What is up with all the overloaded Jeeps, lack of 2 door Jeeps, "Overlanding" movement, and odd spotter signals?

[MEHillwalker80]

This past June I drove from Maine down through the Appalachian Mountain Range staying at National and state parks until I got to Kentucky when I jumped onto the Trans America Trail and followed it to Moab where the heat and forest fires had me scooting back home to Maine where we have "asbestos forests". I went with an IceCo 34, and

SmittyBilt RTT as my mainstays. Since the TAT is mostly unpaved roads I think that should qualify as Overlanding. My total mileage for the trip was 7800.

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[entropy]

This past June I drove from Maine down through the Appalachian Mountain Range staying at National and state parks until I got to Kentucky when I jumped onto the Trans America Trail and followed it to Moab where the heat and forest fires had me scooting back home to Maine where we have "asbestos forests". I went with an IceCo 34, and

SmittyBilt RTT as my mainstays. Since the TAT is mostly unpaved roads I think that should qualify as Overlanding. My total mileage for the trip was 7800.

Definitely qualifies as overlanding because of the RTT.

Just kidding.

Overlanding is traditionally about traveling long distance in a motor vehicle, weeks, months, and more often than not it involves international travel. Unpaved roads are not a necessity, most overlanders prefer paved roads due to wear on components is less. I grew up in south America, my uncle used to do this quite a bit. I went with him once when I was about 12. We did Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, then back to Venezuela through Brasil. I don't think I could ever explain the experience. It was extremely remote, I remember on the border venezuela-colombia something broke and there were indigenous people helping my uncle fix the Toyota. There was no rock crawling involved, no wheeling, and looking back at it we definitely didn't have enough gear to consider it safe nowadays. We slept on the seats, and sometimes at town inns or someone's house; people used to be very trustworthy back then around those areas. Most of it was on roads, but sometimes we drove on the middle of nowhere and had to cut through bush.

This wasn't even that long ago as I am 32 now. But it has become an issue even there unfortunately lots of people going on their 4x4s to the Amazonas and destroying important habitat. Everything has chance. I think my generation was the last one to barely have the change to experience the wild world.

I guess if you are driving all the way east to west through the trans America trail it is the closest you could get to "overlanding" but still not the same in my opinion. What I see mostly happening nowadays called "overlanding" is more like offroad camping, or I guess a new version of overlanding reminiscent of what it was long time ago now with expensive rigs and gear.

That looks like hell of a trip. Almost 8,000 miles through beautiful country on a 2 door Jeep. I am jealous.

 

[OllieChristopher]

Just because you never encountered it doesn't mean it hasn't been done that way for a long time. I learned driver/passenger spotting back when I got started over 20 years ago. And it makes more sense than left/right. Who's left? Yours or mine? Driver/passenger is clear to both spotter and spotted. Unless you're in a RHD vehicle...

It's cool. I won't ever understand the concept of complicated spotting. To each his or her own. I actually have encountered it on the trail with inexperienced off roaders. Even in a RHD vehicle, right and left is much more clear to understand. And if I'm ever in the land down under I will be understood.

I started learning about hand signals and spotting off road as a teen in the 70's and it carried into the military when spotting off road rigs and heavy equipment at job sites. Spotter yelling left means driver turns left, spotter yelling right means driver turns right. I make it very clear at the beginning of the trail or specific job what hand/radio/verbal signals we will use.

And it shows on trails. When on local hard core trails like John Bull, Holcomb Creek, Sherman Pass etc, The older dudes (over 50 or so) use the left/right and other simple single syllable communication and precise hand signals.

I will refuse until the day I die to utter "driver/passenger" when spotting. Just as I will not be seen with a rooftop tent, snorkel, cold air intake or other strange devices.

 

[AcesandEights]

No offense, but where do you sleep if you don't have a roof top tent...tell me it's not on the ground?

 

[OllieChristopher]

No offense, but where do you sleep if you don't have a roof top tent...tell me it's not on the ground?

Aces, for me it's tent on the ground or back of my truck under the soft shell currently. I can setup and take down a ground tent just a quick as a rooftop unless it's one of those fancy clamshell units. I have been sleeping in ground tents all my life when camping. No need to change now.

I need to tread lightly so as not to get political or offend my fellow Americans. Dirty little secret is we are copying a lot of stuff that Australians have been doing for years. The problem with that is we do not have anything near as harsh or remote anywhere in the lower 48 that requires the use of these items that are almost mandatory for survival in the Australian Outback, bush, and desert.

