Overlanding is Dead! Is it? Finally!!

[MadMan4BamaNATL]

Ohh boy! Driving Line finally dropped a video that’s long overdue. He asks, or states, “Overlanding is Dead”. Ha ha! Link below:



Nice video on the crowd of guys who swarmed the outdoor market as a trend. This is a topic long debated here on the forum and one that I’ve participated in a good bit for the past 5 years.

Upside is, gear and mods will finally come down in price. Wait times for rigs, parts, mods, gear will go back to normal, and these trendies, will now go back to golf or whatever since they don’t actually like outdoors unless there is manicured grass.

Bronco is better than ever, there is good competition for those wanting other options, and the enthusiast can hopefully once again drive this market. (Pun!)

After watching the video, curious on thoughts?

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[SierraBronco]

Overlanding. It’s like car camping, but with a bunch of crap bolted to the outside of your car.

My favorite quote from a guy that decided he was an overlander-“It allows me to really get away from all the technology and kinda just reset from the daily life of civilization.” He says this with a starlink as part of his setup so he could watch internet TV, before going into town for each meal. Not joking

 

[Desertchief]

Hahaha that’s me thanks for sharing the video!

Obviously, this was very opinionated. But I’m respectful of everyone’s thoughts, and genuinely curious of your experiences.

 

[MNBigfoot]

To know for certain, we'll need the sales figures for ARB fridges.

 

[SeptuagenerianSasquatch]

To me, "off-roading" is driving rough, little/unmaintained dirt back roads which may have unexpected obstacles like wash-outs, downed trees, rock debris, irregular ascents and descents. You may find yourself in rather remote locales--but not necessarily.
"Overlanding" is finding those increasingly rare places where you leave all roads and tracks and drive cross-country--away from where vehicle travel. Overlanding is the ultimate: you're on your own with compass & gps, and there's no telling what you'll have to drive over, through, or around.

 

[KT_bronco]

Interesting topic! The more I watch this video the more I see it's just a puff piece to make himself feel good. Sorry @Desertchief. I think the presenter has a somewhat narrow perspective. While I agree that spotting fully loaded overland rigs stuck in LA traffic is always amusing, I see their real value in international travel or truly remote expeditions. In those cases, an overland rig isn’t just for show—it’s a necessity. From my own travels with this Bronco over the past few years, I’ve realized that in the U.S., truly remote places are rare. Fuel, water, and food are generally easy to find no matter where I go, thus negating the need for the overland rig for my travels.

He claims overlanding is “dying” but offers zero evidence—just points to Facebook Marketplace as proof. Real proof would be sales figures from the industry or an article with actual data, not a gut feeling based on fewer rooftop tents on the freeway that he didn't see. That said, yes, the COVID-era boom is slowing down—just like it did for every recreational sector that blew up during the pandemic.

He also blames overlanders for leaving trash and needing assistance on the trails, but let’s be real—that’s not exclusive to overlanders. I’ve seen plenty of people in non-overland rigs trashing trails and being unprepared. So have you. If the goal is to keep trails reserved for “real off-roaders,” maybe petition for a licensing program like they do for motorcycles.

And honestly, what even is a “real off-roader”? Do you have to compete in KOH to qualify? Who sits around declaring themselves the real deal? If anything, he’s just another influencer complaining about influencers—except, well… he is one.

TL;DR: Narrow-minded gatekeeping, hating on newcomers for doing things differently, and making claims without proof beyond “trust me, bro.” I’m no diehard fan of overland rigs and think they can become silly, but I’m also not a fan of haters.

Besides that @Desertchief your other content i've watched in the past is pretty solid. Just not this one. Cheers.

 

[Desertchief]

Interesting topic! The more I watch this video the more I see it's just a puff piece to make himself feel good. Sorry @Desertchief. I think the presenter has a somewhat narrow perspective. While I agree that spotting fully loaded overland rigs stuck in LA traffic is always amusing, I see their real value in international travel or truly remote expeditions. In those cases, an overland rig isn’t just for show—it’s a necessity. From my own travels with this Bronco over the past few years, I’ve realized that in the U.S., truly remote places are rare. Fuel, water, and food are generally easy to find no matter where I go, thus negating the need for the overland rig for my travels.

He claims overlanding is “dying” but offers zero evidence—just points to Facebook Marketplace as proof. Real proof would be sales figures from the industry or an article with actual data, not a gut feeling based on fewer rooftop tents on the freeway that he didn't see. That said, yes, the COVID-era boom is slowing down—just like it did for every recreational sector that blew up during the pandemic.

He also blames overlanders for leaving trash and needing assistance on the trails, but let’s be real—that’s not exclusive to overlanders. I’ve seen plenty of people in non-overland rigs trashing trails and being unprepared. So have you. If the goal is to keep trails reserved for “real off-roaders,” maybe petition for a licensing program like they do for motorcycles.

And honestly, what even is a “real off-roader”? Do you have to compete in KOH to qualify? Who sits around declaring themselves the real deal? If anything, he’s just another influencer complaining about influencers—except, well… he is one.

