ULTIMATE OVERLANDING JEEP GLADIATOR WALK-AROUND TOUR (ft. the Alu-Cab Canopy Camper)
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- Опубліковано 8 жов 2022
- Join our journey on Patreon: / hourlesslife
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Welcome back to Hourless Life where we are driving around the world. 🌎
Today is our one-year anniversary since leaving the United States on our global overlanding journey.
We have waited a full year to do this walk-around tour you have been asking for. We wanted to put our Jeep Gladiator DAUNTLESS through its paces to make sure we give you a solid tour of the Jeep itself and the equipment we are carrying.
This is a FULL walk-around tour of our overlanding Jeep Gladiator featuring the Alu-Cab Canopy Camper. Eric takes you around the exterior of DAUNTLESS to talk about the philosophy behind our build. He even takes the time to go over some of the equipment we are carrying and why we selected it. Then Brittany takes you on a full interior tour of our overlanding Jeep Gladiator and Alu-Cab Canopy Camper.
We have now overlanded through all of Mexico and every country in Central America. On November 5, 2022, we're putting our Jeep Gladiator into a container and shipping it from North America to South America (specifically Panamá to Colombia). There we will begin our trek down the South American continent!
We hope you enjoy this tour. If you have any questions about our rig or even questions about your own build, then please drop us a comment. We hope you like this video and subscribe to our channel. Get to know the world with us!
📲 Related resources:
Gear sponsors: hourlesslife.com/about-us/gea...
Complete Gladiator build sheet: hourlesslife.com/jeep-gladiat...
Gladiator build video series: • Jeep Gladiator Overlan...
Tornado in Honduras (video): hourlesslife.com/tornado-in-h...
TJM Costa Rica awning install (video): hourlesslife.com/jeep-gladiat...
Cost of our build: hourlesslife.com/cost-to-buil...
Product links for more info or to purchase: hourlesslife.com/product-link...
🥰 Thank you to our Patreon supporters:
Don & Debi Mallory
Robert & Michele Daharsh
Kasey & Becky Moyers
Suzann Stoner
Eric & Tami Johnson
Candace Rivero
Mark Griggs
Freedom Emrys
Whitley Robertson
New Horizons Overland
Dustin Lehnig
Tex and Susan Collier
Randy Kroeck
Brenda Foland Vonderahe
Journey Before Destination Overlanding
Joel Slayton
Ivannia & Armando
Stacie Pritchard
⏱ Real-time updates: / hourlesslife
💻 Our blog: hourlesslife.com/
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🌎 Who we are and what we’re doing:
We’re Eric + Brittany + Caspian Highland, and we’re driving around the world! In October 2021, we crossed the border from the United States into Mexico. We will ship our Jeep to South America in November 2022. Over the next 10-15 years, we intend to drive across all six habitable continents on the planet. We started traveling full-time in February 2014 and have never looked back.
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🥰 Want to support our adventure?
Join our journey on Patreon: / hourlesslife
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Thanks!
Stacie that was so kind of you! Not only are you already our Patron, but this was over and above. It really means so very much to us, and I just called Brittany over to show her your additional support. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. It is folks like you who are making our journey around the world a reality. ~ Eric + Brittany + Caspian ❤️
So far the best walk around of the canopy camper I’ve seen anywhere on UA-cam. Wonderfully detailed and clearly presented. Happy trails to you three!
Thank you John, Super kind comment. It was hard to film with all of the wind and background noise. But we got through it. Really appreciate the encouragement. Hope you'll subscribe and follow the adventure. Working on editing our next long form content today. Wish me luck. ~ Eric
I have to agree,
You have not only demonstrated the alu cab and vehicle very well but also all the items that should be on board. Kudos
Probably the best walk around tour of an overland rig I've watched. I learned a lot. Thank you and safe travels!
Super kind of you to say. Happy to be a resource if you have any questions along the way. Also, I do my best to respond to every comment but it is getting harder. We just published a video about Barichara which is the most highly recommended place to visit here in Colombia. Hope you check it out! ~ Eric
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your videos especially these types where you breakdown what it takes to actually do what you do. Hugs to you and prayers for your travels!
Brett Elizabeth, super kind. Glad you enjoyed the video. Treasure your prayers for my family and our journey. Glad to have you here on the channel. ~ Eric
This such a well made and inspiring video. Thank you for sharing and best of luck on your journey !
Thank you! We've made it down to Lima, Peru as of this writing. The Jeep is a great means to an end. But ultimately that's what it is. Anyone can build a cool overlanding vehicle. But what you do with it makes all the difference. I hope that you have a chance to watch some of our latest videos. The one coming up this afternoon at 3:30 Eastern time, is on one of the most dangerous roads in the entire world. DAUNTLESS performed well on this drive. Hope you can check it out. ~ Eric
Awesome video always. Good luck on your journey around the world. Prayers for your whole family from Georgia USA.
Christopher, appreciate your love on the video and best wishes for our journey, but we treasure your prayers most. Thank you for being part of our community. We appreciate the Georgia love. ~ Eric
Excellent! Thank you again for your insight of what, how, and why. Very valuable info.
Hey Mike, thanks for watching and for the kind words. If you ever have any questions, or need a resource to bounce ideas off of, feel free to message me. Appreciate you watching. ~ Eric
This is such a well done video! Thank you so so much for putting in the time to do this. Happy journeys. ❤❤❤
Thanks Hanlons, always happy to be a resource. Appreciate you taking the time to watch it! ~ Eric
Thanks for another great video familia !!! seeing the jeep in person is great but knowing all these details is amazing 🤩!!!!
You guys are so awesome 😎 saludos amigos ❤
We send our love to you and Ivan! Miss you guys. Glad you got a chance to meet DAUNTLESS. ~ Eric
Amazing video! So concise with great information. Thank You
Thank you. Glad it was helpful and informative. If you’d like a deeper dive on anything, let me know! ~ Eric
Loved this video! I wish you guys nothing but the best!
