My biggest thing right now is tires. I was looking at some 265/75r16 Falken Wildpeak A/Ts. I can get them for 174 each mounted at my local tire shop. I cant really go over that cost, but I wanted something still a little more aggressive. What are the quietest Mud Terrains I can get in that price range? Some noise is fine, just not absolutely roaring. I'm fine with using lesser known brands. I'm also running 1" spacers with stock rims, I don't know if that changes tire recommendations or not.

Second, I've never driven in the sand. I have the Mohave Desert and Baja California on my course, so I would love some sand driving pointers. I know a 6k lb truck (loaded) isn't the best sand vehicle, but its what I've got to work with.

It's in the shop right now getting a high torque cam, lifters, head gaskets, and a port and polish. I'm also going to install an aftermarket temp gauge and a couple electric fans for better cooling. I'm also having an '04 these and linkage installed, and I'm going to throw in a new front driveshaft from lucky 8.

This is a 2 month trip. I'm going next summer and I plan to bring a friend. We will be sleeping in the back of the truck. I'm going to take out the back seats and make a 10-12" tall platform out of MDF with storage underneath to sleep on. I'm bringing extra radiator hoses, a case of atf, a gallon of preperation mixed green coolant, sea foam, a 5 gal jerry can with 100% gas and stabil. What else should I bring? I've got a donor truck I can yank a few parts off of.

Here (https://i.imgur.com/5TfCFwC.png) is my current spreadsheet of things I need to buy and repair and all the trip costs. Please mention it if you see anything I've missed. Those 2 links in the bottom corner are to the Google maps that I laid out for the trip.

Thanks everybody!

 

For sand, try to stay on the established trails and drive at a consistent speed, and you'll be fine. If you can, find some old carpet and cut 2 pieces, 2 feet wide by 4+ feet long. That can help you get unstuck if you start to bury yourself. I've driven a smart car out in the Mojave desert through the sand and didn't get stuck.

 

2-month cross-country trip in a Land Rover?! You're a braver man than I...

 

Also, The Mojave is going to be HELLA HOT. Make sure you have plenty of water.

 

Will do, I think ive got some extra carpet laying around. Thanks!

 

Or a more stupid one, sometimes it's hard to tell

 

Sounds good. I'll buy a couple cases of bottles before we head out.

 

Ya know, we do have stores out here in the wild west.

 

Haha, righto. Of course I meant before we head into the desert, but I probably will keep a case around at all times.

 

I would also STRONGLY recommend getting a AAA card, if you don't have one already. You can get one just for emergency towing, which would be just as important as having that extra case of water on hand. It won't be a question of IF, but WHEN you'll need it on your trip.

Also, if you're traveling with a firearm, make sure you know the local laws regarding transporting one. And I'm sure you can't bring one into Baja California, so keep that in mind. If you're not traveling with one, I'd suggest bringing something for self-protection that you can use quickly, like pepper or bear spray, taser, etc. Just your luck you'd run across one of the bad elements at a gas stop in BFE, so keep something handy on your person, and be prepared to use it.

And don't use a debit card on your trip. If you can't pay cash for your purchases, use a credit card instead. Make sure you bring something that will give you your GPS coordinates, in case you get lost or stranded somewhere, and something to mark your vehicle at night, so it can be spotted. There are some LED light gizmos that blink like a strobe light, which can be seen for miles, especially from the air, and they're not expensive.