Ground tents in the United States are more than sufficient for comfort, compactness, and setting up a nice base camp. I will tell you the "Rooftop Craze" is winding down as a passing fad.

 

[AcesandEights]

I was just being facetious.

 

[OllieChristopher]

I was just being facetious.

I figured you were. This is a good thread. It kind of shows we are all individuals who are set in our way of thinking. What's cool about outdoor camping and off-roading are the hundreds of ways to do it and different levels of comfort we demand.

 

[troubledog]

Times and fads change. Back in my day it was Baja Bugs and rail buggies. I camped and cross country traveled. Now it's called Overlanding. In fact a short 200 mile day trip through the desert is now called Overlanding.

I was just up in the mountains a month or so ago and the 4 door Jeeps and Subarus with rooftop tents were like cockroaches scrambling for the Yellow Post sites. They were all too scared to take their 50K plus rigs on anything but smooth fire roads. I took my 2WD truck with limited gear and made it to a remote Yellow Post campground all to myself.

And this ongoing trend of just loading these rigs to the gills!! Rooftop tents, 10 extra gallons of gas, huge 60 liter coolers, Impact tools, spare axles, spare this and spare that. And then taking it on nothing more than a smooth fire road for a day trip.

To be fair I have got caught up in the "adventure bike movement" with my Super Tenere. I actually use it for cross country travel and camping. It's not as capable as my Beta dual sport but a lot more comfortable.

And the big elephant in room is I hardly see any 2 door Jeeps unless I'm riding my dirt bike on the nasty 4 track trails. I will say that there is no way in hell I would get a 4 door Wrangler. I might as well get either a 4Runner or Lexus GX470. I'm 100% confident a 2 door Jeep can be packed smartly and very comfortably for cross country travel for 2.

The only possible scenario I can see for a 4 door Wrangler is if you have a large family with teens/adults sitting in the back. Otherwise I don't see the point. And from my perspective of what I see it's very rare to see families traveling in 4 door Jeeps. It's mostly couples or single drivers with the rigs packed to the headliners front to rear.

When spotting: Using hand signals and yelling "Left" -"Right are no more. Now you got all these goofballs screaming "Driver-Passenger"? What started this multi syllable shouting? Only thing I can come up with is the spotters are too dumb to face the driver and process that the drivers left and right are opposite of their own.

Ok, end of multi off topic rant. All good now!!!

Don’t forget the beards. You‘ve got to have a big beard …..

 

[AlrightAlready]

After traveling and camping out of my Cj's, TJ, Jk, and now JL (first 4 door) for the past couple decades, I wouldn't go back to a 2 door unless it was a buggy that's trailered. I can carry my E-Mtb, wakeboard/foil, gear, cooler and 90lb Labrador with room to spare for friends. I also sleep inside my jeep with a plug in heat blanket which was the biggest game changer. I don't think I could go back to setting up a tent although I admit, I've seen some pretty wild and easy to set up modern tents... When in the middle of nowhere, I prefer the shell of the jeep to protect me against whatever may be roaming. One encounter with a large animal wrecking your tent is all it takes to change your mind on this. Also, Bears are scary lol. My jeep is for rock crawling and climbing first, overlanding 2nd so my preferences are different statistically than most of your average jeep owners. I try and keep it as stealthy (for a mojito green jeep on 40's lol) as I can in terms of the overlanding stuff as to avoid roof racks and the overabundance of accessorizing it to the brim on the exterior.

Also, the wheelbase is SO nice for where we go climbing. I would have ended up stretching my 2 door anyways.

 

[entropy]

After traveling and camping out of my Cj's, TJ, Jk, and now JL (first 4 door) for the past couple decades, I wouldn't go back to a 2 door unless it was a buggy that's trailered. I can carry my E-Mtb, wakeboard/foil, gear, cooler and 90lb Labrador with room to spare for friends. I also sleep inside my jeep with a plug in heat blanket which was the biggest game changer. I don't think I could go back to setting up a tent although I admit, I've seen some pretty wild and easy to set up modern tents... When in the middle of nowhere, I prefer the shell of the jeep to protect me against whatever may be roaming. One encounter with a large animal wrecking your tent is all it takes to change your mind on this. Also, Bears are scary lol. My jeep is for rock crawling and climbing first, overlanding 2nd so my preferences are different statistically than most of your average jeep owners. I try and keep it as stealthy (for a mojito green jeep on 40's lol) as I can in terms of the overlanding stuff as to avoid roof racks and the overabundance of accessorizing it to the brim on the exterior.

