The Ford F-150 is a large pickup truck with a bed in the back for carrying things. People use it for work, towing, and general hauling. In the podcast, it’s referenced as part of a person’s name or identity.
This is a Subaru version of the Cross Trek that’s meant to handle rougher roads better. The “Wilderness” trim is Subaru’s off-road style and setup, and the speaker is talking about how the newer (third) version feels different from the older (second) one.
“Third gen” just means the third version of that car model. It usually has updates compared to the older one, and the speaker is saying they’re starting to like the newer generation more.
“Second gen” means the earlier version of the model. The speaker is saying they already liked the older generation, and then they explain how the newer one changed.
A spacer lift is a way to raise the car a bit by adding parts in the suspension. It helps the vehicle clear bumps and ruts on rough roads, but it may require extra setup afterward so everything still drives straight.
“Jeep rated” means the trail is graded for how hard it is, based on what Jeep drivers typically tackle. It’s basically a difficulty label to help you understand whether the route is easy, moderate, or very challenging.
A clutch is what helps transfer power from the engine to the rest of the drivetrain. If it’s still the original clutch after a lot of miles, it suggests the car has been holding up—but rough driving could make it fail sooner.
Overload springs are helper springs (often rear) designed to support extra weight from cargo, bumpers, or rooftop gear. They help maintain ride height and reduce sag when the vehicle is loaded for overlanding.
“225/65” is a tire size code that describes how wide the tire is and how tall the sidewall is. Different sizes can change how the car feels and how it’s geared.
CVT means the car uses a transmission that can smoothly change ratios instead of fixed gears. Tire size can change how hard the transmission has to work, so they’re checking if it’s still okay.
An aftermarket tire is a tire you choose yourself instead of the one that came from the factory. People swap them to get more grip or a more aggressive tread, even if it can be noisier.
Nitto is a tire brand that makes off-road-oriented tires. Here, they’re considering Nitto tires because they want something with a more aggressive tread.
Brand
Falcons
Falcons is a tire brand they’ve used before. They’re saying their recent tire sets from that brand have been great.
Term
grappler threes
“Grappler Threes” is a specific tire model they’re considering. It’s meant to be tougher for off-road driving, but it can be louder on regular roads.
“AT” means all-terrain tires—made to handle both regular roads and rougher surfaces. Here, the host is talking about a specific all-terrain tire model they used.
Smaller 15-inch wheels usually mean the tire has a taller sidewall. That can make the ride smoother and helps the tire work better when you lower pressure for off-road trails.
“Air down” means letting some air out of your tires when you leave the pavement. It helps the tire grip better on loose or uneven ground and can make the ride less bouncy.
An all-terrain tire is designed for mixed driving—regular roads plus dirt or gravel. It usually isn’t as “chunky” as the most aggressive off-road tires, so it can be quieter on pavement.
The Subaru Crosstrek is a small crossover that’s meant for everyday driving, but with extra traction for different road conditions. It’s popular because it’s practical and not too big. The podcast mentions it in the context of how different wheel sizes can change its appearance.
A “brake mod” means changing the brakes so your wheels will fit. Here they’re talking about possibly swapping to smaller brakes so a smaller wheel size (like 15s) can clear everything.
A swing-out arm is a mount that holds your spare tire on the back and lets it swing out so you can grab it easily. People use it on overland-style setups because it’s more convenient than other spare locations.
A “donut” is the small spare tire you use temporarily if you get a flat. It’s meant to help you drive to a tire shop, not to replace your regular tire for long trips.
A jerry can is a container for carrying extra fuel. People bring them on longer trips, and they mount them carefully so they don’t interfere with other gear.
They’re talking about the Orange County fairgrounds, where one of the events took place. They mention it because the setting and vibe are different from the main event location.
Flagstaff is a city in northern Arizona at higher elevation. People who go off-road and travel overland like it because the area has lots of rugged roads and outdoor routes to explore.
The Subaru Outback is a car that looks like a wagon but drives more like an SUV. It’s made to handle different road conditions, including rain or light snow, and it has room for passengers and cargo. People talk about it a lot because it’s practical for everyday use.
