Bryce's 3g Tundra overlanding build

Hello everyone! I have been building Honda's for racing over the last 20 years, now I have turned my sights on a Tundra overlanding build.

Hoping for advice, tips, tricks, recommendations as my build takes shape.

Goals:
  • Building for up to a week of supplies for two people.
  • This will also be my towing rig for boondocking in a RV I'm currently working as well.
  • The Tundra will hopefully be a easy to setup comfy camper for weekend bike trips.
Build:
  • 2014 Tundra TRD Limited
  • TRD Pro grill + Deleting all the chrome
  • ARE topper
  • Level 8 wheels w/Factory tires till they wear down
  • Oem style painted fender flares
  • Power running boards
  • Undercoating

Solar kit is in progress - 30Amp small setup 35 amp hour sealed lead acid battery + 100w solar panel on the topper roof. I would like this for charging cell phones, laptop, maybe even running a small powered cooler.

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This is the day I got the wheels installed.

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Post Grill and with my bike + solar panel installed.

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I built the back so that I could leave in the right side all the time, and stack the left side on the right when I'm traveling since I store the bikes in the rear of the truck. Hoping to keep improving this part of the rig since it is my first time since high school building something out of wood haha.

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Bikes, tools, everything ready to go on our first 3 day trip to try it out. Worked great, loved it. I think I will need to add a roof rack to the rear so I can have a camp shower, maybe a rear tent for changing/showers/bathroom? Still learning as I go here.
 

phsycle

Adventurer
Looks like you’ve got a nice set up. Tundra is a great rig for what you’re using it for.

Personally, I don’t like roof top tents. I’d rather get a high rise shell and simply throw on a sleeping pad on top of that platform you made.
 
Looks like you’ve got a nice set up. Tundra is a great rig for what you’re using it for.

Personally, I don’t like roof top tents. I’d rather get a high rise shell and simply throw on a sleeping pad on top of that platform you made.
Thank you sir.

I completely agree, and have no plans to get a rooftop tent at this time. I was referring to a tent that you can stand in at the rear of the truck or maybe something like this for a bit more room, and air.
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phsycle

Adventurer
Thank you sir.

I completely agree, and have no plans to get a rooftop tent at this time. I was referring to a tent that you can stand in at the rear of the truck or maybe something like this for a bit more room, and air.
View attachment 596536View attachment 596537

I see. Those tents would be cool. Nice supplement if you need more room on a trip. I’d do that for sure. They’re not super expensive.

By the way, I used to own a Integra Type R back in the day. 98, Championship White. Had some fun HDPE days. Then sold it to someone who unfortunately went Dom Toretto on it.

I still have a soft spot for 90’s Honda’s. One of my favorite I owned was a 99 Civic EX sedan. Wouldn’t mind owning another someday, or a hatchback.
 
I see. Those tents would be cool. Nice supplement if you need more room on a trip. I’d do that for sure. They’re not super expensive.

By the way, I used to own a Integra Type R back in the day. 98, Championship White. Had some fun HDPE days. Then sold it to someone who unfortunately went Dom Toretto on it.

I still have a soft spot for 90’s Honda’s. One of my favorite I owned was a 99 Civic EX sedan. Wouldn’t mind owning another someday, or a hatchback.
Extremely jealous, the ITR is one of my favorite cars of all time.

Here are a few pictures of my current Honda's that I race.


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I have a 03 Honda S2000 that I built for Street time attack for Gridlife events.

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My 88 Honda Crx Si that I have been building for the last 20 years & drag racing. Its a street car.

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93 Civic cx hatch drag racing car.

I have had tons of Honda's over the years but these are the ones I have kept. Depending on my love for the nomadic lifestyle is has been harder and harder to maintain the cars, and find time to race them. The CRX and Civic just sit covered in dust sadly.
 

borison

Adventurer
I have a huge soft spot for your era of Hondas. I worked at a car dealership that bought the local Honda dealer out, about 88 or 89. I was just reminiscing about those old Civic hatchbacks for like $9,000 new and once I drove the CRX Si, I was drinking koolaid.
 

ITTOG

Well-known member
Thank you sir.

I completely agree, and have no plans to get a rooftop tent at this time. I was referring to a tent that you can stand in at the rear of the truck or maybe something like this for a bit more room, and air.
View attachment 596536

I have family with the tent you show and it is an awesome setup. He has a hardshell topper as well. It all works well for him. It would be a pain if you are changing location every day though.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk
 
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This is the setup today in DD bike mode. I'm working on building a solar shower for the roof rack once I find one I like. In the picture you can see the roofing that we did with some hooks, lights and better mounting for the solar panel. Added some privacy curtains, sealing to keep bugs out, and built a bug net for the rear so we can keep the tailgate open on hot days.

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Not sexy at all, but I got the solar kit mounted in some open space I had. I would like to improve on all of this using it almost as a proof of concept since I have never built anything like it before. Learning quickly.

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My size 75 cooler was awful to get in and out with the seat brackets in the way. I built this platform with some tie-downs to set the cooler on. Really loving it.

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Bonus more storage under it for my biking shoes.

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Also made some pretty large tool upgrades to my garage so I can build some of this stuff without using old hand me downs from grampa haha.
 
Looking for suggestions for a good roof rack system for my ARE topper!

I'm going on a 20 day trip to Utah biking starting this Friday. The Tundra will be only with us on half the trip but I'm excited to get to try out some of the new stuff we installed the last few weeks.
 

barongan

New member
Awesome build!
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Just got back from the 20 days of travel in the Tundra. I drove it over 4k miles with no issues, sleeping in the back most nights on BLM land. It was amazing.

After seeing a bunch of people with Van builds though, I'm seriously looking at trading it in for a 2020 Transit 4x4. I'm 6'2, and its very cramped inside of my topper, along with needing to store 10k worth of Mountain bikes outside when I sleep really stinks.
 
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Last day with our large camper cooler. Just got a 12v fridge to replace it.
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Packout boxes are working great for tools
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I really need to add a drawer so I can have easy access to everything. Right now its a chore to get anything out behind that plastic bin.
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The view from inside the camper, kinda a mess since we got into camp late and had to setup quickly in the dark.
 
Current plan is to live on the road full time for a year. Taking the big jump.

My house is on the market. Once sold we will be traveling from Minnesota down south to winter in AZ with the tundra and travel trailer. This will be a 3 month test run, then after that hopefully goes well I plan on giving the Tundra to my Mother for overlanding, and building out a Ford Transit van. but who knows for sure at this point, too many variables to plan really far ahead.
 
Update for anyone who might care haha.

I sold the Tundra to my folks who needed a truck, sold my house, downsized everything to live in a van. I have been building a van/traveling the last few months. Its awesome! I'll start up a build thread at some point here for the van.

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