Thank you. What I would recommend 1st is to have over and visit Coby or Rick at Sam's Off-road to get on their emailing list for their runs. They have a Novice run every year at Clayton in the fall. I plan to attend again this fall after missing the last few.
Everyone's needs and wants are different for their trucks but what I did was wheeled mine stock for 3 years before I done anything. Personally I think that helps you learn to drive plus you will be quite surprised what a stock RBV is capable of. As I wheeled and learned (and drooled over other trucks) I started deciding the direction I wanted to go. The first was the 4.0 swap, Dana 35, n 8.8. Then I cut the fenders and got the 33's. Explorer leafs, F150 coils, and the JD extended arms. Extended arms are a must if you want to be able to use the front suspension to its fullest. Last but not least was the doubler. The doubler is awesome because it will allow you to go slow and lessen the chance of breaking parts as long as your not stupid with the go pedal. All of this happened over time which gave me the time to become familiar with each change before moving on to the next mod. I must say its a lot of fun to watch the jeepers point and talk before we hit the trail only to have them come up to me later in the day telling me they are shocked how well my truck performs. LOL
I'm still not done with it. Needs bigger tires and gearing change along with roll cage and finally chop the top to enjoy some fresh air.
If your ever up here around Shawnee give me a call/text 405-615-7110 and come by.
Steve