spectre6000
Observer
A good friend is interested in buying and building a truck that best falls into the overlanding category. I've had all manner of trucks including an FJ40, a split window VW bus, an M1009, JKU, and several others. I don't have the problem of being 6'5" though. He wants something that can be built for light off roading and vehicle camping. I'm thinking probably something capable of 3-rated trails or so.
Our initial searches have been on the order of a heavy duty Suburban; opting for the heavier axles and better torque since the acquisition cost delta is negligible. Finding a good one will take some time and a little luck. We talked about Excursions, and while I couldn't convince him that a Suburban might be somewhat limiting from a hugeness perspective, he agrees that the Excursions are probably too big.
There also seems to be a fairly firm preference for dual air bags... As we (I, he, and his wife with my wife in the periphery) were talking last night, there seemed to be some acceptance of a single driver's airbag and talk of maybe not worrying about them at all since it won't be a DD. It's pretty limiting from the perspective of cost and availability of options, but given that I just about died a year ago in my '81 K10 it's not the easiest case to make (though one of my surgeons said I'd have been in just as rough shape had I had airbags, the injuries just would have been different).
The budget for the build is $7500. That includes acquisition, baselining, and modifications. My thoughts on that are minimal lift, 33-35" tires, hopefully a locker in the rear, and a comfortable interior. We're in Colorado, so that should give some idea of what's available and the terrain in question.
We've discussed alternatives such as SAS/4WD conversion on a commercial-type van (probably prices out), decommissioned ambulance (none currently available, so I don't know where they fit in the budget and I'm not really sure what they tend to be mechanically), Sequoia seems too short, same with an Armada (I think)... We talked about what it would take to open a truck cab up to a bed with a camper top, but that seems like it might prove either cost prohibitive or too janky to satisfy the comfort criteria.
I'm appealing to the collective knowledge to try to get some ideas from the extra-long crowd for what can handle a person that is in the 0.5% percentile. What options am I not considering? At nearly a foot shorter, it's not an issue I've had to contend with or ever think about...
I suggested RTTs, but I don't know about the height parameter. He also seems dubious about the comfort of an RTT. Any insight there?
Our initial searches have been on the order of a heavy duty Suburban; opting for the heavier axles and better torque since the acquisition cost delta is negligible. Finding a good one will take some time and a little luck. We talked about Excursions, and while I couldn't convince him that a Suburban might be somewhat limiting from a hugeness perspective, he agrees that the Excursions are probably too big.
There also seems to be a fairly firm preference for dual air bags... As we (I, he, and his wife with my wife in the periphery) were talking last night, there seemed to be some acceptance of a single driver's airbag and talk of maybe not worrying about them at all since it won't be a DD. It's pretty limiting from the perspective of cost and availability of options, but given that I just about died a year ago in my '81 K10 it's not the easiest case to make (though one of my surgeons said I'd have been in just as rough shape had I had airbags, the injuries just would have been different).
The budget for the build is $7500. That includes acquisition, baselining, and modifications. My thoughts on that are minimal lift, 33-35" tires, hopefully a locker in the rear, and a comfortable interior. We're in Colorado, so that should give some idea of what's available and the terrain in question.
We've discussed alternatives such as SAS/4WD conversion on a commercial-type van (probably prices out), decommissioned ambulance (none currently available, so I don't know where they fit in the budget and I'm not really sure what they tend to be mechanically), Sequoia seems too short, same with an Armada (I think)... We talked about what it would take to open a truck cab up to a bed with a camper top, but that seems like it might prove either cost prohibitive or too janky to satisfy the comfort criteria.
I'm appealing to the collective knowledge to try to get some ideas from the extra-long crowd for what can handle a person that is in the 0.5% percentile. What options am I not considering? At nearly a foot shorter, it's not an issue I've had to contend with or ever think about...
I suggested RTTs, but I don't know about the height parameter. He also seems dubious about the comfort of an RTT. Any insight there?