The electric #vanlife has finally arrived in Canada, and Kia is leading the charge with one of the most interesting new commercial vehicles to hit the market in years. The all new Kia PV5 is scheduled to reach Canadian dealerships in the fourth quarter of 2026, bringing a purpose built electric cargo van designed from…
Category Archives: News
Geotrek Flatiron Balances Compact Dimensions With Practical Off-Grid Capability
It is no secret that we are not a #vanlife kind of family. A while back, I wrote an article for my website that may have included an introduction comparing overlanding to Hendrix and #vanlife to Nickelback. It might also have mentioned that the good news for #vanlifers—after they had been berated for 500 words—was…
Trail Feast and Benchmade on the Alvord Playa
The Alvord Desert is one of our favorite locations in the entire USA, so when an invitation from knife maker Benchmade popped into our inbox, inviting us to a weekend of food, fun, and friends, we jumped at the opportunity. We loaded our gear into a Geotrek van and headed east from Bend, a little…
Fix Manufacturing Tools :: Field Tested
Long after my poor father gave up on trying to teach me anything mechanical, he did at least instill one important bit of wisdom: the whole “right tool for the job” thing is real. I spent $39 on a tool whose sole job is to hold my drivetrain in place so I can spin the…
Overland News of the Week, July 31, 2026
AEV FX370 Upgrades the Ford Super Duty American Expedition Vehicles has introduced the FX370, an upgrade package for Ford Super Duty pickups. Designed around 37-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 tires, the conversion adds a 4-inch DualSport RT suspension with AEV-tuned Bilstein 5100 shocks and 18-inch Salta XD wheels. Stamped-steel front and high-clearance rear bumpers provide…
The Vashon Ranger Goes Way Overland
Just a few miles from my home in western Montana lies the sprawling Frank Church-River of No Return and Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness complex. At 3.6 million acres (approximately 14,500 km²) in size and spanning multiple US Forest Service districts across Idaho and Montana, this is far and away the largest swath of protected wilderness in the…
Addax Outdoors Introduces 2027 Basecamp Jeep-Licensed Camping Trailer
Trailers have recently become part of my travel lifestyle, and the more time I spend towing a conventional model, the more I find myself wanting something more robust, with greater ground clearance and capable off-road tires. The newly introduced 2027 Addax Basecamp may answer that need. Manufactured in Salt Lake City, Utah, this compact, configurable…
BMW and Toyota Are Testing 100% Renewable Gasoline
The North American automotive industry has largely framed the future of vehicle propulsion as a choice between gasoline and electricity. Sadly, diesel sales for light- and medium-duty vehicles took a nosedive as a result of the VW “dieselgate” scandal of 2015 and have never recovered. Now BMW and Toyota are exploring an entirely new path,…
VW Considers Off-Road SUV for US Market
After reviving the Scout name as a dedicated American off-road brand, Volkswagen is now openly discussing the possibility of adding a traditional body-on-frame SUV to its own Volkswagen lineup in the US. If approved, the vehicle would take direct aim at Toyota Land Cruiser, Jeep Wrangler, and Ford Bronco, and could finally give Volkswagen a…
The Bug Wall :: Field Tested
The Bug Wall makes UV-resistant rear and side-door van screens for the Promaster, Mercedes Sprinter, and Ford Transit platforms (among others). I had considered screens like these made-in-the-USA liners for my Ram ProMaster van, but figured them unnecessary, what with the five windows with their own screens I’d installed and the vent fan pulling hot…
Texas-based REO Trucks Plans $21,500 Gas Pickup
For the last few decades, American pickup trucks have followed a predictable trajectory. Each new generation became larger, heavier, more powerful, and more expensive. What was once a compact work truck evolved into a full-size luxury vehicle that can easily cost more than $70,000. Now a new start-up believes there is room for something radically…
Airstream Expands World Traveler Lineup with More Affordable 17RB
Airstream has expanded its World Traveler lineup with the introduction of the new 17RB, a compact single-axle travel trailer designed to offer a more accessible entry point into the iconic American brand. With a starting price of $64,400, the 17RB becomes Airstream’s least expensive aluminum travel trailer while targeting solo travelers, couples, and first-time RV…
Norton Atlas Brings a Historic British Name to the Middleweight Adventure Market
I was barely six years old when my old man took me to the outbuilding of our home in Durban, South Africa, to reveal a rather special Christmas Day present. Sitting there among the stored boxes, garden equipment, and other nonessential but periodically useful items was a duck-billed Yamaha PW50. It was the happiest day…
French Tourists Fined for Off-road Driving in Iceland
Image credits: Klemenz Geir Klemenzson, Iceland Review A recent incident in Iceland has sparked outrage among locals and renewed calls for visitors to respect the country’s strict off-road driving laws. Two French tourists have paid heavy fines for driving off established tracks in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve in South Iceland, leaving visible damage across a…
2027 Toyota Tundra Gains Updated Styling, New Technology, and More Accessible Trailhunter Package
Toyota remains the king of long-distance, self-supported vehicle travel in the US and is updating the Tundra for the 2027 model year with revised exterior styling, a new generation of infotainment technology, and an expanded collection of driver-assistance features. The full-size pickup will also gain a Trailhunter package that brings factory-installed overlanding equipment to the…
Overland News of the Week, July 17, 2026
The Latest Iteration of the Shoei Hornet ADV Helmet Has Arrived “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies to Shoei’s established Hornet ASV platform, which has remained essentially unchanged since its inception in over a decade. Shoei’s new Hornet ADV 06 helmet, however, takes tried, tested, true and updates the helmet to meet the…
Scout Motors Revives an American Classic with the Traveler Spirit of ’26 Concept
The Scout was venturing deep into forests, climbing over mountain passes, and adventuring to the far corners of the United States long before overlanding became mainstream. They were simple but dependable and used to ferry fishing boats, to reach remote trails, and to camp. And as outdoor recreation surged in the 1970s, the Scout became…
New BDR-X Circles Hells Canyon
Never a group to let the dust settle on adventure riding, Backcountry Discovery Routes will introduce their new Hells Canyon BDR-X route on August 7. Look for it live from Idaho on YouTube at 7 pm Mountain time. The launch coincides with the Yamaha Ténéré Trek Owner’s Rally, staged at the Tamarack Resort in Donnelly,…
2027 Ram 1500 TRX SRT: Mega Speed, Mega Compromises
Overlanders are a specific breed. We look for very specific non-negotiable features in a truck, and go-fast has never been at the top of the list. We want power, sure, but we also want fuel economy, comfort, a high payload rating, and reliability. The 2027 Ram 1500 TRX SRT—yes, they brought back the Street and…
Chuckles Garage’s 1953 Ford “Nuke Van” Transforms a Cold War Relic into a Modern Overland Camper
Many years ago, an octogenarian English friend of mine—who remains fitter than many people half his age, suggested buying an armored Land Rover for overland travel. At the time, I dismissed the idea. Armored vehicles are heavy, expensive to maintain, and hardly ideal for crossing continents where fuel economy and payload matter. However, after several…