First Post, what I've done after buying, advice on prep for my sabbatical? (1 Viewer)

[ImNtYrGuyBddy]

Hey everyone. New here and I have to post so I figured I would give you some info on what I'm doing, and what I've done to prep for it. It's long but I've got a lot to tell and ask. Since it's my first post I'll put it all in here, but probably post some direct questions when the time actually comes. Hopefully I'll get some good advice and YES I've searched and read this forum all the time so it's not "one of those" posts.

Bought a 2004 LC and I love it. Got lucky and found one that was sold in Georgia and stayed there its whole life and is rust free. 203k miles - radiator, alternator, starter, water pump and timing belt replaced at 173k miles. My company "awards" employees with a 1 month sabbatical after staying there for 5 years, and I'm prepping for mine. I grew up off roading and love camping, rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking and just abt anything else outdoors so the decision seemed obvious - overland trip. I plan on bringing my bike and some climbing gear, and for some areas my friends will meet me there, others I'll be alone.

I live in Georgia but every year I fly out to Denver and drive to Moab for a one week camping, rock climbing, mountain biking, and UTV off roading trip. So Moab is a special destination for me, but I still want to see a lot of the rest of the West and would love suggestions. I've driven to Moab from Atlanta before and going East-West through Kansas and Eastern Colorado against the wind was MISERABLE for mileage, so I plan on going south first in a clockwise circle. Main areas I want to hit as of now are Austin TX for the bbq (never been), Joshua Tree to climb (never been), north to Yosemite to climb, then... Well I'm up for suggestions. I don't know much abt the PNW. The furthest NW I've been is the Tetons to ski (Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole). So, I'm up for suggestions. Regardless, after that it's down to SLC to pick up some friends, down to Moab where we'll meet more friends and spend a week, and then something in Colorado (there are so many trails there I've heard of, would love recommendations). Then back to GA w/ the wind at my back. Nothing wrong with the NE or Kentucky or TN, but I own property in TN and my parents live in Nashville, so I can do East Coast or Midwest any time I want. If you looked at a map of the states and drew a diagonal line from Washington to GA, the lower triangle is the general idea of my "loop".

All that said, living in your car for a month is no small feat. I love to camp but, it's gonna be a lot. Already own a ton of gear, I've bought some things and already made some mods, but again I'd love suggestions.

Here's the mechanical prep (I bought this car because I love working on cars) and gear I've installed so far (or own from previous rigs) but I would love your thoughts on what I'm forgetting:

• Oil Change and oil filter change w/ intention to "flush" after 1,000 miles. Used Valvoline Full Synthetic High Mileage to lube up any old gaskets, but after 1,000 miles I'm switching back to Toyota Genuine Parts oil because I've heard these things "just like that stuff".
• Air filter change - Toyota Genuine Parts
• Diff Oil Change - Front and Rear w/ Mobile 1 Full Synthetic 75w90
• Greased front and rear driveshafts, all 6 fittings - Valvoline full synthetic NLG No. 2 grease
• Woolwax Frame Coating in select spots. There's no rust on the car this is just "preventative". Did it while rotating the tires.
• Replaced the god awful cupholders w/ 3d printed holders from Etsy that actually hold a cup
• Pro-Clip USA Phone Mount (I'm obsessive about having a proper phone mount for nav) and a cassette to aux adapter for tunes. Would love a suggestion on improving that though.
• LED Bulb replacement - low and high beam headlights and fog lights (waiting on interior light kit to arrive)
• Deep Cleaned the interior w/ a steamer and extractor vacuum, looks like new. Deep cleaned the leather seats and re-conditioned. (front driver will need to be fully reupholstered but I'm using a cover for the time being)
• Removed the third row seats
• Removed the side steps for clearance, waiting on rock sliders from Rocky Road Outfitters to arrive
• "Truck Bed Tent" to sleep in the back instead of a roof top tent. I just like the "less wind resistance" aspect for this. I have plenty of sleeping pads, bags, and camp pillows that I can figure out the best combo for fitment. By the way - if you're looking for camp pillows check out the "Klymit Drift" pillows. Been using them for years and they're fantastic.
• Big Slack Off Road Hidden Winch Mount on the way, along w/ a 12,000lb wich that I'll have behind the OEM bumper (I like the look).
• I hate this one but.. 1 1/4" wheel spacers for the rear. My rig came with the TRD Rock Warrior Beadlock rims installed, but the guy only put spacers on the front. (I guess to fit the hubs in the front they're needed) I hated having the front stance 2.5" wider than the rear so I bought matching spacers for the rear. Idk, maybe I'll sell those rims because they require spacers, but I do like the way the actual rims look.
• Gobege air compressor. Wanted to save some $ and not do the whole "dual battery mount + ARB compressor for now - but I know that will be coming at some point.

