Max Payload for Overlanding

[alksion]

Sounds like you don't have a jeep. Let's see what you actually do when you get one.

I think it depends on how you set your Jeep up. Yes, you can make the vehicle too heavy. That's true of any truck though. Yes, probably some people overload their vehicle, make them too heavy with big RTTs and roof racks and roto-packs and pull out drawers as you say, etc and don't increase the suspension to handle the weight. They don't consider how to keep the weight lower. But based on what I have seen there are a lot of rigs out there put together with great care. And I also think you are seeing more people consider weight as they become more knowledgeable. I'm seeing more interest in aluminum bumpers for example. And we are talking about jeeps here. Pretty small in the scheme of things. Take a look at some of the huge rigs advertised for off-pavement travel. Huge one ton 4x4s or even larger with extra large camper tops with every convenience. A jeep with a RTT, a 12v fridge, a winch, and beefed up suspension pales in comparison. There are a lot of "overlanders" in jeeps going some amazing places. There are a number of folks that have been out for years, not just in the Americas but all over the world. And that's just the ones sharing their stories. There are many more out there quietly creating their own adventures we never hear about.

A two door jeep might work for you. If so, go that way. If you enjoy a ground tent do it. If you can travel for an extended period with a single camp box and a one burner cooking single pot meals and never want a little more, good on ya.

But like many people I am traveling for weeks at a time with a companion. I spent 26 years as a Marine infantryman. I am not sleeping on the ground any more unless I am forced too. My days of being wet, cold, and miserable are mostly behind me if I can manage it. If I dragged my wife out and said we are going camping for a month and live like bugs I don't think I would be very popular. As it is we are pretty simple in a four door jeep.
We just got back after 21 days. We had a great time. We do need a 2.5" lift to accommodate our set up. No doubt about that. The stock suspension is soft to make it drive more comfortably as an everyday driver. We plan to add a 17 gallon aux fuel tank but it will be adjacent to the stock tank between the frame rails so the weight stays low. We will add a winch but probably keep the plastic bumpers. I see others making similar choices. We loved the Jeep's small size and nimble maneuverability in the dense forest roads of the east coast and mid west we traveled through.

Regarding set up speed--our Ursa Minor takes 30 seconds to set up. About one minute to take down. I doubt you will be able to find the right spot for your tent with weather rolling in faster than I can set up. I can promise you will not be more comfortable even with our simple rig. Have fun with a ground tend and a camp box in the pouring rain. Been there and done that.

I would not slam the entire "overlanding" community because some folks get carried away. Take a look at some of the RVs traveling down the nations highways. Excess is not limited to jeeps.

Get yourJeep. Try it out. Camp for extended periods of time. Make long trips. Get into the back country. See what you think. I bet you'll start adding some things.... And if you manage to keep everything stock, and back-packer simple and you're happy as a clam that's cool too.

Well said my friend. Bought our first Jeep 11 months ago. The wife and I camped inside our 4 door Sahara to see if we would like off roading and camping. By the way, I just call it camping but people can call it whatever they like.

We absolutely loved it and we’re hooked right away. Although we enjoyed our time, we discovered very quickly if we wanted to camp regularly with the Jeep, sleeping out the back wasn’t going to be a long term option.

We ended up getting a rack and RTT. We really liked the setup and the rack we chose didn’t require drilling. It was much more convenient than sleeping out the back. Couple issues arose.

The Jeep was really too heavy. There was some instances it felt like it was going to roll on some rutted trails. A stock rubicon with sway bar disconnected probably wouldn’t feel much, but our Sahara with all the weight on top was pretty nerving at times. We quickly discovered the limitations of the Sahara with a top heavy setup like a RTT.

More importantly, my wife and I hated driving around on the streets with all that equipment up top. Contrary to popular belief, we were not trying to portray the overlanding couple look everywhere we went. It was loud and MPG suffered. So we finally removed it.

This lead us to determine that an off road trailer would probably be our best bet. An off road trailer certainly has its shortcomings as well, but for our needs it’s the best fit. We went with a Turtleback trailer and it should be done next week. They haven’t mounted the RTT, Shower and Awning yet. Plus the blue decals to match my 392, but it should be the perfect fit for us as a couple and how we like to camp.

Just a small snippet of our journey over the last 11 months for what it’s worth. Ultimately, what others have said. Do what makes you smile, comfortable and fits your financial position.

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[OllieChristopher]

Sounds like you don't have a jeep. Let's see what you actually do when you get one.

I don't have one. But I do have motorcycles and my truck and the ability to pack light and enjoy myself. I already know how I will use a Jeep or any other vehicle with 4 wheels including my present one. Right tool for the job.

I don't have to like this "overloading in a Jeep craze" just as someone does no have to like my choices in easy travel. The reality is most of the time I hotel/motel camp these days when going out for weeks at a time. Living in the US gives me the luxury to have lodging when deciding to travel for long stints.

