Is "Overlanding" a thing in your area yet?

[IndyIan]

Sounds like a good setup for the east and midwest, as almost any off road trail is going to have a lot of sections going through dense forest.
I guess in Utah and the surrounding states, there is enough public open land actually use a big Australia/Africa/Central Asia big truck style overlanding rig? Where you can go 100's of miles on open terrain road/trails to the next fuel stop?
I've seen a few Unimog campers from europe in Ontario campgrounds and they are so tall they have be careful navigating on a campground road here to avoid destroying the top on a big tree branch, and actual off road trails would be practically impossible.

 

[edyvw]

We have bunch of these “overland “ vehicles in CO.
But only “action” 99% of them have ever seen is when they hit curb in Starbucks drive through due to poor visibility.

 

[meep]

There a guy who lives near me who has a Mercedes van that looks like it would be at home in a Mad Max movie. He's constantly taking it on trips. It's a very neat looking vehicle.

I believe I know where this vehicle lives.

 

[andrew_j]

My nieces boyfriend has a light overland Tacoma. It barely makes it way off-road. My 19 year old daughter has done more extreme off-roading with our 2015 Pilot following Apple Maps.

 

[CheezWhiz]

I drove the Magruder corridor road in a stock regular cab short 2007 silverado with 32" mud terrains. that's about as long an off road stretch as there is in the lower 48 and i didn't need any mods other than the tires to do it. i did have to sleep in a tent though.

these days i have a crew 2500hd and i would love to do it again. if you want to be comfortable, there's nothing better than a truck bed with an air mattress under a snugtop or leer canopy!!

 

[Sumboodie]

Been offroading and camping for 25+ years.
Building a little camper box that sets on my Case MB4-94. Nicer than a tent.

 

[IndyFan]

Sounds like a good setup for the east and midwest, as almost any off road trail is going to have a lot of sections going through dense forest.
I guess in Utah and the surrounding states, there is enough public open land actually use a big Australia/Africa/Central Asia big truck style overlanding rig? Where you can go 100's of miles on open terrain road/trails to the next fuel stop?
I've seen a few Unimog campers from europe in Ontario campgrounds and they are so tall they have be careful navigating on a campground road here to avoid destroying the top on a big tree branch, and actual off road trails would be practically impossible.

I did a run up in Maine a few years back where I had only maybe 5 gallons left in my JL when we found a gas station and the three JK´s on the trip were sucking fumes with only 1 to 2 gallons left. Yikes!

 

[GR_CoB]

Overlanding with an AWD Prius? Definitely can leave it running all night for a nice climate controlled sleep inside of it...

 

[IndyFan]

Both had Florida plates. Lots of great off road terrain and spectacular countryside in Utah. Those rigs were huge, though, which really limits where they can go.

I much prefer something the size of an old 4 Runner. Not something the size of a fire truck.View attachment 158843

Yep. Full size doesn´t fit in many of the places we go. This is Elephant Hill, but sometimes it´s thick woods.

 

[Pablo]

I actually think the definition of overlanding got mashed together with offroading. Maybe that is just me.

I offroad a little around here. Never done any true overlanding.

That said I met a fellow at Mule while I was getting my 4.88's. It was around 2019-20 - who was a true overlander. His Tacoma rig was not fake, nice set-up, he was coming down from Alaska and had driven all over Canada-Mex-USA. He was not a poor fellow, just a lonely fellow! He had some stories.

 

[02SE]

Overlanding with an AWD Prius? Definitely can leave it running all night for a nice climate controlled sleep inside of it...
View attachment 279515

That's why some locations are now having to put up signs restricting wanna-be-capable awd vehicles from 4wd trails. It's mostly wanna-be Subaru drivers. They THINK they can run some 4wd trail, but the lack of clearance, axle articulation, and low-range, they get stuck, overheated, broken down somewhere on the trail, and then have to be rescued.

 

[PF52]

I actually think the definition of overlanding got mashed together with offroading. Maybe that is just me.

I'm still trying to figure out what is the difference. Is it the tent on the roof?

 

[Pablo]

I'm still trying to figure out what is the difference. Is it the tent on the roof?

I know everyone is joking but being self sufficient for weeks months vs camping and driving about in the wild for some hours and going back to work on Monday are very different

 

[andrew_j]

Do the people sleeping in non camper vans and vehicles overnight at truckstops and Walmarts count as overlanders ?

 

[Pablo]

Do the people sleeping in non camper vans and vehicles overnight at truckstops and Walmarts count as overlanders ?

Hobos

 

[4WD]

When I see a really rigged out 4 Runner way down on the peninsula - first thing I’ll assume is they are from Austin LOL …
But the reason they stick out is bcs of the local guys - like the three I found on their belly hand digging around tires of an FX4 Super Duty. They work construction - yet I had to supply shovels, buckets, straps, etc … and then pull them out …
At least the over landers tend to have some really good rigs and kit …

 

[edyvw]

That's why some locations are now having to put up signs restricting wanna-be-capable awd vehicles from 4wd trails. It's mostly wanna-be Subaru drivers. They THINK they can run some 4wd trail, but the lack of clearance, axle articulation, and low-range, they get stuck, overheated, broken down somewhere on the trail, and then have to be rescued.

They keep mom and pop towing shops in business here in Colorado.
Crosstrek or Outback with oversized KO2's.? Pih, I bet you towing guys are camping at an intersection that leads to real off-road trails, and bet which one will blow the CVT first.

 

[02SE]

They keep mom and pop towing shops in business here in Colorado.
Crosstrek or Outback with oversized KO2's.? Pih, I bet you towing guys are camping at an intersection that leads to real off-road trails, and bet which one will blow the CVT first.

For the record, I've never been a tow truck driver.

I've just seen fragged AWDs with no low range, dead on trails. I've also seen the posted signs restricting those incapable vehicles from proceeding on to the 4wd trails.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I'm still trying to figure out what is the difference. Is it the tent on the roof?

I’m thinking the roof top tent does signify a commitment that this thing is to drive out into the wilderness, ( not a State campground or KOA) and camp. I guess in the south it’s snakes, and further north it’s bears you want to avoid. Grizzlies however can stand up and rip the entire platform right off the truck, but still, it’s better than having a grizzly jump onto your tent on the ground. Having a whiz in the middle of the night requires good balance especially with the ladies.

 

[Kira]

Overlanding.....just another category for equipment catalogs.
Ex: Tent = tent. Overlanding tent = tent with optional padding, mounting fittings and higher price.
OR
Butch RVing, if you prefer.