Here's what I already have and intend on bringing:

• Standard recovery gear - shackle bolt tow hitch receiver plus 2x shackle bolts, tow straps, tree straps, traction pads, tire deflators, shovel, pulaski axe
• Standard "keep in the car" tools and fluids
• Standard "camping tools" and "bike tools"
• Folding table
• Camp Chairs x2
• Propane stove & cookware
• Propane Lantern and extra globes
• Pop up "shower and bathroom tent" that is a b*tch to get to fold back up, but works
• Solar shower - gravity fed
• Camp toilet w/ bags
• Eno Hammock
• 2x wool "Sackcloth and Ashes" brand blankets (love these things)
• Kuat Transfer bike rack and Curt 4" tow hitch riser to improve departure angle
• Mountain Bike
• Climbing Gear including Trad gear, draws, and ropes
• Shoes - Chacos, Danner Hiking Boots, 5.10 mountain biking shoes, and La Sportiva Trail Running shoes
• All the "essential" clothing
• Fly rods and fishing gear
• Glock G20 (10mm), Taurus Judge w/ 410 shells, Holsters, Locking Travel Cases, & Bear Spray. This is mostly for protection from animals and to be candid - if I have to use them I'm probably already dead.
• Very good cable locks for my bike and racks
• Books and laptop
• Nintendo Switch (awesome to have when camping in the rain)
• Large Tarp
• 2023 Road Atlas
• Storage containers that shockingly can fit all of this in the back - I've tested it.

Here's what I know I'm buying (just waiting on those REI dividends in March)

• 2lb Ignik "Gas Growler" propane tank
• Some form of gas tank (Rotopax vs Jerry Can, can't figure out a good way to mount the jerry can w/o it causing terrible wind resistance)

Here's what I'm debating on buying or bringing my existing gear

• Power Station battery or install dual battery system. I don't have either, so figuring out which I should buy.
• Powered Refrigerator or bringing my existing knock off Yeti cooler (works great, just heavy and takes up a lot of space. Plus, I'll need to constantly source ice)
• Basket roof rack. When I sleep in my car the storage containers go on the ground. I'm wondering if I should get a basket rack to put the containers in while sleeping - plus I could mount a rotopax 4ish gal gas tank up there and that would solve one of my other problems. W/ one on the LC wouldn't fit in my garage anymore, but I could remove it and pop it back on when I go camping, which I do a lot.
• Signal booster - weBoost Drive Reach Overland. This isn't a "disconnect" trip and if I need to coordinate w/ friends flying in that I'm picking up I'd like to have signal if it's 2 days out and I'm in the sticks
• I "lended" my neighbor my small ARB Awning that I had mounts to the TRD Pro 4Runner Roof Rack. Lost my 4Runner in a divorce, the awning was on my previous car though so I took that off. Didn't have a car to mount it on so now it's on my buddy's 4Runner. I'd need to buy new brackets to mount it to my OEM roof rack and it's very small... Kinda debating if it's necessary for this trip but it 100% will go back on there. The "pro's" for this is desert camping and having a shade source. The cons are buying new mounts and possible wind resistance (let's be real, the wind resistance would be minimal).

