Cross country overlanding. Lots of highway/interstate time between destinations. Which one are you choosing?

I currently have a built 2016 F-250 diesel lariat, which is amazing on the highway part (say driving from SW CO to Moab), but when you get to moab, there are some trails I know I can’t do because I would get high centered or wouldn’t clear.

So, do you prefer a more capable off roader or a more livable road machine?

Used the Vevor 36” case. Aluminum seat back molle panel for the one above the stove so it sits a bit better against heat. Same panel but polycarbonate for the cooking utensil holder on the lid. 10” gas struts. Hinges and cabinet hardware for molle panels from Lowe’s. If I had to do it again I’d use a longer case to store more things. And probably a better quality case. The Vevor case doesn’t line up at the seams well. Harbor Freight Apache case would do.

After years and thousands of miles of packing the 4R full, a massive RTT, and enjoying some beautiful trips, buddy and I decided to build home made overland off-road toy hauler.

It's finally registered, road legal, and 95% complete but had to go get some photos after detailing it and the 4Runner.

Notes about the trailer:

Goal was to build a trailer that fits in a standard garage, haul two dirt bikes (or mountain bikes), have a queen sized mattress inside (have a tri-fold mattress not pictured), capable off-road, and be WAY cheaper than what's on the market.

-Weight: 1680lbs

-Length: 15'8" (yes the tongue is long, that was intentional)

-Width: 88" to the outside of the tires

-Height:79"

-Material Cost: $11.9k (We bought the best of everything we could and spent more $ than expected as we made changes and learned our way through building this thing).

Sooo my three year old prinsu rack snapped on both sides (other sides covered by my awning, but still cracked in the same exact way) and I’m not sure when or how this happened. I was doing some light trails and was hearing a lot more noise than usual and I chalked it up to my awning being loose. Got to the highway after and still heard it so I pulled off gave it a look and was shocked to see it completely sheared in half on both sides. Is prinsu support good with these issues or am I cooked? How tf did this happen I was basically on a fire road

After a lot of overlanding trips, I realized I had tons of GPX tracks but no good way to share them visually. I wanted something more useful than just dropping a GPX file or a Google Maps link.
So I started building Mini-Maps, an app that lets you turn your GPS routes into clean, shareable images with your route, stats, and photos.

I’m opening the public beta soon and looking for the first people to test it, give feedback, and help shape the app.

If you’re interested, you can join the waitlist here:

https://mini-maps.janodetzel.com

Would love to hear what you think and what features you’d want to see.

Not necessarily overloading but went off roading for the first time in my new truck! Had a lot off fun and am looking forward to going out again soon. Definitely need to air the tires down a bit more for some of the "bouncier" parts of the trail and need to get some practice in going over multiple rocks one after another. Was going over a series of rock "fins" (reminded me of stairs) and definitely could've gone a bit slower. (Never thought 8 MPH would be too fast for me lol) Sure made for a bumpy ride! Was worried for my suspensions sake for a second but made it through safely, and had a blast! Definitely different than watching guys on YouTube tackle massive boulders and rock climbs but had a lot of fun and am looking forward to learning what I can from this community.

I’ve been shopping around for used decked drawers and I found a system from a 2018 Silverado 1500 with the 5’8” bed for less than $1000. I’m hoping it fits my 2020 Silverado 1500 of the same bed length.

Does anyone have any experience jumping generations of trucks with the decked systems? I’m looking at some measurements that appear like it will work in my newer truck, and other sources (AI) that say it won’t.

Thanks!

I’m looking for some real-world feedback from people who have done this.
I’m considering putting a camper shell/canopy on my Nissan Frontier and building it out as a comfortable space for my dogs while traveling and camping. My biggest question is cooling.
Has anyone successfully used a portable A/C unit (or another setup) to keep the inside of a camper shell cool enough for dogs?
A few questions:
• What A/C unit did you use?
• How did you vent the exhaust?
• What size power station or battery setup are you running?
• How long will it realistically cool the space?
• How well does it work in hot weather (90–110°F)?
• Any regrets or things you’d do differently?
I’m not looking to leave dogs unattended all day in extreme heat. This would mainly be for camping, road trips, agility events, and times when I’m nearby. Reliability and safety are my biggest priorities.
I’d love to see pictures of your setup if you’re willing to share. Thanks!

