Moving to a mobile living platform means size reduction, so you can imagine it was a harsh transition from a 2,000 square foot home to a 320 square foot camper. Permalink. Although, as adults who embrace the overland life, aren’t we all just big kids who still love to hang out in forts, cook on open fires, and explore weird roads? Keep in touch . I’m just starting my research, and, how to prepare for this, so I’m not too sure where to begin…any help would be well appreciated. We put a nasty gash in one of the factory tires on our very first outing so the upgrades began early in the form of some all-terrain BFG KO’s (now KO2’s). As our overlanding kit grew, we needed more storage capability so the Gobi Stealth roof rack was called into service, freeing up much more space in the cabin so our daughter and dog could feel a bit less like part of the luggage. To this day, we have had zero regrets with our selection! But while exploring the overlanding life at the Rocky Mountain Overland Rally, I realized that finding a rig with the ideal distance between a toilet and stovetop is going to be a problem. Where do you want to go next? What is your least favorite part about it? We love all the southwest has to offer, it’s hard to pick just one. We also weren’t a fan of the very limited visibility out of the FJ and after some coaxing from the salesman, agreed to try out something called a “Trail Edition” 4Runner. OVERLAND BLOG; ENCHANTED ROCKIES TRAIL; STORE; ABOUT US; Loading... WHO ARE WE? I have done a few of them on my Motorcycle and can say you will be very happy you did. Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube. Lifestyle-overland-rig-2. Kevin and Sarah McCuiston, along with their daughter Caroline, have been travelling the Western United States in their overland rig for several years now. Founder 500. For the sixteenth installment in our ongoing interview series here at Dirt Orcas we are very excited to speak with the gang responsible for Lifestyle Overland. This is reflected in the choices he makes with their set up. My job is contract based so we sold our home in anticipation of my job coming to an end back in 2015. Year, Make, Model of your vehicle and trailer? Justin_0237 Rank V . $20. Not long after we found a great camper for a deal and invested 2 months renovating it and making it our own. Like most folks who enter the lifestyle, we were already living the pastime, we just didn’t know there was a word for it! Create New Account. I want to stay away from very difficult routes…we’re not as young as we once were, so 1-5 out a 1-10 scale for off roading, I suppose. For many they start with a little savings and as they produce content and gain followers other opportunities reveal themselves to allow them to continue to travel. Prime - $20 per Month. Travelers know this. We have chosen to devote ourselves to causes and pastimes that leave an impression on our child and others around us, long after we have gone. I would say it kind of just happened. Forgot account? We weren’t too keen on renting since rent is very high in our area, so a friend offered to let us borrow his 5. wheel camper for the remaining few months to help us out. At the salesman’s direction we edged off of the pavement into a dirt lot while he ran us through the off-road features of the Trail Edition. I can only point you in the direction of the source http://www.lifestyleoverland.com/ for this interview. What do you call it? Did you name your vehicle? Pappaw, never met a stranger and could brighten the day of most anyone he came across just by striking up a conversation. Buried Alive: Bruce Tremper Shares His Avalanche Story, Avalanche Safety with Snow Science Expert Bruce Tremper, The Best Winter Backcountry Tips from Search and…, Courtney Dauwalter: From Science Teacher to Endurance Superstar, 2020 Fastest Known Time Round-Up with Buzz Burrell, Introducing Grizzly Bear 399 and Her Four Cubs,…, Trails, Trials, and The Trek with Zach “Badger”…, How to Save Phone Battery Life in the Backcountry, Gaia GPS and Apple CarPlay Bring Outdoor Maps to Your Dashboard, Easy to Read, Tiny to Download: The All New Gaia Topo. W, #iadahobdr continues with moose baths and long lon, Capped off a fantastic start to the #idahobdr with, Making my way west. These are qualities regularly found within people who embrace the overland community and it makes a lot of sense. After a few minutes of playing with the traction control, locking rear differential, and crawl control I glanced back at the wife who smiled and silently mouthed the words “Let’s buy it!”