Here's the remaining maintenance work I'll be doing in the coming weeks:

• New brake pads and calipers
• Bleed and flush brake fluid
• Transfer Case Oil Change

And here's my final debate:

• What tires?!?! Trying to keep the stock suspension - it's actually in good shape. I will be taking a "fully loaded" short overland camping trip with all this gear in a few weeks (after brakes and t-case are done) to see how the suspension holds up off road w/ all that weight. The car came with 285 70 R17 Maxxis Bravo A/T's, but the tread is "meh". Good enough to last these next few months but the last thing I plan on doing before leaving is getting new tires. I like the idea of going a little skinnier for gas mileage, so i was thinking 275 70 R17s. I was also leaning towards A/Ts but I've heard some M/Ts do fine on the highways, and then there are those "gap" tires that are in between a A/T and a M/T. Anyone have a recommendation?

So... What am I forgetting? Oh and I'll attach some pics of the truck.

 

[saucebox]

Only answer that makes any sense: just go use the truck in the way you intend, maybe do a quick postmortem afterwards to solve for some of the things that didn't go to plan. 3-4 trips that way will get you 85% of the way there. Some people are cool with just basic camping gear, some need more for the trip to be successful.

If you can swing it, work a week from a camp somewhere. Hipcamp (and I'm sure there are similar places) has a ton of listings where you can filter by "has WiFi". Try it close to home so you can bug out if it screws your workday up. It's obviously not the same thing as what you're hoping for with a sabbatical, but will give you a short stint of living in the truck with predictable daylight activities (i.e., sit on Zoom calls ). Until we had our son last October, we jetted out yearly to the WA peninsula, staying sometimes as long as a month.

 

[terrapin]

I have that same rear hatch tent and although it works well, it needs a little bit of help. In particular, if your vehicle is facing the wind, it gets channeled in where the tent overrides the roof rack like a scoop. In a pinch, I stuffed blankets up there, and also taped the sides of the tent to the side of the vehicle. (It was really windy!) I also fashioned some insulated panels to keep warm.

A Good Night Sleep In Your Truck ? Mattress,Lighting,Platform Design,CPAP machine and power for it. What else?

It's a DAC full-size truck tent. I've used it for over five years. It fits pretty tight, so I use an adjustable trekking pole to help hold up the hatch. However, it does not seal very well along the sides and especially on the roof where it goes over the roof rack. Bugs are not much of a...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Bisho]

Falken Wildpeak AT3s-you won’t regret it.
We have an Iceco fridge, run off a Wattfun 300W power station. Simple and effective and the fridge makes trips so much nicer. I also built a cabinet to hold the fridge, stove, and cookware. The best camping mod I’ve done. It’s an efficient use of space and I can be cooking / making coffee in a minute or two, without having to unpack anything.

 

[MountaineerLC]

In reference to tires:

I think my next set of tires will be the new Toyo Trail R/T. I've been happily running KO2's for 4 years. They'll dry rot before I wear them out. They've performed well for me on and off road but I wouldn't mind something a little more aggressive for the mud I deal with. (Without going full M/T)

The Open Country R/T Trail is an On/Off-Road Rugged Terrain Tire.

The Open Country R/T Trail rugged terrain tire delivers better off-road grip than a traditional all-terrain tire, most evident in sand, mud, and deep snow.

www.toyotires.com

Don't expect any much if any fuel savings going from a 285 to a 275. These trucks are very thirsty!

Congrats on your purchase and enjoy your LC. Try and not get too sucked into over maintaining...it's easy to do. My recommendation is fix what needs fixing and carefully examine/ replace the items that can leave you stranded. Beyond that repair issues as you identify them and enjoy.

 

[T4R2TLC]

I would second @Bisho 's recommendation of the Falken Wildpeaks—one of the best all around tires. They are quiet on the highway, ride well, and are predictable off road. Plus they are available load range C in 285/70r17 for your Rock Warriors at only like 50 or 55 pounds each. The load rating and weight means you won't feel the effects on ride quality or gas mileage as much as you may with a heavier and stiffer sidewall tire.

