International Jeep Overland Discussion

[alanymarce]

I drove a bone-stock TJ from Alaska to Argentina, and then drove my "camperised" JK all the way around Africa.
That's a bit over 100k miles through 55 countries around the world.

My advice - and it isn't always received well - is to modify the least amount of stuff you can.
All that money you're pouring into a new engine or axles will only decrease reliability & serviceability, AND it means you'll spend years and years working more than you have to if you did without them.
(Trust me, I tried a diesel conversion, and it was a HUGE fail - money and time sink).

The 4.0 in your LJ is bomb proof, and you'll never be able to fit enough gear in there to make it super-heavy anyway, so the axles should be fine.
What makes you think you need to upgrade them?

Two things to keep in mind:

1. International overlanding is NOT wheeling. It is NOT off roading. It is simply backroading.
If you're trying to get somewhere (border crossing, river, lake, mountain, temple, whatever), then there is a road, and locals are driving that road in rusted out vehicles with bald tires and broken 4x4.
You will make it in any decent 4x4 with good tires.

2. You're going on the trip to VISIT monuments, the goal isn't to drive one.

-Dan

Love the last phrase!

Agree completely - as standard as possible. I put 175,000 Km on the 4.0L engine and it didn't miss a beat. Spend a bit of money on overhauling the vehicle as it is. The less you spend on new kit and modifications the sooner you can hit the road.

 

[zb39]

My friends who are doing this now and have been for years in Africa and South/central America tell me things. 90% of your driving will be on paved roads, 9% will be on dirt or gravel roads that the locals drive all manor of crappy cars on with no trouble. 1% might be actual offroad. Enjoy your trip

 

[Dan Grec]

My friends who are doing this now and have been for years in Africa and South/central America tell me things. 90% of your driving will be on paved roads, 9% will be on dirt or gravel roads that the locals drive all manor of crappy cars on with no trouble. 1% might be actual offroad. Enjoy your trip

That percentage varies greatly depending on the individual person's choices.
Yes, you could easily drive around the world and do less than 10% off pavement if you want. I met people that drive West Africa and were sad they only used 4x4 twice.

Or, if you choose, you can also go out of your way to zig-zag and seek out the gravel and rougher sections. Depending on where you are in the world the off-pavement can easily be 70% of the time.

But I think you're correct that the "actual offroad" is around 1% - because in all honesty if you're trying to get someplace interesting (border, mountain, lake, river) then there is a road that someone has driven before you. It might be rough, but as you said it's passable in a rusty vehicle with bald tires and broken 4x4.

-Dan

 

[alanymarce]

My friends who are doing this now and have been for years in Africa and South/central America tell me things. 90% of your driving will be on paved roads, 9% will be on dirt or gravel roads that the locals drive all manor of crappy cars on with no trouble. 1% might be actual offroad. Enjoy your trip

That percentage varies greatly depending on the individual person's choices.
Yes, you could easily drive around the world and do less than 10% off pavement if you want. I met people that drive West Africa and were sad they only used 4x4 twice.

Or, if you choose, you can also go out of your way to zig-zag and seek out the gravel and rougher sections. Depending on where you are in the world the off-pavement can easily be 70% of the time.

But I think you're correct that the "actual offroad" is around 1% - because in all honesty if you're trying to get someplace interesting (border, mountain, lake, river) then there is a road that someone has driven before you. It might be rough, but as you said it's passable in a rusty vehicle with bald tires and broken 4x4.

-Dan

Yes - very much dependent on individual interest. Our experience is (rough estimates):

Africa - 60% surfaced, 35% unsurfaced but not "offroad", 5% "offroad"
South America - 80% surfaced, 18% unsurfaced but not "offroad", 2% "offroad"
Australia - 60% surfaced, 38% unsurfaced but not "offroad", 2% "offroad"
Europe and Asia - 95% surfaced, 5% unsurfaced but not "offroad", almost no "offroad"
North America - 90% surfaced, 10% unsurfaced but not "offroad", almost no "offroad"