Rocklander - The New Off-Road Term For 2025

[Snoranger]

That pose makes you a Jeep

 

[dvdswan]

View attachment 133982

Just need a dash shot with the duckies.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I like to call myself an outdoor enthusiast. I do enjoy hitting some hard trails. Also, enjoy the scenic routes as well. Basically, I like getting away from all the craziness the world has to offer these days. Then, I was just enjoying the views the big man left for us to admire.
As far as camping. I like base camps. I like remote camps. Basically, I like camping, haha. Something about sitting around a fire, telling stories, and getting to know each other is always great. Unplugging and listening to the sounds of nature is like a recharge for daily life.
Kyle and a few others refer to me as a "rocklander" because I do enjoy a few hard trails. In my local groups they reach out to me as the overlanding guy. Basically because I have more camping experience. And I'm always down for a good day offroad trip. I like wheeling, camping, and exploring. I'm not sure what category that puts me in.
Basically here in east TN where I ride you would probably be a rocklander just due to the difficulty of the trails if you overland or car camp. Your rig has to be ready for rocks, ruts, and mud on every adventure.

If you show up at the next adventure with rubber ducks on your dash, I'm sending you home.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

If you show up at the next adventure with rubber ducks on your dash, I'm sending you home.

Is that just for robbie or in general?

 

[sgtsandman]

None of my rigs are really setup for rocks, though if one is going to be setup that way, it would be the 2011 since I'm the only one who drives it and I don't have to worry about it being used for home healthcare purposes. Time and money are going to dictate if that ever happens.

So, base camping, like at the Badlands, or LBL, or overlanding is more my speed. I have the gear for both, though the 2011 is much more light and setup for one person rather than 2, like the 2019 has been setup for. I might get to the rocklander stage with the 2011, though it will never get setup like the 2019 has been. I also have no desire to drag a trailer along with me on the trails. Even a properly setup off road trailer is going to be an anchor the vehicle is constantly going to fighting with.

 

[JoshT]

Ok, this is kind of offensive:

If you like to go off-road, explore, and camp in a different area each night along your journey and be self-sufficient, but pull an off-road camper, or you're doing it in an off-road RV, then you're an overglamper and probably losing touch. LOL

Glamping is a thing. What you describe is not glamping, not even remotely. Not all of us have the luxury of setting up a dedicated overlander (or rocklander if you prefer). For many of us a camper or camping trailer is a much better way to go.

For starters, my part of the country isn't conducive to overlanding. To go far enough for overlanding to make sense, I'd have to drive further than I normally have time to get away from work. I also don't have the luxury of calling my boss and saying that I'm going to be gone a few extra days because my truck broke on a trail.

If I built an overlander and set it up properly, I wouldn't be able to drive it 90% of the time. The place I work has checkpoints for entry and exit and liable to be subject to a vehicle search at any time, it's part of what you agree to working here. If they decided to search your vehicle, and having it loaded with equipment would make that a higher probability, they remove everything from the vehicle for a thorough search and then you have to repack when finished. Guess who's going to end up hours late for work that day. I've got no use for a rig that I can't drive to work at any time.

"Pack when you get ready to go." That doesn't really work out either. If I've got to spend the week packing the truck to get away for the weekend, I'm probably not going. If I can hook up to a camper or camping trailer the day before and hit the road, I'm much more likely to go. If I don't have to spend a lot of time unpacking or repacking, and setting up or breaking camp at each stop, I'm much more likely to go cross country hitting multiple stops. Not going to happen if I have to setup, breakdown, and pack a tent and other equipment at each stop.

Pulling a camper or camping trailer does not make one a glamper or mean that they are losing touch, that may simply be the most practical method for them to get out and go. That said, if you want to set aside a group for those half million plus "luxury overlanding" RVs and call them glampers, I'm all for it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Ok, this is kind of offensive:



Glamping is a thing. What you describe is not glamping, not even remotely. Not all of us have the luxury of setting up a dedicated overlander (or rocklander if you prefer). For many of us a camper or camping trailer is a much better way to go.

For starters, my part of the country isn't conducive to overlanding. To go far enough for overlanding to make sense, I'd have to drive further than I normally have time to get away from work. I also don't have the luxury of calling my boss and saying that I'm going to be gone a few extra days because my truck broke on a trail.

