Table of contents for YOTA Spring/Summer 2023 in TREAD

Looking for a way to spice up your Yota? Look no further than a new set of wheels. Whether you need more function or just a change, a new set of wheels can completely give your rig a whole new appeal. Here are some of the latest options. Which ones will you choose? BLACK RHINO / ATLAS BR007 The Black Rhino Atlas wheel is designed to assert itself in any off-road situation. The all-new overlanding Atlas wheel is engineered specifically for endless adventure, and fatigue tested as one of Black Rhino Wheel’s most durable wheel designs ever. Available in sizes 16x8, 17x8, 17x18.5, 18.9, and 20x10 with offsets ranging between ET-18 and ET38. Available in an assortment of 6-lug patterns, it comes in Olive Drab Green with Black Lip and…

In Tread May/June 2023, we highlighted a Czech-based company that recently started selling their modern, premium-made wares in North America. This included the new Egoé Nestbox Supertramp interior camping setup. Many of you may not have heard of Egoé before. We hadn’t either until we spoke to them at one of the overlanding shows a while back. Fast forward to today and we’ve had their most off-road capable interior camp setup installed in our 1994 Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear van for four months. We’ve cold-weather camped with it, off-roaded with it, and road-tripped across the country with it. We must say, we’re impressed with the overall setup—especially its innovatively designed three-in-one stove system. Quick Camp Setup Details Our Nestbox camping system incorporates a sink/washing basin area with a four-gallon water…

You may have heard of the AWDROLA (pronounced “Odd-Rolla”). If you haven’t, here’s the story: a rendering of a Corolla AE86 by @stevo.form that circulated around Instagram came across KC HiLites Marketing Activation Manager Randy Wimenta’s feed way back in 2020, and, long story short, a couple of years and a ton of elbow grease later, we have the AWDROLA. The rig we see rolling out in the desert today is a true Frankenstein, with the body of a Corolla, the 4ASV transaxle and transfer case of a 1989 All-Trac wagon, and the suspension of a 1999 Rav4. Down to its individual components, this vehicle is unique, from a 4AGE engine cranking out 120hp to its fully custom roll cage. Safari Team Randy’s 1989 Toyota Corolla GT-S was his daily…

“I KNEW WHAT I WANTED THE CRUISER TO BE AND WHAT I WANTED TO USE IT FOR. I WENT RIGHT TO A DIALED SUSPENSION SETUP, 37S, AND REBUILT THE AXLES WITH ALL THE BEST HARDWARE…” Wes grew up in small town northeast Nebraska where the only off-road trails were two tracks through random corn fields. After college, he ended up moving to the Black Hills of South Dakota where he fell in love with the forest. With his outdoor hobbies, it only made sense for Wes to get a reliable 4x4 truck, so he picked himself up a Tacoma. Through his friends and exploration of the Black Hills trail system, Wes quickly got the off-road itch. A lift and 33s soon turned into a fully built, armored, and geared Tacoma…

We’ve featured lots of vehicles on these pages sporting the red, orange, and yellow livery inspired by Ivan “Ironman” Stewart, an infamous off-road thrasher who ruled Baja in the ‘80s. You’re about to meet a few more, but they’ve taken that Ironman inspiration to the next level. These rigs (well, two out of three…) don’t just call back to the Ironman days with their paint jobs. Each one was built from the ground up by a dedicated off-road racer who runs their rig just as hard as the original Group B rally racers did. Jon Rood’s 1984 Toyota Celica, Randy Wimenta’s 1989 Toyota Corolla, and Natasha Adams’ 1990 Lexus LS400 each have unique elements, but their ‘80s roots are one thing that unites them all. “Our New Year’s Eve trip…

“THE FIRST EVER FEMALE MECHANIC AT ICON4X4, NATASHA TAKES BEING A WOMAN WHO WORKS AND PLAYS IN THE MALE-DOMINATED OFF-ROAD WORLD SERIOUSLY.” If you go searching on off-road forums for articles about how to build a lifted Lexus sedan, you likely won’t find much. That’s what’s so unique about Natasha Adams’ 1990 Lexus LS400 — it’s absolutely one of a kind, just like its driver. While the typical route for those wanting to customize their Lexus sedan is lowering or “stancing out” the car, Natasha wanted to take a different route. Over the past four years, after purchasing the car for only $600, Natasha has been fabricating and wrenching to build the most unique rally race car she could imagine. “It has been a long process of research, trial and…