 

[FRV]

I don't have one. But I do have motorcycles and my truck and the ability to pack light and enjoy myself. I already know how I will use a Jeep or any other vehicle with 4 wheels including my present one. Right tool for the job.

I don't have to like this "overloading in a Jeep craze" just as someone does no have to like my choices in easy travel. The reality is most of the time I hotel/motel camp these days when going out for weeks at a time. Living in the US gives me the luxury to have lodging when deciding to travel for long stints.

No one said you have to like it. I certainly didn't. But, there is no need to denigrate it either. Course you have the right to if you want to.

I would not be happy staying in a hotel every night. For me that's not the kind of adventure travel I would enjoy. Lots of folks chose that route though and love it. So more power to them.

This thread got started by the OP about "overlanding" with stock suspension. What he could and couldn't do. My initial comment was to try it out, see how much you need to carry and adjust from there. I have a good idea about where I, as one individual, need to be.

Anyway, enjoy your motorcycle travel. And your jeep if you get one. If you do, I think you'll be happy with the vehicle, used within its limitations, unless you're one of those people who are gonna bitch 'cause that's just the way you roll.

Either way, enjoy the ride.

 

[TX_Ovrlnd]

[old man rant]

If you can't carry your full kit in a pack and hike in to camp, you're carrying too much crap and undeserving of nature. I bet you heat your food before you eat it while out on the trail too. What a ridiculous mindset. Coming from someone who has had the pleasure/unfortunate luck to have had to "camp" via various methods, more power to those with the rigs that are too comfortable for your taste. Hopefully they use good sense in weight distribution and trail selection. These rigs were meant to bring anyone who buys one closer to nature (if they choose) and enjoyment.

 

[OllieChristopher]

No one said you have to like it. I certainly didn't. But, there is no need to denigrate it either. Course you have the right to if you want to.

You completely missed my point. I am in no way bagging on someone else's choices of travel style. It was not my intention to besmirch you.

This thread title is about max payload. I'm merely pointing out that there are a large group of travelers that are overloading the weight limits of these vehicles. By doing this it's severely limiting the performance and safety of the intended purpose of a Wrangler.

 

[FRV]

You completely missed my point. I am in no way bagging on someone else's choices of travel style. It was not my intention to besmirch you.

This thread title is about max payload. I'm merely pointing out that there are a large group of travelers that are overloading the weight limits of these vehicles. By doing this it's severely limiting the performance and safety of the intended purpose of a Wrangler.

That may have been what you intended but that's not all that you said.
You ranted on RTTs, cabinets, accessories (junk I think you called it) four door jeeps and went on to say all you needed was a camping box and a sleeping bag. But then you said you don't actually have a jeep and you stay in motels when you travel.

Ridgeway Jeeper mocked overlanding but then went on to say he "camps" with a 1 ton pick up and a travel trailer.

Someone might think there was some hypocrisy in this thread.

There a lot of folks out there that know a lot more about jeeps than me. But they seem like very capable vehicles that lend themselves to a wide range of modifications to support all kinds of use. I don't see most mods as limiting their performance and capabilities. In fact I think the opposite--many/most jeeps are far more capable than the use they actually are subjected to. I don't see modified vehicles littering the highways and back country roads because they are overloaded. I do see and read about a lot of jeeps that suffer damage used in hard mudding and serious rock crawling but then those owners seem to expect and accept the damage. They repair and reattack. Good for them. That's what jeeps are about. Fun and enjoyment however you want to use them.

 

[OllieChristopher]

Hoo boy!! I think this thread has run it's course.....

 

[FRV]

I have a JLR and am 70 years of age. I've been an outdoors person since the early 70's. I've backpacked, motorcycle camped and had almost ever type of RV under 24'. Weight has always been an issue. Recently I returned from a 10 day glamping, 3,500 mile road trip in my JLR that was at it's load limit. I could have easily lightened my load and still fully enjoyed my outing. This is the Untied 48 States of America and I was never more than 1 hour from re-suppling or purchasing something forgotten haha, this is not the Australian Outback. We do not Overland, IMHO we car camp. Get real folks, you can leave home without it.

Sourdough, depends on your definition of overlanding. How do you define overlanding?

 

[FRV]

I have a JLR and am 70 years of age. I've been an outdoors person since the early 70's. I've backpacked, motorcycle camped and had almost ever type of RV under 24'. Weight has always been an issue. Recently I returned from a 10 day glamping, 3,500 mile road trip in my JLR that was at it's load limit. I could have easily lightened my load and still fully enjoyed my outing. This is the Untied 48 States of America and I was never more than 1 hour from re-suppling or purchasing something forgotten haha, this is not the Australian Outback. We do not Overland, IMHO we car camp. Get real folks, you can leave home without it.

