New here w/ 11 Hoe Mountain/overland build

[BoatsAndHoes]

Hello All,
New here, I live in western ND and spend as much of my summers in the mountains as possible. I purchased my 11 Tahoe at the end of 2018 and got into overlanding and off roading due to a lack of available camping spots during the pandemic over the last couple summers. This is my daily driver and so I’ve been trying to create a balance of off road capabilities, overlanding features, and daily drivability. I do also occasionally tow with this rig and so you could say I’m trying to push the limits of flexibility and practicality here but I’m certain the Tahoe platform can accommodate. I discovered this site while looking for ideas for my build and look forward to learning whatever I can from all of you.

Most of my favorite trails are in the mountains in MT or I spend a lot of time in the National grasslands doing long distance shooting.

Mods so far:
- 3.5” Rough Country Lift and leveling kit
- 33” tires
- Bilstein rear shocks
- 17x9 American racing wheels (painted)
- Tow mirrors
- TruCool 40k trans cooler
- Debadged and removed trim
- removed third row seats

Future plans:
- mishimoto thermostat for trans cooler
- custom bumper/winch
- rock sliders
- custom roof rack and roof top tent
- custom rear bumper
- custom rear mounted spare
- engine swap
- overlanding kitchen and storage setup in cargo area
- modernized stereo electronics
- cell phone booster
- auxiliary power inverter
- engine swap

Most recent photo with winter tires and freshly painted wheels:

 

[Miami-Dade]

Welcome from Secaucus New Jersey! You bought the perfect vehicle for your off roading.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Nice looking truck, and perfect for your needs.

 

[Bill 1960]

Nice, I like the look. I think you hit the right balance of mods for your use. Mine is more hardcore off-road built but I wouldn’t tow much with it.

 

[BoatsAndHoes]

Welcome from Secaucus New Jersey! You bought the perfect vehicle for your off roading.

This is probably the happiest I’ve ever been with a vehicle purchase to be honest and I continue to be impressed with how underrated this chassis truly is. My only complaint so far is the limited amount of aftermarket support for off roading these rigs. I really envy the diversity of options my friends have who own Jeeps. As a result I always seem to be researching cross compatibility of parts and such from other GM vehicles.

Nice, I like the look. I think you hit the right balance of mods for your use. Mine is more hardcore off-road built but I wouldn’t tow much with it.

Thanks. I will be diving deeper into off road mods over the next couple years. I don’t anticipate doing any serious rock crawling, but in the mountains I do occasionally encounter some obstacles that I would fare better against if it had rock sliders and a winch. Sometimes I question my own sanity given the price I’m willing to pay simply to be able to camp where no one else can go.

 

[OR VietVet]

Welcome to the forum and I like those wheels.

 

[BoatsAndHoes]

Welcome to the forum and I like those wheels.

Thank you. Those are American Racing Baja’s (17x9 -12) that have been painted with duplicolor bronze wheel coating. I may have them bead blasted and powder coated eventually depending how the coating holds up. Coating them was more work than I would be willing to do a second time.

 

[Oldmopars]

Welcome to the forum. I love that you Overland your Tahoe. I do the same with my 2500 Suburban and they do great. My only mod is a slightly larger tire and a hidden winch. Every other mod is camping related.
Good looking truck BTW.

 

[swathdiver]

Welcome! Be sure to check out Charles' build thread on his Tahoe overlander @Tozan

These are very capable as you have discovered, why, there even SSVs owned by guys on here that spend lots of time off the beaten path!

 

[Sparksalot]

Thank you. Those are American Racing Baja’s (17x9 -12) that have been painted with duplicolor bronze wheel coating. I may have them bead blasted and powder coated eventually depending how the coating holds up. Coating them was more work than I would be willing to do a second time.

View attachment 352755View attachment 352753View attachment 352754

Ooooooooo, those turned out very pretty.