Hourless Life: Documenting Our Global Overland Adventure

[Dan Grec]

I've wondered about this. I think if we were staying in North America that we wouldn't hesitate to try an air bag system. I really like the idea of it. And for what it's worth, the furthest we've gone overlanding so far in our lives is to Puebla, Mexico South of Mexico City, and to the tip of the Baja Peninsula. But with our plans to drive around the world, we're really hesitant to put any systems on the rig that could potentially fail or make repairs more intricate. I'll ping my friend @Dan Grec and see what his thoughts are on your suggestion. Dan has really been instrumental in helping us make wise decisions for our build as a result of his fairly extensive experience in many of the areas we plan to travel. So please don't take it as an affront. Because I really appreciate the suggestion and would love to have it in our rig. I just want to make sure that I'm not potentially creating a problem I can't fix when I'm miles and maybe countries away from a reliable shop that understands such a system. ~ Eric

I personally avoided air bags on my Africa JK for exactly the reasons you're thinking.
Then I met a German couple who's been hardcore 4x4ing the world since the 80s, and they ran air bags in their 80s series LC they toured TONS of north africa in. He said it was a great solution, and only after about 8 years did they start showing signs of wear and might need replacement.
He also had airbags in the E350 he was driving around Africa, they never gave any trouble and were great.

I have no personal experience, but I think "helper" airbags could be a good thing given you know you'll be flirting with (or over) GVWR.
If I were planning another mega-expedition (multi-country, multi-year), in a "house on wheels" build, I'd absolutely consider them.

-Dan

 

[Hourless Life]

The easiest way to summarize:

If you want a vacation, where you can camp in really nice places, see TONS of wildlife, have good infrastructure (and some adventure) - go East Africa.
People do it in 2wd cars all the time, it's a cake walk now.

If you want the hardest all-out adventure of your life, more difficult than anything else you've ever done and maybe will ever do - go West Africa.
The rewards are, of course, immense.

For me personally, it was the greatest thing I've ever done, and it was near the line of "too much", which in hindsight was exactly what I wanted out of my "Africa Adventure".
If the whole trip had been like East Africa, I'd be a bit disappointed now, it just wasn't enough adventure for me.

-Dan

That is extremely helpful @Dan Grec appreciate your insight, Who knows. We kind of saw our Mexico trips (interior and Baja) as our warm up. We see our trip from Mexico to Argentina as our first multi-year journey, and who knows what we'll be like by the time we step foot in Africa... surely changed. Of this I have no doubt.

Right now, from what you are saying, East Africa seems a bit more our speed with a child in tow. But who knows... by then we'll see (and know) just how adventurous Caspian really is.

Appreciate it!

~ E

 

[Hourless Life]

I personally avoided air bags on my Africa JK for exactly the reasons you're thinking.
Then I met a German couple who's been hardcore 4x4ing the world since the 80s, and they ran air bags in their 80s series LC they toured TONS of north africa in. He said it was a great solution, and only after about 8 years did they start showing signs of wear and might need replacement.
He also had airbags in the E350 he was driving around Africa, they never gave any trouble and were great.

I have no personal experience, but I think "helper" airbags could be a good thing given you know you'll be flirting with (or over) GVWR.
If I were planning another mega-expedition (multi-country, multi-year), in a "house on wheels" build, I'd absolutely consider them.

-Dan

Sounds good. We'll definitely take a look at it then when time comes for the suspension build out. Appreciate your insight @Dan Grec and the advise to consider @ripper1600

Man I love this community.

~ E

 

[WFOORBUST]

Very good information, a lot I can and will use in my build. I will defiantly read the article you wrote. I really like the idea of building the springs/suspension with the load the vehicle be carrying. There are some good suspension shops out there and having a set of progressive coils would be the way to go. Air bags have come a long ways and taking an extra would be an option. The reality that shipping something anywhere in the world now a days is not as hard as it use to be either.
One of the concerns I have when I start building our Gladiator is keeping the weight down where I can, I'm trying hard to make Items useful for more then one purpose in order to take less. Having a newer rig should help with the reliability and need for spares. I was looking at 35's max as well because of the ability to find replacements in other countries verses replacing 37's. It seems that many of the " overland rigs" being built now get hit by all of the marketing that says you need to have every extra cool gadget, tool and widget under the sun to make a trip, I like the KISS principal, keep it simple stupid!
Keep the info and ideas coming.

