5 Budget-Friendly Mods & Overlanding Accessories/Gear For Under $100 On Amazon To Gift To Your Favorite Off-Road Enthusiasts (Or Yourself)
Mods are expensive. Overlanding and off-road gear is expensive. If the Tacoma person (or any hobbyist) in your life has a holiday wishlist that looks like dropping a couple of grand on armor, upgraded suspension, or a rooftop tent… this gift list isn’t that. But if you don’t have a few grand to spend on gifts (who does!?), these under $100 mods and accessories make great gifts that your favorite gearhead will be stoked about – even though it’s not the brand-new Cali Raised rock sliders they won’t stop dropping hints about.
Amazon has a huge selection of brand names and off-brand gear and mods. Although I admit, sometimes you have to wade through a few lemons before landing on a quality substitute for a popular product. Need a few tried and true mods and accessories to gift to your favorite weekend warrior or to add to your wishlist? Check out these 5 Tacoma mods and overland accessories on Amazon for under $100 with quick shipping.
1. Rhino USA Pro Tire Deflator Kit
Listed on Amazon as:
- Rhino USA Adjustable Tire Deflators With Gauge (0-60psi) Calibrated & Automatic Tire Air Down Tool (~$32): Check Price
Recommended by: @chloe.anne.copy
The Rhino USA Pro Tire Deflator Kit is my contribution to this list. My husband and I have relied on this kit for over a year on various adventures and trails. It’s always been reliable and works as intended. Rhino USA is a trusted brand in the off-road and power sports realm. They’re based in California, warranty their products against failure or defects for life, and engineer their products in the USA.
The deflator kit is simple to use and efficient. In my experience, it has worked as intended every time without fail. All you have to do is use the deflator attached to the gauge to air down one tire to the desired psi, then use that tire to set the psi on the other three deflators. Screw each of the other three deflators onto the rest of the tires, twist the brass ring furthest from the valve stem counter-clockwise, and allow the tires to deflate on their own. Each tire deflates to the set psi automatically. The whole thing only takes about 5 minutes and it’s nice – especially when it’s cold out – to be able to sit in the truck while your tires deflate.
This kit includes extra valve caps, valve stem replacements, a valve stem replacement tool, a useful leather pouch to keep the deflators together, stickers, and a locking plastic case. My only complaint is that the case isn’t great quality, but for the price it isn’t bad at all. All the brass components (deflators, gauge, etc.) are well-machined and sturdy. I like that the gauge has a large, clear display that’s easy to read. Overall, this kit seems too high quality for the price point. But I’m not complaining about that!
2. Scepter 5 Gallon True Military Water Container
Listed on Amazon as:
- Scepter 5 Gallon Military BPA Free Water Container, Food Grade Water Jug for Camping and Emergency Storage – (20 Liter), Green (~$50): Check Price
Recommended by: @hiddenwestadventures
The Scepter 5 Gallon Water Container is a sturdy, military-grade jerry can. Scepter manufactures its containers in the USA and Canada for actual military use in the field, so you can bet that you won’t find a more hardwearing, utilitarian option. It’s food-safe and made out of BPA-free plastic. A handle on the top as well as grab handles on the bottom make it easy to pour from even when it’s at its heaviest. The wide-mouth spout is useful for pouring quickly – or sticking the pump end of an overland shower in – and the narrow spout helps fill bottles more easily.
All that aside, what really makes this jerry can stand out is how sturdy and well-designed it remains despite being made out of plastic versus metal. The flat, angular design makes it less bulbous than a lot of other options, and therefore easier to mount flat to your rig. You can mount it to a roof rack or Molle panel and it’s tough enough to stand up to whatever you mash through on the trail. From baking to withstanding dirt and rocks that get kicked up, Matthew Mangus with Hidden West Adventures has put this piece of overlanding gear to the test all over the western U.S. and throughout Baja, Mexico, and vouches for this Scepter jerry can (along with the next item on this list, keep reading).