That hat is Subaru’s motorsports branding for the U.S. It usually means the person is into Subaru racing or performance events, not just normal driving.
“Rebell rally” is the name of a rally event the guest has been part of. Rally events are off-road/rough-road competitions where the car needs to be set up to handle bumps and traction changes.
The Subaru Forester is a Subaru crossover that’s popular for being practical and good in rough weather. Here, the speaker talks about an older ’05 Forester that they rebuilt with a stronger engine so it could handle rally-style driving.
An STI block refers to using an engine block associated with Subaru’s STI performance line as the foundation for a stronger build. Engine blocks are the core structural part that the cylinders and many internal components are built around, so swapping to an STI-spec block is often done to handle higher stress.
The camshaft is the part that times the engine’s valves. If you change it, the engine can make power differently—often feeling stronger in certain RPM ranges.
Naturally aspirated means the engine doesn’t use a turbo or supercharger to push air in. It relies on normal engine breathing, which can make the power feel smoother as you rev.
A manual transmission is the kind where you choose the gears yourself using a clutch pedal and a shifter. In events like rallies, it can help the driver keep the engine in the right power band.
“Sweep” means the support vehicle that comes through after the main group. It helps catch up to anyone who’s behind and can assist if a car has trouble.
Mechanical assistance means helping a broken-down car during the event. It’s the kind of quick repair or troubleshooting that gets the vehicle moving again.
Overland Expo is a big event for people who travel with their vehicles for camping and off-road-style trips. You can see lots of modified trucks and SUVs, meet other owners, and check out gear vendors.
The Subaru Ascent is Subaru’s three-row family SUV, and it’s a newer platform compared with the older Forester mentioned. The speaker’s point is that newer Subaru models like the 2019 Ascent have a larger and faster-growing aftermarket ecosystem, so more gear and upgrades become available over time.
The Plymouth Barracuda is an older American performance car, usually known for strong acceleration and a sporty look. It’s the kind of car people often talk about as a classic. In this podcast, it’s mentioned as a car name being used and possibly changed.
Terrain tires are tires designed with tread patterns and rubber intended for mixed surfaces like dirt, gravel, and mud—not just smooth pavement. They’re typically paired with off-road trims because they help with traction and confidence when the road surface changes.
A suspension lift raises the car higher off the ground. That helps prevent the tires or the bottom of the car from scraping when you drive over bumps or rough terrain.
A turbo is a device that helps the engine make more power by pushing extra air into it. More air usually means the engine can produce stronger acceleration.
A rooftop rack is a platform on top of the car for carrying extra gear. It’s popular for camping and road trips because it frees up space inside the vehicle.
OEM side rails are the roof rails that came with the car from the factory. Swapping them for a full rack can make it easier to mount and carry gear on top.
They’re talking about how the Subaru community helps each other with off-road and camping-style car setups. People share what parts worked for them so others can copy the good ideas.
The “Subaru camp” is the event area set up for Subaru enthusiasts, functioning as a social hub during the overlanding/off-road gathering. It’s described alongside activities like live music and dog adoption, emphasizing the community-focused setup.
Subaru of America is the U.S. organization responsible for Subaru’s brand presence, marketing, and customer-facing initiatives. In the transcript, it’s credited with putting on the event and creating a community space for Subaru owners.
The Subaru 360 is an old, very small Subaru from the brand’s early days. It’s famous for its weird-cute look and it’s a big piece of how Subaru got started.
A roof tent is a tent that sits on top of the car. People use it for camping because it can be quicker to set up and you’re not sleeping directly on the ground.
Here, “accessories” means extra gear and add-ons you put on your car for a purpose. They’re saying Subaru sells camping/overlanding add-ons through dealerships.
The Subaru Outback Wilderness is a special version of the Outback made for tougher roads and outdoor trips. In this segment, the speaker uses it on a long gravel road to their house, showing how it handles real-world rough driving. It’s basically the “go anywhere” Outback trim.
