World, meet Boone.
Boone, meet world.
Boone, our 2021 Jeep Gladiator Mojave
Hey, y’all. Today, we’re introducing you to our 2021 Jeep Gladiator Mojave. It may be small (but mighty) right now, but it won’t be long before this humble truck is an overlanding beast. After all, that’s the goal with this build.
With Otis, our silver Gladiator, the idea for the build was a bit murky. We wanted to rock crawl, we wanted to overland, we wanted to drive cross-country, and we wanted to build a show truck. All great things, but not exactly attainable with one vehicle—not without loads of money and/or making serious sacrifices in each facet of the build.
Otis, our 2021 Jeep Gladiator Sport S w/ Max Tow
This time, things are different. The vision is clear. The blueprints are laid.
So, what exactly do those plans include? While we don’t want to spill any secrets or spoil any surprises, we’re happy to give you a little sneak peek into the philosophies driving the new rig.
Through building vehicles, making mistakes, and using the heck out of gear, we’ve started to hone in on what we like and what it is we will be using the Gladiator for. This process of learning and refinement is far from over, of that we’re sure, but it has guided us to a more precise vision for Boone that will direct the trajectory of the build.
With that in mind, let us share the overarching goals of this Gladiator project.
This is an overland build. While we do want to be prepared for anything, we are not building this truck to speed through the desert, do extreme crawling, or otherwise conquer a specific extreme terrain. Instead, we are aiming for minimalism and practicality.
The words overland and minimalism/practicality don’t often go together, so let us explain. We want Boone to do well on the highway, be equipped for off-grid sustainability, and feature minimal yet high-quality aftermarket support to maintain simplicity and reliability.
The inaugural camping trip with Boone
In action, this may look like reasonable all-terrain tires, armor that emphasizes weight savings, and carefully curated camping equipment.
If you’re looking for the mildly over-the-top build that Otis was, you won’t find it here. Our tires won’t surpass 37”, no unnecessary suspension mods will be made, and the truck won’t be seen seeking out body damage or Best of Show plaques.
Our 2021 Jeep Gladiator Mojave was purchased and will be modified to facilitate what we like—journeying to beautiful remote locations, enjoying the solace in comfort, and safely making it back to civilization when duty calls. It will be a minimalist overland Jeep built to be used, not necessarily seen.
Boone symbolizes a return to our roots, where the goal isn’t the biggest, baddest build or the hottest Instagram post. Rather, it’s the travels, the camping, and the experiences and memories we make along the way.
We hope our journey inspires you to live your own and that you enjoy following along as we pursue a purer form of adventure.
-Riley