Ram 1500 Overlander Adventurer: Exclusive Interview!
We go behind the scenes with popular YouTube maven and off-road enthusiast ‘Gear Into Adventure’ in between his exciting journeys.
It’s safe to say that most Ram 1500 owners get more than their fair share of use out of their trucks. You probably haul stuff, tow a trailer occasionally, or at least make weekend trips to your local big box store throughout the year. But as you already know, these trucks are capable of much, much more. Like spending days traversing some of the roughest terrain on this giant rock of ours.
We know this because there are a number of individuals out there who enjoy the sport of overlanding, which, if you’re not familiar, is the act of traveling to remote locations over, well, land. And unlike your annual family vacation, the point of overlanding isn’t the destination. It’s the journey itself. And that’s exactly what drew a guy by the name of Victor to buy and modify a Ram 1500 to do just that.
We’ve been closely following the Russian-born Canadian resident and his epic adventures recently. And we were obviously left wanting more. So we sat down with the avid off-road enthusiast to get the details on his truck, his journeys, and his motivation for doing what many rational people would never even consider trying!
Dodge Forum: It’s our understanding that you’re relatively new to the world of overlanding. What got you interested in taking on these epic adventures in off-roading in the first place?
Victor: My parents kept pushing me to get a license for as long as I remember, but I actually wasn’t interested in cars or driving. In February of 2016 they finally convinced me to get a driver’s license. In Canada, you have to drive for 2 years with various limitations on that license before you can get your normal one. Only this upcoming February will I be able to shed my official “noob” status and “N” sign on the back of the truck.
I started going on mini-trips in British Columbia and camping when most of my friends started having kids. This sparked my appetite. I also had a rare opportunity in 2016 to take a two-month vacation from work. So I decided to travel to Florida and visit most of the National Parks in the U.S. and some in Canada.
There were two of us living out of an SUV for about a month, with another month spent in motels. I still managed to hit the dirt roads in 16 states out of 18. I got stuck in sand twice, broke a bike rack hitch, ripped a tire, had a water pump go, and door handles broken. When I returned from that trip in October, I realized that I loved vehicle-based travel.
But for the kind of places that I wanted to go, the SUV was no longer an option. Even if it was lifted and trimmed, it was just too small of a space to live out of. So the month after that trip I got a stock Ram 1500.
I wasn’t thinking about lifts, light bars, or winches at that time. But I’d already started watching some overlanding YouTube channels. In February of 2017 I had my first tire puncture on the truck and I didn’t even have a jack yet. This pushed me to consider getting serious tires. But with that came the decision that they also should be much bigger. Hence, I needed a lift.
I started spending more and more time watching overlanding videos on YouTube. Then I began having dreams about one day crossing the globe in a vehicle. I started looking for off-road shops when I discovered North Shore Offroad. I lucked out on my first email inquiry and got a reply from Rob Dufault, who wasn’t bothered by my newbie questions.
Rob helped me think through not just the lift kit, tires, and rims, but also looking a bit further ahead and considering the loads I would carry. So we installed a thicker sway bar and diff cover just in case. And once I got that done and started hitting trails, the appetite for a more self-sufficient long hauler rig just kept on growing.
That led me to the one month off-road trip I recently took that became the “36-day overland” series I’m currently making episodes for. I’ve learned how to edit along the way. So hopefully on my upcoming three week trip I will do a better job editing.
In the meantime, the build kept on growing. Some things I had to get myself, since North Shore Offroad didn’t carry them in their sales inventory. But they always helped with the installation. Rob has always been there to stop me from going in the direction of looks over functionality, and I’m thankful for that. I kept getting distracted by SEMA trucks or various pavement princesses that looked cool. But I would just ruin those pretty 22-inch wheels on any decent trails.
The wrap just happened a week before my overland journey. That was simply an effort to grow some social media presence. I started seeing all that was happening with my passion. I realized it was something I would want to do more of in the future. Through social media, I also started meeting like-minded people. I’ve learned from them and I’ve also met up with several of them for some wheeling.
What made you choose a Ram as the basis for your overlanding vehicle of choice?
Something about the Ram’s looks in general spoke to me. It just looks like a truck. Something about the front curves, headlights, and hood gives it a more classic pickup truck look. No offense to the other brands, but the Ram just seemed more beefy-looking to me.
Also, I’ve read that the Ram has the shortest turning radius of all new trucks. It is not some huge difference, but anything is still good. Even my Tacoma buddy noticed that my turning radius is shorter than his. Also, while I was looking for a truck, I kept seeing Rams outfitted with off-road accessories. I’m not saying other brands dont have AEV equivalent brands for their trucks, but you don’t exactly see a Chevy with a snorkel out there rock crawling like you see Powerwagons. Finally, I was also attracted by the reliability and power of the 5.7-liter HEMI.
Can you tell us a little more about the truck and what mods you’ve done to it? How long did it take to put it all together?
