What is "needed" for an Overland Vehicle

[Jaxie]

Looking at the forums it seems the standard answer to any "what vehicle" is Jeep/Toyota/Land Rover. But why? I come from more of a camping/hiking background and have limited knowledge of autos. So my question isn't which vehicle I should buy but what should I look for and how important is it?

From reading the forums I've gotten:

At least 8" of ground clearance.
Transfer case preferred but not required.
Decent carrying capacity.
Body on frame construction.
Possibly the ability to sleep inside if the weather requires it.
4x4 or at least AWD? (Or is this just 4x4?)

Like many people I pretty much have weekends and some vacation time for travelling. Mostly planning to stay in N. America so wondering if a Ford truck or a Dodge Durango would work just fine? My feeling is that the popular vehicles are helped by their global support. But if I don't need that is it just any 4 Wheel Drive vehicle that I like? Anything that's a red flag if I simplify the criteria to just that? (Heck, I see people using Subarus so maybe it's not even that high of a bar?)

Thanks

 

[JHa6av8r]

Unless you're planning on going rock crawling and/or have a hankering to run the Rubicon Trail most stock 4x4's will take you most anywhere you want to go. You can see our overland vehicle in my signature. It's what works for you.

 

[MadMedic]

I'm setting up an iveco daily crewcab flatbed as my "overland vehicle" it's 2wd pretty low clearance but it suits my needs. It can carry all the stuff I need and do what I want.

I originally looked at a Toyota Hilux crew cab but it's cheaper and easier for me to run the van than it was for the Hilux and suits 98% of my needs.

So the answer to your question is what do you want to do. Do you really and I mean really need a 4x4. If your going to explore dirt roads and fire/logging trails then probably not but If your going to rock crawl then spend the money. At the end of the day your the only one who know what you need.

Hope this may have helped, probably hasn't but at least it's food for thought.


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[Apdl]

Honda CR-V amirite?
As long as you stick to fire roads I don't for see any issues
But then again, those few times it gets really rough, I'll have to turn around

 

[Byrnie Mac]

Brakes. Good, working, quality brakes.

Everything else kind of depends, I guess. I would say 4WD, but I've read about a Porsche 944 going all over Africa, and there is also every adventure motorcyclist on this forum that would disagree.

Also water. That's important.

 

[pugslyyy]

My first overland vehicle was a Chevy Malibu Classic station wagon!

 

[EMrider]

Needs versus wants in an overland vehicle is a highly subjective issue.

In the needs category, my list is short and includes:

Good ground clearance (8" at least, the more the better)
Lots of storage and cargo capacity
Reliability

Everything else is OK, but not essential.

R

 

[DiploStrat]

Still The Best Description

I still think that this is the best study of the subject: http://www.xor.org.uk/silkroute/equipment/choosevan.htm

That said, you run what you brung.

 

[newhue]

Depends, where you want to go, for how long, with how many, and desired/accepted level of comfort.
Big trucks don't fit on small tracks, can have access issues, and may be difficult to park in town. Small cars struggle with weights and gear space. A 4x4 offer more freedom, and are usually more robust. Many accessories that are offered to a 4x4 to get it further safely are not offered to a standard car, like long range fuel tank, heavier suspension, tyres.

My truck is set up to take 4 as remote as we desire for 2.5 weeks; fuel, food, water. This also depends on what country you live in. Roads, fuel stops, animal size can all make a difference.
I have mates (guy and girl) who lived in a van to 2 years. Not for me, but they were happy. It would have also cost them much less than if I were doing it.

 

[redneck44]

I clocked 100k miles in Ford Orion 1.6 Diesel in 12 months doing MTB, Climbing, and just going places, several years back.
2wd, low profile tyres on alloy wheels, never serviced it not even changed the oil, just topped it up when needed slow as a slow thing and even worse when loaded up with bikes camping and climbing gear for 2, basically everything an overland vehicle isn't supposed to be.

 

[ExploringNH]

What is needed? Money for gas!

everything else is a luxury.

 

[toymaster]

Looking at the forums it seems the standard answer to any "what vehicle" is Jeep/Toyota/Land Rover. But why? I come from more of a camping/hiking background and have limited knowledge of autos. So my question isn't which vehicle I should buy but what should I look for and how important is it?

From reading the forums I've gotten:

At least 8" of ground clearance.
Transfer case preferred but not required.
Decent carrying capacity.
Body on frame construction.
Possibly the ability to sleep inside if the weather requires it.
4x4 or at least AWD? (Or is this just 4x4?)

Like many people I pretty much have weekends and some vacation time for travelling. Mostly planning to stay in N. America so wondering if a Ford truck or a Dodge Durango would work just fine? My feeling is that the popular vehicles are helped by their global support. But if I don't need that is it just any 4 Wheel Drive vehicle that I like? Anything that's a red flag if I simplify the criteria to just that? (Heck, I see people using Subarus so maybe it's not even that high of a bar?)

Thanks

First, overlanding is vehicle supported expeditions. Very similar to camping and other weekend activity. The difference is where your 'support' comes from i.e. the local walmart, fishing lake general store, or out of your vehicle during the expedition. I would place a quote in here and a link to this site's proper definition but that page was not found with my recent search; I've informed the powers that be of this. References and the quality of the reference and all that academic stuff.

