Is my truck good?

[punisher1130]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and fairly new to the off road world and I have some questions and concerns that I seem to be having trouble finding answers too and I am hoping someone on here can help. I'm looking to build a dual purpose expo rig so I can have a daily and still be able to go out and get off grid for a while. The truck I have is a 99 dodge Dakota sport 5.2 4x4 which only has headers, 3in body lift, tuff country 5.5 suspension lift ( 3in suspension) and 33x12.50 wrangler m/t's, other than those its completely stock that I'm aware of. The problem I am having is 1 no one makes parts for these trucks everything is custom, 2 dodge is known for everything except mpg ( averaging around 12.1 with where I'm currently living, might change after my move ) and 3 I have a tight budget to work with ( have to use junk yards for the big stuff like axles and engines), also doesn't help I'm stuck in Florida. My question is this, is my truck worth building up and if so can anyone give me advice on what I can do to it or if I should trade it for something else? If trading is my best outcome I am looking at either a late 80's full size blazer or a jeep wrangler, I've done some research on both and i can handle building those but since i have my dodge i would like to know if it is worth building or not and what advice i can be given to help build it right.



By the way, as for what I am looking to do is basically hold my own in any terrain without being specific to a terrain and though i have a friend that would join me, she is about to get a jeep her self so passengers aren't much of a concern for me, just wanting a all around rig.

 

[Big50]

As long as your truck is reliable, than you're good. What specifically are you looking as far as mods? I say get out there, and find out what you need. You've got plenty of room for gear. If you're looking to add a roof top tent it would be very easy to have a fab shop make you something to mount it to your bed. Don't be one of those guys who spends all their money & time building the "perfect" overlanding rig but can't afford the time or money to use it.

 

[SDDiver5]

x2. Go camping and see what you need. Go hit a trail and see what you need. Bring your basic survival stuff and you're good.

 

[edlaffoon]

Welcome to ExPo.

If the cost of custom parts is a real issue, and you can make a lateral move to a Jeep (or better yet a K5 ) then I would say do that.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the truck you have, but like you mentioned, it would require a lot of fabrication for things like bumpers and carriers.

In the mean time I would suggest you enjoy the truck as it is. It may not "look right" compared to some of the rigs here but the reality is that the majority of mods you see really don't help you off road.

Just get out there and explore :smiley_drive:

 

[rayra]

Sounds like you've already got something that will do quite a bit. If you want to build it up more you might need to trade to something with more aftermarket parts support. But drive it a bunch first, you'll find that practice and skill accomplish quite a bit, you don't have to bolt on the whole Bro catalog to have a good time offroading.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I know it sucks getting bad MPG but at the end of the day, assuming your truck is already paid for, you are probably better off holding what you have unless it is developing mechanical problems that are costing more money to fix. A second vehicle is rarely a good solution when money is an issue.
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Where is it that you plan on going? For trips to the beach, or nearby states like Georgia, the Carolinas, etc, your vehicle is already pretty well equipped. As others have said I would just go camping with it and bring a good notebook, you will figure out which items would add to your comfort level and which ones you can leave at home.
.
About the only change I can think of that might improve the overall economy of your truck would be to go from MTs to ATs and maybe go down a size or two, but if you go mudding in the Southeast, big mud tires are probably better for you. I actually ran MTs on my 4runner even in the desert and I was pleasantly surprised at how well they did. However, it should be said that the only reason I ran them was because they were already on the wheels I'd bought and as soon as they started to get worn, I got rid of them and replaced them with ATs. But then again, I live in Colorado and out here ATs make more sense for most of us than MTs.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

You've got plenty of truck. ARB even makes a locker for your rear diff if you ever get to the point where you think you might need one. You've already gotten excellent advice from previous posts...drive it, see what type of camping you like (tent or maybe a shell), and go have fun. :sombrero:

 

[punisher1130]

The truck is very reliable, so much so I hate not driving it lol. I don't plan on building it with the idea of it being perfect just to know if its worth building or not. I have no problems with building it as I drive and play.

