By Will MarshalOverlanding is not new. People have been doing it for a long time, and it has been called different names, most recently it has been “Car Camping”. But the glory is not lost however, as to truly have your spirit of exploration fall into the Overland category, you have to throw blind adventure into the mix. Anyone can go car camping to your state park’s manicured campground, but not everyone is ready to leave civilization behind and set off unto adventures unknown to set up camp where they damn well feel like it.
All this freedom to explore comes at a price. (Literally.) The other side of overlanding is it can become an expensive endeavor very, very quickly.
The guideline outlined below is to make sure you understand that you do not need to take out a second mortgage on your home to go out and explore. The point is the experience, and the vehicle you take to get there can be a tool, or an extension of you.
There is no right or wrong way to go about this, but there are smart ways. The mindset of most people is to build for the worst and hope for the best. While it is a good mindset to have for most scenarios, going overkill is an expensive endeavor that might not be necessary.
We are going to cover a few basic points when selecting a vehicle and outfitting it so that you get the best bang for your buck, and can fully enjoy the experience.
Vehicle Choice
Economy (fuel, maintenance and sanity)
Tire choice (All-Terrain vs Mud-Terrain)
Lift (do you really need to do that?)
Craigslist
Lockers before Lights
Vehicle based adventure travel is not limited to a car, a truck, a van or anything in-between. All you need is something with wheels and a reason to go. Note: That is a very broad brush to paint with, and because of the variety of options available it ultimately comes down to you to decide how you want to travel.
There are many people who are equally as happy with a dirt bike between their legs, as they are piloting a $3000 Jeep Cherokee Craigslist find, or a $100,000 American Expedition Vehicles HEMI V8 Jeep Wrangler. So the questions you need to ask yourself is what do you want to see, and how do you want to get there?
Once you’ve nailed those details down, decide what your budget is and the rest should follow suit. Some of the best budget 4WD vehicles are the Jeep Cherokee XJ, the 80 and 100 series Toyota Land Cruisers, and unsurprisingly, the Jeep Wrangler. All can be had for less than $10,000 with some thorough searching on the used market.It is not a secret that this is in no way a cheap hobby or life decision. Even approaching it from a budget conscious mindset, you will drop a few thousand dollars in the end. So when selecting a vehicle and deciding if you want to modify it, consider the economics of your decision. Like Newton’s third law, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. That wisdom is going to apply to every detail of your vehicle.
Example: You might live down the street from Zion National Park and gas mileage doesn’t really matter to you, or you could live 2,000 miles away and the fuel bill is what is keeping you from going. Ultimately, everything comes down to what you see yourself doing, and where you are going.
A light vehicle like a Subaru gets great fuel economy, can be modified, has a flat load surface in the back when the seats are folded down and is low on maintenance expenses. It was also built as a car first, so it is easy to drive on the road. Your energy investment in piloting it is low, and your sanity remains in tip-top condition.
Sounds like the perfect setup, right? Nothing too shiny, or too glorious but it gets the job done. Well, yes – but if you suddenly have the itch to hit advance/technical trails in Moab, its off-road limitations become more than just fine print.
Now, you can certainly lift a Subaru and fit larger tires to make it capable of hitting a more technical trail, but if that type of off-road adventure is on your radar, it might not be the most wise choice of a vehicle to start with.
It is important to recognize that all of your modifications have a lasting effect on your vehicle’s maintenance cycle. Large tires affect the strain on drivetrain components and increase wear and consequently maintenance. And things like light bars and roof-top tents affect your vehicle weight and aerodynamics which directly correlate to your fuel mileage.This one once again comes down to being cognizant of what you are going to do with your vehicle. There are three major groups of tires: Street, All-Terrain and Mud Terrain.
Street tires are your general run of the mill tires that most vehicles ship with. They’re lightweight, hard wearing, quiet and great in the rain. They were built to maximize the fuel economy of the vehicle, and make it as quiet as possible all while maintaining the design parameters set by the engineers designing the vehicle itself. These tires are built for the road, pure and simple. If you are not going to be traversing more than a dirt road and pounding pavement between destinations, these are for you. Good news; they are cheap, too.
All-Terrain are a mild mix of street capability and off-road traction. These were designed for the off-road enthusiast that daily drives their vehicle and does not try to get lost on purpose. They are built with a tougher sidewall and tire face than compared to a street tire, and have more aggressive patterns designed for romping through the wilds. These are fairly quiet, light and economical – the weekend roamer should get ATs. These tires are exceptional at light snow travel as well. Even the king of the off-road world, the Jeep Rubicon, now ships from the factory with B.F. Goodrich’s legendary K02 All-Terrain tire.