The lift, tires, and all the mechanical carriage upgrades happened in one go and the North Shore Offroad guys installed it all. I was still a total noob, and terms like “sway bar” meant nothing to me. So I let the professionals do it. The tire carrier came couple of weeks later. The bumper happened a month after that.
After a few long weekend trips from Canada to Oregon and Utah, I learned what setup I needed inside the canopy and started building a wooden slider to mount a fridge on top. I snagged the roof pod from my old Kia Sorento. The fuel packs and tire carrier fabrication were completed by North Shore Offroad just three weeks before my 36-day overland trip. It was meant as insurance to ensure I had enough gas for the long stretches like the Mojave Desert trail, El Camino Del Diablo, and the Grand Canyon’s northern Toroweap point to Whitmore point and then to Kelly point. And I found out that even that amount of fuel was still not enough for the Grand Canyon.
My mistake was that I didn’t buy a ProCal tuner after installing the lift and 37-inch tires until just two weeks ago. Now, my fuel consumption is almost as good as it was in stock configuration. I think that with this consumption, plus all the fuel packs, it would be just barely enough for that Grand Canyon stretch.
Here are all the mods that I’ve had done so far:
- Ram 1500 Zone Suspension 6″ Suspension System, 5″ Rear Spring w/Black Nitro Shocks
- Pocket Style Rivet Bolt Fender Flares
- Hellwig Ram 1500 Lifted Rear Sway Bar
- Pro Comp SS Monotube Shock Absorber ZX2014
- Fuel Assault 17×9″ Wheels
- Nitto EXO GRAPPLER All-Terrain Radial Tire 37/13.5-17
- Wilco Off-Road Truck Tire Carrier
- Ram 1500 Hammerhead Full Grille bumper
- Rigid Industries 50481 D-Series SAE Fog Lights
- Smittybilt (98512) X2O Waterproof Synthetic Rope Winch – 12,000 lb
- Leer Canopy with insulation material and two ceiling lockers.
- Thule TK2 Tracker Kit 2 (crossbar tower bases)
- Thule TP42 Top Track Roof Mount Rack Mounting System
- Thule Roof Rack cross bars 78-inch
- Lightbar Supply 50′ Curved Lightbar and 4 cube lights for crossbars.
- Spod SE 8-Switch w/ Touch Screen, Universal Truck
- AEV Ram1500 Pre-Filter Raised Air Intake System
- AEV Ram ProCal Tuner
- Smittybilt Wasp Land Anchor
- BedRug XLT full bed cover.
- Reflectix Big Roll
- Thule Pulse Cargo Box (16 cubic feet)
- CURT 18115 Roof Rack Cargo Carrier
- CURT 18117 Roof Rack Cargo Carrier Extension
- Dometic CFX-35US Portable Electric Cooler Refrigerator
- Dometic CFX-SLD3540US CFX Slide Suited for CFX-35
- Dometic CFX-IC35 CFX-35 Insulated Protective Cover
- N-Fab D0950LR Roof Mounted Light Brackets For Use w/50 in. Light Bar
- 2x RotopaX RX-2G Gasoline Pack – 2 Gallon Capacity
- 5x RotopaX RX-4G Gasoline Pack – 4 Gallon Capacity
- RotopaX RX-LOX-PM Pack Mount Locks
- RotopaX RX-EXT Pack Mount Extensions
- Smittybilt 2781 5.65 CFM Universal Air Compressor
- Rock-Slide Engineering – RotopaX Universal Spare Tire Mounts
- BlueDriver – Bluetooth Professional OBDII Scan Tool for iPhone, iPad, or Android
How has the truck held up so far? Any failures or problems along the way?
On my 36-day overland trip, the truck gave me no issues at all. I did suffer a ripped tire, three tire punctures, a snapped bolt on the tire carrier, and a slight shift in alignment. And some other miscellaneous issues, but nothing that was actually the Ram’s fault. I would even blame the alignment issue on the lift extension of the lift kit, not the truck itself. Before the trip, I had a misfire in cylinder eight, which turned out to be caused by a faulty coil spring. The same cylinder suffered another misfire later on thanks to a chewed wire by some rodent.
Taking a solo expedition over the course of multiple days would scare the heck out of most folks. Did you have any reservations about doing it on your own?
Of course, I was scared shitless! Especially in the last days before the trip, since part of it covered trails that were quite isolated. This fear is what pushed me to get satellite messenger just a week before the trip. I’m still a noob, and I wouldn’t even know how to fix moderate mechanical issues on the trail. Nor do I have all the tools or spare parts I might need.
I would say that a lot of people have gotten used to traveling in groups of cars or with another person as a companion. From what I often see on the Internet, everyone is a seasoned weekend warrior with tons of experience to share. I wonder how half of them would cope going into some remote area alone, without the support buddy Jeep behind with a winch. Knowing that even if something happens, there is always another car with you.
