I grew up backpacking, and I've been wheeling and off roading my entire adult life. From hard core rock crawling, to LS-powered 700+ HP sand rails, to RZRs and other SxSs etc. I've had a handful of 5th Wheel Toy Haulers, then a few different RVs (both gas and a big diesel pusher) with trailers and stackers behind them, and now I'm back in a 5'er for "those" type of trips. Our 5'er setup is reasonably sized (3/4 ton quad cab with a regular bed and a 34' 5'er) but there are still limits to where you can take a setup like that.
For me, Overlanding is a return to simplicity. Even with our pretty dialed-in setup 5'er trips are a half a day of packing up before, and a half a day to a full day of unpacking and washing everything on the other end. Those trips are awesome, and we have a few great groups we camp with. Those trips are about the toys and the group more than the location lots of times. Don't get me wrong, we do get to some amazing locations on 5'er trips, but often the focus is more the toys and the party. Overlanding, for me, is a lot more about where I'm going, vs. what I'm doing when I get there.
I'm sorry, but in my opinion telling people they aren't overlanders because you don't agree with them isn't overlanding (wait... did I just inadvertently try to tell somebody else they're not an overlander!?!?!!). All kidding aside, I think this type of attitude is why "traditional" 'wheelers dislike Overlanders and often pick on the "RTT crowd." Let Overlanding be whatever it is for each individual. Some are happily Overlanding in a stock Subi Impreza wagon. Some are Overlanding in a brand new JL Unlimited or Gladiator with Dana 60/80s under it and 40-42" tires. Who cares?
Again, I disagree and I don't think the Overlanding culture or community is about one person prescribing what is "right" or "needed" for everybody else.
Again, I think what is "stupid" is trying to set some rule-of-thumb or bar for an entire community. What if all a person can afford (or desires) is a 1st Gen 4Runner? Those run about a 28" tire stock. A 10% increase would put them at just a 30, or 31" if we're being generous. Will a 4Runner (with some lockers) do a lot on a 31" tire? Sure. Could it do more while leaving less of a mark on nature (less dragging) on a 33" without being "stupid". Yup.
Why point fingers and expect to impose your personal doctrine on something that is meant to free us from the rules and constraints of everyday life?
If you use the vehicle exactly as intended, I suppose I agree that generally stock is more reliable. However, most modern 4x4s aren't actually meant for how we use them in the Overland community. Further, profit-margin is always the final say for automotive manufacturers. Yes, there R&D budgets faaaaaaaar exceed even the best aftermarket firms like AEV. However, they will make cost-driven decisions (otherwise there never would have been a Dana 35 under anything, EVER).
Often, our use-cases for our vehicles
expose weak points in factory designs. On my WJ, for example, take the stock axle-shafts and CVs in the Dana 30, or the TrakLok arrangement in the NV247 transfer case. On a full-size square body GM take the steering box mount as another example, even with just regular street use they will crack and eventually rip fully off the frame.
It's preposterous to assume every OEM vehicle is perfect from the factory and mods only expose weak points. Often, mods are there to address weak points.
Let me give you another example:
I agree. I'm 100% about Tread Lightly and don't want to drag my way down the trail, leaving a changed environment in my wake. However, WJ Jeep Grand Cherokees have a laughably low gas tank (due to Jeep moving the spare under the rear hatch floor area rather than being in the rear hatch, which moved the gas tank further down). One of my planned mods is a "tank-tuck" to remove the spare tire tub (since it won't fit a full size spare for my "stupid" planned 33"s) and relocate the gas tank at least 8" up. I'll be putting on a good aftermarket rear bumper with a tire carrier so I can run a matching spare.
I suppose this explains some of your bias. You've started with probably the most capable out-of-the-box Overlander possible, a Jeep Rubicon. 4:1 L in the t-case, front sway bar disconnect at the push of a button, 4.10s in D44s, selectable front and rear lockers, etc. Sure, you don't need many mods to Overland on what most folks would consider "difficult" trails. But not everybody can afford (or wants) a Rubi.
What about a person who goes out and gets a '86 XJ because it's what they could afford at the time, or it was a hand-me-down. That XJ would have come on a 27" tire stock and could have had a 115 HP GM-sourced V6 that is far, far, FAR from reliable along with a D30/35 combo, both with open diffs. Would that owner be stupid if they put on a 5.5" long arm and some 33" tires on it (which are a 22% increase, far outside of your allowed 10% margin)? What if they do a junk-yard 8.8 swap because they have some time and basic skills, but perhaps not a ton of cash? Now they have disc brakes and 4.10s with a LSD if they pick the right 8.8. What if they find a junkyard 4.0L with trans, computer and harness and do the swap at home? They're doing nothing but improving the reliability and function of their machine, and can do it over time money and the type of trails they tackle dictate.
Again, what if maybe a guy has a JKUR on 42"s and likes to do his Overlanding on Fordyce. Why should that bother you? I've seen jerks who don't tread lightly in everything from $300 Samurais (back in the day of the $300 Sami) to $100k+ brand new loaded Range Rovers. The machine doesn't dictate the type of driver nor their respect (or lack thereof) for nature.
Why? And who is the ultimate arbiter of what "looks the part" and what doesn't...? Are you? Here's my group from last weekend:
Who looks the part, and who doesn't? I suppose the XJ on 35"s is "too much" for Overlanding but the bone-stock JKRubi is fine? Well guess what, we all went out, we all ran the same trails, nobody judged anybody for having too much or too little money invested in their rigs, or being "over-capable" or not "looking the part." We had an amazing time, camped on a gorgeous ridge and helped each other along the way. We left our campsite cleaner than we found it, and we were as low-impact as possible.
Anyway, I suppose my point is Overlanding is, by its very nature, defined be each and every one of us for ourselves. Overlanding will have some common threads for all of us, but it's not for any one of us to try to dictate for the rest...
-TJ
