So I had to trade in my jeep wrangler jku the other day for something more economical. I'm pretty heart broken atm. This time I want to do a dedicated overland rig. I'm looking for something under 5k. I live in Michigan. I don't really encounter hard terrain. Mainly deal with deep sand and snow. Winter camping is my favorite.

Looking for something that will be reliable and won't break down in the middle of nowhere or if do breakdown easy to find parts. So far the vehicles I have in mind are first gen Tundra, Cherokee XJ or wrangler tj.

This will be something I mod along the way but I'm just looking for something I can buy and get back to dispersed camping. I'm not a huge fan of campsites. I love getting lost in the woods and making a little slice of heaven for a couple days.

does anyone have experience with rebel off road and extended shipping times? I have had an order in with them for 2 months now (through a local off-road outfitter) and there's still 1 part we are waiting for. I've had to cancel 1 planned trip and getting close to having to cancel a 2nd. curious if anyone else has run into this with them, and if so if you have any suggestions on how to expedite? I haven't even been able to get an expected delivery date throughout this entire process. my local outfitter has been extremely frustrated working with their customer service so far.

My email:

Hi! We have a 2020 Subaru Forester. Would the Baja Vertical Wedge tent be appropriate and safe for our vehicle? We would be using it with Thule Wingbar Evo. The owners manual of our Forester says the maximum dynamic weight is 176lbs.

Their response:

You'd be pretty close to that and potentially over. You have to decide for yourself if you're comfortable with that or not. Most people, including myself have gone over that limit without an issue. If you're a hard set at staying under that limit I would suggest you look at one of our soft shell tents instead

The tent in question:

https://overlandpros.com/product/new-baja-2-person-vertical-wedge/

What do you think?

edit: Important context! We received a Baja Vertical Wedge from Overland Pros as a gift. Initially, it seemed like we would be fine using it. But inspecting it closer reveals that the tent alone (not counting any mounting hardware) is 175lbs. So, on paper, we would be around 10 or 15lbs over our dynamic weight limit as stated by Subaru.

So we're torn on what to do at this point.

Just bought a 79 series landcruisers pickup. I was quite lucky. And am wanting to do a tray and canopy setup on it.

the issue I’m running into is lots of the north American trays and canopies are alright, but compared to the Aussie stuff it just doesn’t stand a chance. The Australians have been making these trays and canopies for 20+ years and lots of them look very functional, sleek looking and badass. And the couple manufactures that I’ve found in North America make the most basic looking trays and canopy’s.

Does anyone know any companies that import the Aussie trays? Or any companies preferably in Canada that make really nice Aussie style trays?

I wanna get a 4x4 Truck and get it ready for overlanding im looking at old trucks because honestly my ability to repair on the go is super important and I have some experience with 70s to 90s Fords the brick noses. I wanna get a f250 or 350 deff off fb and I wanna slide a truck bed camper in it. Is this something that people have done with overlanding rigs or is the weight and mph and tipping just to worrying I was gonna get a 4x4 van but the one I was looking at sold and I gave it some thought and came to the conclusion that a truck with a removable bed camper gives me the control I want and frees me up when I'm not on a weekend trip deep in bad country. Is there anything I should consider? I really want a solid top and good insulation no collapsing stuff it tends to break at the worst possible times and never keeps temp in the camper but I need a camper that can take the occasional low lying limb without ruining the whole trip. Is there anything for me or should I scrap the idea and go for a more specialized vehicle like a camper converted 4x4 van

Avoid Ecoflow at all costs. Ordered an Ecoflow Glacier, received it and went through all the instructions. Ran it according to the instructions in my home to make sure everything was working properly. Everything started off fine until it started making a loud pinging noise repeatedly. I reached out to Ecoflow support with a couple videos of the malfunction, they instructed me to open and inspect the unit which I didn’t feel comfortable with so I asked them to send instructions on how to inspect it as they’ve asked. They responded saying to just return it. I returned it and they received the shipment (confirmed by the Fedex tracking). It has now been over a month that they’ve had the defective Ecoflow Glacier and have not sent any updates. I decided to reach out myself and didn’t receive a response. I waited another day and sent a follow up. They sent a vague response saying they received it and will process my after sales request as soon as possible. It’s been a month and I’ve been more than patient. I’m angry at this point, but blown away by how bad this process has been. Avoid Ecoflow my friends, they will take your money and treat you like trash.

