It always surprises me how automotive design has evolved and how a vehicle, when launched as a concept, will appear futuristic and revolutionary only to become dated a few years after production. The 3rd generation Dodge Ram 2500 (2003-2009) must have, at one time, looked like a glimpse of the future, whereas that exact truck…
Overland Driving 101
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2022 Issue. One of the most misunderstood aspects of overlanding is how it differs from off-roading in general. While the two are related, they are far from the same discipline of the genre. This misconception is often seen in the grocery store parking lot when…
Video of the Week :: Otto the G-Wagen’s 26-Year World Tour
When German globetrotter Gunther Holtorf and his 1988 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen set off on an 18-month tour of Africa in 1989, he didn’t expect to spend the next 26 years (and 900,000 kilometers) road-tripping through 215 countries. His main travel companion was his wife, Christine, who joined the adventure a year later, in 1990. Gunther and…
Feature Vehicle :: This 1990 Toyota Hilux is Fit for an Icelandic Saga
Photography by Richard Giordano Those who know Torfi Birkir Jóhannsson describe him as the guy you want around when things go south. He welded a D-ring screw to a pintle hitch during an Arctic whiteout, acted as chief mechanic and logistics expert on various expeditions, and volunteers for the Slysavarnafélagið Landsbjörg, Iceland’s Search and Rescue…
Jeep Launches 2023 Wrangler High Tide and Limited-run ‘Jeep Beach’ Models
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Jeep Beach event held annually in Daytona Beach, Florida, both the Wrangler High Tide and Wrangler Jeep Beach special-edition models will return for the 2023 model year. “Jeep Beach week is one of the biggest Jeep vehicle events in America, bringing in more than 200,000 Jeep fans and…
Feature Vehicle 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser Troopy
Markus Fuchs was born in the late 1980s in a beautiful German town beside Lake Bodensee. His father was a Mercedes G-Class, Unimog, and VW T-3 Vanagon enthusiast, and teenage Markus wasted no time getting started on his own projects. His first car was a 1990 T3 Syncro Vanagon, which he bought for a song…
Video :: XPlore RV X145 Overland Test
The Xplore RV is one of the first expedition-class trailers produced in the United States that features the optimal confluence of compact dimensions, trail capability, and live-in comforts. These attributes are all wrapped in a package that comes complete with (optional) 1,000 watts of solar, 1,080 Ah of lithium, long-travel airbag suspension, robust chassis, and -40…
Emerald Acquires Lodestone Events, Producers of the Overland Expo Series
The growth of the Overland market segment seems unstoppable and continues to attract the attention of motor vehicle, aftermarket parts, and accessory manufacturers, as well as consumer event specialists who aim to connect producers and consumers. Emerald Expositions LLC recently announced the acquisition of consumer event specialists Lodestone Events, the producers of the long-running and…
Take a Load Off :: Overland Journal Editors Test Six Leading Overland Bed Racks
By Matt Swartz and Scott Brady Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2022 Issue. Few vehicles offer the overland traveler versatility, utility, and flexibility like a pickup truck. But that doesn’t mean it’s the perfect platform. Pickup trucks are kind of like a blank canvas, offering loads of potential in the…
Overland News of the Week
Rigid Industries Announce 2022+ Tundra Kits Stock lighting is often adequate at best and can feel insufficient when navigating the backcountry in low light (avoid trail driving at night unless absolutely necessary). However, fear not, as a wide array of aftermarket auxiliary lights provide extraordinary output in a compact package. Rigid Industries has long been…
ARB Linx Accessory Interface Long-Term Review
ARB is, arguably, one of the most recognizable and respected brands operating in the overland and 4WD travel sector. For years we have coveted ARB products, and we were excited to find that our current overland vehicle came equipped with a host of ARB gear, namely a bull bar, front and rear lockers, rear airbags,…
Video :: Remote EV Charging Solved? We Charge a Rivian from an Overland Trailer
As a test of the XPlore RV’s capabilities, we test-charged the Rivian R1S from the 1080 Ah lithium battery bank in the X145. With 1,000 watts of solar and a 2,000-watt inverter, you can actually charge an EV (albeit slowly) while camping remotely.
Georgia, the Road Leads Back to You
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2022 Issue. Georgia—not the American state Ray Charles and Martin Luther King hailed from, but the little-known country located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe—is a mountainous place of wild and astonishing beauty. Monasteries, watchtowers, and fortresses dating to the Middle Ages stand…
Is the Practical Winnebago Sprinter Adventure Wagon Modular Camper Worth the Price Tag?
Overlanding’s cousin #vanlife has been growing in leaps and bounds over the last decade and threatens to become the lifestyle of choice for college dropouts and retirees. The good news is that the vans, which scoot relentlessly from the Walmart parking lot to National Forest and BLM land and back, can also drive down to…
Die Raat vir Elke Kwaal: A CJ-3B Jeep Sluks its Way Through Botswana
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2022 Issue. At a crossing in the wild country of the Limpopo River may be found Gatvanolfant, the elephants’ hole. Here is also Oerwoud Store with the Wiltshire, a pub established in past times by a British Army unit that once guarded the drift…
Favorite Overland Journal Podcast Episodes of 2022
Whether folks were driving, pumping iron at the gym, scrubbing stubborn bathroom tiles, or taking Fido for a walk, an estimated 120 million listeners tuned in to an endless supply of podcasts in 2021. This figure will undoubtedly rise by the end of 2022 as podcast popularity continues to grow and the holiday season wraps…
Ineos Grenadier :: Exclusive First Overland Test (Prototype)
Editor’s Note: We received no compensation of any kind for this exclusive North/South America test of the Grenadier Prototype. As I drove down the dirt access road of the Uwharrie woods, the anticipation was building. We were about to be the first media outlet in the Americas to drive the new Grenadier prototype and report…
Overland News of the Week
CMM Offroad Delete Pro Quick Disconnect Mounting System Tennessee-based CMM Offroad recently launched the Delete Pro Quick Disconnect (QD) mounting system, an aluminum accessory mount suitable for attachment to CMM mirror, A-pillar, or universal mount products for Jeep JL, JLU, Gladiator, and JT models. The Delete Pro QD can hold up to 50 pounds and…
Five Reasons Japan Should Be on Your Overland Bucket List
It was with great joy this October that I read Japan was lifting its last Covid-19 travel restrictions and that the country would be open again to individual travelers. As of yet, Japan has been little visited by overlanders who bring their own vehicle, probably because it’s a long way from any of the main…
The Worst Off-Roader Ever Made, Anywhere
Back in the 1970s, during the dark, torrid days of Apartheid, South Africa fought a Cold War proxy conflict against a collective of international communists in Angola. Due to the oppressive, racist regime and the policy of “separate development,” international sanctions were imposed against the country, limiting the average consumer’s options for purchasing everything from…