New Member. New 2020 XL. New build questions.

[ameridorian1961]

Hello,
Vehicle is for duty free export into Ecuador under my wife as returning citizen. Rules are can't be $1 over MSRP of $36k which includes all options & fees on the window sticker/Can't be more than 3000CC/can't be older than 4 years at time of entry/can't sell it for 4 years after entry. I test drove every popular brand of AWD vehicle under 36k. They looked great on the showroom floor and have tons of amenities. That's where it ended. Every one of the test drives felt like a bucket of bolts. Friend at work laughed & said that's why they drive a Volvo. My wife drives a LC & I drive new full size trucks. Watched every video & read everything I could on reliability & off road reviews per models. I need off road capability for bad roads, jungles & miles of sandy beaches which I have driven in rental Prado's & Fortuner's on numerous occasions. In the future I will be exploring all the South American countries. It came down to the base Ranger or the base Tacoma. Both excellent global platforms & both USA versions equally not the same as their global turbo diesel cousins. I know the Toyota 2.7 is a dog from the reviews. I finally got to the Ranger for a test drive. Real 4x4 & and an e-locker. Took it for a test drive. Impressive for what it is. I had a new 86 Ranger stick 2WD which is the last small or mid size vehicle I ever owned which was not impressive. I have to build this backwards due to the MSRP restriction. I could get a little more out of a 2021 build & order one but on a hunch I got a Ford salesman to talk about what he had seen recently. I'll just say my hunch was right. Quality control during COVID is not what it used to be & that's just what he had seen that was visual. My issue is the warranty is not valid outside of the USA so I'll stick to a new 2020 which has a good reliability grade.

I will be picking up a Silver 2020 XL Supercrew with Group 101A, e-locker, tow package, spray in bed liner, vinyl flooring & block heater (live in AK).

Build I think I want.
New tires & rims. 265/70/17 seems like the best option? Want spare to still fit factory mount
BF Goodrich TA KO2? Probably. Best option? Better options without that added weight?
Fox 2.0 by Ford or old Man Emu? Way more on road than off road use.
Ford 2.3 engine tune???
12V & led lighting bed kits I see on this site. 12V for fridge. Covered.
Low profile roof rack with awning. Brands?
Diamondback bed cover for certain. Covered.
Aftermarket front & rear bumpers. Best looking low profile brands? HD aluminum an option?
Skid plates. Do they just bolt right up? HD aluminum available?
Ford factory XLT screen upgrade. $2200 seems like its not worth it unless there is a good reason?
Aftermarket security system that integrates bed cover & has cell phone App. Brand?
Aftermarket camera for front & rear that backs up to web based cloud. Brand?
Aftermarket locked storage under rear seat & console. Got that covered.
Bug & window deflectors. Covered.
Roughtough ops pkg. seat covers. Covered.
High quality longest lasting break pads?
LED conversion throughout. Plug & play with no modifications? Where to buy? Best brand?
I'll have to figure out the bed storage. Leaning towards Decked brand & Dometic CFX3 35 if it will fit in rear cab on floor or similar. Otherwise its larger refer in the rear & no Decked system but something else.
Portable compressor or ARB single or duel stage? ARB best place to mount?
Missing anything important?

Maintenance. Have to be careful not to take too much here due to possible 45% or better duty. Can bring items in suitcase back when visiting USA family.
Case of oil filters, some fuel filters, 1 set of factory brake pads from take offs?, led bulbs?, belt? other items???

Thanks for any input. This is a great site & most of these build ideas are from the members forum.

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