We started a new project, Mini ATV Overland Build, on a crazy low budget!
What do you think, any advice?
What do you think, any advice?
The Smallest Overland Rigs? Could be!
- Thread starter Wanderlost
- Start date
Advocate I
We'll of course abide by all laws, and follow all regulations concerning operating an ATV on all roads, trails, and other surfaces. Why do you ask?
Of course you don't need to give anyone a reason as to "why" you want to do a build like this, and honestly a fun project is a fun project, but just out of curiosity, why mini-ATVs instead of motorbikes? I think a lot of the principles of travelling by bike would apply to travelling by ATV, and there are a lot of bike-related travel resources out there as folks have been Overlanding with street-legal motorcycles for over 100 years which can do both on and off-road travel. I'm an avid motorcyclist and absolutely love travelling that way. In my opinion, there is no better way to see the world than motorbikes -- you are exposed and engrossed in the environment due to the open air just like more simple ways of travel like walking, but still able to move through it with efficiency (i.e. you can do a reasonably daily mileage). The ATVs are similar in spirit, but have a lot of limitations relative to a dual sport bike as I don't think there are really any places you can travel in North America by quad unless you are trailering to off-road only areas. But beyond the limitations, the principles are the same, I think.
Bring layers, prepare for hot, cold, warm, dry, and wet because you'll be all of those things travelling open-air at one time or another. And stow them in a way that makes them easy to grab and put on -- rain gear at the bottom of a pannier means dry rain gear and a wet rider because you'll be in the "flow" and won't want to stop and do all the work of donning the gear.
Luggage considerations are the same - your biggest choice will be between hard luggage and soft luggage. Hard luggage is more secure, but on a bike there's a greater risk of injury off-road with hard luggage (legs especially). On an ATV, you may not have that same risk but it's worth looking at - if you have to put a foot down to stabilize, and the bike keeps moving or your foot gets stuck, hard luggage is a broken leg where soft luggage is typically a dropped bike but no injury. Not sure if that would apply on an ATV though especially since the luggage is more likely to be "rack mounted" and not "side mounted" like it is on a bike. But, the products used would work (i.e. Giant Loop make great soft luggage for motorbikes which would work for an ATV too).
Weight matters - go as light as you can in all things, and try to keep the weight down low.
Wear the right gear -- human bodies are incredibly fragile, and open air travel means you are INCREDIBLY exposed to everything from a full on "human marker" incident on pavement to even something simple like getting blinded by a dragonfly at 50 MPH. So, ATGATT - all the gear, all the time.
I could likely give some more Moto-specific advice as I've travelled that way a lot, but it would be helpful to know the kind of trips you are planning with these vehicles to know what would apply.
Bring layers, prepare for hot, cold, warm, dry, and wet because you'll be all of those things travelling open-air at one time or another. And stow them in a way that makes them easy to grab and put on -- rain gear at the bottom of a pannier means dry rain gear and a wet rider because you'll be in the "flow" and won't want to stop and do all the work of donning the gear.
Luggage considerations are the same - your biggest choice will be between hard luggage and soft luggage. Hard luggage is more secure, but on a bike there's a greater risk of injury off-road with hard luggage (legs especially). On an ATV, you may not have that same risk but it's worth looking at - if you have to put a foot down to stabilize, and the bike keeps moving or your foot gets stuck, hard luggage is a broken leg where soft luggage is typically a dropped bike but no injury. Not sure if that would apply on an ATV though especially since the luggage is more likely to be "rack mounted" and not "side mounted" like it is on a bike. But, the products used would work (i.e. Giant Loop make great soft luggage for motorbikes which would work for an ATV too).
Weight matters - go as light as you can in all things, and try to keep the weight down low.
Wear the right gear -- human bodies are incredibly fragile, and open air travel means you are INCREDIBLY exposed to everything from a full on "human marker" incident on pavement to even something simple like getting blinded by a dragonfly at 50 MPH. So, ATGATT - all the gear, all the time.
I could likely give some more Moto-specific advice as I've travelled that way a lot, but it would be helpful to know the kind of trips you are planning with these vehicles to know what would apply.
Advocate I
I would think that driving an ATV would limit the areas that you could explore just due to motor vehicle laws and motoring restrictions on various types of public lands common in overlanding in the US. Certainly there are adventure bikes that are road legal but I’m not sure if there are quads that are.
Thanks for all the great advice on staying safe will riding! Believe me, WE NEED IT!
