Overlanding is not Elitist!

[MidwestOverlanders]

The whole overland/camping crowd isn't bad for the most part. It does seem that unless you're in a Jeep or Toyota you don't get much of a second look. I drive an old primer gray GMC and even though it's built well beyond 90% of the overland rigs out there, it barely gets noticed. I didn't build it to get attention or to impress anyone but it's nice to get a nod from another off road guy regardless of what he's driving.

Good point. The majority isn't bad, it's when the "off roaders" get mixed in with the crowd. I run an overlanding group and we've gotten our fair share of "off roaders" in the group who believe if you dont have a built rig and hit the ORP every month then you aren't shit. I of course always come back and state what overlanding is actually about. For me its about adventure travel, plain and simple. That incorporates highways, dirt roads, gravel, hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, and yes even the occasional ORP.

I've been doing this gig my entire life. Of course, growing up we just called it camping. Now that it has this "overlanding" name attached to it, people have all of a sudden become elitist. Ive done this in a 78 GMC 3/4 ton 2wd, a Kia Sorento, a Honda Del-Sol, 87 S10 4x4, Ford Exploder and now a 2WD F350 Ambulance.

Getting outdoors and exploring is the purpose. It doesn't matter what name badge is on your pile or who owns the company, what brand RTT you have, or having the latest and greatest. To the OP, if someone bad mouthing your vehicle gets you upset then its time reevaluate. Life's too damn short to get upset over someone else bad mouthing your vehicle.

 

[Young Satchel]

I've yet to have anyone say anything not positive to my face regarding my modified Volvo wagon. The responses are either outright enthusiastic, or confusion followed by excitement lol.

About the most "flack" I've got is some smirky glances from jeep drivers passing me in traffic. But I'm 32 years old with a family so they can leave that teenage fuckshit at the door.

 

[MidwestOverlanders]

I've yet to have anyone say anything not positive to my face regarding my modified Volvo wagon. The responses are either outright enthusiastic, or confusion followed by excitement lol.

About the most "flack" I've got is some smirky glances from jeep drivers passing me in traffic. But I'm 32 years old with a family so they can leave that teenage fuckshit at the door.

Uh, sir, thats because you drive a modified Volvo wagon.... it's doesn't get much cooler than that. ;)

 

[expeditionnorth]

Yes, I've dealt with it a VT ORW 2 years in a row
land rovers were getting stuck but my Yukon was shamed
the shameful part is seeing more of these always getting suck here in VT with other rigs walking through the same area with no problems
look at expo for example if you're not driving a LR you're the lowest denominator ...

 

[Gnasher_PNW]

Yes, I've dealt with it a VT ORW 2 years in a row
land rovers were getting stuck but my Yukon was shamed
the shameful part is seeing more of these always getting suck here in VT with other rigs walking through the same area with no problems
look at expo for example if you're not driving a LR you're the lowest denominator ...

You won't catch flak from this LR driver. Hell, I've got a lot to learn as is.

I'd rather learn the easy way, and work with friends than the other option.

 

[MidwestOverlanders]

Yes, I've dealt with it a VT ORW 2 years in a row
land rovers were getting stuck but my Yukon was shamed
the shameful part is seeing more of these always getting suck here in VT with other rigs walking through the same area with no problems
look at expo for example if you're not driving a LR you're the lowest denominator ...

Hopefully that's a limited thing. I'm a member of some large Rover groups on Facebook and all are good people. Surprisingly enough, as a Toyota driver, Toyota people can be some of the most vial around.

 

[OldH1]

Hopefully that's a limited thing. I'm a member of some large Rover groups on Facebook and all are good people. Surprisingly enough, as a Toyota driver, Toyota people can be some of the most vial around.

In the end we all come back to the original intent of the forum...does not matter what you drive...just that you get out and explore in ANY vehicle.

 

[hardtrailz]

It seems overland is trying to be elite more and more often. That you need to fit this or have that when overland is truly just a mode of transportation taking you on an adventure.

It is funny that so many "overlanders" brag about snorkels and suspension travel and tents and badges when they truly are not even overland items.

There are two sides to every coin and an edge that runs all the way it, so many can fit as they see fit. Branding oneself at all is rather self-serving really. I choose to be happy with travels and enjoy what i use for them. It should really be that simple.

It is nice to have places like this to share in the celebration of camping/overland/offroad/expedition/or just camaraderie though.

 

[TreXTerra]

My XTerra falls into that category, and there are some that are even more "wheeling" focused than mine. Take a look at @Maxterra's build, it is absolutely bonkers and way beyond any Overlanding needs. He can crawl with the best of them and still throw a RTT on it and go out for a week or more; it is just the other end of the "get out and explore with what you have" spectrum than a stock Subaru or Element.

 

[rmerron]

Wow guys! I'm glad we all get along. I've been a member from close to the beginning and I share a lot of your sentiments. Myself and my wife were able to meet up with some of our terrific members at Expo west last month. Toyotas, jeeps, diesel Cherokee, etc.. Does not matter. What matters is the journey, how you want to get there and in what is a personal choice. We were a mixed bag of individuals who meet as friends and more importantly left as friends. Says a lot about the type of folks that are members of Overland Bound.

 

[Buzzard13]

Had a Short conversation with a girl about cars. Said she doesn't want to own one because cars are irresponsible. She had several reasons for this but one I'll tell you.
The guys with truck that don't use them as trucks.
90% of the time my truck is empty but he's my daily driver.
I agree with her when you start talking the 6ft beds with quad cab. I don't like 6' bed in general, but when a lifted truck gets less dirt than our stock rigs or other cars, they have little room to talk.
I mentioned that some guys like to go off road, her reply? Get a Subaru.

