For sale: my 2021 Turtleback Expedition. $22,000, located in Tempe, Arizona. Clean title in hand.
Why this one's worth a look: from 2018 to 2023 I was Turtleback's product and durability tester — the guy they sent things to in order to find what breaks — and I ran the brand's "herd of turtles" community events that whole time. I still run the owners group today. This is the Expedition I kept for myself, and it's where a lot of those fixes were developed, so every upgrade that came out of that testing is on it. Roughly 40,000 miles across eleven western states, western Canada, and Alaska.
I'm only selling because we picked up a Tundra with an OVRLND camper, and as that build came together we used the trailer less and less. It's been under cover in the backyard about a year now and deserves to be out getting used.
THE UPGRADES THAT SET IT APART:
THE REST OF THE BUILD (quick version): Goal Zero Yeti 1500X (1,500 Wh, 2,000 W pure sine) charging off DC-DC, 100W solar, or shore power · 48 gal water with a Dometic propane heater and a plumbed hot/cold shower · slide-out galley with a Cook Partner 2-burner, Dometic sink, and Accuride drawers (the camp kitchen, utensils, propane fire pit and 30-lb tank all convey) · Yaesu FTM-300D (MARS-modified) and a weBoost booster · Rigid and KC lighting · hot-dipped galvanized frame and INYATI bedlined chassis · new ICON shocks (~5k mi) and two new BFG KO3 285/70R17 Load Range E tires. Full spec sheet and 40+ photos at the link.
CONDITION — I'll be straight with you: about 40,000 miles of real trails, so it's earned some honest trail badges (rock chips and light pinstriping from brush). For the miles it's in remarkably good shape — clear paint protection film on the big flat surfaces, vinyl topo wrap in the galley, impact pads that did their job, kept under cover in dry Arizona and cleaned up well. Happy to shoot detailed photos of any area you want to see.
ONE MORE THING that doesn't come with a trailer off a lot: I ran all of the official herd events for Turtleback from 2018 - 2023 and still run the owners group, so whoever buys it I'm happy to take you out on a shakedown trip with me, hands-on time learning every system, and an introduction to the Turtleback community.
$22,000, Tempe, AZ. Clean title in hand, registered, easy transfer. Serious inquiries welcome — ask anything right here in the thread, or I'm happy to get on a call or send more photos.
Full writeup, complete spec sheet, all the photos, and the Lifestyle Overland walk-around video: here
Why this one's worth a look: from 2018 to 2023 I was Turtleback's product and durability tester — the guy they sent things to in order to find what breaks — and I ran the brand's "herd of turtles" community events that whole time. I still run the owners group today. This is the Expedition I kept for myself, and it's where a lot of those fixes were developed, so every upgrade that came out of that testing is on it. Roughly 40,000 miles across eleven western states, western Canada, and Alaska.
I'm only selling because we picked up a Tundra with an OVRLND camper, and as that build came together we used the trailer less and less. It's been under cover in the backyard about a year now and deserves to be out getting used.
THE UPGRADES THAT SET IT APART:
- Timbren 3500 HD bolt-on spindles — the first production Turtleback to run them. The original design welded undersized 3,000-lb spindles into the trailing arms; off pavement they broke, and a broken spindle meant a flatbed home (worst case, a rollover). My testing drove the switch: a 7,200-lb unit derated to 3,500, bolt-on and field-replaceable, and symmetric side to side — one spare covers both trailing arms. To my knowledge nobody has broken one of the new spindles.
- Cruisemaster DO35 coupler — this one came with the DO35 from the start, not the MaxCoupler. Zero slop, full 360° articulation, less maintenance, and it doesn't fatigue and develop play the way the MaxCoupler does (I've personally seen MaxCouplers fail off-road). Includes the handbrake and upgraded 12" electric drums brakes.
- Relocated Guzzle H2O purification — moved off the high vibration rear panel into the protected internal cage with a dedicated service hatch, so filter changes take minutes.
- Reinforced water-heater mount — I built a proper support for the heater and pulled the thermostatic mixing valve that hung weight off the plumbing stub. That's the failure that cracks and leaks on long washboard (Death Valley classic). Already solved here.
- Front Runner aluminum rack + OVS 270° awning — pulled the heavy steel roof rack and the rooftop tent; weight comes off the top, the center of gravity drops, and it's far harder to roll.
- IT CARRIES ITS OWN RUNNING GEAR (the part I'd care about most as a buyer):
- Two spare Timbren 3500 HD bolt-on spindles
- A second set of ICON shocks, rebuilt by Podium Suspension
- Two sets of wheel bearings, pre-greased and vacuum-sealed
- A spare wheel hub
- Full-size spare tire and wheel on the swing-away
- A damaged wheel or axle in the middle of nowhere becomes a trailside repair instead of a call for help — every part is already on board.
THE REST OF THE BUILD (quick version): Goal Zero Yeti 1500X (1,500 Wh, 2,000 W pure sine) charging off DC-DC, 100W solar, or shore power · 48 gal water with a Dometic propane heater and a plumbed hot/cold shower · slide-out galley with a Cook Partner 2-burner, Dometic sink, and Accuride drawers (the camp kitchen, utensils, propane fire pit and 30-lb tank all convey) · Yaesu FTM-300D (MARS-modified) and a weBoost booster · Rigid and KC lighting · hot-dipped galvanized frame and INYATI bedlined chassis · new ICON shocks (~5k mi) and two new BFG KO3 285/70R17 Load Range E tires. Full spec sheet and 40+ photos at the link.
CONDITION — I'll be straight with you: about 40,000 miles of real trails, so it's earned some honest trail badges (rock chips and light pinstriping from brush). For the miles it's in remarkably good shape — clear paint protection film on the big flat surfaces, vinyl topo wrap in the galley, impact pads that did their job, kept under cover in dry Arizona and cleaned up well. Happy to shoot detailed photos of any area you want to see.
ONE MORE THING that doesn't come with a trailer off a lot: I ran all of the official herd events for Turtleback from 2018 - 2023 and still run the owners group, so whoever buys it I'm happy to take you out on a shakedown trip with me, hands-on time learning every system, and an introduction to the Turtleback community.
$22,000, Tempe, AZ. Clean title in hand, registered, easy transfer. Serious inquiries welcome — ask anything right here in the thread, or I'm happy to get on a call or send more photos.
Full writeup, complete spec sheet, all the photos, and the Lifestyle Overland walk-around video: here
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