So refreshing to see somebody pushing back on some of these mods. Seems like things have gotten out of hand where it’s all mods all the time and the more you have the better. We need voices to push back and say when we’re overthinking things or creating more problems than we’re solving.

I’ve been in automotive business for 36 years. Listen to this man people, he knows what he is talking about! Excellent video!! Now please do one on the top five mods to do.

Hey guys, sorry that the music is too loud! I will make sure to pay attention to that on the next one! I didn't notice until too late. Really appreciate the feedback!

I overland full-time in a gen 4 4Runner, here's the list of mods (that I purchased) on my rig; Falken WIldpeak A/T tires That's it.

That was impressive for a shop to just lay it out like that. Much respect

Hope honesty stays for a long time. It’s really awesome to have a shop that is honest about what they do. Great stuff!!!

Please lower ur background music it is annoying.

Not controversial at all, everything you said makes perfect sense. Please keep cranking out these informative videos.

So cool to see an honest opinion coming from a shop about this topic. Keep up the great work!

My biggest mod regret on my 4Runner was a rear ladder. Added weight and stress to the hatch. Some people had rusting issues from paint chips from mounting contact points. If I need anything on my roof rack, stepping up the rear tires are far more accessible than using the ladder in the back. Unless you got a roof tent then I see good reason. Great video and explanation BTW, I can agree to your top 5. Now make a top 5 best or must do mods.

I agree with your perspective on all the parts you mentioned. I have been on the fence about lower control arm skids. And realized it wasn't necessary. I do see the use of .5 inch spacers for leveling out the vehicle. But the others are just not necessary.

Thanks! People like to spend money, period, without thinking too much about the function.

I certainly appreciate your candor. Nice to see call BS on BS. Thanks much!

This video is spot on. Thanks for not saying cat back exhaust mods are a waste, because the sound legit makes me happy. Totally agree that saving the money for gas and trip is a better call than these mods.

Save money for gas! That is probably the best advice I've heard from any truck mod video, ever. Practical, and Tacomas are already so capable, best to use them. Great video!

Thank you, thank you, thank you. You've expressed what I personally won't do to my Tacoma and have told friends to not to as well for nearly the same reasons you stated. Save the money on better stuff.

Thank you so much for all the explanations. I was literally on the verge of buying lower control arm skids before you mentioned the loss in articulation and possibility of rust. Stuff just doesn't cross your mind until someone mentions it who is deep in the industry. New sub here, thanks again!

That’s my truck on the left. Thanks for removing spacers and blocks and doing it right

Finally someone that is honest and cuts the mustard!!! Truly explained in a real Canadian🇨🇦 way 👍🏻I really enjoy your video and your honesty. You just got a new subscriber and client… when I will be in BC. Greetings from Yellowknife.

Thanks for making this. LCA skidplates have been on my list of things to eventually get, but after hearing your experience with the skids clogging them up with mud and crap, I'll forever save that money! Or just spend it somewhere else on gear hahaha

Great advice for someone starting into Overlanding!

So refreshing to here some common sense, from someone experienced. Thank You

Just got me some premium, reverse osmosis, pH balanced, "smart," blinker fluid! Plus, when paired with my 3M, carbon fiber printed, super light weight, racing stripes, they add massive horsepower gains that even the TRD supercharger cannot handle!

I appreciate your video. I have a 21 Taco Sport that sees 99.9% of its time on city streets and highways and is reliable. I may buy a second set of rims and some slightly more aggressive all terrains if I get the bug for some light off-reading, but running it as it is makes my life more stress free.

This was a great video. And your advice applies to any brand really. Great job. I hope to see more videos like this Cheers from Ontario

Love this. Good advice for practical reasons.

Great info! Love your videos. How about a top 5 must have upgrades for your Toyota? If you haven't already.

the only one I disagreed with was the cold air intake, but then you covered my only argument. once I put bigger tires on the Tacoma, it sucks up crud with the stock intake, and it's just less of a headache to relocate it or snorkel it. great video, a must watch in my opinion

Thanks for your advice. I am fairly new to Overlanding so trying to figure out my build. Helps me think things through.

This video is gold. Everyone with a Tacoma should watch this.

came across your video,and the cold intake one, caught my eye, becasue at one point i was thinking seriously, but decided to back out on the whole idea. appreciate the information.

All 5 tips were spot on. Thank you for doing this!