Mud Terrain are top dog for traction off-road. With huge lug voids, heavy construction and a badass look – they are the go-anywhere, do-anything tire. There are dozens upon dozens of versions of MT tires and they range from tires that are exceptional in the mud, to those built for rocks. This extreme performance comes at a cost on the street however. Mud Terrains are loud, vibrate, heavy, expensive and do not handle light snow well.
Terrains you plan to encounter, and the duration it will take to get there will help inform tire selection. In addition to the tread type, note that super-wide floatation tires are not always the best selection either. For decades, “pizza-cutter” type tires that are very narrow, have been the choice of overlander’s worldwide for their reliable on-road handling, reduced weight (fuel economy and wear and tear). They also have the ability to dig through problematic terrain to a solid footing below. While this narrow tread pattern does not help reduce footprint of the vehicle, other traction aids like traction boards and winches are on hand to supplant the uncommon need for wide floatation tires.Of any modifications made to a vehicle, suspension should always be the one you invest the most money into. Optimizing handling and performance of the suspension not only reduces fatigue on the operator and passengers, but it increases safety and reliability for the rest of the vehicle as well.
The wellbeing of the vehicle and its occupants are at the mercy of the suspension it rides on. Do not skimp on this one. Make a list of where you want to go and how you want the vehicle to perform and pick a suspension based on that.
Remember the amount of time that went into designing these suspensions. Thousands of hours by people with a string of acronyms after their names designed and built this product for optimal performance. Another factor to consider is that the lift decision ties in directly to the tire conversation. Messing with those parameters and going willy-nilly to fit a tire size is a recipe for disaster. Craigslist and other online marketplaces are your best friend for scoring awesome deals on pre-loved equipment or staying within a budget. Craigslist can be scoured for everything, from the vehicle you are considering to lights, accessories and even camping equipment. If you can think of it, it is probably on Craigslist and there is a deal to be had.
A great example of the wonders of the online marketplace is the Warn M8000 winch. Widely regarded as the best budget and entry level winch available on the market, the M8000 is the go-to champ for light to midsize vehicles. They are on the market for about $600 bucks brand new, but if you are savvy and patient, you can find used ones ranging from free to $350.
If you can score a used M8000, great! If it works, even better! But if it does not, Warn offers master rebuild kits for all their winches for a low fee and you can crack the case open on that winch and rebuild it to brand new condition and still be miles ahead. Search Craigslist, let it be your friend.Outside of a headlight upgrade and maybe a set of aftermarket fog lights, you really do not need anything more; a seasoned off-roader knows the merits of the driveline of their vehicle over their lighting. If you are pushing your vehicle to the brink of its stock design, then you might think of investing into a front or rear (or both) locking or limited-slip differential before that light bar.
For a full breakdown on the function of a locker, you need to understand how a differential works first.The differential is what is allowing you to go around a corner. A locker locks both sides of the differential together so that the left and right axles are getting an equal split of power with no slippage. Once you know how the science behind a differential works, it is easy to understand how powerful a tool a locking differential is to get through very technical terrain.
And here’s some good news: Most new vehicles are shipping with rear lockers from the factory, and some specialized trims like the Chevy Colorado ZR2, or the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon ship with front and rear lockers straight from the factory. Talk about traction!Taking the vehicle out and finding its limitations is the first step to determine what modifications you need to make. At the end of the day it’s up to you to choose your own adventure and start down the path to exploration.
If you would like to know more about any of these topics, join the Overland Bound forums and ask around! There are plenty of resources, lots of helpful people and it’s free. The most important thing to do is research and ask questions before you open your wallet and spend. You’ll have more resources for gas to get you where you want to go.
There are several good books out there as well.
The two main books are:
'Vehicle-dependant Expedition Guide' by Tom Sheppard and
'The Essential Guide to Overland Travel in the United States and Canada' by TeriAnn Wakeman
Another one is 'Working in the Wild: Land Rover's Manual for Africa'. Don't let the title put you off. Basically, if you can travel 'vehicle-dependant' in Africa you can do the same just about anywhere.
This article was spot-on informative Will! My favorite section “Lockers before Lights.” Personally, the video helped the brain wrap around what’ going on inside that “pumpkin” under my Jeep, which is currently leaking a little and feeling far more informed ahead of going into the shop. Thank you!
This is a good baseline read for the beginner. Then, pick up a few books on the matter as Correus has mentioned. The author doesn't mention it, so I would also advise a beginner to be wary of target marketing campaigns aimed directly at you in an attempt to sell you their latest gizmology. Stay focused on making your vehicle reliable and capable with stringent preventative maintenance and by using time tested and proven aftermarket products. Learn everything you can about your rig, then learn to make basic repairs on your own. Most of the time, older is better as it is possible to make basic repairs in the field.
