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Graeme Bell Archive, Page 4

Australia’s Tekton Lightweight CX-Series Composite Camper Canopy Revolutionizes the Overland Pickup Platform

Tekton Expedition Vehicles, based east of Melbourne, has introduced the CX-Series, a composite camper canopy designed to transform pickup trucks and utility vehicles into compact expedition platforms. Developed as part of the company’s expanding lineup of off-road travel equipment, the CX-Series aims to address common challenges associated with traditional touring canopies, including weight, thermal inefficiency,…

Mohab to Sponsor Overland Expo SoCal 2026 Ahead of Spring Launch

A relatively new overland adventure gear and mobile habitat company, Mohab (formerly imCamper), has announced it will sponsor Overland Expo SoCal 2026, scheduled to take place on March 14-15, 2026, at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California. The sponsorship comes ahead of the company’s planned North American launch later in the…

Custom 1989 Toyota Corolla GT-S “AWDROLA” Set to Compete in 2026 Mint 400 Gambler/Hooptie-X Class

A project that began as a digital concept shared on Instagram has developed into a sanctioned desert race entry. Randy Wimenta and co-driver Will Wimenta are preparing to compete in the 2026 Mint 400 in the Gambler/Hooptie-X Modified class, campaigning a custom-built 1989 Toyota Corolla GT-S known as AWDROLA that we featured on Expedition Portal…

Optics for Overlanding

Over time, I’ve come to view optics as a quiet force multiplier. They stretch human vision beyond its factory settings. They help you see farther down the trail, closer at what your aging eyes can’t quite see, and deeper into the dark when your imagination is running wild. In remote travel, where recovery trucks do…

Espionage Charges Bring 10-Year Term for British Overlanders in Tehran

More than five years after the high-profile detention of two Australian bloggers, another overland journey through Iran would end in far lengthier imprisonment. British nationals Craig Foreman and Lindsay Foreman, both in their 50s, entered Iran on December 30, 2024 during a round-the-world motorcycle expedition. They crossed from Armenia with valid tourist visas, an approved…

Light It Up

It was a hot, muggy night in early 2019. We had driven most of the day on terrible, muddy tracks and arrived in a small Gabonese town just before sunset. The air was thick with smoke, as much of the local economy seemed dedicated to turning healthy trees into charcoal, alongside the extraction of palm…

Will the Rivian R2 Be the Key to Reaching a Larger Market and Boosting Deliveries?

Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian this week moved its newest SUV prototype from design labs to public roads, inviting a select group of journalists and creators to Southern California for a pre-production drive event of its next model, the R2. The event, held in the canyons surrounding the company’s headquarters in Irvine, California, marked a notable…

Trinitē Road Rally Announces Inaugural 2026 Event in Northern California, Concluding at Sonoma Raceway

The Trinitē Road Rally has announced plans for its inaugural event, scheduled to take place from May 4 through May 7, 2026, in the Golden Gate and Northern California regions, culminating at Sonoma Raceway. The rally’s organizers are associated with the team behind Rebelle Rally, and describe the event as a motorsport experience designed to…

Overland News of The Week, February 13th, 2026

Warn Industries Introduces Compact, Low-Profile Zeon XC Winches for Trucks and SUVs Warn Industries has expanded its Zeon winch lineup with the new Zeon XC, a low-profile, compact version designed for trucks and SUVs. Built in Clackamas, Oregon, the Zeon XC delivers the same core performance as the Zeon XD while offering easier fitment in…

The Awaken RV MorningStar-i

A mural of UFC fighter Justin Gaethje on the side of Ginaveve’s Market Place in Safford, Arizona, feels like the perfect marker for the kind of country the Awaken RV MorningStar-i is built for. Just outside town, the gravel road into Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area leads to scattered campsites, wide-open desert, and even a…

Buyers Guide :: Pop-top and Expandable Living

For close to a year, whenever my mind was free to wander as we trundled along on our North American journey, it kept returning to one persistent question: how could I design and build a camper on my Defender that would accommodate four adult-size people, preserve the vehicle’s off-road capability and on-road nimbleness, and still…

Flex Automotive Brings Japan’s Classic Land Cruisers to the US—and Invites Buyers to Travel to Japan to Take Delivery

Buying a classic four-wheel-drive vehicle is almost always an exciting experience, yet the nostalgia tied to its past is often limited to small clues left behind in a glove compartment or tucked beneath the seats, particularly when the vehicle is purchased in largely original condition. The history is there, but it is usually fragmented, abstract,…

The Blackcamp Freeda Camping Trailer Is Turning Heads and Going Viral

True innovation has become increasingly difficult to find, with many new products amounting to variations on existing ideas, differentiated only by incremental—if occasionally meaningful—design changes. The Blackcamp Freeda trailer stands apart from this pattern, combining a genuinely fresh approach to compact trailer design with a marketing strategy that is clearly as well considered as the…

Off Highway Van Unveils Significant Upgrades and a 3D Van Configurator

Off Highway Van, the Salt Lake City–based adventure vehicle builder known for its bespoke, high-end, off-grid camper vans, has unveiled its most comprehensive set of updates yet for the 2026 model year, alongside a new interactive 3D configurator designed to give prospective buyers a clearer and more intuitive way to plan and visualize their custom…

All-New Toyota HiLux Makes Its European Debut at the 2026 Brussels Motor Show

Toyota has presented the all-new 9th-generation HiLux at the 2026 Brussels Motor Show, marking the pickup’s first official European appearance since its global unveiling. This moment continues a journey that has seen more than 27 million HiLux vehicles sold worldwide, underscoring its long-standing role in markets that value durability and adaptability. Globally, reactions have been…