Why are other full size SUV's not used in overlanding/offroading as often as Forerunner/Landcruiser?

[XJLI]

I’ve been watching the Icelandic police drama Trapped on TV. Filmed on location in Iceland, mostly in a small town and surrounding rural area. Lots of scenes in cars, with cars and just vehicles in the background. There are lots of Japanese SUV’s and pickups, quite a few with big lifts, huge tires and wide flares for over-the-snow use. But what surprised me was the number of American vehicles, from old and newer Ram pickups, lots of F150/250 and even the original US-style Rangers and early Explorers, Tahoe’s and Escalades, and a whole fleet of police Durango’s used by the SWAT team. I even noticed a few Tundra’s in the background.

Obviously distances there are short, but the terrain looks rough and the winter seems brutal. BTW the main character drives a diesel Isuzu Trooper. Highly recommend the show.

In Iceland, everything needs to get flown in anyway. Land Cruisers are everywhere in the UAE, Asia, Africa, etc because the parts are available DOMESTICALLY. You can go down the street and get parts for your J120, J100, 70 series whatever from right behind the counter. In Iceland, nothing is domestic except for smoked fish and water. Parts for American trucks are way cheaper even when they have to be shipped in, and the trucks are just as tough.

 

[REDROVER]

Overlanding ( traveling long distance and crossing continents) is very new in North America compared to other parts of the world, and also major factor is that. In less developed countries, traveling 500 miles is 5 days journey, that itself creates demand to have expedition ready vehicle, and Toyota and Land Rover had vehicles there long time due to conflicts and bad road conditions.
Plus domestic SUVs are not as good for expedition travel,
show me a domestic vehicle in the early 90s to be even remotely as capable and reliable as 80 series land cruiser?
At that time domestic was targeting luxury not ruggedness,
Even big beautiful blazers and ford broncos couldn’t mess with boxed frame , diff locked Toyota’s

When you think about overland in Africa, what vehicles come to mind ? Not Tahoe or f150 right ?

Now days things have changed, domestic makes amazing vehicles and overlanding is gaining momentum day by day in North America.

For example I have 2017 Tacoma TRD off road model, it used to be king of the hill in its segment, not anymore, ranger and Colorado are far better capable and expedition ready vehicles,

it’s awesome to see our domestic vehicles become more and more capable and reliable

******** who would ever thought that Ford Mustang can and will kick Porsche 911 gt2s ass. Strange world we live in.

 

[dman93]

Overloading ( traveling long distance and crossing continents) is very new in North America compared to other parts of the world,

Auto-correct is smarter than we give it credit for :>) But assuming you meant “overlanding” I think only the word is new. I took a long trip, mostly off pavement, from California to Alaska and Northwest Territories in the eighties. National Forest and Forestry Roads in the Lower 48 and BC and Alberta, and the less traveled dirt and mud roads in Alaska, NWT and Yukon, then back home through the Rockies and down to Moab. Sure some Toyota’s, and one huge ex-military 6x6 rig from Germany, but mostly Fords and some GM; not so many Dodge in those days. And it was the same Fords and Chevys, along with VW vans, that I saw all over southern Utah on that trip, and subsequent excursion in the ‘80’s in my Ford Ranger. So overlanding is not at all new, but in fact since most people traveled lighter back then, overloading was certainly less common.

 

[nitro_rat]

Back then you didn't need 30k of bolt on junk to prove to passerby's that you were "overlanding."

 

[Marine]

Back then you didn't need 30k of bolt on junk to prove to passerby's that you were "overlanding."

I agree its way to commercial now.

 

[nitro_rat]

we always tried to hide our "camping" stuff so we would blend in better while out on the road...

 

[rayra]

we always tried to hide our "camping" stuff so we would blend in better while out on the road...

Yeah we used to try to avoid looking like a Clampett wagon. Now it is fashionable.

 

[jackflash]

Overlanding ( traveling long distance and crossing continents) is very new in North America compared to other parts of the world, and also major factor is that. In less developed countries, traveling 500 miles is 5 days journey, that itself creates demand to have expedition ready vehicle, and Toyota and Land Rover had vehicles there long time due to conflicts and bad road conditions.
Plus domestic SUVs are not as good for expedition travel,
show me a domestic vehicle in the early 90s to be even remotely as capable and reliable as 80 series land cruiser?
At that time domestic was targeting luxury not ruggedness,
Even big beautiful blazers and ford broncos couldn’t mess with boxed frame , diff locked Toyota’s

When you think about overland in Africa, what vehicles come to mind ? Not Tahoe or f150 right ?

