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Acalanes High School Body Shop Jeep

Join Expedition Portal to Support Acalanes High School Body Shop’s Baja Adventure

Over the previous few decades, the traditional shop class has all but disappeared from American middle schools and high schools. Subjected to a wide range of diverse pressures, vocational education [career and technical education (CTE) as it is more correctly known] has slowly been whittled down to a stub of what it once was. Budget…

Overland Explorer Vehicles Alpine camper

2008 Toyota Tundra TRD Off-Road Overland Build :: Overland Explorer Vehicles Alpine Camper Upgrades

The Overland Explorer Vehicles Alpine camper comes well-equipped for comfortable off-grid camping, but for our purposes, not entirely ready for full-time life on the road with the flatbed model. Sure, there are factory options available that would provide a turnkey camper, but we chose to order ours as simple (and lightweight) as possible with no…

GMC AT4 Sierra 1500 Duramax Overland Build

Editor’s Note: This GMC AT4 Sierra article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2023 Issue.  For our first full-size project vehicle, we selected a half-ton GMC with their AT4 (all-terrain 4WD) package. The base Sierra is known for its quality of assembly, overall driver comfort, and 60,000-mile, bumper-to-bumper warranty. In recent years, GM has…

Subaru Forester Lift

Can I Get a Lift? :: Baseline Mods for the Subaru Forester

The Subaru Forester has long been a respected platform, sold worldwide as the ultimate inclement weather wagon, complete with good ground clearance and notable interior storage volume. The Subaru brand harkens back to the Fuji corporation and their first vehicle, the Fuji Rabbit, a motor-scooter constructed from spare WWII aircraft parts. Their first automobile was…

Desk to Glory Toyota Tundra

2008 Toyota Tundra TRD Off-Road Overland Build :: Rear Suspension, Gears, and ARB Air Locker

Toyota never intended the Tundra to be fully laden at all times. The stock suspension, gear ratio, and Auto LSD were designed to keep the average consumer happy—someone who normally keeps the bed empty other than an occasional trip to Home Depot or IKEA. The next stage of this build will have us installing a…

Super Pacific Switchback X1: Side View

Ram 2500 Overland Build :: Super Pacific Switchback X1 Truck Camper

Ram 2500 Overland Build :: Super Pacific Switchback X1 Truck Camper Of all the additions I have added to my Ram 2500 overland build, the Super Pacific Switchback X1 truck camper has been the most significant in terms of size and infrastructure. It provides a variety of solutions for vehicle-based travel, all in one neat,…

Feature Vehicle: Randy Wimenta’s 1989 Toyota Corolla “AWDROLA”

We all have two distinct choices in life–do nothing or do something. Many are content to binge-watch TV shows and doom scroll until their retina melt, while others get busy learning, designing, building, and creating. Randy Wimenta, the Marketing Activation Manager at KC Hilites, is a hands-on, gearhead kind of guy; he chose to get…

2008 Toyota Tundra TRD Off-Road Overland Build :: 46-Gallon Transfer Flow Fuel Tank Install

How many times have you passed a gas station wondering if you should turn back and top off the tank? Are you constantly curious about how much gas is actually remaining when the low fuel light illuminates? Have you looked at those gasoline-filled 2-liter Coke bottles in Mexico and pondered what the percentage of cola…

2008 Toyota Tundra TRD Off-Road Overland Build :: OME BP-51 Suspension Installation

Suspension is the foundation of any overland vehicle build. Its purpose is to manage the additional payload of tents, campers, armor, and other accessories. Although factory springs and shocks will likely provide a more comfortable ride and last longer than aftermarket components on a stock truck, they were not designed to manage the weight of…

aev dualsport xp suspension ram 2500

Ram 2500 Overland Build :: AEV Dualsport XP Suspension, Salta HD Wheels, General Grabber A/Tx Tires

Two important questions that I’ve asked myself throughout my Ram 2500 overland truck build are Will this upgrade add utility, and Will this upgrade enhance capability? Utilizing this decision-making framework is generally straightforward, but when it came to making changes to the suspension, I felt some uncertainty. I was interested in creating more wheel well…

2008 Toyota Tundra TRD Off-Road Staff Project Vehicle Introduction

Editor’s note: To learn more about preparing the first, second, and third generation Tundra for overland travel, please enjoy the Overland Journal Podcast Episode 94: Principles of Overlanding :: The Toyota Tundra for Overlanding. I just spent the last six weeks and 3,000 kilometers exploring the Baja California Peninsula with Ashley (my wonderful wife and…

4x4 spod bantam x touchscreen controler

Ram 2500 Overland Build :: SPod Bantam X and Touchscreen Controller Installation

When I started researching how to install aftermarket lighting in my Ram 2500, I was very quickly overwhelmed with information. I was also discouraged to learn that making a small mistake could present a myriad of problems for the many computerized systems found in my vehicle. As someone with DIY ambitions who wants to understand…

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