Overlanding, or traveling over land and discovering new places. It's a question we often get… Why don't we have a 'normal' #vanlife campervan chosen for our adventures? The simple answer is because during the 'overlandingwanting to continue where others should stop.
In many countries in Europe such as Albania, Spain en Norway (and of course also in the USA), there are countless national forests and pieces of land where you can camp for free. The big 'problem' is that there are hardly any roads there, or they are of deplorable quality. Stones, gravel, sand, mud, you never really know what you will encounter.
But let these are precisely the areas where you end up in the most beautiful places, far from civilization and in the middle of nature. All you have to do to get there is embark on the adventure.
This article is part of a large one-year tour the United States en Canada, with a Dutch 4×4 camper that we shipped ourselves… It is a bucket list worthy and an once in a lifetime experience that will never be forgotten.
We wrote almost 100 articles about this ultimate tour. Visit our North America page for more information.
Off-road trail at Yellowstone National Park
Today we had another such adventure, just outside Yellowstone National Park. I think the photos give a distorted picture. Here you are looking at a very steep sandy road in the mountains where parts have been washed away by heavy rainfall. Do not underestimate the slope and depth of these grooves, you can just go on your side here if you are not careful.
Overland = build bridges
The grooves were so deep that we had to build 'bridges' with sand, thick branches and stones. This to fill in the grooves so that we do not hit the ground with the camper or worse, get stuck or even tilt.
The large off-road tires would simply disappear in this ditch, with all possible consequences.
Wereldreizigers.nl asked in one of the largest Overlander groups in the world via a poll advice... What is the best world tour band? The results don't lie. Whopping 93% of the 700 votes chose this band!
World travelers, vanlifers, overlanders and even army units around the world agree: the BFGoodrich Ko2 All-Terrain, All-Season is the best band for your caravan, camper, 4x4 or camper bus.
The band is widely used by army units anywhere in the world. They are also known for being extremely strong, ready for any terrain in any season.
- #1 choice for overlanders worldwide
- very strong
- All Terrain + All Season
- Great snow tire
- incl. all winter quality marks (snowflake, etc.)
Low gear + 4×4 = the only way
We only came in low gear with 4×4 activated crawling up and back down again. I really wouldn't have started this with a 2-wheel drive, that would be madness.
The photos in this article are on their way back down. This time also crawling in low-gear, constantly looking at our ground clearance and tilt values. It all just went well and we had to get out regularly to see if it would work or if we had to come up with something else.
No car is perfect
So yes, why this Mitsubishi L200 4×4 camper? Why not a 4×4 with a roof tent? Why not an overland expedition truck (aka 4×4 truck)?
As far as we are concerned, a 4×4 pickup truck with a camper on it (a so-called drop-off unit) is the golden mean. Both in terms of possibilities and limitations, but also in terms of budget.
4×4 car with roof tent
A car with a roof tent is more capable off-road, that's for sure. But it doesn't have its own living room and hot shower. Something we definitely want during our 1 year trip. I can't imagine unfolding that tent every day, having no shower and no dry place to work when the weather is bad. You are then really dependent on external facilities, while we want to be independent.
Expedition truck
An expedition truck usually has all this, but is also a lot bigger. An expedition truck is more difficult to maneuver in cities and also off-road, during a tight trail, you don't just turn around… In addition, such a truck costs 100.000 euros or more and consumes three times as much fuel and that money we simply don't have.
Conclusion Pickup with demountable unit
The pickup truck with separate (deposit unit) camper is therefore the golden mean for us. We have a little more space so we could good solar panels, an fat power station and an electric water heater so that we can shower anytime, anywhere and make our own be able to filter drinking water. We also have our own mini-living room for the evening and when the weather is bad and a fixed bed, which is also nice.
Also read: Our 4×4 world trip camper (1) | Bathroom and interior
Also read: Our 4×4 world trip camper (2) | Gadgets & Upgrades
Also read: Our 4×4 world trip camper (3) | Technique and upgrades to car
Yes, we are top heavy with the camper weighing +- 1000 kilos on the back of the pick-up truck. But we still get (almost) everywhere! We often move carefully and at a snail's pace, but the 200 Mitsubishi L2.5 2003 Turbo Diesel continues to amaze us every time. What a great machine.
Plan your vacation to America here
- Camper rental You can book this in combination with a tour Travelhome.
- Tours and Fly & drives compare to TUI, Americaplus, sawadee en Djoser.
- Flight tickets for America you book with TUI, KLM en Skyscanner.
- Rental cars : Sunnycars, Alamo en rental cars.
- Tours and Activities in America you book via GetYourGuide.
- Campsites in National Parks you book on RECREATION.gov.
- Travel insurance for America you will find at Allianz.
- Hotels & Resorts in America you can book with a discount Booking.com.
- SIM cards : USAsim en International sim.
- Parking at the airport you can arrange via Parkos, park care of iParking.
- travel items (suitcases, bags, world plugs, etc. can be ordered at Bol.com.
