Once we knew we needed a pickup for our overland adventure, the real challenge hit: choosing the one that would become our home on wheels.

While we were in Colombia, the Hilux felt like the natural option. It’s everywhere in South America, known for its toughness, and we even met with a friend’s mechanic who specializes in customizing vehicles for overland travel. We visited overland stores in Bogotá, checked out rooftop tents, drawer systems, fridges, and accessories and started to imagine what our setup could look like.

But once we came back to the United States, we dug deeper into the numbers. Buying a Hilux in Colombia turned out to be far more expensive than we expected. On top of the purchase price, we would have needed to fly back, buy the truck, hand it over to the mechanic, and then trust that the modifications would get done just the way we wanted, without being there to oversee the details.

That last part didn’t sit well with us. Scott isn’t just a driver; he’s a builder, a problem-solver, someone who loves getting his hands dirty and bringing ideas to life. Handing the project off entirely to someone else meant missing out on one of the most exciting parts of the journey.

Then we looked at the Tacoma. In the U.S., Tacomas are much more affordable than a Hilux in Colombia, and we had access to all the parts, tools, and gear we could ever need. The only big question was shipping. At first, we assumed sending a truck to South America would be complicated and expensive. That’s when we found Overland Embassy, a company in Panama that specializes in helping overlanders ship vehicles worldwide. Originally, we thought they only handled shipping from Panama to Colombia through the Darien Gap, but it turns out they ship from all over the world. Working with them was surprisingly easy – they coordinated every step, making the process stress-free and affordable.

When we put it all together, the choice was obvious. Buying the Tacoma in the U.S. allowed us to save money, design and build the truck exactly how we envisioned it, and most importantly, it let Scott dive into the hands-on tinkering that makes this adventure uniquely ours.

That’s how Taco Libre came to life. The name came naturally: Tacomas are often called “Taco” in the States, and for us, this trip is all about freedom – the freedom to explore roads at our own pace, to follow curiosity wherever it leads. “Libre” in Spanish means freedom.  Just like that, “Libre” felt like the perfect complement.

Taco Libre isn’t just a truck, it’s our ticket to the open road, our partner in adventure, and the expression of the freedom we love and have been chasing for years.

In our next post, we’ll share the details about many of the customizations we made to Taco Libre, everything from the rooftop tent to the little touches that makes this truck feel like home away from home.