Table of contents for July/August 2025 in TREAD

The truck you are currently feasting your eyes on is a treat on so many levels. When Kevin Callaway decided to go all-in on his 1993 Dodge D250 build, he had a very tall list of features he wanted to include on the project. He also had a very restrictive budget, so Kevin knew from the jump that he was going to have to get creative, and basically handle all the design and labor duties to keep his costs down. The combination of Kevin having a mechanical engineering background, as well as having a lifelong interest in dirt bikes, ATVs, and RZRs, only solidified that the outcome of his project would result in a well-designed, war-ready rig. From the start, Kevin was dead set on blasting his Dodge apart so…

Every once in a while, a rig shows up that speaks for more than itself. For Sin City Diesel & Offroad in Las Vegas, this 2016 Jeep Wrangler JKU Rubicon was built as a calling card. It’s a shop-built project, yes, but it’s also a testbed, an attention grabber, and a representation of what can happen when you do it right the first time. Built entirely by Sin City Diesel & Offroad, this JKU is more than just a flashy wrap and oversized tires. It’s a ground-up rework of everything Jeep gave the platform—refined, reinforced, and repowered. Ted Loh, owner of Sin City Diesel, didn’t just want something to cruise the Strip or park at shows. He wanted something to take on King of the Hammers one weekend, then represent…

Colten’s 1991 Toyota Land Cruiser is more than just another overlanding build. For him, it is the realization of a childhood dream made possible by several focused years of hard work and dedication to perfecting his craft. Growing up in Park City, Utah, Colten was surrounded by the great outdoors for as long as he can remember, racing mountain bikes, skiing, and camping. As he grew up, Colten’s love for the outdoors remained constant, and as he wrapped up high school, he began his journey as a photographer/videographer in the automotive and off-road world. Colten recalls, “The 80-Series has been a dream car of mine since I was first able to drive. I always knew that one day I would figure out a way to call one mine.” A result…

If you’ve ever seen a bright yellow Chevrolet Colorado crawling over rock ledges with a genuine school bus stop sign swinging out, chances are it belongs to Philip Laba. His 2018 Colorado Z71, affectionately known as The Magic School Bus, is far from your average mid-size pickup. What started as a simple way to haul mountain bikes has evolved over seven years into a full-fledged adventure rig capable of camping, crawling, and tackling thousands of miles of backcountry road. Philip’s approach wasn’t one of instant gratification. As a college student and engineering mind, he approached each modification with research and restraint, balancing capability with budget. The current result? Over $41,000 invested in modifications, and a truck that’s still evolving. At the heart of the build is the factory 3.6L V-6,…

Sometimes when you’re in the middle of a build, you have no choice but to accept function over form on a less-than-critical component. Such was the case when installing a light controller in my rig last year—right before a major event. On an extremely tight timeline, and an even tighter remaining budget, I bought the cheapest 8-button control module I could stomach off Amazon. It got the job done, but it always bugged me. For the past 6 months, it seemed to be staring me in the face with every drive, mocking me with its cheap plastic housing and horrid Bluetooth control app. Apparently, the Switch-Pro crew could hear its mockery too. At a recent overlanding event I attended, I was asked if I’d be interested in upgrading to Switch-Pro’s…

Liong Mah is a name known in the knife community for creating stylish, high-performance folding knives. But before he was a knife designer, he was a chef—and that early career in the kitchen inspired some of his most well-known creations today. Liong was born in Penang, Malaysia, and moved with his family to New York City in 1983. He attended school in Queens, went on to Franklin K. Lane High School, and later received a full scholarship for culinary studies at New York City Technical College. From the age of 14, he was already working in kitchens and eventually focused on French cuisine. But behind the stove, another passion was quietly growing—his love for knives. Even as a kid, Liong was fascinated by pocket knives. His uncle would give him…

During the dark times of longer nights and shorter days, people often don’t get out on the trail enough. That lack of trail time is a serious shame, as multiple studies have shown it is a leading cause of seasonal depression. Okay, we made that last part up, as we have yet to find any legitimate studies showing that link. However, from personal experience, we know that a lack of time behind the wheel exploring the great outdoors thoroughly bums us out. There is also absolutely no need for less wheeling activity now (or ever really). Yes, the nights are way longer, but modern LED off-road lighting technology is truly a wonder. Long gone are the days of struggling down a trail after dark with a couple of incandescent lights…

I open my eyes, and the hoar-frost-covered roll cage above me catches my attention. I’m somewhere in Iceland. It’s November, and I’m still tucked into my sleeping bag in the back of my JLU. At the very least, I didn’t prepare as well as I had planned for this trip. A deep-sleep mattress lies beneath me, surrounded by pillows and clothes to block cold bridges between my body and my Jeep’s. That’s about it—no extra heating. The engine oil temperature reads 20F as I’m about to start the engine—staring at a solid layer of rime ice on the inside of the windshield. But to be fair, the idea had been stupid long before this—driving my Jeep from the southwest of France to the northern tip of Denmark in just three…

For Rob, Toyota isn’t just a brand—it has been a constant positive presence in his life. Growing up in Southern California, he was surrounded by them. His dad drove a Toyota truck. His brother rolled around in a 1st Gen 4Runner. His uncle had a classic ‘89 Toyota pickup, and his dad’s best friend—someone who Rob spent a lot of time with growing up—owned a 1990 4Runner. Wherever he looked, Toyotas weren’t just vehicles—they were part of the family fabric. It’s no surprise that Rob’s first real experience behind the wheel was in a Toyota of his own—a manual ‘92 4Runner. “I actually ran over the curb during my parallel parking test,” he says laughingly. “And somehow I still passed.” Maybe the instructor didn’t care that day, or maybe as…

Since 2009, the Overland Expo has served as an important part of the off-roading and overlanding community, as it has become a yearly staple for many attendees of these events across the United States. Until recently, overland and off-road enthusiasts have been able to choose from four regional events across the country: Expo West in Flagstaff, Arizona, PNW in Redmond, Oregon, Mountain West in Loveland, Colorado, and OE East in Arlington, Virginia. 2025, however, is a year of new opportunity, as Overland Expo debuted a new venue in the sunny state of California that offered expo-goers an early-season excuse for a warm(er) weather road-trip to shake off old-man winter. Properly named Overland Expo SoCal, and hosted at Costa Mesa’s Orange County Fair & Event Center, the inaugural showing exceeded everyone’s…