The world’s most famous off-road rally raid—known simply as the Dakar—kicked off on Friday, January 5, with the usual fanfare and lineup of bikes, cars, trucks, and classics, featuring some of the most recognizable names in motorsport. However, the two-week endurance race across the Arabian peninsula is off to a rocky start after only three…
Category Archives: 4WD
Peak Evolution Sets Solar EV Altitude World Record
The Swiss Peak Evolution team recently set a new world record for the highest elevation achieved in a solar-powered electric vehicle by driving up to 21,325 feet (6,500 meters). The current land vehicle altitude record is held by French race driver Romain Dumas (three-time 24-hour Le Mans winner), driving an off-road adapted Porsche 911 powered…
Behind the Scenes With Alu-Cab
This summer, I visited Alu-Cab’s headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa. What struck me the most about the experience was the sheer size of the operation. Whisked from facility to facility, building to building, and introduced to the multi-step manufacturing process that lies behind each Alu-Cab product, I realized just how large the company is….
Overland News of the Week, December 22nd, 2023
Overland Home Launches Overland International’s co-owner and designer Stephanie Brady has launched a new business called Overland Home. Overland Home aims to provide beautiful, unique, and well-designed products from artisans around the globe with a focus on natural materials and time-honored techniques. All artisans sourced from are paid fair wages, which means when you purchase…
10 Things to Know About Overlanding Spain
Photography by Richard Giordano It might sound cliché, but Spain is truly a country with something for everyone. An easy jumping-off point to France and Portugal, Northern Africa, the British Isles, or beyond, Spain’s convenient location makes it accessible for most overlanders traveling in Europe. While milder wintertime temperatures provide an escape for those from…
Man and Machine in Nature’s Remotest Landscapes :: Rock Crawling Georgia
“Arie, Arie!” the man called out to Coen, and “Harie, Harie!” to Nico, motioning both to join his party. However, Coen remained in the front seat of the Land Cruiser, engrossed in a phone call, while Nico was wrapping up tasks in his vehicle. The fact that Joska and I were sitting next to the…
On the Rocks: Outdoor Barware for the Happiest of Happy Hours
Lead photo by Richard Giordano I view cocktail-making as a gesture of love. There’s care involved: slicing citrus, preparing ingredients, sourcing ice cubes, shaking or stirring. Time, a precious commodity, is also required. Your personal preferences are attended to. Two shots or one? Too sweet or not enough? The casual mixologist, often a friend or…
Freedom Campers
A few weeks ago, we wrote about the Freedom Campers Unimog 2.0, and our socials were inundated with likes, loves, and comments. The great news is that Freedom Campers, based in Dubai, have created not only one of the most drool-worthy Unimogs on the planet but also a stable of overland vehicles, which are all…
Soft-shell Rooftop Tent :: Buyers Guide
Soft-shell rooftop tents have a long history, dating back almost as far as the invention of vehicles to which they could be attached. The concept of a canvas roof tent may have been inspired by the covered wagons that played a crucial role in trade and travel for centuries. There’s something undeniably charming about a…
The Tufport Overlander Slide-in is Lightweight and Built with Heritage
When purchasing a camper, you simply cannot underestimate the value of experience. Tufport, based in Delta, British Columbia, has specialized in manufacturing industrial-grade truck slide-in units and van tops for the last 50 years. Their products include custom van interior installations, the Adventure slide-in for pickups, the Medical Mobile Treatment Centre (MTC) slide-in for workplace…
Ford Slashes F-150 Lightning Production for 2024
Automotive News reported this week that Ford is planning to roll back production volume on its segment-leading F-150 Lightning EV pickup next year by half. Citing projected soft consumer demand for EVs, Ford’s decision comes on the heels of General Motors’ lousy Q3 earnings report, which saw the Detroit giant giving up on producing 400,000…
Boxio Portable Sink and Toilet :: Field Tested
Photography by Richard Giordano Boxio Portable Camping Sink Established in Germany, Boxio manufactures stackable toilets and sinks made from recycled plastics. Inspiration struck while founder Arvid was building a tiny house for his family. Composting toilets in Europe were expensive and complicated, so with the help of his co-founders and a couple of engineers, a…
Baby, It’s Cold Outside: Winter Clothing Essentials
We stood beside our small portable barbeque in a campsite outside Whitehorse, in the infamous Yukon territory, watching the coals glow red and thinking about the human relationship with heat and cold in the midst of a journey to the Arctic Ocean in March. According to the weather app on my phone, the temperature was…
Rooftop Tent Skills — Buy, Bolt-on, and Bug Out
In this age of hyperbuilt and overcomplicated overland vehicle builds, it is all too easy to forget that, above all else, your build should be affordable, practical, and straightforward. The rooftop tent (RTT) is not a new invention; we have all seen the images of overland vehicles built in the early 20th century equipped with…
Simplicity, An Eclectic Approach :: Feature Vehicle
It all began in 1963 with a 1958 VW panel bus. My journey to find the “perfect” rig has been an interesting quest. I have gone through vans, trailers, and truck campers, and one thing that has become evident is there is no perfect choice, only a continual refining of my requirements. What worked for…
25 Holiday Gifts for the Overlander in Your Life
Presented by Küat Racks Have you heard a Mariah Carey song blasting over the speakers at your local grocery store yet? If so, it’s probably time to start thinking about the quickly-approaching holiday gift giving season. From ADV riders to bikepackers, vehicle aficionados, and tent campers, there’s something for everyone in this Expedition Portal gift…
The Aftermarket Space Camper for Tesla’s Cybertruck is Going Viral
Space Campers is an aspirational manufacturer specializing in The Wedge hard shell tent camper and The Cap topper specifically built for the Tesla Cybertruck (this article will focus on the Wedge tent as the Cap topper will likely only be available in 2025). The company introduced the bed-embedded wedge-style tent camper in mid-2023, and now…
A Family Overland Adventure in Greece :: Video of the Week
This week’s video by Slovenian freelance photographer and videographer Uros Podlogar is a sensational tribute to his young family, the spirit of adventure, and the beauty of Greece. From the Acropolis of Athens to beaches with turquoise waters, this family of four traveled in their trusty Toyota Hilux and Alu-Cab camper, taking in every sun-filled…
Patriot Campers Launches the Sublime Back to Basics X2 Tourer
Do not be deceived by that title; the X2 Tourer is essentially the revival and evolution of the original, award-winning Patriot Camper trailer. The new X2 Tourer is designed and built to achieve a balance of simplicity and innovation, offering a lightweight, highly comfortable, and ultra-capable camping experience. The Patriot Camper’s team is nothing if…
The Adventure Ready 2024 Tacoma Will be Available in December 2023
The 2024 Tacoma, unveiled at the 2023 Overland Expo West, marks a significant evolution for the 2024 model year. The extensive Toyota press release, almost 4,000 words in length, is as comprehensive as the substantial upgrades confirmed for the 2024 Tacoma. This popular Japanese pickup truck, a mainstay in the US mid-size truck segment, seamlessly…