Many hunters and recreational shooters (two groups that spend a ton of time outdoors) have successfully used functional, camping-related modifications to turn their personal vehicles into mobile base camps. What started out as simply sleeping in your truck has turned into “overlanding,” an entire industry centered on self-reliant adventures in kitted-out rigs.
However, much like the well-meaning firearm enthusiasts who head straight for the fancy bolt-ons without first doping in their iron sights, so too do countless aspiring overlanders begin by adding hundreds of pounds of furniture to their trucks or SUVs without ever addressing the performance ramifications — wasting wads of money in the process.
In this article, we’ll walk you through RECOIL’s top five areas of consideration for overland vehicle modifications. Using our 2011 Toyota Tundra project truck as an example, we’ll share key recommendations to consider and pitfalls to avoid, plus one huge money-saving tip.
SUSPENSION & HANDLING
DO: Consider upgrading the suspension.
DON’T: Screw up the stock geometry!
We see far too many decked-out overland rigs that are precariously perched upon stock suspension, the four-wheeled equivalent of putting a $3,000 rifle scope on a $30 mount. Worse yet, many of these trucks have been lifted to the moon, which creates a wealth of problems if done incorrectly. You see, when a vehicle like this Toyota is lifted (with either a spacer lift or aftermarket shock), the suspension is slightly extended and will no longer be aligned to factory specifications. Driving with this stock geometry out of