Well, if you were"glamping" which I assume means luxury camping and you were never more than an hour from anything you needed you were probably not "overlanding" by any definition I have read. But call it whatever you want.

I have car camped all over the country. From FL to California to Montana to Maine to Canada. What we are doing now is different. What a lot of people are doing now is different than what I think of as car camping. In those days, we could travel in any vehicle we had--a truck or our VW Jetta or any car we had at the time. Didn't matter. Some gravel roads because we had to go down them to get to the park, but mostly travel was on pavement. We were not looking for off-road travel like we are now. In those days we were staying at state parks or KOAs. The parks themselves were usually the destination. We might spend a week there then we started working our way back home...on the pavement. Or we were on the road to visit family and camping along the way.

But now we don't really have a specific destination. We are using topo maps and looking for interesting off pavement routes. We are camping at dispersed sites in national and state forests. we are thinking about getting out onto BLM land to see what's there. We are employing motor vehicle use maps for off pavement and 4x4 travel. We are traveling alone. Looking for challenging routes and scenic vistas.

Our vehicle is more specialized to accommodate a wider variety of terrain. We never considered vehicle self recovery before but we do now. We were very cautious then and stayed on proven routes. And while we do detour to towns to resupply and do laundry the whole focus is now on the journey itself vice the destination.

I guess you can call that car camping but I think it's different...by an order of magnitude. At least it feels that way to me. I have seen different definitions for overlanding. Some are very specific and kind of complicated. But the one I like best was explained by Dan Grec who took a stock two door wrangler from Canada to the southern tip of S. America then a specialized JKUR around Africa. He defined Overlanding as "Vehicle centric adventure travel." That seems like a good simple definition for what I am seeing people do or aspire to do. Seems like it could be on a bicycle or motorcycle or car or truck. You could pull a trailer behind or vehicle if that's what you want to do.

I don't understand all the angst the term "overlanding" is causing people. Whatever it is we are having fun and I think a lot of other people are too.

 

[TX_Ovrlnd]

I don't understand all the angst the term "overlanding" is causing people. Whatever it is we are having fun and I think a lot of other people are too.

Some people get disturbingly hung up on words meaning something they believe in and if anyone else uses it differently, lose their minds. I had hopes it was just an old person thing and those types would eventually disappear, but there's youth doing the same so I think it's just the "new norm".

In my new "overlanding" experiences going forward I want a portable shower and hot food that doesn't always come out of a pouch within a pouch. I want to have fun traveling to the destination and I want to enjoy the experience being at the spot or multiple spots. I also don't want to have to dig a fighting hole I also sleep in or wear excessive amounts of clothing...but maybe I'm asking too much there. Being able to carry your gear in a vehicle versus having to carry it everywhere on your back is what I consider glamping, yes I am jealous and yes I want that style of camping!

 

[Ridgway Jeeper]

Nobody has "lost their minds" or has "angst" over this new made up "adventure" term. Great attempts by a couple of you to portrait it that way in defense of a new name for a camping trip though...

 

[Av8Chuck]

It's interesting how everyone is defining "overlanding" differently. Does it matter?

I'm 63, I've owned three Jeeps, my first was a '63CJ with a small block chevy, with 5:13s, 40" Monster Mudders in the late 70's. It could climb a building but was totally useless. A ton of fun and we laughed at anyone camping in a "Starcraft" van. My second was a stock 2008 Wrangler, great little grocery getter and you can count the number of times we took it off road camping with it on one hand. My wife loved it. Our latest Jeep is a 2020 Rubicon kitted out for Overlanding.

Each of these Jeeps are very different. All this time later, I'm very different. They were wonderful at the time I had them and they each played a different role in my life. One wasn't street legal at all, one was bone stock and the last is for Overlanding. And I love it. Is it overweight, absolutely, so am I. Has it been modified to better handle the weight? Yes. Does that make it legal? Probably not, do I care? As long as I'm safe with it and it meets our needs, No.

So for me, Overlanding isn't camping, RVing, four wheeling, or glamping. It's different than all of those things. It's the ability to get off the grid, not for the sake of getting off the grid but in a way that you don't need the grid. It's being able to find solitude away from the 12 million of my closest neighbors in LA. It's being able to camp in a location where I don't need to make a reservation or have hookups. Somewhere I can do photography with a perspective that most haven't seen before because its too difficult for them to get there to take a picture with their iPhone. It"s a place where I can occasionally meet people who are not hung up on trying to define the concept of "Overlanding."

We can all view this through the prism of our own experience and we don't need to convince others it's the right or wrong way of anything. However it's defined, I'm enjoying the hell out of it!

 

[Av8Chuck]

I've posted some of these elsewhere but getting ready for a trip to Big Bear.

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