Teacher in need of some advise on building a camping truck

[Hoosier 45]

Hi,
I am new to this forum thing. I have been into Cruisers for 20+ years. I started with a '77 40 and now have a '65 45 pickup.

I am now to the point of being able to take the family on summer long trips in North America. I have purchased a '03 Double cab 4X4 TRD. I would like to keep it as stock as possible and use the $$ saved to do LONG trips.

The Tires are shot and we are leaving for the outerbanks of NC in 2 weeks.
I would like to get 235-85-16 BF Goodrich A/T's but do not want to lift. I used to run 7.00-15's on my crusiers so I like the look and utility of a tall skinny tire. I am looking at these tires with the hope of the best fuel economy and performance.

Thanks for any advise.
Martin

 

[Martinjmpr]

Hey, Martin (great name, BTW! :xxrotflma ), when do we get to see pics of that FJ45?

I have seen a couple of FJ45 wagons in the Denver/Boulder area, but they are few and far between.

Sounds like you may be contemplating what I've been thinking about, i.e. switching back to 15" wheels. I think it's sensible, especially being concerned about $$, I've noticed that 15" are available in greater varieties and are noticeably less expensive.

 

[Grim Reaper]

1st

Welcome to the forum.

Really depends on your long term plans. For your Outer Banks trip:

A Couple $40 tents a cooler, grill and water container and your camping after hitting the grocery. The rest is fluff and not totally needed but it can be fun fluff. It really sounds like this might be one of your first outing so start cheap and make sure the family is Camping compliant before dumping big money into anything.

Out of the box the truck is capable. The thing that you need to watch is where you are planning on going is sand. Sand is one of the easiest things to get stuck in. General rule of thumb is the wider the tires the better. Your tire choice is not a bad one at all. As for fitting..There are lots of threads on your model truck and what it takes to make what fit. Just make sure you have what it will take to get unstuck.

As for upgrades to the truck. Make sure you have recovery points front and rear. Get a good snatch strap (Or two and NO hooks!). I would get some sand ladders. That could be as simple as a a few pieces of 3/4 ply wood. Shovels are a must. If you have a winch then a "pull pall" might not be a bad investment for the sand.

The big thing that gets people in trouble is the Tide. MAKE SURE YOU PARK BEYOND HIGH TIDE! The hard pack near the water is inviting. Its easy to drive on. The tide just comes in a LOT faster then you would think. You don't want to leave your vehicle unattended on the hard pack for any length of time when the tide is coming in. I use to frequent Daytona and I have seen more floaters that you could ever imagine. Funnest being a Limo.

As for camping gear for the first trip:

Really with the time of year you are going a Cheap Walmart tent with a rain fly would do you till you research what you really want for shelter. A couple 10x10 Tarps would be a good thing to have. Plan out your Kitchen set up. Small Charcoal grill, Camp stove, Pots, pans, and utensils. Folding table if you are not staying in a area that as picknick table available. A lantern or two. You might even want to go so far as to set up your gear in the back yard and try it out at home for a few nights to get use to it.

Long Term:

For the future you might look at a Light weight trailer since you are looking for shelter for 4. My Family use to have a very simple tent trailer that Slept four and was light enough we pulled it with a VW station wagon. Had nothing but the bunks in it. That thing had been all over the US. Wish I still had it.

There is a great Trailer secton here to see what others are doing and it will take you days to go through it.

As for planning vehicle upgrades. The first thing most of us plan for is protecting the vehicle from getting disabled. The power system is the one that gets most people. If you plan on anything that requires 12v while parked then a Second battery is a must. The Idea is to set up the truck to protect its starting battery so that you don't find yourself in the middle of nowhere needing a jump.

I really like having a Shell. Side opening doors for ease of getting gear. The benefits are a dry place to throw loose gear. A way to secure stuff from wandering off. In a pinch you can take shelter in it to wait out a storm.

