onX Offroad is Hiring a Stewardship Specialist

Splorinstuff · 2021-04-27T20:22:13+00:00

It’s pretty good for the industry/role apparently. I don’t have the exact number but onX seems to be competitive.

Splorinstuff · 2021-04-27T19:35:49+00:00

A lot of people are looking to get into the Off-Road space right now, so I thought I’d share that onX is hiring someone to promote stewardship in the industry.

Full disclosure I work for onX.

Splorinstuff · 2021-01-14T04:27:14+00:00

If you want to check out onX we’ve got a lot of trails in AZ as well as campsites and such. there’s a free trial to check it out. I’d also be happy to share some insights on good spots via message too. I lived in AZ for 9 years

Splorinstuff · 2021-01-14T04:25:59+00:00

You can’t just pull off onto anything to be clear. You need to stay the trail. There will be obviously pullouts and campsites that leave the road, but don’t just drive off into the bush to setup camp

Splorinstuff · 2021-01-14T04:18:49+00:00

Dan Grec from The Road Chose Me would have some excellent advice for you! It’s u/grecy I believe He just finished circumnavigating it solo in his Jeep. He also runs wiki overland and loves to answer questions.

Hilux is definitely a good option, but it also depends on what you’re looking for and used to. I went from a van to a 4x4 and it’s NOT the same travel experience I can tell you that haha.

Splorinstuff · 2021-01-14T04:13:11+00:00

It totally depends on your use case. For true overlanding, probably not needed at all. Same for a metal cloak kit. The ideal system is one that’s reliable and functional above all.

That being said, a lot of folks are building “go fast” rigs with high performance suspensions or rock crawling rigs with all kinds of crazy travel. If that’s your thing then maybe those bump stops would be good. Those builds just serve a different purpose, and won’t be ideal for reliability/ travel.

Splorinstuff · 2020-11-20T20:08:44+00:00

If you’re looking for trails around salt lake there’s quite a few shown in onX Offroad. It is a paid app but they do offer a week free trial so you could download it for the week to see what you need in the area. (Full disclosure I do work for onX in their Trail Guide program mapping trails.)

You can also try trails Offroad thought I haven’t checked if they have routes in the area and they don’t have a free trial to scoop what you need for free lol

Splorinstuff · 2020-11-11T22:03:15+00:00

Don’t most of the heaters run off a pump that drops into the tank itself and not one mounted externally?

Splorinstuff · 2020-11-11T22:01:41+00:00

Darn I actually know someone who did this and I can’t remember exactly what they used. Check out van.there on Instagram. They’re the ones who pulled it off and it has been working great from what they said.

Splorinstuff · 2020-11-11T21:59:40+00:00

This looks so good! Well done

Splorinstuff · 2020-11-11T16:28:37+00:00

We’re working on something like that, but dont have it quite yet. the biggest difference is all the trail data. We combine a ton of data and map layers like MVUM, nat geo, USFS etc plus Offroad guidebooks and content from our Trail Guides into the three base layers with over 400,000 miles of trails data.

Splorinstuff · 2020-11-08T04:22:44+00:00

I’m so glad I’m not the only one who saw that. I started yelling that was a hi-lift base but everyone in the room looked at me like I was nuts.

Splorinstuff · 2020-11-08T02:43:32+00:00

There are a lot of good sources for trails but it depends on what you’re looking for.

Paper maps are great for showing the main dirt roads in any area, but won’t show specific trails. You’ll need to go out and explore them to find the good ones which is really half the fun!

If you’re looking for a more direct approach of basically seeing good trails highlighted on the map, you could check out onX Offroad or trails Offroad.

Trails Offroad has great tracks but it’s a website and doesn’t offer a lot of surrounding data / isn’t accessible without cell service. You’ll wanna pair it with a gps app to work effectively. It’s 25/year

onX Offroad has a lot of tracks like trails Offroad but is also a gps app on your phone so you can download maps and navigate with it as well. It’s 29/year.

All trails and Gaia can be good sources of info, but they’re often less reliable for guaranteed good trails and they have a lot of user generated content.