We chose to use tiny ATVs simply for the challenge of it all. LOL Simply a fun diversion from all our other "overlanding" projects.
Also, we didn't want to make too large of an investment into this. The ATV's will eventually be handed over to our grandson. But in the meantime, we're going to have as much fun with them as humanly possible!
Member III
That's a great reason for the project! in that case if the plan is to turn it over to a grandson, I would actually consider safety mods first and foremost.
For example, there might be a way to fabricate up a bit of a roll bar; even a partial roll bar at the back (kind of like what you'd see on a lawn tractor; I think the older Jeep CJs had a bar like I'm picturing too) can improve safety. On ATVs, a rollover is the most common form of death and injury. A simple roll bar, if one can be mounted, could help prevent that (though I'd want to consult with a skilled engineer/fabricator to be sure it would work as intended). You could then also put a small amount of kit on that bar (very small - remember, rollovers mean as little weight up high as you can!), like perhaps a fire extinguisher mount that's easy to grab, or even a small awning for a couple hundred bucks if that is the desired shelter option. Something like an awning could even be mounted telescopically so the weight is down low when in motion, but can be lifted up for deployment. An awning and a hammock slung between the ATV and a Tree would make for a perfectly fine sleeping option with many of the advantages of an RTT in terms of needing to find good ground to camp. Personally I just go for a small tent when Moto camping, but that's purely practical and since part of this project is "for the fun of it" you might as well consider what would "fun" be for you both in terms of the challenge of the build.
There are a number of small 12v winches available for ATVs, which might be a good investment too depending on the type of adventures you expect. There are also lightweight traction boards which might work just as well.
In terms of gear, look to the Motocross and Dual Sport/ADV bike community for things like neck braces, boots, chest and back armour, etc. From experience, Moto gear (more than anything else you will buy) is a "Buy Once, Cry Once" thing. Yes, a gore text Klim jacket will be nearly $1,000. But you will spend several hundred on a "water resistant" jacket, plus a chunk of change (even if it's just frog togs) on additional waterproofing which you will need, and then you'll be hot and uncomfortable so you'll want a different jacket which is a few hundred dollars more -- all of a sudden the initial outlay of $800 for a jacket seems pretty reasonable when you are donating the same amount of money in "old" jackets that aren't meeting your needs. I'm not saying you will need to spend a grand on a jacket - I'm saying that you should figure out how the vehicle will be used in your context, and buy the best gear you can for that context the first time. The Klim jacket is based on my own experience, but I regularly do 500-1000 km touring days, for several weeks on end, living off of my bike, so comfort and waterproofness is a priority for me above all else and the Klim was what I should have bought from day one.
Sites like advrider.com are fantastic resources for Moto travel. In reality, those ATVs are already as good as you need them to be. All you need to add is an equipped rider, a backpack with some basic supplies, and go adventuring (though the same can be said of a Jeep or a 4-runner, so I totally get the fun is in the process of the build!)
Enjoy the project!!
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Those things are AWESOME! When we were in Japan they were all over the place, used for everything from grocery getters to cement trucks. I'm not sure I'd want to try to keep up with freeway traffic with one but...they're certainly small and light!
Autism Family Travels
Rank IV
Enthusiast III
any updates on this? Oh, bring lots of wrenches. But, they are going to be a hoot to ride, but uncomfortable as well! ha ha. This reminds me of dirt everyday when Fred and Dave did the overland on little coleman cheap motorcycle things.
BAJA-X
Rank II
Enthusiast III
Bikers have been making us look silly, with just one 25# backpack, for ages.
Magnitudes faster on gravel and dirt roads. 50-65mpg. And real rally bikes are available. Not vaporware.
Even if quads aren't street legal, there's plenty of campgrounds next to forests that'll take months to explore.
Downside: Need to stop for a chain and tires mid trip with motorcycles. Bugs. Death by dismemberment.
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Member III
As it turns out, the cheap Chinese made ATVs were complete pieces of unreliable $#!%.
So now we're doing something a little less dumb. Overlanding out of a 1950 VW Baja Bug! It's not as cheap as the quads but we're still a fraction of $$$ we have into our 4Runner build. So far, it's been working out great! Below is a video we shot of its first multi trip out.
The WanderBug's First Overland Adventure
So now we're doing something a little less dumb. Overlanding out of a 1950 VW Baja Bug! It's not as cheap as the quads but we're still a fraction of $$$ we have into our 4Runner build. So far, it's been working out great! Below is a video we shot of its first multi trip out.
The WanderBug's First Overland Adventure
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