Starting It Off Right

[BeerNBrats]

Ok, so I struggled with were to put this and landed on here. Sorry if it's in the wrong place but here goes:

I'm new to this game and was looking to take from the infinite wisdom of the veterans here. My girlfriend and I have both been looking into actually getting out and about for some time now; and with the addition of our second 4x4 to the family I think it's about time. Both of our vehicles are bone stock...I'm looking for any advice y'all have about where to start with mods. What would you have done first if you knew better/what do you do first on your new rigs now. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated. We live in San Diego and both of our vehicles are also our daily drivers. With that in mind, our canvases are:

2004 Chevy Silverado 1500 Z71 (Ext. Cab)
5.3L V8

2001 Jeep Wrangler TJ Sahara Ed.
4.0L I6

Like I said, both are bone stock, except that we ditched the carpet and put in a spray liner in the Jeep (good investment so far).

Any suggestions/words of wisdom would be great.

Thanks guys!!

 

[Ducky's Dad]

Best first upgrade for just about anything is a fresh set of tires that are appropriate to what you use the vehicle for. Forget about fancy wheels unless you really need something wider or with different offset. If you do need different wheels, there are lots of used sets on CraigsList. Better headlights are always helpful, sometimes not too expensive depending on what capsule your stockers use. Better/bigger battery when the time comes. Jumper cables, lithium ion jumper pack, some recovery gear. For the Silverado, think about a crossbed tool box to hold your gear and free up cab space. Lots of boxes on CL. Small tool set, spare belt and fuses, flashlights, road flares, couple cans of sealer/inflator, tire patch kit. Small compressor should make the short list.

 

[1leglance]

Put gas in the tank and go....
The places you want to go and the things you want to see will tell you what to upgrade. Along with how long to stay out...

Otherwise a nice small air compressor that clips onto the battery so you can air down and air back up will really help.
A tire repair kit like Extreme Outback makes in case you poke a hole in your tires.
Basic tools, a strap and a couple of d-shackles, ditch bag with emergency stuff and go have fun.

Spending money on upgrades is worth far less than spending money on gas to explore while you figure out the upgrades

 

[BigSwede]

Put gas in the tank and go....
The places you want to go and the things you want to see will tell you what to upgrade. Along with how long to stay out...

Otherwise a nice small air compressor that clips onto the battery so you can air down and air back up will really help.
A tire repair kit like Extreme Outback makes in case you poke a hole in your tires.
Basic tools, a strap and a couple of d-shackles, ditch bag with emergency stuff and go have fun.

Spending money on upgrades is worth far less than spending money on gas to explore while you figure out the upgrades

Best advice, really. Almost everything I bought before I started going offroad got changed out eventually.

 

[colorado matt]

x3 on go play and see what you are lacking ..... tendency to overbuild is a common thing .. don't spend time away from doing because all yourtime and money is spent building it .... storage solutions .... better lighting and electricals will most likely pop up as quick wants .... partners in crime are almost needed at first so you don't end up in the middle of nowhere alone .... recovery gear as you push the limits off road ...... a good cooler or fridge if you have the coin .... my wish list is giant and half will never be realized or necessary .... good luck ... get out and play ..... oh and plan your upgrades to keep the vehicle rolling and useful .... down time on your rig because you have so many things going on together can be frustrating ...very frustrating .... Matt

 

[PirateMcGee]

X4. Just go. You really don't need much. As far as gear, keep it simple, light, small and versatile. You might not always want to car camp, you might take up kayaking or biking. Get stuff that you can use no matter the activity.

 

[underdrive]

Upgrade for truck: bed cap, because solid roof and walls beat a tent on the ground and it's nice to be able to keep your stuff dry and hopefully secure.

Upgrade for Jeep: soft top or hard top (whichever you don't have), because sun and rain respectively

Also, a fullsize spare wheel, with a good tire the same size as what you currently run on each vehicle.

Other than that gas up, grab GF, and hammer down outta town!

 

[WheresYourColorado]

Longtime stalker/first-time poster but since I'm originally from there I feel like finally chiming in on something.

Like most people said first thing is load a bag full of tools and recovery gear, water/fuel jugs into your ride and get off the pavement. Then after a few trips you'll start figuring out your need vs want.

You probably will discovery that you want new tires and some kind of lift. If you want to run a bigger tire but don't necessarily want an increased center of gravity look into some cut-out flares. They wont help articulation but they'll let you run some bigger tires to get you that little bit more clearance. They may be cheaper to do on your truck than a full lift (stay away from blocks). A friend put some cut-outs on his TJ and he's running 33's with mucho room to spare. He loves them.

ISoCal has a wide variety of terrain/climates. For that reason you need to do some decent research before you slap new rubber on. I ran BFG AT KO's on all my California rigs (except the 11/16 XZL's on my CUCV) and they performed pretty well all around. That includes Borrego, Palomar Mtns and the Sierras. Sand, dirt, rocks and snow they never disappointed me and they seemed to last a long time. Up here in Colorado Copper AT's are pretty popular, they're on all the fleet trucks at my work. I don't have first hand experience with them in sand but the feedback from others on ExPo seems good in that regard.

For your truck: A topper is a great investment. I had a nice insulated Callen on my CUCV. It had a rack on the top that I'd put the kayaks on so I could still sleep inside. A tool box to carry tools/recovery gear etc. If you want to pause on the toolbox and adventure out first you may discovery that a toolbox/aux fuel tank combo may be up your alley. That way if you take both vehicles out and you'll have plenty of extra fuel (just don't DD it full with those SoCal gas prices). My CUCV ended up with 100gallons total/+1000mile range (that I never fully utilized). Fuel tanks in campers need some modification though (and a longbed if you want to still sleep in it).

Whatever you do don't dive in spending all your money because it can get outta hand fast and then all you can afford is a staycation. When you do decide to upgrade explore CL. I got my camper and toolbox/aux tank for cheapo. I think $800 total. New they would've been a heck of a lot more.
And try doing some DIY stuff. Here's a cool thread for little things to do if you get 'mod fever' http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...upgrades-additions-that-make-a-big-difference

Be patient with the build, just keep exploring and you'll discovery your need vs want!

Cheers!

 

[RedF]

Your vehicles are 12 and 15 years old with unspecified mileage, make sure you're up on the maintenance and repairs so you can be confident in your vehicles.

I second the topper for your pickup, it's great to throw it in park, and crawl in. Get yourself some camping gear and way to navigate. Some basic recovery gear is a good idea. Figure out where you're going and for how long, tell somebody else that plan and go!

 

[chasespeed]

Another thing to factor in. Don't build something that is going to be a PITA to drive on the street, or beat up your passenger/make them miserable. That'll make the trip suck.

Sometimes you need to do some serious pavement pounding to get to where you're going to get started.

As I tell anyone, be honest with yourself on th intended usage. A good 1/2 or 3/4t with a cap, and some good tires, with your camping gear of choice is all many really need. Especially here in North America.

But, if it's going to pull double duty as a trail toy, the TJ may be the better choice, as a full size anything on most trails is just too much, let alone with the long wheelbase of a truck.

I don't know how things are in SoCal... So, a full size rig may be just fine on any and/or all trails.

My current ride, is geared around my primary use.. Beach. Because it's CLOSE, and I'm on call every 3rd week. But, it's also capable of anything I could honestly expect to deal with. And it's highway manners are excellent.

I gave trying to build what I WANT, and stuck with what I need. I'm not going to mess with the current driveablility. I'm happy. It goes where I want, and it's perfectly streetable.

Above all else, as mentioned, go enjoy it!

Chase