Really pretty excited about getting the truck back with working AC (or getting it back and finishing the AC if the shop can't pull their collective heads out) and looking at some offroading trip ideas. There are a couple of good spots in both southern and northern NM and a particularly enticing road from Silverton to Ouray, CO.
I'm not going in to the whole "expedition vehicle" build although I do like the idea of a M1082 with a HI/LOW camper set up. That, however is years down the road. In the meantime I'll be doing basic tent camping whether it's on the ground or in the back of the truck. Still the idea of being miles away from civilization is very appealing (I grew up in northern Idaho in a county the size of MA with a population of only 12k). Two of the things that I'll want to carry with me are water (lots for camp cleanup and potential coolant issues) and fuel. I don't want to put a bunch of extra jerry can holders on the truck but also don't want the cans rattling around in the back of the truck unsecured. My idea is to take a 2x8 as wide as the bed, drill holes big enough that the tie down loops on the bed floor can fit upright in them, then use a j-bolt run through some square tubing with wing nuts to hold it to the floor. On the 2x8 I could mount as many can holders as I want but when not camping can easily remove it and take the truck to an air show, living history event, etc. and still look stock. Just an idea for expanding without altering.