Overlanding on a Budget – What To Consider?

4Runner for Months

When you browse through Instagram, Trail4Runner.com, or any other social media, you are constantly bombarded with 4Runners that have all the latest equipment.

While I would love to have some of the things I see other people with, money doesn’t grow on trees. In this article, I am going to discuss more budget-friendly overlanding options and compare the costs of both inexpensive and expensive options.

It’s important to think about what you are going to use the vehicle for. For my personal use case, I wanted to take a two-month snowboarding trip and equip my car to be lived in for days at a time, while still being able to use it as a daily driver. I hope some of these options make it easier for you to get out there and explore, whether it’s for a weekend, a week, or a year.

Keeping Food Cold: Cheap Cooler vs Roto-Molded Cooler vs Electric Fridge

The first option is to pack only food that doesn’t need to be cold, but if you want something besides backpacking meals and trail mix, read on.

If you only plan to go out for the weekend or maybe three days, you can probably get away with either a cooler you already have or a cheap, popular brand from your local Walmart or another store. These can run anywhere from $30-$100.

For example, if you find yourself going out for longer or going out in very hot weather and your ice is gone, you can go with the next most expensive option: a roto-molded cooler. I decided this was the option for me as I wanted to keep food for a week.

Popular brands here would be Yeti, RTIC, and numerous other very similar brands. I personally went with YETI after having an issue with the RTIC cooler I ordered. It was $299.99 for a YETI Tundra 45, with 10% back buying it at REI, compared to $199.99 for RTIC. I found the YETI sufficient to keep food cold for a week. The downside was having to deal with melting water, which, if you drain it out, causes the ice to melt faster. This can be solved by using a bag to put ice in, or keeping all your food water-sealed.

The next option would be an electric fridge from a brand such as Dometic. One of their popular versions, the CFX line can run from around $700-$1500, with additional equipment such as fridge slides, and some way to keep the fridge powered – like the popular, yet expensive Dometic PLB40. If you find yourself taking very long trips and already have a way to power the fridge, this might be the option to consider.

Quick Summary:

Eat Dry Food: $0; Cheap Cooler: $30-$100

• Example: Coleman Cooler

Roto Molded Cooler: $200-$350 + ice bag(depending on brand/size)

• Example: Yeti Tundra 45

Electric Fridge: $700-$1500 + slide + power

• Example: Dometic CFX3 45

Sleeping & Storage: Sleeping Inside vs Rooftop Tent vs Drawers/Bed Setup Inside

The cheapest option here is to get any type of camping pad, lay it down over the collapsed rear seats, and store all your things as close to you as you can manage. Unfortunately, the 5th Gen 4Runner isn’t completely flat, and having my things all next to me in a disorganized mess didn’t sound good to me.

I personally love the look of a well-built 4Runner with a rooftop tent, but I had to ask myself the question, ” Am I going to really use it? For me, ultimately, the answer was no for a few reasons. I was planning to sleep in winter conditions, inside, more protected from the wind. Also, you can run the car for heat if needed, without any additional heating source. Another reason is that I wanted to have drawers in the back for storage as well. I came across the Goose Gear Drawers and Sleeping Platform, but at $419 and with no ability to fold the platform back to get the seat there, I wasn’t satisfied.

I decided to build my own, came across some plans from SolidWoodWorx on Trail4R, and ended up buying his plans for $40.

There are many other options for other low-profile DIY drawer systems and DIY full-size sleeping platforms for the 4Runner, but at the end of the day, the SolidWoodWorks design fits my needs best.

The plans required:

• 2 sheets of pine plywood for $100
• 150-lb 36” drawer slides from SolidWoodWorx for $170

I used screws and some additional wood I had from other projects, and borrowed tools to complete the project. I added a folding piece of plywood that folds back so I can use the seats, and I removed just the bottom of one seat for extra headroom.

I am 6’0 and fit, with a few inches to spare. Although I am not a good woodworker and could improve the design slightly, I now have drawers and a bed inside that folds back for a total cost of about $320.

Of course, if you plan to only sleep in warmer climates or have a good solution for heating a rooftop tent, that might be a good option. They can range in price from about $1,200 to $4,000, and some may require a roof rack or other mounting hardware. This might free up enough space inside that no additional storage options are required.

Quick Summary:

Sleep with the seats down: $0; Build drawers and sleeping platform: $320 + time + tools if needed

• Dual Drawer System – Check Price
• Dual Drawer System w/ Sleeping Platform – Check Price
• Turnbuckles
• Drawer System Carpet
• Carpet Spray Glue
• Wood Sealant
• Bed Liner
• Folding T Handle Latches
• Drawer Organizers

Rooftop Tent: $1200-$3750 + Mounting Equipment

• Thule Tepui Explorer Kukenam 3 Tent: Check Price

Lighting: What is really necessary?

Exterior Lighting

For exterior lighting, I opted not to upgrade any of the lights on my 4Runner. I found this to be a mistake. The stock headlights on the 4Runner are notoriously bad, which made visibility on trails at dusk and at night very poor, and visibility in the snow at night not optimal. There are many options for lights that have been written about, but I think a headlight upgrade is definitely worth the investment, and at the bare minimum, an LED bulb upgrade. I personally went with the cheapest and easiest option: upgrading my halogen bulbs for around $30 after my trip.

