The Adventure Wagon: A 2004 Volvo XC70 Overland Build

[Young Satchel]

Camping season prep continues....

Last night I had a chance to mount the recently-arrived ARB 2000 Touring Awning on my Fourtreks Modular Awning Mounts
. I purchased the mounts used from a fellow Overland Bound member and they arrived in great shape. They are perfect for the Yakima Loadwarrior and are a handsome piece of kit in their own right.

They are machined out of 6061-T6 Billet Aluminum in the good ol' US-of-A

When the awning arrived in its shipping tube on my front porch, I was surprised at how heavy it was. I initially doubted that the two mounts would be sufficient. I had also heard from a couple others that mounting it without an extra set of hands might be tough. Thankfully neither of these proved to be issues. I was able to rest the awning bag-down on the crossbars and align the 4 supplied mounting screws with the Fourtreks brackets before lifting it up and getting it on no problem.

I took the car to the wash today and was able to briefly snap a few shots of it with the awning mounted.

Unfortunately straight after that I had to drop it off at my mechanic for its axle transplant, so was unable to deploy it. I hope to have a chance to do so before our trip in 2 weekends. I think it'll serve myself and my 2 kiddos really nicely to have some portable shade/rain cover wherever we travel [emoji3]

[emoji342].....


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[Steve]

Those sure are some shiny FourTrex mounts! ;)

 

[Young Satchel]

Those sure are some shiny FourTrex mounts! ;)

Indeed they are. That generous "Fellow member" sure took great care of them [emoji16]


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[Steve]

Simichrome polish helped!


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[TerryD]

Loving the wagon man! I've always been a long roof fan!

 

[Young Satchel]

Loving the wagon man! I've always been a long roof fan!

Appreciate the love, Terry! [emoji1306]


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[Wawa Skittletits]

Indeed they are. That generous "Fellow member" sure took great care of them [emoji16]

Fourtreks are awesome and I can't recommend them enough for all your mounting needs. Including shovel/axe if you decide to move to a different setup.

 

[Young Satchel]

Got The Adventure Wagon[emoji769] back Saturday afternoon with its new XC90 axles, and I have to say, it looks, feels, and handles like an entirely new vehicle!

Flex game is CRAZY now; it's really unbelievable.... [emoji1377][emoji1377][emoji1377]

We mashed it down some of its familiar old trails and I have to say the shudder is entirely gone and the wagon feels more planted and assured than ever before.

Looking forward to getting a chance to really put the Volvo to the test at this weekend's camping trip and trail run

Stay tuned! . . .


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[SilveradoTX]

I've always been a Volvo fan. It's fun to see what people can do with them, old and/or new. The XC70 has been in the back of my mind for a long time as a potential adventure rig.

Following.

 

[Young Satchel]

I've always been a Volvo fan. It's fun to see what people can do with them, old and/or new. The XC70 has been in the back of my mind for a long time as a potential adventure rig.

Following.

It's funny, I never intended for it to go down this path at all. It was only when I sold my first-gen 4Runner after having our second kid that the possibilities dawned on me.

Glad you're enjoying the build!


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[SilveradoTX]

It's funny, I never intended for it to go down this path at all. It was only when I sold my first-gen 4Runner after having our second kid that the possibilities dawned on me.

Glad you're enjoying the build!


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I grew up in (and later wound up driving) a 1990 240 wagon that my parents bought when stationed in England. It went to beaches, out camping, crossed creeks, and traveled down muddy dirt roads. Sometimes while carrying four people, two dogs, and all our stuff when we would travel to visit family. I can only imagine where an AWD version might have taken us.

Glad your seeing and making use of the XC70's potential. Here are a couple of my favorite pictures from a review of the 2008 model.

 

[Young Satchel]

I grew up in (and later wound up driving) a 1990 240 wagon that my parents bought when stationed in England. It went to beaches, out camping, crossed creeks, and traveled down muddy dirt roads. Sometimes while carrying four people, two dogs, and all our stuff when we would travel to visit family. I can only imagine where an AWD version might have taken us.

Glad your seeing and making use of the XC70's potential. Here are a couple of my favorite pictures from a review of the 2008 model.

Those are great shots!

Can you link me to the full review plz?

And FWIW I grew up in an Amazon, 240 sedan, 850 wagon, and V70 consecutively. There were no non-Volvo's allowed during my childhood, and my mother has continued the Volvo streak, while my father has abandoned the brand as he thinks it has gotten "too damn fancy" and they have "lost the plot" [emoji23]


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[SilveradoTX]

Those are great shots!

Can you link me to the full review plz?