. Supporter. Priority Response to Your Messages; Show more. Member. We love you as much, The extra 50 mile range the @safaritanks provides, Although I’ve decided to downsize and we’ve ha, Visited Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs thi, Next up in our Covid Double exposure series is @al, This error message is only visible to WordPress admins, © Copyright Dirt Orcas - Website Design by, https://www.butlermaps.com/motorcycle-road-maps/backcountry-collection/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmSO6o7fI-c&list=PL79D388E04FE3693D, MICHAEL & LESLIE: BROKEN SPOKE OVERLAND - Dirt Orcas. Not Now. Abby Levene. Join. Geographically, we would prefer to stay in the western United States. Not anymore. If you choose to spend most of your time on the road, simplifying your life by choosing quality things, that do what they are built to do, is crucial. We usually can’t stop for fuel without spending 30 minutes to talk with strangers about our rig and adventures. We really wanted a family friendly, safe, read-to-go rig since our 1980 Land Cruiser HJ45 was turning into more of a project than an active overland rig. In this episode we discuss impending snow, share our best sledding stories, find practical uses [...] Read More. In one word, what describes your approach to life? Advocate III. per month. Southern Colorado just can’t be beat. As the interviewer, I choose to shy away from asking people about how they afford to travel. Overland Off-Road Rig Body Armour This is NOT a TOP of the line professional resource or somewhat expert resource and guidelines or mechanical engineering platform to research lower vehicular body armour and nor to suggest that this is the ONLY platform for such measures. Episode 5 Highlights: Lifestyle Overland Tours the West. Space is at a premium in any overland rig. If you could give a person one piece of advice when thinking about living out of a vehicle what would you tell them? And thanks for lunch! Log In. We are a small family of overlanders traveling and exploring North America full-time. Lifestyle Overland is a page dedicated to the wheeled pursuit of adventure. 703 talking about this. Their Instagram feed and Facebook page are great ways to follow along with their adventures but, you can also check out their personal blog www.lifestyleoverland.com for additional details about the vehicles, their overland blog, the Lifestyle Overalnd Store, and more in depth descriptions of their adventures. My wife and I will be retiring in three years, and we’ll be buying a 4Runner TRD Pro, and an off road trailer (comments on the Turtleback Trailer would be great). I’ve joined the LIFESTYLE OVERLAND You Tube channel (DirtOrcas is next…I just found y’all), and have enjoyed all the videos…especially “The Enchanted Rockies Trail” videos (Looking forward to Part IV). You can also follow their adventures on their new YouTube Series. The My Problem with Overlanding Rig Designs. The best advice for small footprint living is to reduce the clutter to what you absolutely need, then organize it and develop a routine for keeping it tidy. What is the Best Budget Overland Rig? Gallery Overland the world… without being a world traveler! Click here for up to a 50% discount on the navigation system: https://www.gaiagps.com/lifestyleoverland/?ref=fba Mary Cochenour works on the marketing team at Gaia GPS. For the sixteenth installment in our ongoing interview series here at Dirt Orcas we are very excited to speak with the gang responsible for Lifestyle Overland. Close search. Create New Account. Follow along as we share our overland lifestyle! While these facts are seemingly self-evident, it takes real life events to bring them into sharp contrast with our own life perceptions. What values do you think your home instilled in you, that you take on the road? Required fields are marked *, DirtOrcas.com - Celebrating Adventure Travel: BMW F800GS & G450X / Toyota 4Runner / Airstream Int 19’ : ExploreVanX, I primarily work construction as an electrical field engineer so my job can take us many places across the country. (That’s right, 2 videos this week!) In less than a mile I saw my wife’s expression change from an uncertain scowl, to a restrained grin. Easily one of the Top 11 Expedition Campers of the 2019 Overland Expo. We are avid “Overlanders” and currently own two overland rigs; a right-hand-drive 1980 Toyota … It’s true you may not use it very much, but if you ever do, you’ll be glad that you have it. Roar Mama Bear! Or, you can set up your truck or SUV tent on your overland vehicle, using the trailer for 4×4 ATVs and UTVs. His other rig is a sweet 1958 Land Rover too. 4,226 On the Road Member # 0102. May 1, 2015 #10 … My job is contract based so we sold our home in anticipation of my job coming to an end back in 2015. 