Overlanding and Offroad articles

Quick Facts: Engine leaving: 6.6L L5P Duramax turbo-diesel V8, sold in 2017 to 2026 model-year HD trucks. Engine arriving: All-new 8.3L Duramax turbo-diesel V8, RPO code L6P, nicknamed Mongoose. 8.3L output: 555 hp and 1,230 lb-ft, per GM. Outgoing L5P output: 470 hp and 975 lb-ft on 2024 to...

Quick Facts: Topic: Super El Nino 2027 and the camping season ahead Record set: 3.11°C (5.6°F) above normal on Sept. 21, 2026, beating the daily record of 3.08°C from November 2015 Forecast peak: About 4.1°C, likely...

Quick Facts: Law: SB 1392, Jay Leno's Law, a California smog exemption for qualifying 1976 to 1985 collector vehicles Signed: September 16, 2026, by Gov. Gavin Newsom at Jay Leno's Garage in Burbank First exemptions: January 1, 2028, for 1976 to 1980 model years Final step: January 1, 2033,...

Quick Facts: Topic: Ford recall delays in a new analysis of NHTSA recall data Headline number: 198 days on average for a fix across 22 delayed Ford recalls issued from 2025 through June 2026 Longer view: 174 days across 110 delayed Ford recalls from 2021 through 2025 Ranking: third...

Quick Facts: Product: Defender V8 conversion (the Defender Works V8 Conversion) from Land Rover Classic. Announced: Sept. 23, 2026, by JLR's Defender Classic division. Eligible trucks: Your own 2012-2016 Defender 90 or 110 (L316) only. Engine: 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8, about 399 hp and 380 lb-ft. Gearbox: ZF eight-speed...

Quick Facts: Topic: Choosing, sizing, sealing, and mounting overland storage boxes Sizing rule: Measure the space, compare the case's outside dimensions, then check its inside dimensions against your gear Wall loss: Expect up to 3 inches less per inside dimension on small cases, up to 5 inches on roof...

Two overlanders share the same rig. One drops camp at a lake, hikes and fishes for four days, then drives home. The other packs up every morning and covers 60 miles between camps. After decades of overlanding and camping, I've watched both styles produce great trips. However, they demand...

Quick Facts: Company: REO Trucks (REO Industries), a revived American brand based in Dallas, Texas. News: Frank Stephenson's studio, frankstephenson design, will shape all three Runabout models. Lineup: T4X work truck, T4C crew cab, and S4C SUV on one frame. Starting price: $21,500 for the T4X (REO target). Drivetrain:...

Quick Facts: Topic: Search and rescue insurance and medevac plans for US overlanders Search and rescue: Colorado teams charge nothing; New Hampshire, Utah, Oregon, and Hawaii allow bills in set cases Air ambulance median charge: $36,400 by helicopter and $40,600 by fixed wing (GAO, 2017 data) Garmin SAR 100:...

Quick Facts: Story: A Ford F-150 production disruption at two plants, reported Sept. 25, 2026 Dearborn Truck Plant: All F-150 crews canceled from Thursday, Sept. 24, through Tuesday, Sept. 29, per a Ford memo seen by Reuters; the UAW says through Sept. 30 Kansas City Assembly: 15 F-150 shifts...