On the other prep, it sounds like you're pretty well equipped already. Out of your list, the one that stood out negatively was the roof basket: you talk about maximizing mpg and minimizing wind resistance in your other decisions. Adding a basket would negate any other savings you could squeeze out. If you have the storage inside, use that to keep your gear clean, dry, accessible, and to keep the wind resistance down. The one that stood out positively was the range booster: if this isn't about disconnecting and is instead going to be centered around meeting up with friends that seems like it may be worth it to save on frustration. We've all been there when you need to drive an hour just to get service to send a single text...

Good luck, sounds like a great trip!

 

[Patassa]

I've had the Toyo Open Country AT IIIs and now the Nitto Ridge Grapplers, I love the Ridge Grapplers, they've been great off road and I have a 90 mile highway commute every workday and they've been great on road also.

 

[GTV]

Congrats, I recently took a year off with my cruiser. It's a great rig for that purpose.

I started out extremely minimally and evolved according to my needs as I went along. The number one thing I couldn't have lived without are the drawers. It's critical for organization and makes a great sleeping platform. Closed up, the truck is insulated, protected from the elements, etc.

Keep the 285/70's. They are available absolutely anywhere if you end up needing one.

Rock Warriors need a minimum 1/4" spacer up front (if you run domed caps). That's what I use since I'm not a fan of big offset. I've read 1" spacers will work with the flat caps.

For my use case every accessory in this photo was necessary... Except the RTT. Sure is nice if you have company though

 

[krice118]

Tires 255:80r17s!!!

 

[ImNtYrGuyBddy]

Only answer that makes any sense: just go use the truck in the way you intend, maybe do a quick postmortem afterwards to solve for some of the things that didn't go to plan. 3-4 trips that way will get you 85% of the way there. Some people are cool with just basic camping gear, some need more for the trip to be successful.

If you can swing it, work a week from a camp somewhere. Hipcamp (and I'm sure there are similar places) has a ton of listings where you can filter by "has WiFi". Try it close to home so you can bug out if it screws your workday up. It's obviously not the same thing as what you're hoping for with a sabbatical, but will give you a short stint of living in the truck with predictable daylight activities (i.e., sit on Zoom calls ). Until we had our son last October, we jetted out yearly to the WA peninsula, staying sometimes as long as a month.

Couldn't agree with you more and I'm actually planning on doing this! I'm usually fine with just camping gear but a month is a lot longer than a weekend, so one week in the sticks is a great idea. I'll definitely be taking it off road 3-4 (probably more) times to see if any issues pop up as well. Trip is planned for late May so that gives me a few months to really understand what I need.

 

[ImNtYrGuyBddy]

I have that same rear hatch tent and although it works well, it needs a little bit of help. In particular, if your vehicle is facing the wind, it gets channeled in where the tent overrides the roof rack like a scoop. In a pinch, I stuffed blankets up there, and also taped the sides of the tent to the side of the vehicle. (It was really windy!) I also fashioned some insulated panels to keep warm.

A Good Night Sleep In Your Truck ? Mattress,Lighting,Platform Design,CPAP machine and power for it. What else?

It's a DAC full-size truck tent. I've used it for over five years. It fits pretty tight, so I use an adjustable trekking pole to help hold up the hatch. However, it does not seal very well along the sides and especially on the roof where it goes over the roof rack. Bugs are not much of a...

forum.ih8mud.com

Wow thanks for the heads up on this! It makes perfect sense from the way the tent is set up. I may plan to put one of my storage bins on the top flap up on the roof to hold it down, and I actually have a roll of painter's tape in my "basic tools" box that I could use to tape the sides down if I hit some real wind. (I keep duct tape, gaffers tape, electrical tape, teflon tape, and painter's tape all in my tool box). Thanks for the advice!

 

[OEMGUY0720]

Check and retighten the two brake caliper bolts that attaches it to the spindle arm/knuckle (front).

I missed to check this before our egress and after 500 miles through our winter trip 2 years ago one of the bolts fell off and we almost ended up in an accident. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

 

[excessive]

that's amazing that your company does that. More need to wise up to keep employees happy and productive, they need time away