What Do You Drive

[Polaris Overland]

Ok folks its been a while and I'm sure many have changed / evolved their Overland Vehicles at least once or carried out upgrades on them so lets see what you are driving and a a description of what is fitted and what you have changed and why.


As you know we still have the Land Rover Defender 90 but have upgraded (Comfort wise at least).

"The Colonel" 2015 VW T5.1 Transporter 4 Motion.
It has a 50mm Eibach Lift with BFG AT's
50 litre external Water Tank where the Spare Wheel Used to go.
200W Solar with Victron MPPT Controller and 130AH Leisure Battery
Camprervan fit out with fridge and dual gas hob and a rock n roll bed.
Pop Roof for when we have the grandkids or our backs give out from age or bending over :-)
Ebersparcher Diesel Heater
We also have a Dometic wind out awning and now after replacing an air awning we have an Oztent RV4 that connects to the van and we can utilise the Frontier Stove for cooler weather / evenings.

We have named the van The Colonel



Although the Colonel does not have the offroad capability of Wilson the Defender the comfort factor especially in Scotland and Winter is a game changer.

"Wilson" 2001 Land Rover Defender 90 TD5 Tomb Raider Edition.
That isn't to say that Wilson has not had a few upgrades. Still the same base vehicle we took to Mongolia except he now comes with a Tuff Trek 270 Awning and sides with Frontier Stove for cooler evening.
Some of you will have seen Wilson at the AO last year.



And remember their is no shame, it doesn't matter what you drive!



Look forward to seeing your vehicle

 

[thesyncroviking]

Been a while since I posted but here is an update.

THE ASPIRATIONAL CAMPER
My prior rig is still around - having undergone a massive programme of works in the last 2 years due to Covid.

It's a 2002 VW Transporter T4 Syncro 4x4 LWB 2.5TDI.

Since being taken off the road it's had an engine rebuild, clutch and gearbox swapped, accident damage repaired, attention to sills and cab steps and any welding required completed with new panels. I fitted sliding windows, a used poptop roof, suspension lift with new bushes, Alfa Romeo cab seats with swivel, ladder, awning mounts, bullbar, Minilite competition wheels and All Terrains.

I'm just sorting some MOT niggles before I can test it and get the NOVA sorted as it's on an Irish plate.

Then the concentration will be on a self built interior and prepping for paint.


THE DAILY
My daily driver is a 2013 VW Amarok 2.0 BiTDi Highline. This covers many bases as I needed a roomy automatic for family use and a practical workhorse for work on our smallholding.

I held off modifying it for the first year but now confident in it's suitability it's had the EGR and DPF delete and a remap.

More recently I had started doing bits including the stoneguard, light protectors, wind deflectors. Then I swapped the alloys for the modular steels and BFG K02's. Interior bits like phone mount, USB power sockets and a fire extinguisher are quick weekend jobs (satisfying because with a 1yr old to entertain quick wins are always welcome.

I've made a start on a custom bed slide unit and added a roofrack over the last few weeks. Hopefully soon they will be followed by a canopy on the rear and some LED lighting. I'm considering a roof tent for weekend/overnight camps.

 

[Red_Leaf_Overland]

Lol I love the golf cart!

I started with a 2006 Jeep TJ unlimited. Since I bought it I've changed almost everything in it but it was geared more towards trails and rock crawling than long distance travel. That being said it did cross boarders but it's a lot of work to handle it for long periods of time.
It's list of modifications goes like this:
• swapped axles our for newer model Rubicon axles with factory e-locker
• swapped axle gear ratio out to a 4.88 instead of factory 4.10 in the newer axles and chromoly axle shafts
• suspension has been built around those axles with a 3 link front and semi-triangulated 4 link rear
• it runs 6" lift springs from Rock Krawler all around, and a Currie anti-rock sway bar up front.
•the rear springs have been repositioned on the frame to be straighter vertically and a closed cell foam "speed bump" installed to smooth out some of the harsher hits to the suspension.
• the rear shocks have been relocated to the outside and above of the frame and the frame "notched" to allow clearance for this.
• engine raised up 1" in engine bay and poly engine spacers installed as well as transfer case and transmission raised and poly spacers mounted on custom crossmember to match.
• it run 37" tires
• swapped to a dual piston front brake caliper and 14" brake rotors ( big brake kit from crown automotive)
• a bolt in roll cage was installed and I have a roof basket covering the rear cargo area as a second layer to tie things down to.
• sound deadening on the interior
•auxiliary lights on roof and front bumper
• 8000 lb winch winch mounted up front.

