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When planning our trip to Costa Rica, I knew one highlight for me would be a couple of days touring the Orosi Valley. This lush valley set only two hours from the capital features a small town surrounded by adventure. As we crested the hills towards this tranquil town lovingly positioned in a scenic valley I knew I was in love. The lush hillsides were ablaze with the orange-red flowers of the Coral Trees that grow randomly where coffee is grown. The town of Orosi is easily walkable w

Building a proper Toyota 4Runner overland rig is a journey, not a sprint. It all starts from the ground up, with the parts that connect you to the trail. Get this wrong, and every other mod you bolt on will be compromised. Why Your Foundation Matters Turning your stock 4Runner into an overland explorer is about more than just adding cool gear. It’s a systematic process. The factory suspension is great for paved roads, but it will quickly reach its limits under the weight of equipment. Your

Introduction If you're the type of person who enjoys a good off-road adventure, you may have considered purchasing a lift kit for your Toyota Tundra. A lift kit will make it easier to tackle any terrain and usually doesn't take long to install once you order it online. You'll be able to see what's under your truck before you even leave home! Let's explore some of the different types of lifts that are available and how they work with your vehicle: Why Buy a Suspension Lift Kit? There are many

Our last tuning event went very well and many customers expressed wishing they could have gotten their trucks tuned, so we're doing it again!   We love Toyota's, but the factory logic leave much to be desired.  Poor throttle response, constant gear hunting & less than stellar fuel mileage.  YotaTune can help!   We're excited to have local tuner @yotatune join us on September 17th from 10am-2pm.  Come to the store for some food and get your truck tuned!  Prices range from $380-$490 and all

For several generations of the legendary SUV, the Toyota Land Cruiser has become a bit of a luxury vehicle. Even 25 years ago, US-based LCs included features that didn’t trickle down to more utility-focused vehicles for decades. However, in most of the world, that hasn’t been the case, and based on a recent release from Toyota, this trend is continuing with the new 250. As usual, this barebones 4×4 won’t be making its way to the United States. The apt

Every year around Earth Day the Virginia Four-Wheel-Drive Association hosts a project day on the Bald Mountain Jeep Trail. I first attended this project back in 2017 with John of New Horizons Overland. We did our typical “work hard; play hard” thing by incorporating a multi-day trip called “The Shadow of the Parkway” I had […]View the full article

Even though I have been on tour for the past few months for my day job, there are certain events I am taking time off for. This is one of them. The annual Bald Mountain Jeep Trail cleanup project with the Virginia Four-Wheel-Drive Association has been one of my favorite events of the year. Going […]View the full article

While first in chronological order, the Pinnacle Creek project was the last one added to my list. This was a project I only had cursory knowledge of having been put in motion a few years ago. I heard it was finally happening during the West Virginia Motorsports and Adventure Travel Day event at the West […]View the full article

For the last three years the team at Mountain State Overland has worked in conjunction with Tread Lightly! to do a service project in Monongahela National Forest prior to their annual Adventure X Fest event. Since 2023 AXFest has been held at the Experience Learning outdoor education facility on the backside of Spruce Knob along […]View the full article

My buddy Walt was approached to take point on a return to Tank Hollow Road in George Washington and Jefferson National Forest outside Natural Bridge Station in Virginia. This was a project site I had visited back in late 2022 with a very hardworking team of volunteers. On that project we not only picked up […]View the full article

If you’re looking to dive into van life but want to test the waters first, the newest option from Sandy Vans is for you. The recently launched Superhero Rental Fleet from Sandy Vans offers fully-equipped luxury adventure vans for rent through our friends at Outdoorsy. This San Diego fleet offers four vans offering a variety of features to suit any traveler. Rental costs range from $225 to $600 per night. No matter which van you choose, you’ll get a cozy sleeping area, a full kitchen setup, plent

The 2026 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X empowers owners to work hard and play harder by delivering more of what buyers want and need from their truck, starting with its responsive, direct-injected 3.8-liter V6 engine. Rated for 310 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque, the engine features Idle Stop/Start and is paired to a 9-speed automatic transmission. Active Brake Limited Slip is standard on all grades, with PRO-4X upgrading to an electronic locking differential to help provide added traction on mixed

If you’re new to the world of 4WDing or you’re just starting your research into which vehicle you’d like, there’s likely been some mention of approach, departure, and breakover angles. Sure, there are other specs that you should consider, but these three angles are crucial. They all determine how much traction your tires will get when you’re off-roading. Think about driving your vehicle onto an angled ramp. At a certain point, the ramp will be too

Could This Be The Ultimate Daily Driver Option? It’s no secret that there are many roof rack options for the 5G 4Runner. They’re easy to install, add substantial utility, and... The post upTOP Overland Kilo Roof Rack for 5th Gen 4Runner – Install & Review appeared first on Trail4R.com - 5th Gen 4Runner Mods. View the full article

Ural motorcycles are timeless machines that inspire thoughts of trips along forgotten roads with nothing but your bike and who, or whatever, rides along in the sidecar. The Gear Up model has been relatively unchanged for a number of years, and while it’s an absolute classic, when fully decked out, it approaches a $27,000 price point. If you’re looking for some adventures with a sidecar entow, but you don’t want to drop that kind of cash, the newest offering from Ural should be on your radar.

