How much to spend on a Overlander?

[bgenlvtex]

Most of this thread smacks of jealousy and class warfare , but then it is 2022 and that seems to be what makes the world go around.

There are some astonishingly wealthy people in this world, disregarding entirely how they got that way, it should come as no surprise that they buy nice things.

If you somehow feel inadequate because your truck doesn't leave a puddle on money everywhere it goes, that's on you. If you feel superior because it does, that is also on you.

Personally I am a function over form, value buyer. I am not afraid of spending money, nor am I afraid of cobbling together something I can't or won't buy to the limits of my skills(and maybe a little beyond). I'm equally disinclined to value criticism form somebody in an Earth Roamer or a Meth Roamer. If you have an opinion and it is helpful or complimentary I'm happy to hear it, if you're there just to sling shit to satisfy your own inadequacy then just move along, I don't care what you think.

 

[Ubiety]

Most of this thread smacks of jealousy and class warfare , but then it is 2022 and that seems to be what makes the world go around.

There are some astonishingly wealthy people in this world, disregarding entirely how they got that way, it should come as no surprise that they buy nice things.

If you somehow feel inadequate because your truck doesn't leave a puddle on money everywhere it goes, that's on you. If you feel superior because it does, that is also on you.

Personally I am a function over form, value buyer. I am not afraid of spending money, nor am I afraid of cobbling together something I can't or won't buy to the limits of my skills(and maybe a little beyond). I'm equally disinclined to value criticism form somebody in an Earth Roamer or a Meth Roamer. If you have an opinion and it is helpful or complimentary I'm happy to hear it, if you're there just to sling shit to satisfy your own inadequacy then just move along, I don't care what you think.

Very well said!

 

[MMc]

I'll steal a line from Mike Doyal (surfer) "The best overlander is the guy that is having the most fun".

 

[MOAK]

Snob: I’m tired, I’m hungry, we’re running out of daylight, we’re settling for an organized campground cause it’s late, I gotta fold the tent out, get some chairs out, get the Coleman fired up for a perfect blue flame, cook, eat, collapse. Ah- the life. I’ve had nearly 10 or 15 people wanna ask about our rig, not about us but about our 80 & home built trailer, over the past 3 weeks. Some have even taken photos of it. If I don’t take the 10-15 minutes to entertain a stranger with my history, because of all of the above reasons, does that put me in the “snob” category? Or, should the person have at least waited until we were settled in, relaxing, and cracking open the flask? Snob? We’ve been traveling our entire lives, I’ve only ever met 2 or 3 snobs my entire life and 2 of them was my ex wife and ex mother-in-law, the other may have been a Frenchman, ( but that’s a false stereotype, ) so probably only 2. Yup, I’m tired, I’m hungry, I’ve been driving all day, but I feel great. Snob? Still trying to figure that one out. Did you label them a snob because they were in an earth cruiser? You know, kinda like the beautiful girl that you were afraid to talk to, so to let yourself off the hook, found it easy to label her, and all beautiful girls, snobs or stuck up? BTW, to your question, I drive a vintage foreign made station wagon, I paid a bit over 8,000 for it over 8 years ago and I’ve dumped another 8k or so into it, and about 10k into our trailer and all our gear. Snob or not? What’s your verdict?

 

[bcmedicxj]

It's really not about the money. What matters is...is your rig safe, reliable and does it get you where you want to go? Does it meet your needs and expectations? My rig has always got me where I wanted to go and did not cost a fortune. Would I take it on the Pan-Am Hwy? Of course not, that's what Earthroamers and tricked out Yotas are for. Are you a weekender or a full timer? Do you travel the narrow trails of the east or the wide -open western trails? Overlanders are an amazing cross section of society. Different backgrounds, cultures and economic status. I've met some great people from all walks of life while on the trail. What brings us all together is the love of adventure and the great outdoors.

 

[RJ Howell]

The dude in the 2”-lifted Dodge Duster with a lot of trail rash, ground tent and sleeping bag thrown into the hatch is infinitely more bad-ass then the dude in the tricked out Gladiator.

Duster dude is who I wanna offer a beer to.

I do get that!
I turned over 5 gallons of water to a dessert neighbor growing herbs on his site as he travels. I had it to spare & was about to 'water up' again. Grabbed his trash as well on my way out, as I ha my own to take care of.

I love these folks! Travel with what they have. Enjoy where they are. Willing to share whatever they have. Plenty of stories and great local info!

I took nothing, left only an impression.

 

[old_man]

There are parallels in almost any endeavor. I come from a rock crawling background. We have a saying, chrome don't get you home. You see people spend $60k on a vehicle and they strut around saying how good of a driver they are since they have all the fancy toys.

In the 60's, being on ski patrol, lots of people in the lodge were bragging about the latest gear and how much they spent, but you would not see them on the double black diamond runs.

I drive what I consider a nice rig. To replace it would cost a pretty penny, but I have it because I love designing and fabricating and I married a city girl.

 

[rgallant]

I covered vast amounts of BC and parts of Alberta in an old 5 speed R50 Pathfinder, just added OME springs for a slight lift. Slept in the back with minimal gear in my 50's, it was a 3000.00 CDN purchase. Never let me down, was limited in capability as far complex obstacles. But I spent 7 days and 3000KM in that truck without a problem, about 2400 on FSR's.

It does not take a lot of money, you just need want to go.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

Agreed @rgallant. Anything that you can buy and get some gear to stay comfortable you are set. Just go!

 

[MidOH]

You can find mint condition 1997 Xj's, rust free, for under $8000 all over. Add $4000 more for fresh suspension, wheels, and tires. And you have something that slaughters nearly every Landrover or 4runner on here. And unlike a Discovery, XJ's are reasonable to work on.

If you want to do budget, you can do budget. If you want to go fullsize camping, go do fullsize camping.

 

[rgallant]

@MidOH I wish here in BC all XJ's pretty beat, and old Discovery's' are about the simplest thing to work on for a V8 made 2004 or earlier

 

[MidOH]

I'd never buy one up north. Its worth a plane ride.