Overlanding as the New RV'ing
There is a definite significant rise in the interest and participation in Overlanding. Overlanding is the idea of travel for travels sake usually doing an entire continent or around the world. T...
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For some a little history on Overlanding might help in understanding this. It is NOT new for sure. In the late 60's and early 70's companies began to spring up primarily in London that offered overland tours to Africa and India from London. Companies like Dragoman and Encounter Overland had big Bedford trucks fitted out for about 20 passengers with camping and cooking equipment. It was about 27 weeks from London to Cape Town. they crossed into Morrocco from Gibraltar and made their way south. Soon they couldnt keep up with demand.
But before that it all started with a few companies like Magic Bus running old busses from London over the Hippy Trail through Afghanistan to India. Tony and Maureen Wheeler, founders of Lonely Planet where among the first to take that route and wrote a guidebook about it. You can see the results of that.
This type of travel is still popular and companies still do it.
Now those kids that took those trips are retired and they are buying their own overland vehicles and this is what has driven the market. The younger folks caught on and with a much more mobile workforce, especially in Europe the "New" overlanding is very very popular.
I see more and more Americans becoming interested in this form of RV'ing all the time. The few places that make specialized campers/expedition Vehicles have year long waiting lines for delivery.
So while the concept may be new to many it is as old as we are.
But before that it all started with a few companies like Magic Bus running old busses from London over the Hippy Trail through Afghanistan to India. Tony and Maureen Wheeler, founders of Lonely Planet where among the first to take that route and wrote a guidebook about it. You can see the results of that.
This type of travel is still popular and companies still do it.
Now those kids that took those trips are retired and they are buying their own overland vehicles and this is what has driven the market. The younger folks caught on and with a much more mobile workforce, especially in Europe the "New" overlanding is very very popular.
I see more and more Americans becoming interested in this form of RV'ing all the time. The few places that make specialized campers/expedition Vehicles have year long waiting lines for delivery.
So while the concept may be new to many it is as old as we are.
