The stereotypical overlander is supposed to be utilitarian, never choosing form over function, and always prioritizing the adventure, but I’d be lying if I said looks didn’t matter. We’re automotive enthusiasts after all, and each of us wants to build a vehicle that not only performs well on the trail, but represents our personal style…
Chris Cordes Archive, Page 7
Expedition Portal Classifieds: 7.3L Diesel Sportsmobile $44k
The vanlife movement has led to a lot of great things, but it certainly hasn’t made it easy to find a good deal on Sportsmobiles. Most of the ones cropping up for sale these days are either fetching absurd price tags or have an even more absurd amount of miles—often both. It’s little wonder then…
Ford Invests $500 Million Into Rivian to Build New Ford Electric Vehicle
When Rivian unveiled their R1T and R1S last November, our team was more than excited. These clean platforms, both in looks and emissions, brought serious capability and range to the off-road electric market, showing real promise for a future with overland travel. We were still a long way off from seeing either of these vehicles…
Gear Bag: April
DayStar Cradles Airbags are a rather hotly debated subject in the overland space, and there are good arguments on both sides of the fence. Personally, I’m a firm believer that you should never rely on them for your regular driving conditions, as a vehicle’s suspension should be catered toward its most common operating weight, but…
The GMC Sierra AT4 1,000 Mile Off-Road and On-Road Review
My fingers prickled painfully as I wrapped them around the AT4’s heated steering wheel. They were finally beginning to thaw after packing up my frost-covered tent, but the transition from numbing cold back to warmth was giving my hands a less than delightful sensation. Fortunately, the drive was more than making up for that minor…
Overland Expo East Moves to Arrington, Virginia and Announces Dates
As many of you have already heard, Overland Expo is under new management, and this year it seems that they’ve wisely chosen to change venues for Expo East. The new location, which was revealed to be Infinity Downs in Arrington, Virginia, will include accessible electricity in the main event common areas, WiFi connectivity, and hard…
The Expedition Portal Diesel Excursion Wrap-up
At one point or another, we’ve all asked it. That one question that never fails to stir up a fight on four-wheel-drive forums and social pages the world over, What is the ultimate overland vehicle? Plenty of people have voiced their opinions, but from Jimnys to Unimogs, their responses couldn’t be more diverse. Some might say that…
Ice, Snow, and Falls of Fire
“Nature is best enjoyed with thousands of strangers, long lines, and lots of rules.”–No one ever Here’s the thing, I love national parks, but like many outdoor enthusiasts I find myself rather conflicted about visiting them. On the one hand, they encompass some of our nation’s most iconic and beautiful landscapes, but on the other,…
Expedition Portal Classifieds: A Turnkey Nissan Camper for $19K
Whether it’s Unimogs, EarthCruisers, or fully built Land Cruisers, we feature a lot of beautiful overland vehicles on Expedition Portal. Unfortunately, most of them are well—expensive. So if you’re looking for a four-wheel drive with most of the comfort and capability of the larger rigs at a fraction of the price, this week’s classified ad…
The Overland Gladiator and Other 2019 Easter Jeep Safari Concepts
With the recent unveiling of the Gladiator, we figured there would be some cool truck concepts prepared for Easter Jeep Safari this year. What we hadn’t planned on was every concept vehicle being a truck, yet it’s a very welcome surprise. At a glance the 2019 lineup is all about heritage and hobbies. From the…
EarthCruiser’s EXD Camper
If you’ve ever looked into overland vehicles, you’ll almost certainly know of Earth Cruiser. This Oregon-based company builds expedition-grade trucks specifically designed to address the needs of international travelers. They’re rated for four-season camping, capable of tackling remote terrain, and provide a rather large living space while still fitting inside a container for shipping. Unfortunately,…
Expedition Portal Classifieds: 1969 Jeep Wagoneer
The Jeep Wagoneer boasts one of the most iconic, and arguably beautiful profiles in four-wheel-drive history. Every inch of the design from the wide grill to the rear window exudes Americana, and somehow brings us back to “the good ol’ days” when things were slower and times were simpler. Not everyone is into slow and…
Jeep Will Pay You a $100,000 Salary to Drive a Gladiator For The Year
One of the most common questions we see asked of overlanders is how do you afford to travel? How can you possibly take off from work and follow your dreams all over the country or the world? Well, there is a myriad of answers to that question, and now we can add one more to…
The Jeep Gladiator Off-Road Review, Pricing, and Fuel Economy
Since the official unveiling of the Gladiator last November, we have been discussing comparisons, weighing opinions, and feverishly waiting to get behind the wheel of the latest Jeep truck to see how it would stack up against the Colorado, Ranger, Tacoma, and Frontier. That opportunity finally arrived earlier this week when we set out on…
Overland Routes | Pacific Crest: California Segment
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Summer 2018. What do you envision when you think of California? Shimmering oceans, warm beaches, and a stunning coastline? Perhaps towering redwoods or sparse deserts filled with Joshua trees? You wouldn’t be wrong to think of any of these things, but what if I told…
Understanding Gearing And Why You Want To Re-gear
Have you ever noticed that on most phones and computers, overlanding auto-corrects to overloading? Call it a fun coincidence, but it’s also appropriate given our tendency to weigh down our vehicles with bumpers, winches, armor, tents, and other equipment. Any of these upgrades can add comfort or capability, but they also make the engine work…
Overland Routes | Pacific Crest: Oregon Segment
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Spring 2018. A cool wind whistled through the pines around us, and I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with crisp mountain air. We had only left the hustle and bustle of Portland’s streets that morning, but the city’s traffic jams and red lights…
Organizational Alchemy
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Fall 2018. “Junk show” were the words used to describe one camper’s vehicle, the back seat and storage area a cascading pile of sagging Rubbermaid containers and crisscrossed bungee cords. While the words were harsh, the Internet, and community forums in particular, often show little…
Beast From The East: 1980 Unimog 416
“What?” I yelled back at Tom Henwood for the third or possibly fourth time since we left the shop. He laughed and handed me a headset to deaden the cacophony swirling around the cab. It helped, but to quote Uncle Lewis, the thing still sounded like “a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant.” Its…
Look Out Mercedes, Ford’s Releasing an AWD Transit Van in 2020
For quite some time now, Mercedes has enjoyed nearly unrivaled sales in the factory all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive van market. In fact, they have been so successful in the space that they have occasionally had trouble keeping up with demand, a problem Ford hopes to help them remedy by throwing their hat into the ring. That’s…