Us old guys had to figure it out the hard way.
Here, hold my beer……..
[QUOTE="Murphy Slaw, post: 267649, member: 2766"]Us old guys had to figure it out the hard way.
Here, hold my beer……..[/QUOTE]
I'm always amazed at those who figured it all out before the age of the internet and social media. 😉
I think my favorite point in the historical timeline of "overlanding" is the period roughly between 1890 and 1960.
I just finished reading an article called "The end of the road for overland adventures?". Sadly it did point out that the age of true "overlanding" is about gone. The fact that so many boarders are closed; or the political upheavals in countries make it too dangerous; fuel expenses; parts; insurance have made it almost impossible for the common everyday person to do it.
While many on here say "any form of vehicle dependent travel/camping is overlanding" regardless of amount of time and distance is; the fact of the matter is that "true" overlanding involves long distances covered over long spans of time. As an example, the "First Overland – London to Singapore" expedition in 1955; it took 7 months and 12,000 to make the trip.
This type of overlanding just isn't possible for the vast amount of "overlanders" out there. This type of overlanding seems to be the purview of a very, very small percentage of people today.
Just my 2¢….
I never gave it much thought about “overloading” until I migrated to Australia in 1972 with my wife and three sons. I worked for a year but my wife wanted to move back to the US. So I thought it would be nice to go the long way back. I bought a VW Kombi, ridged it out to sleep five and purchased a small six foot box trailer and loaded it all I figured we would need for the overland trek around Australia. Well, we did 29000 miles, not kilometers over a 10 month period. The cost for that incredible learning and teaching journey was only $3500. There would be know way in the world to do an overland trek like that today.
I now own a 2017 Jeep Wrangler JKU. We love it! We have traveled to Colorado twice in the last year and have traversed most of the trails within the Alpine Loop. We are considering an overland trek to Alaska next summer, from Katy, Texas.
I really enjoy the articles in Overland Bound!
[QUOTE="Correus, post: 267722, member: 3324"]I'm always amazed at those who figured it all out before the age of the internet and social media. 😉
I think my favorite point in the historical timeline of "overlanding" is the period roughly between 1890 and 1960.
I just finished reading an article called "The end of the road for overland adventures?". Sadly it did point out that the age of true "overlanding" is about gone. The fact that so many boarders are closed; or the political upheavals in countries make it too dangerous; fuel expenses; parts; insurance have made it almost impossible for the common everyday person to do it.
While many on here say "any form of vehicle dependent travel/camping is overlanding" regardless of amount of time and distance is; the fact of the matter is that "true" overlanding involves long distances covered over long spans of time. As an example, the "First Overland – London to Singapore" expedition in 1955; it took 7 months and 12,000 miles to make the trip.
This type of overlanding just isn't possible for the vast amount of "overlanders" out there. This type of overlanding seems to be the purview of a very, very small percentage of people today.
Just my 2¢….[/QUOTE]
I'm still trying to figure out/find a drivable route up to the Hudson Bay, hang a sharp left and end up in Alaska..
[QUOTE="MOAK, post: 267729, member: 1615"]I'm still trying to figure out/find a drivable route up to the Hudson Bay, hang a sharp left and end up in Alaska..[/QUOTE]
Why does this route sound familiar?
Great read. I would suggest the beginner also learn to drive correctly on and off road, simple things like turn off the o/d when pulling a trailer or in 4wd. Where to place your tires with rocks and such….Can take a class, bu to save money, hook up with fellow OBer’s and ask for help, I have never seen a bunch like OB who dont go out of their way to help or ensure your having a great time…..ASk!
Great article!
Nice write up, helps with us newbies!!!
[QUOTE="Jim SoG, post: 268284, member: 24420"]Great read. I would suggest the beginner also learn to drive correctly on and off road, simple things like turn off the o/d when pulling a trailer or in 4wd. Where to place your tires with rocks and such….Can take a class, bu to save money, hook up with fellow OBer's and ask for help, I have never seen a bunch like OB who dont go out of their way to help or ensure your having a great time…..ASk![/QUOTE]
OK,, I give up, I'm puzzled. Why turn the Overdrive off when pulling a trailer? I like getting 14-15mpg on my way west. It downshifts all by itself at the proper time to maintain the RPMs in th peak power band and I downshift manually to control downhill speeds. With a stick shift of course, the driver must do this manually, which I did for over 45 years. I was very stubborn about switching to an automatic but have since changed my mind. Change my mind. 🙂
[QUOTE="MOAK, post: 268570, member: 1615"]OK,, I give up, I'm puzzled. Why turn the Overdrive off when pulling a trailer? I like getting 14-15mpg on my way west. It downshifts all by itself at the proper time to maintain the RPMs in th peak power band and I downshift manually to control downhill speeds. With a stick shift of course, the driver must do this manually, which I did for over 45 years. I was very stubborn about switching to an automatic but have since changed my mind. Change my mind. :)[/QUOTE]
To each his own on overdrive but I think most vehicles can get damaged by using the OD while towing…..I would see what the book says…..