1,493 Vacaville, CA, USA First Name Justin Last Name Mulrooney Member # 0237. Loving this Rig . We debated this option; actually I let the wife debate this option since she would be in it most of the time with our daughter, and eventually took him up on his offer. 02:50 – Introduction to Kevin and Sarah 4:32: Regular life before becoming Lifestyle Overland 8: 25: Kevin and Sarah describe the difference between overlanding, wheeling, and crawling. We look forward to every chance encounter that comes our way, and carry on the spirit of friendship that Pappaw instilled years ago. Why we chose the Lexus GX460 for our next overland build – EP004. This was soon followed by a stage 2 suspension from Icon Vehicle Dynamics to help with handling and clearance issues and a set of Bud Built slider for those times when you just have to lean on something. She enjoys backpacking, skiing, and mountain biking in the mountains near her home in Montana. A solid overland and 4×4 camping rig requires good ground clearance, great suspension, tough tires, admirable cargo capacity, plenty of power and gearing as well as a durable chassis, but perhaps most importantly it requires aftermarket support in the form of suspension, protection, camp gear and recovery components. Feeling a bit defeated, we reluctantly saddled up the 4Runner and took it for a spin, thinking we would be polite to the salesman who had been more than patient with us. #lifestyleoverland #fulltimeoverland #deathvalley #deathvalleynationalpark #overland #overlandbound #4runner #turtlebacktrailers (at Death Valley National Park) After some research, we set our sights on a Trails Team FJ Cruiser and set out to purchase one at a dealership not far from home. Rig Q&A. If you don’t have a place for everything, and keep it there, the walls start to really close in on you. We have been living full time in our camper for the past year and a half. After weeks of rain and clouds, we head to Denali National Park in hopes of a glimpse of Denali in all her glory. October 26, 2020 His and hers, dual rig adventure! Lifestyle Overland. A quality winch is an essential recovery tool for any overland rig. Thread starter Lifestyle Overland; Start date Nov 2, 2016; Hi Guest, you may choose a LIGHT or DARK theme that works best for you with the "Style Chooser" button at the bottom left on this page! Oh, I’m having trouble figuring out how to research routes, so Kevin’s self made “Enchanted Rockies Trail” is very intriguing. Others find a way to work remotely to continue to stay on the road. He is also clearly very sensible and makes choices that solve problems. Sarah and I sit down around the digital campfire to catch up on our whirlwind [...] Read More. Thanks for hanging with us, Christian! Hope that helps. Growing up, I was very close to my grandfather, or “Pappaw”, as I called him. The toughest part of living in 320 square feet of space is staying organized. See more of Lifestyle Overland on Facebook. It is inspirational to watch them do this with smiles. We debated this option; actually I let the wife debate this option since she would be in it most of the time with our daughter, and eventually took him up on his offer. A family of three in the wheeled pursuit of adventure. The camper is only 59 inches high with the pop-up down, weighs a paltry 1,325 pounds dry, and only 2,100 pounds fully loaded. We have since fallen in love with life on the road and all the adventures the southwest has to offer. The price for an Overlanding trailer starts at $2,000 to $15,000. 2014 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition towing a 2016 Turtleback Trailer. This will help you keep your sanity and everyone living with you in a much better mood. He would like to know how are all your travels financed? Some people are simply rich by birth and choose to love a nomadic life, but most work for years and save to travel for a year. After several test drives, while crawling in and out of the rear seat each time to strap in our (at the time) 1 year old daughter’s car seat, it was becoming obvious that we were going to need something a bit more accessible. In the words of William Wallace (or Mel Gibson in Braveheart) “FREEEEDOM!”. The rest is history. You quickly learn what you need and don’t need. Our most recent additions include a Southern Style Off Road front bumper with a Smittybuilt 10,000 lb winch. Just have to go to Alaska, if only for a deal and invested months!, materials, and carry on the road and Turtleback trailer on the road and all the the! Uphill battle as life tends to be at times to my grandfather, or “ ”... Her home in anticipation of my job coming to an end back in 2015 the country starter! 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