Overlandnm

Welcome to another edition of Behind The Wheel, our series that introduces drivers and their vehicles. This week we have Preston, better known as Tread_rnr.

Have a recommendation for our next guest on Behind The Wheel? Send it to trailcrew@overlandnm.com

1. Let’s start with your story—who are you, and how did you become known as Tread_rnr on Instagram? What sparked your journey into this world, and how did it evolve into what we see today?

My name is Preston and I have a 2020 4runner TRD Off Road. I purchased it back in September of 2022 when I was in the market for a slightly bigger family vehicle. I call her “Tread_Rnr” because my last name is Treadwell and a lot of my friends call me “Tread.” 

About a year before, I had planned a Father’s Day trip up to the Sequoia National Forest with my family. I had done road trips as a kid and wanted to continue it with my own family. We stayed in a hotel along Kern River and when we weren’t exploring the giant trees we were down in the river. Watching my son explore the wilderness and genuinely enjoy being out in nature sparked my interest in making these types of trips more often.

 

The following year right before I bought my 4runner I planned another Fathers Day trip out to Utah to see Zion NP, Bryce Canyon NP, and Page, AZ. We were blown away by the beauty of it all when we hiked all through Bryce Canyon and Zion. My wife and I knew then that we wanted to try hitting all the National Parks in the United States

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That was when I started looking at different local spots to adventure to and diving into the off road community through instagram. I loved seeing all the cool shots people had in remote locations and I knew I wanted to experience it for myself. The hunt for my 4runner began. 

Fast forward to today, I’ve had my rig for about 3 years now and it has come a long way from when I drove the stock 4runner off the lot. I have put over 40k miles on it and invested thousands of dollars into it. I started with a Prinsu roof rack and BajaRack Ladder. From there I got a Cali Raised light bar, Roam Awning, and then Ditch lights. After about a year and a half I decided to upgrade the suspension and wheels. The list of upgrades I want are endless. I think there will always be things I’d like to improve but I truly am happy with how my rig looks right now.

2. What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced on this path?
Whether personal, technical, or community-related, what obstacles stand out?

I think one of the biggest challenges for me was deciding what I wanted to buy or being impatient when it came to upgrades. I would buy things that I ended up selling for less and would lose money. After diving into the community through instagram, I would see these built out rigs with tons of suspension work, big tires, all the top of the line lights, and all the gear. I thought I needed what they had to get to the places they were. In some cases that was true but in many cases a stock 4runner with 4×4 has a lot of capabilities. I didn’t know that though. Unfortunately It took me some trial and error along with some educating to understand what was necessary and what wasn’t. I can’t stress enough, do your own research and then be patient with your build list. 

3. Is there a particular trail run, road trip, or truck moment that stands out as truly unforgettable? Something that made you say, “This is why I do this.”

Everytime I take a trip out to a new area and see something new I always think to myself, “This is why I do this.” Something about physically being in an area that I previously had only seen in pictures feels like an accomplishment to me. There are two trips that will always be core memories for me though.

The first trip I took after I bought my 4runner was to Joshua Tree NP. It was going to be my son’s first camping trip. We went at the end of January 2023 and I was so excited to have some father son time out in nature. We arrived mid day and stopped at the first trail we saw. I followed my son’s lead. There was no plan, no schedule, nothing that we needed to rush to do and it felt great. Watching my son, who was 4 at the time, climb boulders and want to see it all made me so proud. It not only reinforced my decision as to why I bought my car but it also reinforced why I love being a dad. 

As it started to get dark, we lit a fire and roasted some hotdogs. At this point it was starting to get pretty cold, 40 degrees, and a little windy. So we sat in the trunk of the 4runner eating hotdogs, eating candy, and watching the Transformer movies on a DVD player. That night the temperatures dropped even more into the 30s. It was cold, so cold that when we woke up the condensation on the inside of the windows from us breathing had frozen. We started packing up to leave and my son asked me if we could stay a little longer to explore more and climb on the rocks. I told him, “Of course!” That question was everything to me.

