Overlanding with "stock" 4X4

[grubworm]

I once traveled the entire globe in a Toyota Camry and found the lost city of Atlantis

you must have had a snorkle on it

 

[GetOutand4WD]

These are my Stock 4x4s. Other than getting better tires, I do nothing to them except maintenance and using sound judgement on where I go. We try something risky every once in awhile, but as @GetOutand4WD shows above you have to be prepared to work.

Right now, we just hang out shuffling around our home state of Pennsylvania, so we pretty much know what we will need when we will need it.

We do plan to travel in the future, so we are starting to incorporate longer distances with more time away from pavement.
View attachment 134752View attachment 134753View attachment 134754View attachment 134755View attachment 134756

That's awsome! At least your doing it!

 

[DevilDodge]

Took our stock truck out scouting campsites.

Can not wait to go camping. We might hit one sooner than later if the mild weather keeps up

 

[Ralph]

that'll be me :-)
2WD and it gets me out and about.
it's all about the tyres.

Yeah. My NISSAN PATROL Y60 HIGHROOF is an overland tool for my and my ego. Should be ashamed of this?


Well.... If I go with my family and wish to calm down, feel nature and make my wife happy I take old budy: T4 SYNCRO, pretty stock. Believe me - I make 85% of trails with T4 what I can do with Patrol.


So the answer it NO. You don't need any mods to make Your adventure happen.

 

[Gabriel Bozeman]

It’s not difficult with stock 4x4’s. I put over 5k miles off road with my baby Cherokee KL with 4x4. And on the stock all terrain tires until a year ago. Not a lot of rock-crawling type trails, but it only got stuck twice in 5 years, and they were both ditch-related user error situations. I finally traded it in on a new Ranger with the FX4 package last month, and the only thing I plan to do to it is KO2’s after the stock AT’s wear out like I did with the Jeep.

Totally agree! I used my rig stock for the longest time. No harm is using the raw power/reliability that a stock rig provides.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Yeah. My NISSAN PATROL Y60 HIGHROOF is an overland tool for my and my ego. Should be ashamed of this?


Well.... If I go with my family and wish to calm down, feel nature and make my wife happy I take old budy: T4 SYNCRO, pretty stock. Believe me - I make 85% of trails with T4 what I can do with Patrol.View attachment 138266


So the answer it NO. You don't need any mods to make Your adventure happen.

Some people are satisfied with their destinations, that's okay but others seek a higher level of adventure and remoteness which comes at a much higher cost. I'm not happy with sites that anyone can get to. When I had a family I had to consider them, their safety and their convinces. I don't have that life anymore, I can chose my own destinations.

 

[Buckaroo]

rock crawling during an overland expedition should be that very last thing on your list and if possible, (which it usually is) avoided.
Choose the other route, there always is one.
Damaging your vehicle 1000 miles away from anywhere is never a good idea.
So yeah, stock vehicle, good tyres and you will get there.

 

[Billiebob]

What are the realities of overlanding in a stock 4X4?
You will have more time and budget to actually overland. There is no reason why any 4x4 cannot travel overland completely stock. The reality of lifting and fitting bigger tires is you are creating extra stress loads on every suspension and driveline component. Every suspension mod creates a weak link somewhere else.

As you say, the manufacturers pour millions of $$$$ into Research and Development to build reliable, capable vehicles with fabulous warranties. The aftermarket pours millions of $$$$ into advertizing, marketing and hype to suck in anyone trying to keep up with the Joneses while often creating conditions which will void thier warranty.

The reality is stock you will have time and money to travel.

What are the capabilities and restrictions associated with "stock"?
Without a doubt a well engineered stock 4x4 or.... from the factory will perform very well. Todays 4x4s need nothing if the terrain you are running is passable. Climbing a waterfall.... you might need more clearance or better approach, departure angles or aired down floatation tires..... but then you will likely not be carrying much "overlanding" gear either. Overlanding and rock crawling are different activities. Read some books on overlanders from 60 years ago. Most used stock vehicles.

