Increasing Tacoma Payload Capacity?

[Traveling 2gether Journal]

There are tons of them with low miles and in the price range. Guess what Travleing 2gether has to ask himself is...is it about the trip or about the vehicle?

It's definitely "about the trip" but my previous experience has my wife and I trying to figure out how to make some improvements to our vehicle/home that will help us better enjoy our time at camp while still being able to get down the narrow 4x4 tracks that have proven necesary to get to what have been some of my favorite campsites.

Also, regarding the 2k lbs. Might you be able to pare that down a bit? Are you building your own camper, or are you planning on a slide-in, or....?

I intend to build my own hard-sided pop-up camper that will be permanently mounted in the truck and integrated into a custom utility bed designed for my personal needs and a passthrough that will make the cab part of the living space.
We could pare down the weight of course, but we are going traveling to enjoy ourselves, and we would like to bring our toys with us if possible. Our favorite part of our traveling experience has been getting to remote or semi-remote areas where food, fuel, and water may be scarce. As a result I am intending to increase our capacities for fuel and water since those were limitations in our past travels. We also enjoy being active in the beautiful places we travel through so we carry equipment for hiking, fishing, surfing, and kayaking. The weight won't always be at 2000lbs since we won't always need to have our water tanks and fuel jugs full, but the truck needs to be able to handle it semi-regularly.

If I was you I'd look into a Frontier, just because good used Toyotas are so pricey. And dig into the differences between a Frontier and Navara that would account for the payload difference. And look at the engine and drivetrain options in the Frontier that you'd be mostly likely to find overseas.

I looked into the frontier (and the titan) when Clutch mentioned them before, but only got as far as seeing that they have a smaller payload rating and larger turning circle than their Toyota counterparts, so it didn't seem like they were taking me in the right direction. I like the idea of the frontier being similar to the navar, but if the tacoma is unsuitable or even dangerous with 2000lbs in it( then certainly the frontier would be as well.

In reality of reality...I would do a "When in Rome" and fly in and buy what is popular there. Africa, Asia, Middle East, Europe etc... has Hiluxes, Navaras, Rangers, LC70s....

This is a good piece of advice and I would recommend it for anyone who isn't planning to modify their vehicle beyond a roof rack or the like or if you have friends/family in the destination country. It's something that I have considered and occasionally reconsider as I fail to find exactly what I am looking for here in the USA, but I am put off by the idea of arriving in a new country and going through the process of shopping for a vehicle without having a car to drive to go look at the vehicles I may want to buy, and then once I do buy something I would need to have time, space and tools to build it into our traveling home. All the while, paying for a place to stay and hoping to get it all done before your visa runs out. Then there is the question of bringing all the gear I already own with me or do I sale it before I depart and hope to buy replacements in whatever country I happen to be in. Basically it just doesn't seem like the most cost effective poach for me.

I appreciate all of the input. You've all helped me explore some options I may not have thought of.

My current frame of mind is that I need to decide if I want to:
A: Stiffen the suspension of a midsize truck and hope for the best. (Currently thinking Tacoma)
B: Stick with a T100 as a good compromise/ middle ground but have to accept that it's an older truck that will likely need more work
C: Get something with a more appropriate stock weight rating. Currently a Chevy 2500 regular cab is topping this list as the only option I've seen with a payload well over 2000lbs and a turning circle under 45 feet, but I have a lot more to learn about full size trucks before I would go this rout.

 

[Clutch]

What about buying an already kitted out used camper? (that is the fly and buy idea) Maybe contact a rental company that is selling off their old equipment. (Random thought...Almost sounds like you need a van than going through the trouble of building a camper and a pass thru, heck an old 4WD small school bus or box van would be a good starting place.)

There is a couple from NZ that posted in the domestic section, going to spend 2 years in Canada. One of the members on here helped them locate a truck and they are going to toss on a used camper.

https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/van-vs-truck-camper.190934/page-4#post-2455536

 

[Arclight]

If you think your T100 is getting too tired and in need of work, consider going with a GEN1 (2008 or before) Tundra. It's basically the same truck with a V8 and a third door. At up to 10 years newer, it will be a lot easier to find one in acceptable condition.