On this “episode” of 67 Designs Customer Spotlights, where we share the stories of some of our customers, we get to know Joe Lee. A veteran and native Californian, Joe now makes his home in southern California while working in law enforcement. Joe’s a fitness buff and devotes what little spare time he has to working out, hiking, and outdoor adventure.
Proud owner of: 2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition 4x4 named ‘Lady’.
Featured upgrades: Joe’s 4Runner is outfitted out with the following gear...
- Baja Designs Fog lights (Pro)
- Dark Defense Ditch Lights (Amber)
- Roam Adventure 6’5” Awning
- Prinsu Racks 4 Runner (Non-Drill Rack)
- MAXTRAX MK2
- RiG’d Supply Ultra Swing w/add-ons
- Method Race Wheels MR305
- BFGoodrich KO2 Tires
- Midland MXT 275
- Garmin Dash Mini 2
- 67 Designs 4Runner Rail
- RCI Offroad Rock Sliders
- RCI Offroad Full Armor Skids
- Pro Comp Pro-VST
- Pro Comp Pro-UCA
- C4 Fabrication Hybrid Front Bumper
- Baja Designs S1, S2 Pro, S4 Pro
- LensunSolar 100w hood solar panel
- Aiden James Customs double drawer and gear plate
- ICECO VL45 and fridge slide
Customer of 67 Designs since: 2021.
Inspiration for buying his 4Runner and getting into overlanding: In his younger years, Joe was pretty rowdy, and enjoyed living fast. He would go camping with his friends, but these were never places you’d want to take a nice car. Now he’s more utilitarian. He values preparedness and is not necessarily seeking adventure, but that’s often a component of his activities. He’s learning new things in a controlled environment. Moving to a more prepared state of mind, the ability to get his family off-grid and safe, teaching them things like how to start a fire with limited materials are most important to him.
Early adventures: Joe’s always had a deep appreciation for the outdoors. Camping was always something he enjoyed, he just had to mooch off his friends to do it. Joe had a Chevy Silverado at the time and would go out to the desert in the eastern Sierras with only an air mattress for the truck bed, a Domino’s pizza, a gallon of water from the gas station and maybe a bottle of Coca-Cola. Living cheap never felt so good!
Recent adventures: Joe’s only had his 4Runner for a year but has already put 20,000 miles on it. He and his family mainly camp in the eastern Sierras near Mammoth, using apps like OnX Offroad to find campsites. They’ve also been on trips to Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, and New Mexico. Joe admits he’s not one to take a lot of photos while out adventuring. He would rather be present in the moment and “live for who I am”.
Most memorable adventure: Believe it or not, Joe’s most memorable trip is that first one to the eastern Sierras in the Silverado, with the Domino’s Pizza and two-liter bottles of Coca-Cola.
Upcoming trips: Frequent work schedule changes naturally lead to spontaneity. Most trips now are day trips to some place fairly local.
Dream trip: Eventually, Joe would love to attend an Overland Expo and go on an adventure (with his Lady of course) in Scotland or one of the Nordic countries.
Overlanding community involvement: Joe’s not really involved with any clubs or other organizations. His adventures are just his family and his rig. He prefers to decompress and unwind from the stress of the job by plugging back in with his family and not having to deal with people. Quiet solitude is the essence of his fulfillment.
Advice for aspiring adventurers: You don’t need a lot to go have fun. His truck build was progressive, proving it can happen over time. You can do a lot with a little. People don’t have to have all the gear in the world or elaborately built rigs. Think low point of entry like starting out at Walmart with a $30 Coleman stove, then you can eventually progress to a more expensive Jetboil. You should understand why you’re doing something, rather than operating off impulse. The process becomes more memorable when you start figuring out what you like (or don’t like) about your rig. Do your research and don’t rush into decisions or purchases. The most important consideration is researching why somebody got a particular component versus a similar or competitor component. Joe built out his truck on paper, factoring in all the considerations he’d researched, so he knew what he wanted it to be. You must ask yourself “what are you using it for”? If you’re just a weekend guy, is having a tote system versus a built-in drawer system the way to go? It comes down to what works for you. His intention for his truck is to be completely mobile, get over obstacles, and carry his family. That utilitarian nature carries over to his camp cooking as well. While he usually does the cooking, it’s usually nothing extravagant like you might see online. He’ll occasionally watch how other people handle their camp cooking, but it’s never his intention to emulate it. He’s a fan of one pan dishes, and it’s a bonus if he can have leftovers. Joe feels like camping shouldn’t have the comforts of home. “What we take in the truck is what we got.” He enjoys the peacefulness of simply sitting around a campfire with his family.
Check out his work here: Check out Joe’s Instagram account for all his adventures to date!
This Customer Spotlight by Tricia Soderstrom.
This series was envisioned and created by Kate Della Pietra in the summer of 2020 when she worked for 67 Designs as a marketing intern.