 

[WFOORBUST]

WOW, Should have read that article first, we are on the same page on just about every point you wrote about! Pulling a trailer I will be able to shift some of the weight to it but I still want the trailer to be within a reasonable weight range. It will be interesting to see how things unfold. Thanks

 

[Hourless Life]

It seems that many of the " overland rigs" being built now get hit by all of the marketing that says you need to have every extra cool gadget, tool and widget under the sun to make a trip, I like the KISS principal, keep it simple stupid!
Keep the info and ideas coming.

We've learned so much from those that have gone before. Funny thing is, that most overlanding enthusiasts (specifically in North America) who see our new build will probably wonder why I don't have 35s or 37s on our build, they'll wonder why I don't have an iPad, vector bar, CB, and GMRS , and full navigational arsenal on the dash. And they may even think to themselves, he's not got any of the tools for the trip he wants to take, and he really should have put bigger tires on his rig for clearance.

What they won't see is that I will have GMRS but they'll be put away. Many international borders take extra notice if they see a lot of comms and nav gear, so we want to keep what we have not visible on the day to day. Both for the officials and for potential vandals and thieves of opportunity.

As far as the tires go, yeah we'll lose some clearance, but we'll gain a bit of mileage, and more importantly we'll be able to replace them globally without much difficulty.

When I first got into the overlanding lifestyle, I really was into and fascinated by all of the shiny things. The more I do it, the less interested I am in the stuff, and more into the journey. Our new build will keep this in mind fully. Yes, we'll have some pretty cool gadgets and what not, but each of them will be carefully selected for global travel, both in practicality and placement within our load out.

So much to think about.

~ Eric

 

[AbleGuy]

Regarding the durability of air bags...

On my 1989 Chevy Heavy Duty 3/4 ton 4x4 pickup, carrying a full size camper in its 8’ bed, I had Firestone air bags on the rear axle for 12 years and 132,000 miles...many of those miles driven on rough dirt forest, desert or mountain roads ...and I never had a problem, defect or failure with the air bags. FWIW

 

[Hourless Life]

Regarding the durability of air bags...

On my 1989 Chevy Heavy Duty 3/4 ton 4x4 pickup, carrying a full size camper in its 8’ bed, I had Firestone air bags on the rear axle for 12 years and 132,000 miles...many of those miles driven on rough dirt forest, desert or mountain roads ...and I never had a problem, defect or failure with the air bags. FWIW

I'm liking the idea more and more. I think we'll probably explore both suggestions offered here. 1. Finish our build out and toss everything inside we plan to carry, weigh it and have the suspension built for the vehicle directly, and then add airbags. But we'll see. This is all good information as we are right at the place where we need this information. So appreciate your experience and insight @AbleGuy

~ Eric

 

[Hourless Life]

Sometimes you have to take a leap. It is just the way it is if you are going to actually put your dreams into motion. We've had to do this several times in our journey thus far and today is another one of those days.

This may seem nominal to some, but the reality is that this is a huge move for us in the direction of our dreams.

In the interest of full transparency, and so that we have a record of what we've done to make this dream a reality... today we finished preparing our Winnebago View 24J for sale. We really don't want to sell it as we love the unit. But we bought it 2 years ago knowing full well that we'd be selling it around this time.

Making decisions like this are the ones that really propel you forward along your journey. Effectively as of today we are "homeless" we don't have an RV to retreat to. We only have our Jeep Guardian.

Currently we are staying at Brittany's parents place in Corpus Christi, Texas because they want time with their grandson before we whisk him away on this journey and we want to spend time with them as well. But we are only here until the end of February. At that point we move into our Jeep fulltime and head toward Denver, CO where our global overland vehicle will be built.