I submit car-camping and most weekend excursions any vehicle will work. How many times did the trusty family station wagon get the family to the lake and back?

Now when the terrain gets more difficult, amount of supplies carried increases, and isolation becomes greater that is when things change. A truck or a truck based suv becomes more desirable. Much of your list will be found on many trucks. Off road capability increases with the more tires underpower (4x4, lockers, lower gear ratios) and greater ground clearance. A large payload allows more supplies to be brought. Heavy duty components do lend themselves to more reliability. etc...

What you should buy and how important is it depends where you want to go (terrain) and how much you are carrying with you (payload). Going to the heart of Death Valley in a 70's era station wagon carrying 2,000lbs of gear may not be the best idea. Even if you have plenty of water and a sat phone to call to be rescued who in the world wants to be taken out of the wilderness not under their own power???

My advice is pick a vehicle that speaks to you, a design you like, one that is 'cool' in your opinion. The reason is you will spend a lot of money on it, money that will never be recovered on resale. Then, do the research to find the weak areas, every vic has them and with the interweb they are well documented.

4x4 - really if you have to ask...
transfer case - this is because there is a low range. Lower gearing used off road = more power.
Lockers- a locker locks both tires on an axle together so power goes to both. More tires turning = more traction.
Aftermarket support - (a popular off road vehicle) more support = more choices = lower prices
Frame- larger payloads generally go with a body on frame construction, just stronger. That said I would not rule out a choice solely on this issue.

Click on 'garage' in my signature to see what I chose. Also, have a 2014 subaru XV with a ground clearance of 8.7" :coffeedrink: Over the past year we have gotten 34-36 mpg highway and 30 mixed. I would not say that bar is low.

 

[AFBronco235]

I have a "Hope for the best, plan for the worst" mentality that seems to work fine for me. Think about the worst possible scenario you could have. Such as a freak ice storm popping up while your out in the woods? You'd want a vehicle that can get through that. Then again, its also why I'm never owning an actual car. That, and I'm too freaking tall to fit in those tiny things.

For me, I have a passion for the older vehicles I grew up with, so I went with a 91' Ford Bronco. Plenty of parts available for cheap, lots of info out there on how to fix, modify and generally improve them, a very strong online following for advice and how-to's, plus its just cool as hell. But I didn't stop there. I made my own modifications to the original specs: winch, aux battery, roof rack, CB radio, custom center console, TV w/ CD/DVD player, various additional lighting, Warn premium locking hubs, limited slip rear differential, and a host of smaller additions that make it perfect for me.

I would also highly recommend learning to wrench on whatever vehicle you choose. You'll learn more on what its truly capable of that way with less chance breaking it and a get a good idea on how to fix it when it does break.

Older vehicles have several advantages over brand new. They've had the bugs worked out over time, so really fewer problems, they're cheaper, parts are available for cheap at junkyards if you know how to wrench, a huge information base is available thanks to the internet, and they tend to be easier to work on in general, using simpler technology for the most part.

As a specific vehicle recommendation, I think something in a midsized pickup truck, like the Ford Ranger, with a fiberglass camper shell on the bed will meet your needs. Doesn't have to be 4WD, but it helps. They're small, light, decent gas mileage, and the carrying capacity if perfect for just a couple of people. If you plan on having more than 1 or 2 people with you, you can simply move up to a full sized truck with the same configuration.

 

[Rosco862003]

What is needed? Money for gas!

everything else is a luxury.

Best advice I've read yet given your expectations. The term "Overland" or "Expedition" vehicle is played out in my opinion. Find something in your price range that is reliable, offers decent clearance and just go. You'll figure out what you truly NEED as you go along. This isn't a rockcrawler forum, so as ExploringNH said, everything other than gas is a luxury.

A List of things in the disputed "Overland" setup
Reliability - Having a Rubicon that can traverse the Himalayas is pointless if it's constantly in the shop.
Gas mileage - Over the course of a 2000 mile trip the difference between a vehicle that gets 15 mpg and 25 mpg @ an avg of $3.30/ gal is $176. For me that is close to a car payment and the difference between me staying or packing my bags for the weekend.
Recovery Gear and the knowledge to use it - Because if you get stuck having a clean Hi-lift mounted to your hood is miserable if you don't know how to use it.
Ground Clearance/Protection - You can make it alot of places in 2wd with good clearance. Just go to any construction site and look at the Econoline driving around a muddy site up hills all day.

 

[libarata]

I love my 99 Forester. The AWD does everything I need it to do, and there is PLENTY of room for stuff. I have slept in it a few time, just because I wanted to. It already has 7 inches clearance, with optional kits for 9 inches, plus whatever tires you can fit. I will be adding auxiliary light to the tune of 75 bucks, a new airfilter, skid plates to defend my oil filter/pan, louvers for the hood, and curtains for the rear windows.
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The best vehicle you can have, is the one you can afford. Do not spend too much time in your driveway dicking around with wires, and tires.