Rather than asking specifically what makes/models are good for overlanding*, I’m really more curious about what characteristics make for a good overland rig.
Hammerhead Fistpunch, in a comment, brought something to my attention that I hadn’t heard of before - limb risers. Basically, a tensioned cable or otherwise stiff piece of material that helps deflect tree branches up and over a vehicle, instead of having them smack into the windshield. It makes sense that you want to avoid having a branch smack into a windshield way out in the middle of nowhere.
This got me thinking - what characteristics does a good overland rig have? Thinking about it on my own, I think there’s a few immediate ones that come to mind:
* Reliability: no one wants to break down in the middle of nowhere. Having a vehicle that is durable, and that doesn’t brake down seems like kind of a no-brainer.
* Ease of repair: second only to repairability, is being able to fix something when it does break. Being able to keep a vehicle running with simple tools can be the difference between getting out on your own or not getting out at all.
* Ground clearance: the ability to drive over things without them causing damage to the under-side of the vehicle. If you are out in areas where not a lot of other vehicles go, you’ll need at least some ground clearance.
* Thermal management: This goes for both heat and cold. Both overheating and not being able to function properly in cold conditions could be a severe limitation, depending on where a person is traveling.
* Suspension articulation: ground clearance can get you so far, but being able to keep all the wheels (or as many wheels as possible) in contact with the driving surface makes sense.
* Approach/departure angles: this makes more sense in terms of driving more technical areas, but being able to get up/down things without scraping off the bumper of the vehicle makes sense.
* Breakover angle: getting high-centered doesn’t sound fun. Having a vehicle with a short enough wheel base relative to the size of the tires seems like it would help with this.
Surely there’s a bunch of other stuff that I’m missing. What does the hive-mind of Oppo say about the subject?
* For my definition of overlanding, I’m assuming a vehicle that is capable of going off-road, down poorly maintained trails. Not necessarily some sort of rock-crawling monster. The quintessential “drive through the hard of Africa”, not “drive the Baja like you stole it”. Although there does seem to be a bit of overlap between the two, in terms of required capability.