If you're looking to launch a new business and don't know what field to get in, building overlanding rigs doesn't seem to be such a bad shout. As people get more and more dissatisfied with their city lives, the prospect of spending as much time in nature as possible is increasing in popularity, and with it, so is overlanding.
The current pandemic, which has basically turned every last one of us into social misfits, is the perfect breeding ground for this trend. You can't spend all of your time at home, but you can't really go to a hotel either without seeing tiny viruses waving at you from every surface you might touch. The only solution, then, is to find a new way of spending your holidays, and the only feasible one is taking your home with you.
RVs or campers are fine, but what if you prefer the kind of remote destinations where there aren't any paved roads? In this case, your only option is to go for an overlanding rig. Depending on budget and necessities, there are countless ways of doing it – from the tiniest of SUVs (think Suzuki Jimny) to large trucks that provide the kind of square footage you might get from a downtown studio.
A pickup truck, however, seems to be the perfect starting point, and that's because it allows you to start working on the living area right away without the need to remove any pieces of metal. The choice of vehicle is vast, and everyone will have their favorite, but if it fits the size criteria, it'll be really hard to argue against a Toyota Hilux.
The Japanese truck has earned the reputation of being invincible (something the company hasn't shied away from perpetuating itself by releasing special editions named after that or using it as a tagline), and even though a lot has changed since the birth of the idea, the honor has stuck with Toyota's model to this day.
The thing with a good overlanding build is to stick as many features as possible in the tiniest space – it's basically packaging to the extreme. With all the usual suspects – an awning, a tent, solar panels, and a battery – as well as more eccentric stuff such as a can crusher (because space is vital and you can't litter either) or a gas-powered fireplace for heating, this conversion from Alu-Cab sounds like the perfect match for Toyota's indestructible truck. Watch the clip below for a complete rundown of everything the conversion offers.
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