My second vehicle is my daily driver and family camper. It's a 2019 Jeep Compass Trailhawk which is still a work in progress:

• 2" Rough Country lift
• 1" wheel spacers
• slightly wider 17x 8 wheels
• slightly larger firstone A/T tires
• shower mounted to roof
• traction boards mounted to roof basket


I am also in the process of building an offroad trailer to create a little more space in the back of the vehicles.

 

[Polaris Overland]

Been a while since I posted but here is an update.

THE ASPIRATIONAL CAMPER
My prior rig is still around - having undergone a massive programme of works in the last 2 years due to Covid.

It's a 2002 VW Transporter T4 Syncro 4x4 LWB 2.5TDI.

View attachment 250895Since being taken off the road it's had an engine rebuild, clutch and gearbox swapped, accident damage repaired, attention to sills and cab steps and any welding required completed with new panels. I fitted sliding windows, a used poptop roof, suspension lift with new bushes, Alfa Romeo cab seats with swivel, ladder, awning mounts, bullbar, Minilite competition wheels and All Terrains.

I'm just sorting some MOT niggles before I can test it and get the NOVA sorted as it's on an Irish plate.

Then the concentration will be on a self built interior and prepping for paint.


THE DAILY
My daily driver is a 2013 VW Amarok 2.0 BiTDi Highline. This covers many bases as I needed a roomy automatic for family use and a practical workhorse for work on our smallholding.

View attachment 250896I held off modifying it for the first year but now confident in it's suitability it's had the EGR and DPF delete and a remap.

More recently I had started doing bits including the stoneguard, light protectors, wind deflectors. Then I swapped the alloys for the modular steels and BFG K02's. Interior bits like phone mount, USB power sockets and a fire extinguisher are quick weekend jobs (satisfying because with a 1yr old to entertain quick wins are always welcome.

I've made a start on a custom bed slide unit and added a roofrack over the last few weeks. Hopefully soon they will be followed by a canopy on the rear and some LED lighting. I'm considering a roof tent for weekend/overnight camps.

A lot of pick up and van fans in the region now. Quite a few Isuzu's and of course VM Transportes and Delicas

 

[Polaris Overland]

Lol I love the golf cart!

I started with a 2006 Jeep TJ unlimited. Since I bought it I've changed almost everything in it but it was geared more towards trails and rock crawling than long distance travel. That being said it did cross boarders but it's a lot of work to handle it for long periods of time.
It's list of modifications goes like this:
• swapped axles our for newer model Rubicon axles with factory e-locker
• swapped axle gear ratio out to a 4.88 instead of factory 4.10 in the newer axles and chromoly axle shafts
• suspension has been built around those axles with a 3 link front and semi-triangulated 4 link rear
• it runs 6" lift springs from Rock Krawler all around, and a Currie anti-rock sway bar up front.
•the rear springs have been repositioned on the frame to be straighter vertically and a closed cell foam "speed bump" installed to smooth out some of the harsher hits to the suspension.
• the rear shocks have been relocated to the outside and above of the frame and the frame "notched" to allow clearance for this.
• engine raised up 1" in engine bay and poly engine spacers installed as well as transfer case and transmission raised and poly spacers mounted on custom crossmember to match.
• it run 37" tires
• swapped to a dual piston front brake caliper and 14" brake rotors ( big brake kit from crown automotive)
• a bolt in roll cage was installed and I have a roof basket covering the rear cargo area as a second layer to tie things down to.
• sound deadening on the interior
•auxiliary lights on roof and front bumper
• 8000 lb winch winch mounted up front.View attachment 250897

