Overland travelers have always pushed the limits of vehicle travel, and in many instances, their hunger for exploration has included shipping expedition vehicles to the far reaches of the globe. Unfortunately, over the past year, there have been numerous fires aboard transport ships, and two vehicle carriers were lost at sea due to fires aboard…
Overland Expo Mountain West :: Top Gear
The 2024 overland show season keeps churning, and the most recent stop for its marquee event, Overland Expo, was in Loveland, Colorado. Every Overland Expo has its own character, and the show owner, Emerald Expositions, is trying hard to lean into those differences: Expo West is where the travelers gather, Pacific Northwest feels the “crunchiest,”…
Overland Events and Rallies You Don’t Want to Miss This Fall
AMERICAN NORTHWEST Descend on Bend When August 30-September 2, 2024 | Where Yamhill River, Oregon Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Descend on Bend returns with live music, a daily maker’s market, a community potluck, a raffle, and workshops. The inaugural event occurred in 2014 when 15 VW Vanagon Westfalia enthusiasts gathered at Bend’s Hole-in-the-Ground crater and vowed to…
Jan and Leoné Vorster – A Life of Daring and Adventure
To this day, Jan and Leoné Vorster still live in a leafy suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, mere miles from where I was born and mostly raised. But, before I was conceived, this Afrikaner couple had already traveled far and wide and achieved what most, even today, consider near impossible. Jan and Leoné traveled overland…
Jessy Muller Takes the Slow Road
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 202 Full-time nomad Jessy Muller has been living on the road for over six years. Over that time, she’s learned a lot of lessons about slow travel, finding peace as a solo adventurer, and coexisting with an old RV—in Jessy’s case, a 1978 Dodge Commander. In this wide-ranging conversation with Overland Journal…
All Wheel Drive (AWD) vs. Four Wheel Drive (4WD), What’s the Difference, Really?
We’ve all been there: navigating your heavily modified 4WD along a twisting, mildly challenging trail or remote track, feeling like a modern-day Camel Trophy adventurer, maybe even in low range (because, why not?). Then, you round a corner and, to your dismay, find yourself face to face with an AWD Subaru Outback, a Honda CR-V,…
Off-Road Queen :: The Land Rovers of Elizabeth II at Pebble Beach
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II would have been proud to watch 10 of her royal Land Rovers march through the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as though they were Trooping the Colors at Horse Guards Parade. This was the first time this collection of vehicles made their way to the United States, and they put…
Wallpaper for a 1979 MAN KAT :: From Military to Cozy
Wallpapering a camper van might seem to many like an unconventional choice, but it’s one that is becoming popular among a new generation of vanlifers and RV enthusiasts looking for ways to combine their wanderlust with a chance to showcase their styles. For some, however, creating an environment on the road that feels like a…
Principles of Overlanding :: Vehicle Electrical Systems with Mark Bruce
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 201 When you’re embarking on an overland vehicle build, the electronics side of things can seem awfully intimidating. Alternators, inverters, converters, AGM, solar, induction, fuses, MPPT, LiFePO4, volts, amp hours, watts, DC-to-DC—where does the madness end? Fear not. Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady touches base this week with Redarc Electronics…
Overland News of the Week
Pakmule Launches the Motomule Moto Hauler In this week’s, Overland News of the Week, we introduce Pakmule’s Motomule. A motorbike is a great overlanding accessory, but hauling bikes has always been a challenge. The Pakmule Motomule is an innovative hitch-mounted moto hauler designed for the easy loading and transport of dirt bikes and light adventure…
The 1 of 1 Mojave Van is a Superb Off Grid Overland Vehicle
I am not a van guy, truth be told. Of all the vehicles available for overland travel, I tend to be biased toward solid-axle 4WD vehicles such as the Land Rover Defender 130 or the Land Cruiser Troopy. These vehicles give me the fizz and, more importantly, suit my style of travel as I prefer…
The Ford Ranger Raptor Is Legit :: Video
Last summer, I had the good fortune to review Tune’s impressive M1 truck camper. It did not hurt that the M1 was bolted to the back of a 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor. I can safely say that I had a pretty good three weeks with that truck. The driving experience over any and all terrain…
Overland Journal Podcast :: Episode 200
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 200 Five years and 200 episodes. Scrolling through the history of the Overland Journal Podcast, going back all the way to the first time Scott and Matt sat down to chat with Dan Grec at Overland Expo in 2019, it’s remarkable how much literal and metaphorical ground we’ve covered. The wealth…
Overlanding North Africa with Kids in the 1970s
Editor’s Note – Valentina Vallinotto’s father, Angelo, was an ambitious explorer. Piling his young family into a series of Land Rovers, IVECOs, and Toyotas, he tackled uncharted routes across North Africa and the Sahara Desert throughout the 1960s all the way until the early 1990s. The 1970s was a particularly exciting decade for overland adventurers…
Nissan Announces 2025 Nissan Frontier Upgrades
Nissan pickup sales are not what they should be in the US, ostensibly due to factors such as strong domestic competition, infrequent updates, lower resale value, and a smaller dealer network. Just over 50,000 Frontier units were sold in the US in 2023, as opposed to the Toyota Tacoma, selling almost 250,000 units. But that…
The Epik Ranger Offroad Camper Trailer
While building our own off-road overland camper, my wife, Luisa, and I soon learned to respect the talent of designers and engineers who build innovative vehicles and fabricate custom solutions as we struggled to learn new skills and bring our dreams to reality. The average Joe might not truly appreciate the finer details of a…
Toyota Announces Historic Recall of Over 100,000 V6 Engines in Tundras and Lexus SUVs
Recalls are not exceptionally rare for Toyota compared to other vehicle brands. Toyota has issued numerous recalls over the years, some of which are among the largest in automotive history. For instance, aside from the massive Takata airbag recall (which involved 40 million vehicles), Toyota’s 2009 unintended acceleration recall affected over 4.4 million vehicles due…
Van DIY Conversion Kits :: Buyers Guide
Vanlife has captured the imagination of many overlanders driven by the desire to have their cake and eat it, too. While many overlanders enjoy the simple, minimalist experience of living out of a compact 4WD, there is a growing trend toward the comforts of home while having the capability to explore far reaches of the…
Chasing the Mexican 1000 with the Chevy Colorado AEV Bison
This review of the 2023 Project Truck, a 2022 AEV Bison, comes from a very specific point of view. I built it and outfitted it with simplicity in mind. It needed to be able to drive most technical 4WD trails and cruise at highway speeds for long durations—comfortably. Notably, it would serve as a chase…
The Goliath G-47 is a Stylish and Robust Off-Road Camper
Australian off-road campers are generally highly regarded for their tough-as-nails construction and practicality, which they have earned from experience in the challenging conditions of the Outback. Goliath Campers, based in Queensland, Australia, is recognized for its high-quality off-road campers; the G-47, part of their G-Series, is a prime example of their craftsmanship, blending durability, functionality,…