Really appreciate that Scottie. Thanks for tuning in and being part of our community. ~ Eric
Amazing!!! So cool. Good for y’all!!
Thanks Taco. Appreciate it. We're really happy with DAUNTLESS. ~ Eric
What a fantastic video!!! Dream of a rig and overland vehicle! Every detail! Again, amazing video guys!
My Costa Rican brother! Thanks for the kind words on the video and rig brother. Please tell the Costa Rica crew I said hello. Keep chasing your dreams. ~ Eric
That was an awesome walk-around. What an amazing rig. Thank you and travel safely!
Hey Clffrock! Really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Glad you enjoyed the walk-around and hope you've decided to subscribe to our channel. Welcome. Hope we see you as a regular commenter. ~ Eric
I love your Gladiator and the system that you use. You making that what I want to do in the future and I'm sure I use a lot of your ideas. I wish you the best possible journey and always a good and safe drive. Greetings from Germany 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Helllo Jim! So glad you enjoyed the video. Happy to be a resource for you if you have questions as you build your Jeep someday. Also we look forward to visiting Germany when we get to Europe! Appreciate you leaving a comment. Welcome to our channel. ~ Eric
Dauntless looks amazing!!! Looking forward to seeing all your adventures!!!
Maybe as our Patron, one day you'll fly out and visit us, and we'll give you an in person tour! We've already had Patrons visit us in Mexico, and Costa Rica. We'll be in South America soon. Any country interest you? ~ Eric
Love your build ! Thanks for sharing !
Thanks so much. We've been really hard on this rig, and overall we've been very happy with it considering! We're in Peru now, but still releasing our Ecuador content. Hope you get a chance to check out some of the travel videos. That's what the build is all about. ~ Eric
Thank You for all the Awesome info...!!!!
Happy to help Fred. Let us know if you have any questions, always happy to be a resource. ~ Eric
Amazing video thanks for sharing it
Thanks Art! Hope you learned something new about our home. If you ever have questions, don't hesitate to ask! ~ Eric
Well done! 👌 I really like the more restrained build, for more realistic travel, or for those of us not interested in rock crawling.
Thank you Craig. It is all about purpose right? I have another Jeep parked in Denver at my brother in law's house that is built completely differently. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment. Hope you subscribed. ~ Eric
Awesome video. Love your energy
Thanks so much Glen. We used to put a video out a week but it has proven to be too difficult with the limited connectivity here in Central America. But we are going to shoot for 1-2 good videos per month. Appreciate you being here, and if I haven't welcomed you yet, welcome to our channel. ~ Eric
Thanks for the walk around. Beautiful rig!
Thanks Troys Hobbies! Appreciate you taking the time to take a look at DAUNTLESS and the kind words. Welcome to our channel if I haven't welcomed you before. ~ Eric
Amazing guys i love it keep it upCaspian is so smart he gonna do very well when he grows up
That's our hope. Appreciate the kind words Maurice. ~ Eric
Really a thoughtful build, so glad you are happy and making your dreams happening…..
Thank you Whitley! It is a lot of work to maintain considering how much we put DAUNTLESS through. This month here in Panama City, Panama is all about getting him ready for South America. ~ Eric
Great video!
Thank you jpl! Glad you enjoyed it! ~ Eric
Hello Hourless family! I came from the Aventurando Ando Overland's video. So cool what you do! All my respect. Hi from Cali, Colombia.
Thank you Andres! Glad you found us. We look forward to visiting Cali! ~ Eric
Safe & enjoyable travels.
Thanks so much. We are enjoying the journey. Hope you get a chance to watch some of those videos because that is what the build is all about,. ~ Eric
Loved the video. Ive been to Panama, Honduras and EL Salvador plus other south and central America you have to love monsoon season in Honduras. I am so glad I stumbled onto your video. I am now a subscriber. I'm getting ready to buildout a 2013 Toyota tacoma. So this will help me with my decisions. Thanks again for the video and safe travels on your world tour.
Hey Alan! Welcome to our channel and thanks for subscribing. Sounds like you have quite a bit of experience under your own belt. I'm sure you'll have fun building out that taco. If I can be a resource for you, don't hesitate to reach out. I wish you the very best on your upcoming adventures. ~ Eric
I really appreciate your share, it has been most helpful, especially the Sport Model S payload. I am downsizing from a 2013 Chevy 3500 4x4 Flatbed Chassis Cab with an Alaskan Camper that I used for wandering the west and other places. I wish to stay in the US and travel the TAT and I think that I have now a good idea in my next build. All the best and safe travels Stephen
Stephen, I'm so glad this video helped you in your decision making. We've been swamped with our travels here in the USA visiting family. Sorry it took so long to respond. Appreciate you getting behind us on Patreon, it means everything to us on our journey. I hope you enjoy our behind the scenes community there. If you have any questions about your build that I can help with, please send me a PM on Patreon. I prioritize answering questions there. ~ Eric
Liked and subbed. My wife and I are sitting here planning our work sabbatical in 18 months. We have a 2015 rubicon and are planning our North America trip with a 5 year old. Cheers beautiful family!
Right on Michael! Man you are our people. Love seeing a Jeep family taking this one with their 5 year old. Sure you don't want to ship to South America and give Caspian a playmate for a bit? Haha! Just kidding, there is SO MUCH to see in North America, and you are going to have a blast. We traveled full-time all over North America for 8 years prior to setting off on our global journey. I have a TON of good info to share with you and your family. Not sure if you are interested, but I invite you to join our Patreon www.patreon.com/hourlesslife where we give tips on extended overlanding, overlanding as a family, gear, overlanding rig builds and much more. It is a great community and helps us to continue to create content while on this global journey. If not, no worries, welcome to the channel. We are glad you are here and whether you join us on Patreon or not, we are always happy to be a resource for you and your family as you set off on this adventure. ~ Eric
@Hourless life Fantastic video and truck!!! I'm a new subscriber and I'm looking forward to watching your channel!!!
