Our 1990 Toyota Pickup, affectionately named Little Red, has been our go-to adventure mobile since 2013. It has seen a couple of continents and a few revisions along the way but remains a tiny 30-year-old minitruck. The sentimental value is strong, and it does a wonderful job of scooting through moderately-sized whoops, narrow trails, and soft sand. The Go Fast Camper V1 wedge camper keeps the truck light while providing a taste of inside living space.

Over the past nine years, our lifestyle has changed. Now we work from the road (requiring a proper workspace) and we don’t always have the option to chase summer (meaning that a four-season camper would be a huge benefit). We’re almost a decade older and have gone a little soft. It’s sad but true. A bit of air-conditioning during the summer and heated seats during the winter wouldn’t hurt us one bit. As we age, our mortality becomes more and more evident: safety items such as airbags become a consideration, if not a priority.

The decision to step out of Little Red and into something else is difficult enough, but the real question was, “What would we choose next?”

We wanted a hard-sided (or at least a composite pop-up) camper of some flavor to shelter us from wind gusts and sub-zero temperatures, allowing travel in any season. We also knew we’d like to drive the vehicle internationally, so parts availability overseas was also important. 70 Series Land Cruiser Troopys with pop-tops have become super popular in the North American market, but we’d be looking at high-kilometer Cruisers with a living space not so different from what we already had.

In the end, we decided to go with a truck that was parked in our proverbial driveway—although we needed some convincing for the full go-ahead. Our 2008 Toyota Tundra only had 191,350 kilometers on the clock, but we originally told ourselves that it was too large for international travel. Eventually, I came across old photos of Gary and Monica Wescott and Turtle V (their 1999 Ford F-550) traveling through Central Asia. Well, I thought, if they can do that in a full-size Ford, surely we can do something similar in our Tundra! The Tundra is as narrow and shorter than a 144 Sprinter, and those are found around the world. To confirm, we played a game last time we were in Mexico: “Could the Tundra do this?” Whether driving on soft sand, meandering through tight trails, or navigating small towns, the answer was almost always “Yes.” On a recent trip through Saudi Arabia, we saw 200-Series Land Cruisers, Tundras, and Sequoias everywhere, proving that parts availability shouldn’t be a problem. Worst case scenario: we order parts online via Part Souq and have DHL deliver to us. Our decision was made.

Once we were convinced that full size truck could work the rest of the benefits fell into place. First of all, our truck is a perfect baseline that has been well-maintained throughout its life. Second, it’s paid for and waiting for an adventure. Plus, the Tundra shares a plethora of parts with an internationally sold 200-Series Land Cruiser and Sequoia. Brakes, hubs, steering components, and drivetrain are mostly interchangeable. Although the payload isn’t substantial, it’s a something we can work within as long as we select a camper and other components that are light and necessary. We can also spent quality time removing a few items currently installed to free up some of that precious payload capacity.