I'm planning on purchasing a proper overlanding rig and really appreciate a video like this! Not to mention I'm a female who doesn't know much about this stuff. I'd love to see a video on your recommendations for a lift, and other items mentioned in this video, if there are mods worth doing.

Wow! Great video! Great comments from the audience! Creator actually participates in discussions! I look forward to seeing more so I subscribed. Thank you for the guidance.

I think some people don't understand that all these youtubers are sponsored and get a lot of gear for free. I despise most overlanding and gear channels because of all the sponsorships. They brag about all their expensive stuff that the average person will never be able to afford and make people believe they need this stuff in order to have a good time, which is just untrue.

Outstanding!!! One of the best vids ever!

I was overlanding using my lexus rx. It's funny to see how many people spend soo much money in their rigs to go to places that I can can go with my stock lexus RX.

Finally someone said it lol Great Video.. I did however switch my switch my stock air filter on my Tacoma to a K&N (not cold air intake) and immediately noticed a way better throttle response.

Good stuff, agree with all of them. I'm thinking of doing a video on more Overland specific stuff that get taxed hard. Great video.

Great video. Thanks for the dose of reality on these five.

Nailed it on drop bracket kit, anything that changes OEM geometry will end up bad for the components. The only true CAI is a snorkel and to get full benefit, it needs a properly sealed airbox.

Thanks for your advice. I’m in planning stages to either modify my stock Tacoma TRD off road or buying a new Tundra TRD off road to use in my upcoming retirement and off road traveling across North America.

Very well presented and extremely informative.. thanks for sharing

Great info, I do not yet own a truck but someday I will. This is great information to keep in mind. Thank you!

Best advice I ever got was to live "your" best overland life lol. Enjoy the hobby on your budget. Good video!

Music is fine (on my phone)... Thank you for having and sharing experience and thoughts we need more of this. Some folks won't agree and that's ok.

Nice tips, thanks Trail Boss!

Great video, solid tips on what not to invest in.

Can confirm on the Spacer Lift. Bought a ‘17 TRD Sport with wheels, 285 tires, and 2.5” lift! Then realized it was a block lift 😖 Now I’m in the process of fixing what the previous owner did to make my truck more capable off-road. Still doesn’t keep me off the trails!

I completely agree with the opinion concerning cold air intake "upgrade" With that said I do like the washable and reusable upgraded intake filters. I am getting my value over time with that one. Maybe there is no difference in performance though.

I'm a Jeep guy, but this is still a pretty cool video. I'm always saying to my wife when watching the KZfaq folks, "why do they need that!? Probably cuz they were given it... but would they add it or buy it if they were using their own money!?" Pretty cool to see a shop do this kind of thing, instead of upsell some stuff we don't need. Nicely done (I've bought a couple things from you guys) .. ill have yo pass this along to my Toyota guys. ... and the background music seems fine, not irritating at all, as far as I'm concerned.

Great advice! Thank you.

Great clip, great info 👍🏽

Nice vid. I had always wondered about the control arm plates. As a noob I did the spacer lift. It gave me a little clearance but eventually did the whole lift so basically wasted $700 on the spacer. Should have done it right the first time!

dang it I was hoping any of the mods I was looking into wasn't going to be on your list but I need to seriously reconsider spacer lifts now. Thanks for the informative video, your advice is too genuine to pass over.

Thanks for honesty

Thanks for the honesty, 😊

Great honest video. Well done

Another great, helpful video!

Thanks for your advice!!

Excellent tips! It makes a lot of sense.

I totally agree with you sir!

Great info....thanks! Whew, I haven't done any of that stuff. Happy Holidays

I agree with this. I was wanting to do some of these mods. Cold air intake especially but I learned my Toyota is cold air intake from the factory, im gonna leave it alone. As for lift spacers, I am guilty. I just wanted a clean leveling kit and it looks good and I went into it expecting to wear the shocks out prematurely. So far they holding up good. Gives me a good reason to upgrade shocks when they do go.😉 I'm always taking my Toyota places it shouldn't be and it performance is always satisfying.

If you walk into a shop asking what mod you should get then that’s a good clue you don’t need it. Get out there and figure out what you need based on what you’re doing. I think people are chasing the look more than anything nowadays just like the mall crawlers.

I totally agree with all these recommendations...and skipped them for these reasons. Big tires is the best mod for off roading....and actually learning how to drive.

Very good video. Value the experience and expertise.

I agree on all fronts. Great video

Very informative video. Thank you!

All truths. No argument from me. Ready for part 2. Rock on!

Thank you. I appreciate your information.