Just this short update today, but hopefully an encouragement to others to not only make decisions, but take actions that force you towards your dreams. ~ Eric

 

[Hourless Life]

Today we started making our first phone calls to Jeep dealerships in search of the elusive unicorn. Ultimately our build is so specific that we'll probably need to order it custom built via the factory through a dealership.

We are looking at a gas Jeep Gladiator Sport S with Max Tow Package w/ 4.10 Axle ratio, and the MOPAR trail rail system P/N 82215956. In addition other options are AT Tires, 3 piece hard top, 7.0" Uconnect display, popular equipment package, technology group, convenience group, and auxiliary switch group.

This setup will give us the maximum payload you can get in a Jeep Gladiator with an automatic transmission which is 1535lbs. With a standard transmission we could increase that to 1700lbs. But we are willing to sacrifice the 165lb difference for the convenience of an auto trans.

As of this writing with tax all in, we're looking at a ballpark of around $46,000 for the vehicle itself.

We were also blessed to have another gear sponsor join our team and we're really excited about this one. We can't say who just yet, but we'll share that soon. ~ E

 

[Hourless Life]

Our 10-15 year drive around the world is a massive undertaking.

Today we are thrilled to announce that EQUIPT Expedition Outfitters has become our newest gear sponsor and partner on this journey!

Because of cargo space and payload considerations, we have to be extremely selective about the gear we are using and carrying on this journey.
When presented with the opportunity to work with Paul and his crew at EQUIPT, we didn't hesitate for even a moment. They are a trusted company by so many in the overland industry, and we are humbled and honored to be added to those they have chosen to support.

The team at EQUIPT will be providing us with a National Luna 50L Legacy Fridge/Freezer for our global expedition. This is a huge blessing for our family and we couldn't be more appreciative.

More information to come as we continue making preparations for our vehicle build. ~ E

 

[autism family travels]

Just a tip for the airbags. I ran them for thousands of miles on our previous JK unlimited. I loved how they took the weight of the pop up camper. If you collapse the bags, you can carry a complete spare set with you in very minimal space. Just a thought. They work great for taking some extra weight however. Biggest problem is people over inflating them. I never had an issue with them.

 

[Hourless Life]

A major milestone for our journey around the world is in process.

There are moments in life where you just have to leap.

I compare this to the adventures of youth where you climb a massive rock above a lake and plan to jump into the depths far below.

The climb itself can be a challenge, but at some point you are there, at the jumping off point. Now you are faced with a decision. Either you climb back down in fear, or you face your fear and leap. These are your only two options.

Once you leap there is a euphoria that takes over and there is no turning back. That feeling of exhilaration is where we are right now. We’ve effectively leapt, but we haven’t hit the water yet. But make no mistake, we’ve leapt and there is no turning back.

Tonight we pick up the buyers of our beloved “Basecamp” our Winnebago RV.

Tomorrow we’ll do the paperwork with them, then give them a full familiarization of all of the systems, and wish them well on their new adventures.

At that point we are solely living out of our Jeep Wrangler “GUARDIAN” until we pick up our new Jeep Gladiator in Denver, CO later this year.

We are so glad you are joining us virtually on our journey. Because although you don’t need to leap with us, your continued encouragement and support helps make each leap more special.

Let’s do this! ~ E

 

[alanymarce]

Honestly i haven't really started looking at getting the visas yet. From what you've written above, I'm assuming you were flying into various countries and not driving into them? I haven't heard from other overland drivers going through countries that they had to do anything but be patient, smile, and jump through a few hopes at each border crossing. (Unless one country had an issue with another country that your passport has a stamp for)

Would appreciate any insight you have on this matter! Thanks in advance, ~ E

Hi: I realised that I hadn't replied to your question. We were not flying in and out of countries on our trip, only to get visas (because had we done this by mail/courier as one would normally, by the time we received the last visa the first one would have expired!). Once we had the visas we flew to Nairobi to pick up our vehicle, then drove Kenya-Tanzania-Zambia-Zimbabwe-RSA-Namibia-Botswana-Zambia-Malawi-Tanzania-Rwanda-Uganda-Kenya. For some of these were able to get e-visas, some VOA, however for RSA, Botswana, and Namibia we had to get visas from the Consulates in Caracas, Washington, and London (actually we were supposed to get the latter in São Paulo, but the Namibians were helpful, unlike the Motswana).