The Subaru WRX is Subaru’s sporty, rally-style car. Here, the speaker says it’s their “rally car,” meaning they use it for more fun, aggressive driving. Then they talk about the Outback Wilderness as the practical adventure vehicle.
A facelift means the car gets refreshed partway through its life. It usually changes things like the front and rear styling and may add new features, but it’s not a totally brand-new car. Here, the speaker is saying the new Outback Wilderness looks different because of that refresh.
In automotive terms, a wagon is a body style with a longer roofline and a rear cargo area that’s integrated with the passenger cabin. The speaker mentions “it’s not a wagon anymore,” which points to a design/body-style shift in how people perceive the Outback. Even if the vehicle still carries cargo like a wagon, styling and branding changes can make it feel more like an SUV crossover to some buyers.
LIVE
Yeah, I mean, what a great experience for people to come out to, so, you know, in future
if people didn't get to come to this one, go check out these Overland Expos.
I just think that for Subaru people, the enthusiasts that Subaru has a great setup
at all of these, you can come and ask questions, you can be part of the crowd, you can immerse
yourself in the camp and everything like that, and I just think it's incredible.
Welcome to another edition, wait, no, this is, hold on, I got to start that over.
Welcome to another bonus episode of the Subaru B&U podcast.
This one was put together at Overland Expo West 2026 in Flagstaff, Arizona.
I had some conversations with Damon who goes by Offroad CTW, he's got a wilderness cross
trek and then I also talked to Josh who goes by Subaru Raptor and then I talked to a guy
named Quinn who does not own a Subaru but you will hear why I had him on the podcast
episode, on this bonus episode because I actually ended up meeting him at the hotel bar.
I was washing some clothes and I was getting a snack and I was sitting there with my slow
Subis hat on and then I had another hat or I had a shirt on from, from, it was one of
the events that Subis of the Corn did and so I had, you know, Subaru on the front or
I think it had Subis of the Corn so the guy saw, you know, Subis stuff and then he asked
me a question, he asked me what the first Subaru was ever and I was like, oh my gosh,
I don't remember, I drew a blank so I had to look it up but then we ended up talking
about Subarus and then his sister came up and they started talking and turns out she
works for Overland Expo so she was like one of the key people in putting together the
whole event.
So that was really cool to get to meet her but then I ended up seeing him and his sister
in the Subaru booth the next day which was, I believe it was Saturday, I think, I can't
remember exactly but I mean it was a long weekend, had a lot of fun, conversations
but so I had a conversation with Quinn and I mean I know it was a long intro for that
guy but he doesn't have any social media account which I kind of admire that, I think that
was kind of cool that he doesn't, that he's just disconnected from everything.
So I don't even know if he'll get to hear this but I might be able to see if I can
find a way to get somebody that knows his sister from Overland Expo and get him a copy
of this episode but if you do end up hearing this, thank you so much Quinn for stopping
by and being a guest, it was really cool talking to you.
So we're going to get into the conversations, of course there's not going to be any other
intros and stuff in here as usual except go check out Subarugear.com, use the code
SUBINU2026 at checkout to get 20% off your purchase, if your total is over $50 after
the 20% discount you'll automatically get free shipping which is really really cool
and of course the 20% is not just good for one item, it's good for your entire cart
so go fill it up, get 20% off and again if it's over $50 after the 20% discount free
shipping super cool.
Thank you so much Subarugear for sponsoring the SUPINU podcast and bringing this great
offer to the listeners but we're going to go ahead and get into the conversations and
as per usual I'm not going to make any introductions in between the conversations, I'm just going
to let them roll through but I will also say I'm including the conversation I had with
Rian and Gels Amino here so it's just going to be four conversations and I was not recording
as much audio content this time because I recorded more long form YouTube video content
which I'm still working on putting together, it's my first time putting together content
like that and I'm not really exactly sure how I'm going to edit it all together but
I'm still working on it so please be patient but I will get that out.
My goal is to definitely get it out before I go to Overland Expo Mountain or Overland
Expo P&W which is coming up this month, that's kind of crazy that it's coming up pretty soon.
