Budget overland vehicle advice

[SkiingClimber]

This is my first post so sorry if there’s a better place to post this.

I’m looking for advice on a budget overlanding rig that I will be living/traveling out of for extended periods with my partner our dog and cat. My budget is $4k-8,000ish. I plan on having repair money on top of that. I currently don’t have a vehicle but my last ride was an ‘06 Double cab Tundra. While it had plenty of space there were moments when I wished it was smaller for off-roading. I would say I’m a moderate off-roader took the tundra on trails like lead king basin loop in marble and alpine loop in the san juans. Definitely scraped a few times in the tundra. We did plenty of long weekend trips and a few weeklong trips. I like going to remote places, the more remote the better. But I would still like some mild stealth when trying to sleep in more popular areas or even in a town if need be. I’m not that mechanically inclined but willing to learn.

Considerations are:

4wd

Sleep in vehicle/truck topper (I’m 6ft so at least 6’ long bed if buying a truck)

Enough storage for climbing gear, skiing gear, bikes, and camping gear

Reliable

Lower cost in maintenance and gas

Off-road capability


Vehicles I am considering are:

Toyota Tundra access cab 1st gen

Toyota Tacoma

Toyota Sequoia

Nissan Frontier

Nissan Titan

If I were to get a Tundra or Tacoma I would shoot for one with factory locker or LSD though not a deal breaker definitely something I’m considering (my tundra had LSD). I’m not looking to mod very much other than tires I’d rather have the money for travel, gear, and storage.

Trim doesn’t matter other than enough space for bed and above mentioned criteria. I would be paying cash, willing to travel for a purchase and have plenty of time to look for a vehicle. If you were in a similar situation what would you be looking for in terms of age, mileage, price, and model of vehicle? And why? I’m open to suggestions outside the vehicles listed. So what is your opinion other than I’m crazy and/or need more money?

 

[BigSwede]

I could be wrong but it doesn't seem like any of the mid-size trucks come with both 6' beds and crew cabs. It's all a question of compromises, which are you willing to make?

The first gen Sequoias are big but a bit smaller than full size pickups, and you could probably sleep inside one.

 

[SkiingClimber]

Yea there aren’t really any mid size pickups with a crew cab and 6’ or longer bed. I think I’ve seen a few older frontiers that do but I’m mainly looking at access cabs for that reason. How do 1st gen sequoias compare in terms of space vs a mid size access cab pickup? Also how well do they perform off-road? I lean more towards space than off-road performance but I’m just trying to get an idea. I realize everything is a trade off.

 

[reaver]

Does it need to be a truck? Honestly, I feel like xterras are a really good value right now. If you snag an off road model, that would give you a rear locker, and should have enough room to sleep in the back.

The 3.3l v6 in Pre-2005 models is reliable, as long as you keep up with the timing belt. The 4L in 2005+ has more power, gets better mileage, but you need to watch out for the radiator in AT models before 2010. Get a manual, and you're good.

Pretty much any Toyota you find in that price range is going to have super high miles, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but means more maintenance costs from the beginning.

 

[flecker]

I built this for around 45 hundred...

1992 Extra Cab Toyota/ camping/ mild expo/ whatev fun truck!

www.pirate4x4.com

Served me well for a few years!

 

[SkiingClimber]

No it doesn’t necessarily need to be a pickup and I’ve considered getting and xterra but was concerned about storage space. I’ve also considered getting a Toyota pickup like the one above. I wouldn’t mind going slow but don’t they not get that great of gas mileage for the power and payload they have? I know in my price range I can’t be too picky though. It’s also probably worth noting we got our tundra with 220k on it and in a little under 2years it had 286k when the engine finally went.

 

[flecker]

No it doesn’t necessarily need to be a pickup and I’ve considered getting and xterra but was concerned about storage space. I’ve also considered getting a Toyota pickup like the one above. I wouldn’t mind going slow but don’t they not get that great of gas mileage for the power and payload they have? I know in my price range I can’t be too picky though. It’s also probably worth noting we got our tundra with 220k on it and in a little under 2years it had 286k when the engine finally went.

That one I posted above went across the country 3 times! From Atlanta to Northern Ca. twice. And many places off the beaten path. Averaged about 24 mpg... after I re-geared it to 4:56's. Was a great truck! Yah, it was a lil doggy up hills and it spent some time in 3rd and 4th but it was reliable as all get out and cruised 75-80 mph on the highways without issue. Also, with just a locker in the rear and the most basic suspension I was able to go anywhere I pointed it for the most part without using the winch all the time. ONLY issue, and I mean ONLY issue was the space for two people and a dog over the long haul... Wife wanted something with an open cab to the back and a bit more headroom. If it were just me, that was the perfect rig.

Keep in mind, that was me doing all of the work to make it that way... I sold that truck for right around 8k when I was done with it.

 

[reaver]

No it doesn’t necessarily need to be a pickup and I’ve considered getting and xterra but was concerned about storage space. I’ve also considered getting a Toyota pickup like the one above. I wouldn’t mind going slow but don’t they not get that great of gas mileage for the power and payload they have? I know in my price range I can’t be too picky though. It’s also probably worth noting we got our tundra with 220k on it and in a little under 2years it had 286k when the engine finally went.