My second vehicle is my daily driver and family camper. It's a 2019 Jeep Compass Trailhawk which is still a work in progress:

• 2" Rough Country lift
• 1" wheel spacers
• slightly wider 17x 8 wheels
• slightly larger firstone A/T tires
• shower mounted to roof
• traction boards mounted to roof basket
View attachment 250906

I am also in the process of building an off road trailer to create a little more space in the back of the vehicles.

Looks a beast. We did go the trailer route that I modified myself. Great for base camp style camping but not so much for faster travel moving daily. I do miss the trailer though and it was great off road behind the Landy.
SAHARA DESERT

 

[Murfman]

2021 Ford Bronco Wildtrak. 35" Nitto Trail Grapplers; Icon Stage3 suspension giving 2.75" in front and 1" in back lift (I could run 37s); BroncBuster steering upgrades to rack and tie rods;

 

[thesyncroviking]

A lot of pick up and van fans in the region now. Quite a few Isuzu's and of course VM Transportes and Delicas

I've had VW Syncro vans for 2 decades now. T3 and T4. They're great but the 'scene' is a bit varied in quality. I used to attend lots of VW shows but am more selective now and prefer to do more meets with people actually interested in using them rather than showing them off.

 

[DintDobbs]

Got a small collection.

1999 Ford Explorer Sport, dedicated toy. First car, bought stock. Superlift, Old Man Emu, and RTZ parts make up a 5" front and 4" rear lift. Hitch receivers front and rear. 5.13 gears and 33x12.50 Nitto Trail Grapplers. Needs a crash bar!

2003 Dodge Durango SLT, heavy hauler and tow rig. Obtained wrecked, from relative. Repaired or replaced damaged components. Supreme Suspensions lift and (probably Maxxis) A/T tires pending. 3.23 gears are the hang-up on this one, not planning to regear.

2000 Ford Explorer Limited, daily driver. Stock at present, have a 2" RTZ lift for future installation and planning to upgrade to 31" A/T's eventually.

The girls chillin'.

 

[roots66]

Before I ever knew what "overlanding" was, I had this little guy.

 

[toolsforwar]

1993 Mitsubishi Montero (white one) 3.0 V6
2.5" OME lift. torsion bars and HD coils
bilstein 4600 shocks
15x8 bart steel wheels
33x12.50r15 falken wildpeaks
simple camp out in the back with a small platform and 2 drawers I built in my driveway
based out of the jersey shore and love exploring the pine barrens

 

[Polaris Overland]

1993 Mitsubishi Montero (white one) 3.0 V6
2.5" OME lift. torsion bars and HD coils
bilstein 4600 shocks
15x8 bart steel wheels
33x12.50r15 falken wildpeaks
simple camp out in the back with a small platform and 2 drawers I built in my driveway
based out of the jersey shore and love exploring the pine barrens




View attachment 251176

Simplicity is key for getting out on the trips and adventures.
We evolved from backpacks to bikes to cars to the vehicles we have now. Some our best memories are from our simpler set ups

 

[toolsforwar]

Simplicity is key for getting out on the trips and adventures.
We evolved from backpacks to bikes to cars to the vehicles we have now. Some our best memories are from our simpler set ups

big fan of less is more. I don't need a snorkel or a 1000$ arb bumper it takes away from the lines of the truck. the more stuff bolted on the more i'm not interested in the rig. It's a tool to get out and explore not a hey look at me materialistic snob object.

