[HappyWheels]

Wonderful work there, especially considering it is DIY. Well done!!!

Originally Posted by Richard_R

...But then my father and I -- two equally silly people when it comes to travel, cars and travel in cars -- got sucked deep into the sinkhole of overlanding videos on Youtube. Before we knew it, my bank account was empty and we ended up with this.
...

This really got me! LOL!!! Good one!

Do add me to the list of people asking for more photos.

Looking forward to more details, and hopefully, travelogues.

[bikertillidie]

Really interesting thread and thanks for the excellent intro.
Subscribing to this one !

[bordeaux]

Originally Posted by Richard_R

Well, I try not to park and leave my Jeep out of sight in empty or shady-looking areas. If I have to leave it and walk somewhere, I try to park it right in front of everyone, where there's enough attention from people to make sure that there's no one stealing anything. I've got half-doors have locks and top fabric/soft transparent plastic windows are zipped up everytime I park somewhere. Everything that can be easily snatched and put in bag is either with me or locked in the central and passenger-side glove boxes. And if I have to park and leave the Jeep somewhere for a couple of days (which I'd only do if I was sure the place was safe), I've cut some aluminium grilles that can be bolted on the doors, the sides and at the back. And after that, I can only cross my fingers and hope nothing gets stolen.

Congratulations on the wonderful build! While I appreciate your response on the materialistic safety here, I just have a few questions on personal safety! Do you happen to have a female on board? If so, were you comfortable camping all alone with her? Did cops or locals ever bother you for camping in the middle of nowhere? While I am not saying us Indians are always hostile, we don't have a culture of privacy and people leaving other people alone. I wonder how that works out with such a shining gear!

[turboNath]

Richard this is brilliant ! While going through your beautiful travelogue, i was constantly reminded of the adventures of Grizzly N Bear Overlanders ! Would love to hear more tales

[Arvi95]

Originally Posted by Richard_R

Attachment 1961530

Aaaand, this is what it looks like when it's fully opened up. It's my little home-on-wheels. On the roof, is a clamshell roof-top tent which we designed and had built in our garage. When shut, the tent also serves as a pretty sturdy roof carrier. On one side of the tent is an awning, and on the other is a pressurisable 40-litre water tank for those jungle sh*ts, showers and shaves. The tent can perfectly hold two people that are 6ft tall or below, and has enough space to hold a foam mattress, blankets and pillows. I've also fitted an auxiliary inverter battery for a fan and 12V charging points. However, a 12V to 220V inverter is next on the list of things to buy.

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Man! To be completely honest, ever since I saw this on your brother's instagram story, I've been hoping you'd put up something more detailed on here! I'm envious to say the least

Glued to your updates and your lovely looking Jeep! Alas one day when the time is right and there's some spare change in my pocket, this is what I'd love to do!

[BlackPearl]

Wow, what a stunner! Whenever I have doubts about keeping my Bolero or not, I should revisit this thread and keep myself motivated. One day I hope I will have the money to modify it like what you have done, though it will not look anywhere close to the beauty you have! Please keep updating the thread and I hope you get more money soon to modify it further.

[H Karter]

That's a wonderful setup. Whenever I thought of overlanding, and the vehicle that eventually came to my mind was a jeep - Thar. Every other body style of SUV/Double Cab Pickup lacked the fun factor or the offroading capability and are even high on maintenance.
I was contemplating on similar lines based on a pre-owned Thar DI 4x4 since last 2 years. It would have been great companion to my swift. I already had cracked a couple of good deals including one End 2016 Thar DI with factory fitted Power Steering.
But as is with our own age, the seven and half year old swift forced me to the logical upgrade - a Seltos and my dream went for a toss!
In a couple of years still I hope to bounce back and fulfill my overlander dream.
As many have asked, do post about the locations where you camped/halted.
Please share night and jungle experiences however eventful or uneventful they may be.

[funkmeister]

aren't you jungle raja on Insta? with a renowned standup comedian as a sibling. I had followed your stories on insta. Sweet ride!

[G-One]

How true the saying, "the best vehicle for over landing is the one that you have in your garage"
Brilliant!!

[wheeledwanderer]

Awesome pictures. As you rightly said youtube is flooded with overlanding videos. Especially the ones on Toyota FJ Cruiser across Americas and Australian. These are drool stuff. The US company https://earthroamer.com/ has some amazing trucks.

Enjoy your adventure.

[ashwin1224]

What a brilliant tale!

I would love for you to go into the details of your ride. Especially the (DIY?!) Roof Top tent. Everything looks top notch from the pics. Respect Man, to both you and your dad.

[renegade004]

I have limited knowledge regarding 4-wheelers in general and 4x4s in particular.



However, I can see that the tyres in the first picture are 'non-directional mud and snow' and have been replaced with much broader ones in subsequent pictures. Any particular reason for replacing the tyres, besides normal wear and tear?

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Fantastic stuff Richard! Can you share more pics of the water tank? I recently DIYed it in my Overland Vehicle Thread here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-v...ml#post4740808 (Mitsubishi Pajero SFX - Project Overland Conversion)

I've also fit an inverter and you may want to have a look at that.

Originally Posted by renegade004

However, I can see that the tyres in the first picture are 'non-directional mud and snow' and have been replaced with much broader ones in subsequent pictures. Any particular reason for replacing the tyres, besides normal wear and tear?

NDMS have poor braking on the roads, especially wet roads. Plus broader tyres when air down distribute load better and give more 'floatation'.

[Jajabor]

Great and I must specially mention unique vehicle chosen to be turned into an overlander. Your Jeep looks awesome and a Jeep inspires confidence on tackling any kind of terrain, being myself the proud owner of a MM550 5-speed with a DI Turbo engine. Wishing you many many more miles and trips to the various places of our wonderful country. Please do contact me whenever you plan on coming to Assam.

[johannskaria]

Originally Posted by Richard_R

So far, I've driven the Jeep from Kerala to Bombay via the costal road, and then from Bombay to Kutch and back within a span of one month, camping almost always. So far, so good!

Rahul saab, (The saviour)

brilliant beginning to the thread.
Let the stories flow in.

Btw where do I sign-up for the shotgun seat experience?

Also when you get time please tease us with the envious Fiats and the Indian muscle car builds.

Regards,
well wisher