Looking Back
We filmed this right after the first Mountain State Overland trip of the season, MSX 37. It took us almost a year to build the entire truck, and we did it together in our driveway on weekends and nights after work.
For Rachael, it was a big learning experience, which was exactly what she hoped for. It was challenging at times because she was picking up a lot of new knowledge and skills: how the fundamental parts of the truck fit together, so that if something happened to me on the road, she could step in and take care of it. But it was also really fun, and she loved the iterative design process of figuring out what we wanted the bed of the truck to look like.
When we finally put it all together, we were so giddy. Seeing all of our hard work pay off was, in Rachael's words, chef's kiss. What you didn't see in a lot of the footage was us disagreeing about things, getting on each other's nerves, or "you didn't say that the right way." Working through all of that was its own challenge. But we didn't kill each other, and we'll have this build series forever to look back on the year we spent building our dream Tundra.
The Truck
2021 Toyota Tundra SR5 CrewMax with a 5.5-foot bed
5.7L V8
38-gallon gas tank
Faux leather seats
No rear locker, just the factory limited slip in the rear, which was honestly really great
Exterior Walkaround
Wheels and Tires
We ran Method 701 wheels. They have a bead grip, so there was less risk of de-beading a tire when we aired down and aired up. They were wrapped in Toyo Open Country R/T Trails in a true 35x12.5. We went with 18-inch wheels so we could upgrade to a big brake kit in the future, though at that point we hadn't needed to.
Suspension
The suspension had to handle off-road use, long highway miles, and the weight of the entire build.
Front: Bilstein 8112s. They had an external reservoir, but they weren't adjustable.
Rear: A custom Alcan leaf spring pack rated 1,200 lb over stock payload, with 1 inch of lift. That managed the weight. It was paired with Bilstein 8100s, which had adjustable compression and rebound, so we could soften them up off-road or stiffen them up for a lot of highway miles. We ended up upgrading this to a 2400lb spring pack once the interior build out was complete.
Armor
All of our armor was from Victory 4x4. The only steel protection was the sliders and the transfer case skid plate. The front engine skid was aluminum to save weight.
Up front was the Victory 4x4 Strike bumper, with a WARN Zeon 12-S Platinum winch on synthetic line. We put a little puck light behind it to light up the drum. The bumper also had Rigid fog lights, an upgrade over the stock fogs.
Under the Hood
The electrical panel from Part 1 had a fuse block and also housed the Switch Pros. The Switch Pros wired through the firewall to the keypad on the dash, and controlled all of our accessory lights and the ARB compressor. What we really liked about this system was the protection: there was a breaker between the battery and all the accessories. And when we added the camper, all we had to do was wire it to the SafetyHub 150.
Snorkel
On the passenger side was the ARB snorkel. This was really important because the Tacoma was hydro-locked. We wanted to protect this investment and use this truck for a really long time.
Roof
The Victory roof rack carried a few things:
Scene lights for area lighting when we were getting into camp after dark.
MAXTRAX on GP Factor's mount. That mount was really important. When MAXTRAX are caked in mud and clay, they're really hard to get back into a lot of other mounts. We used ours fairly often, so being able to easily carry dirty MAXTRAX mattered.
An 18-inch amber light bar left over from the Tacoma build
Starlink Mini with a GP Factor Mini Mount
The Alu-Cab ModCAP
This was the full-size ModCAP, and we went with the two-sleeper. At the time it was just the two of us. The family camper looked really great, but we liked the setup of the two-sleeper, and the camper shell gave us great protection from wind and harsher weather.
Solar: A 200W Redarc solar panel on top kept the batteries charged.
Shower cube: Mounted with the Khaya camper brackets, which moved it from its normal spot to the front, right over the passenger door. We could roll down that window and reach in, and keep it propped open where we kept our water and hose system. It made showering really easy.
Awning: The Alu-Cab 270-degree Shadow Awning on the driver's side was one of our most-used pieces of gear. Whether we were pulling off for lunch or hanging out at the beach, it gave us a protected spot from sun, rain, and snow, so we could camp in pretty much any weather.
Table: A full-size aluminum table on the table slide, always ready to go. (We used it for an overlander potluck the night before we filmed.)
The Rear Door
Spare: We put the full-size 35 spare on the rear door so we wouldn't have to fish it out from underneath the truck, where the factory spare goes.
Trash bag: A Blue Ridge Overland Gear XL trash bag. It was packed to the gills. We picked up so much trash on that trip that we filled and emptied it twice. Pick up your trash!