The second trip I took was a few months later to Alabama Hills, Lone Pine. It was May and the weather was starting to warm up so I planned another turn-around trip with my son and I. When we got there I was blown away. Seeing the snow capped mountains of the eastern Sierra Nevadas was beautiful as we drove onto BLM land. After climbing over more rocks and seeing all the cool spots we went to find a spot to sleep. I had never dispersed camped before and I loved feeling like I was getting to choose a spot. Just like before We set up, built a fire ring, ate dinner, and then hung out watching the stars before falling asleep. Waking up beneath those mountains was a site I will always remember. To this day Alabama Hills is one of my favorite spots to visit when there is still snow on the mountains. Those trips are the reason I continued to dive further into this community. 

4. How about any victories—big or small—that you’re especially proud of?
Moments that made you feel like you were exactly where you were meant to be.

I have been lucky to have a few different little victories along the way. Being able to make memories with my family doing something I love is definitely the biggest victory. Outside of traveling though I have always had a passion for art and being able to create something to share with others. I have a design degree and was a graphic designer for about 5 years before switching careers in 2018. In 2024 I started selling my hand drawn digital art on Etsy. The shop is called the “Anti Social Overlander.” As my Instagram following grew, I used it to promote my shop. This past year I set a goal to have at least 10 sales by the end of the year. It wasn’t a huge goal but it was a start. Within the first 4 months of the year I had already reached my goal. The support I have received from friends and followers is really appreciated. Seeing people buy my art and hearing their feedback has been great. It helps me stay connected with my long passion for art. If you would like to check out my shop, click the link. https://www.etsy.com/shop/AntiSocialOverlander. If you reach out to me on Instagram, I’ll send you a promo code as well!

Another win for me was being accepted into Toyota Fest 2025. I have never been in an official car meet before so being able to show off my rig in an event really is exciting to me. My hype man, my son, is stoked too! I know this may not seem like a big deal but to me it means that someone saw my rig and thought it was nice enough to be in a show to show off to others.

5. For someone just getting into overlanding, off-roading, or building a rig—what advice would you give? What do you wish you had known when you were starting out?

I think for people who are like me and don’t have a ton of off road experience I would recommend speaking with people in the community to get an honest opinion about different upgrades. More recently I have started attending events and speaking with people who know WAY more than me. They are really an asset to help me understand things I may not have thought about and are super helpful to offer me their wisdom. There are also a lot of great youtube channels that talk about all the different questions you could have about off roading. After making some mistakes, I started really spending hours learning about the cars capabilities, suspensions, lighting and just about the community overall. I think it really helped me focus on what I wanted instead of wasting money on things I didn’t need. 

I guess at the end of the day, just realize it isn’t a competition between you and the rest of the community. It is your build and you should go at your pace.

6. What’s a piece of life wisdom or perspective that’s stuck with you through all this?
It can be something you live by or something you learned the hard way.

I think as I have gotten older, I appreciate more time with my family. Wherever you work, you are replaceable so why not take the vacation you have been dreaming of. I work hard for my money but I work as a means to enjoy doing things with the people I love. I keep my circle small and would do anything for them. My advice is that if you are reading this I hope you can find a balance between work and life like I have.

7. What’s coming up next for you?
Anything exciting on the horizon—projects, trips, stories, or things you’d like to share or promote?

In July I have a camping trip planned in Big Bear to Holcomb Valley. If you haven’t been, it is a great family camping spot and it is close enough to Big Bear Lake if you want to spend some time on the water. I have a few other spots I’d love to hit towards the end of summer if the schedules work but nothing is set yet. 

As for the Tread_rnr, I think for now I am content with where she’s at. Eventually I’d love to run 35’s, tune it, and upgrade to some adjustable kings but I am in no rush. I have some other priorities I’d love to take care of first.

If you have read through all of this, thank you! I would love to hear from you and learn about your favorite trips, off road adventures, or just to say “hi.”