans until '05 when they went to the bigger body style)

 

[Ruined Adventures]

I hope your wife can drive stick...
I've been trying to teach my gf, but she's not quite tall enough to safely reach the pedals. Looks like I may be the driver for our entire trip :rally_guys:
When next year are yall planning to leave?

 

[1speedlos]

Well . . .

How mechanically proficient are you? This will impact how old of a vehicle you might want to look at - most are reasonably bullet proof if taken care of, but they are getting old.

How much do you want to take with? This will influence your model year range as well. The 80's and early 90's were a bit small by today's standards. Add in that the venerable 22RE 4 cyl was popular those years and you can begin to see how cargo load will start to slow you down a bit.

Are you looking for a nice coil-sprung ride or can you deal with leaf springs and torsion bars? Would an SUV hold any interest for you of are you set on something with an exterior bed?

I don't have a whole lot of experience with Tacoma, but I seem to remember hearing that pre '05 Taco's were a little bit better (even if you couldn't get a 4 door w/ manual trans until '05 when they went to the bigger body style)

Fairly mechanically proficient. We'll have a year and a half, so there's a possibility I'll say screw it and get an older truck to do a diesel swap in.
I'm sold on a pickup for the FlipPac.

I hope your wife can drive stick...
I've been trying to teach my gf, but she's not quite tall enough to safely reach the pedals. Looks like I may be the driver for our entire trip :rally_guys:
When next year are yall planning to leave?

She drives a standard every day! We're hoping to go by the end of next year, but that's dependent on a lot of things, including but not limited to finances.

 

[Toyotero]

Fairly mechanically proficient. We'll have a year and a half, so there's a possibility I'll say screw it and get an older truck to do a diesel swap in.
I'm sold on a pickup for the FlipPac.

Since you are in San Antonio, you might reference these guys there:

http://www.dieseltoyz.com/toyota_conversions.html

Tacos are quite reliable vehicles, and sticking to a factory installed engine without a lot of custom work could save you a lot of time, costs, and potential hassle later. RMP&O recently made two runs down to Panama from Wyoming in his 2003 Taco with 100K+ miles with minimal problems with the vehicle or locating parts when he needed to do repairs the first run.

 

[NothingClever]

I'm taking a low-mileage, stock '02 Taco to Chile in the summer of '14 or early in '15.

I bought it based (partially) on the reflections of folks on this forum and feedback from family and friends from Colombia, Chile and Argentina.

I'm not worried about parts availability. I'll take a few of the normal spares (belts, filters, pads, CV axle, etc) but I'm not tempted to be a rolling garage.

 

[buff30]

Take a look in the clasfied section I have my 07 Tacoma for sale over their expedition ready

 

[1speedlos]

Since you are in San Antonio, you might reference these guys there:

http://www.dieseltoyz.com/toyota_conversions.html

Tacos are quite reliable vehicles, and sticking to a factory installed engine without a lot of custom work could save you a lot of time, costs, and potential hassle later. RMP&O recently made two runs down to Panama from Wyoming in his 2003 Taco with 100K+ miles with minimal problems with the vehicle or locating parts when he needed to do repairs the first run.

Yeah, they're who I'd probably order a half-cut from.
Thanks for the link- good to know!

I'm taking a low-mileage, stock '02 Taco to Chile in the summer of '14 or early in '15.

I bought it based (partially) on the reflections of folks on this forum and feedback from family and friends from Colombia, Chile and Argentina.

I'm not worried about parts availability. I'll take a few of the normal spares (belts, filters, pads, CV axle, etc) but I'm not tempted to be a rolling garage.

Yeah, that sounds like the thing to do. Toys are solid enough that your list is pretty safe for spare parts!

Take a look in the clasfied section I have my 07 Tacoma for sale over their expedition ready

Sounds like a really nice truck. Unfortunately, we're gonna need to sell my Jeep first, and it is about twice what I'll be able to spend.

Los

 

[Ruined Adventures]

She drives a standard every day! We're hoping to go by the end of next year, but that's dependent on a lot of things, including but not limited to finances.

Lucky!

We're leaving in January, so hopefully we'll bump into you on the road :sombrero:

 

[JCMatthews]

Tundra

You can get an access cab v8 Tundra with around 100,000 pr close to that within your budget. You would not get manual transmission, but the extra space and power would be nice. There is a couple right now traveling through Central America in a stock Tundra with a pop-up camper. That is my vote.

 

[haven]

While we all love to talk about modifying vehicles to make them better for adventure travel, I'd like to suggest that you spend your time and money in a different way.

First, a year-long trip challenges any relationship. Make sure that both you and your wife are clear about your motivations and goals for the trip. You will have disagreements, and unexpected decisions will have to be made. Open and sincere communication is what keeps couples and larger groups together for such a lengthy trip. Talk about this with your wife, and give her the chance to express her goals, hopes, fears and anxieties.