Justin, welcome to our channel. Thank you for the sub. We do our best to respond to each comment whenever we have internet down here. Glad you liked the video and our rig DAUNTLESS. Hope to see you as a regular commenter. Let us know if you have any questions. ~ Eric
Omg.aweesome !all the best! 📢
Thanks Prohodaction. Glad to share our home with the community. ~ Eric
I never thought of it as clean side/dirty side but this is how I would like my setup... feng shui!
Hey Unorthodoxx. Glad you liked the concept. After 9 years of full-time travel, we've learned quite a bit about this lifestyle. If you ever have questions don't hesitate to shoot them our way. I do my best to respond to every comment but it is getting harder. Sorry it took so long to respond to yours. With the holidays, we took a short break. But we just published a video about Barichara which is the most highly recommended place to visit here in Colombia. Hope you check it out! ~ Eric
Thanks!
Super kind. Appreciate the super thanks. ~ Eric
Beautiful build
Thank you. Appreciate that. ~ Eric
Thx for sharing guys awesome videos god bless
Thanks so much Yaniel! Appreciate your kindness. Great to have you on our channel. ! Eric
@@HourlessLife i wish i can find the way to send you pictures of the overland gladiator im building now is same jeep of yours sport towing package with 4.10 gears the white jeep jk that you see in my youtube channel i soldit last August I bought 2021 gladiator so i can travel with my family im a truck driver owner operator for 17 years I been everywhere in thi country and part of canada but I want to take my wife to the nice places jus put the tent in the jeep last weekend
@@Jeep79 you can contact us through our website at hourlesslife.com/contact-us/ we'd love to see some photos of what you've done. ~ Eric
Love the build 😍🇵🇭
Thanks Randy. Appreciate you watching the vid. Let me know if you have any questions. And if I haven’t welcomed you to our channel yet, welcome! ~ Eric
Well done family. Leaving the dream. You got one more subscriber. Buen Camino.
Please do a step by step video on crossing Panama/Colombia.
Awesome. Thank you for joining us Joshua. Appreciate the sub. As far as the video from Panama to Colombia, that's going to be a tough one. It is a long process with several government offices involved. So not sure that is going to be a video, but we'll see. ~ Eric
Fantastic video! Every thing you did was well thought out. It would be interesting to hear what you would have done for a North America build vs the mutli-continent build you have created.
Ryo, appreciate the comment. In North America alone it would have had 35 or 37 series tires, would have been a diesel no question and would have had propane as part of its build for sure though the heater would have been diesel as well. I would have done more on the dash for navigation if I wasn't crossing multiple international borders as well. ~ Eric
Awesome rig man... 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks Jeeplife! Not sure if you saw our latest video but we are waiting on it to arrive here in South America. Can't wait to get our home back. ~ Eric
Have you or are you going to write a book. Especially one describing your vehicle and all the things you have done to it. Good luck have fun and I envy you
Hey Daniel! So Brittany is working on a book about our travels, and I'm working on one about the value of time. Appreciate the kind comment. I do my best to respond to every comment but it is getting harder. Sorry it took so long to respond to yours. With the holidays, we took a short break. But we just published a video about Barichara which is the most highly recommended place to visit here in Colombia. Hope you check it out! ~ Eric
Nice rig. I hope you make your way down to New Zealand as the 'Epic Road trip' family did with their jeep. We only get the petrol gladiator in Nz which is bizarre considering almost all utes (pickups) are only diesel in Nz. Safe travels. See you in New Zealand (Aussie without any dangerous or poisonous animals and insects😉).
HI Scott and Chele, we would LOVE to visit New Zealand someday. Sorry for the delay in response but Brittany had a surgery. I posted about it on our community tab just a few moments ago. ~ Eric
Really nice jeep
Thank you Ricardo. Appreciate the comment. It’s been good to us so far, but we have a long journey ahead of us. ~ Eric
Juat a note on the recovery gear: probably best to have it accessible from the interior or the other side. If that door gets blocked while you're stuck, its game over. I learned the hard way with keeping my winch remote in a place i couldn't access it when i was stuck.
Solid advice. We actually have a hatch on top of our Goose Gear accessible from inside the cab which I thought we showed? Maybe we didn't. But yes, we can access our recovery gear in a pinch from inside the cab without opening the doors. It wouldn't be a lot of fun, but it is doable. ~ Eric
Cool build! Low sulphur diesel is quite attainable in most parts of the world. UNEP has a great chart on all the countries and their sulfur levels.
Appreciate the love on the build. And I'm not trying to be argumentative regarding your statement, but I honestly have no idea where you are getting that information. Every single international overlander I've spoken with here in South America who has had an ultra low sulfur diesel regrets having made that decision. Some have even left their rigs and rented vehicles to go various places. Even our friends at Next Meridian expressed their frustration to us. It sounds like you know what you are talking about though, and I'd be interested to see the chart you are talking about. The reality however has been that all of our friends who are in that situation have been more than frustrated down here. ~ Eric
Can’t wait until you get to Africa! Definitely plan on spending some time in the southern province of Zambia. Reach out to me when your there and I can give you some awesome friendly villages to visit and stay.
We are really looking forward to Africa. However we have 2-3 years first in South America. Can’t believe we are loading the vehicle to ship across the Darien Gap this Tuesday. It feels surreal. Would love any tips on Africa when the time comes though! ~ Eric
I really enjoyed your reasoning for building the Gladiator and camper the way you did. As someone who is in the planning stage of for my own international travels I found it very helpful. I have a few questions regarding your build:
Have you weighed your rig when fully packed and fueled? I have a few hundred less pounds of payload to work with and have spent a lot of time trying to find the best way to keep the weights down.
