It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Toyota’s build philosophy with their trucks. With proven excellent reliability, and great capability offroad thanks to suspensions that are easily modified for increased performance, it’s no surprise that they have become a favorite in the overland world. If you’re not familiar with it, ‘overlanding’ is the most recent nickname given to what we’ve always liked to call ‘off road camping’. With its heart rooted in the Australian and African safari ideology of simple but capable vehicles, designed to comfortably and safely travel across entire regions and continents in the bush surrounded by things that want to kill you or your truck, it’s no surprise that Toyota’s legendary durability has made them a popular choice. But, suspension is only half the battle, and a minor piece of equipment out of the entire scope of the build. We were recently approached to help a customer more completely outfit his 2018 Tundra into a truck that would be at home anywhere from the Alcan highway, to the peninsula of Baja and anywhere in between. An avid fisherman and outdoorsman, his biggest concerns were improving the trucks capability and self sufficiency, without detrimentally affecting the daily drivability or its ability to cover several states in one sitting.

So if suspension is only 1 key factor to a properly prepared build, what are some of the other key items that need to be addressed? Well, first and foremost, when adding larger tires the engine and transmission are usually brought out of their powerband, resulting in sluggish performance, mismatched shift points, and poor fuel economy; adding extra gear and carrying a lot of payload only makes matters worse. Matching the correct gear ratio to a new tire size is a very important factor, so we called on Nitro Gear to put one of their complete gear packages in this Tundra. Ratio options for this truck are a little limited, but 4.88 does make for a nice pairing with the 34” tires he is currently running. Another driving force behind the regearing decision, is that it makes for a perfect time to install ARB’s flagship product, the air locker. While Tacoma’s and 4Runners are plentiful with a factory electronically selectable locker, the option remains conspicuously absent from the Tundra. One of the single most important upgrades to make, installing an ARB air locker at the same time as a regear procedure saves overall cost in labor, as the differential 3rd member has to be removed either way and a full tear down of the diff is required. This was also a great time to install ARB’s remote mount differential breather kit.

With the gearing issue settled, the next step would be to address a major upgrade that serves as the literal platform for several other important upgrades. With modern safety concerns, styling and aerodynamic issues to deal with, the front bumpers on most modern trucks is little more than a plastic fascia hiding some aluminum braces and styrofoam. ARB, also long known as one of the world leaders in safari style upgrades, has a complete line of bumpers which fit nicely In addition to offering better protection from the unknown of the backcountry. ARB’s Summit bumper serves as a great mounting point for a winch, in this case a Warn ZEON 10S Premium. ARB puts some real thought into their bumpers, as they maintain crash compliance via crumple zones, and even include a trimmed out hidden hatch to more easily access the winch clutch lever, something many other aftermarket bumpers fall short of doing. One side effect of such a cleverly recessed winch, Warn’s Control Pack relocation kit was necessary. Another important addition, was an ARB Safari Snorkel. While many view snorkels as a gimmick, or think they are only functional in over-the-hood water crossings, that is far from the whole story. Many vehicles, including most Toyotas, suck air from the inner wheel well, with little more than a thin plastic liner separating the air filter from one of the dirtiest places on the vehicle. By cutting through the outer fender and adapting to the factory air box with fitted silicone hoses and durable plastic moldings, the airbox can be completely sealed off, ensuring an endless supply of air clear of dirt, water and whatever else might be thrown at it.

While navigating long journeys, you’re certain to be spending some portion of time traveling in the dark. The ARB bumper does come with a couple integrated lights (fog and amber running) lights, but sometimes that simply isn’t enough. When we need to light up the night, we simply flip open the Baja Designs catalog and try not to go wild. On this build, as there was already some added lighting, we opted for a 20” S8 combo pattern bar mounted to the bumper, and Squadron Pros with a spot pattern for the ‘ditch’ light location at the base of the A-pillar.