Second, if you're planning to do extensive camping, make sure you take a couple of lengthy test camping trips in USA before you depart. If you can't get time away before the trip starts, then try camping in the driveway for 10 days without using the bathroom in the house. This will help identify issues before you go.

Third, if you're not already reasonably fluent in Spanish, take a course to learn the basics, and then seek out people you can converse with. (This shouldn't be a problem in San Antonio!) The folks I've met in Central and South America have been friendly and curious about me and my travels. They always warm up if they see you are making a sincere attempt to communicate with them.

Last, the vehicle you choose doesn't matter as much as we Expo-dwellers like to think it does. Unless you're planning to create a new route through uncharted wilderness, you'll be driving on roads that others use regularly. I'd recommend using a vehicle that's close to stock to increase the chance that you'll find mechanics who are familiar with the truck, and you'll be able to find parts. Take a couple of standard maintenance items like filters and fan belt. Expensive parts will have to be shipped to your location regardless of the make and model of the vehicle.

Don't worry about diesel vs gas. While diesel may be more available in truly out-of-the-way places, in 99% of South America, gasoline will be available, too. Sometimes you'll be buying fuel out of a nasty-looking drum, so have a siphon and a way to filter the fuel before it goes into the tank. Take a spare fuel can, too.

A USA-standard Toyota pickup will do fine as a platform for your trip. There's no need to spend money and time building a custom vehicle. It's better to save that money so you can extend the length of your trip!

 

[zidaro]

Not sure what others feel about this.
All thru Central America i have noticed that if you are driving a 2nd Gen. Taco, you are the LARGEST vehicle on the road, and there are not many of them. I would consider a 1Gen. Taco, or the sorts, to prevail in countries with soft economies, expensive fuel, and narrow highways.
Build Strong, Pack light, and Have FUN

 

[1speedlos]

haven-
Thanks for the input. The trip is mostly my wife's idea, but I definitely understand that we may not fully understand the relationship challenges. We'll for sure take your advice on test runs!
Spanish (Cuban,) is my first language, so we're set there. We just came back from a vacation in Mexico ( my wife's inspiration!) and it became clear, even in Cabo, how much easier life is for me than our traveling companions.
I get you on the vehicle thing- I'm very guilty of getting wrapped up in wanting to have a cool, unique rig. You and others have given the same advice, which makes a lot of sense, so perhaps I should just roll with a stock truck. That is, as you put it, would save a lot of cash to keep us out there.
I appreciate the opinions,everyone. This is pretty far away from our experiences.

Los

While we all love to talk about modifying vehicles to make them better for adventure travel, I'd like to suggest that you spend your time and money in a different way.

First, a year-long trip challenges any relationship. Make sure that both you and your wife are clear about your motivations and goals for the trip. You will have disagreements, and unexpected decisions will have to be made. Open and sincere communication is what keeps couples and larger groups together for such a lengthy trip. Talk about this with your wife, and give her the chance to express her goals, hopes, fears and anxieties.

Second, if you're planning to do extensive camping, make sure you take a couple of lengthy test camping trips in USA before you depart. If you can't get time away before the trip starts, then try camping in the driveway for 10 days without using the bathroom in the house. This will help identify issues before you go.

Third, if you're not already reasonably fluent in Spanish, take a course to learn the basics, and then seek out people you can converse with. (This shouldn't be a problem in San Antonio!) The folks I've met in Central and South America have been friendly and curious about me and my travels. They always warm up if they see you are making a sincere attempt to communicate with them.

Last, the vehicle you choose doesn't matter as much as we Expo-dwellers like to think it does. Unless you're planning to create a new route through uncharted wilderness, you'll be driving on roads that others use regularly. I'd recommend using a vehicle that's close to stock to increase the chance that you'll find mechanics who are familiar with the truck, and you'll be able to find parts. Take a couple of standard maintenance items like filters and fan belt. Expensive parts will have to be shipped to your location regardless of the make and model of the vehicle.

Don't worry about diesel vs gas. While diesel may be more available in truly out-of-the-way places, in 99% of South America, gasoline will be available, too. Sometimes you'll be buying fuel out of a nasty-looking drum, so have a siphon and a way to filter the fuel before it goes into the tank. Take a spare fuel can, too.

A USA-standard Toyota pickup will do fine as a platform for your trip. There's no need to spend money and time building a custom vehicle. It's better to save that money so you can extend the length of your trip!

 

[1speedlos]

Not sure what others feel about this.
All thru Central America i have noticed that if you are driving a 2nd Gen. Taco, you are the LARGEST vehicle on the road, and there are not many of them. I would consider a 1Gen. Taco, or the sorts, to prevail in countries with soft economies, expensive fuel, and narrow highways.
Build Strong, Pack light, and Have FUN

Kinda what I figured. I had originally thought about a US truck, but it would be huge, unwieldy, inefficient, and ostentatious.
I'll plan on trying to get an older truck (I'd prefer it anyway,) and get it into as prime condition as I can.
Thanks!

Los