And FWIW I grew up in an Amazon, 240 sedan, 850 wagon, and V70 consecutively. There were no non-Volvo's allowed during my childhood, and my mother has continued the Volvo streak, while my father has abandoned the brand as he thinks it has gotten "too damn fancy" and they have "lost the plot" [emoji23]


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Here's the link: http://www.caradvice.com.au/8502/2008-volvo-xc70-review/
This is a review from Australia, but I think much of it is applicable. The steering wheel is just on the other side.

I've definitely not abandoned the brand, but I sure do understand your dad's view. I'm much more of a fan of the older Volvo's, but do appreciate what they have done recently. There was a period in time where they did slump a little, but I think they're on the upswing. Just wish they were still a Swedish company.

 

[Young Satchel]

Here's the link: http://www.caradvice.com.au/8502/2008-volvo-xc70-review/
This is a review from Australia, but I think much of it is applicable. The steering wheel is just on the other side.

I've definitely not abandoned the brand, but I sure do understand your dad's view. I'm much more of a fan of the older Volvo's, but do appreciate what they have done recently. There was a period in time where they did slump a little, but I think they're on the upswing. Just wish they were still a Swedish company.

Thanks for the link.

I totally get my dad's POV as well, and agree that they lost their way a bit. That being said, since the acquisition of the brand by Chinese holding company Geely, and with Thomas Inglath on board as VP of design, I think things have taken a turn for the better and they are finding their voice again.

However that voice is one of aspirational luxury which is already turning off a certain subset of Volvo's base. Many of those folks will defect to Subaru or even VW in light of the ever-climbing price tags.

As you may or may not have seen, i drove and reviewed the 2018 V90CC (heir apparent to the XC70) and with the exception of the somewhat disappointing power plant, the car really impressed me on road. Several who follow my build and Instagram have suggested I try and get my hands on one of these cars, put it through its off-road paces, and document the process for Volvo on social media. It's a far fetched idea, not because I lack the chops, but my lack of "reach" at present makes it a tough sell. Perhaps once I build more engagement and a larger base? I'd love to beat on one of these cars and see what the modern Volvo can take [emoji41][emoji41][emoji41]


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[Young Satchel]

Packed to the fucking gills for our first legit trip of the season. Bunch of new trails, shit ton of new gear to put through the ringer, good company. What more can one ask for???

See y'all one the other side . . . [emoji1365]


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[dolli310]

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No issues carrying fuel in your vehicle like that? Always been iffy on carrying fuel in the vehicle for a length of time.

 

[Young Satchel]

No issues carrying fuel in your vehicle like that? Always been iffy on carrying fuel in the vehicle for a length of time.

I'll be posting about this trip soon enough, but long-story short, you are right to be "iffy" about it. I can't say it's a good idea nor can I say it will live inside the car regularly. I added a whole ton of good stuff on the base camp/vehicle preparedness front this season (more later...) but several things--including rack-mounted fuel storage--were either forgotten, or simply couldn't get done in time.




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[eeethan]

Do you have a running list of what's on the XC now? I'm especially curious how it's held up over time with the spacers (and were they just the rear?) and lift. I just picked up an 07 and had planned some of this stuff before I even found this. But now you're my XCspiration.

 

[Young Satchel]

Do you have a running list of what's on the XC now? I'm especially curious how it's held up over time with the spacers (and were they just the rear?) and lift. I just picked up an 07 and had planned some of this stuff before I even found this. But now you're my XCspiration.

Hahahahaahaha [emoji1305][emoji16].

You know what, I've considered editing the initial post with a "Modifications & Accessories to Date" section. I'll use my reply here as practice.

As she sits currently relevant mods and accessories include:

- Bad Swede 52mm Lift Kit
- P2 XC90 Front Axle Swap
- Sparco Terra 16x7" Wheels w/ BFG KO2s (225/70r16)
- H&R Trax 15mm Wheel Spacers (rear only)
- IPD Aluminum Skid plate
- IPD Aluminum DEM Protector
- IPD Solid Aluminum Strut Bar Inserts
- AEM Dryflow Cold Air Intake w/ Eurosport Tuning Heat Sheild
- Yakima Load Bars
- Yakima Load Warrior Basket (w/18" Extension)
- Volvo All Weather Floor Mats
- Weathertech Cargo Area Liner
- Volvo Steel & Nylon Cargo Net
- BROG MOLLE Interior Organizing Accessories
- ARB Touring Awning
- Fourtreks Modular Awning Mounts
- Krazy Beaver MurderSpork Shovel
- Yakima Shovel Brackets

An honest assessment of the vehicle in its current modified state:

I have severely compromised the XC's on-road comfort and handling in pursuit of better off-road capability. While this is a compromise I was aware of going into the project, I can't say that I was completely aware of what the outcome would actually FEEL like. It drives like a truck now. Boat-like, top heavy, clumsy, and slow. The BFGs are in large part to blame for this. They are extraordinarily heavy and all that rotational mass dulls power, numbs handling, and makes simple
Tasks like acceleration and turning more difficult. [emoji24]

Before installing them I replaced the steering rack at 140K since it was leaking badly. I don't believe this was a result of the lift or Cooper ATs I was running previously as it is common on these cars unfortunately.