Jim
Great article and video for us beginners. Thank You!
[QUOTE="Jim SoG, post: 268599, member: 24420"]To each his own on overdrive but I think most vehicles can get damaged by using the OD while towing…..I would see what the book says…..
Jim[/QUOTE]
OK, haven't heard back from you on this one. You stated some really good things about a new drivers mastering/learning new skill sets when on or off pavement. I agree completely. I spent the better part of 2 or 3 years "learning" how to drive off pavement. That proverbial learning curve gets pretty sharp when it begins to affect your wallet because of breaking things. That was 40 plus years ago and we had to figure it all out on our own. Fortunately, on and off pavement I was a quick learner and eventually became a "safe driver" instructor for a major corporation. In a manual shift automobile it doesnt' matter what gear you are in as long as it is in the "sweet spot". With gasoline engines that sweet spot is somewhere between 1800 and 2400 RPMs depending upon the engine specifications. A comfortable cruising speed say 65mph is a good way to find the center of that sweet spot. With modern diesel engines that sweet spot is between 1400 and 1600 RPMs. A good driver will manually downshift before the engine begins to bog down in order to keep the engine RPMs in the sweet spot. The ideal scenario is to operate the engine at the lowest RPMs possible in order to do the job. A gasoline engine is operated correctly in the same manner except of course the RPMs must be maintained at a higher level. Diesels are much more torquier at much lower RPMs, but the goal remains the same for both. Efficiency. An automatic transmission does all the thinking and all the work for you, except when it may be better to manually downshift an automatic to control speed while on a decent instead of using the brakes. If one is crossing the great plains one figures out pretty quickly how to mimic the behavior of an automatic transmission. 5th gear/(overdrive) on the descents and flats, and dropping to 4th gear to pull the ascents. As stated, it is all aboout keeping the RPMs of the engine in the sweet spot.. Thank you Jim and have a Merry Christmas !!
[emoji1474]
[QUOTE="MOAK, post: 282909, member: 1615"]OK, haven't heard back from you on this one. You stated some really good things about a new drivers mastering/learning new skill sets when on or off pavement. I agree completely. I spent the better part of 2 or 3 years "learning" how to drive off pavement. That proverbial learning curve gets pretty sharp when it begins to affect your wallet because of breaking things. That was 40 plus years ago and we had to figure it all out on our own. Fortunately, on and off pavement I was a quick learner and eventually became a "safe driver" instructor for a major corporation. In a manual shift automobile it doesnt' matter what gear you are in as long as it is in the "sweet spot". With gasoline engines that sweet spot is somewhere between 1800 and 2400 RPMs depending upon the engine specifications. A comfortable cruising speed say 65mph is a good way to find the center of that sweet spot. With modern diesel engines that sweet spot is between 1400 and 1600 RPMs. A good driver will manually downshift before the engine begins to bog down in order to keep the engine RPMs in the sweet spot. The ideal scenario is to operate the engine at the lowest RPMs possible in order to do the job. A gasoline engine is operated correctly in the same manner except of course the RPMs must be maintained at a higher level. Diesels are much more torquier at much lower RPMs, but the goal remains the same for both. Efficiency. An automatic transmission does all the thinking and all the work for you, except when it may be better to manually downshift an automatic to control speed while on a decent instead of using the brakes. If one is crossing the great plains one figures out pretty quickly how to mimic the behavior of an automatic transmission. 5th gear/(overdrive) on the descents and flats, and dropping to 4th gear to pull the ascents. As stated, it is all aboout keeping the RPMs of the engine in the sweet spot.. Thank you Jim and have a Merry Christmas !![/QUOTE]
Agree about the RPM's for sure….All I know is ruined a Ram p/u tranny towing a not real heavy trailer a few hundred miles, dealer said it was towing with OD on…….Merry Christmas!
[QUOTE="Jim SoG, post: 283579, member: 24420"]Agree about the RPM's for sure….All I know is ruined a Ram p/u tranny towing a not real heavy trailer a few hundred miles, dealer said it was towing with OD on…….Merry Christmas![/QUOTE]
well then, thank you, one more reason I have discovered to justify my dislike of big three vehicles. BTW,,, a stealership told you that to get out of a warranty repair.. And the big three wonders why sales are down,, way down..