When we drove around South America we were able to do this without any visas (some countries gave us VOA, and we already had a Schengen visa although we didn't go to French Guiana for other reasons.

Somewhere in this thread is a discussion of visas - many passports give you visa-free access to a lot of countries. However Australia requires visas from most passport-holders, for example, and some countries in Asia also. The best source of insight is IATA - their website has a means to check for any passport and residence.

Also, rereading your OP, I'm wondering why you wouldn't ship your vehicle to Australia from SE Asia? The cost of shipping from Australia back to the USA is about the same as from SE Asia, you'll have a tried and tested vehicle, and will not have to spend money on buying something in Australia (renting would be ridiculously expensive).

When you get to Colombia, let us know and if we're not travelling you'll be welcome here.

 

[Hourless Life]

Hi: I realised that I hadn't replied to your question. We were not flying in and out of countries on our trip, only to get visas (because had we done this by mail/courier as one would normally, by the time we received the last visa the first one would have expired!). Once we had the visas we flew to Nairobi to pick up our vehicle, then drove Kenya-Tanzania-Zambia-Zimbabwe-RSA-Namibia-Botswana-Zambia-Malawi-Tanzania-Rwanda-Uganda-Kenya. For some of these were able to get e-visas, some VOA, however for RSA, Botswana, and Namibia we had to get visas from the Consulates in Caracas, Washington, and London (actually we were supposed to get the latter in São Paulo, but the Namibians were helpful, unlike the Motswana).

When we drove around South America we were able to do this without any visas (some countries gave us VOA, and we already had a Schengen visa although we didn't go to French Guiana for other reasons.

Somewhere in this thread is a discussion of visas - many passports give you visa-free access to a lot of countries. However Australia requires visas from most passport-holders, for example, and some countries in Asia also. The best source of insight is IATA - their website has a means to check for any passport and residence.

Also, rereading your OP, I'm wondering why you wouldn't ship your vehicle to Australia from SE Asia? The cost of shipping from Australia back to the USA is about the same as from SE Asia, you'll have a tried and tested vehicle, and will not have to spend money on buying something in Australia (renting would be ridiculously expensive).

When you get to Colombia, let us know and if we're not travelling you'll be welcome here.

Thank you so much for your insight. Visas intimidate me to some degree. I have this nagging feeling that I'm going to make some catastrophic error in timing that will cause us a ton of red-tape because of my error. The consolation is that so many others have done what we hope to do in various parts of the world and we aren't trailblazers in that regard. I'm so thankful for the wealth of information that is available from those with experience that are willing to share. I genuinely appreciate you taking the time to share your wisdom on the topic.

I'll definitely look into IATA. I'm sure I'll have a ton more questions in the future.

Also thank you for the invite in Colombia! We'll take you up on it. When we are in Mexico later this year I'll be compiling a list of contacts in every country we hope to drive through of folks who have offered to be a resource or to connect with. If you are amenable, please send me a private message here with the following: name, email, phone number, physical address. I'll add you to an encrypted spreadsheet that I keep for our contacts around the world.

As far as why not ship to Australia? We've learned that the import requirements for Australia are inordinately stringent. Basically you can't import a vehicle unless it is showroom quality clean. By the time we get to Australia, which we plan to be our last continent of the 6 habitable continents that we'll traverse, our vehicle is going to be as filthy as it will get. Our current hopes are to ship it back to the States from Asia and then fly into Australia and either purchase, rent, or be sponsored with a vehicle for the time we'll explore Australia. It seems to be the better option from what we've researched. Though that could all change by the time we get there. We're anticipating it could be as much as 10-14 years from this writing. So as they say, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Respectfully,

Eric