Offroad News

Lessons learned from a decade of rental experience When you send fully equipped vehicles into Colorado’s backcountry week after week, you learn what works — and what doesn’t — faster than just about anyone. This year, we’ve taken a close look at the ongoing overlanding gear evolution and how those changes affect what actually works in a real-world rental environment.  Every season brings a new wave of innovations in overlanding gear, but running a rental fleet means you don’t have the luxury of

Many Ford truck owners want both a secure bed cover and the ability to run a functional bed rack for hauling gear, rooftop tents, bikes, recovery tools, and overlanding equipment. The challenge is that not all bed covers and bed racks work together, and choosing the wrong combination leads to interference, leaks, and wasted money. This guide highlights the best bed covers, bed racks, and compatible systems for real-world use throughout St. Louis.

Ford trucks have become some of the most popular platforms for overlanding in Missouri. Whether it's weekend trips through Mark Twain National Forest or long-distance travel across the Midwest, the F-150, F-250, and F-350 offer excellent payload, comfort, and off-road capability. The right upgrades make these trucks even more capable for self-supported travel.  This guide outlines the e

Ford truck owners across St. Louis love modifying their F-150, F-250, and F-350 models. But not every upgrade pays off. Some mods cause ride issues, interfere with daily use, or don’t work well with Missouri weather and terrain. This guide highlights the most common Ford truck upgrades owners regret — and better alternatives that deliver reliable performance. See our full overview

A leveling kit is one of the most popular upgrades for Ford truck owners in St. Louis. It brings the front end up for a stronger stance, improves tire clearance, and reduces factory rake. But when installed incorrectly, leveling kits can create harsh ride quality, poor alignment, rubbing, and steering wander — especially on Missouri highways. Ford F-150 and Super Duty trucks respond differently to leveling, so choosing the correct parts

Many St. Louis Ford truck owners upgrade to lift kits for bigger tires, better trail performance, and a more commanding stance. But the wrong lift kit — or an incomplete one — can lead to steering wander, harsh ride quality, driveline vibrations, and unsafe towing behavior. Ford trucks require lift systems designed around platform-specific geometry. This guide covers how to lift your Ford F-150 or Super Duty correctly and avoid the commo

Steering problems are common among Ford truck owners in St. Louis, especially after adding larger tires or suspension lifts. Wandering on the highway, loose steering feel, and bump-induced shimmy are symptoms of worn components or incorrect geometry — but they are entirely fixable. This guide breaks down the most common steering causes for Ford F-150 and Super Duty trucks and the upgrades that restore stable, confident control.

Upgrading to larger tires transforms the look and capability of Ford trucks across St. Louis, but it also changes the final drive ratio. This leads to sluggish acceleration, excessive downshifting, and weakened towing performance. Regearing restores lost torque and optimizes your truck’s drivability. This guide explains why F-150 and Super Duty owners experience power loss with 35–37 inch tires, how differential gears solve the issue, and what gear r

Upgrading to larger tires transforms the look and capability of Ford trucks across St. Louis, but it also changes the final drive ratio. This leads to sluggish acceleration, excessive downshifting, and weakened towing performance. Regearing restores lost torque and optimizes your truck’s drivability. This guide explains why F-150 and Super Duty owners experience power loss with 35–37 inch tires, how differential gears solve the issue, and what gear r

Did We Find The Best All-Around Mud Terrain Ever Made? We just tested a set of 37×12.5R17 Firestone Destination M/T2 tires on the 6G 4Runner, and these are the best... The post Firestone Destination M/T2 Review – The Best Mud Terrain On Wet Roads? appeared first on Trail4R.com - 5th Gen 4Runner Mods. View the full article

How Each Affects Performance, Fuel Economy & Capability If you’ve lifted your 4Runner and added bigger tires (or a bunch of weight), you’ve probably noticed a drop in performance. Sluggish... The post 4.56 Vs. 4.88 Gears For Your 4Runner – How To Choose appeared first on Trail4R.com - 5th Gen 4Runner Mods. View the full article

Not what it looks like . . . There are few things I loathe more than copycat products sold at cut-rate prices. As J.A. Richards wrote: "There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man’s lawful prey.” Sadly, the practice is an unavoidable aspect of a free market for anything that cannot be patented. Sometimes the issue of j

