Member Introductions *NEW MEMBERS INTRODUCE YOURSELF*

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roots66

Local Expert, Texas USA
Launch Member
Member

Member III

3,477
Weir, TX, USA
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Roots
Member #

16968

Service Branch
USAF
Hey all, hope all is well and turkey day is going awesome. I finally sat down, down loaded the app and trying to figure it all out.
Rig: 2012 Chevy Silverado
Location: Camarillo CA.
History: Grew up in Wyoming hunting and fishing. 21 yr Airforce Doghandler Vet. Haven't be out exploring CA since moving out here 2 yrs ago.
Anyway. Thanks for the invite and the opportunity to get out of the house...
Hello Jim, welcome to the OB family and thank you for your service.
 
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roots66

Local Expert, Texas USA
Launch Member
Member

Member III

3,477
Weir, TX, USA
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Roots
Member #

16968

Service Branch
USAF
Hello all.
Happy Thanksgiving,I hope everyone has a wonderful day with family!
Just a quick introduction,my name is Dave and I am from Edmond,OK.
My name wife and I like to travel and explore in our 2018 JK Rubicon Recon.
We have been involved in the offroad community for a few years and have had many great trips around the midwest.
In years past I have been primarily into trail riding and rock crawling in my 1991 YJ Wrangler that I have built and upgraded over the years.
Nowadays though we are looking to do more long travel exploration and adventuring so to compliment our Rubicon I am currently building and adventure trailer that we can take along on our journeys.
I am excited to have discovered this community and I look forward to meeting like minded adventurous people!
Hello Dave, welcome to the OB family.
 
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roots66

Local Expert, Texas USA
Launch Member
Member

Member III

3,477
Weir, TX, USA
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Roots
Member #

16968

Service Branch
USAF
Hi! I'm Candice, recently relocated in Colorado (my native state) after being in California for 20+ years. I'm a rookie at overlanding and looking to learn about possible vehicle mods for my 2019 RAV4 Limited, and/or if mods are even necessary. I look forward to participating in a community where I can meet like minded people while enjoying the outdoors, each other or our vehicles. I used to camp with my dad a lot as a kid but have not gone camping much as an adult, so I'm hoping to get that spark for the joy of camping again. I think facing mother nature builds character and confidence. If you have any recommendations in Colorado for newbies like me in vehicles like mine, please do let me know! I'm looking forward to scenic drives, camping, hiking and learning about my vehicle and driving off-road skills!
Hello Candice, welcome to the OB family.
 
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roots66

Local Expert, Texas USA
Launch Member
Member

Member III

3,477
Weir, TX, USA
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Roots
Member #

16968

Service Branch
USAF
Hello!

My name is Reed, I'm from East Texas but in college right now at Dallas Baptist University. I drive a 2001 Jeep Wrangler T. I am pretty new to overlanding but not the outdoor lifestyle. I have loved camping and being outdoors all my life and have made great memories camping, backpacking, canoeing, climbing, etc. and now want to experience a new way to enjoy the outdoors through overlanding. I have been on a couple small trips already and loved it so I'm excited to learn and possibly hit some trails with some of y'all!
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Hello Reed (@burdetter16 ), welcome to Overland Bound. I am your Southwest Region Member Rep for Texas. Sounds like you are all set for adventure.

There are a couple DFW area meetups you can check out here: DFW OB meet and greet & DFW - Meet & Greet

Local information and involvement opportunities can be found here: Southwest Region (AZ/NM/TX/OK)

Looking to meet fellow members? Check out the Meet-Up event page: Overland Bound Meetups

Events in the SW region can be found here: Overland Bound Events SW Region

Want to know what members are planning? You can find out here: Overland Trip Planning

If you have any questions, please just let me know.
 
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roots66

Local Expert, Texas USA
Launch Member
Member

Member III

3,477
Weir, TX, USA
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Roots
Member #

16968

Service Branch
USAF
Location: San Diego, CA
Current Vehicle: 1993 Isuzu Trooper LS
Other Vehicle: 1990 Jeep Comanche
Overland Experience: Novice-like
Why Overlanding?: with a background in 4x4 exploring (no camping), backpacking, car-camping and such, it just seemed natural to upgrade the Trooper we'd used to haul Boy Scouts all over the Eastern Sierra and Berdoo, making it into a rig for my son, out dog and me. We're into it for the travel, for the remote fishing lakes, the backroads...
Hello Erik, welcome to the OB family.
 
