Overland

Top end of the W Sawmill Trail, Coronado National Forest, Arizona

Nancy and I started out tent camping together in 1983, but soon moved to a converted van. Later, with four children, we had a 29' travel trailer and six bikes loaded on the truck cap of a Silverado 2500 HD Duramax. As the children went off to college, we had a modified Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and pop-up camper, but the pop-up wasn't a very big hit. In the Spring of 2015, we moved to 800 feet from the shores of Lake Michigan, so we lost our desire to go on vacations because we lived in such a beautiful and relaxing setting. 

Six years later, we learned Nancy had terminal brain cancer, so on February 1, 2021 we quickly purchased a Chevy Colorado ZR2 and Intech Flyer Chase camper and hit the road. For the next three months we traveled through the southwest and had some of the best, most meaningful experiences of our 42 1/2 years together.

In February, 2022 I packed up again and hit the trail to the southwest, now alone, staying in the Tucson area for two months as I explored the southern third of Arizona. On March 26, I packed up and drove to Page, Arizona hoping to kayak in Lake Powell. That didn't work out so well, as the lake is at it's lowest level in it's history, and I almost got stuck in the camping flats by Lone Rock. Well, not almost stuck, but it took me an hour to get out, while others weren't so lucky. I slowly followed the warming weather home, making several day-trips to places like Cortez, Mesa Verde National Park, Durango, Pagosa Springs, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Manitou Springs, and Garden of the Gods.

I now realize how much I like travelling the southwest, or maybe just travelling anywhere. I think about it every day and can't wait to get out and discover more of this beautiful country, this time from an Overland perspective. As I read more about what there is to see, I want to get out and see it all. To help make this happen, I compiled a list and installed some truck and camper modifications that will allow living for extended periods of time off the beaten path and into the quiet. A list of modifications can be found below. 

Thank you, Nancy for your inspiration. I think about you every day and wish we were doing this together.

Mt. Lemmon, Tucson, Arizona

2021 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Duramax

BLM site west of Seguaro National Park West, Arizona

PERFORMANCE

BDS 4” suspension lift with clocked transfer case

Peak Suspension add-a-leaf rear spring pack

Peak Suspension tie rod sleeves

Chevrolet Performance front axles

Chevrolet Performance steel rear driveshaft

Nitro Gear 4.10 ratio axle gears

AEV transfer case skid plate

Fuel Tracker wheels 17x9 +1mm

BF Goodrich Mud Terrain KM3 33x12.5R17E

Calibrated Power Duramax Tuner ECM and PCM tuner with “light tow” profile

Banks Power iDash monitoring system

BODY

CBI Off-Road dual arm rear bumper with single 20L fuel can, Hi-Lift,  and spare tire carrier

CBI Off-Road Covert front bumper

Leer 100XL truck bed cap

Prinsu truck cap roof rack

Prinsu crew cab roof rack

Eylar SR-110 Crossover Overland Cargo Case roof rack mounted

Custom made aluminum tube frame bed and storage rack

Front Runner Wolf Pack Pro waterproof nesting storage bins

TopperLift Nomad tailgate tent

All-Top spare tire carried trash bag

LIGHTING

Baja Designs 40" S8 roof mounted LED light bar

Baja Designs LED lights for ditch lights (2), rack side (4), rack rear (2)

S-Tech Switch Systems 6 switch pod with under hood controller

CBI Off-Road ditch light mounts

RECOVERY

SmittyBilt X2O 10K winch

MaxTrax recovery board tracks

Yankum Ropes 1" x 30' kinetic recovery rope

Hi-Lift Jack 48"

Bully Tools recovery shovel

ARB air compressor mounted under the coolant tank

Wavian 20L fuel can

COMMUNICATIONS

Yaesu FTM-400XDR dua-band FM/C4FM mode transceiver

Midland MXT-275 GMRS transceiver

RECREATION

Trek Farley 7 fat bike

1UP USA hitch mount dual bike rack

Dagger Stratos 14.5 L touring kayak

Thule kayak saddles over truck cab

Eylar SR-110 Crossover Overland Cargo Case roof rack mounted

Mission Automotive anti-rattle receiver hitch tightener

Intech Flyer Chase camp trailer

The Intech Flyer Chase comes with a 2 inch "off-road" lift with the torsion suspension system, but I found it rides far too rough for real off-road adventures. I will likely be designing a solid axle, long leaf, dampened suspension, and add another 4 to 6 inches of lift in order to smooth the ride and increase hitch clearance. Other than the suspension, this trailer seems to be fit well for off-road adventures.

CUSTOM INTERIOR

Front cabinet and shelves with LED lighting and 110v outlet
Full rear kitchen divider wall with shelves and 110v outlet in cabin
Locking slides with 100% travel for stove and refrigerator
26” shelf desk
Cold air return under a 1 1/2" mattress platform to prevent condensation
Twin-size pillow-top mattress
All electric systems replaced and moved to the left rear
AC removed and replaced with MaxxAir vent fan
Red LED under-body lighting

Red and white interior LED backlighting

SYSTEMS

Ampere Time 12V 200Ah PLUS Lithium LiFePO4 battery with built-in 200A BMS

Ampere Time 40 amp smart 110v charger

Renogy Rover 40A MPPT Charge Controller

Renogy 100 watt solar panels (x2)

Renogy 20A 12v DC/DC battery charger

Renogy 2,000 watt inverter

Worthington 11 lb propane tank

AT Overland 11 lb propane bottle holder

Propex HS2000 forced air heater with digital thermostat

LIVING

Camp Chef Mountaineer cook stove

SoloStove Campfire tiny wood-burning cook stove

SoloStove Ranger portable campfire

ICECO VL60 two zone fridge/freezer w voltage reg

Pelican Elite 70L cooler

Scepter 20L water can (x2)

Rhino-Rack Batwing awning with walls

AMATEUR RADIO

Yaesu FT-710 HF/6m transceiver

Yaesu FTM-7250D dual-band transceiver

Yaesu FT-3D and FT-70D handheld transceivers

HP ProDesk 600 G3 running Linux Mint 21

Raspberry Pi 4B 8GB with SSD

HP24mh monitor

A great setup for extended trips, or even full-time living, with plenty of storage and a standard twin mattress bed (not shown).

My "second home" in use, west of Tucson, Arizona

Gilbert Ray campground, Tucson Mountain Park, Tucson, Arizona

White Sands National Monument, New Mexico