This article on safely driving the powder highway was written with the gracious help of Insp. Chad Badry, the Officer-In-Command for Kootenay Highway Patrol at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as part of collaboration for the Road Safety at Work Alliance. Badry has spent the last two decades of his career ensuring safe driving around many of Canada’s renowned ski spots, including Fernie, Nelson, Cranbrook, Golden, and more. He’s the sole RCMP member of the AAMVA (American Association of Motor

Mammoth Overland is no stranger to building backcountry shelters with a no-compromise philosophy. From their apocalypse-ready trailer to a camper that can literally handle the worst winter conditions you could imagine, no matter what project from Mammoth we’ve checked out, we’re impressed by the over-engineered designs that allow you to prepare for the worst. Their latest product, the SKL, brings that same philosophy to a whole new form of backcountry shelter. The SKL is dubbed a rooftop camper,

Crash Safety Tested Bumper With Lot Of Accessory Support If you’re looking to protect your 4Runner without sacrificing factory safety systems, the Ironman 4×4 Raid  winch bumper might be the... The post Ironman 4×4 Raid Front Winch Bumper For 5th Gen 4Runner – Review appeared first on Trail4R.com - 5th Gen 4Runner Mods. View the full article

Hitch Mounted Recovery Gear Made For Soft Shackles We all know the frustration of feeding a thick 7/8″ soft shackle through a standard D-ring hole on a hitch receiver recovery... The post Agency 6 (2″) Soft Shackle Hitch Receiver Recovery Block – Review appeared first on Trail4R.com - 5th Gen 4Runner Mods. View the full article

Stronger, More Configurable & More Customizable Tested on hundreds of vehicles over the years, Prinsu has become a household name for the overland space. There is a reason why Prinsu... The post Prinsu Pro Rack For 6th Gen 4Runner – Review appeared first on Trail4R.com - 5th Gen 4Runner Mods. View the full article

The Verdict Up Front:   If you're tired of trash bags sliding down your spare or disintegrating after a season or two, the Blacksmith Camping 4WD Wheel Bag justifies its premium price. It's not flawless, but the Australian poly-cotton fabric and sleeve design solve the two most frustrating problems with wheel-mounted trash bags. Blacksmith Camping wheel bags are made from Aussie poly-cotton in their Adelaide workshop. Who Is Blacksmith Camping? Blacksmith Camping probably isn't on your radar...

Join the Trail Ambassador Program and turn your passion for overlanding into unforgettable adventures.View the full article

Each fall the Royal Geographical Society in London hosts an event called Explore Week, a gathering of  students, scientists, and explorers that is at once an educational experience and a chance for like-minded people to connect. Many expeditions have been put together here over coffee, or drinks in the legendary Map Room. Explore Week is open to anyone who is curious about the planet, and it is a fine thing around which to base a visit to London’s superb museums, many of which are a short walk o

Rugged Ridge XHD Snorkel Install & Review Why I Needed It for Overlanding and What You Should Know Before Installing: There’s something deeply satisfying about building a rig that can handle any trail, any condition, and any element nature throws at you. Over the years, my Jeep has evolved from a weekend off-roader to a full-blown overlanding beast—equipped for multi-day adventures, remote camping, and serious trail exploration. But as my adventures have grown more ambitious, I’ve fo

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

When you’re miles off pavement, your gear has to work every single time. That’s the thinking behind The Slugger, the latest release from Forrest Tool Company. Known for their durable, field-tested tools, Forrest Tool Company’s Maxx Tool Kit has been on our “must pack” list for years. They’ve spent more than two years refining this new heavy-duty, manual impact wrench that promises to provide exceptional dependability in a compact package. The Slugger takes inspiration from the old-school

First “Mustache Delete” Front Bumper For 6th Gen 4Runner When the 6th Gen 4Runner was announced, the one thing just about everyone complained about was the double mustache. Well, here... The post Dissent Off-Road 6th Gen 4Runner High Clearance Front Bumper Review appeared first on Trail4R.com - 5th Gen 4Runner Mods. View the full article

A Simple Way To Mount A Portable Water Tank To Your Roof Rack Say hello to the simplest and most reliable way to mount your WaterPORT DayTank to your Prinsu... The post Prinsu Universal WaterPORT Mount – Install & Review appeared first on Trail4R.com - 5th Gen 4Runner Mods. View the full article

Key Factors To Consider When Looking At Materials & Construction Upgrading the front bumper is one of the most common and impactful modifications you can make to your off-road rig.... The post Aluminum Vs. Steel Front Bumpers – What’s Best For You? appeared first on Trail4R.com - 5th Gen 4Runner Mods. View the full article

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