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roots66

Local Expert, Texas USA
Launch Member
Member

Member III

3,477
Weir, TX, USA
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Roots
Member #

16968

Service Branch
USAF
Hi Everyone,
My name is Charlie I retired from the Navy in 1999 as a Chief Quartermaster (QMC). I retired from the Xerox Corporation in 2019. My Ham call sign is KD9AMZ. I live in South East Wisconsin and drive a 2013 Jeep Wrangler Sport. I am a Novice Overlander. Looking forward to traveling off the beaten path.
Hello Charlie, welcome to the OB family and thank you for your service.
 
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roots66

Local Expert, Texas USA
Launch Member
Member

Member III

3,477
Weir, TX, USA
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Roots
Member #

16968

Service Branch
USAF
Hey there,

Troy from Edmonton, AB, Canada, joined tonight (Nov 28, 2021).

Rig: '21 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon with Sky-One Touch
Trailer: Semi-custom off-road teardrop.

New to owning an overland rig and trailer, but first had experience with some of the lifestyle while beach camping in a 70 series on Fraser Island, Australia in 2004.

Why I joined:

It was August of 2020, the first summer of the pandemic that my wife and I were ground camping at Tunnel Mountain in Banff. Beside us was David and his DIY teardrop. After coming back from the restroom one day on our trip, my wife was at David's site looking at the teardrop. I meandered over to say hi and take a look. Like many, I had seen teardrops on the road, but never really got up close to one. David was sharing his story how he bought this DIY trailer off someone a year or so before, and spent as much time in it as possible. The ability to sleep off the ground, have shelter and a nice little kitchen setup with a roof appeared to be appealing to me. Was this something I have longed for but didn’t know about it?

I started to think about what life could be like if we had a trailer and a new tow vehicle. At the time we had three vehicles, all great, but nothing tow worthy. During this time, the new Bronco was all the rage. By the end of the weekend, I put down deposits for not one, but two new Bronco's. My first vehicle as an '88 Bronco II, so getting the new full-sized Bronco was quite appealing. Fast forward to today, we have a '21 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, and that story is for another time.

So now that a tow vehicle is on order, I went to my wife to say that I think my journey with the Audi, fast cars, race tracks and exotic cars was coming to a temporary end. As an Owner of a commercial interior architectural design firm, stress is always there. I knew I needed a change. And the sale of the Audi would be the means to get there. To me, the outdoors has always been a relief. At this time, I didn't really know what "overlanding" was. I knew it as adventuring by vehicle, didn't know there was a term for it. Yes, years earlier I had seen Expedition Overland on YouTube and watched a few videos, but that was it. So this was a all new to me and us.

So now that the seed was planed, I started to research trailer manufacturers. Locally there was Off Grid Trailers and Mission Overland. A few others as well, but being a designer and someone who wanted value, spending $40-60,000 cdn on the trailer didn't seem right. After more research, I found Northern Teardrop Trailer in Salmo, BC. Then I saw in person a trailer they built for a local Jeep/off-road shop on a custom chassis built by that shop. This got me thinking about doing the same.

By September 2020, my wife and I were near Salmo, BC and stopped in to see Dale at Northern Teardrop Trailer. He showed us his shop and shared his past construction experience as well as how they build their trailers. As someone who has been involved in large scale commercial construction projects, I was keen on Dale's attention to detail and how every year he makes tweaks to make the trailers better. They only build 20-22 trailers a year. As such, I knew that this thing would have a lot of quality controls in place which appealed to me. A couple of months later, with the Audi now sold, I sent in our deposit on November 18, 2020 knowing full well that we would be the last pick-up for 2021.

Over the course of 50 weeks, we worked with Dale on various details and tweaks. We also worked with Travis Kruger of Innovative Welding in Edmonton, AB on the chassis design/fabrication (he has done chassis for Off-Grid Trailer and Mission Overland). Taking queues of other trailers I liked, the chassis was designed and fabricated (see previous posts).

