
Are We Building Overland Rigs… or Just Expensive Mall Crawlers?
Are you building an overlander… or just a really expensive mall crawler?
In this episode, I’m talking about something I think a lot of us in the overlanding community have probably wondered at some point. We spend thousands of dollars modifying our vehicles with lifts, tires, armor, recovery gear, lights, storage systems, campers, and all kinds of other upgrades—but are we actually building for the adventures we take, or are we just building the image of an overland rig?
I’ll talk about the difference between modifying your vehicle based on real-world experience versus buying gear because it looks cool, everyone else has it, or social media convinced us we need it. I’ll also get into why I don’t necessarily think there’s anything wrong with having a “mall crawler”—as long as we’re honest about what we’re building and why.
Ultimately, overlanding should be about getting out, exploring, and having adventures—not checking boxes on a build sheet.
So take a look at your own rig and ask yourself: Mall crawler or overlander—which one are you building?
Want to learn more about the IFAK medical kit I'm running? Click the link below and use code ALLTHINGSOVERLANDING for 10% off everything!Core 4 (basic overall setup for overlanders): https://collabs.shop/g13ruz
A huge thanks to my partners:
Nitto (my Terra Grappler G3 tires are great for midwestern winters, wet weather, and all terrain use): https://bit.ly/41EJhbQ
Z1 Off Road (pretty much the spot for all things Nissan): https://www.z1offroad.com
All Dogs Offroad (amazing Nissan specific suspension options which I run on my truck): https://www.alldogsoffroad.com
ICECO Fridges (the best fridges for the money, hands down-Use code ALLTHINGSOVERLANDING for 12% off your order): https://icecofreezer.com/ALLTHINGSOVERLANDING
Moon Fab Awning (super flexible, non-permanently mounted awnings for all kinds of applications. This link will take you to more info on how I have it set up on my 3rd gen Frontier): https://moonfab.com/pages/experts/jason-fletcher
Click here to join the Patreon community for exclusive content and access to the Discord channel: https://www.patreon.com/allthingsoverlanding
Click here to get a patches or stickers: https://allthingsoverlanding.com/shop/
For a full list of my gear, check out this page for quick reference links: https://allthingsoverlanding.com/gear/
Looking for budget light bars, rock lights, and LED strips for your rig? Check out Nilight and use code ATO for 5% off! https://www.nilight.com/?ref=s8svsnv_d9qh&utm_source=ATO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=Description
For more great content and info, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or search for All Things Overlanding on all the major podcast channels!
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AllThingsOverlanding
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Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/allthingsoverlanding
Website: www.allthingsoverlanding.com
Newbie Overlander Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/367203658420467
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