We Conquer the Grueling TransAmerica Trail in a Subaru: A Coast-To-Coast Adventure on Dirt and Gravel

August 5, 2025 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

The TransAmerica Trail is the ultimate rural driving route across the USA, starting in North Carolina at the Atlantic Ocean and ending in Oregon on the Pacific. It features thousands of miles of unpaved roads, mountain trails, and remote desert byways, with jaunts of narrow pavement intermixed. Originally for motorcycles, an we recently completed the…

Continue reading →

The 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander Trail Edition Gets A Bit More Outdoorsy

July 31, 2025 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

If there’s anyone out there rooting for Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) to continue their road to success, it’s us. The company’s Outlander is the best-selling Mitsubishi in years, and quite good (especially the PHEV version). However, Outlander has been really on-road-focused, despite the company’s storied off-road and rally history. And while that’s where the…

Continue reading →

The Modifications to Our TransAmerica Trail 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness

July 28, 2025 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

We did it! We completed the TransAmerica Trail from Nags Head, North Carolina, to Port Orford, Oregon, in a 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness. It was a heck of an adventure spanning more than 7,100 miles with over 3,100 of that being unpaved. One question we get regularly asked is what modifications were made to the…

Continue reading →

Our Newest Purchase: 1998 Suzuki Jimny Wide

July 22, 2025 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

Years ago, I told myself that when the 1998 Suzuki Jimny became legal to import into the U.S in 2023, I’d buy one. Mercedes was on board with this plan, especially after we rented a 2019 Jimny in Iceland (we’ll have to wait until 2044 for one of these). Despite two years of tardiness, we…

Continue reading →

BREAKING: Oregon Kei Truck Bill Scrapped, But Ammendment to Existing Bill Added; Could Pass Sooner

June 12, 2025 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

We’ve been talking and writing a lot about Oregon and its move to legalize kei trucks. As of tonight, there are new developments.

Continue reading →

Oregon State Senator Introduces Bill to (Hopefully) Legalize Kei Vehicles

June 5, 2025 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

It hasn’t been long since a host of us have been pushing the state of Oregon to legalize kei vehicles. Now, Oregon State Senator Anthony Broadman has introduced a bill that’d allow kei trucks to be legalized. Many of us are hopeful.

Continue reading →

Want Kei Cars Legal in Oregon? Read on.

May 30, 2025 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

Oregon is among a handful of states that don’t allow kei vehicles to be registered for use on public roads. However, there’s now a group that is advocating to have this changed. The group, JDM Oregon Advocates, is organizing for a move to allow kei cars to be road-legal there and to have a level…

Continue reading →

2025 Volkswagen Tiguan First Drive: Refined and Ready for Road-Worthy Adventures

May 26, 2025 / Mercedes Lilienthal / Leave a comment

We recently attended the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan first-drive event in Bozeman, Montana. Although the weather offered steady rain and wind, that didn’t dampen our spirits when testing VW’s third-generation five-seat SUV. Along with the rest of VW’s SUV lineup, this all-new people mover may have the American audience captivated. In 2024, the Germany-based auto manufacturer’s…

Continue reading →

Our 1994 Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear Walkaround Video

May 21, 2025 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

It’s been nearly five years since we’ve had our van, aka, the Travel Tractor. So it seems appropriate that our 1994 Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear walkaround video finally happens. So, without further ado, see the motion picture above.

Continue reading →

The 2025 One Moto Show Brings Eccentric and Eclectic Bikes and Cars to Portland

May 5, 2025 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

Every year, The One Motor Show fills a vacant industrial area along Portland, Oregon’s waterfront with highly customized motorcycles, trikes, mini bikes, cars, and trucks. While the world-class show is distinctly Portland, it brings in people, vehicles, and vendors from all over the U.S. (and abroad) to take in amazing builds. There’s a little bit…

Continue reading →