He'll be back 
I hope
I hope
Builds mcgaskins' 2016 build thread - Ruby (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter mcgaskins
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Long live Ruby 
Overland Tailor
Boltripper
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2012
- Threads
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- 1,142
- Location
- Birmingham, AL
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- www.overlandtailor.com
Congrats Matt... Many different ways to Overland my friend and Vans and pop tops add a wonderful level.
Best,
John
Best,
John
mrburlingame
SILVER Star
Excited for your next adventure with the Sprinter, Matt. Post some pix!
All good things come to an end right? I've enjoyed this truck tremendously, but it was time for us to move on to something else that is more conducive for family camping. I bought a cool older Sprinter that was setup to literally live out of full time, and while we don't intend to do that (although I already did a 2,100 mile road trip living in it), it will be a lot of fun to use it to get outside more. That's the main reason for the switch - as much as I like wheeling and the 200 platform, I was spending more time researching, tinkering, and building than actually exploring and getting outside. All outdoor activity started to revolve around wheeling instead of hiking, biking, climbing, etc., and I realized I was only taking pics of trucks instead of people! Looking forward to a new type of adventure for now, but I would surprised if we *don't* end up with another Land Cruiser at some point. The new owner picked up Ruby yesterday, and I think it will be an awesome vehicle for him and his family to make memories in.
I appreciate the friendships forged via this forum and solidified through wheeling trips like Cruise Moab and LCDC and hope to keep in touch. Mud is a great resource and has created an avenue for people who appreciate the Land Cruiser to come together and share knowledge and create lasting bonds. Speaking of LCDC, I realized I didn't post any pics in this thread yet from this year's event. It was definitely the best LCDC event of the three I've attended, and I truly appreciate all the planning and effort that went into making it a success.
Noooooo. Do you still have the LX as a DD? And yes, must see the Sprinter! I've desperately wanted one for the last decade but never pulled the trigger.
mcgaskins
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #166
Sadly the LX is gone as well - I sold that one to make room for an electric car as a daily. It's funny to go from a couple of gas hog 200s to an electric car and a diesel (which btw has a range of about 550mph cruising at 80mph). Sprinters are super cool but generally too expensive IMO. I lucked out and got a fully built one for super cheap which is definitely not the norm!
Your build inspired me as well as many others... wish you nothing but the best!
But yeah, you'll be back...
But yeah, you'll be back...
On to bigger and better things. I assume sometimes that the 200-series is that bigger and better thing being somewhat on top of the food chain in its respective class.
Totally get the Sprinter thing. And EV thing as I have one in the garage too. My wife is my personal carbon offset as I have 2x gas swilling hogs.
Let's see pics of that Sprinter! Sounds awesome.
Curious if you gave a travel trailer any thought? RV owners often feel stuck in place once setup if they don't have a toad/towed car as a runabout. Some people have resorted to electric bikes for additional mobility when camped.
Totally get the Sprinter thing. And EV thing as I have one in the garage too. My wife is my personal carbon offset as I have 2x gas swilling hogs.
Let's see pics of that Sprinter! Sounds awesome.
Curious if you gave a travel trailer any thought? RV owners often feel stuck in place once setup if they don't have a toad/towed car as a runabout. Some people have resorted to electric bikes for additional mobility when camped.
mcgaskins
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #172
Here are my thoughts on the travel trailer thing - and no offense to anyone who has one, it's just not for me even though I think some are pretty cool.
99% of the wheeling and camping I do is by myself, so an expensive 7,000 pound, 8 passenger, gas guzzling, overbuilt, over-engineered, body on frame SUV with ~$20k in mods is already pretty excessive. Any trailer that can go where I've typically wheeled means another overbuilt, over-engineered, expensive piece of equipment that has to be purchased, likely modified or dialed in, insured, parked when not being used, requires periodic maintenance, and ultimately limits where I would go. Then there's the consideration of many fewer trails to choose from to accommodate the trailer, the reduction in fun while wheeling with a trailer (also worse driving on the pavement to get there), the reduced gas mileage and more horrible range than the truck already has to begin with, the additional time to set up and tear down (nothing is faster than just hopping in the back and sleeping on top of the ARB drawers), the increased footprint at your campsite, the fear of someone messing with it if I left it at the campsite and wheeled for the day...Honestly I could go on and on about *my perceived* flaws with the trailer plan, so I have never seriously considered one. That said, if I had a big family or a bunch of people who went with me on trips, a trailer might make more sense.