TL;DR: Narrow-minded gatekeeping, hating on newcomers for doing things differently, and making claims without proof beyond “trust me, bro.” I’m no diehard fan of overland rigs and think they can become silly, but I’m also not a fan of haters.

Besides that @Desertchief your other content i've watched in the past is pretty solid. Just not this one. Cheers.

Solid take, and there isn’t much I’d disagree with other than arguing a “gatekeeper” wouldn’t devote much of the last 5 years of content to educate the droves of newbies coming into this market. Go back far enough, and you’ll see the shift from highly technical, deep-enthusiast topics to more entry-level ones.

Also, I hear you on sales figures and deeper dives. As much as I’d like to, those numbers aren’t public, and were given a directive for how long these videos get these days.

Thanks for following along!

 

[BRIDGEBLDR26]

 

[indio22]

To me, "off-roading" is driving rough, little/unmaintained dirt back roads which may have unexpected obstacles like wash-outs, downed trees, rock debris, irregular ascents and descents. You may find yourself in rather remote locales--but not necessarily.
"Overlanding" is finding those increasingly rare places where you leave all roads and tracks and drive cross-country--away from where vehicle travel. Overlanding is the ultimate: you're on your own with compass & gps, and there's no telling what you'll have to drive over, through, or around.

Back in the 90s I subscribed to LRO Magazine, and enjoyed reading about people driving their Land Rovers on overlanding expeditions across Africa. They had to carry a lot of stuff for obvious reasons, and roof top tents were sometimes used to keep off the ground and further away from wild animals. So that's what I think of when the term "overlanding" is used.

 

[BearPatrol]

Off-roading is using onX to find trails to drive on. Overlanding is using onX to find trails to camp on.

Overlanding is fun, you just don't really need all that junk. I'm already used to backpacking & some ultralight camping, so just having a cooler is rad enough.

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

Back in the 90s I subscribed to LRO Magazine, and enjoyed reading about people driving their Land Rovers on overlanding expeditions across Africa. They had to carry a lot of stuff for obvious reasons, and roof top tents were sometimes used to keep off the ground and further away from wild animals. So that's what I think of when the term "overlanding" is used.

That’s where it started, and where whoever coined the current usage appropriated it from—technically, back in the pre-modern era, it meant that part of any expedition that had to be done not on plane, boat or road.

In the current era, I’ve always thought it meant a camping-like excursion where the getting there is as important and as fun as the being there. So this means the drive should be an exploration in and of itself, and the adventure begins before you get to your first campsite.

So this means you might need a different vehicle than dad’s station wagon, and you might spend more time behind the wheel than in your tent. It’s like inverting the driving vs. hanging out time ratio of a typical camping trip, and having the drive be more fun than chore.

But, as a poster said above—a lot of the overload is silly. Few of us are going to the Antarctic or the Sahara. There’s a gas station at the off ramp and burgers in town, you don’t have to hunt a squirrel.

But fewer people doing what I want to do is almost always a plus in my book, so I hope @Desertchief is right.

 

[KT_bronco]

Here’s some data from a guy who analyzed overlanding trends about a year ago. He used Google search trends and expo attendance as metrics: https://www.ordealist.com/overlanding-statistics/. His conclusion? Overlanding seems to have plateaued, but there’s no clear sign that it’s actually declining.

And @BearPatrol, I totally agree—keeping things as simple as possible makes the experience way more enjoyable. I’ve learned that spending more time on the trail is way better than constantly packing and unpacking at every stop. That said, my biggest game-changer was switching to a small fridge—I’ll never go back to a cooler.

 

[Desertchief]

Here’s some data from a guy who analyzed overlanding trends about a year ago. He used Google search trends and expo attendance as metrics: https://www.ordealist.com/overlanding-statistics/. His conclusion? Overlanding seems to have plateaued, but there’s no clear sign that it’s actually declining.

And @BearPatrol, I totally agree—keeping things as simple as possible makes the experience way more enjoyable. I’ve learned that spending more time on the trail is way better than constantly packing and unpacking at every stop. That said, my biggest game-changer was switching to a small fridge—I’ll never go back to a cooler.

Good find, but I still think personal experience and anecdotal evidence from my colleagues in thr aftermarket off-road industry carries more weight than google searches. After all, the whole point was that there are fewer people on the trails than a few years ago, and I offer my own opinion as to why. Some people clearly disagree with my views.

But I got curious, and looked up some more recent data. It sure seems like Google indicates we’re passed the peak.

 

[Mute]

I have been backpacking since the mid 90s. When I take off road vehicles on multi days trips I still live out of my backpack. I don't like adding weight to vehicles I really don't need. Recovery gear, some tools and a few "oh crap" parts on things that might break is all I travel with. Just my opinion, at the end of the day I am not all that concerned about what other people find enjoyable.

 

[kodiakisland]

Overlanding and videos go hand in hand, do they not? Seems watching a video about overlanding just propagates it, no? Is there not an instagram account associated we can go and like?
Kids.

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