Newbie here, 2000 Tundra, attempting DIY mods and repairs

Hey everyone,

About Me: My name is Dan, I'm 31 and very new to all of this. I don't really have any experience working on vehicles but I'm trying to change that. I came across this forum a few months ago when I bought my truck and after seeing all the knowledge here and the willingness to help, thought it's about time I join the community.
I currently live in Eastern Mass but will be hitting the road soon and traveling all over the country, and the plan is to eventually get myself up to Alaska. I thought about many different types of vehicles to live out of while doing this, and eventually went with the old reliable Tundra. I also have an old slide-in popup camper that I'm planning on throwing on there to live out of.
I may not have a lot of mechanical experience, but I consider myself capable and a quick learner. I'd like to do as much of the work as possible myself and learn about the truck as I do.

About the Truck: 2000 Tundra SR5 access cab 4WD manual v6 - 130,000 miles
I bought this baby in March from the original owner in upstate New York. He was a bit of a DIY mechanic so kept it in decent shape. It had the frame replaced by Toyota about 10 years ago so it's solid although it has gathered a bit of its own surface rust at this point. The engine has been great so far (I replaced all spark plugs, coils, and wires immediately and also did the valve cover gasket). The manual transmission shifts smooth and it rides really nice... well if you don't pay attention to the completely shot suspension that is...
Anyway, I drove the truck for work for about a month after I bought it to get a feel for it before bringing it into my garage, jacking it up, and beginning my rebuild process, which is where I'm at now. I really want to do this right, and hopefully if I treat the truck well, she'll treat me the same. So I'm taking my time, figuring out what I need to do, and just plugging away.

What I've done and more plans:
What I've done so far:
spark plugs, coils, and wires
valve cover gasket
removed rotted bed
dropped leaking fuel tank
cleaned off all the rust I could from frame and other components (coating with FluidFilm)
Replaced leaf springs with HD leafs, added Icon 3 pack (1-1.5" lift), and also have Hellwig helpers for when the camper is on
Replaced rear shocks with Rancho RS9000xl

What's planned:
PowerStop drum brake assemblies for rear, disc brake assembly for front (includes calipers)
Wheel bearings (currently figuring this out for rear, involves removing axles)
Front end: Rancho 2" lift coil-overs, JBA uppers, lower ball joints (possibly more)
Replacing fuel tank and all other fuel components
New wheels and 33" tires
Other small things here and there, eventually all brake and fuel lines will be replaced

Ultimate Goals: Build a beast of a truck, capable of carrying the camper across the country, with some reasonable offroad capability as well but nothing too crazy, and have it last a long time, even after the camper comes off.

Looking forward to joining this community, continuing to learn from you all, and share my experiences with building out my truck.

 

Welcome and greetings from Minnesota. Sounds like you have a good start.... how does the V6 handle the camper on hills and mountain roads. There are a few of those on the Al-Can Highway.

 

Welcome

 

welcome fellow Dan the Man!

 

Welcome from NY.

 

Welcome from TX! You're gonna need a deep wallet joining this place.....lol

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)!

 

Welcome from Nevada