If you’ve got a case of wanderlust, then perhaps the idea of travelling around the country in your very own off-road adventuring monster is an enticing idea. It might not be the most traditional holiday or break, but it’s certainly something that has to be experienced at least once in your life. You don’t need to a spend a fortune on a flashy new vehicle either; as long as you have the patience to search for something that suits your budget and has all the features you need, you could perhaps build an off-road adventuring vehicle for less than the price of a new car.
Picking Second-Hand
To get the most out of your money, you’re going to have to buy a second-hand pickup for your off-road adventuring purposes. There are two main cost differences that you need to consider. First of all, you have to think about the cost to actually buy a vehicle. This includes things such as your insurance, any kind of tax you have to pay and, of course, the price of the vehicle itself. Next, you have to consider how much it costs to actually maintain the vehicle. In most cases, a second-hand vehicle is going to give you some peace of mind because pickups are sturdy and if they’re still in working condition after a decade, you can be sure the previous owner took care of it. However, it’s still a good idea to do some research on the used vehicle you’re buying so you don’t run into some nasty maintenance or repair surprises.
A good tip for buying second-hand pickups is to ignore as much electronic and automatic devices as possible. Electronic devices are more prone to breaking after a long period of time, and the rugged reliability of manual transmission and manual devices makes it last that much longer.
Equipping Your Pickup
Now that you’ve thought about the pickup itself, next you need to think about equipping it and modifying it to suit your needs. For starters, take a moment to consider the accessories you need. Focus on safety equipment first, such as a first-aid kit, emergency batteries for your devices, a GPS device and of course, some lighting. You can buy LED lights online because there’s a chance that the blinkers and warning lights might be old and worn out. You also want to consider getting some off-road lights because when you’re out in the wild, there are no external lights for you to rely on so you’ll want something powerful enough to light up the area around you.
Then consider all the luxury items. For instance, you should have some blankets, spare changes of clothes, toiletries and any other daily items you use. Think about what you would take when you go on holiday then scale that down a few notches and reduce it to the bare necessities.
Next, you want to consider tires and wheels. If the second-hand pickup you get has a lot of miles on it, then you’ll want to replace the tires with something sturdy and reliable. This is because the tires will be the most important part of your car. If the tires are dead, worn out or simply unreliable, then you’re not going to go very far. Out of all the things you should replace, the tires should be the top priority.