3. CHIVENIDO 5 Gallon Water Dispenser – Water Bottle Pump
Listed on Amazon as:
- CHIVENIDO 5 Gallon Water Dispenser – Water Bottle Pump with Reusable Caps for Screw Top or Crown Tops (~$14): Check Price
Recommended by: @hiddenwestadventures
If you decide to purchase the Scepter 5-gallon jerry can, then you might as well get the CHIVENDO water pump to go along with it. This is an inexpensive accessory that makes a load of difference for your overlanding setup. If you’ve ever tried to grab a full 5-gallon water jug and tilt it upside down to pour from, it’s cumbersome, to say the least – even using the handles.
This little electric pump fits perfectly on top of the Scepter 5-gallon canister (and most other wide-mouth 5-gallon jugs). It’s made of food-grade, BPA-free plastic, silicone, and 304 stainless steel and runs off a USB-rechargeable battery. It dispenses water from the canister at the touch of a button and makes it so you don’t even have to unmount your jerry can from the rig to fill up water bottles or make your morning coffee. Small but mighty, this is the kind of overlanding accessory that you didn’t know you needed until you tried it.
4. CO LIGHT LED Flood Beam Yellow Fog Lights
Listed on Amazon as:
- CO LIGHT LED Flood Beam Yellow Fog Lights (~$70): Check Price
Recommended by: @sodak.nomadic
Brian Duran recommends these auxiliary lights to any Tacoma owner who’s ready to hit the trails. They perform well in inclement weather and hold up to the inherent shock and impact from rocks and dirt particles. Brian paired the CO Light LED Flood Beams with this hood mount bracket kit and an Auxbeam switch panel – a simple wiring harness with a switch would also do the job. These make great budget-friendly ditch lights or fog lights and don’t suck too much power.
Personally, I prefer the bright yellow color LEDs over white for ditch lights and fog lights. The yellow reduces the amount of light that reflects at you off water particles in heavy rain and snow for better visibility and less eye strain. It’s also less likely to blind the lead if you’re following on a trail. Auxiliary lights can be expensive and, I can’t speak to the first or second gen, but the third gen Tacoma’s stock fog lights leave a lot to be desired. With well-designed oversized aluminum housing that helps keep these flood beams from overheating and over 50,000 hours of life, these make a great substitute for more expensive options from brands you may be more familiar with.
5. DEALGADGETS Motion Sensor LED Lights
Listed on Amazon as:
- Under Cabinet Lights Motion Sensor LED Closet Light Black (~$25): Check Price
Recommended by: @trailheadcreative
If there’s one thing I love, it’s an unassuming tool or a piece of gear in disguise. In this case, it’s these Under Cabinet Lights from DEALGADGETS on Amazon. I’d have never thought to use them as bed lighting, but James Moffitt of Trailhead Creative did, and they work beautifully. Each pack comes with three LED strips. These Under Cabinet Lights are magnetic and fit right along the Tacoma’s bedrails making them great for lighting up a camper shell or under a tonneau. Once installed, they look just like they belong there.
The motion-sensing function can light up the back of the bed closest to the cab without having to crawl in and switch a light on or off manually. The lights are USB-chargeable and can last up to about a month in motion sensor mode. Normally, I wouldn’t want to deal with lighting that needed to be recharged or have the battery replaced that often, however, since these attach magnetically they’re easy to remove, charge, replace, and change around the placement as needed. If you or whomever you’re gifting these to spend a lot of time sleeping in the bed of a Tacoma or digging around under a tonneau, these LED cabinet lights are a game changer.
Final Thoughts
As I mentioned before, purchasing mods and overlanding accessories – especially as gifts – from Amazon can be difficult. You don’t always know what you’re going to get and even a budget mod is a waste of money if it doesn’t work as intended. Each of these recommendations bears the seal of approval from die-hard overland fans who head off-road for both work and play. That means you can trust that you’re gifting (or treating yourself to) a quality mod or accessory that makes a real difference and will hold up to whatever chaos your favorite overlanding fanatic puts it through.