Hope this leaves you with a laugh! Cheers!

Friends car back in Spokane, Lucky little squirt.

 

[pl626]

Wow! Just read through this thread... As with many folks here, I've found OB to be pretty good about being brand agnostic. I really like the diversity of folks and vehicles, but more importantly, the emphasis on getting out there and exploring. However, overlanding, just as with anything else we may pursue in life, can easily become elitist if we're not careful.

It's easy to get caught up in gear/tools, but we need to remember that we can get out and explore with minimal gear as well...

 

[O.Dfj]

I like the overland community people seem to be more willing to help you and talk to you. I have always stayed away from forums that were make specific, to much flaming of guys for honest questions. I love the diversity of the rigs in this community. We have guys in this forum with kia souls to fully built rigs some of us can only dream of, yet we all have the same mindset get out and explore.

 

[stoney126]

Had a Short conversation with a girl about cars. Said she doesn't want to own one because cars are irresponsible. She had several reasons for this but one I'll tell you.
The guys with truck that don't use them as trucks.
90% of the time my truck is empty but he's my daily driver.
I agree with her when you start talking the 6ft beds with quad cab. I don't like 6' bed in general, but when a lifted truck gets less dirt than our stock rigs or other cars, they have little room to talk.
I mentioned that some guys like to go off road, her reply? Get a Subaru.

Hope this leaves you with a laugh! Cheers!

Friends car back in Spokane, Lucky little squirt.

Lol this is me. My superduty is my daily driver. It gets better then my mileage then my jeep. I always say it uses less gas then a prius....it's a diesel so it's not a lie. I always get asked why I need such a bug truck. I used to take the time and answer now I don't bother.
I love my truck, it is the only vehicle I won't part with. Just feels right. Sorry some people hate it but oh well.

My buddy has a srt4 with a light bars on it. It's his rally car.....it's fantastic lol

Speaking of no use trucks, I have plans to build a bagged c10

 

[Amartinez34]

This forum really has a good vibe around this. We need to keep that going. Everyone enjoys seeing what everyone is doing on ANY platform. I loved seeing that montero (sp?) mitsu the other day.. looked like a great overland rig.

I have the same issue in a sense. Mostly Jeeps around Dubuque Iowa, only a handful of Rovers. A few Jeep clubs around here are exclusive jeep.. I can't join in with my Rover at all. I'm also not able to do what most of the clubs around here do. It is mostly dedicated trail rigs that are beat to hell. I love to take my rig off road, and travel, but mostly around here it is just hardcore wheeling in thick wooded areas. No way I am taking my 13' land rover into that.. it would get trashed in an hour.

I've been reading the pages and just had to go back and reply to your original comment. You've really hit on something that I thought it was only me thinking it. Lol. Almost a decade ago I had an '02 LR Freelander which I simply fell in love with. It was so great for the Florida sand and beaches! Now, having a full family and wanting to get back into it, I recently purchased a new LR4... checking in on "local clubs" it seems that everyone had forgotten the spirit of things and are just bashing each other. I've even read things like my "Rover is just a mall crawler and not a real off roader" and the like. People are ignorant. Rovers are pricey, no denying that. I feel that others bash the oval badge simply because of it... They're great travel vehicles, great overlanders, great off roaders, and the most of the people who drive them aren't snobs... that's one of the things I loved most about this site when I found it. There's a great collective here. I hope we don't lose that.

 

[Gnasher_PNW]

I've been reading the pages and just had to go back and reply to your original comment. You've really hit on something that I thought it was only me thinking it. Lol. Almost a decade ago I had an '02 LR Freelander which I simply fell in love with. It was so great for the Florida sand and beaches! Now, having a full family and wanting to get back into it, I recently purchased a new LR4... checking in on "local clubs" it seems that everyone had forgotten the spirit of things and are just bashing each other. I've even read things like my "Rover is just a mall crawler and not a real off roader" and the like. People are ignorant. Rovers are pricey, no denying that. I feel that others bash the oval badge simply because of it... They're great travel vehicles, great overlanders, great off roaders, and the most of the people who drive them aren't snobs... that's one of the things I loved most about this site when I found it. There's a great collective here. I hope we don't lose that.

Useless squabbling and objectification.

Could hardly ask the LR forums what a favorite oil filter was, without having everyone freak out and call on their "big guns" to come in an wreck your day with their "professional" opinion.

Bring what you've got and be competent and considerate about your business!

I'm crazy, as I drive a DII2003 as my DD. I need friends, not enemies, as I'm bound to find myself in trouble at some point!

 

[Gunnermoose]

Bring what you've got and be competent and considerate about your business!

Yep!

 

[outwardbound]

It seems that if you drive a wrangler, a defender or anything 4x4 from Toyota, your cool. Anything else and you're a Wanabee. I've never owned any of the above but I still have a blast off road and have thrown a tow rope to a few of them. Life's too short to care about it. It is annoying though to deal with someone who thinks there rig is better than yours for no real reason. A lack of that is why I like this forum so much.

My getaway car in Afghanistan was a Daewoo prince.

If it moves it'll move over dirt and rocks. Maybe just not as long as others...

 

[IronPercheron]

it's about the people :-)

And we got the best people here. Period.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

I mentioned that some guys like to go off road, her reply? Get a Subaru.

I'll tell you what.. if I wasn't married haha.

I know my Outback is at least the 3rd one on here and if I had gotten the vibe that people in this community would look down their nose at me if they met me on a trail I'd have just moved along. I try not to pass judgment on anyone over anything. I may not agree but it's not my place and to each their own. Except hipsters... I've got beef with hipsters haha.