The CAMO Convoy Overland Podcast

Our New England overlanding trip had everything: incredible fall foliage, challenging 4x4 trails, mechanical failures, and an interesting night of gunfire at an abandoned Cold War radar base.In this episode of the CAMO Convoy Overland Podcast, Nick and Aaron recap CAMO's Patriot Expedition through Vermont and New Hampshire. What started as an unforgettable trip through some of the Northeast's most beautiful terrain quickly turned into one of the wildest adventures we've ever experienced.We cover the incredible drive up Mount Washington, technical wheeling on Cram Hill, a Ford Bronco destroying TWO tires on the same obstacle, trail repairs, and the night strangers drove into our campsite and opened fire just feet from where we were sleeping.Beyond the chaos, we talk about what makes New England such an underrated destination for overlanding, how full-size trucks performed on narrow technical trails, lessons learned about campsite security, and why this trip was one we'll never forget.In this episode:Mount Washington Auto Road and the incredible summit viewsVermont and New Hampshire dispersed campingExploring an abandoned Cold War radar installationGunfire at camp and lessons in campsite securityCram Hill and some seriously technical East Coast wheelingA Ford Bronco losing two tires and an improvised trail recoveryToyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, Sequoia, Bronco, and full-size truck performanceThundering Falls and New England's incredible fall sceneryField repairs, damaged differentials, and leaking steering racksStarlink Mini and gear that proved its worthUpcoming CAMO events, Justice Off Road, and open-source transmission technologyWhether you're planning a Vermont overlanding trip, looking for challenging 4WD trails in New England, or just enjoy real stories from the trail, this is one you won't want to miss.Subscribe to CAMO Convoy for weekly conversations about overlanding, off-road vehicles, expedition planning, gear, fabrication, and the outdoor lifestyle.Join the conversation in the comments: Would you camp at an abandoned military installation after hearing what happened to us?Keep the shiny side up, muddy side down.#Overlanding #VermontOverlanding #NewHampshire #OffRoad #MountWashington #CAMOConvoy #4x4 #OverlandPodcast

The Perfect Rig Is a LIE | Finding Your BalanceAre you building the perfect overland rig, or are you slowly ruining a perfectly good truck?This week on the CAMO Convoy Podcast, Nick and Aaron tackle one of the biggest problems in overlanding: finding the balance between off road capability, long distance comfort, reliability, and actually enjoying your adventures.From oversized tires and extreme suspension lifts to overloaded campers, unnecessary accessories, and the endless modification snowball, we discuss how easy it is to build a truck that's great at 5% of your trip and miserable for the other 95%.We get into suspension setups, gearing, vehicle weight, highway drivability, and the influence of social media on what people think an overland rig needs to be. We also look back at the evolution of our own Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma builds, the expensive mistakes we've made along the way, and how family, budget, and experience completely change what makes a good adventure vehicle.Plus, Nick shares the story of nearly burning his Frontier to the ground after a differential rebuild, and we get into our upcoming New England adventure.The takeaway? The perfect rig doesn't exist. The right rig for YOU does.Stop building for Instagram, stop waiting until your truck is finished, and get out there.Join us for another episode of the CAMO Convoy Podcast, where we talk all things overlanding, off roading, and the great outdoors.Shiny side up, muddy side down.

DIY vs BUY: What's Actually Worth Building? | CAMO Convoy Podcast Is it better to build your own overlanding gear or just buy it off the shelf?This week on the CAMO Convoy Podcast, we're tackling one of the biggest debates in the off-road and overlanding world: DIY vs BUY!From custom bumpers and suspension setups to portable power stations, recovery equipment, and camp kitchens, we're breaking down where doing it yourself actually saves money, where buying makes more sense, and when the juice just isn't worth the squeeze.Tonight's topics include:Portable power stations and electrical systemsOnboard air and compressed air setupsWater storage and tank systemsBumpers, rock sliders, and skid platesSuspension kits vs piecing together your ownStorage drawers and sleeping platformsBed racks and roof racksElectrical wiring harnessesSnorkels and intake systemsRecovery gear and recovery kitsMedical and first aid kitsTool kits vs building your ownFreeze dried meals and camp foodWe're talking cost, quality, reliability, fabrication skills, time investment, and whether that expensive aftermarket equipment is actually worth the money.JOIN THE LIVE DISCUSSION!What gear have you built yourself? What did you regret buying? And what's one thing you'd NEVER waste your time making?Drop your opinions and experiences in the live chat. We want to hear them!SUPPORT CAMOCheck out the sweet CAMO gear in our shop and help support the podcast, our community, and everything we're building!Don't forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE the show with your fellow off-road and overlanding enthusiasts.CAMO Convoy PodcastReal conversations about off-roading, overlanding, vehicle builds, camping, and the people who make this community what it is.#Overlanding #DIYvsBuy #OffRoad #OverlandGear #4x4 #TruckBuilds #CampingGear #CAMOConvoyPodcast

A trailer gives you room for the family, the gear, and a camp you can leave behind while you explore. It also means dragging another axle through everything you came to drive.This week on the CAMO Convoy Podcast, Nick and Aaron talk overland and offroad trailers. Aaron likes the idea. Nick takes some convincing. From simple utility trailer builds to fully equipped campers, we get into what you gain, what you give up, and whether a trailer actually fits the way you travel.We talk tongue weight, load placement, trailer brakes, suspension, and the ST versus LT tire debate. We also cover couplers, articulating hitches, drop hitch leverage, lighting, frontal area, and how a trailer changes the way your rig turns, stops, and handles tight trails.Would you pull a trailer on your next trip, or keep everything in the truck? Tell us what you’re running and where you draw the line.Shiny side up, muddy side down.

Some of our favorite overland gear came from China. Some things we wouldn’t touch. So where do we draw the line?This week on the CAMO Convoy Podcast, Nick and Aaron go through the gear we put on our trucks, take camping, and trust to get us home. From LED lights and Baofeng radios to recovery equipment, batteries, brakes, and diesel heaters, we talk about where buying cheap makes sense and where we’re spending the extra money.First, there’s a distinction worth making: an American company designing a part and having it manufactured in China isn’t necessarily the same thing as buying an unknown brand straight off an online listing. Design, materials, testing, and quality control matter. So does knowing what you actually need the thing to do.We get into:• LED pods and light bars, inflated output claims, and interference with your radios• Budget radios and why we like having more features for less money• Hard shackles, soft shackles, recovery ropes, and what we’re willing to trust under load• LiFePO4 batteries, power stations, and Nick’s homemade battery box running his camping fridge• Cheap brake parts, shocks, and tires• Diesel heaters, 12V fridges, tents, and awnings• Wiring and fasteners that deserve more thought than “well, it fits”There are some hard passes, some surprisingly easy yeses, and plenty of gear that’s already riding around in our trucks. We also get sidetracked by parts counter disasters and introduce the Riff Raff Nation merch. As usual.What’s the best cheap gear you’ve bought? And what bargain turned out to be complete junk? Tell us in the comments.Subscribe for more overlanding, trail talk, truck builds, camping, and the occasional questionable financial decision.Shiny side up, muddy side down.#Overlanding #CAMOConvoy #BudgetOverlanding