Why do you say that larger tires and lifts are "required"?
Actually larger tires present as many disadvantages as perceived advantages. While you might get more floatation, that also means less psi to gain traction. Traction and floatation are opposites, the choice is a compromize, on gravel skinny tires will grip with more control, wide floatation tires with lower psi loading will drive like they are on marbles. But floatation will help running sand dunes where you need a lower psi loading.

Pick tires which match the terrain you will be running.

Does adventure require investments into a modified rig?
Absolutely not. It requires investment is gasoline, permits perhaps, and travel.

Answers in the quote. ^^^^^^

A good book....



a great video... actually slideshow lol

Overlanding with "stock" 4X4

How about some discussion, or a YouTube, about overlanding in a stock 4X4? Seems most info is about mod rigs as if to say one can't go overlanding to adventure in a stock vehicle. It seems that the manufacturers of 4X4's wouldn't agree given that they have invested no small amount of effort in...

www.overlandbound.com

While these 3 from Britain had a very capable Bedford 4x4, note some of the tiny econoboxes others are travelling in.

And catch the phrase to define overlanding

The cost of the trip was less than if we had stayed home......

altho gasoline was donated by Mobil Oil.

 

[JackA]

With a heads up driver; the only modifications needed for many 4X4 vehicles would be tires and shackle points.

Edit: 4X4 Defined; vehicle equiped with a transfer case capable of Low-range (4-LO) operation. All Wheel Drive specifically excluded.

 

[Billiebob]

The term "Stock 4x4" today is not what it was 40 years ago. So are you buying a "Stock 4x4" or an "SUV with 4WD". No doubt an old school "Stock 4x4" is fully capable as has been proven by many International Overland Expeditions. But when buying a vehicle today you need to decide are you getting a Forest Service 4x4, or a Soccer Mom capable commuter with on demand AWD. No amount of IT connectivity or leather or 4 zone temperature and humidity control will make a difference. All of the vehicle stability and lane keeping technology means nothing as you crest that berm to get to the ultimate campsite.

So can you overland in a stock 4x4, yes. "Can you overland as well" in a stock SUV with an automated traction assist mode, no.
A modern "On Demand AWD" SUV will not keep up with a mechanical "Part Time 4WD" 4x4. On Demand involves a complex system of electronic sensors, Part Time involves driver input and judgement. There are far fewer things to go wrong with Part Time. Far more points for On Demand to fail. In town, On Demand adds convenience. On the trail Part Time 4WD requires driver input but old school Part Time 4WD is pretty much bulletproof. They might both be mechanically identical, Part Time just eliminates all the electronic controls prone to failure and relys only on yer right arm to move the lever.

Define 4x4 first. Old School Overlanding has been done in stock vehicles with Part Time 4x4 for 100 years. On roads far less developed with zero communications and often no maps.

Rather than surfing online forums, read books written by Overlanders 40, 50, 60 years ago. The big change is political, not technological.

 

[grubworm]

The term "Stock 4x4" today is not what it was 40 years ago.

i'm not sure what all is being called 4X4 anymore. i had a wrangler when they first came out and it was "4X4", but it got stuck and only one wheel in the back and front spun, same as other vehicles. i just had a big F350 with 4X4 stickered on the rear of the bed and same thing, turn the switch to 4hi or 4lo and only one tire spins. don't know how they are marketing things as Four Wheel Drive when it isn't.

 

[Billiebob]

i'm not sure what all is being called 4X4 anymore. i had a wrangler when they first came out and it was "4X4", but it got stuck and only one wheel in the back and front spun, same as other vehicles. i just had a big F350 with 4X4 stickered on the rear of the bed and same thing, turn the switch to 4hi or 4lo and only one tire spins. don't know how they are marketing things as Four Wheel Drive when it isn't.

