TREAD July/August 2025

Summer is in full swing! This year has already been full of adventures and lots of windshield time. Our July/August issue is a page turner for sure, and is packed with adventure stories and features of every kind. Read up about Katie and Dan’s experience from the South Australia Robe Beach Run, go on an adventure with Marcus through Iceland, and then head out the Overland Expo with Dillon. We have some incredible feature builds also! Check out Sin City Diesel & Offroad’s JKU, get locked in with a 4Runner, then read up on Colten’s Land Cruiser, an unreal diesel prerunner, and Philip’s Z71 “School Bus”. Each of these builds are so different, and we are excited to share them with you. We also have a couple of great tech…

01. NITTO TERRA GRAPPLER G3 Third in the legendary Terra Grappler® name, Terra Grappler® G3 is Nitto’s most advanced all-terrain tire. Featuring new compound and a completely redesigned tread pattern, Terra Grappler® G3 is engineered to handle a wide range of terrains throughout the seasons. MSRP from $218 nittotire.com 02. SKYJACKER 3.5 - 6-INCH JEEP GLADIATOR JT LIFT KIT This kit features an adjustable 3.5 to 6 inches of lift utilizing ADX 2.0 Adventure Series coilovers with shocks, coilover brackets, lower adjustable control arms, a front adjustable track bar, rear track bar bracket, bump stop spacers, and sway bar end links. The part number for this all-inclusive package is G36LSK-SX. MSRP: $5,093.65 skyjacker.com 03. XFORCE VAREX EXHAUST SYSTEM How do you want your 2019-2025 5.7L Hemi RAM to sound? Do you…

01. YETI THREE COURSE SET Three sizes of double-wall insulated bowls keep queso piping hot, and salads cool and crisp no matter where you feast. Designed to save space, Rambler insulated bowls and lids nest together for organized storage in cupboards and camp kitchens. MSRP $150.00 yeti.com 02. COAST EAL55R LANTERN The innovative design of the EAL55R rechargeable lantern gives you multiple ways to control its high-powered lighting. At its max brightness of 3,000 lumens, this lantern truly takes over the dark. To give you control, the Coast Dual Zone Light system uses a specialized light-diffuser to supply either a full 360 degrees of light or 180 degrees of light with clean edges. MSRP $69.99 coastportland.com 03. WORK SHARP RKS Elevate your culinary game with Work Sharp’s RKS™—your ticket to…

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…

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,…

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…