“THE BLACK TRUCK WAS DREAMT UP BY JUSTIN MONTESALVO, DIRECTOR OF PATRIOT CAMPERS IN AUSTRALIA, BACK IN 2016, AND HAS BECOME ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S MOST FAMOUS 4X4S.” I’m in the middle of the desert in Nevada and heat waves are radiating off the dry lakebed. A black dot appears on the horizon trailed by a cloud of dust. The dot gets bigger, and things come into focus. Hurdling towards me is unobtainium on U.S. soil, a 4.5L V8 turbo diesel, manual transmission, 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser double-cab 79 Series pickup. This one is all black, has all the mods, and is pulling a small off-road camper trailer. It’s the weekend after the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas, and it’s five years after ‘The Black Truck’ opened the show. For…

O1. IGNIK/ FIRECAN DELUXE The Ignik FireCan Deluxe functions as both a grill and a mobile firepit. Built with a stainless-steel ammo can construction for better durability, the FireCan is compact to pack into your rig with ease. After cooking in Grill Mode which features smaller flames ideal for grilling, switch into Fire Pit Mode and the FireCan produces larger flames for an authentic campfire experience. FireCan Deluxe is forest-safe, so you don’t have to worry when traveling in fire-ban areas. MSRP: $299.99 IGNIK.COM O2. CLEARSOURCE/ NOMAD Engineered for the outdoor adventurer, the Clearsource Nomad’s 15-amp pump pulls unlimited, clean fresh water from any lake or stream up to 100 feet away at 4.9 gallons per minute and purifies it for whatever you’re doing. Dual filters remove sediment, chlorine, volatile…

LENGTH 13 feet WIDTH 36 inches WEIGHT 99 lbs. CAPACITY 450 lbs. “LIGHTWEIGHT AND ADAPTABLE, A TANDEM KAYAK IS A VERSATILE WAY TO GET YOU OUT ON THE WATER ON YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE. " How much will it run ya? from $1,329 T If your next adventure takes you to the water, don’t just sit by the shore. Strap a kayak to the roof and you’ll never miss out on the fun. Lightweight and adaptable, a tandem kayak is a versatile way to get you out on the water on your next adventure. The Targa 130T Tandem Sit-on-top Kayak provides that versatility with a flexible and comfortable setup and quality construction. Wilderness Systems Wilderness Systems specializes in sit-inside recreation, sit-inside touring, sit-on-top, and tandem kayaks. They also offer a variety…

“ALMOST EVERYTHING ON THE CAR HAS BEEN MODIFIED, BUT, EVEN MORE CUSTOM THAN NOT, THE ORIGINAL FRAME OF THE CAR IS STILL RECOGNIZABLE TO THOSE WHO KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR.” How many times have you seen a 3rd-gen Celica rolling on 27-inch MTs? Probably never. But by now you’ve probably learned to always expect the unexpected. That’s exactly what Jon Rood’s 1984 Toyota Celica named “Carlos” is: Unexpected, in the best way possible. Almost everything on the car has been modified, but, even more custom than not, the original frame of the car is still recognizable to those who know what to look for. Seeing a Celica rip up in the desert like you’ll see on these pages is certainly unexpected, too. “Toyota never meant the Celica to be…

“THE TWO-HOUR OUTBOUND HIKE UNDULATED THROUGH A GNARLY BIRCH AND THICK PINE FOREST BEFORE ASCENDING OVER HUGE GRANITE SLABS AND EXPOSED BLUFFS TO THE TABLETOP.” Feeling fresh and in balance at the start of 2023, from the previous year of Jason and me venturing inwardly through India and Nepal, we had a renewed appreciation for things. Namely, we had an overarching motivation to revive our life on the road, independent of location. Thanks to White Rhino, our trusty Hilux-house-on-wheels, we continue to explore, learn, be open, and evolve. In a newfound alignment, an oceanic joy broke upon the shores of my soul as we picked up where we left off: to tend to some unfinished business in the Nordics. An Arctic expedition across Norway seemed entirely apt, having perambulated Scandinavia…

Like many, I didn’t know where to start when choosing an upgraded suspension for my then-new 2010 Lexus GX460. I knew I wanted something capable with the ability to grow into it. I also come from the position of “buy once cry once” so I am willing to spend a little on parts that matter; suspension on an off-road vehicle is one of those parts. After a year or so of shopping around, I was quite happy with my choice when I swiped the credit card. I took my time driving the GX stock for nearly a year on a variety of terrain to get a feel for what it could do without any suspension upgrades. First, I swapped out the tires to Toyo Tires ATIII all-terrains with 17-inch Fuel…