What are the off-road must haves?

I really want to start building my truck up for the best off road application. I know sliders and skids are important, but what other stuff do you need in your opinion? I like the look of the hidden winch mount from Pelfreybilt, but I am wondering if I get that, am I just wasting my money because I will damage the front bumper on something?

I guess my real question is, is a lift really that important? How often do you guys find yourself in a situation that without a lift, it would be impossible to cross? Because if I can just get a plate bumper and not worry about the front end touching something, that seems like a cheaper and more protective way to get what I want out of the truck.

Just wondering what the opinions are here.

 

What does off roading mean to you? I won't go without a compressor, tire repair kit, and a 2m/440 radio. It's also my strong preference to have good storage, plenty of food, a decent change of clothes or three, a place to sit, a place to sleep, and a good book. Also, binoculars and a camera. And time.

 

All depends on what you want to do and where you want to go. will it be a hunting rig with occasional trails or the weekend trail basher? Myself I have started with the lift, armor, and light for the occasional night wheeling. one thing not to skimp on though is recovery gear as you never know what will happen.

 

A plate bumper is not a replacement/substitute for a lift kit. Yes, the bumper protects the front end from hitting objects, but if you look at the front end, the bumper is much higher off the ground than the entire front and rear axles, transmission, t-case, etc. There are skids to protect these (factory and aftermarket) but they are still more likely to get hing up on an obstacle than the factory bumper. Both a plate bumper and a lift are very useful, but if I had to pick one or the other, it would be the lift.

 

experience is the biggest must have.

if we just start listing things to have for wheeling, you'll have a list that will build you a king of the hammers truck before we reach page 10 of the thread.

start out with what you have and drive some back roads and easy trails. see what challenges you, and upgrade the applicable parts. then wheel a little harder and see what your new limiting factors are and improve those areas. keep repeating the process, and you'll have a truck that was not built by an internet forum for a trail system across the country from you, but a truck built specifically for the types of places you wheel, and your personal driving habits. that's the big picture answer.

more specific to what you asked, if you are serious about getting out and pushing the truck further and further, bigger/better tires and armor are more important than a lift. the front end on the 2016 could very well get damaged with how far it sticks out, but plenty of people wheel stock bumpers just fine. just depends on how far you intend on taking the build.

 

Probably the best advice I've heard for off-roading. Well done!

 

without a lift you are missing two things: clearance and tire size.

A lift allows you to stuff larger tires on your rig which makes obstacles easier to get past.

 

incorrect. with a regular 0-3'' lift, your suspension still hits the exact same upper and lower limits. ride height is the only thing that changes. if your tires rub without a lift, they will rub just the same with a 3'' lift, when your suspension compresses 3 inches out on the trails.

lift your truck to get clearance under the front diff, rocker panels, and for the approach/departure angles. do not lift to fit bigger tires, unless you are not planning on wheeling

 

Don't skimp on tires. Honestly you can get a spacer lift, cheap bumpers, but you can't go anywhere with bad tires. Do research and see what suits your application best. I stuffed 265/75/16 MTRs into my stock height Taco and made it up stuff I shouldn't have. Lifts aren't the mod important thing in the world because you only have as much true ground clearance as the bottom of your differential.

I'd say (not in order of instillation on your truck, but importance)
Tires > recovery gear (strap, recovery points, ect) > bumpers (you'll achieve a better approach angle than with a lift, also allow you to contact your tire first instead of sliding on your bumper), > nice quality lift > other misc stuff.

 

I think the basics are a simple lift (~3") with bigger tires, sliders and skids. That's really all you need for most general light wheeling situations... the Tacoma is great out of the box. I suggest practicing more 4x4 and getting a feel for the vehicle and your usage. Take it slow, there's no rush. If you eventually get more technical, you can go from there.

 

Ok....this makes the most sense of anything I have read so far. I guess that puts my starting place at recovery gear because I have been worried about getting stuck and that is what has stopped me so far from going further without another truck with me.

^^ thanks for the input.

Any problems with the hidden winch mounts then?

 

You should always have a pick and shovel, tire repair kit (plus the knowledge on how to use it), air compressor, tools (wrenches, screwdrivers, socket set, etc), random nuts/bolts/washers/screws, tow strap, jumper cables, food and water, lighter, and maybe some McgGyver things (duct tape, bailing wire, rope, string, zip-ties).
Of course, these are not "mods" but just things that that you really should have with you if you are away from the main road and get in a jam with your stock OR modded truck.

I've been way off road in Baja and always have these and more. In fact, duct tape saved our ass one time when we literally had to use it as an interior tire patch on a very large hole on one of the vehicles. The "spare" was too damaged to use from another series of holes

Note: Never take an Armada to Baja (or probably anyplace off-road) with stock street tires

 

Are there any stock recovery points that wont rip off if I need a snap pull? Or is that something that needs to be added?

 

you can always get a hitch recovery point, they are cheap and well worth having if you don't have the other options yet.

 

Perfect! most people will talk about lifts and upper control arms, etc, but if you are wheeling solo, your priorities change 100%

a winch is a great focus of course, but it's useless without a collection of accessories to compliment it. an assortment of straps, shackles (hard and soft), snatch blocks, and even a come-along.

traction ramps are also a fantastic tool for solo wheeling.

I've found that you can never have enough recovery gear when you're alone.

here's an example of just that. I got stuck between two trees on a very steep rock/hill climb. under the trucks own power, going forward or backwards would have destroyed one of, if not both sides of the truck. I was alone, so the solution was to winch myself forward, while pulling the rear of the truck to the side with a cable puller to keep off of the tree. I had a bed full of recovery gear and use almost every piece of it.

the "situation"



the recovery




bottom line, recovery gear and attachment points are key when you are alone.

 

+1. A lot of people tell you not to wheel alone, they just don't have a sense of adventure.

I'd pick up a CB also. Damn they're handy.

 

Experience is what you have 10 minutes after you need it......

 

LOL, I'm still trying to wrap my head around that.

OP, recovery gear is important... but you don't need to go apeshit and buy every overlanding gizmo under the sun. Common sense and experience is more important than obsessing over the latest cool toy. KISS.

 

Everything is relative.....Everything is subjective.... Take "wheeling alone" for instance. Just a quit little trip down a fire road and across a shallow stream to a place you like to go to enjoy quiet and solitude.....Not such a big deal. A trip into the mountains on a rainy, snowy night....maybe you aughtta call a few buddies on that one.

The most important single thing you want to take with you when you head off the pavement is COMMON SENSE. And it's incredible just how many people seem to leave that at home.

When they first started showing up years ago, I thought cell phones would be the end of civilization as we knew it. Now it's possibly the most valuable piece of emergency gear known to man. Make sure your battery is charged too.

Know where you are going.....That sounds ridiculous, but I've had friends call me in the middle of the night, stuck to the frame in a muddy water crossing, and they have no flippin' CLUE how to direct me to where they're at.

Know your limitations. Adventure and challenge is cool. Looking like an absolute moron for trying something WAY beyond your limits isn't quite so cool.

"Luck" is not a strategy......

 

Weird. My 285s rubbed when I turned before my lift. Not once since. Even did the cab mount chop before.