Are you concerned with having such a high value rig when traveling in parts of the world without "real" insurance that we have in North America?
What is your plan for Caspian's bed when he is too tall to sleep in his current bed?
Thanks for making such great content, and taking the time answer my questions, I have really enjoyed following along for the past year.
Hi Brent! Really appreciate you taking the time to leave such a detailed comment. Appreciate you joining us for the journey in the past year. Happy to field all of your questions here publicly. But if you'd ever consider joining our Patreon we'd really appreciate that as it helps us create this type of content. No pressure from us but take a look at the page and see what you think. We're going to be adding to one of our benefit tiers advice on building and designing overland rigs and thoughts on gear. If you search for Hourless Life Patreon you'll find us pretty easily.
Having said all of that, here's my thoughts on your questions:
Your first question was about weight and space. Payload is king. We have often said when speaking at public events that "Payload doesn't go away if you ignore it." You are right in making this a major consideration of your build. In October of 2021 we did a fully loaded weigh out and we factored in a bunch of information that would fluctuate over the years. We are pretty dialed in with this setup. I'm glad you are considering it throughout your build process. The best advice I can give you on keeping weight down is the following. 1. Don't carry extra fuel unless you need it. A gallon of fuel weighs 6lbs. So you can imagine that carrying extra fuel when you don't need it is a mistake. It costs you wear and tear on the vehicle, engine, and decreases gas mileage. 2. Don't carry more water than you need. But make sure you ARE carrying what you need. Water weighs 8.34lbs per gallon. Those liquid weights can vary your loadout weight significantly. 3. Buy backpacking gear instead of camping gear. Backpacking gear costs more, but typically is more durable, always weighs less, and has a much smaller footprint. This will save you space and weight at the cost of money, but will likely last you longer than most typical camping equipment which generally isn't designed as well. 4. Go with aluminum front and rear bumpers if you are replacing them. This can save a significant amount of weight. 5. Go with a synthetic line on your winch vs the steel cable. 6. If you are not full-timing like we are then only pack for the trip you are currently undertaking. You don't need to be prepared for 4 seasons if you are only traveling in one for the specific trip.
Your next question was about insurance. Yes, we are concerned. But we set aside a fund in lieu of insurance that should cover us to repair or replace damage. If our rig becomes a total loss that's another story, but we do have some funds set aside for at least a down payment on another vehicle should that be necessary. All of these countries in Latin America require you to carry liability insurance to cover the other person, but don't offer local insurance to cover your own. There are policies out there, but they are extremely expensive. Depending on your budget and piece of mind, I can share some of those companies with you if you like.
Your last question was about Caspian's bed when he gets bigger. Truth be told, I can fit in his bed with all of the sleep platforms down. But we figure that by the time he wants to move out of the house so to speak, and have his own space, he'll get a ground tent that he can put up and tear down and have some of that teenage privacy he'll want. But we'll see. We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it. He's a pretty big boy already. If we need to make a change for our son, of course we'll do that without exception. Family first.
Hope that answers all of your questions. Thank you for being part of our journey. If you'd like to check out our Patreon, here is a direct link. If not, feel free to keep asking questions here, I'll do my best to field them as I'm able. ~ Eric
www.patreon.com/hourlesslife
Your videos are so helpful right now as we build our rig! Thank you! Have you upgraded brakes? I upgraded our JK brakes to the teraflex big brakes which made a huge difference. Wondering if I should be doing that on the Gladiator as well
Hey Aaron, so glad they have been helpful to you. We did not upgrade brakes, although if you are going through the Andes like we are, definitely a worthy investment I would think. We haven't had any issues yet, but we're only in Peru. We still have all of Chile and Argentina to go and then back up the eastern seaboard. I think that's a great idea. ~ Eric
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You are most welcome. Thanks for being part of our UA-cam community. ~ Eric
I’m sure the mosquitoes love the easy access to the passenger compartment;) Cool to find out the sunshade isn’t a rain shade though
Haha. Ain't no mosquitoes getting into our habitat. We just reinforced everything at a shop here in Panama City in preps for South America. As far as the Shadow Awn by Alu-Cab, it is actually incredibly effective against the rain as a whole. It has kept us sane during this leg of our journey. But the rainy season in Central America is no joke. We actually just had two stanchions made that provide the awning a little more slope and re-sealed all of the areas that have been impacted by the journey thus far. More to come of course. Glad to see another Jeeper here. Welcome to the channel. ~ Eric
Thank you for such a detailed review of your awesome rig! Long-term I looking to tour all 6 continents as yourself and have been wondering if pulling a small trailer would be a good idea when going international - something like a Patriot camper or Overkill Camper. Did you ever consider a trailer as an option? Besides the impact to fuel consumption, definitely spreads the load off of the vehicle and easily becomes a base camp allowing you to explore with the vehicle if needed. All the best to you and the family!
