Help me dream up the perfect sub $30k rig!

[MANUCHAO]

The goal is to have a slightly more capable than stock off-roader to go for long weekends every other week. Maybe for a month straight in the summer.

I started with a stock fj60 some 22 years ago... Still going strong and have manged to build it to my want needs... real state inside the rig is gold...
We have done several trips north and south and west up to 7 weeks at a time... I have gone full circle and can truly say less is more..... and compromise is really the name of the game....
Im sure you will find the right vehicle.........

 

[wild1]

Hey all,

I'm currently trying to dream up the perfect rig for my needs and I want to make sure I've looked at all my options. I currently run a heavily modified 4runner with a RTT, but I'm craving a more user friendly interior space. My brother has a simple short bed standard cab Tacoma with a topper and sleeping platform, and I'm constantly jealous of how he can just hop in the back and go to sleep. However, He basically can't use his bed for anything else and with two people in it there's no room for a fridge. I love that my 4runner is always ready to go. Just throw in the fridge and supplies and head off. I just hate the RTT... especially in the rain.

What I've thought of already:
-Teardrop camper with large tires (I don't really have space to store it and I'd rather avoid having to tow anything)
- 4-wheel-camper in the bed of a midsize truck (again I don't really have space to store it and I probably wont be able to do truck & camper for sub $30k)
- 1 ton 4wd van (Do I really want to daily drive a large van?)
- 4 door long bed midsize truck with a topper and removable sleeping platform. This seems like the most viable option but I don't love the Idea of having to remove everything from the bed when I'm home. Also The fridge would have to go in the back seat and I like the idea of having seating for 4 while camping. Maybe I should just accept seating for only 3?

Wants/needs:
-Daily driver
-Interior space (I hate setting up and taking down a RTT)
-Fridge
-Water storage
-Ability to use the vehicle in stock form when I need it (if I have a truck, I still want to be able to load lumber and motorcycles into the bed while around town)
-Seating for 4 while still being setup for overland travel

Am I asking for too much? Does such a rig even exist?

Thanks in advance for your ideas!

Hey all,

I'm currently trying to dream up the perfect rig for my needs and I want to make sure I've looked at all my options. I currently run a heavily modified 4runner with a RTT, but I'm craving a more user friendly interior space. My brother has a simple short bed standard cab Tacoma with a topper and sleeping platform, and I'm constantly jealous of how he can just hop in the back and go to sleep. However, He basically can't use his bed for anything else and with two people in it there's no room for a fridge. I love that my 4runner is always ready to go. Just throw in the fridge and supplies and head off. I just hate the RTT... especially in the rain.

What I've thought of already:
-Teardrop camper with large tires (I don't really have space to store it and I'd rather avoid having to tow anything)
- 4-wheel-camper in the bed of a midsize truck (again I don't really have space to store it and I probably wont be able to do truck & camper for sub $30k)
- 1 ton 4wd van (Do I really want to daily drive a large van?)
- 4 door long bed midsize truck with a topper and removable sleeping platform. This seems like the most viable option but I don't love the Idea of having to remove everything from the bed when I'm home. Also The fridge would have to go in the back seat and I like the idea of having seating for 4 while camping. Maybe I should just accept seating for only 3?

Wants/needs:
-Daily driver
-Interior space (I hate setting up and taking down a RTT)
-Fridge
-Water storage
-Ability to use the vehicle in stock form when I need it (if I have a truck, I still want to be able to load lumber and motorcycles into the bed while around town)
-Seating for 4 while still being setup for overland travel

Am I asking for too much? Does such a rig even exist?

Thanks in advance for your ideas!

What generation of 4Runner do you have? Our fifth generation was outstanding for the majority of your needs. The difference was we had a modular bed platform with storage under it. The sleeping space was queen size and would all fit behind the seat when it was disassembled leaving the back seat fully useable. With a Yakima box on top it had loads of storage and was very comfortable and capable. Add an awning and a tent room and it's hard to beat for light and fast. Our other rig at the time would have served your needs with a lot more comfort but not quite the offroad capability. It was a 2001 Superduty with a utility box and an Alaska camper. In excellent shape it sold for less then half of your budget.

 

[Florida Native]

First gen Tundra with a used FWC shell or new Gofast/Ovrlnd/etc. With the leftover $ get a small or folding trailer for the bikes.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[NatersXJ6]

Are there no mini storages where you are going? I understand that everyone wants to have all their own stuff at their fingertips all the time, but a teardrop could store very nicely waiting to be picked up on Thursday or Friday night and dropped back off on Sunday or Monday and solve all of your issues except... don’t want to tow. You might just have to compromise there.

 

[gatorgrizz27]

As a fan of versatility/modularity, I can appreciate what you’re trying to accomplish. As somebody else said though, I’d probably just wait until you move unless your current rig isn’t reliable enough to make the trip, or you have way more options where you’re living now.

If you don’t know your future living situation, a trailer may be no big deal. Or you go buy a full size truck now and then start hanging out with Jeep guys who run trails where it won’t fit.

Most people don’t actually do the textbook “overlanding” where you’re driving 8+ hours a day then hurriedly making camp wherever you can find a place to sleep. It’s more or less car camping, and maybe a regular old dome tent is the right solution for the time being.