 

[punisher1130]

x2. Go camping and see what you need. Go hit a trail and see what you need. Bring your basic survival stuff and you're good.

no issues with camping its self I have the gear and everything for that just not with a vehicle.

 

[punisher1130]

Welcome to ExPo.

If the cost of custom parts is a real issue, and you can make a lateral move to a Jeep (or better yet a K5 ) then I would say do that.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the truck you have, but like you mentioned, it would require a lot of fabrication for things like bumpers and carriers.

In the mean time I would suggest you enjoy the truck as it is. It may not "look right" compared to some of the rigs here but the reality is that the majority of mods you see really don't help you off road.

Just get out there and explore :smiley_drive:

Thank you.
I'm not worried about it looking right I just don't know if its been done or worth doing. I mentioned those 2 vehicles cause 1 jeeps are cheap to build and 2, I used to have a 83 k5 and very familiar with those big beauties. I'm actually a bit convinced the k5 would do better on mpg then my Dakota lol.

 

[punisher1130]

Sounds like you've already got something that will do quite a bit. If you want to build it up more you might need to trade to something with more aftermarket parts support. But drive it a bunch first, you'll find that practice and skill accomplish quite a bit, you don't have to bolt on the whole Bro catalog to have a good time offroading.

I actually bought it that way but it is my daily and i have taken it on a couple trails and it holds very well and i do love driving, just have some concerns on the expo side of it. It would be a awesome mud truck, just not sure bout the expo.

 

[punisher1130]

I know it sucks getting bad MPG but at the end of the day, assuming your truck is already paid for, you are probably better off holding what you have unless it is developing mechanical problems that are costing more money to fix. A second vehicle is rarely a good solution when money is an issue.
.
Where is it that you plan on going? For trips to the beach, or nearby states like Georgia, the Carolinas, etc, your vehicle is already pretty well equipped. As others have said I would just go camping with it and bring a good notebook, you will figure out which items would add to your comfort level and which ones you can leave at home.
.
About the only change I can think of that might improve the overall economy of your truck would be to go from MTs to ATs and maybe go down a size or two, but if you go mudding in the Southeast, big mud tires are probably better for you. I actually ran MTs on my 4runner even in the desert and I was pleasantly surprised at how well they did. However, it should be said that the only reason I ran them was because they were already on the wheels I'd bought and as soon as they started to get worn, I got rid of them and replaced them with ATs. But then again, I live in Colorado and out here ATs make more sense for most of us than MTs.

The truck isn't paid for just yet, that's one of the reasons i haven't don't any heavy mods to it yet and I have no mechanical issues with it at all it runs like a champ. Ultimately I want to disappear out in the mountains, don't really plan on crossing the Dixie line anytime soon but I don't plan on staying in Florida the whole time. The tires that i have aren't very aggressive, actually quite smooth on the road, I did replace the tires with the same type but did make sure to do my homework on them and found that the tires I have are more of a middle ground between a/t and m/t and they work the best for terrains down here, at least that's what I've been told and looked up.

 

[punisher1130]

You've got plenty of truck. ARB even makes a locker for your rear diff if you ever get to the point where you think you might need one. You've already gotten excellent advice from previous posts...drive it, see what type of camping you like (tent or maybe a shell), and go have fun. :sombrero:

Yeah I've come across those and considered them but since I want to do a sas and need the rear to match I figured id get one for the dana 44 so I don't spend it twice lol.

 

[punisher1130]

I apologize for the many response, i didn't realize i could cover multiple ones at once, still learning the whole forum workings things lol, again sorry for all the back to back responses.

 

[402xjeeper]

A sas with ford axles would make for a simple reliable expo truck. Durango ifs is not very stout. For mpg and reliability you could remove the body lift and go down in tire size. This would reduce the strain on the drivetrain, and lessen the aerodynamic drag, 31"s would only cost you 1" of clearance.