Thoughts and reasons for your chosen rig

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Why your vehicle is your overland rig?


  • Total voters
    78

Meta6981

Rank VI
Launch Member

Member II

3,278
Dewey, AZ
First Name
Trevor
Last Name
Emerdinger
Member #

1248

2015 jeep grand cherokee overland trim, ecodiesel.

I got it because its american, Its diesel, its not a truck, its big but not overly large......pretty much the basic reasons why.
 

r_vdb

Rank IV
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

1,260
Upland, CA
Member #

1094

Had to keep getting the family out. As capable & reliable as the fzj80 was as our adventure mobile it was tough with my growing pre-teen family so I picked up a Ford van, had a 4x4 mod done, I figured it would then be a capable vehicle for 5 people & 2 dogs, with readily available parts it would make repairs and maintenance easier. So far so good.
 

Jhberria

Rank V
Launch Member

Pathfinder I

2,055
Lacey, WA
I always dug the aesthetics of the Xterra...and put it up against the Wrangler, 4Runner, and FJ when I was vehicle shopping.

Honestly, they're all fairly comparable vehicles, but the overall value of the X stood out. I've enjoyed it thus far, despite a few shortcomings. I intend to run it 'till it dies (which shouldn't be for quite some time).
 

Laughing Otter

Rank VI
Founder 500
Launch Member

Pathfinder I

3,128
13973 State Hwy 112, Sekiu, WA, USA
First Name
Ansa
Last Name
Langer
Member #

0261

I grew up overseas from age 4 to age 16. Overseas, Land Rovers are work horses, fleet vehicles, farm equipment, military rigs, sponsored expedition vehicles, etc... I do like the Lada Niva, awesome off roader...The Nissan Patrol, is cool too. I like the older 60's-70's Land Cruisers and of course the '84 4 runner the one with the removable top. Oh, and IH Scouts, love those. But, Land Rovers were just a natural fit for me.
 
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michiganoverland

Rank V
Founder 500
Launch Member

Influencer II

2,335
Michigan
First Name
Nick
Last Name
Howell
Member #

194

I chose a Suburban, mostly because I have a large family to transport also, but because I like having a bigger rig. The only issue I'm running into is finding a safari rack to cover the top. I've been pretty happy with it so far (I had a 2002 Tahoe prior that worked well off-road) and have some plans for it in the future.

I'm actually contemplating getting a late 90s, early 2000s XJ as parts seem more readily available for them than Suburbans and they can be had at a relatively low cost.

 
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OldH1

Rank V
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

2,016
Saint Simons Island GA
First Name
Roy
Last Name
Mohr
Member #

1570

Service Branch
Former LEO
I chose a 1993 AM General H1. It has the rear tail gate vs the bar doors and I have swapped out the motor / trans for a 2008 Duramax and the Allison six speed transmission. Fuel economy is good, it is dependable (drive it daily), reliable and if driven correctly can go just about anywhere...if driven incorrectly it will get stuck just like any other truck. WP_20150418_003.jpg
 

OverLandWj

Rank 0

Traveler I

60
I also have a Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ.

It was the first jeep that in my younger years kinda liked lifted. So I bought it from a friend of mine for a good price.

Before investing a lot of time and money into it I was going to get something "more capable" as most people would say about the wj. I even looked at the WK grand Cherokee. But stuck with my trusty WJ.

My stand out reasons were: Mine came with a factory v8 and nv242 t-case. It's got nice room inside. Styling wise it isn't bad once you get the grandma look out of it. The last grand Cherokee with solid axles front and rear and Vari-Lock's. And there's not a lot of aftermarket support, with the exception on the engine and trans.

The last most people would think that's a bad thing. But I look at is as an opportunity to make it my own. To be creative and build something instead of just buying the stuff everyone else does. Yes I have an arb front bumper, but most everything else is 1 off for or by me. It's kind of nice to have that but of pride out of doing it yourself. Having a truly unique rig that nobody else can build quite the same.