There’s also not a huge reason to need to seat 4 people when you can only sleep 2, unless they are bribing their own tent. In an LR3, I’ve seen the center seat replaced with a fridge, and 2 people can sleep in the back. Downside is having to move everything around.

 

[arctic04trd]

If you need 4 seats while camping and sleeping in the bed, where is everyone else sleeping? And if they are sleeping in tents, thats a great alternative.

Personally, if I wasnt now married.....buy a 1st gen tacoma, sleep in the bed or a tent, and use the rest of the money to travel.

We currently have a 2nd gen DCLB tacoma. Backseat gets folded down for both labs, fridge in the bed, and RTT on the roof.

 

[MTVR]

Your success is going to depend a lot on buying the vehicle at an advantageous price, so that you have enough money left over to build it. And it should be off-road worthy.

In our case, we found an MTVR with 53" tires, 16" suspension travel, five selectable lockers, a 58:1 crawl ratio, 1,550 pounds of torque, CTIS, the ability to ford five feet of water, and a bunch of other fun stuff.

The U.S. government originally paid $250,000 for it. After putting 3,000 miles on it, we bought it at auction at about a $235,000 discount, for $15,500. That should leave us enough money left over to build it, to include room for several motorcycles:

Go big or go home:

I recently purchased a 2007 Oshkosh MTVR. We intend to convert it into an overland expedition type vehicle and do full-time RV living. For those not familiar with the MTVR, it is an all-terrain military 6x6 truck built for the U.S. Marine Corps, and it is...big- nearly 12 feet tall. MTVR...

www.expeditionportal.com

 

[brogo]

Hey all,

I'm currently trying to dream up the perfect rig for my needs and I want to make sure I've looked at all my options. I currently run a heavily modified 4runner with a RTT, but I'm craving a more user friendly interior space. My brother has a simple short bed standard cab Tacoma with a topper and sleeping platform, and I'm constantly jealous of how he can just hop in the back and go to sleep. However, He basically can't use his bed for anything else and with two people in it there's no room for a fridge. I love that my 4runner is always ready to go. Just throw in the fridge and supplies and head off. I just hate the RTT... especially in the rain.

What I've thought of already:
-Teardrop camper with large tires (I don't really have space to store it and I'd rather avoid having to tow anything)
- 4-wheel-camper in the bed of a midsize truck (again I don't really have space to store it and I probably wont be able to do truck & camper for sub $30k)
- 1 ton 4wd van (Do I really want to daily drive a large van?)
- 4 door long bed midsize truck with a topper and removable sleeping platform. This seems like the most viable option but I don't love the Idea of having to remove everything from the bed when I'm home. Also The fridge would have to go in the back seat and I like the idea of having seating for 4 while camping. Maybe I should just accept seating for only 3?

Wants/needs:
-Daily driver
-Interior space (I hate setting up and taking down a RTT)
-Fridge
-Water storage
-Ability to use the vehicle in stock form when I need it (if I have a truck, I still want to be able to load lumber and motorcycles into the bed while around town)
-Seating for 4 while still being setup for overland travel

Am I asking for too much? Does such a rig even exist?

Thanks in advance for your ideas!

Curious to hear what you ended going with?

 

[PNW Matt]

I’m about 22k as it stands now, with rig, camper and everything else other than a few things brought over from my old 4Runner. It works pretty good but like with everything it’s not perfect but fills many shoes. you build something similar on a f250/f350 for 30k with careful shipping, I bought the tundra/camper in Jan in stock form and did all the mods over the last few months, still have stuff to finish.

 

[brogo]

I’m about 22k as it stands now, with rig, camper and everything else other than a few things brought over from my old 4Runner. It works pretty good but like with everything it’s not perfect but fills many shoes. you build something similar on a f250/f350 for 30k with careful shipping, I bought the tundra/camper in Jan in stock form and did all the mods over the last few months, still have stuff to finish.

Looks great!

 

[plumber mike]

My .02 is a Suburban. I know you said you want the option for hauling materials around town on occasion but you can always rent a trailer for that or a cheap utility trailer would be a lot easier to store than a camping trailer.

I love my suburban. We have nicer newer vehicles, but the mighty burb does so much more for less. Muddy dogs, pile o kids, 4x8 sheet goods. Shoot....You could just toss the trailer on the roof when you weren’t using it, and be camping the day you got it....as is.

 

[eyemgh]

It’s all about how old you’re willing to go and how lucky you get. I paid $25K for the rig in my avatar (2008 Silverado LTZ 150K miles, with a FWC Raven shell). It’s been great, but we’re in a position that we can build our “perfect” vehicle, in quotes because there really isn’t a perfect RV. Our son is getting the FWC.

 

[PirateMcGee]

Late 1st gen Titan Pro4x and an ovrlnd camper. Done.

 

[Energy_legs]

Late 1st gen Titan Pro4x and an ovrlnd camper. Done.

Paid $18k for the pristine 2011 truck with 115k miles on it. Picked it up outside of Vegas. Although you might struggle with current used process. A drop in shell camper like Pirate said will probably fit in your budget. I'm very happy with the leitner rack and the ikamper. Still a very useful bed and super easy setup. I do store my camping gear in a garage when I'm not on a trip though. Tent stays on though, haven't come up with an easy way to get it on and off or store it since my garage is too low.

Good luck!