Kia has officially thrown its hat into one of North America’s most fiercely contested segments, confirming that it will launch a body-on-frame hybrid pickup truck in the United States before the end of the decade. To be perfectly clear, this announcement wasn’t a leak, a rumor, or a supplier slip; this information comes directly from…
Dan Grec Archive, Page 2
BYD Confirms Raptor-like Shark PHEV Down Under
Chinese automaker Build Your Dreams (BYD) has been making major waves around the world, and is now the world’s largest EV manufacturer. Their relentless pace of innovation appears to be unmatched, and with their imminent arrival on Canadian shores, they clearly have no intention of slowing down. BYD Australia have confirmed the company is developing…
EPA Increases Ethanol Content Of Gasoline
Image Credit: Reuters With fuel prices surging well past $4 per gallon for the first time in years (and over $8 per gallon in parts of California), American drivers are once again feeling the squeeze at the pump. The spike has been driven largely by the ongoing conflict in Iran and the effective closure of…
Refuge II Jeep Camper :: Feature Vehicle
Photography by Dan Grec and Michael Fuchs Mad scientists, the Bermuda Triangle, and quicksand. According to Disney movies and cartoons, a person exploring the globe will inevitably have to deal with these from time to time, like it or not. In my personal experience, that has not been the case. Until recently, that is. Thanks…
Hyundai Releases Body-On-Frame Boulder Concept
Hyundai has never been a brand you’d associate with solid axles, mud-terrain tires, and the kind of trail abuse that defines the modern overland scene. But with the debut of the Hyundai Boulder Concept, it appears that story is about to change dramatically. Unveiled at the 2026 New York Auto Show, the Boulder isn’t just…
Chinese EV Maker BYD Plans Up to 20 Dealerships Across Canada
Selecting a vehicle platform to explore the globe is not a simple task. There are many factors that need to be considered, and wants and needs must be evaluated and ranked in terms of importance, cost and priority. While we all want a reliable and capable vehicle to take us there and back again, I…
Consumer Reports Lists Toyota Most Reliable. Again.
When it comes to overland travel, be it across a state, country, a continent or around the entire globe, vehicle reliability isn’t just a talking point, it’s the foundation of every remote mile traveled. According to the latest data from Consumer Reports released in December 2025, the brands most trusted to get you home again…
Ram Confirms Return of Midsized Pickup with the Nameplate You Expect
After more than a decade away from the midsize pickup segment, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis has officially confirmed its return with the revival of a familiar name: the Ram Dakota. Slated to debut in 2027 and reach dealerships shortly afterward as a 2028 model, the Dakota will mark Ram’s first entry into the highly competitive…
Chinese Wrangler Competitor Confirmed for Australia
Chinese vehicles of all shapes and sizes are taking automotive markets all around the world by storm. Everywhere, that is, except the USA where hefty tariffs are so far keeping those vehicles out. The BAW 212 T01 (often just called the 212) is the latest vehicle on the radar of overlanders and has just been confirmed…
Canada’s EV Moves Shake Up the Market
In a surprising pivot on February 5th, Canada’s Federal government announced that it is scrapping its national electric-vehicle sales mandate—a policy once positioned as a cornerstone of the country’s clean transportation transition. What had been a firm regulatory roadmap toward an all-EV auto market now gives way to a more flexible emissions-based system paired with…
Toyota Confirms Compact Pickup for US Market
It hardly needs to be said that Toyota North America has an excellent reputation in the midsize and full-size pickup arenas thanks to the well proven Tacoma and Tundra respectively. For more than 25 years these trucks have proven time and again to be extremely reliable and dependable for hundreds of thousands of miles on…
Supertramp Campers Announces New Paragon Camper
When Supertramp Campers first appeared on the overland scene in 2017, the Colorado builder quickly earned a reputation for doing things differently. Instead of relying on traditional aluminum framing and wood construction, Supertramp committed early to fully composite camper bodies—lighter, stronger, and far more resistant to the moisture problems that have plagued RVs for decades….
BYD Shark PHEV Outsells Toyota HiLux in Australia
In a year that will be talked about for decades, 2025 marked the moment plug-in electrified vehicles truly made themselves at home in the competitive Australian ute market. In a segment long dominated by diesel-burning workhorses—where names like HiLux and Ranger have been etched into the cultural DNA of farmers, tradies, and adventure seekers alike—something…
Canada Drops Chinese EV Tariffs
When it comes to foreign vehicle imports and tariffs, Canada has largely followed the US, especially when it comes to Chinese Electric Vehicles (EVs). The 100% import tariff imposed by Canada and the US effectively doubles the price of those vehicles. Not surprisingly, none of the Chinese automakers have established a presence because of that,…
Are Modern or Older Vehicles Best for Overland Travel?
The age-old question of which vehicle is best for overland travel is a hot topic. Some prefer a brand-new vehicle with low mileage, modern tech, and ultimate comfort; others swear by their tried-and-true (hopefully) trusty vehicle they’ve owned for a long time, one they know how to service and repair, and one that, typically (but…
Renogy 12.8V Super Slim Solid State Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery :: Field Tested
Lithium batteries are evolving rapidly, resulting in tumbling prices and new products every few months. At the forefront of consumer lithium batteries for over a decade, Renogy continues to iterate on well-proven solutions, pushing the envelope of what is possible. Its latest super-slim solid-state battery provides 104 amp-hours of energy in a tough metal enclosure…
The Old Telegraph Track
Photography by Dan Grec and Katie Harris While technically in the driver’s seat, what I’m doing can’t reasonably be called sitting. With the Jeep nearly vertical, the steering wheel is directly below me, and I’m pushing back hard to keep my body off the dashboard and my back against the seat. I can barely see…
Renogy IP67 Charger and 100 Pro Lithium Battery: Field Tested
Renogy has been relentlessly innovating its vehicle-based energy products since 2010. While the dual battery system I put together with Renogy products in 2015 functioned flawlessly for three years and 54,000 miles around Africa, Renogy’s latest round of products are more efficient and durable while being smaller and lighter. By incorporating customer feedback and real-world…
Crossing the Simpson Desert in the Footsteps of a Legend
I wake with a splitting headache, my body hurts all over, and I feel disconnected from reality. It takes a full 20 minutes to overcome heavy lethargy before I can crawl out of the swag and confirm Katie feels no better. With nets over our heads to block the unrelenting blowflies, we only feel worse…
Field Tested :: Renogy DCC30S Solar Charge Controller
Editor’s Note: This Fieldsheer article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2023 Issue. Dual-isolated batteries have been a fixture of overland vehicles for decades, and in recent years, the price of solar and lithium batteries has dropped enough to become the go-to choice. Correctly isolating batteries is essential to preserve the vehicle starting battery, and keeping batteries…