I started overlanding as an LAV Crewman in the Marines. I was fortunate to be assigned an MOS that I genuinely enjoyed, and off-roading in places like 29 Palms, California; Mt. Fuji, Japan; Australia; Egypt; Kuwait; Iraq; and so many others gave me the confidence to pursue this lifestyle after transitioning to civilian life.

In 2008, I bought my first dedicated overland vehicle: a 2008 VW Touareg V8. It was an incredible and capable car that took me to many remote places. However, as my family grew, I upgraded to a 2017 Ram 2500 and outfitted it with an AT Overland Atlas camper. That truck became our home on wheels, housing my wife, our three kids, and two dogs for months at a time every summer. We traveled everywhere—from Key West to Alaska, Las Vegas to Cabo San Lucas, and countless places in between.

Now that I’m older and my kids are busy with college and high school, I’ve started traveling more solo with my dog, and occasionally with my wife. I needed something smaller, more comfortable, and easy to set up, yet still highly capable. That’s how I ended up with a Jeep Gladiator Rubicon and installed the new ModCap from Alu-Cab.

Over the past few days, I’ve been testing its capabilities in the Mojave Preserve, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision.

My long-term goal is to tackle the Pan-American Highway for the second time, this time going all the way to Patagonia. Eventually, I’d like to ferry my Jeep to Europe and explore there as well. For now, as I wait for my youngest daughter to head off to college, I’m making the most of every adventure with my rig, which I’ve named Diablo, a name my wife suggested for no particular reason.

I’m incredibly thankful for this forum and community, where I’ve learned so much from others. From rig setups to route suggestions, your insights have been invaluable.

Thank you, everyone, for inspiring me to keep exploring and chasing new horizons.