Tundras to Sedona & General Overlanding Q’s

I am planning on making the trip to Sedona in April from NY for the annual Tundras to Sedona meetup. I have some general questions and looking for any information that can make this trip as fun and safe as possible. Let me begin with my truck.

2008 Tundra that is in excellent condition mechanically and cosmetically. Suspension setup consists of 6112/5160 with Fabtech UCA’s, new leaf springs with Icon AAL in the rear. Enkei ST6 20x9 With Wildpeak 285/60/R20 with about 12k on them. New OEM calipers, pads, and Stoptech rotors. Voodoo rack with Roofnest Condor XL. I am an experienced camper, but always have been on the ground. I have roughed it many times and am looking for a more comfortable experience this go. I am new to the off-roading world as the majority of my time in the woods has been on 2 wheels. So my questions are:

1) Is anybody from the NE planning on making the trip? I think it’d be great to make the road trip with 2 or more trucks in the caravan.

2) I’ve been to Sedona, however I am not 100% sure where the grounds are for the T2S trip. Is it in a remote location as to where I will need to pack enough food/provisions for the duration or is it a drivable distance to the town?

3) I am not looking to go full retard on my first real off-road excursion. I am concerned that my mall crawler 20’s may not be best suited for this. Do I need to downsize to 18’s, or are there trails there that accommodate not fully built trucks? At a minimum, with my current setup will I be alright?

4) I plan on doing the dual battery setup and the ARB dual compressor before I go. Also getting a matching spare - which seems like a no-brainer but if I’m going to need smaller wheels I need to account for this. Also the truck will be going into the shop for a full tune-up and to look over anything that is getting to the point of needing to be replaced. Last thing I need is a mechanical failure en route. While my truck has always been serviced by Toyota, any suggestions in terms of above and beyond the scheduled maintenance (for example PCV valve/throttle body cleaning) that I should consider? Just had all of the fluids flushed last summer.

5) RTT. So my last road trip was in an Audi Q5 with a Thule carrier. Somewhere in Montana we passed a semi that was going in the opposite direction and the wind gust hit the topper just right and ripped the carrier’s top off. Do you guys ratchet strap your RTT for road trips for extra support? Could have been a freak accident but I’ll never forget picking my shit up off of the road in the middle of the night. I just got the tent and was curious about their durability.

6) outside of this, am I missing anything critical? Assuming I have water cans, fuel cans, shovel, lighting, etc…I just want to make sure I’m not missing the obvious

 

I want to do Sedona also but I'm west coast...
I would say make sure all fluid services are done that needed and do to the shear distance plan on a oil change when you get back. make sure you have the small basic mods done like the rear diff breather relocate (lots of threads on it, kits about $35) I know quite a few people who use 20's off road but the thing is they are on 35s or 37s its more of the sidewall size that matters. also pictures please I'm interested in seeing what it looks like right now.

 

I’m gonna stop complaining about having to drive 12 hours to Sedona. @KevinK do you guys still have the furthest driven award?

 

2. Town is close. You can re-provision every day if you want to. No stress.

3. If your truck is 4wd, all but one trail will be no trouble. That said, if you plan to do more off-roading, you’ll eventually realize that <20 is better… more rubber means you can air down and still have rubber on the ground; so if you’ll eventually swap 20’s for 18’s… or 17’s … might as well do it before this trip!

The more-challenging trail is Smiley Rock. Doable as long as your truck is 4wd, but it’s the one that will test you about.

4.Not sure I caught your question here. Yes, bring at least one full-sized spares. If you want to run 20’s, consider 2 spares. Otherwise, if your truck is well maintained and gets you to Sedona, none of the planned trailers at this even should challenge your return home afterward.

5. Maybe post some pics of how you have it attached. Whatever happened that night, the trails in Sedona won’t stress an RTT as long as all fastening points are tight when you set out. I carry tools, including Allen wrenches, for every bit of added equipment on my truck. Often, someone else will have anything you need. But, if your traveling across country, I recommend you bring tools for very fastener on all your mods, and make a habit of checking tightness every day… and after anything you perceive was challenging.

6.You won’t need fuel cans for the Sedona event— it’s easy to gas up every day.

7. The thing you did not mention is camping gear— it gets COLD at night for anyone not used to it. Wear T-shirts, shorts or jean, and sandals in the day time, but bring layers, a knit hat, mittens, a cold weather sleeping bag, maybe a propane heater to warm your tent (then turn off) at night. Because of the big difference between day time and nighttime temps, it feels downright chilly. There’s convenient nearby sources for food, water, gas, and booze, but not for warm camping gear— plan accordingly.

Sounds like you’ve got most stuff dialed in.

 

I may be heading there as well from Virginia. All depends on the Son’s school schedule and if I can work it all out.