Hi A Barabas, appreciate the thoughtful comment and glad you liked the walk-around tour. I'm happy to answer your question here, but I invite you to join our Patreon if you'd be interested. We talk all the time there with patrons who are pursuing the extended or even full-time overlanding life, family overlanding life, and are building out rigs. We share our experiences, thoughts on their build decisions based on experience, knowledge, and tips daily. By joining our Patreon you help us have more time to create content like this while we are on the journey around the world. But no pressure from us to do so. I'm happy to answer questions publicly whenever I have a moment. So to answer this question about trailers, which I think is a very good question, we considered EVERY option, and I mean every option. We too looked at Patriot, Turtleback, and various other options. But the more we considered it for global travel, the less sense it made. Here's why. 1. Vehicle and Trailer are tagged separately. This means you need to get two TIP (Temporary Import Permits) when crossing each border. This doubles the complication and chance for error on your paperwork which could end up in a really difficult situation. 2. There are MANY places in Latin America, where you won't want to be pulling a trailer. Trust me when I tell you that you'll be going through narrow streets with vehicles, pedestrians, carts, animals, potholes, and speedbumps all around you. There have been many times where we've barely squeeked DAUNTLESS past and that was with no trailer being pulled. 3. Unless you are caravanning with a group, you'll need to leave your trailer by itself when you decide to head off and explore. There are very few places where I think you might feel comfortable enough to do this, unless you don't plan on wild camping at all and only plan to stay at established campgrounds. 4. Parking will be a hassle everywhere you go. The cars here are much smaller as are the parking spaces. 5. When shipping the vehicle, you'll need to pay for the entire container instead of splitting the cost with another traveler. This will be thousands of dollars difference over the course of your journey.There are more reasons, but those are the primary reasons to consider not bringing a trailer along. Hope that was helpful. If you are interested in taking a look at our Patreon here's the link: www.patreon.com/hourlesslife As I said, feel free to always ask questions publicly too. I have no problem helping you navigate these important decisions and being a resource for you. ~ Eric
Feliz viaje. Pasen por Putumayo Colombia
Gracias! Mauricio. Que es Putumayo? ~ Eric
@@HourlessLife un departamento. Al.sur de colombia. Pasen por el pueblo de SIBUNDOY, Si vienen a finales de febrero se celebra el betsnaté. "Carnaval del perdón" de los kamentsa comunidad indígena.
Really well thought out! How do you rate the Alucab Wedge Tent Structure? Considering the 3.1 or James Baroud. Thoughts?
Sorry for the delay in response. I love the Alu-Cab and it has put up with all of the use and abuse of daily living for a family of three for two years so far. I've heard really good things about the James Baroud as well. Obviously I can't speak to that one from personal experience. But the Alu-Cab has been a solid performer. ~ Eric
Fantastic video. Did you consider the Alu Cab Khaya instead at all? It seems like it would be perfect for your needs.
That's a really good question. Yes, we did consider the Khaya. It's a gorgeous product. But at that point, we were already sold on using a Jeep Gladiator as our base vehicle, and the Khaya would be WAY over payload for that vehicle. -B
Hi - awesome vehicle - Question: are you able to open the front two freedom panels with the camper in place?
Thank you Daniel. Yes, the Freedom panel operation is unaffected by our build. So they are completely operational. ~ Eric
Just stumbled across your channel and your rig may be just what I think would serve me perfectly! It will take me a while to get through all of your videos, so forgive me if it has been addressed. My question is, what keeps the inside dry, if you have to stow the alu-cab top (to travel to the next spot) after a rain storm and it isn't possible to let it dry first? I'm still in the planning stage and a total newb! Btw, howdy from Texas!
Hey Tim! Welcome to our channel. Glad you found us. There are a LOT of videos to get through. We did an entire build series that you might find helpful. As far as the inside being dry. The inside doesn't really get wet. However, the fabric on the tent, awning, and shower cube do. So depending on what was out in the rain, whenever you get to a place where it isn't raining, it is advisable to open it up and let it all air dry. The nice thing with our setup is how fast it all deploys and stows. So it makes this process easy. Also, since we travel full-time we open ours up every day anyway regardless of weather. But there have been times where we normally wouldn't have opened up the awning lets say, but since we stowed it damp we go ahead and deploy it just to dry. Hope that's helpful, and happy to answer questions and be a resource. Glad you found our channel. ~ Eric
Do you have any issues with the canvas leaking with the pop up roof system? It seems with the amount of rain you would encounter in South America it might be a problem. Do you have any other type of ventilation other than those 2 fans. (Maxxfan for example) Thank you for the vid. Ya'll 3 did a Great job explaining your build!! Be Safe!!
Hey Mike, sorry for the delay in response. Brittany just had a surgery. I posted about it in our community tab here on UA-cam. No issues with leaking in our setup when it comes to the tent. As far as the Jeep, all Jeeps naturally leak, it comes standard. No other ventilation other than the two fans and opening up the sidewings and windows on the Alu-Cab Canopy Camper, but we've found it to be sufficient. ~ Eric
Excellent video. Thank you. What about your heater? Isn't that diesel?
Thanks so much Doug. No, there is nothing on DAUNTLESS that is diesel. The heater is a Webasto heater that is plumbed directly to the stock fuel tank. It uses about 1/10th of a gallon per hour. ~ Eric
@@HourlessLife that is awesome. Thank you. I spoke with you at expo west 2021. You mentioned insisting on 1 fuel type. I know the diesel versions are becoming popular, but for me that is fuel 3, after propane. I plan to stay in the USA. Would you still stick with gasoline for heat?
Please share how you open your back passenger door all the way like in the video to access your fridge slide out? Thank you!
Hi Archers. So essentially we extended the restraining strap and the wires. Measured carefully for the Goose Gear platform and the National Luna fridge from Equipt Expedition Outfitters and it came out perfect! If you want to send us a private message on Instagram @hourlesslife I'd be happy to do a one off quick video for you. Thanks for being part of our community and best on your travels. ~ Eric
So well thought out. Congrats for your rig! Did the Renegade have less payload than your model? Stay safe and have fun on the road and Merry Christmas to you guys
I have no idea on the payload of the BU / Renegade, but surely it is not anywhere close to the Gladiator in our configuration. Glad you enjoyed the video. Merry Christmas back to you! I do my best to respond to every comment but it is getting harder. Sorry it took so long to respond to yours. With the holidays, we took a short break. But we just published a video about Barichara which is the most highly recommended place to visit here in Colombia. Hope you check it out! ~ Eric
@@HourlessLife Don't worry....you're on your trip and not in a office 😁✌🏻thanx for your answer and a Happy New Year to you and your family. Stay safe 🌈🥂
It may be a touring vehicle however in my opinion a rock slider (steel or alu) is a must have, since you're living full time in your Gladiator sports. Why not Rubicon?
