The XOVERLAND Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

From the Americas to Africa, motorcycles to a Hilux, Lisa and Jason of Four Wheeled Nomad have done it all. This week, they sit down with Rachelle and discuss striking the right balance in their overlapping adventures.

After 80,000 miles and 21 countries, all on motorcycles, Lisa and Jason have gotten comfortable with being uncomfortable, and they are here to share their story.

Make sure to check them out on YouTube and on Instagram!

Join us for a deep dive into what it looks like to overland in the U.S. from a European perspective with Melanie and Sebastian from the Campulance!

These two amazing people tell everything that they know about making life choices to support your love of travel, managing finances, budgeting & saving, work ideas, and much more.

Not sure where to get started in full-time overlanding? This podcast is for you.

When trying to figure out a plan for your next vacation, are you interested in booking a “tour” or experiencing a real “adventure”? To begin with, maybe you’re wondering exactly what the difference is between the two. 

Joe Fleming, owner/founder of Bonafide Moto Co. based in Southern Africa is on the show to explain how the ADV motorcycle experiences his clients share with him are more than just a trip or a tour; they are a “bonafide” moto adventure. Hosting riders from around the world in places as extreme as Namibia and India, Joe and his team create unique travel experiences in which challenges and exploring the unknown are the norm.

While some have the ability and desire to embark on a years-long, round-the-world overlanding journey by truck or motorcycle, many of us only have a one to two-week window of vacation each year in which we can have a shot of experiencing the adventure of a lifetime. So it’s no surprise that overland tourism is on the rise. “Fly and Drive/Ride” experiences are now available in many parts of the world, and we’re interested in sharing what these look like with our listeners.

Clay and Rachelle met Joe Fleming on the XOVERLAND team’s recent trip to Southern Africa. They were impressed by Joe’s enthusiasm for the region, passion for his work, and extensive knowledge of the area, so we decided to feature Joe on our first podcast episode featuring the subject of overland tourism. 

An American by birth, Joe Fleming moved to South Africa full-time 10 years ago to pursue the love of a special woman. Since then, Joe has fallen deeply in love with Africa, making a whole new life for himself as the owner/operator of an adventure motorcycle touring company. Joe is eager to candidly share what his clients experience on their journeys with him along with his thoughts on how to best prepare for an adventure of a lifetime–wherever you’re headed.

See Full Show Notes HERE!
See Video Version of this Podcast HERE!

Considered by many in motorsport to be the world’s toughest race, the Dakar Rally is renowned for the extreme off-road challenges it poses for both motorcyclists and drivers alike. Described as not just the biggest Rally Raid in the world, but as “an incomparable human adventure,” this year’s Dakar Rally will last 14 days and take place in Saudi Arabia.

So what do the Dakar and overlanding have in common? Why are we talking about the Dakar on the XOVERLAND Podcast? Find out by joining our conversation with moto legend and off-road coach, Jimmy Lewis. Nearly winning the Dakar Rally during his racing career, Jimmy now coaches the top racers in the U.S. to compete in the Dakar. Jimmy’s current student, moto competitor, Ricky Brabec, is the first American ever to win the Dakar.

Thankfully for all of us who are not racers, Jimmy is eager to share his expertise in all areas related to riding, driving, and navigating in off-road environments. Course designer of the Rebelle Rally and owner/operator of Jimmy Lewis Off-Road Training, Jimmy has improved the off-road skills of top pro riders and thousands of his amateur students.

Get ready to be entertained by Jimmy’s colorful stories of Dakar and beyond while settling into in-depth conversations that will improve your off-road knowledge and skillsets no matter what vehicle you choose to adventure with.

See Full Show Notes HERE!
See the Video of this Episode HERE!

Many of us in the traveling and outdoor adventure community currently parenting or considering becoming parents wonder about this pivotal question:  Can I take my kids out of school to join me on an epic adventure?

To help find the answers, the team at XOVERLAND has brought together three guests to serve as a panel of experts who can share their experiences and know-how when it comes to taking your kid out of a conventional school setting so they can hit the road with you and head out on a great adventure. 

After all, isn’t an overlanding journey a great opportunity to learn? New places, perspectives, cultures, experiences, skills, and knowledge await the traveling adventurer, so why not share that with our children? 

Our first guest is global overland traveler, XOVERLAND Co-Founder and COO, Rachelle Croft. A mother of three boys, Rachelle has experienced the evolution of seeing her and husband, Clay Croft’s, children go from toddlers to world travelers themselves. The Croft boys have accompanied their parents to Alaska, Scandinavia, and now Africa–all while remaining enrolled in their local public school system. We talk to Rachelle to learn more about how to work with your child’s school to take them on massive adventures that may last weeks or even months.

Our second guest, Christine Dehaven of Family.Overland.Adventure, along with her husband Evan DeHaven, has taken her two boys on a three-year full-time overlanding adventure. Taking place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DeHavens opted for remote learning to keep their kids enrolled in classes and on the path toward a diploma. Christine explains what this option looks like for travelers and how she has refined the approach to suit the personalities and learning styles of her boys.