A step up from that would be LED or HID bulbs for $100-$200, such as VLEDs or a Xenon Depot bulb. If you plan on doing a lot of wheeling at night, then you might need to look into more off-road-focused lighting, but for me, this could wait.

Interior Lighting

For interior lighting, I chose to use lanterns and a headlamp I already had for camping and backpacking. There are many inexpensive electric lanterns you can use to light the interior of your 4Runner. I personally found that I didn’t really need too much light at night inside the vehicle. You could also upgrade the interior lights to LEDs, but I wanted to avoid this to avoid draining the battery. Ultimately, LED interior light bulbs are probably worth it considering their relatively low cost.

Quick Summary:

Exterior

Upgraded halogen bulbs: ~$30

• Philips Automotive Lighting H11 X-tremeVision: Check Price

LED: $100-$200

• VLEDS Micro Limited H11 LED Fog Light Bulbs: Check Price
• Lamin-X Yellow: Check Price
• Lamin-X Amber: Check Price
• Lamin-X Clear: Check Price

Interior Light Kit

• Full Interior LED Kit: Check Price
• DE3175 (x3) – Check Price
• 168/194 (x6) – Check Price
• 194 (x2) – Check Price
• Don’t forget the pry tools: Check Price

Power Options: Power Bank vs Solar Power vs Second Battery

Power can be important on a long-term trip, whether it’s to charge your phone, laptop, camera, or other devices. It’s important to assess your personal power needs.

For me, it was just to charge my phone, with occasional laptop use. If you are working on the road and often need a laptop or have camera equipment, you might need a more elaborate power solution. A small note, for my Pixel 5, the 4Runner’s built-in USB port does not seem to charge as well as a wall outlet, and neither does a cigarette lighter charging adapter.

The first option is to use a small power bank from Amazon, priced between $20 and $100; you may have one lying around the house.

The next most expensive option is something like a Jackery Power Station, Goal Zero Yeti, or the Dometic PLB40; these will have much more battery storage and higher output, depending on the model you need. I decided on a Jackery 240 Power Station because it has plenty of battery for just my phone and probably enough for a phone and occasional laptop use. It is also equipped to use solar panels to charge it if I decide to go this route in the future. It was $200 and did everything I needed it to, including keeping the battery at very low temperatures.

The most expensive step would be a second battery or solar power. If you are truly going to need a lot of power, plan on longer stays, or run an electric fridge, these options could be good for you. A second battery kit can run about $500-$700, and a battery can run $200-$300. A solar panel setup can vary greatly, but it may include panels, a solar charge controller, an inverter, wiring, other equipment, and a battery to charge. All of this can run you from $500-$1000 easily, plus the cost of the battery.

Quick Summary:

Small Power Bank: $20-$100

• Anker Portable Charger: Check Price

Power Station: $150-$500

• Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240: Check Price

Second Battery: $700-$1000 total

• Toyota 4Runner Dual Battery Kit: Check Price
  • Odyssey 25-PC (X2): Check Price
• Optima Yellow Top Deep Cycle Battery: Check Price
• Toyota 4Runner Auxiliary Battery Tray: Check Price

Solar Setup: $700-$1300+

• Renogy 200W 12V Monocrystalline Solar Premium Kit: Check Price

Water Storage

Notice the 3-gallon water container to the right of my bed. 

There are a lot of options for water storage, ranging from buying 1-3-gallon containers and putting them anywhere, to buying a 5-gallon container, or a water jerry can attached outside or stored inside. They all work for storing water, with varying prices, storage capacities, and levels of convenience.

I was personally traveling during the winter, with below-freezing or near-freezing temperatures almost every night. This meant I had to refill water at a ski resort or buy it when I stopped for groceries because storing large quantities of water was difficult.

The next option would be a large container. These can be found relatively cheaply for $10-$40. If you know a good place to fill it up or are only heading out on weekends, this option could work well for you.

If you are pressed for space or already have a place to mount a water jerry can, then this would be the option for you. They can run about $55, and you may also need mounting hardware to secure it to the vehicle.

Quick Summary:

Buying Water: $1-$2 a gallon

• Great Value Spring Water, 1 Gallon

Large container: $10-$40

• 4.9 Gallon Portable Water Container: Check Price

Water Jerry can: $55 + mounting hardware

• ROTOPAX 1.75 Gallon Water Pax: Check Price

Final Thoughts

I hope this article has made you think about some of the options available to you, and how much you want to spend in certain areas. I kept the subjects in this article focused on equipment needed for living out of the car, and not upgrades made directly to the vehicle. Note that these may be required or useful for some purposes. There are many good articles to browse in that regard.

Also, note that the examples listed are just to give a general range of some options. If you know of any good alternatives or a cheaper-priced option, don’t hesitate to let me and others know!

Lastly, I hope this convinces some people that they can afford to get out there without all the latest and best gear, as long as it meets their needs.