Hey Laloo, thanks for the comment. So rock sliders add weight. Even aluminum ones. We aren't rock crawling, we're attempting to drive around the world. Weight is everything in an overland build designed for a family capable of travel during all four seasons. We aren't packing for a specific trip, so we have to be prepared for much more than the typical overlanding loadout, and weight often gets calculated in ounces instead of pounds with this type of full-time global travel. As far as why not a Rubicon, man I would have loved to have one. But again, weight you are carrying for full-time travel is the primary reason, more specifically, payload capacity of the vehicle. The Rubicon payload is 1200lbs. The Sport S with the Max Tow package and automatic transmission (which is what DAUNTLESS is) has a payload of 1,565lbs. That 365 extra pounds over the Rubicon trim makes a huge difference. Hope that answers your question. ~ Eric
@@HourlessLife I got your point. Atleast got a plastic steps😃.
Those are the OEM halogen headlamps? Too bright? They are dim and yellow or did you swap out the bulbs? Great video.
They are OEM and brighter than any others we’ve seen down here. Seriously the oncoming motorists aren’t used to seeing them. Sometimes we’ll get people flashing their high beams asking us to turn our high beams off. I’ll typically just flick my high beams to let them know I’m not being a jerk. Thanks for the love on the video. Glad you are on the channel. ~ Eric
I have a question on fuel type. why did you choose gas over diesel? LOL I found your answer in the Gladiator Build section. When I did my Alaskan build in 2013 I did a side by side comparison and ran it out to 100,000 before buying. The gas engine was all-allround cheaper despite diesel fuel at that time being cheaper
Glad you found the answer. In short for anyone else reading. Unleaded fuel is available globally while DEF is not. Someday it may be, but as of now it is not the wisest decision for global overland travel. In every corner of the world you will find a motorcycle. Wherever there is a motorcycle there is unleaded fuel. ~ Eric
I you didn't use that fridge slide but rotated the fridge front to back and mounted it - would it still fit? I'm trying to imagine 2 dogs with the fridge on a back seat/platform. Thanks you for sharing your journey. cheers
Hey Lefty, so that's a great question. So here's the situation. I got your comment just after I loaded our Gladiator inside a container to ship to South America across the Darien Gap. Normally I'd be happy to take some measurements for you and get you a solid answer, but I likely won't have our overland rig until somewhere around the middle of November. I'm happy to do so if you remind me. With that said, keep in mind that for the JT Goose Gear makes a high seat delete and a standard seat delete. We have the high seat delete so that we can slide it out of the back door. If the measurements worked out and you had the standard Goose Gear seat delete you would have even more vertical room for access to the fridge. Also if you don't need to haul a 5 year old around you could opt for the 100% seat delete instead of the 60% like we did giving you even more room to play with fridge placement. Not sure if that helps, but hit me up towards the end of November and I can break out a tape for you and get you some measurements. ~ Eric
@@HourlessLife Thank you
Nice Review. Wonder how much all of your setup cost after the cost of the Gladiator?
Thanks kjohnson, so we have an article that breaks that all down which you can check out here: hourlesslife.com/cost-to-build-jeep-gladiator-for-overlanding-the-world/ ~ Eric.
thank you for this video
im in the process of picking a vehicle and living space to travel the world
I'm doing it single but possibly a family member might join me on sections of the journey
My question is would a setup like yours be overkill for me?
Hi Craig! If you are looking to travel the world, as in overland internationally like we do, you want to make sure that your vehicle is a good fit for you personally and the style of travel you envision. Really all you need to travel the world are water, food, shelter, warmth, and sleep. There are many ways to do it. But what you don't want to do is break the bank so you can't afford the things you want to do while traveling. I'm happy to talk about this with you more specifically to your needs. Feel free to send us a contact form at hourlesslife.com and I'll be happy to respond to you. Either way, we wish you and your dreams the very best! ~ Eric
Thanks for the great video! What mattress is Caspian sleeping on?
Great question Detroit and thanks for the love on the video. The Alu-Cab Canopy Camper comes with two mattress pads for the upper sleeping area. One that covers the main bed platform, and one that covers the smaller platform that folds down. Because Caspian is still so little, we've just removed the mattress from the smaller platform and we put that down below on top of the Goose Gear sleep deck system for Caspian to lay on. That will obviously change into a larger mattress as needed. But for now it is our current solution. ~ Eric
@@HourlessLife thanks Eric. That’s a great idea. We are using a separate foam pad now for our four year old son and it’s just another thing to move around. Didn’t even think about re-using that piece of foam in ours!
@@TakeNoSpace cool! So glad that was helpful. Had no idea you were also Alu-Cab Canopy Camper owners and were traveling with a 4 year old. You are OUR kind of people. Super nice e-meeting you. Would love to have you consider joining our Patreon if you'd like. We offer all kinds of really great tips, and talk builds and travel all the time over there. No pressure from us, but we love other traveling families and invite you personally to check it out. www.patreon.com/hourlesslife ~ Eric
Nice and interesting review. I just wonder how easy it is to get in this thing, as the door has a very limited hight
Believe it or not, the angle to the Alu-Cab from the outside on a Gladiator is not cumbersome at all to get in or out of. The door is a lot larger than it may appear. Definitely recommend that you visit a distributor and step in and out of one before making the purchase. Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy to help! ~ Eric
@@HourlessLife will do, I have some friends who have them I will ask them
Cool weber. Hope it works out for you. Keep us posted. Happy to be a resource. ~ Eric
Please share your experience of shipping your vehicle from Panama to Colombia
Hi Oscar. I have two full videos on the shipping of the vehicle here on our channel. One for the process in Panamá of sticking it in the container and all the hoops you have to jump through. The other is getting it out of the port in Colombia. Once you’ve watched those, let me know if you have any questions. Hope they are helpful to you. ~ Eric
@@HourlessLife thanks
Why did you not open the back seat are so you can move inside & not come out ( When raining
That would allow you to stand from the rear to your bed area
Hi Peter. I’m sorry I don’t understand what you mean by open the back seat? We removed the 60 section to put our fridge there which I explained the multiple reasons behind that decision. Does that make sense or can you clarify your question for me? ~ Eric
Can you tell me what company makes that solar panel for the hood?
