The ULTIMATE Lexus GX470 OFF-ROAD/Overland Build (For Under $20k) Part 4

[@Visaliaipa]

I would really second his advice about gas heaters in an enclosed area. When I worked out in Anza-Borrego area we were called to a camp site where the mother and father were sleeping in an enclosed trailer with a small vent. They had a heater because it was cold. Their kid, 8 or 9, slept in the vehicle. He couldn’t wake his parents up and both were deceased because of carbon monoxide exposure. Tragic.

[@lexus_offroad_adventures]

@@Visaliaipa oh no, that is unbelievably tragic. Pinned for visibility. It’s not worth risking carbon monoxide poisoning. Diesel heaters are cheap, simple, and produce comfortable, warm/dry air

[@ReconRecovery]

Love it! Look forward to working with you. You are inspiring us to work on our GX a bit more!

[@lexus_offroad_adventures]

🙌

[@melvfernandez]

I have a goal zero 3000x and use induction. Easier setup and clean up. Heats food super fast with a cast iron. Heats water really fast. And you’re right I’ve completely eliminated propane tanks and definitely have more space. 👍

[@lexus_offroad_adventures]

Thanks for commenting! How much of the 3k watt hours do you use per meal or per day using induction?

[@NVLunarTaco]

Good video! I build toward Overlanding and exploring and so many people tell me to modify it for “off-roading.” I just want to get out and truck camp, not crawl over boulders 😂

[@artinist]

Great series!

[@krunckap3795]

Yesssssss!!!!

[@bek4805]

Your mini is so cute

[@mantonrogers1398]

How is the phoenix yellow E46 M3 going? Can’t wait to see what work you did to the car.

[@lexus_offroad_adventures]

@@mantonrogers1398 going great! Actually have done a lot of maintenance stuff. Lot of fun to work on. Only mod so far is just a square 18” wheel setup with summer tires. I have filmed a lot of it in case I want to put together some videos in the future when I’m back on the channel but not sure if I’m going to yet.

[@mantonrogers1398]

@@lexus_offroad_adventures that’s awesome! Did you go with BMW style wheels or something aftermarket? Can’t wait to see some future posts about it.

[@lexus_offroad_adventures]

@@mantonrogers1398 just the classic 163M style wheels from Bimmerworld with BMW center caps put in. Cool. Hopefully will have more time for social media stuff again once I graduate next semester.

[@mantonrogers1398]

@@lexus_offroad_adventures that’s sick those wheels always look so good on the E46 M3. Good luck in your final semesters! I still got a year and a half before I graduate.

[@Visaliaipa]

Question about rear tire racks. Any opinion on the Rigid hitch mounted rack? I like the idea due to very little vehicle modification but do have concerns on its strength being hitch mounted.

[@lexus_offroad_adventures]

@@Visaliaipa I have tried a hitch mount similar to the Rigd one. I don’t like how far it sticks out/how much departure angle you lose. As for strength, hitches are pretty strong so I haven’t ever worried about that. I smash mine on rocks all the time

[@Visaliaipa]

@@lexus_offroad_adventures Right on….thanks for the info.

[@krunckap3795]

May I humbly request your thoughts on 285/75/17 tires on stock gears? Light weight build

[@lexus_offroad_adventures]

That’s about a 34” tire. Here’s the reality, it’s not going to drive great on stock gears whether it’s 33”-35” tires or whatever. There are some things you can do about it: keep the rig light (which you mentioned), and avoid E-rated heavy-weight tires. Look at the weight of the tire you’re looking at just as much as the size. 34” is definitely tall for a stock geared GX, but you may like it. Hard to say. Fuel economy and performance will take a decent hit though.

[@krunckap3795]

@@lexus_offroad_adventures you're right, you're always right 🤣 I'm willing to take the performance and drivability hit if there isn't a substantial additional risk of drivetrain damage or catastrophic failure. In your estimate, will 285 75 17s on stock gears inevitably lead to damage or will it just be sluggish and a bit thirstier?

[@lexus_offroad_adventures]

@@krunckap3795 sluggish and thirsty with a higher risk breaking stuff if you’re too aggressive. Keep it slow and back off if you’re spinning a lot. Let ATRAC get you up the obstacle

[@conniewoods3274]

I just need a rear tire carrier for mine

[@John-fm8yl]

Have you considered a tailgate table?

[@lexus_offroad_adventures]

Yes I have. Not sure if I’d be ok with the smell from cooking going into the vehicle or not. Do you use one? Any issues with smells staying inside the car?

[@John-fm8yl]

@@lexus_offroad_adventures I don't have one, but I'd like one. Hadn't thought about that tho. I'd probably just set up my Coleman stove on the far right, away from the vehicle.

[@sxejoshyewa]

What happened to this channel? 😢

[@russm195]

It makes no sense to me why people spend the exorbitant amount of money on the rooftop tents, and for those expensive refrigerators that require that expensive power setup. You don’t need any of that. Build an interior platform, remove the single seat. You can make sausage and bread without a fridge. Think about it a bit. There are plenty of really good and healthy dehydrated foods that just need water to be boiled. Induction stove is not worth it. If you’re saying well there’s no room for the cooler and to sleep in your car, yes there is. When you arrive to camp just take the Yeti cooler and place it on the ground outside your car while you sleep. They are bearproof anyway and hold ice for a very long time. Long enough for any trip. You just need to have a little bit of ingenuity and you can avoid all this weight/money spent. Being resourceful and learning how to get away with less comes from learning to actually camp/setup tents/tarps/cook from a RTIC or YETI cooler. It also comes from many years of backpacking where all my food came with me in my backpack. Beans, rice, hard cheese, eggs, freeze your meat before your trip, all this stuff can be cooked without an expensive refrigerator.

[@lexus_offroad_adventures]

@@russm195 if you look at my older videos I’ve done all of that and upgraded from there. Everything you said makes sense for someone starting out who wants to see if overlanding is for them. Once you really get into an activity, it’s ok to upgrade if you see fit. I’ve done both and the RTT is more comfortable in every way. I built the solar power system myself. The fridge is like $2-300. I encourage you to go back and watch some of these projects to bring you up to speed and who knows? Maybe you’ll see one you might want to try. Slumming it backpack style (which I have done before, and it’s great, just not with a family of 4) is not for everyone

[@russm195]

I’ve been camping for over 10 years now and there’s no scenario where I would need half of this stuff. I think the difference here is most people into “overlanding” think that gear and money solves all their problems, when in reality they are just propping up an industry that thrives off their inexperience. I started backpacking, where a weekend away had everything I need in a 60L backpack, including a chair and stove, and I ate really well. Without a rooftop tent you have so much available storage on the roof, and without an expensive refrigerator (there’s none worth getting for $200 btw), I can still make all the same things you can make by simply carefully planning when I get ice for a cooler. Car camping is already luxurious, and way more comfortable than setting up a tent, and too many people push gear that is unnecessary. I get it, you make money off affiliate links, but this stuff is just not necessary at all to be comfortable in the backcountry.

[@lexus_offroad_adventures]

@@russm195 I understand your point that if you don’t *need* it you shouldn’t *have* it. I just disagree. But you have your right to your opinion I do not make hardly anything off the few affiliate links I have haha I wish. I haven’t even posted a video in over a year to focus on my masters. It’s not a money play in the least. I just feature things I think people may want to try to make their adventure more fulfilling (whatever that means for them specifically, it could be that it would be more fulfilling with less and I respect that) and give my thoughts. Cheers, Daniel