Also, the wheelbase is SO nice for where we go climbing. I would have ended up stretching my 2 door anyways.

i regret to inform you if a Bear wants to get in the Jeep it will. as easy as it would get inside a tent.

Fortunately I assure you. That bear does not want to be anywhere near you. we are apex predators and animals avoid us like the plague. Bears are opportunistic creatures and you are not an easy meal. just dont eat where you sleep and dont worry about it.

Unless of course we are talking about a starving grizzly.

 

[AlrightAlready]

I regret to inform you if a Bear wants to get in the Jeep it will. as easy as it would get inside a tent.

Agree to disagree then. Get in? perhaps. As easily? No. Tent's and sleeping on the ground can be taken down by any small creature/person easily and I've witnessed it. The jeep gives me not only a height benefit, but I'm surrounded by a metal structure with the only real weakness being glass windows. (still better than tent in my opinion) I also do this as to be a buffer from wandering humans. Having slept in some super remote area's tent camping with friends and having a random group of strangers suddenly be within your camping area is unsettling even if you're carrying a form of protection. This goes back to me being able to make a jump into driver seat, button press, and gear change away from distancing myself from any potentially harmful situation. The Labrador helps also, good alarm system.

 

[entropy]

Agree to disagree then. Get in? perhaps. As easily? No. Tent's and sleeping on the ground can be taken down by any small creature/person easily and I've witnessed it. The jeep gives me not only a height benefit, but I'm surrounded by a metal structure with the only real weakness being glass windows. (still better than tent in my opinion) I also do this as to be a buffer from wandering humans. Having slept in some super remote area's tent camping with friends and having a random group of strangers suddenly be within your camping area is unsettling even if you're carrying a form of protection. This goes back to me being able to make a jump into driver seat, button press, and gear change away from distancing myself from any potentially harmful situation. The Labrador helps also, good alarm system.

i get it you feel much safer sleeping in the Jeep. look up videos of bears getting in cars, they have no trouble at all. If a bear wants to get in a tent it will get in. If it wants to get in a car it will get in. Does it have to put in more work? Sure, but that is no deterrent for a bear, the bear will get in anyway and it will succeed in a matter of seconds. might buy you some time to get your bear spray.

With that said. Seriously man stop being paranoid about bears. It isnt worth it, and any small noise is gonna wake you up. They want nothing to do with you. They arent scary. ive had dozens of encounters with black bears while hunting and also camping. they are not scary but are very scared of us. This is an irrational fear.

But if you get into ridiculously extremely unlikely scenarios. the jeep is safer than a tent. Of course it is. and it does offer more protection from humans.

sleeping in the jeep will be more comfortable. and id feel safer too, even if it is a somewhat of a placebo it helps sleeping lol. i myself ordered a camper to pull with the jeep. Nothing like sleeping inside solid walls.

 

[OllieChristopher]

I regards to bears, a 357 with Black Talon rounds will keep them at bay LOL!!

 

[Jeepmarkjl]

My dad taught me “driver passenger” lingo back in early 70s. So around 1973-74 we went to upstate NY and futzed around in the woods off the road. He would make me get out and spot for him so he wouldn’t hit big rocks. He liked to drive the car into the woods instead of being in campgrounds. We called it car camping then. we had a red sedan that my dad put bigger snow tires on it. Makes me laugh a little now. We never got stuck though.

 

[Jeepmarkjl]

My dad taught me “driver passenger” lingo back in early 70s. So around 1973-74 we went to upstate NY and futzed around in the woods off the road. He would make me get out and spot for him so he wouldn’t hit big rocks. He liked to drive the car into the woods instead of being in campgrounds. We called it car camping then. we had a red sedan that my dad put bigger snow tires on it. Makes me laugh a little now. We never got stuck though.

I should also add that when I was in military school I was in the artillery and we hauled 88mm and 105mm canons behind old military Jeep’s, Military Power Wagons and big Deuce and half’s. The Vietnam vet master sgt made us use “driver passenger” lingo to spot off trail as well as maneuvering those trucks in and out of the cramped motor pool. So I think driver passenger lingo has been around for awhile. Maybe just not around you.

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