Even though our Canadian Headquarters are too busy playing with their new toy, they've managed to find this 1964 Peugeot DB4 Ambulance on BringATrailer.com. Complete with hanging closet and bed, it's sure to find it's way into an overland adventure sooner or later.

I dig the siren, do you? Check it out on eBay here.

Gear of the Year – Camping Equipment, 2011 Awards

by the Expedition Portal Staff

The overland market is growing at a rapid pace, which is providing for segment-specific innovation and a wide range of new products.  For 2011, these are our top picks for the camping category. 

Snow Peak Iron Grill Table, Two Unit with Baja Burner 
Camping Equipment: Overall

Snow Peak has been making car camping equipment for decades, with a focus on simplicity, clean design and light weight.  In the past, we have avoided their Iron Grill Tables (IGT) due to the size of existing units.  For 2011, a two-unit IGT was made available and with two different leg heights, a standing height and the shorter favoring an even more compact arrangement or use under a vestibule and with the Kermit chair.  Another development that aided with the award is the availability of the Baja Burner stove, a high-output (12,000 btu) compact stove unit that can be used with or without the IGT. There are rumors of an adapter to bulk propane tanks being available soon.  The IGT can be configured with bamboo inserts for use as a table or filled with the Baja Burner and BBQ box for the ultimate Iron Chef. The downside is the cost at $600 for the entire set, but it should last a lifetime. Manufacturer: Snow Peak (link) Retailer: Overland Gourmet (link)  


2-Unit IGT

Overland Awards: 4wd of the Year – International

A question that occupies endless campfire debates, battled in multiple languages and locations around the globe – what is the best overland vehicle in the world?  Most legitimate options are born from military platforms, specifications that closely mirror the requirements of the overland traveler:  Durability, reliability, technical terrain capability, payload, etc. Models tested and considered include the Defender, 70 Series Land Cruiser, G-Wagen, Patrol and J8.  Each have their own unique attributes, but only one can win our 2011 international 4wd of the Year award, which goes to the Toyota Land Cruiser 78 Troop Carrier GXL 4.5L V8 Diesel.

Mogfest!!!

Following Unimog lines are a nightmare for some people, and sweet dreams for others. I'm unfortunately in the second group, but lets face it; even my vehicle (an Lexus LX450 with 35's) isn't big enough for that league.

Olaf invited me to inspect the Truckhaven 4x4 Training area which happened to be in the same area and weekend of the Mogfest, so we decided to check both.

Photo by: Ferdinand Reus from Arnhem, Holland (Safari Uploaded by mangostar) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Former Overland Journal editor Jonathan Hanson has written an excellent article on Overland Expo about Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). I’ve certainly heard it said that one of the best ways to keep a vehicle from failing is to keep the loaded weight under its GVWR. I just had no idea how easy it was to load a truck beyond that limit. Everything counts: occupants, your gear, your steel bumpers.

The article highlights one reader, who weighed everything he typically packs in his 1997 Mitsubishi Montero, and found that his loaded vehicle was 35% over GVWR, that was 2,000 lbs. over the 5,700 lb. limit, in his case. The article makes the case that even at GVWR vehicle handling can be compromised and offers thoughts on addressing the issue.

via West County Explorers Club: The path to creativity starts with copying. It’s how we learn to do things, how we get a feel for the tools and the process of creation. The documentary-in-progress, Everything is a Remix makes a good case for this in its third installment “The Elements of Creativity.” The Chinese have been doing this for years. The Japanese did the same thing in the 1940s and 50s before producing their own breakout products in the 1960s and 70s. The 1969 Honda CB750 comes to mind.

OK, it took them a little longer but now the Chinese are starting to show off breakout products of their own, here in the form of an out-of-production Chang Jiang 750 reworked by a shop in Beijing.

Here's a tip - If you'd like to get your vehicle featured on La Aduana, put ExPo in the title, it's sure to attract our attention!

"1987 Toyota Land Cruiser fj60 No rust!! Expo ready!! no reserve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Check out this 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser for sale on eBay.

H.G. Wells once said, “Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia.” Utopia has since been an elusive destination, but as of this month, bicycle tracks will slowly scribble their way to the south pole for the first time ever. Not even H.G. Wells saw that one coming. He probably didn’t imagine that such a trip would also include skis, kites and six-wheeled Toyota Hilux trucks bounding across a seemingly endless expanse of ice and snow.

Continuing our Abenteuer und Allrad series - Today is 70 Series day. Here's some of the sexiest ones in the world!

Much like the Land Rover Defender, the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series is the workhorse of the Land Cruiser lineup, it's simple, and easily modified for overland travel. 

Which one is your favorite?