If you have never been to Overland Expo I highly recommend going, it's such a fun event,
there's so many vendors there, so much to see and of course Subaru is there but if you're
already going to Overland Expo P&W please come by the booth and say hi, if I'm not there
just let somebody know you stopped by because sometimes I'm going around the event because
I want to go see stuff, I want to go check out other vendors that I know that I've had
on the podcast or maybe meet new vendors so I'm definitely excited to go back to P&W,
it was so fun last year, I really really love the space that they had set up and if they
have the same space it was really really nice and I'm hoping to see some people again this
year that I got to see there last year, people that I met for the first time so that was
really really cool but we will go ahead and get into these conversations from Overland
Expo West 2026 in Flagstaff Arizona and again thank you so much for tuning in to the Subaru
B&U podcast, thank you so much for continuing to listen, please look out for the YouTube
videos I will post in my stories or I'll make a reel about it or something when all of the
videos are available so that you can go check them out, so thank you again, listen to these
conversations, hope you enjoy, see you at the end.
All right, well here we go round two for me of Overland Expo West 2026, how's it going man?
Good, it's a really great event, this is like our third time comment.
Nice, nice, well go ahead and introduce yourself so people can know who I'm talking to.
My name's Damon Doran on Instagram, I'm offroad underscore ctw, Cross Trek Wilderness.
Yeah, what year is it?
24.
Okay, yeah, so I mean just the third gen Cross Trek in general is growing on me,
probably because my daughter has one and so I see it more often but because I really,
like I have a second gen and I always really liked it and then when they came out with the
third gen and they changed things I was like, I mean I liked it, it still looks like a Cross Trek
but then like the wilderness is even much cooler.
Yeah, my brother-in-law has a 2016, we kind of liked his and so I was like, okay let's
look at one when we were going to replace one of our cars and then we held off for about a
year or so because I wanted to really get the wilderness one.
Yeah, the wilderness has got a really nice package, you know, as far as everything that
offers with it. So is this your first Subaru?
This is our first Subaru, yes.
Okay, nice, nice. So you said this is your third year at Overland Expo, right?
Is this, have you only come?
Not consecutive.
Oh, not consecutive?
Yeah, so this is our second consecutive year, I think it was in 2022 we came.
Okay.
So back then we had another vehicle, a Jeep, so we're kind of on that scene so to speak.
Yeah, so what made you switch from a Jeep to a Subaru?
Actually, the Subaru was going to be our second vehicle.
Oh, okay.
So something happened with the Jeep and so we don't have the Jeep anymore but it was going to be kind
of our still off-road vehicle but maybe not as extreme as the Jeep we could still go out on dirt roads
and stuff and I mean it was still stock before I put a spacer lift from ADF but last year I took
it up maybe about up to the I think they call it the the merry-go-round or whatever on Schnubbly
Hill which is a Jeep rated, a Jeep badge trail so we made it like 75% of the way up.
That's good.
That's impressive.
Took us a while we were getting you know looks from the pink Jeep tours and all that but
yeah yeah you know slow but surely we got up that hill.
Yeah, I mean you can do it you know.
Yeah.
So as far as like the Subaru space here you know you said you were here last year right?
So what do you think of this space this year and have you had a chance to walk around the
space yet?
We've walked around the Subaru space and we've walked around most of the expo.
I know this space because another vendor that I know really well Casey Highlights used to be here
so this used to be their space for years and so they're in a different space now so I know Camp
Subaru this is a podcast you're not going to see me pointing but over towards the left is where
Subaru used to be yeah and this is a whole lot you know bigger square footage so you're not
you have some room to breathe here.
Yeah yeah I like it too because this year they have the accessories the area that they have for
high country humane is like a little bit bigger because like I think the last time they've just
brought up more of like a like a pop-up thing that was a little bit smaller and this gives them
more space so that's really nice.
A lot more space yeah and then you've got you've got like this little wall up here behind your
wife with the you can put like your little icon up there like where you want like kind of like
what represents you for the national park itself what's your favorite you know.