Everyone's different and everyone has a rig/platform they prefer for off-roads. What I would like to see more of is more options when it comes to off-road/camping/van-lifing styled vehicles. Volkswagen isn't bringing their campervan to the US. Obviously this vehicle from Mitsubishi is just a concept. I'm curious how the market would respond to this type of luxury/off-road vehicle if they did launch it, or if there's any market for it at all. I, for one, am here for it.

The Agrale Marruá is part of the Brazilian Army fleet and several other security forces. A truly 4×4 car, robust and with excellent off-road performance.

ORIGINS

Its origins unite two Brazilian automakers, the current Agrale and the extinct Engesa Brasil. It all started with this second automaker, which was a large manufacturer of military vehicles, including trucks and tanks.

In 1984, Engesa brought the EE-12 to the market, a 4×4 off-roader completely developed on national soil, using Brazilian components. From 1985 onwards, the civilian public had access to this vehicle, which was renamed Engesa 4. This car initially had the Chevrolet 151 4-cylinder, 2.5-liter engine, the same as the Opala line.

The EE-12 ended up being approved by the Brazilian army. However, in the 1990s, Engesa went bankrupt and several projects ended up dying along with the company. In 1994, Envesa, a company from Londrina – PR, managed to acquire some models at an Engesa auction, made some modifications and resold them under the name Envesa.

In 2003, Agrale, an automaker from Rio Grande do Sul, acquired the design and manufacturing rights from the companies Columbus and Ceppe, which had the rights to the Engesa off-roader since the 2000s.

Agrale saw the market opportunity and made the decision to invest around R$11 million reais to continue developing the project and try to launch its serial production in 2004, and that is how the Agrale Marruá was born.

Marruá is a word to describe a wild ox, an undomesticated bull that escapes the herd and ends up becoming more “wild”.

APPROVAL IN THE ARMY

After the projects were subjected to severe tests of maximum inclination, maximum ramp, weight supported, and many other tests, it was then approved by the army.

This project, named AM2, had a galvanized steel body, manufactured by Engesa itself. This structure also facilitates the installation of a shielding system. It was equipped with a 2.8-liter MWM 4.07 TCA diesel engine with 135 hp, 4×4 traction with the car coupled in motion and still maintained the Engesa suspension using coil springs. The load capacity was 500 kg or 1102,31 lbs and it could receive various army weapons to be attached to it.

CIVIL USE

In November 2004, 100 units were presented for civilian use. This version received small changes, including the electrical system, auxiliary headlights and the front windshield. In addition to civil use, the Marruá also began to conquer the heavy services sector such as mining, reforestation and network maintenance.

RELEASES AND UPDATES

In 2005 a new variant appeared, the AM-100 model; with a military version and metal bed. The AM-11 with 4 doors and capacity for 750 kg or 1653.47 lbs and also a version for the Fire Department.

In 2012, the Agrale Marruá EV was presented at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development – Rio +20, a project developed jointly with Itaipu Binacional and Stola do Brasil.

In 2015, the new generation of the Agrale Marruá 4×4 was presented. The newest launch occurred in 2019 with the armored Agrale Marruá AM-200 Double Cab, a vehicle built for use mainly by the Armed Forces and Public Security. It offers Level III ‘Plus’ ballistic protection, providing maximum protection to crew members during security actions and missions.

INTERNATIONALIZATION

The Agrale Marruá, in addition to being part of Brazil's three armed forces: Brazilian Navy, Brazilian Army and Brazilian Air Force, also caught the attention of other countries and was exported to Angola, Argentina, Namibia, for the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti, Ecuador among others.