You are describing 4WD thru open differentials. The solution is selectable lockers. Always has been.

Modern technologies do that by computer with Brake Differential nanny stuff and all kinds of high tech electronics.

My first experience with lockers in a "4x4" was 10 years ago crossing a frozen windrow. The left front and right rear were stuffed. The right front and left rear were hanging and spinning. Took a few minutes to realize I had a Rubicon. I got back in, locked front and rear, let out the clutch and idled off the windrow. Those 2 stuffed tires had ALL the traction. Not trick marketing, it's been that way for 100 years.

I've driven selectable lockers for 40 years in semis.

Fast forward to 30 seconds or be the driver.... and imagine his thoughts on this his 4th run up the hill. All locked up is the difference.

 

[Billiebob]

it will go everywhere a stock vehicle will go and places a stock vehicle never could. and i can build 3 or 4 very nicely modded trucks for what you pay for a stocker nowadays anyways...

yep, compared to the cost of a new vehicle, anything is a better buy. For $70K if you start with anything 15 or more years old, you will be far ahead after spending $50K on upgrades since that 15 year old year old 4x4 might not have an onboard computer to screw up when you are 100 miles from nowhere. Old School rules. Your Chevy is over the top for me but quite right, what you drive is a bargain compared to a Taco ot Raptor or....

But yes, every mod changes the loads and fectory engineering requiring another mod..... before or after the extra stress from the first mod breaks something. There are fabulous companies like AEV and Currie who engineer full packages to upgrade the stock vehicle. But those on a budget rarely do the full engineered package. They shop for price point and get a mall crawler with less reliability than the stock version. A few wheelers are willing to muscle thru and build a "custom" 4x4 which kills everything else. But the majority add a few mods and pretend they have a better wheeler. And the forums go ooh and ahh and wow..... cuz that is what they do it for.....

 

[leeloo]

wow.....
modified trucks break easier??
don't think so, unless you buy sub-standard equipment, are not mechanically inclined or just have a crappy mechanic do the work for you.
i have nothing against stock, but the way people carry on you would think modified trucks were made of glass.
been wheeling my 4 ton, big inch lifted, "huge" tires, 21 ft long 85 K30 crew since the mid '90's without EVER breaking, being stranded or frying a wheel bearing or spindle cause of my "massive" tires. and it will and has passed every safety insp. we have in bc.
i don't give a rats ass about my poor mileage because it more than makes up for it in every other catagory, which is far more important to me than some stock mileage.
it will go everywhere a stock vehicle will go and places a stock vehicle never could. and i can build 3 or 4 very nicely modded trucks for what you pay for a stocker nowadays anyways...
ya a stocker can go quite a few places, but a modded truck will go even more places, with way less drama than a stocker.
just look at the vid of the logging truck, that is representive of how a stock truck would climb that hill, lots of shakin' going on and some incredible shock loads to the whole drivetrain. a properly modded truck would walk up that hill like nothing with no
effort and without shaking the fillings out of your teeth and chucking the ring gear out your diff.

if you don't like modded trucks- fine, but fer chris sakes, give it a break about modded trucks, in reality most of what is written here about them is about as accurate as the germans winning ww2
as was mentioned, having racks and rtt's, and 50 jerry cans and 20 hi lifts hanging all over your rig is not going to make it more capable, but nobody seems to have a prob wit that...
like i said, i have zero probs with people wheeling stock, why does everyone seem to have a prob with people wheeling modified?
don't knock it til you try it, if stock is the end all, why do we spend over 350 billon a yr modifying our vehicles?
bah! shake head, end of rant...

you are mixing wheeling, like a week end going out, or maybe a 5 day trip on some off road trails with long overland trips. Try to do an asian tour in that, filled to the GVM for many months and let me know how it works out for you. All of the pople who are doing this, after the fist failure, wich is usually very early in the trip, the minimum they do is to return to stock or as close to stock tyre size and remove all wheel spacers and what ever else they did to fit the monster tyres they had on.
Please let me know how can you swap your ICON camber correction bushings in Botswana or Namibia and how long it will take..

