North Carolina has a reputation for an almost unreal autumn beauty. Its rolling hills backed by rugged mountains come alive with the changing of the seasons, lighting up with the vibrant yellows, reds, and oranges that only a deciduous forest could provide. Yet the weather can be a bit mischievous this time of year, a…
Expo East 2018: Cool Trucks and New Gear
Overland Expo is about travel, education, friendship, and experiences, but if we’re honest, it’s also about the amazing trucks and gear. Enormous Unimogs, Earth Cruisers, Global Expedition Vehicles, Earthroamers and cascadia evolution that we would rarely spot elsewhere litter the event. There are vintage trucks from every corner of the globe, expertly built 4WDs of…
Five Things We Learned at Toyota’s Weekend Warrior Event
Back in October we had the chance to visit North Carolina with the East Coast team of Toyota USA. The event, dubbed Seize The Weekend, sounded cool, but I’d say more than a few of us journalists were confused by its purpose on the arrival day. After all, Toyota wasn’t launching anything new, and most…
Expedition Portal Classifieds: 2009 Tacoma
Vehicles like the Defender and Land Cruiser have a legacy of overland capability behind them. They were some of the first, and yes, some of the best world travel vehicles in the business, but they’re no longer the only game in town. In the last 20 years, the Tacoma has earned its place amongst the legends…
Long-Term Review: Cooper STT Pro
“Just stop up there,” I said, pointing to a wide spot in the sandy track. “I need to grab a photo real quick.” The Land Cruiser slowed to a halt, and I hopped out, shutting the door behind me. That’s when the sound of hissing air grabbed my attention—a flat, crap. The warning given to…
CFX65W – The 200-pound gorilla in the truck, or the perfect Thanksgiving accessory?
When we’ve traveled as a family, we’ve always used a cooler, simply because my wife is a minimalist, and her reply has always been “sure a fridge is nice, but we don’t really need one, and it’s one more piece of gear to store when we are not on the road.” My 1988 Range Rover…
The Jeep Gladiator, Leaked
Well ladies and gentlemen, the long-awaited imagery of the Jeep JL truck is here, and it’s bearing the name of Brute Double Cab, I mean Gladiator. Although these weren’t officially released by FCA, leaked press photos of the new truck were found and subsequently posted by Gladiator Forums earlier today. Here’s what we know so…
The Chevy Bison Price Announced
Ever since Chevrolet and American Expedition Vehicles announced the Bison we’ve been waiting to find out just how much we’ll need to pay for this slice of mid-size truck nirvana. Well, we’re happy to announce that the wait is over, and the bill won’t hurt nearly as much as we expected. According to recent Chevrolet…
Expo East 2018: The Campground Vehicles
With the 2018 Overland Expo East in the not so distant, but distinctly damp past, we can reflect on the truly incredible collection of vehicles that braved the rain, mud, and cold to commune on the fields of REEB Ranch, tucked in the North Carolina hills. While the exhibition motorcycles and 4-wheel drives represented the…
Field Tested: Eezi-Awn Stealth
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Summer 2017. Everyone loves the idea of a tree house, and for the overlander, few things resonate as much with this concept as the rooftop tent (RTT), a comfortable and elevated retreat from the creepy crawlies and uneven terrain below. I ordered my very first…
Home on the Range – The Overland Journal Trailer Test
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Winter 2018. Photography by Chris Cordes The trailer listed hard to the side, the 44-inch tire deep into the crevasse, the Hilux’s frame broken, and a tire peeled from the bead. The Expeditions 7 team had just crossed Greenland and was now fighting for every…
From Van Life to Overlanding
It was nearly 100°F. I sat on a metal chair with water soaking my shirt, a last-ditch effort against the stifling heat. Even in the shade, the temperature was nearly unbearable. Inside the open-air pavilion, Jessica and I sat enraptured, listening to the stories being told by Pablo Rey and Anna Callau, two travelers who’d…
SEMA 2018
October has passed, and with it one of the biggest automotive events of the year, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, or SEMA, show. As always, this year’s event was absolutely packed with insane builds of every shape, size, color, and type, with enough accessories to make your head spin. We spent several days running around…
Trying the Van Life in Northwest Oregon
Oregon was calling, and I knew it was time for us to go back. The summer heat had been getting the better of us for a few months, and the cool, crisp air of the Pacific Northwest seemed dreamy. As we started to plan our next trip, we wanted to incorporate what we learned from…
Expedition Portal Classifieds: 1992 Pop-Top Delica
#Vanlife is all the craze these days, and the VW Westfalia and Mercedes Sprinter are the undisputed kings of the movement. Their abundant living space and good looks, combined with a whole lot of hype on social media, has ensured their prices skyrocket to ludicrous proportions, especially when paired with the coveted four-wheel-drive option. But…
What’s the charm of traveling with a battered Land Cruiser?
On a chilly morning in January, Coen and I drove 430 miles to Germany. There in a driveway stood a dirty, dilapidated truck. It radiated pride as well as loneliness and coldness, like a house that has stood empty for too long. The Land Cruiser was covered in rust and the interior was damp, caused by…
Bollinger’s B2 Makes Us Want To Go Electric
Planet Earth is an absolutely amazing place. I love its mountains, prairies, deserts, and oceans, and I want to do everything I can to protect them, but I just haven’t been able to get behind electric cars. Don’t get me wrong, I think they’re fantastic for commuting and driving on the highways, and Tesla has…
Field Tested: ARB Aluminum Awning 2500MM
Since our 1989 Mitsubishi Delica is turning into a campervan, we wanted a large awning that would provide ample water and UV resistance, be durable in harsh conditions, and be compatible with accessories like an awning room. Weighing in at 35 pounds, the hard-cased ARB 2500MM awning (part number 814102A) has an aluminum flip-top case, is…
Phoenix Rising: Overland JK
Pardoned from death row, the Overland JK has risen to all occasions and won our respect. We review the Overland JK’s broad range of capability, design, and innovation.
Field Tested: WeBoost Drive 4G-X
The Ford’s diesel whistled a sweet tune as I cruised across a remote section of the Southern California landscape. I watched as the shaggy hides of Joshua trees flitted by, while swirling clouds of dust rolled behind me, the road disappearing beneath their form. I took a deep breath and relaxed back into my seat….