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Cheap on and off road travel idea thread

Discussion in 'General Tundra Discussion' started by 1stgentundradriver, Jan 2, 2022.

  1. Jan 2, 2022 at 12:58 AM
    #1
    1stgentundradriver

    1stgentundradriver [OP] Each sticker adds at least 5hp

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    A few
    Looked for a thread that had ideas for cheap camping/vehicle travel both on and off road. Hesitant to use the word “overlanding” because it seems synonymous with “expensive”. I’d like to be into it for less than 500 bucks. I’ve got a good reliable four wheel drive truck as most of us do on here. Anyone got any ideas or advice on setups on how to vehicle-camp and/or travel on and off road for cheap or any advice for us newbies?
     
  2. Jan 2, 2022 at 1:10 AM
    #2
    DarkMint

    DarkMint just gettin by

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    Ben
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    You have a DC, so my advice is take out the back seats, use that for in-cab storage. Get a camper shell for the truck bed, clean up the truck bed real good. My shell only costed $120, I got lucky, they're out there but they just show up more rarely. Oddly there happen to be more reasonably priced 1st gen Tundra shells on the Portland Craigslist vs WA state, check that out. Inside the truck bed, you can use wood or whatever to build out a mobile living setup with simple wood and 2x4's, there are tons of those builds on this forum. Or if you don't want to go through that hassle and want to go even cheaper, get on of these https://www.walmart.com/ip/BalanceF...cs-and-Home-Gym-Protective-Flooring/309533873 to sleep on (will insulate you from cold) and cover yourself with a thick sleeping bag or blanket (which you will store in the storage back seat in-cab).

    If you have some stuff in the truck bed that blocks you from laying down, just figure out how to flatten the stuff and lay down on it, or move that stuff to the side or something, or tie it to the roof before sleeping to clear out a sleeping space in the truck bed, or throw it in your extra-spaced back seat compartment.

    I emphasize having a shell, it's necessary in my opinion. It will block your stuff and yourself from the elements, otherwise expect all of your truck bed contents to get soaked. You could try and make your own shell somehow with wood, as long as it's properly sealed off and well-installed I don't see how that could go wrong, might run up the cost though. But I just did a quick Craigslist search and the lowest I found for a shell was $1200. These people are out of their minds wanting $1000-2000, I think it's just because shells for Tundras are much rarer than shells for trucks like F150's.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2022
  3. Jan 2, 2022 at 6:19 AM
    #3
    DarkMint

    DarkMint just gettin by

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    Whoooaaaa that is cool. Now I have to get one. Do you have any nagging fear that it will someday drop on your/passenger's head? Like if a buckle or the mesh fails? Or is it sturdy enough to not fear that?
     
  4. Jan 2, 2022 at 6:21 AM
    #4
    worktruckwhite

    worktruckwhite bryceCtravels.com

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    What do you mean on road camping? Like road-trips?
     
  5. Jan 2, 2022 at 6:36 AM
    #5
    DarkMint

    DarkMint just gettin by

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    BOOM just bought it, should get it in 8 days. Many thanks for the recco.
     
  6. Jan 2, 2022 at 7:06 AM
    #6
    trevorstuart24

    trevorstuart24 New Member

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    Camper shell with a raised bed in the back. Queen sized mattress that I shortened a couple inches length wise. Love my setup
     
  7. Jan 2, 2022 at 7:09 AM
    #7
    DarkMint

    DarkMint just gettin by

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    Got pics?
     
  8. Jan 2, 2022 at 7:24 AM
    #8
    trevorstuart24

    trevorstuart24 New Member

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    Unfortunately no. I’ve got a broken neck and back right now so it would be hard to take them as well.

    I’ll try to describe it.
    To raise the bed I combined 2x4s and placed them in a vertical orientation for the legs and the long axis of the bed. I kept those upright by bolting them to the bed rail system. I notched out 1 inch squares in the long axis to lay square steel tubing horizontally. Like 8 or so. Plywood on top. Then the bed.

    so my setup has no legs directly underneath. Just in the corners. And is removable, only attached to 4 spots on the rail system.

    If you have a bed rail and are keen on raising a bed with no legs blocking the majority of your underneath storage I could probably talk some family into helping me take a good video of the setup. I’ve been living in this for years on and off and i wouldn’t trade it for a sprinter decked out.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2022
  9. Jan 2, 2022 at 1:08 PM
    #9
    worktruckwhite

    worktruckwhite bryceCtravels.com

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    Hope you feel better man. Get well soon
     
  10. Jan 2, 2022 at 3:37 PM
    #10
    Taco-Blender

    Taco-Blender Old Guys Rule

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    I built my raised, queen sized, bed so nothing is bolted in and it's easily removed. It's also as low as possible while still allowing me to slide my camping gear underneath.

    IMG_20190307_161032079.jpg

    IMG_20190308_085128513.jpg


    Love it and probably have 30+ nights back there over the last couple of years. Even the has the wife approval factor going for it.
     
    WVI, BUGEATER, mountainpete and 5 others like this.
  11. Jan 2, 2022 at 4:14 PM
    #11
    Terndrerrr

    Terndrerrr guzzling dealer repellent

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    Once you get the gear squared away, check out freecampsites.net. I’ve had good experiences on there, although there is a bit of outdated info as well. It has been fun to camp with no services off the beaten path.

    Or, if there’s an area of the country you want to check out, search dispersed camping in that area. Lots of possibilities to camp on the cheap away from most other campers.
     
    2mchfun likes this.
  12. Jan 2, 2022 at 5:02 PM
    #12
    worktruckwhite

    worktruckwhite bryceCtravels.com

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    Ioverlander, Campendium, and FreeRoam as well
     
  13. Jan 31, 2022 at 5:05 PM
    #13
    1stgentundradriver

    1stgentundradriver [OP] Each sticker adds at least 5hp

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    A few
    Well guys, I apologize for leaving everyone with no responses. I don't know what happened but I never received notifications for this thread.
     
    worktruckwhite likes this.
  14. Jan 31, 2022 at 5:17 PM
    #14
    1stgentundradriver

    1stgentundradriver [OP] Each sticker adds at least 5hp

    Joined:
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    2006 DC 4x4 Limited
    A few

    I do have a shell. I also have a decked system in the bed. I created this thread for members to gather and show ways to camp without spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars. I see rigs all the time that are severely overweight, large, and just don't look suitable for off road travel because of the immense weight. I also am looking for ways to travel the country and camp cheap, as I plan on doing a trip this coming spring and summer and money isn't going to be wasted. Looking for ideas of sleeping setups, road showering ideas, storage solutions, roof rack setups, ideas for tools and spare parts to be carrying, and recovery gear. The idea is to travel by road across the national parks in the US and camp/eat/shower for cheap on public land off a dirt road along the beaten path. In my opinion there is huge value to good sleep and personal hygiene on roadtrips. I get sticker shock when I look at things like tents, roof racks, equipment, and cooking supplies. This is a place to show products that are cheap but still function the same as a product costing much more. Travel by vehicle on the cheap is the goal!
     
  15. Jan 31, 2022 at 6:09 PM
    #15
    2020cement_tundra

    2020cement_tundra New Member

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    Hard to beat a hammock and sleeping bag. You can even use the bed rail cleats as anchor point if you have them.
     

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