Fascinating....
Most encouraged to hear people can still have an 'adventure' within the lower 48 which does not involve the danger of being kidnapped, the hassle of crossing foreign borders or winching from mud hole to mud hole in highly modified and uber expensive diesel Land Cruiser (unavailable for sale in the USA) or Unimog.
Whimpy? I think not and thank you for sharing.
This is YOUR trip and you should have what ever kind of adventure you want.
Don't worry if you measure up to the mega media trips or the hard core wheelers or anyone else.
Have the best trip YOU can have so you have the best memories you can have.
I did the Continental Divide route from Canada to Mexico and I did it too fast, trying to meet others expectations and I regret that. Granted my son's & I along with some friends will always have great memories and lots of stories. But it should have been so much more.
By the way I like your pics and I looking forward to more of your story as you travel. Enjoy this as life goes by too quick.
In the photos above, there appears to be several red rotopaxs in your overhead rack. Here assuming they were filled with gas....How did that work out for you?