Hi David! Sure that is the VSS (Vehicle Solar System) panel by Cascadia 4x4. They make them for various makes and models. www.cascadia4x4.com/ Thanks for watching the video and let me know if you have any further questions. ~ Eric
Amazing setup, however why aren't you guys running a rock sliders?
Hey laloo, I actually answer that question specifically in the video. You may have skipped over it. Basically because DAUNTLESS is purpose built for a global overland journey and we're not rock crawling. Weight is a premium consideration, every ounce we can save we are saving. Also, I do my best to respond to every comment but it is getting harder. Sorry it took so long to respond to yours. With the holidays, we took a short break. But we just published a video about Barichara which is the most highly recommended place to visit here in Colombia. Hope you check it out! ~ Eric
@@HourlessLife it won't hurt to run a light weight step/slider combo made of aluminium. In my humble opinion. However as long as you guys are fine with it it's okay. It's just my thing cuz every 4wd i got has a slider. Good luck guys.
What size is the tire you're running?
Nice ride
Thanks. Sorry for the delay. Just posted about why the long delay on our community tab. But to answer your question we are running the BF Goodrich KO2 34 10.50. Essentially a 33.5" A/T tire. Glad you liked DAUNTLESS. ~ Eric
Howsome RIG
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the tour. ~ Eric
How much does it weigh fully loaded. Looking at towing one with our super c.
About 7000-7400lbs depending on fluid load out. ~ Eric
Hi guys, hope all is well. With your fridge access, did you just remove the stay?
Appreciate that David. So yes, we removed the stay, and we extended the electric cables so that they wouldn't be too tight when fully opening the door. But that was a little extra on our part just to keep wear and tension off those lines. You could probably get by without going that extra step. ~ Eric
@@HourlessLife Thanks Iric. We are currently working out a new vehicle camper for our Gator Gladiator here in Brisbane Australia, currently we tow #toughtear . Looking a Alu Cab, Skinny Guy and Camp King.
Can you please explain how you extended the rear door electronic cable for a wider door opening? I can’t seem to find anything to have a wider door opening. Thanks!!
This one time at band camp.
Definitely brings us joy. :) ~ E
Great build and great video. What is weight of this build?
Thanks Jeff. Build weight is a hard thing to determine as every single change has to be calculated. For example removing the stock tires and wheels, adding the new ones and calculating the difference. In addition there are fuels and liquids that aren’t always at the same levels which can vary the weight hundreds of pounds. Plus the change in our own weight and the fact that we get rid of things and add things as we travel. Having said all of that the only way we can determine maximum weight of the build is to fully load out the rig with all fluids topped off (extra water and fuel) and fridge full and every piece of gear and equipment loaded. Then we had to add weight equivalent to Caspian’s projected weight as an adult and subtract his car seat. All that to say that there is no exact science to your question but one that we were really curious about too. After all that we needed to weigh both the steer and drive axle. We did that in October 2021 just before departing on the journey and the steer was 2980 and drive was 4500 for a total of 7480 however we don’t actually carry that weight. That was the max our rig would ever be loaded. We also have to subtract the allowance that Jeep gives for the driver. So those are the numbers, realistically and for all practical purposes we are driving with about 2900 on the steer and probably around 4320 give or take on the drive. This is based on the average extra fuel and water we carry and our current load out. Really complicated answer to a great question. ~ Eric
@@HourlessLife Thanks for taking the time to post this. No one I've asked has ever answered! I know it is hard to estimate it prior to the build, but it seems like everyone should have weighed it after the build, fully loaded, as you did. This build is very similar to what I have planned, although I don't plan to do it on a Jeep. But I find it difficult to find weights listed. For instance, unless I'm missing it on their site, I have never found weights for any of the Goose Gear products, and these would be a big part of my build. So I'm flying blind when trying to figure out what the full camper build and the rear seat delete would be, in order to compare it to the payload of the vehicle I have yet to decide on. Thanks for your time. Looking forward to following your South America adventures.
@@jeffhatfield.1 no worries. I saw your question as soon as it came in and I do my best to respond to people as soon as I can, but I wanted to find our weight slip and give you the actual weights. So, it took a little longer to answer your question fully as I wanted to give you a complete answer. Congrats on your upcoming build by the way and your future adventures! Several thoughts, the reason that most people won't answer you is that 1. They don't know because they haven't considered the importance of the payload due to ignorance as to its level of importance. 2. They know what it is and don't want to say because they are grossly overweight. Honestly it could put them in legal trouble if they are to put that information out publicly if they were to get into an accident. An insurance company may refuse their claim because the exceeded the stated payload of the vehicle. As far as Goose Gear, (full transparency, they are one of our sponsors) but they are a great team. If you email them and ask them the weights they will provide them. I suggest you do exactly that. Also please know that I'm happy to be a resource publicly, and hopefully you can see that I'm responding at length to help you out. But I don't always have internet connectivity on this drive around the world. We do have a Patreon account which I invite you to join. That is the platform we always check first and respond to first when we have internet. Your patronage would support our journey, and I'm happy there to dive into any questions as you continue your build. Again, we'd appreciate the consideration, but not required at all. If you ask me questions here on UA-cam or on Instagram, we will respond as well to the best of our ability. ~ Eric
I was thinking of adding a light under my Jeep that blinks. A white light. Thinking that would keep away the little furry Critters that like to eat wiring.