 

4runner2015

Rank 0

Traveler I

60
My family hikes all year round and we canoe in the summer. We live in Alberta to pretty much down the street from the best part of the Rocky Mountain range(Canada brag). Turns out the Ford Fusion sucked for adventure, so I wanted the Tacoma, but was surprised to learn I no longer wore the pants in the family and the wife wanted an suv. Obviously I didn't get the Tacoma (but I did find my pants...she didn't give them back). I looked at the xterra because the price of a new one was still cheaper then a used 4Runner. I searched and searched for used 4runners, pathfinders and fj's and kept coming back to the new xterra as the best value, when I caught a Black Friday sale for a 2015 4Runner trail advertised as an sr5 and jumped on it. Never looked back, love the truck. The only thing I've done to it is put of shelf in the back for extra gear.
 

Adventureswithlaylay

Rank V
Launch Member

Advocate II

1,750
Van nuys
Member #

0826

Ever since I was a kid I loved broncos and k5s. Growing up i had a s10 a Ranger a civic and a blazer. When my blazer got impounded for have a ls swap I started looking on Craigslist for a new car. That same week I found expedition overland on YouTube and fell in love. I've always been camping my whole life so I thought hey why not a camping/expedition/desert vehicle. Than I found the bronco. 1 owner and right in my price range. So I went for it. I brought the bronco home and my wife hated it at first. We went on our first camping trip in it and she fell in love. Now she sends me links every day of things to do it which is my green light to swipe that credit card :) 2 years later big Green has taken us everywhere. Now with my daughter here I love the amount of room the bronco has.
 

anotherJeep

Rank V
Launch Member

Traveler III

1,535
Birmingham, Alabama
First Name
Cullen
Last Name
S
Member #

9293

I needed something that could handle 60-80 miles of highway every day + get across most of the terrain I would find out here. Had a Ranger that was good off-road, terrible on the highway, also was hard to pack everything I would need and fit people. Then I found this Expedition, put some rubber on it, and got out there. It drives like a yacht on the highway and has yet to get stuck out on the trails. That means I spend an extra second inspecting the area before I drive over it, but it's worth it. Need to work on the ground clearance issue though..
 

Buzzard13

Rank V
Launch Member

Enthusiast I

2,273
Mesquite, NV, USA
First Name
Austin
Last Name
Tressel
Member #

1740

1978 Dodge Adventurer W200
Dodge
Older rig I can work on my self
8' bed
regular cab
360 motor 727 tranns
full time four will drive with 4.10 axles

I love this truck, I have filled it with scrap, trash, hay and gravel. Looking forward to learning and growing along side like minded folks. And Pushing the limits to the sky.
 
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Gunnermoose

Rank V
Launch Member

Advocate II

2,741
Mesa, Arizona
Member #

1599

I chose an FJ Cruiser for multiple reasons. I wanted something reliable and durable. I wanted to have a mechanical transfer case. I wanted the shorter wheelbase. I wanted the ability to have a structural hardtop. I travel by myself most of the time so there was no need to have seating for more than two. I am a minimalist most of the time, but I wanted to be able to pack all of my gear inside the vehicle and be able to support a 7-10 travel time. For the most part the FJ is user friendly maintenance wise. I just need to get smarter on on the engine side; pretty good on all other mechanical aspects of the vehicle.
 

20DYNAMITE07

Rank IV

Pathfinder I

893
We were originally looking at cross-overs, but I really wanted a more traditional 4x4 due to simplicity and ease of modification should we find ourselves doing more challenging things. We eventually narrowed it down to the JKUR, and 4RunnerTrail (I had also suggested a 4door Tacoma, but my wife wasn't sure about a pickup). The 4Runner won out due to (perceived) reliability, fuel economy, and cargo space. We have a family of 4 and wanted something that would comfortably haul our gear.

Not long afterward, my father-in-law moved closer to us (this dude is awesome), and decided he wanted to camp with us too, which was a minor shock since he always joked that he camped enough in Vietnam :grinning:. But spending time with your grandsons is hard to resist, so he's on board! Ultimately though, that means we are more cramped than we first anticipated.

If we were buying again right now, we might consider a 1st gen Sequoia, a Tahoe, or maybe a full sized crew cab truck.

Nevertheless... We LOVE our 4Runner. It has been a total blast, and I can't say enough good things about it.

DSC_0258 by scottybell1313, on Flickr

FathersDay2016DSC_0016 by scottybell1313, on Flickr