 

[blackntan]

 

[Moment4Life]

 

[Taino_Overland]

2022 JT Gladiator. Mods include:
-BDS 2” suspension with Fox shocks
-35” Mickey Thompson Baja Boss
-23Zero Armadillo X2 RTT
-Road Armor Trecked bed rack
-Decked drawer system
-SPOD Bantam control
-ARB awning

 

[El-Dracho]

Great setups here. Thanks for sharing. Well, then I like to show mine too.

LR Defender 110 2.4 Puma

Meanwhile about 12 years old and nearly 400,000km or 250,000 miles on the clock. And I am still as happy with it as on the first day. It has taken us all over Europe, North America, Central and North Asia, parts of Africa without any problems. Awesome! It is important to me to have a classic 4x4. Not too big, so we can get everywhere and it fits into a container for shipping. Also, the maintenance costs are still manageable. Good offroad characteristics anyway. The equipment list is very long, so just a few highlights…

Interior/ Camping
Poptop roof conversion, rear and side awning, cozy interior with plenty of storage space, drinking water supply by a total of 50 liters in canisters. Engel compressor fridge. Aux battery 95 Ah, 100 watts solar panel. Cooking is done outside on a simple camping gas stove, most of the time life on the road takes place outside.

Suspension and Drivetrain
A good balance of proven original parts, which are easy to obtain in replacement when traveling, as well as high performance accessories is very important to me. Therefore original HD springs from LR combined with high quality Radlfo 2.5 inch shock absorbers with reservoir. With that setup it is a real pleasure to fly over tracks just like that. Tires in the size 255/ 86 R16 what corresponds to approximately 33s. ARB 100% locker front and rear. Onboard air to supply the lockers is there anyway.

Nav/ Comms
Garmin 278 GPSMap, very robust and absolutely reliable plus 10 inch tablet (good overview, is easy to use and there are a lot of options for navigation and more. A clear weakness - and here the old Garmin is far ahead with the real buttons - is the touchscreen. Touchscreen and off-road don't get along well and when it's really dusty, operating it is sometimes difficult, Garmin inReach Mini 2 (tracking, communication, SOS) , Terratrip 202 Tripmaster for roadbook tours and events. Alan Midland 121 CB radio, 2m/70cm band Yeasu FTM-100 amateur radio, one CB and one VHF handheld radio each.

Protection
Rollcage and reinforced B-pillars around the passenger compartment, rocksliders, front and rear plates, snorkel with cyclone pre-filter, massively reinforced front axle (this needed straightening anyway after a violent impact into a deep cross gutter at high speed, so we reinforced it right away).

Lights
Nolden LED main headlights, VisionX Lightbars with a total of 150W mounted on cage, 2 aux high beam mounted instead of parking lights (they are in the headlights now), LED signal lights all around, VisionX LED working light rear wirh 35Watt, 10 Watt auxiliary reversing light

Roof rack
Since I'm not a fan of large roof loads and an high center of gravity, the roof was just given a large area of aluminum checker plate and airline rails. This increases the vehicle height only minimally, makes the roof accessible and in case of need there can still be transported something on it.

Range
Aux tank of 47 liters or 12.5 gallons, which together with the original tank gives a range of at least 1000 km or 600 miles.

Recovery
Winch 4.5t with synthetic rope and F55 flatlink, massive recovery eyes front and rear, lots of straps, ropes, shackles, pulley, highlift etc.

In addition, some additional instruments such as engine oil temp, transmission oil temp etc, special equipment for winter travel, such as heated mirrors, a coolant diesel heater and a 220 volt preheater for the engine cooling circuit and much more.


For us two people, a 4x4 with a poptop roof is just the right size for us. Even to be on the road for many months. This setup has proven itself over many kilometres, time and countless trips. And I am looking forward to the next trips.

 

[toolsforwar]

2022 JT Gladiator. Mods include:
-BDS 2” suspension with Fox shocks
-35” Mickey Thompson Baja Boss
-23Zero Armadillo X2 RTT
-Road Armor Trecked bed rack
-Decked drawer system
-SPOD Bantam control
-ARB awning

Nice rig dude! Love gladiators on 35s and bonus points for no angry face

 

[Polaris Overland]

Great setups here. Thanks for sharing. Well, then I like to show mine too.

