Someone I know who has been in the adventure travel industry for many years told me that we are currently in a “creativity crisis.” He thinks we’re stuck in a rut and that very few truly new ideas have been filtering into the overland world lately. I had this claim front and center in my…
Category Archives: Camper and Trailer
Volkswagen Expands the ID. Buzz Lineup for 2027 With New Tourer Camping-oriented Model
Volkswagen has announced the return of the Volkswagen ID. Buzz for the 2027 model year after a brief hiatus in 2026, introducing a revised trim structure and a new camping-focused Tourer variant aimed at buyers seeking a more versatile electric van experience. While the retro-inspired ID. Buzz has already attracted considerable attention for its design…
The Rigs of Overland Expo West 2026
I only had one day to cover Overland Expo West this year, so I had to make it count. Luckily, that day was Friday, historically a quieter time on the grounds of Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, Arizona, so there was plenty of space and time to wander the parking lots, vendor area, and…
Mammoth Overland’s XLE Blends Overland Travel with Advanced Security Features
A few years ago, our overnight compound in West Africa was infiltrated by armed men who beat the staff and briefly interrogated me. After shots rang out and before the intruders reached us, I moved my family into a room and had my wife and son barricade the door while I slipped into the shadows…
Winnebago Launches the Arka, a Purpose-Built Off-Grid Adventure Truck
Winnebago Industries has introduced the new Arka, an overland-focused adventure truck that signals the company’s continued push into the growing off-grid and backcountry travel market. The Arka is generating considerable buzz across social media, with many quick to compare it to vehicles like the EarthCruiser. While there are certainly similarities in concept, the two platforms…
2008 Toyota Tundra and OEV Alpine Camper :: Feature Vehicle
Our 1990 Toyota Pickup, affectionately named “Little Red,” has been our go-to adventuremobile since 2013. It has seen a couple of continents and a few revisions along the way, but it remains an antiquated, underpowered, 36-year-old minitruck. It does a wonderful job of scoot-ing through moderately sized whoops, narrow trails, and soft sand while the…
Overland News of the Week, May 8th, 2026
The New Thule Widesky Rooftop Tent Is a Looker The Thule Widesky is an attractive two-person hardshell rooftop tent designed to balance quick setup with improved comfort in camp. Its gas-strut-assisted design allows the tent to deploy in seconds, while a durable aluminum shell and recycled fabric construction provide weather resistance and longevity. Inside, a…
Principles of Overlanding 12V Fridges: Choosing the Right Size and Power for Real-World Travel
For this episode of The Overland Journal Podcast, hosts Scott and Matt discuss choosing overland 12-volt fridges over coolers, advocating for the smallest necessary size (25–35 liters for one/two, 45–55 liters for small families) to avoid heavy slides and oversized units (like an 80-liter unit for just drinks). They compare chest/drawer fridges to less-efficient door-opening…
Fly and Drive South Africa
For the last few years, my wife, Luisa, and I have been contemplating our future as overland travelers. In the past, we have almost exclusively shipped our vehicle to different continents. However, we have realized that shorter, more intense journeys—where we forego the expense and bureaucracy of shipping and instead use the money saved to…
Greenlander Sherpa: Natural Fiber Construction Meets Modern Expedition Travel
Almost a decade ago, I left my Defender parked up and headed out for a morning walk across the plateau above the sandstone spires of Cappadocia, Turkey. The night before, we had sat beside a small campfire, sipping wine and watching a white camper on the far side of the valley search for a place…
Overland News of the Week, April 24th, 2026
ARB Launches Modular Bed Rack for Ford F-150 Trucks While the ARB bed rack has been available for 3rd-Gen Tundra and Tacoma owners for some time now, the brand has introduced a new model for 2021 to 2024 Ford F-150 truck owners. The bed-mounted system offers storage options on top, underneath, outside, and inside the…
LifeStraw Escape Water Purifier :: Field Tested
The LifeStraw Escape is a hard-wearing, 20-liter water-purification solution designed to pressurize via a built-in hand pump—no electricity required. This system stores raw water in a thick-walled, barrel-shaped tank (18 x 13.75 inches) with a spigot, providing a self-contained water supply setup for contexts where water safety is paramount. At its core is a three-stage…
Dometic Launches Free Gear-Equipped Getaways to Reconnect Urban Dwellers with the Outdoors
Global outdoor technology company Dometic has launched a new experiential initiative to help urban residents reconnect with nature. The program, launching in Los Angeles, offers a series of 17 fully equipped, 36-hour outdoor getaways designed to remove the barriers that often prevent people from spending time outdoors. The concept is straightforward. Participants enter a draw…
ARI Motors Unveils 458 Pro Camper, Germany’s Smallest Electric Motorhome
Anyone who has traveled through Europe in a camper will know that vehicles larger than a van can quickly become impractical on narrow, cobbled streets and confined urban lanes. For those content with modest speeds, limited range, and a compact living area, the 458 Pro Camper presents a workable solution. Would it suit overland travel?…
Buyers’ Guide to Micro Campers and Trailers
The Quinta Lala campsite in Cusco, Peru, is something of an informal summit for the global overland tribe. On any given morning, a traveler will find an eclectic lineup of expedition vehicles scattered across the sloping green lawn, just a stone’s throw from the ancient walls of Sacsayhuamán. After the first coffee of the day,…
Prattline Low Tow: A Telescopic Caravan Reimagined for Modern Off-Grid Travel
When I was six years old, I proudly led my entire grade on the walk from Parkhurst Primary School in Johannesburg to my house, which was adjacent to the corner of the rugby field. There, I beamed proudly as I gave the children a tour of my family’s brand-new caravan; it was 1979, and this…
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…
Jen Young on Outdoorsy and the Entrepreneur’s Journey
Overland Journal Podcast host Scott Brady interviews Outdoorsy co-founder, Jennifer Young, about how her burnout from advertising led her to launch the peer-to-peer vehicle rental marketplace (an “Airbnb of overlanding”) in 2014, growing to 200+ employees. Outdoorsy has expanded into the Outdoorsy Destination Network (campgrounds) and the Roamly insurance business. The platform highlights overlanding’s growth…
Invader Viator: South African Brand Expands Its Premium Off-Road Camper Line
We recently published a Pop-top and Expandable Living Buyers’ Guide, which provided a useful opportunity to review the market and assess the range of available camper trailers, along with their features, strengths, and compromises. That exercise reinforced my view that a pop-top remains one of the most effective solutions for long-distance overland travel, offering a…
Overland Conservation: Tundra
Photography by Coen Wubbels We are called by the wild, the spaces where we can turn 360 degrees without seeing another human, paved road, electric wire, or crop field. At times, though, we misunderstand history while we crave for calm. We begrudge other humans intruding onto land that used to be “undiscovered.” But this is…