If I built an overlander and set it up properly, I wouldn't be able to drive it 90% of the time. The place I work has checkpoints for entry and exit and liable to be subject to a vehicle search at any time, it's part of what you agree to working here. If they decided to search your vehicle, and having it loaded with equipment would make that a higher probability, they remove everything from the vehicle for a thorough search and then you have to repack when finished. Guess who's going to end up hours late for work that day. I've got no use for a rig that I can't drive to work at any time.

"Pack when you get ready to go." That doesn't really work out either. If I've got to spend the week packing the truck to get away for the weekend, I'm probably not going. If I can hook up to a camper or camping trailer the day before and hit the road, I'm much more likely to go. If I don't have to spend a lot of time unpacking or repacking, and setting up or breaking camp at each stop, I'm much more likely to go cross country hitting multiple stops. Not going to happen if I have to setup, breakdown, and pack a tent and other equipment at each stop.

Pulling a camper or camping trailer does not make one a glamper or mean that they are losing touch, that may simply be the most practical method for them to get out and go. That said, if you want to set aside a group for those half million plus "luxury overlanding" RVs and call them glampers, I'm all for it.

There are so many variables at play here what works for one guy will rarely work for the next.

That is kind of why I have so many different setups, what works for one thing won't work for another. On our last trip we needed the seating capacity of our Bronco and the cargo capacity of the Ranger... so we took the F-150. Next trip to Kansas the Bronco could do it on its own thanks to us having camper small enough for it to pull. Its basically a tent on wheels, scratches the itch perfectly to get the Bronco to haul a family of four AND the gear for them to camp.

I "overland" by sleeping on a platform in my Ranger. That happens once a year at best because like you I am like 3 states from anything interesting... so right now said platform is in the barn and my Ranger is pretty much like any other Ranger with a topper.

 

[JoshT]

There are so many variables at play here what works for one guy will rarely work for the next.

That is kind of why I have so many different setups, what works for one thing won't work for another. On our last trip we needed the seating capacity of our Bronco and the cargo capacity of the Ranger... so we took the F-150. Next trip to Kansas the Bronco could do it on its own thanks to us having camper small enough for it to pull. Its basically a tent on wheels, scratches the itch perfectly to get the Bronco to haul a family of four AND the gear for them to camp.

I "overland" by sleeping on a platform in my Ranger. That happens once a year at best because like you I am like 3 states from anything interesting... so right now said platform is in the barn and my Ranger is pretty much like any other Ranger with a topper.

Yet another reason why a camper or camping trailer might be better than a dedicated overlanding rig. The trailer isn't going to care which rig is pulling it. Hook it up to which ever one is better for the situation.

Just hitting the road, the F-150 is more comfortable and practical. Heading to a Ranger meet or somewhere that a the smaller truck would be preferred, hitch it behind the Ranger. Want to go classic, connect it to the F-100. Can be as simple as dropping the trailer hitch on the ball, then connecting a plug and a couple of chains.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Yet another reason why a camper or camping trailer might be better than a dedicated overlanding rig. The trailer isn't going to care which rig is pulling it. Hook it up to which ever one is better for the situation.

Just hitting the road, the F-150 is more comfortable and practical. Heading to a Ranger meet or somewhere that a the smaller truck would be preferred, hitch it behind the Ranger. Want to go classic, connect it to the F-100. Can be as simple as dropping the trailer hitch on the ball, then connecting a plug and a couple of chains.

That is a big reason why we got it, anything can pull it. The guy I got it from pulled it to Canada twice with a Chevy Celebrity.

The Skamper is basically married to the Ranger and once installed it kinda kills it for offroading.

That said, I wouldn't want to drag a trailer down the stuff we went thru in Kentucky. Especially our little Apache.

Our Kansas trip is a base camp type scenario, trailer will work great. It would have been great in SD too but it needs more work before it goes that far.