Now days things have changed, domestic makes amazing vehicles and overlanding is gaining momentum day by day in North America.

For example I have 2017 Tacoma TRD off road model, it used to be king of the hill in its segment, not anymore, ranger and Colorado are far better capable and expedition ready vehicles,

it’s awesome to see our domestic vehicles become more and more capable and reliable

**** who would ever thought that Ford Mustang can and will kick Porsche 911 gt2s ass. Strange world we live in.

I love these threads, because no one is ever right. When talking about "overlanding" I think long range and cargo space. Example trails: Alpine Loop, White Rim. No rock crawling.

Comparing a stock 1996 Ford Bronco to a 1996 Toyota Land Cruiser.

Bronco had a higher fuel range, more interior space, shorter wheel base and came stock with an LS in the rear.
Land Cruiser had higher ground clearance and a higher payload. F/R lockers were options.

LC had 4 doors and Bronco had 2 doors, 4 doors might be better for "overlanding" if you have more than 2 people. As for reliability, I put about 300k miles on a 1994 Bronco with the original engine and trans. So I wouldn't say the LC is greatly more reliable. For your comments about Africa and other countries, we can't really answer that question cause Ford never really sold their stuff there.

My favorite youtube channels are SoftLandingTheWest and Venture4wd. One drives a Subaru and the other a Jeep. Foreign / Domestic, who really cares, drive what you have or like the most and get out there. Take care of it and it will last a long time.

Description	Ford Bronco	Toyota Land Cruiser
Engine Type	Gas	Gas
Transmission	4-speed automatic	4-speed automatic
Drive Type	Four wheel drive	All wheel drive
Cylinders	V8	Inline 6
Drive type	Four wheel drive	Four wheel drive
Transmission	4-speed automatic	4-speed automatic
Range in miles (cty/hwy)	416.0/512.0 mi.	301.2/351.4 mi.
Fuel tank capacity	32.0 gal.	25.1 gal.
Turning circle	36.6 ft.	40.4 ft.
Maximum cargo capacity	101 cu.ft.	91 cu.ft.
Length	183.6 in.	188.2 in.
Maximum towing capacity	7000 lbs.	5000 lbs.
Curb weight	4616 lbs.	4760 lbs.
Gross weight	6300 lbs.	6525 lbs.
Ground clearance	8.1 in.	10.8 in.
Maximum payload	1684.0 lbs.	1765.0 lbs.
Wheel base	104.7 in.	112.2 in.
Width	79.1 in.	76.0 in.

 

[38snubby]

Those are two great youtube channels. Venture4wd make you feel like you are right there with him.

 

[lilkia]

Why is it whenever I see the word "overlanding" I picture some skinny jean wearing, bad IPA swilling, twisted mustache, round glasses, flannel wearing, Wheres Waldo looking ************?

If you want to get technical everytime you drive anywhere in anything you are "overlanding". You are driving over the land. It is a **************** word used to make losers feel like they belong to some secret club. Does it get used here to make the people that never really go on a true "expedition" feel like they truly belong? I mean I get that. Outside of the military I dont think Ive ever truly been on an "expedition". Ive spent weeks at a time both on foot and with a vehicle in the back country, living on what I or we carried with us. Some voluntary some voluntold, still, not what I would consider an "expedition".

Im not here because I see myself as some kind of great explorer needing to share my adventures. Im here to glean some good technical advice and maybe share some of the same from decades of wrenching, and building and what works and what breaks and what is plain overkill. Im also here to look at, some, cool trucks. Anymore its seems like a SEMA show with a bunch of overbuilt vehicles loaded with crap that will never get a good dusting let alone actually dirty offroad. BUT they have really cool "Overlander" stickers on them and apparently thats what counts.

