Back in November, we published an article on a new Land Rover Defender being jumped, rolled, and generally crashed on the set of the James Bond film No Time To Die. Now JLR has released the full footage from the scene, and to be honest, it’s quite cool. The video shows an apparent chase scene…
Category Archives: 4WD
Deep Ozarks
White caps, like the peaks on my great-grandmother’s meringue, fill the road ahead. The waters are high and raging at a usually benign stream crossing deep in the Ozarks. It is late April and a wet and stormy spring in Arkansas. We had another downpour last night, the rain is still falling, and we’re in…
Sorry VW, Mercedes Says You’re Wrong About Selling Vans In the USA
Had you talked about Vanlife in the United States with anyone 10 years ago, it would have been almost certain that images of a VW Westfalia would have come to mind. Movies and TV shows depicted them cruising down the California coast or through the redwoods, outdoor brands printed them on T-shirts, and they dominated…
From Scratch – How we came to terms with our everyday lives when the adventure ended
It might seem strange, but one of the things Dave and I missed most while traveling around the world on motorcycles were our pillows. Okay, strange. But the pillows were symbolic of more than just memory foam. If we had our pillows, it meant we would have a bed, which meant we’d have a place….
Hummer Is Back With 1,000 Horsepower, 11,500 lb-ft of Torque, and an Electric Drivetrain
At one point in time, the name Hummer was synonymous with off-road capability, but in the 2000’s it came to represent something totally different for millions of Americans, vehicular excess and waste. Instead of being perceived as a pinnacle producer of four-wheel drives, they were associated with massive chrome wheels, rubber-band tires, and large fuel…
Tired of Carrying a Dozen Keys? Ditch the Extras With Bolt Locks
It was almost midnight, and the weather couldn’t have been worse. The temperature was just above freezing, rain was pouring down, and the wind was gusting so hard that I thought I might fall over. To make matters worse, the hill my Airstream was parked on had turned to mud, and the trailer was now…
Overland Nomad’s Awesome and Affordable Toyota Pickup Camper
Sometimes the truck of your dreams is the one right in front of you
Overland Truck of the Year :: The Best Midsized Pickups
Until a few years ago, there were only two suitable choices for a midsize overland pickup: the Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma. That dearth of options resulted in limited innovation and notable apathy among both the OEMs and aftermarket. However, that all changed when Chevrolet, Ford, and finally, Jeep all released trucks into the market….
Driving the 660-Mile East Mojave Heritage Trail
Descending the steep switchback into the canyon below, we heard the sudden and distinct noise of metal clanging against metal. I prayed it was nothing serious, but instinctively knew it was. Taking stock of the rear shock mounts, we discovered one had cracked to a dangerous degree, the other snapped in half. We were 55…
Podcast #7: Building a Jeep Gladiator for Overlanding
Matt Scott and Scott Brady share details and insights in this podcast about selecting the best Jeep Gladiator model to purchase and how to modify it for backcountry travel, including suspension, tires and wheels, bumpers, and overland campers. Show Notes: What Makes the Jeep Gladiator So Special? 1. Jeep Capability 2. Proper payload, easily greater…
Ford Now Offers a Factory Warn Winch
OEM engineers and product planners continue to embrace overland and backcountry 4WD travel. The newest Ford Tremor is a significant example of that trend, offering a factory full-size diesel truck with a locking differential, 35-inch tires, and a new Warn 12,000-pound winch. Warn has long supported OEMs with winch and hub offerings, including the wildly…
Gramp Camp: Jon Burtt’s 7.3L Overland Truck Camper
There has always been something about old trucks with bed campers that captures my imagination. Maybe it’s the Texan in me or my childhood readings of Travels with Charley, but every time I see one, I long to leave the world behind in pursuit of an endless horizon. How could I not, though? A pickup…
A Turnkey 7.3L Diesel Camper for Just $33,000
Seriously, the fact that no one has snatched this truck up blows my mind. What we have here is a high-payload vehicle, freshly tuned and painted, with one of the most reliable powertrains ever produced, and a nearly ideal collection of upgrades and overland modifications. This thing is ready to drive around the world tomorrow,…
Tail Lamp | The Joy of Getting Stuck
Opening Photo: The author getting stuck in Antarctica (brrr). Photo by Chris Collard. Oh, I remember the first time I got stuck in the dirt. But the very first time I found a vehicle unmovable was the night my dad gave me my car when I got my license. I wrecked that Honda Accord within…
The 2021 Yukon Has a Turbo-Diesel, Skid Plates, and a Lot of Off-Road Potential
What SUV has a 34-degree approach angle, an optional diesel motor, skid plates, and an air-suspension that raises up to 4 inches? If you read the title, you’ll know it’s not a new Land Rover, Ford, or even Toyota, but rather GMC’s 2021 Yukon. Trust us, we’re just as surprised as you. They dropped the…
New Legend Scout Review: Old School Cool with A Modern Twist
“They just don’t make cars like they used to,” the old man said as he walked up to the Scout. His sudden appearance took me by surprise, causing me to nearly hit my head while stepping out of the small door. He laughed and ran his weathered hands along the fender. “We built real automobiles…
Build Your Skills With These Off-Road & Overland Adventure Books
Over the years, our staff has been asked a lot of questions about overlanding. But there’s one query that almost every enthusiast seems to have in common. No, it’s not “What size tires can I fit with this lift?” but rather “What will improve my vehicle’s capability the most for the least amount of money?”…
The Mojave Mailbox Isn’t Being Removed, but Here’s What Is
Recently, there have been a whole lot of rumors flying around about the possible removal of mailboxes on the Mojave Road. As you would expect, political tensions rose, people got in fights, and petitions were signed. The odd thing was that nobody could point to a definite source of this information, though, which is why…
Win the Defender 110 of Your Dreams and $20,000
At Expedition Portal, we firmly believe that the type of vehicle you drive and the modifications it has are less important than the places you take it. However, we also believe that winning a Defender 110 and $20,000 of gas money would make exploring a lot more fun! That’s why today we’re sharing this contest…
London to Singapore in a 1954 Land Rover With a Family of 5
“What do you mean the boat is late? How late?” A combination of mechanical delays, bad weather, and agent apathy meant that our 1954 Land Rover (Series 1, 86-inch station wagon) was going to arrive a month late in the UK. This set the tone for two things that happened over and over on our…