More than anything though I'm trying to pare everything down because the off road hobby for me (granted, over the course of ~20 years) turned into more preparing the truck and planning for trips instead of actually going out and having fun
. It was pretty funny when I bought the van - I intentionally planned NOTHING. I got on a plane with my backpack full of 5 days of clothes and toiletries, an Ipad and headphones I didn't use, my phone which I barely used, a book, and that's about it. I picked it up and the seller asked me which route I was taking, where I was stopping, how long it would take, and my answers to everything were "I have no idea to be honest". The feeling of a 2,100 mile trip with absolutely nothing planned and no provisions other than a quick stop at Walmart to get things like PBJ stuff, a pillow and a pocket knife. It reminded me of one of my favorite camping trips ever actually. I was in high school and had a Jeep at the time, and I stopped at my buddy's house to see what he was up to on a Friday night. He was working on his 4runner, so I helped him wrap up and he said "want to go wheeling?". It was ~10pm on a Friday night, and we left in our trucks and ended up wheeling until we were too tired then each slept in the back of our trucks with whatever we had in the back and ate granola bars for dinner and breakfast the next day. We woke up and wheeled all day the following day which included me sliding down an icy granite rock face (oh ya it was winter in Colorado too!) smashing the front end of my Jeep and barely limped it home, and then we started tearing it apart and learned how to do body work about a decade before Youtube or online instructions for everything was a thing.I'm not saying I don't like to be prepared today because I do, but I feel like much of the adventure is lost with incredibly expensive dialed in trucks, complex and often unnecessary modifications, bullet proof and inflexible itineraries, etc. The 200 is IMO the best combination of capability, comfort, and reliability, so to come full circle I think all terrain tires and sliders are just about all it needs to be perfect...kinda like how I started this build thread
So I think the priority above all else should be just to get outside with whatever you have as much as possible and figure it out as you go. With that said, I won't be around here much at all for the foreseeable future, so apologies if anyone quotes or tags me it might be a long time before I reply!
More than anything though I'm trying to pare everything down because the off road hobby for me (granted, over the course of ~20 years) turned into more preparing the truck and planning for trips instead of actually going out and having fun
Same holds true for 98.9% of us if we are being honest....
Can we please see pictures of that new rig??
mcgaskins
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #175
Believe me when I say it's not what everyone immediately assumes when they hear Sprinter camper! This one is well loved, has ~220k on it and the front end was slightly redecorated by a hooved animal at some point (and I'm leaving it as is). It's a huge counterpoint from Ruby no question which is exactly what I was looking for. I think these 2 pics show everything that's important with the van - my wife didn't like the one I took of her otherwise that pic would be in here too
Markuson
SILVER Star
Believe me when I say it's not what everyone immediately assumes when they hear Sprinter camper! This one is well loved, has ~220k on it and the front end was slightly redecorated by a hooved animal at some point (and I'm leaving it as is). It's a huge counterpoint from Ruby no question which is exactly what I was looking for. I think these 2 pics show everything that's important with the van - my wife didn't like the one I took of her otherwise that pic would be in here too
So... like the stealth, stock LC...
-Boring on the outside...but it’s got in where it counts!
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I hope the new owner of the LC enjoys the beauty. In future if he consider ,I am ready as a cash buyer .my email is ugorkey@hotmail.com or Vancouver num is: 1 604 779 8734.
Canyonero
Beating up Land Cruisers since 2015
@mcgaskins, I just read this story not knowing the ending in advance (since I sold my 200, I tend to pop in occasionally and lurk), but I get everything you did and said.
Your journey is eerily similar to mine! My build was nearly the same, and I now have 2 Teslas... lol.
But I'm still rocking the JLUR, and it's been exactly what I wanted all along. Bone stock and it does everything I need it to on 33's with reasonable efficiency and comfort.
If you re-visit the travel trailer idea, hit me up. I've got some thoughts on that.
Your journey is eerily similar to mine! My build was nearly the same, and I now have 2 Teslas... lol.
But I'm still rocking the JLUR, and it's been exactly what I wanted all along. Bone stock and it does everything I need it to on 33's with reasonable efficiency and comfort.
If you re-visit the travel trailer idea, hit me up. I've got some thoughts on that.
