What’s Under the Hood and Inside the Most Famous Overland Gladiator in the World?
Many of us have wowed to the antics of this 2022 Overland Gladiator conquering tough trails, but its builder explains what really makes it tick.
Though overlanding has been around for decades, it really caught fire in the United States during the Covid-19 pandemic. All of a sudden, Jeep, pickup truck, and SUV owners had extra time and money on their hands, coupled with restrictions on normal vacations like hotels, cruises, and flying overseas.
But let’s face it, many of those rigs seldom leave pavement except for the occasional and heavily photoshopped Instagram post. But hey, driving around town or going to work with hundreds of pounds worth of gear and a rooftop tent to kill your fuel economy is a small price for virtue signaling a sporty lifestyle. Which brings us to what one man dubs “the most famous overland Gladiator in the world.”
Rig has traveled 56K Miles So Far
The famous overland Gladiator in question belongs to Shaun Walford, the person behind TheStoryTillNow, a YouTube channel with over 420,000 subscribers that happens to be chock full of legit off-road content. One of the wrenches behind Walford’s Gladiator is Christian Hansen, who goes by the name “Epic Ginger” on social media. Hansen’s shop is called Epic Adventure Outfitters in Surrey, British Columbia. And yes, he has red hair (and beard).
According to Hansen, Shaun of TheStoryTillNow is “one of the rare people that has more miles on dirt than pavement with one of these vehicles.” Indeed, there are countless reels of this machine in action, but this particular video focuses on the actual modifications that lead to such capability and durability in an overlanding rig.
Mighty 426 Hemi V8
It’s mentioned early-on that the famous Gladiator started life as a 2022 gasoline-powered Rubicon in the Sarge Green color. Nowadays, a 426 cubic inch Hemi conversion from America’s Most Wanted lives where the puny V6 used to reside. The conversion is actually based around a Mopar crate engine and makes a whopping 606 horsepower and 609 lb-ft of torque. “It just goes and it sounds amazing doing it,” says the mechanic. Although he does concede that fuel economy isn’t great.
To stand up to all that horsepower, the stock Dana 44 axles were swapped out for a pair of specially prepared Dana 60s. This greased the skids for fitting a set of heavy 40-inch all-terrain tires on beadlock wheels. Hansen acknowledges that some Gladiator owners fit 40-inch tires on stock axles, but he definitely doesn’t recommend it.
Those trick Dana 60 axles are supported by a Teraflex suspension with Falcon shocks. In total, there’s 4.5 inches of additional lift. Rounding out the exterior are metal fender flares and bumpers, the latter of which are aluminum. That’s an effort to shave some weight from an already-heavy rig.
Overland Gladiator Is Built for Shooting Videos
Of course, what self-respecting overland rig would be without a camper top? In the case of this Gladiator, it a Go Fast Camper Pro model. Hansen bestows praise on the Go Fast Camper brand, proclaiming, “It’s hard to beat a go fast camper for price, weight, and styling.” A diesel heater keeps the camper warm and cozy, a necessity in Canada.
In place of the Gladiator’s back seat is a brace of batteries, chargers, and other electronics. That comes in handy when you’re creating content all day, and apparently powering an electric chainsaw. So far, this machine that’s both show and go has racked up 90,000 kilometers (56,000 miles) worth of fun for its lucky owner and viewers alike.
Photos: Epic Adventure Outfitters/YouTube
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