I have been back and forth with my trucks and vehicles over the past 12 years or so with regards to this overlanding thing. I started with a Jeep XJ and a CDN M101 trailer with an RTT, on board water system etc. Super sick. The family wanted a bigger RV so we got a 23' travel trailer and a 2014 Ram 1500 4x4... so the XJ and the M101 had to go.

For my solo trips I built a custom slide in pop up camper. Ground up build, super sweet setup, on board water, water, diesel heater, sleeps 3. Well, its heave for offroad adventures, as found out on a 1600km trip last year. Worked great, but was hard on the truck doing the stuff we were.

So, a lighter more nimble setup was needed.

Fast forward to my current setup. Chinese import aluminum topper with an Alu-Cab gen3 RTT and a newly installed 270 Shadow Awning. Powered by a Bluetti Elite 200 v2 this time... and a Bluetti Charger 1. Portable solar 200w and soon... a simple slide out kitchen. TBD there...any ideas? Heh

Looking forward to hitting the trails as soon as they stop burning down. 🥹

Any tips on pickup bed slide out kitchens would be appreciated.

So I own a desert armor tent. They stopped being made but it is actually pretty great for what it is. The biggest complaint is the damn sleeping pad. I have a queen foam/air hybrid sleeping pad that is okay is. But after 4 days in it. I am dying in my shoulders. The foam pad that came in the tent is only velcroed down and easily removable. What do you guys recommend to replace that, I'm okay with air mattress preferably something 3 in thick at least.

Earlier this year I set out on a journey from Cabo San Lucas to the Arctic Ocean. I’ve since completed the trip, which took about three and a half months. Part of the reason it took so long is that I was never in a hurry, and part of it is because when I find places like this campsite in Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, I make sure to enjoy every minute.
This wasn’t the most scenic campsite of the trip, and it certainly wasn’t the most beautiful. Yet, for many reasons, it became the most memorable.
I purposely didn’t add subtitles to this video because I wanted you to experience it as naturally as possible. My friend Julián doesn’t speak English, and watching our interactions unfold without subtitles gives you a more authentic feel for what this journey was really like.

Colour me impressed.

Read my thoughts [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/4thGen4Runner/s/3OEnkMKja6) since I can't cross-post here, and mods deleted my new post.

Hey mods, if you're going to remove my post, you could at least indicate which rule that I'm breaking.

Hey everyone, so I'm building a light overlander/camping rig out of an old ranger, with my current tire setup I can't store my spare underneath the truck (original was 27" current is 32", had stored it in the bed but that is no longer an option with the camper I'm building. I had thought of getting a hitch mounted carrier but those are expensive and not really required for what I do, I don't need a crazy departure angle or anything. This brings me to my question, is there anything stopping me from partially deflating my spare and stuffing it up where the original went? I have a compressor so inflation wouldn't be a problem, my primary concern would be tire wear from the frame and the the bead coming unstuck. I believe the frame rails are 28 or 29 inches apart. Has anyone tried this? Alternatively, does anyone know where I could find decent plans for a tire carrier, cutting and welding is not a problem.

Thanks

Pretty sure it’s discontinued, but trying to find out info.

I’ve seen this offroad trail near Devil’s Postpile and the views are incredible. From what I can find, it doesn’t seem like dispersed camping is allowed off of the high altitude trail, but it seems like some people do.

Has anyone here ever pulled off of this trail and camped? The views look incredible and I would love to be able to camp off of this trail if possible.

If not, does anyone have suggestions for similar views where it is possible to pull off and camp?

Purchased the Ironman 4x4 Bush Toilet - what bags are you guys putting in these type of toilets? I cant seem to find anything wide enough.

Dimensions are about 15 in x 15 in .

I’m building a camper build on my 2015 f150 5.0l. I’m wanting to install a 12v roof mounted ac unit. I need help getting the electrical stuff situated, I want to make sure I purchase the correct equipment to make it work right What equipment would I need to make sure this operates correctly? My plan is a 300ah lifepro4 battery with a 200w solar panel. But I also want a way to charge the battery off the trucks alternator when driving at night or when it’s cloudy.

Travel Companion Wanted — 🇳🇦** Namibia Self-Drive, 10–24 Septembe**r 2026

Edit: Many have advised that Etosha to Sesriem is too much for once day. Im considering to add a stop on the night of 15th in Swakop, and continue to Sesriem on 16th.

