Some of you will know that I ordinarily live (pre-Covid) full-time in my 1986 Volkswagen T3 Syncro and thus have a soft spot for this iconic classic. I follow hundreds of 2WD Vanagons and Syncros online and frequently contribute to the various Volkswagen forums. There are simply thousands of incredible rigs out there, as diverse…
2022 Jeep Compass Will Arrive in North America this Fall
The 2022 Jeep Compass is arriving at dealerships in North America this fall and will be offered in five different trim levels with a slew of new technological and performance upgrades over the previous iteration. Jeep calls it the most technologically advanced Compass thus far, with a new modern-looking interior, advanced safety and security updates,…
Featured Vehicle :: Toyota Hilux Arctic Truck 38 Polar Edition – DID Extreme Expeditions
David Daigle, former special forces and Norwegian climbing champion, owner of DID Extreme Expeditions, adventure travel expert, and all-round good guy, is the owner behind today’s featured vehicle, a Toyota Hilux Arctic Truck 38 Polar Edition. I first met David in southern Norway during a road trip to Stavanger, and if I’m honest, nearly came…
Behind the Wheel: Rossmönster Baja Adventure Truck
The Rossmönster Baja Adventure Truck When the Rossmönster team reached out and asked if I was interested in taking their newest overlanding vehicle, the Baja adventure truck, out for a spin, I was giddy with excitement. This would be the first flatbed truck and camper combo that I’d ever driven. To say that I was…
Featured Vehicle :: Land Rover Defender Ambulance – “Coco Overland”
Purists look away; Jannis Josten is in the house! Josten is one of the most talented, ingenious, ambitious, and outright mad engineers I’ve ever met. He’s also the owner of today’s featured vehicle, a BMW-powered 1987/1997 Defender, featuring a 1969 Land Rover Series II ambulance body and a suspension setup that would make Dakar drivers…
Featured Campervan :: 1977 Mercedes Benz LA 911 B – “Akela”
People often assume that we’re able to travel full-time because we’re millionaires, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Nevertheless, I always say, yes, I am. I’m a “time millionaire.” I may not have lots of money, but I have time, and that’s most important. -Leander Nardin Akela World is comprised of Leander, Maria, their son,…
Video of the Week: Overland Journal Lexus GX470 Build
On my first trip to Prescott, Arizona, I remember seeing Scott’s 2007 Lexus GX470 at Overland HQ and asking him about it. At the time, I was considering the vehicle for an overland build myself (which I ultimately abandoned in favor of a full-sized truck, primarily because I needed more robust towing capability). Scott and…
Featured Campervan :: 1993 Volkswagen LT 4×4 – “Gertrude”
I first stumbled upon Fabian’s Instagram profile (4x4_fabian) a few years ago when I was seriously considering swapping my 1986 Volkswagen T3 Syncro for an LT 4×4. The LT 4×4 is, at first glance, the obvious upgrade to the Syncro, and as my life on the road was permanent, I figured the extra space would…
Featured Truck Camper :: Global Expedition Vehicles Turtle
Photos courtesy of Global Expedition Vehicles When it comes to designing an expedition vehicle that can traverse continents, having experience behind the wheel in a variety of locations is indispensable. Founder of Global Expedition Vehicles (GEV) Michael Van Pelt understands this well. He’s been refining his expedition vehicle designs since the 1980s in an effort…
Ford’s All-electric F-150 Lightning Will Strike in 2022
In the race to bring a fully electric pickup truck to market, we’ve (sadly) seen some flops. But generally speaking, those have been companies starting from the ground up. It’s an entirely different story when an established auto manufacturer like Ford announces their entrance to the EV truck scene. That is to say, the new…
Tommy Campervans and the Hotshot Adventure Truck
Photos by Justin Wade Orton Tommy Campervans is an Arizona-based campervan and adventure vehicle upfitter. Their skilled crew converts standard cargo vans, but they also upfit decommissioned Hotshot buggies for use as overlanding and adventure rigs. To give you a little more context, Hotshot buggies are crew carriers used by BLM and Forest Service firefighters….
Behind the Wheel: 2021 Ford F150 King Ranch
What do you do when a shiny new Ford F-150 King Ranch arrives at Expedition Portal HQ? Naturally, you hand the keys to the guy who drives a Prius and tell him to write about his experience. I know it sounds illogical, but I’m actually in a perfect position to deliver some opinions, primarily because…
Terranova Expedition Truck Joins the EarthCruiser Ranks
As the demand for purpose-built overland trucks continues to rise, EarthCruiser has answered the call with its new Terranova expedition truck. This cab-over-style composite adventure rig is built on one of three domestic 1-ton chassis including the 2020 or newer Ford F-350, Ram 3500, or Silverado 3500. “The EC Terranova is the culmination of years…
Test Drive: Jeep Wrangler 4xe in the Texas Hill Country
Testing the Jeep Wrangler 4xe in the Texas Hill Country I just returned from the beautiful Texas Hill Country, outside Austin, Texas, where I had the opportunity to jump in the driver’s seat of Jeep’s new Wrangler 4xe Rubicon. Driving this innovative (but charmingly familiar) vehicle on hundreds of miles of pavement as well as…
Aether Apparel Alpine Alfa
Che Bello! Aether Apparel has unveiled their all-terrain restomod of the legendary 1985 Alfa Romeo GTV6, dubbed the Alpine Alfa, and it’s beautiful. This “safari-ready” machine “was born from a desire to create an unorthodox tool for adventure that celebrates the space where streetcar meets backcountry skier.” Well, it’s arrived (unusual for an Alfa; sorry, couldn’t…
The 2021 Ram TRX Review
So, why are we talking about a 702-horsepower truck for overlanding? Because you can drive everything from a 9-horsepower Citroen 2CV to a 702- horsepower TRX around the world. Eccentricities can and do exist on either end of the spectrum. More importantly, we find it relevant to test a broad spectrum of off-road vehicles to…
Is the Monocoque Darc Mono the next “Ultimate Expedition Vehicle”?
The Darc Mono is billed as the ultimate expedition vehicle, but what exactly makes this new monocoque carbon-fiber globetrotter stand out from the rest? And is it deserving of its self-proclaimed title? Having seen a flurry of recent web coverage, I decided to dig into the Darc website and see what I could discover. …
Feature Vehicle: 2002 Suzuki XL-7
Looking at some of the overlanding vehicles roaming the wilds of Instagram, one might think that kind of adventure is financially out of reach. It’s not! If your desire is to get out into the world and you don’t necessarily care how you do it, building a rig to get you there doesn’t have to…
The Apocatron – 1986 Volkswagen T3 Syncro
I remember six years ago when I initially began the hunt for a Volkswagen (Vanagon) T3 Syncro, a wise man once said, ‘he who seeketh a Syncro will always pay £15,000 ($20,000) regardless of initial purchase price’. As I gazed up from one knee in awe of the stoic, I finally understood. I may have…
Featured Truck Camper :: Kimbo Camper
Drawing his inspiration from the USS Alabama (a nuclear submarine), Mark King, founder of Kimbo Camper, designed his first truck camper back in 2016. At that time, there was nothing on the market that perfectly met his needs as an inventor and entrepreneur, so he was motivated to create something new. His goal was simple:…