Finally, we feature Brittany Highland of Hourless Life. Brittany and husband, Eric, have been full-time overlanding since 2014. In 2016, their son, Caspian, was “born to the road” as Brittany describes it. Giving birth in an L.A. hospital, hours later Brittany was back in the family Jeep with Eric and heading toward Mexico to continue on their epic overlanding adventure. Brittany has been teaching Caspian on the road ever since using a unique method of learning known as “Unschooling.” She and Eric plan on continuing along their journey while Caspian grows up and completes the work necessary for his high school diploma.

If this is a topic you’ve been curious about, please join us for this unprecedented conversation. We hope that by the time you wrap up listening to this episode, you will have both the knowledge and confidence to go after your most ambitious traveling and adventure dreams without being hamstrung by “school”!

See Full Show Notes for this Episode HERE.
See Video Version of this Episode HERE.

See Full Show Notes HERE
See Video of this Podcast Episode HERE

What do you get when two guys who grew up knee-deep in the RVing industry decide to build a compact, well-constructed truck camper perfect for vehicle-based adventuring and overlanding? The “Skinny Guy Camper” of course!

For this episode, we sit down with Skinny Guy Campers co-founders, Jason Bontrager and Donavon Fredrickson along with Chief Operating Officer and co-owner, Austin Bontrager to discuss what it looks like to take your dream for an innovative product from an idea to a manufactured reality.

The grandson of Jayco RV founder, Lloyd Bontrager, Jason knows a thing or two about RVs but his passion has always been for remote, overland-style camping far away from parking lots and established campgrounds. The son of the owner of one of Jayco’s most successful dealerships, Donavon Fredrickson (aka “Skinny Guy”) has always shared the same passion. That’s why these two teamed up to build an all-new truck camper concept manifested in the “Skinny Guy Camper.”

Along with telling the story of the business they built, these two and Austin share details about the SGC that make it unique to the degree of having its own patent. An R.V.I.A. (Recreational Vehicle Industry Association) certification, a patented jack system, the ability to fit on nearly any pickup platform–and even a flushable toilet? Somehow, this team has found a way to make it happen.

It’s been far from easy though, and Donavon, Jason, and Austin still face new challenges every day as they press on to bridge the gap between the amenities of an RV and the rugged reliability of a compact overlanding platform.

See Full Show Notes HERE!
Watch the Video HERE!

For this episode, Jimmy & Leah sit down for an expansive conversation with MAK (Mary Ashley Krogh) and Owen of Bound for Nowhere.

MAK & Owen share the details of how they became close friends with other traveling creatives like Karissa & Linhbergh of gondirtin and Chase & Aimee Bartee of Tight Loops Fly, and we discuss the unique qualities of the overland travel community.

Then jump in with us for a very deep dive into MAK & Owen’s particular traveling philosophy and how it manifests itself within their work featured in the content of Bound for Nowhere.

Finally, enjoy catching a glimpse of what’s next for this adventure-artist couple, learn how they have fun and stay safe on the road, and find time for activities like journaling, photography, hiking, and other activities while full-time traveling.

See Full Shownotes HERE!
Watch the Video of this Podcast Episode HERE!

What is it like to go from being successful L.A. professionals living in the suburbs with two kids to being full-time family overlanders traveling out of a beautifully restored 1972 Ford Bronco on the adventure of a lifetime? Find out in this epic episode featuring Christine & Evan DeHaven of Family Overland Adventure.

After pushing hard to become successful in the highly competitive media environment of Los Angeles, California, the DeHavens realized that what they had worked so hard to achieve left them lacking connection as a couple and a family. They decided that the answer was a new family challenge: a life of full-time family overlanding. 

So working together with their two sons, they made a family decision to sell their house and hit the road. Throughout this episode, we hear of their adventures as they traveled from the southern-most tip of Baja to the shores of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, learn about their decision to pivot from the Bronco to their 2016 Toyota Tundra, and discover why after three years of full-time overlanding they decided to settle down in Bozeman, Montana.

See what there is to discover from the triumphs and challenges of thousands of miles and more than three years of family overland adventure in this unique story told by the DeHavens!

This podcast is brought to you by onX Offroad!

See Full Show Notes HERE!
See Video Version of this Podcast HERE!

XOVERLAND CEO, Clay Croft, jumps in as host for this special episode with photographer/social media influencer, Chris Burkard. Chris and Clay share a common bond through a life of making media around the adventures they pursue.

We connect with Chris from his home in Iceland, where he and his family enjoy a life of fresh experiences both cultural and physical as Chris pursues next-level photographic journeys into the island nation’s most remote and extreme environments.

Throughout their conversation, Clay and Chris discuss their experiences in Iceland, their origin stories as adventure-photographer/filmmakers, and the role overlanding vehicles play in their lives.

The two further discuss fatherhood and parenting, the hard and challenging road to success, mentorship, and the wisdom they have learned along the way.

Join in for a conversation in which you are sure to find inspiration and a few pro tips to success no matter what you have your sights set upon.

See Full Show Notes HERE
Watch the Video Version of this Podcast Episode HERE