 

[Trail_pilot]

OK so don't get me wrong on what I am about to say.... Most people aren't heading out to other countries with their rigs, nor are they doing it for months. most people on the forum are likely doing weekend excursions or a few weeks vacation at best. sure there may be the few on here that do it full time but the majority of people I would say are not in that situation.
I drive my topless 14 year old TJ Unlimited on 37" tires from Northern/Central Ontario Canada to go wheel at Rausch Creek for a week with some friends and meet up with some work friends who live in the US. it was a bit of a drive and it wasn't comfortable, but it was fun as hell. I drive my Jeep a minimum of 2 hours each way to get to legal trails and 3 hours to get to trails I can camp on, then add another few hours offroad to get to the camp.
The big issue most point out is replacement parts and most people don't know how to fix something if it breaks on the trail and for these people staying close to roads or having the ability to call a tow truck to bring them to a shop is great.
Basically, every vehicle should be built to its needs. if you don't need to modify it to get to where you want to go, then don't its probably best left stock. If you want to get a little further off the beaten path then larger tires and a lift may be required to get there.
I wheel both stock vehicles and my crawler depending on where I want to go. My compass pulls daily duty for the 140 km round trip to work + weekend camping at parks, trips to visit family on the other side of the province because its better on fuel and I dont need 37" tires to do those trips.
I keep seeing people post about how older vehicles are unreliable and modifying things isn't the way to go. it's frustrating and isn't true, It just needs to be thought out.

 

[leeloo]

So basically you compare US, where 80% of time you are on asphalt, most likely more, the other 20 % s you mostly dodge pink jeeps and all this the time you are maybe 40-60 miles from some kind of shop, gas station or supermarket with very few exceptions with lets say the Pamir Highway or other places like this , where you do hundreds of miles / day of corugated at and difficult roads + at 10k feet altitude literally in the middle of nowher, where you get sick just from driving let alone to change a tyre
Ok than. omw to buy some 35's I am convinced.. :)

 

[Boostpowered]

So what are you saying is the ultimate overland vehicle? A stock landrover? Those arent exactly known for being reliable sure you can off road in africa with it but the same crap your spouting applies when your rovers tranny blows up, is there a shop in the middle of nowhere africa to get it swapped? Would a newer vehicle have that problem? Probably not. Is changing a tire that difficult for you? This is the exact same crap people here in the usa spout about lifted vehicles,normally by folks who have never lifted a vehicle or if they did they end up going too big and breaking shit . If you know what the hell your doing and do it right with quality parts there is no issue. I garauntee you icon shocks would last on any intercontinental travels youd be on and youd be very comfortable doing it. If your talking lifting a ifs vehicle more than the 4 inch limit the sure your going to break stuff in any year vehicle it is. In a solid axle more than 4 youll get a shitty ride,more than 6 youll start breaking stuff if it wasnt built with good parts. Get out of that box your living in and go experience more than whats in your bubble .

 

[Seanm26]

I'm not saying lifted vehicles can't be reliable, but most lift comoanies don't spend anywhere near the money on R&D as auto mfgs do.

 

[Boostpowered]

I'm not saying lifted vehicles can't be reliable, but most lift comoanies don't spend anywhere near the money on R&D as auto mfgs do.

Yeah they do its called racing and most auto mfgs go to those same companies to outfit their vehicles. I dont know of any auto mfg that produce their own shocks aside from really high end super cars think koenigseg. The beauty of suspension mfg doing their r&d on the race track is they are able to push them beyond the limits we could on the road and if something is gonna break and show bad engineering is on the track. If you chose a company that don't do racing and constantly strive to have a good product then thats your fault

 

[Seanm26]

I have never seen anything built by Rough Country on any race course, anywhere.