overlanders

[LowTech]

Thanksfor taking the time.
I also won't be able to do overlanding "right" nor will I be part of the nothing is impossible crowd as my funds will be deciding that for me.

Finding a collection of tracks and dirt roads to get to point B is ideal and your rig is pretty amazing...   liberating to have wings like that.

I look forward to reading your blogpage and gleaning any extra info that I can.

The "nothing is impossible" crew that I know are the ones w/ little or no funds and the understanding that little money just means that you have to invest loads if time and energy, but that it's not impossible to take a non-overlanding vehicle way off road and then still get it back. [emoji16]

 

[Qxxx]

I can see the Tomboy road, but I’ve never driven it.  Part of the deep pocket aspect of extreme over landing is the risk of losing your vehicle - on that route due to the actions of those risk adverse drivers is too high for me.  
..........
My best story is having an alternator go out in Beef Basin, South of the Needles District of Canyonlands NP. I used the solar to get tenish miles out of the Battery.  It took two days to get out.

Good story, DL, and also of bullfrog's $10,000-12,000 investment in a $1500 Jeep. Black Rock Pass in Telluride (on the so-called TAT) was far too scary for me to ever want to do.

I think people who haven't experienced the many funs of off road travel tend to overly romanticize the activity. I lived in CO for 20+ years, and had 2 Cherokees with I6. I did a fair amount of 4-wheeling in the CO mountains and desert near Moab, and have a few instances where I was happy to get out with the Jeep (and me) in one piece.

The most fun was one time I went up this narrow track along a creek canyon for a couple miles, where there were no turnarounds. I got to the creek crossing and the normal route across was washed out over a small falls. So I went a few feet "up the creek" (no pun intended) and drove hard into and across it. It was like driving the jeep off the kitchen table at hard throttle. Had I gotten stuck in there, it probably would have taken a helicopter to get the jeep out, assuming it didn't wash over the waterfall, lol.

The "smarter" 4-wheeler guys away travel in packs of 6 or more ... and probably carry spare suspension parts for the front axle. Once I hiked up a bad 4WD road, and there was a Jeep with broken front axle sitting on some nasty looking rocks in the middle of a stream. No one around.

 

[desert_sailing]

Yikes... I am not sure how romantic people find outback excursions to be. Those snap shots of vastness under the stars and folks laughing around a campfire don't show half the drama of getting somewhere. Like most things whether it be a van a sailboat or horseback there is always a bit of romaticism.

Being 100% country all we ever did was head out into the backcountry on horseback or in a 4x4. We literally had nothing else much to do.. unless we mended fences or chase trespassers off the property with the doberman and coon hounds...(lots of fun).

More than a couple times did we have to hike out at least to a highway and thumb a ride.. 16 year old kids long before cell phones. Even borrowed a horse from the "neighbors" 15 miles from home to go get a part or two... I am not sure how romantic that is...LOL

I found a pretty good link that breaks out a few details regarding the jeep models.. 
https://www.drivingline.com/articles/jeep-cherokee-xj-buyers-guide/

Most of my youth off roading was done in a Ramcharger..mid 80s model... anyone have much experience or knowledge with these on longevity/durability.

They are cavernous compared to a Jeep and I could see a more "luxurious" living space inside that and still get down some rough terrain.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/buying-and-selling/dodge-ramchargers-increasing-in-value/
https://www.allpar.com/trucks/ramcharger.html

 

[highdesertranger]

"Most of my youth off roading was done in a Ramcharger..mid 80s model... anyone have much experience or knowledge with these on longevity/durability."

just look how many do you see still on the road?

the high mortality rate of light duty Dodges from that era are mostly due to the fact that they are full time four wheel drive and no easy or practical provision for front locking hubs. it just kills the drive train. I am not even talking poor build quality although they had that going for them too.

Dodges from that era, 1 ton with factory locking hubs or forget it.

highdesertranger

 

[desert_sailing]

Good observation regarding the ramcharger. I guess it was alot better back when we went out in the back country with our girls and or beer, chips and samiches.

 

[tripper]

I had a 74 Ramcharger with a built 340 engine and about $10,000 in suspension/driveline upgrades. Super fun truck, broke all the time lol! I did like that it had 2 wheel low selectable on the transfer case, which in hindsight was a bad idea as when I romped on it, that double torque going only to the rear axle actually twisted the axle tube loose on the pumpkin, snapping the u joints.

 

[wayne49]

The mid 70's Dodge B series vans, both 318 and 360, ate U-joints as a snack. The good news was that it was easy to get underneath without jacking, etc. and replace.

 

[Qxxx]

I had a 318 back then. Replaced the u-joints twice. Blew the engine up, I believe it chronically overheated, due to it's position being high up between the front seats, closely surrounded by covers. Did a valve job and added an auxiliary radiator. When I visited the car show under the bridge in Missoula last summer, a guy still had a 318 van on show that he had customized.

 

[Sofisintown]

Primarily interested in what kind of rig would be viable for "overlanding" the West.
...

Doesn't seem too cheap, but you might want to look at this van

 

[AnonymousDog]

I "overland" to certain extent now but I'm getting ready start my build on an overland square-drop trailer. Once that's built I intend to overland on a much larger scale.

 

[highdesertranger]

what is a "overland square-drop trailer"? highdesertranger

 

[AnonymousDog]

Similar to this. Based on a teardrop design but squared instead. I hope to start building the frame in a couple of weeks. 

 

[Qxxx]

Offhand, if you're gonna build something like that yourself, small and squarish, is it feasible to try and design some sort of (hard sided) popup roof? For ease of fabrication, it could be like those Volkswagen vanagon roofs that pivoted up on one side, and then had "tent" material of some sort on the other three sides. With this sort of design, you could have a hard top for durability, and leave it down when the weather is bad or cold. You might even be able to buy a vanagon popup roof in a junkyard. Hmm ..... maybe this is my next project, .

 

[AnonymousDog]

I have a whole list of mods beyond what you see in the pic (that's not my pic btw). This likely won't be my only build either.

 

[bullfrog]

The biggest issues I have with me being an over lander is I tend to carry too much stuff which equals weight which equals really stuck with a trailer attached. I have found using the trailer as a base camp a much better solution and having a light as possible 4x4 much more enjoyable. Plus with a separate tow vehicle I don’t have to worry about breaking the 4x4 as much.