The sleeping platform worked well, a couple scrap 2x4's and a sheet of plywood over a couple totes under a $40 topper is cheap and light. Very fast tear down was awesome with a little kid at campgrounds. Everyone else was waiting for the dew to dry on their tents so we would pack up and bumble over to the playground and burn energy. I am not knocking their setups but it worked out awesome because a 4yo isn't really made to sit in a truck all day.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Ok, this is kind of offensive:



Glamping is a thing. What you describe is not glamping, not even remotely. Not all of us have the luxury of setting up a dedicated overlander (or rocklander if you prefer). For many of us a camper or camping trailer is a much better way to go.

For starters, my part of the country isn't conducive to overlanding. To go far enough for overlanding to make sense, I'd have to drive further than I normally have time to get away from work. I also don't have the luxury of calling my boss and saying that I'm going to be gone a few extra days because my truck broke on a trail.

If I built an overlander and set it up properly, I wouldn't be able to drive it 90% of the time. The place I work has checkpoints for entry and exit and liable to be subject to a vehicle search at any time, it's part of what you agree to working here. If they decided to search your vehicle, and having it loaded with equipment would make that a higher probability, they remove everything from the vehicle for a thorough search and then you have to repack when finished. Guess who's going to end up hours late for work that day. I've got no use for a rig that I can't drive to work at any time.

"Pack when you get ready to go." That doesn't really work out either. If I've got to spend the week packing the truck to get away for the weekend, I'm probably not going. If I can hook up to a camper or camping trailer the day before and hit the road, I'm much more likely to go. If I don't have to spend a lot of time unpacking or repacking, and setting up or breaking camp at each stop, I'm much more likely to go cross country hitting multiple stops. Not going to happen if I have to setup, breakdown, and pack a tent and other equipment at each stop.

Pulling a camper or camping trailer does not make one a glamper or mean that they are losing touch, that may simply be the most practical method for them to get out and go. That said, if you want to set aside a group for those half million plus "luxury overlanding" RVs and call them glampers, I'm all for it.

Agree to disagree. I had a 28-foot camper that was so nice that I ended up living in it for over 4-years. I didn't buy it to do that, it just ended up that way. But there was a time when I towed it places for a weekend or week to camp in.

I feel like people that overland want to get to remote areas and get in touch with nature, and I feel like you start losing sight of that when you feel like you have to take a bunch of modern conveniences with you. Apparently, you took that personal and made it into an attack on all campers. I don't necessarily think having a camper is glamping. I wouldn't mind having another one. But if you go away for a weekend and sit in your camper all weekend watching TV, you're probably a glamper. LOL.

What in the world do you take with you that it takes you a week to pack to go camping??

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

But if you go away for a weekend and sit in your camper all weekend watching TV, you're probably a glamper. LOL.

Actually now the big thing now is to sit beside your camper and watch TV...

Yeah no tv in either of ours lol.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Go to the mountains in your camper and sit outside and watch nature videos.

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

I used to have a pop up camper. My mom was a 5th wheel. My younger sister has a 24 ft pull behind. Campers are nice. But we camp in multiple scenarios. We do state parks and established campgrounds like KOA ect... That being said we are never ones to just hang out around a campsite. We go to these areas to hike and see the sites. If I was just wanting to hang out around a campfire. I have a nice fire ring setup in the back yard. I fo to a lot of state parks and people rarely even come out of their campers. Now on a flip side. Most of my "overland" adventures i would never want to drag a camper. @Jim Oaks think about how difficult it was just to get the trucks turned around on Hard1 of the KAT. These adventures have allowed me to go and see sites that most will never experience. Most our camping gear stays in tubs in the garage. 1 for my primitive camping trips. And 1 loaded with hoses and electrical components for state parks with hookups. We sold the pop up several years ago and never looked back. Corey has a portable heat and air pump she carries that keeps the cabin tent comfortable for her and Zoey. Me and Zane just rough it haha.
On a different note I am guilty of carrying more than I need. I'm in the process of downsizing and minimalizing my setup and gear. Hopefully I have it down to the bare essentials for the next trip. I've been reorganizing and condescending everything hopefully into 1 tub for the next trip.

 

[Curious Hound]

My mom was a 5th wheel.

And yet you appear relatively normal (for a Tennessee boy)

 

[Curious Hound]

I see even the most robust, compact “overland” trailers as an anchor when maneuvering many trails. It would be handy for base camp trips. But I’m pretty happy with the tent.