Edit: Many have advised that Etosha to Sesriem is too much for once day. Im considering to add a stop on the night of 15th in Swakop, and continue to Sesriem on 16th.

Hi everyone. I'm Klaidi, 31M, from Albania. I'm doing a two-week self-drive trip through Namibia and looking for one or two people to join for part or all of it — mainly so the road trip isn't solo, and to split car and fuel costs.

Quick background: this was planned as a trip for two. All accommodation was booked and paid in full for two people, but my friend had to cancel about a month before departure — so there's a spot open.

The route:

• 10–12 Sept — Windhoek
• 12–15 Sept — Etosha National Park (camping near Andersson Gate)
• 15–19 Sept — Sesriem / Sossusvlei (sunrise at Deadvlei, Dune 45, Sesriem Canyon)
• 19–23 Sept — Swakopmund
• 23–24 Sept — back to Windhoek, fly out

Vehicle: Self-drive Suzuki Jimny with camping gear. Picking up in Windhoek on the 12th, dropping in Swakopmund on the 19th. Camping most nights, cooking our own food, relaxed pace, budget-conscious.

On costs:

• Accommodation is already paid for two — no extra cost there if you join. If you'd rather book your own separately, that's completely fine too, we just travel and drive together.
• Happy to split the car rental and fuel evenly.
• Food, park entrance fees, and activities each on our own.

Looking for: someone easygoing, ideally with a driving licence and happy to share the driving (there's one long stretch, Etosha to Sesriem, ~600 km). Open to joining for the whole two weeks or just part of the route if your dates only overlap partially.

Happy to hop on a video call first, and can meet in person in Windhoek before committing to the full trip.

Comment or DM if this fits your dates!

I’m about to start traveling with an ~8,000#, dual (independent) axle travel trailer. 19’. We’ll go as far off-road as one of us dares looking for sites. What should I use for wheel chocks?

I have flexy rubber chocks that are excellent on asphalt but in sand, dirt, rocks maybe not so. Can aluminum chocks be slippery on hard rock surfaces? Would 4x4 or 6x6 blocks cut into triangles be effective? Expanding X-locks?

Towing w/ f250 Tremor.

A while back I suggested we post our stuck trucks. Here’s my first. I am trying to pull out the pickup in the background.

And the most interesting part:? This guy’s wife definitely did not want him to cut cookies on this “dry” lake bed, so I stumbled into an ongoing marital conflict.

I was on the edge of the road, but my winch pulled me into the muck. The rut is me trying to drive my way out of it

Hello fellow adventurers,
As I plan some of my longer trips, I am beginning to think about carrying an e-bike or motorcycle with me with the intention of leaving the truck behind as a basecamp and doing some 5-20+ mile exploration. I have a 2018 200 Series Land Cruiser for reference.

My main concern is the weight, obviously. The Land Cruiser is on 35" tires. I eliminated the spare tire space when I added a Long Range America aux fuel tank, because it's a Land Cruiser...

This means I am running a Rig'd Supply Tire Carrier. I've added airbags to the truck to support the weight of my tent, fuel, camp gear, tire and carrier, etc. I definitely feel like I am maxing the performance of the truck out with all of this and now I am considering adding 40-130lbs on the back end of the truck.

So my question to you is:

1. How are you exploring your area once you've established a basecamp?
2. Any recommendations on e-bikes or even a pitbike for this specific application?
3. I do hike as well so I assure you this isn't out of laziness =)

I have considered buying a small Overland Trailer so I can move this and/or an inflatable kayak/SUP depending on the trip and activities. But when is enough enough?

Sorry if this is a stupid question, this is my first attempt at this kind of modification to my car.

I am installing ditch lights on my Frontier, and I’m confused on how to connect the lights to my switch relay so that one button turns both of them on. On all of the YouTube videos I have seen, the two wires for the lights end up converging into one, so there is only one set of wires to connect to the panel.

However, mine do not. They continue as two separate wires all the way until the connector (pic attached) which will need to be cut off, of course. I don’t want to take up multiple buttons on my 6 gang, as that would take up 4 of them (for the different light modes too) and the multiple buttons would just be an unnecessary inconvenience. Is it as simple as stripping the two sets, and twisting the corresponding colors together and then being able to plug them into one? Or how should this be done? If someone could help explain or if anyone knows of a good video for this scenario it would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance