Wagonofdoom - 2015 Outback build

[freshlikesushi]

to be fair, if i DIDNT know how to fabricate, i would have most likely gotten an xterra or tacoma.

 

[PirateMcGee]

I tend to disagree

I I dont have alot of stuff they like lockers, and upgraded axles, and sliders (yet) and built out susspension upgrades

i would call this at BEST a mild build. most people you see have what i would consider a MILD build.

Overbuild is what i would consider many of the Overland X trucks

though, at a basis you should see most of the same things in the genre. organization for storage, a place to sleep, keep vital items, and self sustainability is what overlanding requires. All of which we all have (well most of us that do it often)

Valid points. I agree with you now. Really subaru tcs and awd is like lockers anyways though hehe

 

[freshlikesushi]

To be fair, in the past 5 months that i have been in the US and had availability to do stuff? Not much.

However. The 4 years before that, when I lived in saudi arabia, and drove hours through the deserts to get to locations?
Untitled by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
DSCF0010 by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
Thumamah Camels by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
Escarpment camping by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
Faisal's finger by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
Faisals Finger by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
XT016688 by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
XT010392 by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
Camel Trail Camping by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
camping-8 by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
camping-3 by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
Ushaiger by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
IMG_2816 by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
Jeddah Sand Dune Trip by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
Jeddah Sand Dune Trip by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
Pretty sure that is where its at . most of this year has been a writeoff honestly. Between actually building the car, camping trips, events, my father dying in FEB (after i moved back in JAN), i honestly havent had much time. The entire goal was to have it 100% done and ready for next season. At least 3 round trips to florida area are planned, with each already mapped out to explore areas and camping on the way.

i did more than i thought i would this year, and the car has proven to be more difficult than i thought it would be to get a few things done i wanted.

Anyways, to me overlanding is getting out and exploring. Finding those cool little places that you never would have if you took the interstate. making friends and exploring with them. Its not about how much offroading you do. Expedition Overland did 7 episodes of on road driving and ones worth of offroad, yet thats overlanding right? Dont get so wrapped up in labels and definitions. What you should be saying is good for you for getting out. And to put that to MORE of a point, I dont personally believe the east coast lends to actual overlanding as many "diehards" like to define it anyways. a class 4 road isnt overlanding, neither is going through a national forest. Ideals and definitions are adapted to where you live and what you are able to do.

its not where you go, its the fact you are getting out and doing something with friends and loved ones, and having an adventure. Ive averaged a trip a month at least.
To be fair also, going to and from rausch, a good portion of PA was spent offroad

 

[calicamper]

I think people trying to define "Overlander" is stupid. The old guy that comes through town twice a year walking with his mules, is an overlander in the hardest core sense. No 4x4, no awd, no tire racks, no RTT's
http://patch.com/california/lamorinda/mule-man-gets-around

I think the only definition for the concept of "Overlanding" people getting out exploring by any means possible. A car based vehicle rigged to explore is better suited to our 99.9% paved roads. Carrying a spare tire is smart. Having a winch for back woods self extraction is smart. No big deal.

 

[freshlikesushi]

I'm really not trying to be mean but....really?
Looking at your Flickr account which provided dates, locations, and additional context to the select pictures you posted above it looks like, starting in 2013 you went on a half-dozen or so overnight camping trips, primarily just a few KM outside Riyadh to areas accessible by class 4 roads. Some of those pictures (the camels) were taken from a major highway alongside a National Park.
Yet....






I haven't watched the Expedition Overland series to comment on their pavement:dirt ratio but I do agree with you; overlanding is not off-roading. The Expedition Overland web series developed popularity not for their off-road scenes, but for the (seemingly) remote and rarely visited locations they traveled to and, more importantly, the large and/or frequent navigational, logistical, cultural, physical and emotional challenges that had to be overcome along the way.

Sure, those same types of challenges can manifest on a weekend camping trip but they pale in comparison.



Don't get me wrong. Any trip is a good trip and I'm absolutely not taking issue with the fact that you're making use of your weekends. Again, keep it up.

I do however think that vocabulary is important. Every, industry, profession or hobby revolves around, and grows upon related vocabulary. Is 4X4 the same as AWD? Despite both resulting in the transfer of energy to all four wheels many would argue the two terms to be quite different. How can the discussions within this forum or the trends within the supporting industries advance if the related language is undefined?

Considering only a handful of the images are even correcly geotagged, and the rest are tagged wherever, not accurate.

Second. All were at least 2-3 hours from where i live, with at least half of it being offroad
Third, there are no "class 4 roads" its just desert. there are some traveled paths, but none are documented. Alot of scouting and trials have to be ran.



I wont really touch the rest...because what really matters here obviously is.

What have you done? That seems to be where this should go right? What have YOU done this year that makes me pale in comparison and makes you an expert.
Did you do a 30 day journey across the country with only 400 miles on road or something?

I just think you are stirring **** to stir it.

 

[Herbie]

More build thread, less pissing match!

 

[DanCooper]

Like Herbie said, this is about the build of the Wagon Of Doom, which is pretty interesting build for those who do all kinds of things in our Subarus, which brings me to some questions for Grant:

So when you are off the road on rocks and sand (and perhaps even gravel), do you deflate your tires? If so, do you use a deflator? Kinda wondering about that and whether they are worth the trouble in your opinion (not much interested in anyone else's unless there are driving a Subaru in the conditions specified - this is a thread about Subarus, not Tonka Toys).

Also, knowing you have done some interior lighting, are you going to be adding any lighting to the front of the WOD, whether bars or individual lights? I was at my local lighting guy's shop the other day, and he was showing me pictures of a 2015 Outback with LED upgrades in the regular headlight and foglight positions that he had done for the guy because he delivers newspapers in the morning (In Anchorage, he needs them at least half the year). The lighting was pretty bright, no mounting issues obviously, but I was wondering about your view and your plans.

Your work is pretty inspirational. I'm going to have to copy that swing out tire carrier.

 

[calicamper]

Like Herbie said, this is about the build of the Wagon Of Doom, which is pretty interesting build for those who do all kinds of things in our Subarus, which brings me to some questions for Grant:

So when you are off the road on rocks and sand (and perhaps even gravel), do you deflate your tires? If so, do you use a deflator? Kinda wondering about that and whether they are worth the trouble in your opinion (not much interested in anyone else's unless there are driving a Subaru in the conditions specified - this is a thread about Subarus, not Tonka Toys).

Also, knowing you have done some interior lighting, are you going to be adding any lighting to the front of the WOD, whether bars or individual lights? I was at my local lighting guy's shop the other day, and he was showing me pictures of a 2015 Outback with LED upgrades in the regular headlight and foglight positions that he had done for the guy because he delivers newspapers in the morning (In Anchorage, he needs them at least half the year). The lighting was pretty bright, no mounting issues obviously, but I was wondering about your view and your plans.

Your work is pretty inspirational. I'm going to have to copy that swing out tire carrier.

I was wondering the same thing. In the past I've dropped my Subaru to about 25lbs but didnt want to drop it any further and loose critical clearance. My Truck with the BFGs I run about 18psi on rough rocky stuff. What are you doing Grant?

 

[outback97]

I know you guys were asking Grant... but FWIW I saw some benefits in lowering tire PSI when driving in sand (and on rough roads) in my old Outback. If lowered tire pressures work for a truck, no reason they wouldn't work for a car.

It's hard to tell in the above picture but this was fairly deep and fine, soft sand like this:

I never used deflators, doubt I even knew they existed when I was doing this stuff. But I knew that lower PSI helps in some situations.

 

[freshlikesushi]

Like Herbie said, this is about the build of the Wagon Of Doom, which is pretty interesting build for those who do all kinds of things in our Subarus, which brings me to some questions for Grant:

So when you are off the road on rocks and sand (and perhaps even gravel), do you deflate your tires? If so, do you use a deflator? Kinda wondering about that and whether they are worth the trouble in your opinion (not much interested in anyone else's unless there are driving a Subaru in the conditions specified - this is a thread about Subarus, not Tonka Toys).

Also, knowing you have done some interior lighting, are you going to be adding any lighting to the front of the WOD, whether bars or individual lights? I was at my local lighting guy's shop the other day, and he was showing me pictures of a 2015 Outback with LED upgrades in the regular headlight and foglight positions that he had done for the guy because he delivers newspapers in the morning (In Anchorage, he needs them at least half the year). The lighting was pretty bright, no mounting issues obviously, but I was wondering about your view and your plans.

Your work is pretty inspirational. I'm going to have to copy that swing out tire carrier.

I use trailhead deflators all calibrated to 25psi. screw them on and let them go till they stop. If im going to sand, i go to 15 and drive slowly. I also carry a viair 90 that gets me back up to a drivable 30 in about a minute and a half a tire
It makes a HUGE change in ride comfort over terrain. In some instances it has made the difference of traction or not (deflating when i hadnt already, then advancin gover an obstacle)
i wont touch my headlights or anything. When i need light i have my lightbar, and ill have two more flush mounts going into the font bumper when the wings are finished on the sides of it

 

[Theprofessional]

More build thread, less pissing match!

Please.

 

[vhercules]

This is a fantastic build, I have enjoyed reading what you have done and the pics of course. Subarus are a great platform for such stuff and you have done some amazing stuff.

 

[WagoneerSX4]

Ugh... the fact the last few pages have turned into another "what is true overlanding?" again frustrates me... Seriously guys, I know this is an overlanding forum but it's starting to get old. There's no true definition of overland travel except for the fact that you're travelling over land in a vehicle. You build your car to the type of travel you want to do. Simple as that. This dude doesn't need to prove himself to anybody. The fact that he's finding the limits of a brand new chassis and documenting everything all the way for others and even taking the time to make videos for others should be enough to commend him instead of filling his thread will BS about the type of overlanding he does.

I like car-based build threads. True overlanding in North America is always going to include lots of tarmac at some point unless you're going out of your way to stay off of it. If this was a build thread for African overlanding or Northern Russian overlanding then he probably wouldn't even start with an outback. I enjoy seeing someone push the limits of unibody vehicles. I think we all need to be reminded that the person who really made a name for overlanding did it in an old redblock 2wd Volvo station wagon.

 

[borison]

Ugh... the fact the last few pages have turned into another "what is true overlanding?" again frustrates me... Seriously guys, I know this is an overlanding forum but it's starting to get old. There's no true definition of overland travel except for the fact that you're travelling over land in a vehicle. You build your car to the type of travel you want to do. Simple as that. This dude doesn't need to prove himself to anybody. The fact that he's finding the limits of a brand new chassis and documenting everything all the way for others and even taking the time to make videos for others should be enough to commend him instead of filling his thread will BS about the type of overlanding he does.

I like car-based build threads. True overlanding in North America is always going to include lots of tarmac at some point unless you're going out of your way to stay off of it. If this was a build thread for African overlanding or Northern Russian overlanding then he probably wouldn't even start with an outback. I enjoy seeing someone push the limits of unibody vehicles. I think we all need to be reminded that the person who really made a name for overlanding did it in an old redblock 2wd Volvo station wagon.

X2, thanks for saying it.

 

[borison]

More build thread, less pissing match!

Yep, what he said. Hope these pissing match posts don't deter more posts. I enjoy these less-than-conventional build threads. There's plenty of other forums for more conventional minded folks.