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…
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Category Archives: Project Vehicles
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…
Ram 2500 Overland Build :: Installing Expedition One Steel Bumpers
Ram 2500 Overland Build :: Expedition One Range Max Ultra HD Bumpers I’ve just begun my 2021 Ram 2500 Cummins overland build with the installation of Range Max Ultra HD front and rear steel bumpers from Ogden-based fabricator Expedition One. But why start with bumpers, and why Expedition One? What are the Benefits of…
Expedition Portal Project :: 2021 GMC AT4 Diesel
There is no question that full-size trucks are becoming the new vehicle of choice for North American overland travel, offering robust payload and towing capabilities. Most of the reason for this shift is the generally anemic mid-sized offerings, some providing less payload than a sedan. The full-size truck also affords notable improvements in durability, with…
Project Vehicle: Lexus GX 470
Editor’s note: This article was originally posted in Overland Journal’s Spring 2021 Issue. Traditionally, the best SUV platforms in North America have been restricted to the Land Cruiser offerings, and to a lesser extent, the 4Runner, G-Wagen, and Land Rover wagons. In 2003, Lexus released the GX model in North America, Russia, and other limited…
Aether Apparel Alpine Alfa
Che Bello! Aether Apparel has unveiled their all-terrain restomod of the legendary 1985 Alfa Romeo GTV6, dubbed the Alpine Alfa, and it’s beautiful. This “safari-ready” machine “was born from a desire to create an unorthodox tool for adventure that celebrates the space where streetcar meets backcountry skier.” Well, it’s arrived (unusual for an Alfa; sorry, couldn’t…
Feature Vehicle: 2002 Suzuki XL-7
Looking at some of the overlanding vehicles roaming the wilds of Instagram, one might think that kind of adventure is financially out of reach. It’s not! If your desire is to get out into the world and you don’t necessarily care how you do it, building a rig to get you there doesn’t have to…
4Runner Ironman 4X4 Suspension
There are few modifications that improve a backcountry vehicle like the installation of a proper suspension. The 4Runner, in particular, benefits from increased spring rate and firmer shock valving. One of the great strengths of the North American Spec 4Runner is that it has a legitimate payload, some models having a rating as high as…
Armorlite Expands its Protection for Jeep
Nothing says “Adventure Tough” better than protecting your floors. Well, Armorlite has just announced that is has expanded its flooring protection into the Jeep JL and JT platforms! A complete flooring replacement has been produced to protect the interior of your Jeep, allowing for full-floor coverage to reduce heat and cabin noise while channeling all…
Installing Long-Travel Suspension in our 1990 Toyota Pickup
Suspension is one of the most important components of any overland vehicle build. The time, effort, and dollars spent on shocks and springs are realized each and every time you drive. You’ll be reminded of your good (or bad) suspension design on every corner, pothole, washboard road, or Mexican tope. We chose the tried-and-true Old…
Triumph Tiger 800XC
Executive Creative Director Sinuhe Xavier discusses what worked and what didn’t work on the build-out of his lightweight ADV touring machine.
From The ExPo Vault: Dust and Snow in the American West
Five months. That’s how long it took me to crack. Just five months and the concrete jungle surrounding my Dallas apartment had driven me insane. A train rolled by every 15 minutes, passing cars echoed in a constant hum, and the view outside my window was nothing but a continuous reminder of the city in…
Project Mercedes G-Class Wrap-up
We finish our long-term Mercedes overland project by simplifying it.
Backroads Rubicon
One of the Southwest’s premier guides builds a Jeep Wrangler for the road less travelled.
The Clean Cruiser Project: June 2019 Update
Paso Robles to Merida, Mexico Twenty-one days in, I can’t help but laugh a bit when reflecting upon our departure from Paso Robles, California. While other teams would be conducting gear layouts, checking and double-checking vehicle documentation, and ensuring that they’ve packed their toothpaste, we were half a bottle of whiskey in, spending time with…
The Space Tractor: Andy and Mercedes Lilienthal’s Mitsubishi Delica Van
Photography by Andy and Mercedes Lilienthal It’s late afternoon on Waiheke Island, a 30-minute ferry ride from Auckland, New Zealand. We’re aboard a tour bus that takes people around the small idyllic isle, which is complete with lush scenery, wineries, historic locales, and a small central village. Our tour guide and bus driver is Horst…
Balancing Act: 2017 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk
Photography by Sarah and Chris Ramm While the Cherokee XJ is now regarded as an incredibly capable off-road vehicle, it wasn’t always that way. When the XJ first hit the markets in 1984, it was scoffed at for tarnishing the family name. People said things like, “Square headlights?” “That isn’t a real Jeep! It is…
Asp Kickin’ Ford: Bruce Dorn’s Project Ford F-250 Super Duty
Cinematographer Bruce Dorn prepares his Ford F250 for a drastic mid-life carrier change.
Jeep JL ICON Suspension
It is easy to list the specs of a new product and publish the press release, but what is too often a secondary thought is how will a product perform in a month, four months, 7,000 miles and longer after installation. At Expedition Portal, we prefer to review and report on products after we have…
Heart of a Range Rover Stage III
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Gear Guide 2013. There are certain events you never forget. While some drift away on the winds of memory, those that stay with you define your attitudes and perceptions for life. Camping by the banks of the Boteti River in the Kalahari Desert, Botswana, when I was…