Too complicated /too expensive

[Wanderer]

Years ago like 1974 my buddy Dave and i 2 college kids would pack up every easter break and gead down the coast on a surfing trip the goal was drive stop surf camp surf explore. We went in his datsun 1200 hatch back this was long before datsun became nissan we folded the rear seats flat pushed the fron seatsv forward stuffed our pack of close into the gap and slept there. That was overlandung in its most basic form.
Now i see thesev really cool rigs from sports mobiles to trucks with flippac style campers built in kitchens and all and ursa minor j30 pop tops and all kinds of stuff that costs 10s of thousands. Dont get me wrong inwant it all however my empty wallet laughs out load at that idea. So who here is building their own stuff from scratch and wiith low budgets any one building thier own rtt? Love to see your ideas!

 

[LoneWolfOutdoors]

I will be building my own RTT. There are a couple of good youtube videos on DIY RTT that I will be using to help work out the bugs in my build. Just not sure when my build will happen. 2019 is the year me and the wife push toward becoming debt free. With any kind of luck we can make it, and then I get to go hawg wild on my overland build.

 

[Jakeapclyps]

Heeeey! I just bought a high mileage, floorpans-rusted-out XJ for 530 bucks and drove it home. Cant wait to get these pans cut out, fix the recalled cat, and start getting her daily reliable from there. As much as i want to have a sweet newish rig, i have also accepted that i am a peasant and my best bet for having the most fun is with something i can build from the ground up.

so once i have this thing de-rusted, exhausting exhaust, and some new rubber ill be hawking the junkyards around for everything else. cant wait!!

 

[CR-Venturer]

I'm probably the lowest budget guy on here. My rig is a 1999 Honda CR-V I paid $1800 for on Craigslist. I painted the wheels, trim and wipers myself with rattle can spray paint, installed a $20 used CB radio, fabbed a mount for the $16 fibreglass antenna, got brother in law to fab me a skid plate, etc. My tires were the most expensive mod so far, but I managed to find a matching full size spare from the junkyard for $25. My overlanding tent is a cot tent I got on sale for $49. It's a quarter of the weight of the lightest RTT, is super comfy, and it can stay set up at basecamp if I go exploring or wheeling for the day. Future plans include a $30 jerry can holder on the back and a DIY roof rack.

It can be done!

 

[Jedi]

See, that is the thing about Overlanding. It can be done in a $1,500,000 Earthroamer XV-HD with all the comforts of a 5 star hotel or it can be done in a $500 Craigslist special with a tarp, bedroll, and a desire for adventure. Like Michael says, "It doesn't matter what you drive". I'll add on to say "It doesn't matter how you adventure... just adventure."

 

[tritonl]

I will be building my own RTT. There are a couple of good youtube videos on DIY RTT that I will be using to help work out the bugs in my build. Just not sure when my build will happen. 2019 is the year me and the wife push toward becoming debt free. With any kind of luck we can make it, and then I get to go hawg wild on my overland build.

Dave Ramsey that debt, more cash for the rig in the future.

 

[Plasmajab]

Problems are the greatest thing for creation. Everyone has a problems when it comes to overlanding.

How do I mount this? How can I carry this? How do I recover this?

You can purchase a solution to your problem. And if it fits your means, that's fine. But if the solution doesn't exist for purchase, beyond your means, or simply not to your taste -that's where innovation comes in. People come up with solutions all the time.

Some people are comfortable with a hand winch and a sleeping bag. And some people want the full monty when it comes to their rigs. -This is where personalisation comes into play. Some might want a 2-3 lift and big tires, others might want it but cant afford it, some might not want it at all. It's all personal preference.

That to me really is the beauty of overlanding. For me, I have a ford escape. And not the old good boxy ones. The new one- it's essentially a tall ford focus. So ill take it into the bush as far as I can and use it as my basecamp, then hike the rest. Still exploring. Still overlanding. The guy with the fully kitted out land cruiser can go the whole distance. He's out there, exploring and overlanding.

But to be honest. Sometimes I look over the fully kitted out rigs for ideas, then shamelessly steal them for my rig.

 

[CSG]

I'm a big KISS fan. I started as a backpacker in the late 60's and drove a Beetle. I car camped with the Beetle, later, a Cougar XR-7, then a Mazda 618, and finally, a '79 Plymouth Arrow pick-up with a Bel-Air topper and carpet kit. On all those trips, it was just my internal frame pack, sleeping bag and pad, and a six-pack cooler. After I got married, my camping rig started with a full size truck and self-contained camper. Then came a couple of fifth wheels. Now, it's 2x4 camping van or my Lexus LX. I carry a little more comfort gear in those rigs but still keep it pretty simple as I'm a traveler who camps as a means to an end. I don't do "overlanding". What I do, and almost always have for decades, is back country camping. My LX is bone stock save for having removed the running boards and using E load AT tires (K02).