By April, 2020, we delivered the completed chassis to Northern Teardrop Trailer and there it would sit until it was done.

Fast forward to last month. I took a 3 day, 1800km round trip to get the trailer. Salmo, BC is about 900km SW from Edmonton. The most direct route from Edmonton, is via the Kootenay Pass which is part of the Crowsnest Highway. The Kootenay Pass is one of the highest highway-served passes in Canada that is open year-round, although it is frequently closed in bad weather for avalanche control and clearing of debris. As we were entering the winter season, there was a bit of concern of road conditions. A bit more of that to come.

The plan was:
- Day 1: Drive from Edmonton to Creston, with an overnight in Creston.
- Day 2: Drive from Creston to Northern Teardrop Trailer, get the trailer, and start to drive to Edmonton. Roads being a factor, maybe drive all the way back or find a hotel on the route.

Looking back, I have always had an adventurous spirit. It has gone dormant from time to time, but when it awakens from its sleep, it comes out bigger than ever. I'm not sure what the future holds. Do I continue to work and travel? Do I look at a new career that allows me more adventure time and the ability to disconnect a bit more? Do I find new life in my career as a designer? No idea. But what I do know is that this trailer is going to be a life changer, and just maybe it can help me encounter things I could never have imagined and help shape my life even more. As life continues, I'm sure to be on here more and more as well as reading other stories and exploring and being adventurous at every step of the journey.
Hello Troy, welcome to the OB family.
 

roots66

Local Expert, Texas USA
Launch Member
Member

Member III

3,477
Weir, TX, USA
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Roots
Member #

16968

Service Branch
USAF
Location: Colorado (mostly, I travel full time)

Rig: 2012 Toyota 4Runner Trail

Experience: Always learning!I’m on the trails,in the mountains, every day that I’m not required to be in the office. I’ve been living out of my 4Runner for a bit over a year, had a year out of an FJ Cruiser prior.

I’m happy to be member #41079 and look forward to trading stories and adventures!

My IG contact info is @nomadic_t4r
Hello Jason, welcome to the OB family.
 
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roots66

Local Expert, Texas USA
Launch Member
Member

Member III

3,477
Weir, TX, USA
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Roots
Member #

16968

Service Branch
USAF
Hey All. I’m Sam from Houston. I have a 2005 LR3. I’m incredibly new to overlanding. I have always wanted to do it, but found excuses why I couldn’t. If I’ve learned anything over the last couple of years it’s that there is no time like the present, so I finally decided to go for it. Looking forward to getting to know the local group, and having some fun.

Best,

SM
Hello Sam (@Greeneggssam ), welcome to Overland Bound. I am your Southwest Region Member Rep for Texas. Glad you finally took the leap. I'm sure you will have great adventures.

Houston area has this new Meet Up they just started: Recurring Bryan College Station Meet-up

If you are in the area, there is a San Antonio Meet Up here: San Antonio Monthly Meetup - Eisenhauer Park

Also, the one we attend is in Round Rock: Recurring - North Central Texas Meet & Greet

Local information and involvement opportunities can be found here: Southwest Region (AZ/NM/TX/OK)

Looking to meet fellow members? Check out the Meet-Up event page: Overland Bound Meetups

Events in the SW region can be found here: Overland Bound Events SW Region

Want to know what members are planning? You can find out here: Overland Trip Planning

If you have any questions, please just let me know.
 
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roots66

Local Expert, Texas USA
Launch Member
Member

Member III

3,477
Weir, TX, USA
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Roots
Member #

16968

Service Branch
USAF
Hello Fellow Adventurers. My name is Boyd. Just getting started doing some overland adventures with my two Jeep Grand Cherokees. My son drives my 2004 WJ as his primary so I am hoping he wants to explore the wilderness with me. Looking forward to learning from all the experience here and hopefully helping out when I can! Thank You for having me!
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Current Vehicle: 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
Other Vehicle: 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Special Edition
Overland Experience: Novice-like
Why Overlanding?: I do a lot of dual sport and off road motorcycle riding. I have found myself wanting to share my love of outdoors with other people that do not ride bikes. Also I have relearned the love of camping so I hope to get out and camp in some remote areas.
Hello Boyd, welcome to the OB family.
 
