Colossal, enormous, gargantuan, titanic, gigantic, these are just a few words that could be used to describe this truck. Of course, you could also call it luxurious, comfortable, capable, and overland ready. That’s because it’s a 2012 Global Expedition Vehicle, designed and manufactured for exploring the far reaches of the globe in complete serenity. It…
Abenteuer and Allrad 2018
Europeans are famously prolific travelers, so it is no surprise then that the largest overland show on the planet is to be found in the town of Bad Kissingen, located in beautiful central Germany. We have had the good fortune of attending the Abenteuer & Allrad (Adventure and All-wheel Drive) in 2017 and again in…
First Annual Roverlander of the Year Winners
First Annual Roverlander of the Year Winners We here at Overland Journal and Expedition Portal love our canines. In fact, we’ve thought of making pup ownership a requirement for employment. Many of us have hiked, camped, and overlanded with our four-legged adventurers, so we were excited to read all of the stories and photos we…
Trail Advisory: San Juan National Forest to Close
The San Juan National Forest (SJNF) is amongst the most beautiful overland destinations in North America, but if your summer plans lead you there, you may want to check their website. According to the SJNF rangers, a stage three fire closure is expected to be signed into place tomorrow, due to extreme drought conditions. The…
The Trucks, Campers, and Trailers of Expo West 2018
For the past few years, Overland Expo has had the misfortune to be plagued by wind, rain, and snow. This year, the tides turned, and we found there was a torrent of a different kind: a flood of new people and amazing four-wheel drives. Vintage vehicles of every shape and size were set up throughout…
Overland Routes | Big Bend National Park
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Summer 2016. They say that everything is bigger in Texas, and standing in the heart of Big Bend National Park you’d sure believe it. It’s a land of burning sunsets, soaring mesas, and enchanting vistas that sprawl toward the horizon until meeting softly with the deep blue…
First Impressions: AT Overland Summit Camper
Just last week we released an article on a new wedge shell from Vagabond Outdoors. It challenged the existing options from Go Fast Campers, and we knew it was only a matter of time before AT Overland released their own wedge shell. After all, we had first talked to them about it over a year…
Old-School Cool: Classic 4x4s of Overland Expo
When it comes to four-wheel drives, most of us have our brand loyalties. Heck, we even debate which tires, tents, and other accessories are best. But if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that vintage four-wheel drives are awesome. It doesn’t matter if their lines are sharp and square or round and…
The Best Seat in the House: Scheel-Mann Vario F XXL
We evaluate a lot of gear here at Expedition Portal and Overland Journal. Tents, trucks, bags, fridges, and recovery equipment are regularly used and reviewed by our team, and normally the write-ups are pretty straightforward. We cover their specifications, talk about our expectations, and determine how well the product ended up meeting them. But today…
Vagabond Outdoors Drifter Shell
The pop-top camper shell market has exploded with activity lately. It started with the release of the AT Overland habitat back in 2016 and then heated up with the Go Fast Camper (GFC) which hit the market earlier this year. Now a new contender has entered the ring, and it’s called the Drifter. The Drifter…
An Overland Camper for $38K
We see a lot of trucks pass through our for sale sections, and I’d be lying if I said we didn’t browse through most of them to see what new hotness is on the market. Usually the coolest vehicles are snatched up and sold quickly, but every now and then one manages to fall through…
Video of the Week: Timeless Adventure
For this week’s video, we’re taking a second look at this beautiful Jeep and teardrop trailer combo owned by Larry Shank. The pair was originally purchased and built by his father, and Larry spent his childhood bumping around the backroads of the United States in the passenger seat. Over the years he has lovingly preserved…
BFGoodrich KM3 Review
In 1980, BFGoodrich introduced an unconventional tire that would forever change the way we thought about off-road traction. They called it the T/A Mud-Terrain, “T/A” borrowed from their successful line of street-performance offerings, and the latter for the type of terrain it would call home. It was the first such tire with an aggressive tread…
The State of Overlanding: Preservation, Treading Lightly, and the Instagram Influx
In 2018, environmentalism, conservation, and preservation are common terms. Most of us are aware of the damage society has inflicted on the natural treasures we love, and, in turn, we make conscious efforts to save these wonders. But it wasn’t always so. Back in the late sixties, pollution was rampant, lake and rivers were treated…
Everyday Four-Wheel Drives of Australia
G’day, mate! If you’ve come here to take a squizz at some of the four-wheel drives rolling around Australia, you’re in the right place. On our last trip to this speccy country, we picked up more than just some ripper new slang. We also brought back heaps of photos of cool fourbies from coast to…
Field Tested: Buckstop Bumpers
When Ford designed the Excursion, it’s clear that they had a few things in mind; durability, reliability, and versatility for example, but somehow I doubt overlanding made the list. Despite its solid axles, massive payload, abundant storage space, and diesel motor, this truck has a couple issues that can make four wheel drive touring difficult,…
The Last “New” XV-JP
Some years back EarthRoamer made a small batch of vehicles they called the XV-JP. These Jeep Wrangler based campers included all of the luxuries you’d want for comfortable road living wrapped in a surprisingly compact and capable package. It was an extremely cool concept, but unfortunately the platform never took off, and they were soon…
ExPo Classifieds: An Ugly HJ45 Camper
Today, we find a very interesting vehicle for sale on the forums. It’s a right-hand drive 1978 Toyota HJ45 diesel pickup that was originally sold in Africa but has somehow found its way to Kodiak, Alaska. The “old Landy” as the name on the camper shell suggests, should be rather cool, but there’s a catch….
Adventure Interview: Advanturing
If you follow vanlifers on Instagram, chances are that you’ve spotted Advanturing’s flat black sprinter along the way. It looks a little like Batman designed a delivery truck, and we’re digging it. Apparently, others do as well, because over the last few years this adventurous couple has accumulated over 20,000 followers on Instagram, and that number…
On the Lizard’s Tail
I took a deep breath, letting the cool mountain air fill my lungs. The crisp smell of snow and pine was invigorating, and I inhaled again, letting the sensation wash over me. It was a perfect morning. A fresh layer of powder was coating the ground from the previous night’s storms, and it muffled the…