There are changes coming to East Coast Overland Adventures. We are currently in the process of re-designating the company from a for-profit LLC into a 501 non-profit. This will not affect the frontside of things here at ECOA. Our core mission isn’t changing, and we will continue to focus on education, but we are going […]View the full article

Leaving Tucson early in the morning, we had every intention of making the push to our final destination of Reno, Nv that day. However, sometimes in life you need to roll with the changes. We could’ve driven the entire 13hrs it was gonna take due to the weather system moving through the area, or we could use this as a sign that maybe it was an omen of some sort to seek out another option. Who knew that option would be Sin City…

Easily Carry Up To 5 Gallons Of Portable, Pressurized Water I recently purchased the all-new WaterPORT Overlander 5-gallon tank. I have been running WaterPORT tanks for years. They offer a... The post WaterPORT Overlander Tank – Install & Review appeared first on Trail4R.com - 5th Gen 4Runner Mods. View the full article

March 1st find us in a new location just off of highway one in Port Kells. We are excited to be in a more accessible location for most of our customers, get our store, shop and team under one roof for maximum efficiency, display more products in a bigger showroom and expand our services with more lifts and in-house alignments! Though we are busy building out the new location, our Cloverdale store will remain open until the end of January. If you're looking for Christmas gifts, want one last vis

After renewing our spirits and getting some much needed rest in San Antonio, we were ready to load up our vehicles and begin our journey west toward El Paso. Up to this point of our trip we really hadn't had to worry about anything other than fuel and a final destination for the day, since everyone had been sick. Each evening Jennifer and I would plan out a route that allowed for four to six hours of driving that would ultimately end at a hotel in which we would make reservations in advance for.

284 volunteers doing 1,136 hours of work, collected a total of 19,820 pounds of trash during the the West Virginia Tread Lightly! Day for 2024. Needless to say this year surpassed all expectations. Absolutely blown away by the volume of trash and tires that was pulled out of the woods. The night before the cleanup […]View the full article

Congratulations on becoming a new Jeep owner — welcome to the family! Whether it’s the newest model off the lot or a well-maintained, pre-loved Jeep, owning one of these vehicles opens up a whole new world for outdoors enthusiasts, overlanders, and even daily commuters. Along with getting your dream car, your Jeep also brings with it several perks so if you’re a new Jeep owner be prepared to take some notes. Work The Wave If

If you can only upgrade one thing first, which gives you more off-road capability for the money: locking differentials or more suspension flex? That question comes up all the time, and it is not just bench racing. Both upgrades help traction. Both can make a truck more capable. But they do it in completely different ways, and the driving experience is not the same at all. To settle it, we set up a controlled test in the shop using a truck with front and rear lockers and a rear suspension setup

Every year, thousands of campers set alarms, refresh reservation pages, and hope for the best when Parks Canada opens bookings for Canada’s most sought-after destinations. And every year, many people end up disappointed. If you missed out on a campsite in Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay, Pacific Rim, or another popular destination, don’t panic. A fully booked campground doesn’t mean your BC adventure is cancelled. In fact, some of the province’s most memorable outdoor experiences happen well beyo

It happens fast. You pick a good line, stay reasonable on the throttle, and still end up with that sickening moment when something lets go. On late model Toyotas, two of the most common trail failures are a CV axle and a tie rod. The good news is neither repair is especially complicated. The bad news is they are a whole lot less fun when you are in mud, rain, or lying on the ground in the middle of nowhere. Still, if you know the process ahead of time, half the battle is already won. Here’s ho

Would you know what signs to look for that you need new tires? Regular visual inspections are the best way to know if it’s time, and there are a handful of clear signs that your 4X4 tires need to be replaced. Here are a few signs that it’s time to talk to us about replacing your tires. Cuts/Chunking Running over rough terrain is sure to take a few chunks out of your tires along the way, but if you notice more cuts or chunkin

Hello all of you! This is Braeden again with another Frequently Asked Friday! Lets goooo! Today I wanted to talk about Upper Control Arms. In our shop we only work on Toyota’s, so that’s what I’ll be going over here, but the same general information applies to most independent A-Arm front suspension. So the upper control arm or UCA for short, is a part of your front suspension. In a double A-Arm setup, you have a lower control arm and an upper control arm.  Typically, you’ll find that people

When our jeeps are bought new they come out with an all season tire, and that all season tire it's really designed to work everywhere, drive, pavements, snow, ice, rain. They're designed to last a long time and they're designed to be quiet. They don't do us very much good off road, and so if you're planning on doing some trails, or you're getting into some mud, or some grassy fields, it's definitely not the choice. The next step up from there is going to be an all ter

Not all road trips are created the same. Two people can follow the exact same route through British Columbia and Alberta and come away with completely different experiences. Why? Because the best trips aren’t defined by where you go. They’re defined by how you travel. Before choosing destinations, routes, or even activities, there’s a more important question to ask: What kind of traveler are you? Understanding your adventure style is the difference between a trip that feels good — and one

The Best of Both Worlds: Anthem Liberty Wheels & 37” Kenda Klever Tires for My Jeep Wrangler When it comes to off-roading, the right wheel and tire package can make all the difference. Whether you’re cruising the streets or tackling extreme trails, having a setup that can handle the best of both worlds is key. That’s why I recently upgraded my Jeep Wrangler, swapping out the 17” stock wheels with 35” Kenda Klever tires for a brand-new set of 20” Anthem Liberty wheels wrapped in 37” K