Chase lights: Two amber lights, one on either side up top. They came in handy in dusty conditions to keep everyone safe.
Always-on rear view camera: Mounted in the center, below the third brake light.
Propane: A GP Factor propane tank, plumbed with a quick disconnect so it wasn't hooked up all the time. We plugged it in at camp and didn't have to worry about it on the road.
Soap dispenser and the Alu-Cab gravity-fed water from the water tank.
Shore power inlet: When we were parked in the driveway, we didn't have to rely on solar. We plugged into the house and it kept the batteries topped off.
Truma exhaust and intake: The exhaust came out the center hole, and the intake drew clean air all around it.
Auxiliary rear lights: These didn't turn on when we backed up. They were really strong, so they were on their own switch.
Factory backup camera: Relocated with a little GP Factor bracket that works with the factory Toyota camera.
The Cab
Back Seat
Giving the dogs plenty of room was a top priority, so we started with the Goose Gear 60% seat delete for a flat base, and then built a custom drawer setup on top with a really long drawer (about 36 inches) that pulled all the way out. We packed a ton in it: extra chairs, our Helinox table, lots of extra towels (the dogs get dirty), and a bunch of their gear.
There was also a cubby on either side. One held some of our recovery gear (and sometimes shoes), and the back one held all of our tools, so they were easy to get to if we needed to fix something on the road.
We had a bunch of Blue Ridge Overland Gear packs on the back of the seats with dog treats, ear and eye protection, and more. Blue Ridge also made us the custom K9 containment fence on the back of the front seats, which kept the dogs from jumping into the front when we hit bumps.
Doors and Center Console
The doors had Victory MOLLE panels with pouches for headlamps, gloves, flashlights, extra multi-tools, and so on. On the transmission tunnel, we had more Blue Ridge Overland Gear pouches for stickers and the winch controller, so it was always plugged in.
Communication and Navigation
Midland MXT575: The base unit was under the seat. We wired an extension for the mic plug into a little channel these Tundras have. When we weren't using the radio, the mic went in the center console, and when we needed it, it plugged right in and stuck to a magnet. That's how we handled most vehicle-to-vehicle communication.
Garmin Tread and Garmin inReach: For staying in touch with people back home, or coordinating if a group split up. All of our maps were preloaded on the Tread, so we didn't need cell service or Wi-Fi to route to a hospital or a point of interest. On our guided trips, we were sometimes an hour to an hour and a half from the nearest first responder or hospital, so being able to navigate efficiently really mattered.
Switch Pros
The Switch Pros keypad sat to the left of the steering wheel. It ran our rear chase lights, the auxiliary rear lights, the roof rack lights, the air compressor, the fog lights, and the light bar. You can also program it so one button turns on a group of things. We had an "all" switch that turned on everything except the compressor and the rear lights.
The Camper
The Rear Door
On the inside of the rear door was our GP Factor cutting table, which also slid out, so it was great when we were cooking at the fire. We also had Blue Ridge Overland Gear kits with our cook kit, a small broom to keep the back of the truck a little cleaner, headlamps, beanies, and common meds (Benadryl, Zyrtec, etc., since Rachael is very allergic to the outdoors). There was also an Expedition Essentials paper towel holder and, of course, our Deuter box.
Insulation
One of the biggest lessons from the Tacoma was that without insulation, it got pretty chilly in the winter and a little hot in the summer. So we insulated just about everything: behind the MOLLE panels, behind the water tank, and under the floor, using a couple of different types of insulation.
The Passenger Side
We wanted the interior to be functional, with tons of storage, but also homey and cozy.
Drawers (soft close): One held the Jetboil, fuel, cups, toothbrushes (so we could quickly brush first thing in the morning and last thing at night), pantry items, and, most importantly, our rice cooker. The other was the junk drawer: more pantry gear, spices, ponchos, tea, foil, and Santa Maria seasoning (Rachael's favorite to cook with).
Truma heater: The vent came up through the front panel, and the thermostat was right there too.
National Luna 60L dual zone fridge: We used to have a Dometic, but with this layout we needed something a little narrower, so we'd have as much walkway room as possible. We loved it.
Behind the bulkhead panel: Extra battery storage, the inverter, the battery system, and the water pump, all protected. The panel sat flush with the Alu-Cab MOLLE panel over the water tank.
13-gallon water tank: We carried this over from the Tacoma build because we loved how that setup worked.