Since lifting it around 8k miles ago I have destroyed the inner passenger side CV joint (an inevitability I'm told ) and decided to replace both driver and passenger side front axles with axles from a P2 XC90 2.5T. I had heard tell of this swap from a handful of folks online, but had no details on how it worked or weather it was plug-n-play. So I had my friend who owns a Swedish specialty Indy shop down in VA test this idea out on one of his customers and it worked! He harvested some axles for me and sent them up. I didn't have time to do it myself prior to my first major trip of the season, so I passed them to my mechanic saying "they are all set up and ready to go; my buddy says you should have no issues". Hahahahaha. Famous last words. They ran into problems with the ABS contact ring and had trouble with figment. After a few tries they had a machine shop custom make this washer which slid over the axle and allowed it to fit correctly with no ABS fault.

Now when I romp on it it accelerates cleanly with no shudder at all or noises. Wooooohoooo! [emoji23]

BUT, I'm still getting some vibes at highway speeds. There are several possibilities for this. The wheels I use are a larger hub bore. Could be hubcentric rings are an issue? Could also be tires not properly balanced? I'm due for a suspension overhaul and have a leaking front strut which certainly doesn't help. Basically, the more I do to this the tougher it gets to diagnose the source of an issue hahahaha. But I also love it more with each mod so who knows.

Upcoming Mods include:

- Aux Transmission Cooler
- 1/2" strut-top spacer lift
- Sub-frame spacers
- stage 1 Hilton Tune
- OEM trailer hitch
- some sort of custom front and/or rear bumper solution
- swing out tire carrier




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[Young Satchel]

Well it's been an absolute whirlwind of a week since returning from PA in the wee hours Monday AM, but it's high time for an adventure update!

INTRO

Myself, Swedespeed's Antherzoll, and ProlixArgon set out for our 3rd Volvo Campout, this time setting our sites on Bald Eagle State Forest, and the Carlisle Import & Performance Nationals. The plan was to arrive Friday, hit the car show with hellions in tow Saturday, And mash trails and forest service roads all day Sunday. I'm pleased to say that we succeeded in our efforts, and not only that, a great time was had by all.

Camping with young kids is tough. If you have em, you know, if you don't, well.....trust those of us who do on this one. But camping with my older son Fox who is blind, autistic, and doesn't speak presents an entirely new challenge that I am still in the process of adapting to. He is highly sensory sensitive, has difficultly with transitions, and appreciates environments he is familiar with and routines he expects. Camping--as you might imagine--completely upsets this delicate balance by design [emoji23].

In light of this, one of my goals for this trip was to do waaaaaaaaay better planning and packingthan I had on past outings. With money back from the Feds, I essentially rebuilt my basecamp kit from the ground up (I will detail this process later in a separate Overland Bound post and link back for those who are interested). Prior to kids I was a regular backpacker. When I began overlanding, I thought most of my gear would easily swap over. While technically it does, what I found in practice was that the low profile and ultra-light kit I had lacked in both comfort and convenience. With a bit of a weight penalty, I could make life at camp more pleasant for the kids and easier on me. So I did.

PART I: BASECAMP

We arrived much later than planned Friday and quickly deployed a bare-bones basecamp as night fell with help From Antherzoll and his boys. Come morning, we deployed properly moments before the boys awoke demanding breakfast

[emoji95][emoji95][emoji95]BOOM [emoji95] POW [emoji95][emoji95][emoji95]

Hawk was first to crawl out of his tent in search of baba and cracklin oat bran

Fox actually loves his tent. He gets the single-wall Sierra Designs one-man I bought for a 5 week Alaska trip several years ago and it's a perfect fit. He seem to enjoy feeling enclosed and hung around in there for a while before venturing out...

The sites Antherzoll picked were great. Adjacent to a creek and close enough to one another to make collaboration on meals and play for the boyos super easy.

With the boys up and at em, breakfast was in order. The newly acquired ARB awning was the perfect place to stage our cooking and chilling area, especially after it started raining almost as soon as we were out of our tents.

As you can see, cereal is serious business....

The new Primus dual-Burner stove I got seems great out of the gate. It lights up quickly, boils water faster than any I have ever owned, simmers with confidence, and even manages to put a decent char on a strip steak [emoji16]. Coffee station in full effect...

With breakfast down we packed up camp, and headed off for the two-hour journey to Carlisle

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