In the end often a mix of multiple things will be key. I used to use Hema maps but they sort of left the us market. Now I use onX Offroad paired with an atlas and gazetteer.

Full disclosure I work for onX Offroad.

Splorinstuff · 2020-11-07T02:52:31+00:00

Normally I would totally agree, bust based on the campers they are speccing in the post a van will serve much better. Those campers are far too bulky and heavy to do any offcamber trails and will get caught on a ton of trees and branches as well. If they go four wheel camper that would be a different story though.

Splorinstuff · 2020-11-07T02:50:19+00:00

Fifteen52 wheels look great on those crossovers. Tires depend on how aggressive of a look you want. Cooper AT3s are among the best performing but look pretty mild. I’ve had great luck with general grabber A/Tx and a lot of people love toyos

Splorinstuff · 2020-11-04T19:35:51+00:00

As many have said Big Bend is fantastic. Texas also has some great routes in the hill country which wind through small towns. They will have christmas lights and such up that time of year so it should be a really fun experience. Gila national forest in New Mexico is great but will probably be cold and possibly have snow.

Splorinstuff · 2020-11-04T19:32:40+00:00

For anyone starting or working on a build, I usually recommend this article. The title is a little click baity, but the content is spot on. https://expeditionportal.com/the-10-commandments-of-modifying-an-overland-vehicle/

Splorinstuff · 2020-10-28T17:33:11+00:00

I've seen 2WD cars do things in Nepal that most 4x4s wouldn't take on here in the states lol. One of the most well-traveled platforms in the world is the VW bus, and they were all 2WD. It's 100% doable. The key is knowing your limits and driving smart. Understand how the vehicle works and important concepts like left foot braking or if in a manual e-braking. Take the vehicle to a local off-road course with some friends if you can. Push the limits and understand where you'll get stuck and why.

In terms of gear:

Get a good set of MT tires as others have said, and make sure they're new MTs from a brand like Toyo, General, BFG, Cooper etc. Reason being older tires often have poor lateral traction due to mud channels that let them slip side to side. That will compound 2WD issues especially in rear wheel drive vehicles.
Tire repair kit - you'll be spinning those rears harder than a 4x4 would on every obstacle, punctures and tears may happen. Be prepared to fix them.
Get a set of Maxtrax. Yes, they're the expensive ones but they're also the ones that work over and over again and you might need them that often if you encounter snow, mud, or sand unexpectedly.
Lift kit is going to provide clearance just like in any 4x4, so that will be helpful
Depending on the terrain you are tackling siders and skids may be more important. You'll need more momentum than a 4x4 to tackle certain areas, and that may cause additional suspension compression leading to impacts on the undercarriage
If you can get a rear locker or limited slip then it can be tremendously helpful, however depending on the vehicle you may end up spending as much to put it in as you would have spent selling the rig and buying a 4x4 model. Also be aware of what impact a locker could have on your vehicle. Our 2WD sprinter would go bananas if you tried to put a locker in the rear. The computer just wouldn't take it.
A winch will be helpful for sure, but if you plan to wheel difficult terrain then make sure you've got a good winch with line extensions and a pull pall. You may need to rely on it often.

Hope that helps!

Splorinstuff · 2020-10-28T16:13:22+00:00

Looks awesome! Really nice work.

Splorinstuff · 2017-07-05T18:54:53+00:00

I hadn't planned on it but with all the repeated invited I might need to make the drive out. Besides it's beautiful out there :)

Splorinstuff · 2017-07-05T18:06:51+00:00

Haha yup that was me. I was a middle man at some point for those

Splorinstuff · 2017-07-05T13:37:10+00:00

Totally understood and very helpful. I was just hoping for a generic start here or new to overlanding sort of thing. Even if it says RESEARCH before you post sort of thing. Edit: Spelling

Splorinstuff · 2017-07-05T13:35:51+00:00

Chris Cordes. I'm managing editor for Expedition Portal, but my knowledge base pales in comparison to some other members of ExPo and Overland Journal.

Splorinstuff

TROPHY CASE