New to the game great info subscribed !!

I always recommend a full strut with upper control arms bds lift to anyone who wants to overland. They’re more expensive but worth it.

I replaced my drab stock intake w/ a Spectre "cold air" system. Two things I know for sure. 1) Mine has the polished aluminum flow tube so it looks very cool and 2) It makes the engine growl when under a load. That's it as far as I can tell. So, if you've got $270 to spend on looks and sound, go for it.

I actually agree with the video. The only thing I did do on my 4Runner is a 1” and a 1/2 spacer in the front suspension because the stock 4Runner looks so bad with the squatted front end. Specially when you have bigger tires.

You don't need 90% of the stuff out there, but it's fun to buy gear and if it makes your rig look better to you, then it's money we'll spent

It is refreshing to see a video advising us to NOT spend more! Spend wisely, grasshopper.

Succinct and useful! Thank you.

nice, agree with all, maybe talk about the things a weekend camper need compared to all-out full-time camping. what a person that makes short weekend trips really needs

NAILED IT! 👏

EXACTLY!!!! FINALLY!! someone finally gets it! "Overlanding" is just super expensive camping and expensive "gear" gotta get the gear it's all about the gear, to show off looking new and never used. its a lifestyle thing.

I'm inspired by the old dudes from Nevada I meet on Steel pass in Death Valley driving Jeeps caked in dirt with just the bare minimum amount of gear. On the Eastern Sierra side on every trip I always see Tacoma's packed down with a insane amount of gear all for show, trucks lightly dusty. Instagram models.

Great vid!!!

Totally agree with this list....there are several more!

With you on all of these. With all the off roading we have in Australia, we have none of these,. Well we do have coil spacers lifts, not shocks spacer lifts. and extra battery box for dual battery, ive driven a standard 4x4 in places most people with a pimped up "Overlander" would balk at

Great video man

Thank you for the honesty. It all in your heads. Pretty sure many would disagree with you no matter what. Oh well... it your $$$ spend it how you want it. :)

Finally i have found someone who has the same opinion as me about lower arm skidplates…. Thank you.

Need more of these.

I agree on the list. I put in a lift kit which are sit on the bottom of the spring...which is a bit better. My "best"mod for my 4Runner is the transfer case gear change to 4.56 and it is night and day difference.

Seems like good, sound advice. People will line up for a good, honest mechanic.

subscribed for this vid, very informative

THIS REVIEW ARE VERY GOOD ONE. VERY GOOD INFO. THANK YOU.

Great vid mate, totally agree with ur list & reasonings, . There is a KZfaqr ‘Whistlin Deisel’, who basically wrecks stuff, cars, trucks, busses, helicopters, etc, he did a test on a stock Toyota Hilux 2010 model & could not kill it without dropping it from 500 feet & then 10,000feet via helicopter, anyhow, in the last test he put it up against some monster trucks and rock climbers, and it still outshined most of them, completing one severe test climb rocky crevice in reverse several times after doing it in forward was too easy.

I 100% agree with ALL of your selections and reasoning behind NOT putting them on you rvehicle. Waste of Money that could have gone towards better components you need and will use.

I keep mine stock and drive the hellout of them 2,500 miles in 4+4 every year thanks for the update

Great vid but when you said overlanding is over expensive I thought about my $2500 Silverado with a dad cap hitting the same trials. Overlanding doesn't have to be expensive it just has to fun

Good video thank you for your frank comments. I did put a TRD cold air intake and TRD dual exhaust on my 2017 Tundra and I did feel and see a difference in performance to the better. It did improve my highway mileage slightly, so I went from an average of 17 mile per gallon on the highway to 19 miles per gallon. In town was still horrible, but it sounded great !! I doubt I would have done this upgrade if I had to watch my upgrade budget though.

Very much agree with all he said. Modern day rigs are very capable as stock. And unless you are going hard core off road mostly just puutting on a good set of all terrains will be all the upgrade you need. I have done a few upgrades to my lc prado 150, but they are all usability and asthetics upgrades just make my life easier and to give my rig a different look to others. But they are all subtle upgrades. My rig is new so I would certainly not do any performance upgrades as it would almost certainly void my warranty. Only performance upgrade I plan on doing is putting some all terrains on once these factory tyres have warn down, but even then they will not be overly aggressive, just enough to improve borh the look and off road performance, not that it is lacking on ability as it is with the current tyres anyway.

*All good stuff.. love to hear your opinion on the Pedal Commander!*