The Volkswagen T3 Syncro (or Vanagon Syncro) is widely regarded as the ultimate overland rig. Characterized by insane power and torque and Rolls-Royce-esque refinement, the T3 Syncro is impervious to rust, offers unmatched all-terrain capability, a bulletproof engine, gearbox, and drive train, can achieve upwards of 55 mpg, and is conservatively 10 times more reliable…
US Presidents and Their “Overland” Rigs
Today, we celebrate the presidents of the United States, many of whom were adventurous souls (including my seventh great uncle President Washington). Over the past 120 years, they were also driving various vehicles worthy of the classic road trip or even a lap around the globe. Certainly, some presidents were more “car guys” than others,…
Overland News of the Week
Benchmade 5370FE Shootout OTF OTF automatic knives can be deployed single-handed in an instant, making them the perfect blades for use in high-stress situations. But many of them are heavy and prohibitively expensive due to complex mechanisms. Benchmade’s new Shootout aims to change that, with a $300 price point and a lightweight build that is…
Mojave by Defender
“Daddy! Those motorcycle guys are giving us the thumbs-up!” my 5-year-old said. We were only an hour into the first off-road adventure of our new Land Rover Defender, and I knew it was going to be a good trip. The Mojave Desert has always been a favorite area of mine in Southern California. I spend…
Looking for Firewood? Stacked.camp Knows Where It’s At
These days there’s a website or app for just about anything, and you can now add firewood to that list. Stacked.camp is a new “community-focused project” (website database) that was created to help campers find firewood, quickly and easily. Stacked was specifically built as a “lite-weight” webapp to facilitate quick loading of information, even when…
IRONMAN 4×4: RIGS & COFFEE
A large collection of classic and modern Land Cruisers, coffee, great company, and in-store promotions on overlanding gear—no, this isn’t Valhalla, but the monthly meet-up at Ironman 4×4, Portland. That’s right, on the first Saturday of every month, you can drink coffee, check out awesome rigs, and get in-store deals on accessories. Launched by JSW…
Get Out There and Travel
“Get out there and travel”. It’s a seemingly simple statement, but it takes a lot of courage for many women to take the leap, whether they are single, a wife, and/or mother. I know because I hit the road hard more than a decade ago and have never looked back. Well, to be honest, after…
New Gear for Overland Travelers at Outdoor Retailer 2022 Snow Show
Considered by many to be the premier outdoor industry trade show in North America, Outdoor Retailer brings together brands, store owners, athletes, PR, media—pretty much anyone that has anything to do with outdoor recreation. The winter version of this get-together, referred to as the OR Snow Show, just took place at the Denver Convention center….
DefenderX – The Last Great Overland Adventure?
In an age where it has all been done before, there remains one great overland challenge. A team of explorers has set out to drive two prepared Land Rover Defender 110’s from London to New York, without the aid of airlifts or boats. Currently the team has made it all the way to Tjita, Russia…
Nimbl Camper Factory Visit
Nimbl Campers was born out of the remnants of XP Campers which was sold at auction in August 2019. Jon Turner, Judd Newman, and investors saw an opportunity and invested in a business that they rightly believed had incredible potential. Currently, the company’s order book is full, and plans are afoot to expand production by…
Rebelle Rally Provides Testing Ground for EV Range Potential
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2021 Issue. Photography by Richard Giordano The electric vehicle revolution is here. From Long Way Up to the Extreme E Challenge, electric vehicles are gaining popularity and exhibiting great potential. With countless automotive manufacturers announcing plans to build all-electric pickup trucks, such as Tesla’s…
Act Now and You Could Get Free Spare Parts for Your Primus
For the second year running, Primus announces the return of the Service For a Reason initiative to provide free repair parts for select Primus backpacking stoves. Following a successful campaign launched in Spring 2021, the company aims to continue growing the culture of repairing gear in the outdoor industry rather than replacing it with new. The…
Go Fast Campers Decreases Lead Time to 10 Weeks
While long lead times have become the norm across the overland, outdoor, and automotive industries, Go Fast Campers is pivoting in the opposite direction. Since 2017, the company has expanded production from 12 to 48 campers per week (comprising 40 campers and eight rooftop tents) and has decreased lead times from eight to 12 months…
PCOR Launches Accessories for Toyota Tacoma in the USA
PCOR, an Australian company (and a division of Patriot campers) has just launched a range of accessories for the ever popular Toyota Tacoma, these products include bed trays and canopies complimented by a range of electronic accessories. The launch coincides with Expedition Overland’s new five part YouTube series ‘The Last Frontier‘, in preparation for the…
Feature Vehicle Interior :: Troopy Girl’s Land Cruiser VDJ78
Scrolling through Marlee Calabro’s @troopygirl Instagram account is like a soothing balm for the nervous system. Often parked on sugary sands with aquamarine waters in the background, her white Land Cruiser VDJ78 Troop Carrier’s interior is so clean, so minimalist, and so well-laid-out that it has inspired the interior design of a handful of Troopy…
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor Debuts as Most Powerful Street-Legal Bronco Ever
There are two types of overland vehicles, those built for comfort and those built for fun. The Bronco Raptor inspires us to throw a lightweight tent and sleeping bag in the back seat and head for those trails most simply cannot explore or to retrace the route of the Baja 1000. With a base price…
Featured Vehicle :: 1968 Volvo Valp
The first time I set eyes on Rick Schamper’s 1968 Volvo Valp, I was left speechless. Forget unicorns, the Loch Ness Monster, Mokele-mbembe, or Bigfoot; this is the only mythical creature that matters. Rick said it best: “It’s like a caricature of a car, like a cartoon character.” And he’s absolutely right. I’m not sure…
2023 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro Revealed. Is it Ready for Overlanding?
The Sequoia has always been a reliable alternative to three-row domestic SUVs, taking a back seat to the Land Cruiser on grade and capability. This all changes with the 2023 model year, where the Capstone and TRD Pro Sequoia vaults to the pinnacle of the lineup for North America. But does this new version have…
Thoughts On Humanity and The Coquina
On my annual pilgrimage to Cape Lookout, Outer Banks, in my Land Cruiser, Hannibal the Hundy, I found myself contemplating the waves, the dunes, the sunset. I was also struck by the coquina clam, a mollusk that lives in the sand. Being in nature always brings revelations and is one of the main reasons I…
Adventure Van Upfitter Storyteller Overland Purchases Global Expedition Vehicles
Storyteller Overland, a campervan upfitter that has found its niche at the intersection of luxury and off-highway performance, has just purchased bespoke adventure truck manufacturer Global Expedition Vehicles (GXV). This merger, another signal of the increasing popularity of overland travel and current demand for adventure vehicles, was just announced at the Florida RV Supershow in…