I generally dont get bothered or even pay attention to trendy pop culture crap, but I would really like to ********** slap whomever coined the term "Overland". Not to mention it sounds like some half baked overly and unnecessarily dramatic Netflix made series full of Millenial angst with either witches or zombies. Probably zombies maybe a vampire. Maybe this can be the one where the nonbinary individual can be torn between loving a half rotted walking corpse or a water starved merperson while camping in the post Covid high desert? Or did they do that one already?

 

[tdferrero]

Why is it whenever I see the word "overlanding" I picture some skinny jean wearing, bad IPA swilling, twisted mustache, round glasses, flannel wearing, Wheres Waldo looking ************?

If you want to get technical everytime you drive anywhere in anything you are "overlanding". You are driving over the land. It is a **************** word used to make losers feel like they belong to some secret club. Does it get used here to make the people that never really go on a true "expedition" feel like they truly belong? I mean I get that. Outside of the military I dont think Ive ever truly been on an "expedition". Ive spent weeks at a time both on foot and with a vehicle in the back country, living on what I or we carried with us. Some voluntary some voluntold, still, not what I would consider an "expedition".

Im not here because I see myself as some kind of great explorer needing to share my adventures. Im here to glean some good technical advice and maybe share some of the same from decades of wrenching, and building and what works and what breaks and what is plain overkill. Im also here to look at, some, cool trucks. Anymore its seems like a SEMA show with a bunch of overbuilt vehicles loaded with crap that will never get a good dusting let alone actually dirty offroad. BUT they have really cool "Overlander" stickers on them and apparently thats what counts.

I generally dont get bothered or even pay attention to trendy pop culture crap, but I would really like to ********** slap whomever coined the term "Overland". Not to mention it sounds like some half baked overly and unnecessarily dramatic Netflix made series full of Millenial angst with either witches or zombies. Probably zombies maybe a vampire. Maybe this can be the one where the nonbinary individual can be torn between loving a half rotted walking corpse or a water starved merperson while camping in the post Covid high desert? Or did they do that one already?

I don't know I've seen someone so passionately upset over such a simple word. Show me on the doll where overland hurt you.

 

[lilkia]

I would but its NSFW and Id probably get banned.

 

[ne_dan]

As for expeditions? Mankind stopped having geographic frontiers a century ago. If there's a road to where you're going, you're not discovering it. If there's no road then in most developed nations there's a law against driving there. That makes on-continent vehicle based exploration a joke really so we might as well all be in on the joke and laugh about it. GG y'all

This, it's true there's no discovering anything unknown only whats new to us. And overlanding/roadtripping/offroading is just the way of getting there. No difference between grandma in the RV staying at the KOA and the dude with the fancy offroader stayig in the desert or woods as long as they are having fun.

 

[calicamper]

Back then you didn't need 30k of bolt on junk to prove to passerby's that you were "overlanding."

40yrs ago out west we tried to down play our gear when out we had these people called “Hippies” who were trying to “live off the land” and things had a tendency to walk away from camp.
Today I try hard to have stuff out of sight on long trips given things even locked in place seem to disappear at rest stops, fast food joints even gas stations if your not standing guard over your rig 100% of the time.

My first new MT bike purchase since HS “I’m late 40’s now” was $1500! Cheap compared to what crazy people are paying for a bicycle today but even my $1500 bike I watch like a hawk till its out of sight in the garage. I still ride my 1987 MT bike I bought as a kid, its the family truckster / farmers market bike now.

If I traveled with these crazy big $ bikes they would all be lockedup, out of sight in a locked trailer during my trip not mounted on a huge display stand on my car. LOL

 

[HUMMER/Expeditions]

Let him talk, who cares.

But here is a information for that old fart.

I am 37 ( technicaly millennial )
education, masters,
Speak 5 languages
Self made millionaire.

Getting ready to travel from Spain to camchatka Rússia.
I am sure he is not educated enough to know where that is.

That’s called overlanding when you have to depend on your vehicle for long periods of time.

Next time you talk crap about younger generation and get butt hurt about overland world, just look at yourself in the mirror and think, what have you done in your life so adventurous to have the right to categorize certain groups of adventures based on there looks, what they drive and put on.

Not every millennial Is a ************,


Enjoy great outdoors my friends and don’t let’ hatred or categorization block your road.

Cheers.
God bless USA