I hear you. Honestly, if I fold the back seats in my 03 down, I can actually fit MORE volume in the xterra than I can in my colorado, and it's fully enclosed. Payload is supposedly 1000lbs or so, but can be increased by using a heavier leaf pack.

I'll admit, gas mileage isn't great (about 16-17mpg combined), but it's comfortable, and has a good ride. But, it's got a solid engine, and strong drive train, manual transfer case, and only cost me 5800 for a super clean one with 135k and a good service history.

Toyotas are great rigs, but you're going to pay a premium for them. I wasn't willing to do that myself.

Honestly though, I think you need to look at what you'd like to do. Do you need to carry a ton of gear (either heavy, or bulky)? If so, the first gen tundra might be the best option.

Do you want something that's smaller, lighter, more nimble, and can fit everything you need for at least a few days? Honestly, for me, this is what I wanted, and I went with a 1st gen xterra.

Do you want more room in an SUV, and more comfort? Go with the sequoia.

If you want something smaller, but with more payload (without upgrades), out of the two midsize pickups, I'd choose the frontier over the tacoma. Larger payload, same MPG, more comfortable seats (for me), and plenty of aftermarket support. It's also considerably cheaper.

Ultimately, none of these vehicles in stock form are going to fit your needs perfectly. Choose the one that meets the most of them, and modify it from there.

 

[XJLI]

If you're on a budget, go domestic. The two passes you mentioned are just that, passes. Not serious off road trails. A 99-06 Tahoe with a torsion bar crank and 33s will do everything you ask for cheap and half the miles of a Toyota. Not much bigger than a 1st gen Tundra width wise, but shorter wheelbase and rear overhang.

 

[reaver]

If you're on a budget, go domestic. The two passes you mentioned are just that, passes. Not serious off road trails. A 99-06 Tahoe with a torsion bar crank and 33s will do everything you ask for cheap and half the miles of a Toyota. Not much bigger than a 1st gen Tundra width wise, but shorter wheelbase and rear overhang.

Not to mention an absolutely bullet proof motor. Chevy 5.3's are stupid reliable, and even when they have issues, will continue running. Honestly, you'll probably get the same gas mileage out of the 5.3 or 5.7 that you would out of the toyota and especially the nissan. Not bad advice. Again though, you have to look at what you REALLY want to do, both now, and maybe in the future.

 

[llamalander]

Nissan makes the Frontier in a crew-cab long bed. 19' long roughly with a 130" wheelbase I think, not so skinny as to tip easily but will fit down most trails. Even without the factory e-locker, the 4wd works well for all sorts of terrain, and is excellent in snow with winter tires. With the back seats out there is a ton of secure storage in the cab. The mileage is not on the level of the latest trucks, but you pay a fair penalty for the brick shape, and notice an improvement when you stick to country roads and <55mph. There are a few highly suggested modifications to some of the 10+ year old trucks, but you can expect well over 100k miles out of them without much trouble or input. Payload is good for the size, engine is plenty powerful. A shell to sleep under and a rocket-box on the roof should fit 2 people, you never said how big your cat was though...

 

[SkiingClimber]

Our cat isn’t big(11lbs) it’s our dog (65lbs) that needs Some space. If I go the pickup rout we had planned on getting a topper and some sort of cargo box/roof storage and maybe a hitch rack for bikes. We had bought an ARE DCU topper with double doors the was a foot higher than the tundras cab. I had planned on building that out to have plenty of storage and ample headroom when sitting in bed but alas. If we were just doing weekend and shorter trips a smaller vehicle would be fine but we would like to potentially live out of it full time in which case we would need the extra storage. Someone mentioned that Frontiers have more storage and payload than Tacoma’s. How does a Sequoia compare in storage to the mid size pickups? What mods are recommended for a 10+ year vehicle?

 

[reaver]

Our cat isn’t big(11lbs) it’s our dog (65lbs) that needs Some space. If I go the pickup rout we had planned on getting a topper and some sort of cargo box/roof storage and maybe a hitch rack for bikes. We had bought an ARE DCU topper with double doors the was a foot higher than the tundras cab. I had planned on building that out to have plenty of storage and ample headroom when sitting in bed but alas. If we were just doing weekend and shorter trips a smaller vehicle would be fine but we would like to potentially live out of it full time in which case we would need the extra storage. Someone mentioned that Frontiers have more storage and payload than Tacoma’s. How does a Sequoia compare in storage to the mid size pickups? What mods are recommended for a 10+ year vehicle?

Having not really looked at the sequoia personally, I'd venture to guess that it's fairly roomy as it's built on the tundra platform.

The payload comment came from me. I also just looked it up and it's 1340lbs for the frontier vs 1120 for the tacoma (that's 2019 model year numbers, fyi). Another thing to consider is that the frontier is built on a shortened version of the titan frame. This means you basically have a full size truck frame and a mid-size body. You could put stronger leaf packs underneath, and increase your payload another 400-600lbs.

Although, knowing that you might live out of it for an extended time now, you may be a bit cramped in a mid-size truck. Only you can decide if that's going to work for you.

 

[nitro_rat]

The crew cab long bed Nissan has an abysmal turning radius. And the "long" bed is only 6'. Might as well get a Suburban.

 

[reaver]

Most modern crew cabs are that way. My 04 colorado feels like it has the turning radius of a school bus. My 03 Xterra on the other hand, is much tighter.