For the bulk of Nissan’s twenty-five-year history of the Frontier, the truck has been a bit of a redheaded stepchild in a segment dominated by Toyota’s venerable Tacoma. Sixteen years with minimal updates led to a general lack of appeal for a vehicle whose utilitarian functionality was overshadowed by a stale and dated product. Add to this the growing demand for mid-sized trucks which propelled the reemergence of Ford’s Ranger, engaged the likes of American Expedition Vehicles to collaborate with GMC and Chevrolet for the Canyon/Colorado, and expanded the Jeep brand line-up with the versatile Gladiator, and it became apparent Nissan needed to up the ante or be left in the figurative dust.
How do you take a full-size truck and make it the ultimate vehicle for vehicle-based and overland adventure? You outfit it with AT Overland’s Aterra XL Flatbed Truck Camper, set your navigation system to virtually anywhere in the world, and explore.
For over thirty years, the KLR 650’s simplicity and longevity had been the adventure touring bike of choice for budget-conscious adventurists seeking to travel the world over. Introduced in 1987 and built using a carbureted single cylinder, 652cc water-cooled engine and fully analog speedo and trip meter, the KLR 650 remained virtually unchanged during the first generation’s lifespan with only a minor aesthetic makeover in 2008 before the bike took a hiatus from Kawasaki’s line-up in 2018.
Over my three decades of vehicle-based and overland travel, one thing I’ve learned is keeping my gear organized is critical. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to find an item at basecamp only to not know where it is or worse yet, if it was packed at all. As such, I’ve developed a system of labelling my various cargo carriers, bags, drawers, and boxes so that I know exactly what is in them. This has helped immensely in reducing my stress and anxiety at a time when I want to relax and be outdoors.
As I traversed a rocky outcropping along a steep, winding trail at Grey Wolf Ranch in the Texas hill country, I engaged the Bronco’s rear locking differential and let the truck’s Trail Turn Assist take over as the truck guided itself along a 90 degree turn in the path. Featuring torque vectoring in the rear axle, the Ford Bronco has the ability to pivot a rear wheel and produce a new zero radius turn. It was at this point I realized just how capable Ford’s Bronco truly is.