Emergency communications might be of concern as well if you plan to really get off the beaten path. HAM being popular. IDEN satellite phone being another.

Snoop around. Lots of good threads. I would pay attention to the threads involving camping gear. A lot of folks here will provide reviews of what they thought of a new piece of gear and possibly save you from buying something of poor quality or doesn't really serve you needs.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Hoosier 45]

Thanks for the replys. I did not go too much into our camping backgrounds and equip. I guess I should have. We are avid backpackers and canoe campers. I have the tent, sleeping bag stove bla bla bla some what in line. We are going large cabin tent and cooking tarp along with a 3 burner stove and chow box etc. We have three kids 2, 7 & 9.

My biggest question is the 235-85-16's. After I posted I took my truck out to the drainage ditch in front of my house and tried to put as much twist to the rig as I could. I was not able to get a wheel off the ground, or compress springs to bumper stop but I was able to really compress the front/rear tires and with the clearance on the worn 265-70's was about 1.5". So if I add the .5 tread + .5 (increase of the 235-85) it comes out close.

I am leaning towards 245-75-16's now unless someone can convince me to do otherwise.

Thanks for the sand driving tips, I can use all you have. I will be going with a Couple that have a 4X4 nissan double cab so we can pull on each other. I have a snatch strap and 100' of 1/2" nylon rope.

Thanks, Martin

 

[Grim Reaper]

1-2 inches of lift on that truck are easy to come by for minimal cash. Depending on the amount of gear you plan to haul you may be forced to put a little bit of a lift on the rear so that loaded it is level. 1 inch spacer on the front and you are clearing the 265's I would bet

Toyota's are surprising on what they will fit stock. I managed to jam a set of 33x12.5 on my 86 4Runner with a hammer and no lift.

What you need to also concider is gear ratio. A 265 75 16 or a 235 85 16 is roughly 32 inches tall. If the truck came with 31's and you are running the stock rim....It will probably fit and not throw the speedo off too much.

 

[Hoosier 45]

So are you thinking I should be able to sqeak the 235-85's by on the NC trip then do a small lift?

What do the spacers look like.

I used to teach Voc. Machine shop for 14 years and will be currently (fall 2007) teaching a Mfg. Class at the local College. I came machine as needed then.

 

[Hoosier 45]

Martin,
If my wife helps me I might be able to post some old pic's of the 45 but currently it is ALL apart. The frame is sitting on the floor. It came to Indiana from Montana and had zero rust holes. Long story short(because I hate to type) I was taking the Chevy 283 out and found a rust hole so I am taking it all down and puttinfg a 2F back in it. I did a shortened take down in 1990 but now it is ALL apart. I am pretty patient so slow as she goes.

Do not hold your breath about the pic's it is fair week here and we have chickens to get ready! Ha.

 

[Willman]

Welcome to the ExPo!!!!

Love to see some pictures of your rigs!!!!!

:chowtime:

 

[njtacoma]

Will they fit? maybe

Martin,
A quick check calculating the tires size says the stock tire is 30.6" tall. The 235/85 tires come out to 31.7" tall. The 265/75 is 31.6" tall. The general consensus is that the 265/75 fits with very minor trimming (See Scott's article on fitting 255/85 on his tacoma, you shouldn't need this much, but good guides).
All this to say, they would probably fit with some minor trimming. I am contemplating the same tire size when my stock tires wear out. So let me know how they work!

 

[Hoosier 45]

Well, the 40 is gone. It's front end is in the 45. My wife and I made a homemade soft top for the 40 and took it to Idaho from Indiana for our honey moon. It was a TRIP. That was in 1992.
I was just telling her we can go back to Idaho next year but we have A/C and kids.

It was quite a trip. We were bounching down this trail to a fire tower with the top off, the dogs ears flapping in the wind and out of no where our new dog throw up in my wifes lap. She is yelling at me and I am trying to keep from driving off the mountain. Any way I do have pic's but they are burried somewhere.