When you are alone, you have to be absolutely aware of the risks you are taking on the trail. If there is any uncertainty or possibility of breakdown, then sometimes it is better to give up and turn around. Rather than trying to be a hero and instead getting stuck with no one around to help you. The main goal of overlanding is getting to your destination in one piece, and vehicle safety is priority #1.
I treaded slowly in many places simply to try to keep damage to a minimum. If I had another vehicle with me, I would have driven less cautiously. When you are alone, your bravado diminishes. I advise others that have never traveled off-road for a couple of weeks at a time alone to try it. Trust me, this is probably going to be one of the best experiences of your life. Groups are fun too, but in a different way.
Other than the truck (of course), what do you typically pack for your trips?
I always have about 3-4 weeks of non-perishable food in my truck’s pantry. On long stretches, always at least 6 gallons of water. Ideally 8 gallons so I can take a good shower in between refills. I carry my GoPro and Mavic drone. But now I’ve got a second GoPro to save time when shooting. I also picked up a backup Spark drone after my Mavic’s gimbal stopped working and I needed to keep shooting those scenic aerial shots.
I always carry a lot of spare clothing and spare shoes. That includes both hot and cold weather clothing, since temperatures can vary drastically in some areas, even in the summer. My Mr. Buddy heater is what makes my evenings enjoyable sitting inside. I throw on some movies while cooking. It’s almost like I’m reliving my childhood and sitting in the very cozy treehouse that I never had.
I have learned that butane stoves aren’t good for winter camping since the flame dies out in cold temperatures. Otherwise, I absolutely love the size of butane stoves. Space is everything in truck/van dwelling, and this is why I switched to a butane stove. But I need to start carrying my old propane stove in the roof pod in case temperatures drop into the negatives.
Obviously, you survived your 36-hour, four-state trip that you’re currently documenting on YouTube (spoiler alert!). Did you learn any valuable lessons along the way?
The rock crawling in Moab maxed out the capabilities of my truck. But I have to say that my overlanding preferences are now clear. I’ve discovered that I prefer riding moderate off-road trails at relatively moderate speeds. That way I can drive all day and get to see the scenery change quite a bit. Even though heavy rock crawling can be fun and entertaining in its own right, I didn’t particularly enjoy driving at a turtle’s pace. So I would say I’ve learned that I’m more of a scenic overlander rather than one that looks for a crawling challenge.
I also learned to pay attention to fatigue. When I got stuck and called in S.O.S on the satellite, all that separated me from making it through was about 5 meters. Had I not rushed and simply slowed down, I wouldn’t have gotten stuck. And in some cases, fatigue can be a life or death situation. I also learned to never underestimate the Ram. Many times I thought I would damage the truck in some way, but nothing happened. It’s far more capable than I imagined.
Stock up on supplies – more than you think you’ll need. Chances are, you will keep forgetting to resupply certain items on a long trip. Having to stop and detour back to town can be a giant waste of time. Anything extra can always be used on later trips. Nothing goes to waste, so don’t be afraid to pack two weeks of supplies for a one week trip.
Of course, the most valuable lesson of all of this is to DO MORE LONG TRIPS!!! Solo travel can definitely build character – there is some magical charm to it. There are moments when you wish you had someone to talk to or share something with. But once you get into the mode of being alone, all you need is the wilderness and that liberating sense of freedom. The freedom that we don’t often get to enjoy in modern society. Modern life, in many ways, is upside down. Being outdoors in the boonies helps us get back to what really matters in life. Not the bling and glamour and the stuff that you just absolutely have to have.
We know you’re headed to Baja soon. What other trips do you have in mind for the future?
I am doing Baja solo on December 18 through January 7. But I might tag along with some other people later on. From mid-August to mid-September I plan to do a month in Alaska and the Arctic Circle in Northern Canada. It may be a solo trip, but I hope by then I will find some partners to join me.
If the Baja trip works out, I was thinking of driving to Belize next year. It would be a long ride, taking around three weeks. But this would give me a good opportunity to cross another developing country by car and help me calm my fears regarding bigger transcontinental trips in the future.
If everything goes to plan, I’d like to drive from Canada to Argentina. And possibly even ship my rig to Australia for several months. But these are long-term dreams, for now. I would say baby steps first. I want to build up my skills and confidence a step at a time.
Are you planning any additional mods for your truck in the near or distant future?
The truck and mods came rapidly and I wasn’t financially prepared for this. So over the next year I don’t plan on any mods unless they’re sponsored. At the most, I may get a Batwing Awning. I may also build some shelves and drawer systems for the inside of the canopy.
Otherwise, I still have a lot to do. That includes getting a much better camera for Vlogging and shooting slow motion videos with a nice field of depth. I’d also like to eventually get a heated shower system, solar power setup, and rooftop tie-down cargo boxes. I also want to swap from 3.12 gears to 3.91, switch to better airbags and coilovers out back, and install more lighting.
And finally, how can our readers follow along with your exploits?
You can tag along as I travel the far ends of the Earth in my Ram 1500 on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Or, even better, connect with me and maybe even join me on a future trip!
