I accelerated hard out of the curve, pushing tight against the apex and to the limits of adhesion from the Nitto Grapplers. The Cummins diesel pulled strong and sent me into the next bend with more momentum than an 8,000-pound truck should, and with a bigger smile on my face than I expected a full-size…
Heart of a Range Rover Stage III
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Gear Guide 2013. There are certain events you never forget. While some drift away on the winds of memory, those that stay with you define your attitudes and perceptions for life. Camping by the banks of the Boteti River in the Kalahari Desert, Botswana, when I was…
The Overland Gladiator and Other 2019 Easter Jeep Safari Concepts
With the recent unveiling of the Gladiator, we figured there would be some cool truck concepts prepared for Easter Jeep Safari this year. What we hadn’t planned on was every concept vehicle being a truck, yet it’s a very welcome surprise. At a glance the 2019 lineup is all about heritage and hobbies. From the…
The Jeep Gladiator Off-Road Review, Pricing, and Fuel Economy
Since the official unveiling of the Gladiator last November, we have been discussing comparisons, weighing opinions, and feverishly waiting to get behind the wheel of the latest Jeep truck to see how it would stack up against the Colorado, Ranger, Tacoma, and Frontier. That opportunity finally arrived earlier this week when we set out on…
Where the Wild Places Are
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Summer 2018. Photography by Joe Fleming and Scott Brady TRAVEL CHANGES US IF WE LET IT. There is something different about Peru. On my third trip to this variegated country in as many years, it became clear. It is easy to say that the difference…
Form Meets Function
This will probably come as a surprise to exactly none of you, but I love Land Rover Defenders. I’m not sure if it’s their character, heritage, or looks that get me most, but I’ve often found myself dreaming of selling all my belongings and hitting the road behind the wheel of one of these classics….
Quicksand Dreams
The Tacoma has long been a favorite among overlanders for its reliability, capability, and compact size, but the latest generation seems to be most popular yet. Sure, there are some mixed reviews, but there’s no denying that the internet is flooded with more third-gen Tacomas than it knows what to do with. That is a…
GMC’s AT4 Brings Competition to TRD Pro Tundra, RAM Rebel, and Titan Pro-4X
GM hasn’t always been the first name that comes to mind when you think about an overland vehicle. However, this is quickly changing with the introduction of the Bison and now the newly introduced AT4. To find out about this newest offering, I hopped on a flight to San Diego, California, to put their new…
ExPo Classifieds: 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser
There’s a little-discussed and often feared portion of overland travel, and it’s not what you might expect. Unlike armed robberies, corrupt officials, or remote breakdowns, this thing cannot be avoided, which for many people makes it all the more terrifying. I’m talking of course, about the realization that there will be an end to your…
Field Tested: Land Rover Discovery 5
I still remember falling in love with the first generation Discovery. Its boxy yet elegant lines, stadium seating, and alpine windows seemed to beckon me towards the driver’s seat with a promise of adventure, and there was no question of whether or not it had the capability to deliver on it. After all, this was…
ExPo Classifieds: Rubicon Unlimited LJ with 9,800 Miles
Before we had the JL or the JK, and before we had the four-door Wrangler, there was the amazing Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, also known as the LJ. This jeep was only produced from 2004-2006 and was essentially a TJ stretched out an additional 15 inches, giving the owner 13 more inches of cargo space, 2 more…
From The ExPo Vault: The Archaeologist’s Backpack
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Gear Guide 2017. As the winter months continue, and we dream of camping inside a warm van, we decided to look back on one of our favorite builds ever. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did! – Chris Cordes Unexpected snow flurries…
Outback Overlander
[Editor’s Note: I had the privilege of watching Liam and his (step) father David transform this Subaru Outback over a few weeks. David Soza is the CEO of Tern Overland, a company that specializes in expedition-grade doors and windows for the overland industry. David also happens to have serious engineering “chops” and participated in the…
The New 2020 Defender Off-Road!
For what seems like an eternity now, we’ve been waiting for the release of the new Defender, and Land Rover has given us little teasers with a few concepts and even a large-scale sand sketch. The latest came a week ago with an Instagram post that said, “Do not unwrap until 2019,” which sort of announced…
The Discovery 5’s of the German Federal Police
Land Rovers and Range Rovers bearing the police insignia have been a common sight on roads in the UK for decades, so when Germany’s Federal Police Force took delivery of their first 40 specially prepared Land Rover Discovery 5s, a new milestone in the history of the marque was achieved as JLR Germany concluded their…
Expedition Portal Classifieds: A Diesel Suburban Camper for $11K
Alright, I should preface this article by saying I have a serious soft spot for square-body Suburbans. They balance my desire for an old-school feel with dirt cheap maintenance and a wide availability of parts, but they’re also completely underutilized, making each build fairly unique. Something I always appreciate. This particular one, however, has to be one…
Expedition Portal Classifieds: 2004 Tacoma & AT Habitat
Finding a tastefully built first-generation Tacoma these days is hard enough, but finding one in manual, with a factory locker, in good condition with low miles is basically impossible. Yet, here we are, writing up a classified ad on just that. Actually, it’s even better, because this Tacoma has also been paired to a handful…
Twenty-eight Days, 6,000 Miles, Five Land Rovers, and a Big Bag of Money – Part One
With nothing but a line drawn on a map for guidance, Tom Collins leads a team to forge a route for the 1994 Camel Trophy.
El Burro: The Overland Bug
You may not have noticed, but we have an affinity for older vehicles here at Expedition Portal. We love their simplicity, classic styling, and durable materials, but not nearly as much as we love their personalities. Each one has stories to tell, earned scars, and a character as unique as the people that own them….
The First Chevrolet AEV Bison Off-Road Test
Just over a year ago, Chevrolet unveiled a stunning concept truck known as the Colorado Bison. It was developed in conjunction with American Expedition Vehicles, and although most of us dreamed of seeing the idea brought to fruition, we hadn’t maintained high hopes. Then to our great surprise, the pair moved forward with production, delivering…