An interesting idea. Not sure how annoying that would be inside your tent though. ~ Eric
Price range for AluCab?
Starts around 10k. Remember it is an empty shell. ~ Eric
Wish alucab made a full pop up instead of a wedge.
The quality of their products have not disappointed. It would be interesting for sure. It will be interesting to see what they continue to innovate. ~ Eric
what do you do for hot water to shower with?
We don’t have hot showers in DAUNTLESS. However the shower nozzle is plumbed to the Alu-Cab 13 Gallon tank and powered by a water pump. Because the tank is inside the habitat, it is normally lukewarm. If we are in an extremely cold climate, our Webasto heater is on which again warms the inside of the habitat thereby affecting the water temp of our shower. Hope that helps. ~ Eric
I was surprised that you "CAN'T" use diesel world wide? Is that accurate? I thought diesel was more available in most countries.
Great question. Diesel is readily available in many countries. However ultra-low sulfur diesel is not. All of the newer diesels require it unless you modify the vehicle. However, in every corner of the world you'll find a motorcycle. And where there is a motorcycle there is unleaded fuel. This was our decision since this is an attempt at a global overland journey. If I were building this rig just for North America, it would have been a diesel Gladiator. But for this trip, a gasser was the right call. I do my best to respond to every comment but it is getting harder. Sorry it took so long to respond to yours. With the holidays, we took a short break. But we just published a video about Barichara which is the most highly recommended place to visit here in Colombia. Hope you check it out! ~ Eric
@@HourlessLife Thank you so much for the information. I was actually considering the new-ish Chevy 1/2 ton truck with the new 3.0 liter in line six turbodiesel as my base truck for my overland build. I have the Bundutec Wild camper being built...now, I guess I will move forward with my current 2014 Tundra with the 5.7liter V-8. I was thinking that the diesel would be more fuel efficient, and world wide compatible for fuel...So, now I know that will not work...So, my Tundra will not be sold off to get the Chevy diesel!
Im shocked you guys made it out of South America with your truck. Im too chicken to do what you did especially with my kids. God bless..
It isn't as scary as you might think, and it is full of wonder where everything you see, and all that you experience is something new. Totally worth it! My advice is to dip your toes internationally. If you haven't been to Mexico at all, start in Baja, if you like that, dip into interior, and then the horizon is the limit. ~ Eric
every inch, Im worn out, & short $20K, great point, me, USA only.
I don't understand your comment, but if you have any questions, I'm happy to help, The reality is that to travel anywhere in the world all you need are 5 things. Water, Food, Shelter, Warmth, and Sleep. Everything else is nice to have and makes the journey more enjoyable. We've seen folks in South America that have made it down there in a 2wd minivan and are having an amazing journey. So don't get discouraged if your heart is international travel. ~ Eric
Man... How many sponsors they have???
We have 27 gear sponsors for our global overland journey. We're on our 10th year of full-time vehicle travel. ~ Eric
I had that exact same aluminum Rock Hard Patriot front bumper. The very first time I used the recovery points it warped the front fascia. Poor design. Never again.
Sorry you had that experience! That has not been our experience at all. We've been really happy with our front bumper, and the light weight of the aluminum for our build. Hope you found something that works well for you. ~ Eric
@@HourlessLife I did. I loved that it was so lightweight too. As long as you don't need to be pulled out of mud or snow or sand or whatever by that bumper, you'll be fine. But personally under a really heavy pull I don't trust those mounting points not to just rip off and go flying. Just look at how they're built, and you'll see what I mean. The recovery points themselves do not mount to the frame, and that is the problem.
9-years living in a truck & no working toilet? 🤷🏽♂️
It is actually over 10 years as of this writing. We actually do carry a toilet. It is called the Thunderbox by Thunderbox USA. Surprised we forgot to include it in the video, but good catch. ~ Eric
Just buy a Real pickup and put a camper on it ! Remember u have to rework all ur undercarrige just to haul the xtra weight and the truck is Allready built for that !!
Dudley, I'm sure you mean well, but this isn't really a thought through comment for our type of journey. Shipping a vehicle across oceans requires specific measurements for container shipping which is the most cost affordable. Our rig was designed to fit inside a container intentionally as I mentioned in the video. The Jeep Gladiator is more than capable for what we've designed it to do for this drive around the world. A "real pick up with a camper" would have to go RORO across the oceans (roll on roll off) and there are all kinds of issues with that including price, security, time, etc. DAUNTLESS was designed for the specific journey we are on. We mention in the video that the build of the viewer might be entirely different for their type of travel, for our type of travel DAUNTLESS is exactly what we were hoping for. We're really glad with how he turned out. ~ Eric
@@HourlessLife @dudley Baggerman - I am building out an F250 for a similar purpose. I am not planning to go all continents though. Mostly the Americas, Newzealand and Australia. The F250 can carry a lot of weight, but I will face challenges when it comes to container shipping. I will make it work, but I have to spend more time planning (and money) to do so. It would be easier if I would go with a smaller vehicle, but I am putting a pop-up camper on there.
@@ChristophPuetz thanks for the comment. For what it is worth, we see all kinds of overlanding vehicles down here in Latin America. Everything from huge expedition vehicles to mini vans. Every vehicle build is going to have its strengths and weaknesses as a platform. The bottom line is taking the one that is right for you and your type of travel. This of course includes budget considerations. To give you an idea, just shipping from Panama to Colombia is going to cost us about $6000 less than it cost some friends of ours with a truck and camper who couldn't fit inside a container. So that is a consideration. As is parking, navigating extremely narrow streets, and low clearance bridges and sections specifically in more remote areas. The most important thing is to take the journey. I'm excited for you and your future adventures. If we can ever be a resource for you as you are building out your rig, let us know. ~ Eric