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roots66

Local Expert, Texas USA
Launch Member
Member

Member III

3,477
Weir, TX, USA
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Roots
Member #

16968

Service Branch
USAF
Hello! I'm a novice to overlanding but have been trail riding for a number of years. My rig is a 2007 Jeep JKUR still in the process of building. I share a cabin in Bear Gulch just outside of Twin Bridges Montana with other family members. I have not been up in a number of years but looking to put toghether a trip with the cabin being the end point. I'm sure there are lots of phenominal routes to do along the way. I'm sure I'll reach out for pointers and tips along the process.
Hello Trevor, welcome to the OB family.
 

trail_runn4r

US Rocky Mtn. Local Expert. Colorado: Denver Area
Member

Pathfinder III

4,815
Denver, CO, USA
First Name
Carlo
Last Name
Donzelli
Member #

16845

Location: Colorado (mostly, I travel full time)

Rig: 2012 Toyota 4Runner Trail

Experience: Always learning!I’m on the trails,in the mountains, every day that I’m not required to be in the office. I’ve been living out of my 4Runner for a bit over a year, had a year out of an FJ Cruiser prior.

I’m happy to be member #41079 and look forward to trading stories and adventures!

My IG contact info is @nomadic_t4r
Welcome Jayson! Love the OG 5th gen!
 

GhostCat

Rank III
Member

Enthusiast II

509
Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
First Name
Dan
Last Name
Shapera
Member #

31982

Greetings. I'm new to overlanding but enjoyed spending last 12 months getting the family out of the house and into nature as often as possible. 2021 JT is our first 4WD (ever) and we are digging it. Weekend and multi-day camping (dispersed and otherwise) as well as daytrips to deep corners of Arizona backcountry. Learning as much as I can and working hard to counter the office-worker lifestyle with mandatory outdoor fun.
--Dan
 

Ursa Major

Rank VI

Influencer I

3,920
Woodstock, Vermont, United States
First Name
Gunnar
Last Name
Nourse
Member #

26966

Greetings. I'm new to overlanding but enjoyed spending last 12 months getting the family out of the house and into nature as often as possible. 2021 JT is our first 4WD (ever) and we are digging it. Weekend and multi-day camping (dispersed and otherwise) as well as daytrips to deep corners of Arizona backcountry. Learning as much as I can and working hard to counter the office-worker lifestyle with mandatory outdoor fun.
--Dan
Welcome aboard Dan! The community here on Overland Bound is gracious and welcoming to newcomers! The forums provide a wealth of knowledge and know-how for first timers! I can't wait to see and hear about you and your families adventures!
 

freak4life

Local Expert
Member

Contributor II

1,300
Cañon City, Colorado, USA
First Name
rich
Last Name
anderssohn
Greetings. I'm new to overlanding but enjoyed spending last 12 months getting the family out of the house and into nature as often as possible. 2021 JT is our first 4WD (ever) and we are digging it. Weekend and multi-day camping (dispersed and otherwise) as well as daytrips to deep corners of Arizona backcountry. Learning as much as I can and working hard to counter the office-worker lifestyle with mandatory outdoor fun.
--Dan
Hello Dan
Welcome to the Overland Bound community
My name is Rich Anderssohn, I am your US Southwest member representative for Arizona
Here are some helpful links to get you started
U.S. SouthWest (AZ NM TX OK)
Overland Bound Meetups
Overland Trip Planning
https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/forums/overland-bound-routes-downloadable.29/?prefix_id=67
Map - Overland Bound
Welcome to Rally Point! - Overland Bound
 

EROCKER84

Rank II
Member

Contributor III

327
Los Angeles
First Name
ERIKSON
Last Name
NGUYEN
Member #

31984

Former climbing bum. Traded my rope for a Lab coat and now I work in place without windows.
Los Angeles
2000 100 series landcruiser mostly stock
Novice (lots of camping/backpacking minimal off road, Johnson Valley)
 

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