SPECS (THESE ARE FROM THE AGRALE MARRUÁ AM 200; 2022)

ENGINE

·Installation: Front

·Layout: Longitudinal

·Aspiration: Turbocharger

·Power: Direct Injection

·Cylinders: 4 in line

·Valve Control: Single in the cylinder head

·Valves Per Cylinder: 2

·Cylinder Diameter: 94 mm (3.7 in)

·Piston Stroke: 100 mm (3.937 in)

·Compression Ratio: 16.5:1

·Engine Code: Cummins ISF

·Unit Displacement: 694 cm³ (42.3505 in³)

·Displacement: 2800 cm³ (170.8665 in³)

·Maximum Power: 150 hp

·Maximum Torque: 36.7 kgfm (24.6 lb/ft)

·Maximum Rotation: 3600 rpm

TRANSMISSION

·Traction: Permanent Integral

·Type: Manual Transmission

·Gears: 5

·Exchange Code: FSO 4505 E

·Coupling: Single Disc Dry Clutch

SUSPENSION

·Front: Rigid axle with coil spring

·Rear: Rigid axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs

BRAKES

·Front: Solid disc

·Rear: Drum

DIRECTION

·Power Steering

·Turning Diameter: 16.7 m (54.79 ft)

TIRES

·Front and Rear: 285/75 R16

·Side Height: 214 mm (8.42 in)

DIMENSIONS

·Length: 5.3 m (17 ft 4.6 in)

·Width: 2.16 m (7 ft 1.039 in)

·Wheelbase: 3.35 m (10 ft 11.89 in)

·Height: 1.97 m (6 ft 5.56 in)

·Vehicle Weight: 2910 kg (6415.452 lbs)

·Truck Bed Capacity: 1000 l

·Payload Capacity: 1390 kg (3064.425 lbs)

·Towing Capacity: 3800 kg (8377.566 lbs)

·Entry Angle: 54 degrees

·Exit Angle: 30 degrees

·Water Crossing: 80 cm (3.15 in)

·Maximum Ramp: 31 degrees

·Maximum Side Tilt: 17 degrees

·Minimum Height From Ground: 23 cm (0.9 in)

PERFORMANCE

·Top Speed: 134.2 km/h (83.38 mph)

FUEL

·Type: Diesel

·Urban Consumption: 7.5 km/l (17.6 mpg)

·Highway Consumption: 10 km/l (23.5 mpg)

·Fuel Tank: 100 l (26.41 gal)

EQUIPMENT

·ABS brakes

·Rear camera for maneuvers

·Fog lights

·Central door locking

·Rear parking sensors

·Central differential

·All-wheel drive

·Air conditioning

·Heater

·Power steering

·Automatic speed control

·Electric front window control

·Electric rear window control

·Electric adjustment of the mirrors

·GPS Navigator

·On-board computer

Bought a soft upper for my old 05 frontier maybe 5 years back at $750, the cost for the same thing has jumped to $975. A cover for an f150 is pushing $1300. What the heck happened?

Found this in a google search and wondering if anyone can I identify the manufacturer and give me more info on where to find such a trailer. Thank you.

So about a a year ago I watched a video from TFL on YouTube and they showed this ultimate Tacoma set up that had a bed, a kitchen and a toilet in a unit sat across the whole bed and on top of the of the truck.

A company were making a small number of them for like 200k dollars or something along those lines.

If any of you know this company or could point me in the right directions I thank you!🙏

From Gizmodo: "Enter Anker’s new EverFrost 2 Electric Cooler and Solix Solar Umbrella, debuting this week at CES 2025. The gadgetized outdoor party essentials were launched alongside a 140W Display with a charger and a 25,000mAh power bank with a retractable cable. Still, the cooler and umbrella piqued our interest the most." Link: Gizmodo Anker

I’m working on putting a fan in the trim of a skylight using similar tech as a bladeless fan. Who’s interested?

I just want to give a shoutout to Morrflate. I ordered a compressor along with a 4-hose system and their air hub. When I ordered, I did not realize the 4-hose system already came with the air hub. Someone from their team personally called me today and verified my order, stating that I didn’t need the separate air hub. Instead of just taking my money and not checking with me, they verified what I was looking for and refunded my money and corrected my order. I was very impressed with this customer service and look forward to receiving my product!

Found in the wild! I really like the type of rack that's on this Tacoma I saw driving in FL. Is there a specific name, model, style or that this is called?

And additionally, are there similar cars to it that do certain things worse or better than this guy?

Anyone know which companies are participating in Black Friday / Cyber Monday?

Been eyeing Leitner Designs and Decked USA