LR Defender 110 2.4 Puma

Meanwhile about 12 years old and nearly 400,000km or 250,000 miles on the clock. And I am still as happy with it as on the first day. It has taken us all over Europe, North America, Central and North Asia, parts of Africa without any problems. Awesome! It is important to me to have a classic 4x4. Not too big, so we can get everywhere and it fits into a container for shipping. Also, the maintenance costs are still manageable. Good offroad characteristics anyway. The equipment list is very long, so just a few highlights…

Interior/ Camping
Poptop roof conversion, rear and side awning, cozy interior with plenty of storage space, drinking water supply by a total of 50 liters in canisters. Engel compressor fridge. Aux battery 95 Ah, 100 watts solar panel. Cooking is done outside on a simple camping gas stove, most of the time life on the road takes place outside.

Suspension and Drivetrain
A good balance of proven original parts, which are easy to obtain in replacement when traveling, as well as high performance accessories is very important to me. Therefore original HD springs from LR combined with high quality Radlfo 2.5 inch shock absorbers with reservoir. With that setup it is a real pleasure to fly over tracks just like that. Tires in the size 255/ 86 R16 what corresponds to approximately 33s. ARB 100% locker front and rear. Onboard air to supply the lockers is there anyway.

Nav/ Comms
Garmin 278 GPSMap, very robust and absolutely reliable plus 10 inch tablet (good overview, is easy to use and there are a lot of options for navigation and more. A clear weakness - and here the old Garmin is far ahead with the real buttons - is the touchscreen. Touchscreen and off-road don't get along well and when it's really dusty, operating it is sometimes difficult, Garmin inReach Mini 2 (tracking, communication, SOS) , Terratrip 202 Tripmaster for roadbook tours and events. Alan Midland 121 CB radio, 2m/70cm band Yeasu FTM-100 amateur radio, one CB and one VHF handheld radio each.

Protection
Rollcage and reinforced B-pillars around the passenger compartment, rocksliders, front and rear plates, snorkel with cyclone pre-filter, massively reinforced front axle (this needed straightening anyway after a violent impact into a deep cross gutter at high speed, so we reinforced it right away).

Lights
Nolden LED main headlights, VisionX Lightbars with a total of 150W mounted on cage, 2 aux high beam mounted instead of parking lights (they are in the headlights now), LED signal lights all around, VisionX LED working light rear wirh 35Watt, 10 Watt auxiliary reversing light

Roof rack
Since I'm not a fan of large roof loads and an high center of gravity, the roof was just given a large area of aluminum checker plate and airline rails. This increases the vehicle height only minimally, makes the roof accessible and in case of need there can still be transported something on it.

Range
Aux tank of 47 liters or 12.5 gallons, which together with the original tank gives a range of at least 1000 km or 600 miles.

Recovery
Winch 4.5t with synthetic rope and F55 flatlink, massive recovery eyes front and rear, lots of straps, ropes, shackles, pulley, highlift etc.

In addition, some additional instruments such as engine oil temp, transmission oil temp etc, special equipment for winter travel, such as heated mirrors, a coolant diesel heater and a 220 volt preheater for the engine cooling circuit and much more.


For us two people, a 4x4 with a poptop roof is just the right size for us. Even to be on the road for many months. This setup has proven itself over many kilometres, time and countless trips. And I am looking forward to the next trips.

View attachment 251210

Great write up Bjoern, thanks for sharing it

 

[Alanymarce]

2015 Montero 3.8L in much of the world; Wrangler JK LWB in Canada.

 

[toolsforwar]

2015 Montero 3.8L in much of the world; Wrangler JK LWB in Canada.

man I wish we got the MK4 pajero here in the states