In 2010 I attended a local 24-hour mountain bike race, pulled into the sprawling campground, and set up my roof top tent. Judging by the pointing fingers and curious looks, you’d have thought a UFO landed on my truck. Fast forward to 2017, and the roof top tent is not just commonplace, it’s rapidly becoming…
Category Archives: 4WD
Featured Vehicle- 2017 4XPEDITION Subaru Outback 3.6R
We take a look at “The Overland Road Warrior”, 4EXPEDITION’s answer to the every day overlander
Field Tested: Alu-Cab Expedition III
Basil Lynch walks us through one of the markets best aluminum roof top tents
36 Hours of Adventure: Sand and Seas
Our plan was to make it to the beach before dark, so naturally we arrived well after it. I had expected as much. Something about keeping to a schedule while escaping meetings, emails, and calendars just doesn’t jive with me. Unfortunately, navigating the unfamiliar shores of an island at night doesn’t jive well either, so…
Maggie in Africa: What We Have Learned So Far
Deciding to take a year off to travel through 20+ African countries requires considerable preparation to ensure a smooth journey and to avoid situations that could derail our plans, temporarily or entirely. For those of our readers who may be thinking, “how on earth can you travel through so many countries,” or “you must be completely…
The Canadian Overland Tribe Gathers: BC Overland Rally 2017
So much to learn, see, and do at the first annual BC Overland Rally, which was held at the Sasquatch Mountain Resort June 22-25. Sadly, I didn’t spot any Sasquatches, but did have an amazing long weekend with the Canadian overland tribe. High up in British Columbia’s mountains, but only 2 hours north of the…
Featured Vehicle: FozRoamer’s Subaru Forester
I’m sure it’s happened to all of us at some point in our backroad travels. You work your way down a rugged road pushing man and machine to the limits. Just when you’re about to pat yourself on the back for a job well done for conquering such a gnarly track, you see another vehicle…
4×4 Legends: Toyota Land Cruiser, From Series 20 to the 1980s
In 1955, only 22 years after the formation of their automotive division, the Toyota Motor Company released the second generation of their now-famed Land Cruiser, which was in many ways the same vehicle they produced for the next 3 decades. In those early years after WWII, Japan’s recovery was happening quickly and Toyota was keeping…
The General “Overlander”
The Expedition Portal Team dips a toe into the world of UTV exploration
Vehicles of the Jeep Heritage Museum
With a legacy dating back three quarters of a century, the Jeep is surely one of the world’s most iconic vehicle platforms. From the U.S. Government’s initial call for a four-wheel drive light personnel carrier in 1940, to pioneering the Rubicon Trail in the 1950s and setting the standard of 21st-century capability, the seven-slot grill…
Field Tested:Rancho RS9000XL
Rancho, which began in 1955 in Long Beach, California, as Rancho Jeep Supply, is the undisputed granddaddy of the four-wheel drive shock and suspension world. And while most shock manufacturers claim that their product is the best thing since the invention of peanut butter, we were quite surprised last year when Rancho’s RS9000XL drove…
Maggie in Africa: The Highs and Lows of Life on the Road in Africa
“It’ll be amazing,” they said. “A trip of a lifetime,” they said. Every day, we want to believe that driving through Africa in our ’91 Defender named Maggie is an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience, but the truth is that it doesn’t always feel like rainbows and butterflies. At times it can be really, really hard, but…
The Vehicles of NW Overland Rally 2017
With over 1,000 people in attendance at the 7th annual NW Overland Rally in Plain, Washington, there was bound to be a few interesting vehicles, but the sheer diversity was truly impressive. The rally pulls attendees from all over the PNW and has a solid draw from southwestern Canada. The 15-year import laws in Canada…
Land Cruising Adventure: Do you need a fridge?
Karin-Marijke & Coen overlanded parts of their 14-year journey with a fridge, but also years without a one. What is their verdict?
First Drive: 2017 Nissan Titan PRO-4X Half Ton
Nissan has always been a strong player in the pickup segment, particularly in the mid-size category with their popular Frontier. They’re certainly not newcomers to the full-size truck either with the Titan platform now moving toward its 14th year. Building on its continued success, for 2017 they introduced a truck ideally suited to overlanding with…
72 Hours of Adventure in Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego. The very name conjures up images of great 16th-century explorers, precariously navigating their tall ships through the iceberg-filled archipelago. These days, the exploration vehicle of choice is a 4×4, as apart from National Route 3, you will find no paved roads here. It’s wild, rugged, and remote. Just how the end of…
Field Tested: Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform
For decades the welded steel roof-rack has enabled automotive travelers to carry the fuel and supplies necessary for long journeys, but as the needs of enthusiasts change, so to must their equipment. Modern adventurers now expect a lighter and more aerodynamic cargo system—one that is as well suited to their daily commute as it is…
Field Tested: Yokohama Geolander M/T G003
As tire technology spins into the 21st century, nearly every manufacturer has gone back to the drawing board and introduced fresh variants of almost every offering. Anticipating the launch of Yokohama’s latest entrant to the mud-terrain genre, the Geolandar M/T G003, we headed to Gateway, Colorado, for a couple of days of traversing the region’s…
Fiat-Chrysler’s Diesel Debacle
At a time when Americans were just beginning to warm to the diesel engine, Volkswagen’s now infamous emissions fraud hobbled its acceptance once again. Then in January, news hit suggesting the German automaker wasn’t the only manufacture to fudge their results. Fiat-Chrysler was put under the microscope when independent emissions experts uncovered a serious discrepancy…
Overland Expo West 2017: The Tacoma is the Most Popular Platform
I don’t swing many dead cats, but if I did I couldn’t do it without hitting a Toyota Tacoma. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind, the most ubiquitous vehicle at this year’s Overland Expo West was Toyota’s midsize pickup. While I did spot a few unmodified specimens, most were festooned with add-ons from bumpers…