It’s been a banner year for Overland Expo—when Toyota launches an all-new Tacoma at your event, as they did in May at Overland Expo West in Flagstaff—you know you’ve hit the big time. The Pacific Northwest edition of the Expo saw big attendance numbers despite some record heat in central Oregon, and believe it or…
4x4electric Is Circumnavigating Africa in a Solar-Powered EV
It’s worth remembering that most of the first motor vehicles were electric. In the late nineteenth century, electrification was the hot technology, and forward-thinking engineers (like Ferdinand Porsche) were betting on batteries to drive humanity into the future. These were not energy-dense or range-efficient machines by any measure, but it’s interesting to think about where…
The ARB Earth Camper Joins the Trailer Wars
Quick, without thinking about it, name five overland brands right off the top of your head. Ten-to-one says ARB is one of them. The venerable Australian manufacturer has been a stalwart in the market for decades, with a wide array of products, both cutting-edge and very traditional. The off-road trailer market is still red hot,…
Lightship L1 Electrifies the RV Market :: Video
Lightship says their flagship camper, the Lightship L1, can be towed with near-zero range loss for EVs. This is a bold claim, and only real-world experience will back it up, but one thing is for certain: the L1 is a tour de force in the design department. Overland Journal’s Brian McVickers got a behind-the-scenes look…
The Everyman’s Overlander — Video of the Week
By the time I sat down with Pat Rich for a plate of tacos near his home in a Salt Lake City suburb in 2021, we had known each other for eight years and yet had never seen one another in the flesh. Thus is it often with internet friends. We first crossed paths in…
Ural Upgrades Gear Up Engine and Drivetrain for 2023
In the motorcycle world, there’s nothing quite like the Ural Gear Up. The Russian three-wheeled, side-car-ed, two-wheel drive ADV anarchist has soldiered across the globe through peacetime and wars both hot and cold since 1941, and very little about the bike has changed in the interim. But big shifts have been afoot at Ural. Currently…
onX Maps Offroad App Adds New Features
onX Maps has boosted its Offroad app with a new proprietary Route Builder feature. In recent years, the Montana-based company has made big waves in the GPS navigation world with its suite of online and offline mapping software that caters to many stripes of outdoor enthusiasts, including those of us that are drawn to the…
Rivian Is Adopting Tesla’s Supercharger Standard
Rivian is adopting Tesla’s Supercharger standard for its R1T and R1S 4x4s, as well as new models going forward. Auto manufacturers are slowly converging on a single charging structure for EVs in North America (the North American Charging Standard), and Tesla’s Supercharger network is by far the most robust, reliable, and extensive on the continent….
NHTSA Blocks Massachusetts Right to Repair Law
In a recent ruling, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has instructed auto manufacturers to ignore a 2020 Massachusetts right to repair statute that allows third-party repair facilities and owners access to vehicle data that automakers claim is proprietary to themselves and dealers only. In a letter to manufacturers obtained by Reuters, federal regulators…
Overland Expo PNW—July 7-9, 2023
I’ve always considered Oregon—especially the Eastern desert regions—to be an overlooked and underrated overlanding destination. Like all Western states, Oregon contains a huge variety of landscapes, and they belie the rain- and IPA-soaked Portlandia stereotypes. Nearly 53% of the state is public land, and there are many miles of dirt to explore, from Arch Rock…
Is the Toyota Land Cruiser Coming Back?
Toyota’s been locked in low range and on a serious roll lately with their four-wheel drive lineup. The fully re-engineered Tundra and Sequoia hit dealerships last year, and the all-new 2024 Tacoma will be available in the overland-oriented Trailhunter package starting later this fall. The latest Lexus GX model just launched with serious off-road-focused performance…
Helinox Lightweight Camp Furniture :: Field Tested
Camp furniture suffers some of the most constant and careless abuse of any of our gear. Left out in the rain, pounded with UV rays, tossed into the back of pickups, and subjected to pets, kids, and adults generally using chairs and tables hard every day in camp means we tend to replace them frequently….
Honda Will Sell the Transalp Adventure Bike in America
The mid-size adventure motorcycle market has seen quite a few entrants in recent years, with welter-weight ADV bikes from nearly all the major manufacturers (and most of the small ones) available, save for one. That may be changing as it appears Honda will offer its XL750 Transalp adventure bike for sale in the US. Currently…
The EarthCruiser Evado Is a Van for Global Travel
When EarthCruiser (EC) announces a new model, it’s big news. The Bend, Oregon-based manufacturer moves methodically, only adding the TerraNova expedition vehicle to its long-standing Mitsubishi- and Isuzu-platformed EarthCruisers in the last year. But they’re on a roll now, with plans to develop a Hummer EV expedition truck in direct partnership with GMC, as well…
VAHNA Motorcycle Film Festival – Submissions Now Open
VAHNA, a lushly illustrated and beautifully written print magazine that features motorcycle stories from all over the globe, has announced that submissions are open for the 2023 VAHNA Motorcycle Film Festival and competition presented by Triumph Motorcycles. The festival tour “[celebrates] the art of motorcycle cinematography [and] offers filmmakers a platform to showcase their unique…
Mercedes VAN.EA Platform To Launch in 2026
Starting in 2026, Mercedes-Benz will be moving all of its van architecture to modular EV underpinnings for both commercial and private applications. The upcoming Mercedes VAN.EA platform is different from the new 2024 eSprinter that just launched in North America. It will consist of a common front module that includes batteries and an electric motor…
Overland Expo West 2023—Top Gear
With hundreds of exhibitors setting up shop at Overland Expo West—by far the largest overland event in North America—the wave of products, gear, and upgrades, both well-proven and brand new, takes center stage. Many of us from the Overland Journal and Expedition Portal teams spent hours hiking the aisles of Expo’s vendor village, and we…
Overland Expo West 2023—Top Ten Rigs
April showers bring May rigs; at least, that’s how it works at Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, Arizona. The annual global overland event wrapped up last weekend, and owners and exhibitors of all stripes brought out the newest and most impressive hardware on the road. Two wheels or four, there’s something for everyone—from giant, world-trekking…
Land Rover 75th Diamond Jubilee, June 14-18, 2023
Land Rover celebrates 75th Diamond Jubilee, and while my own Defender is only a touch over 30 years old, sometimes it feels like it’s 75. No matter—three-quarters of a century of off-road adventure is something worth celebrating for this segment-defining brand. The Association of North American Land Rover Clubs (ANARC) is holding its 75th Diamond…
Long-Term Review :: Decked x BoxoUSA Off-Road Tool Bag with Tool Roll
When I trundled up to the Hans Flat Ranger Station in Canyonlands National Park’s Maze district in my 1992 Land Rover Defender, I fully admit to feeling nervous. I was, as Edward Abbey puts it in Desert Solitaire, going “under the rim” for the first time—and alone. In a 30-year-old Land Rover. The Maze district…