MOLLE panel: The first aid kit (easy to grab), bathroom gear and wipes for when we didn't want to brave a cold shower outside, the propane hose for the Truma, radio gear, mosquito stuff, and our campfire kit.
The Driver Side: The Couch
The dogs didn't sleep upstairs with us, so we wanted them to have a comfy spot down there. Rachael sewed all of the cushions and pillows.
Under the couch was a hatch with lots of storage for miscellaneous stuff, and up front was a behemoth of a drawer that held the kitchen: our Snow Peak Dutch oven, Hydro Flask plates and bowls, olive oil, and knives.
We also kept a Polaroid camera in there. We love taking Polaroids on camping trips with friends, and once we'd moved in, we already had some pictures from our first trips up. It added some good character to the build.
The Redarc RedVision system powered all of the interior lights and Starlink, and basically anything else that needed power. We could also control it from the app on our phones.
The Windoors
Each side was set up differently.
Driver's side (what I grabbed most when I was hopping in and out): Our axe, an ice scraper, really long fire tongs (almost three feet), and some radios for spotting.
Passenger side (the utility or "garage" side): Our shovel and shower gear. The drawer module and fridge blocked most of the usable space on that side, so it's where we stashed things that stayed out of the way: an extension cord, an extra hose for filling the water tank, and the shower hose.
Upstairs
This was the second floor, where we slept. We replaced the original Alu-Cab foam mattress with a more comfortable one (the old one became the couch cushions downstairs), and added nice sheets, pillows, a comforter, and an extra blanket. We also installed some fairy lights, which made it feel like a little treehouse when Rachael came up to read or go to bed a little early.
How We Started the Truma
We connected the propane hose to the quick disconnect, which had its own switch.
We turned the switch on and opened the gas.
We held the dial to turn on the unit.
We set the temperature. The temperature sensor sat above the door, and the heater cycled on and off through the night to hold as close to that temperature as it could.
The inverter was behind the wood panel at the front. When we turned it on from the Redarc, it powered the 110V panel.
Full Build List
Truck: 2021 Toyota Tundra SR5 CrewMax, 5.5-ft bed, 5.7L V8, 38-gallon tank
Wheels and tires: Method 701 (18-inch, bead grip), Toyo Open Country R/T Trail 35x12.5
Suspension: Bilstein 8112 (front), Bilstein 8100 (rear), Alcan custom leaf pack (+1,200 lb, 1-inch lift), Alcan adjustable shackles, upper control arms
Armor: Victory 4x4 Strike front bumper, Victory 4x4 aluminum skid plates (steel transfer case skid), Victory 4x4 steel sliders
Recovery: WARN Zeon 12-S Platinum winch with synthetic line, flat link, MAXTRAX on GP Factor mount, ARB twin compressor on Victory 4x4 mount
Electrical: SDMT under-hood power tray, Blue Sea SafetyHub 150, Switch Pros
Lighting: Rigid fogs, 18-inch amber light bar, Victory scene lights, Diode Dynamics amber chase lights, auxiliary rear lights, winch puck light
Intake: ARB snorkel with Snorkel Upgrade pre-cleaner
Roof: Victory 4x4 roof rack, Starlink
Comms and navigation: Midland MXT575, Garmin Tread, Garmin inReach
Cameras: Wolfbox always-on rear view camera, factory camera on GP Factor bracket
Camper: Alu-Cab ModCAP (two-sleeper), 270-degree Shadow Awning, shower cube on Khaya camper brackets, table and slide, 13-gallon water tank, spare tire mount
Camper power: Redarc Manager30, TVMS, and RedVision; GP Factor power board; 200W Redarc solar; inverter; NOCO shore power inlet
Camper interior: Truma VarioHeat, National Luna 60L dual zone fridge, custom couch and drawer modules, HydroTurf floor, Thinsulate and foam board insulation, Raptor Liner
Cab: Goose Gear 60% seat delete with custom drawer, Victory MOLLE door panels, Blue Ridge Overland Gear pouches and K9 containment fence
Exterior: Gloss pearl white wrap, GP Factor propane tank
Thanks so much for watching and following along as we built our dream rig. We love how it turned out. If you want more detail on any install or the order we did things in, check out the earlier posts in this series, and follow along with Mountain State Overland to see this truck get put to work over the next couple of years.
You can watch the full walkaround on the Mountain State Overland YouTube channel. And if you want to see it out on the trail, come join us on a Mountain State Overland guided trip!