Solid Oak
Adventures
Four people. One military trailer turned overland basecamp. The M116 conversion is at the center of our adventures—and the place where our shelter, power, and packing system come together.
Meet the trailer ↗TEXAS BASED. ALWAYS TINKERING.
BUILD IT.
PACK IT.
GET OUT.
Built in the garage. Proven on the road.
A military trailer turned family basecamp. Two garage-built rigs. Real parts, useful gear, and the work behind every weekend away.
ONE GARAGE. TWO MISSIONS.EST. 2026
THE HEART OF OUR OVERLAND ADVENTURESMilitary roots. Family basecamp.↗
FAMILY OF FOUR✳BUILT WITH PURPOSE✳REAL PROJECTS. REAL LESSONS.✳MORE TIME OUTSIDE
01 / TWO SIDES OF THE SAME STORY
From the workbench
to the weekend.
Solid Oak Adventures gets the family outside. Darkside Garage covers the parts, installs, and real costs behind the rigs that get us there.
Solid Oak
Darkside
Garage
No-BS garage talk. Parts, hands-on installs, and budget-friendly ways to build a capable rig. What worked, what fought us, and where the money was actually worth spending.
TALK PARTS. GET BUILDING. ↗FOLLOW DARKSIDE GXRNR@darkside.gxrnr on Instagram↗SOLID OAK ADVENTURES / THE CENTER OF CAMP
Military roots.
Weekend mission.
The M116 is the heart of our overland setup. A military trailer converted into a family camping rig, with a story behind every part that earned its place.
BUILT, PACKED, PUT TO WORK.
A whole camp.
One trailer.
The conversion, the decisions, the gear, and the changes along the way. This is where we share the work that went into our M116—and what we learn every time we take it out.
02 / DARKSIDE GARAGE — THE RIGS
Different missions.
Same driveway.
Two rigs, real budgets, and plenty of driveway wrenching. The parts we chose, why we chose them, and the lessons from putting them to work.
THE CAMP & TOW BUILD2021 TOYOTA
4Runner TRD Pro
Armor, storage, and suspension built around carrying the gear and pulling the camping trailer.
THE DAILY WITH A DARK SIDE2019 LEXUS
GX 460 “Vader”
Comfort first, capability underneath. A restrained build that keeps the Lexus feel intact.
03 / FIELD NOTES
The useful part
is what we learned.
Honest parts talk, hands-on installs, and what the money bought us. Plus family trip reports with the details that never fit in an Instagram caption.
NEXT
ON THE EDITORIAL LIST
COMING AFTER THE NEXT TRIPWhat a family of four actually uses at camp.
A future trip report: what came along, what stayed packed, and what we missed.
04 / LESS GUESSWORK. MORE GETTING OUT.
A place for
everything.
Including the kids.
The M116 is the hub of our camp setup. Explore the shelter, power, and organization that help us get a family of four outside.
Plain-text download · A starting point for your own tripON OUR GEAR SHELF
Our own setup, with room to keep improving. Buying links and discount codes will be added once verified.
FOLLOW THE WORK IN PROGRESS
Two ways to
follow along.
THE VEHICLE BUILDS
Darkside GXRNR
Vehicle builds, hands-on installs, and modifications. Follow the 4Runner and GX as the work happens.
Follow Darkside GXRNR ↗@darkside.gxrnrTHE OVERLAND ADVENTURES
Solid Oak Adventures
Camping, overlanding, and the M116 trailer build and modifications. Follow the gear, the trips, and life at camp.
Follow Solid Oak Adventures ↗@solidoakexpeditions