I know we've been to a few of them I put it on white sands just because it's a really nice area
I've been there a couple times um I can't remember if we're in the Subaru or not I think we did but
okay nice or maybe not anyway but we've been to white sands which is a really cool area
I'm in aviation so there's an air force base near there so that's another
very nice area why I like it so yeah yeah and the caverns are cool out there too the Carlsbad
Caverns. I haven't been there but I would like to go at some point my brother's been there
but we have we have natural bridge caverns out in Texas near San Antonio and so those are pretty
cool but I think those might be the only caverns I've ever been to but it's really cool seeing
Amida way. I think there's well it's not a cavern but there's at least one lava tube in the general
area around here I believe as well in Flagstaff. Yes yeah because we came up here to visit some
friends like maybe 10 years ago and we were considering doing the lava tubes but we didn't
end up doing that but we did a lot of stuff while we were up here just for a week but that was one
of the considerations. Yeah we love the area I think we've been coming to initially it was um Sedona
since I think like 2015 or so and we've tried to come every year since and now that we're starting
to do the expo's come at a different time but yeah like we're coming here today and Friday tomorrow
Saturday and then Sunday we're going to go meet up with a friend in Cottonwood and explore Flagstaff,
Cottonwood and Sedona. Yeah cool I love Sedona but we went there last time when I was here and then
we did some exploring yesterday with camp the Camp Subra group so uh I saw you guys were up at the
the Mesa Grill and all that. Yeah yeah and then we went to edge of the world which is so beautiful
up there. How was that drive? Um it was rocky. It was rocky? Yeah it wasn't too bad but it was just
some some parts you can go a little bit faster some parts you have to go kind of slow because it
does get kind of rocky but but it wasn't bad. Yeah that's the one place I keep hearing about it but
we've never been there. You gotta go it's it's it's kind of a long drive depending on which way
because we went in a way that I think is really long but we also stopped a few times and then
when we came out a different way that was a lot smoother and the way that we came out is
the way that I believe that we went in whenever I was with my friends and I don't know them because
I haven't actually driven it myself but yeah edge of the world is really nice. Yeah because I know
there's access off of 89A I think is one point you can kind of make your way that way I don't know
which way you guys. Yeah yeah I don't remember. If you went through the canyon then that's probably
the way. Yeah we may have. I just I was a passenger I was taking video and stuff so I get to drive out
so that was fun. Ah that's cool. Yeah because I was with Roman who goes by GoSuby Adventures
because I so I have a cross trek that I rented through Turro but they don't allow you to
take it off-road so I'm like well I got to find somebody to ride with but it actually worked out
excuse me it actually worked out well because then Roman had somebody to ride with you know and I
had somebody to ride with otherwise we would have been driving by ourselves so it worked out well.
Yeah. So is a forest road considered off-road? I mean well when we went to I mean it was really
rocky like yeah there were some spots we were having to go really slow and there was there was a
stock cross trek that made it there was a stock outback like I had total confidence in myself
to make it but I mean it's more than just a forest road because like I said there was some spots where
it was pretty rocky and there's some you know terrain changes where you could have maybe done
some three-wheeling but it could have scraped you know if you're not careful so if it was just been
gravel roads that would have been different but even then I don't think they would want us to
do that. Yeah. It's like better not risk it you know. Exactly. Your insurance. Yeah yeah
but I really wish I could have driven Pearl out here because it's I know there's a guy that drove
out from San Antonio there's some there's other people that drove out pretty far but
my cross trek is at 144,000 miles on the original clutch and so like I don't want to risk you know
it going out. Oh yeah. Either on the way here home. Yeah exactly. Yeah but yeah so
it's it's been a good event so far you know it's hot like it was last year but there is a nice breeze
and thankfully it's not as windy and like dusty as it was last year because where we were at last
year there was so much wind and dust blowing all like everything was covered in dust. Yeah I remember
that. Yeah I literally I think in that area over there it's I think the dust is I mean the dirt's
a lot more finer but that's the thing me and my wife are saying it's not over the next boat unless
we have a little windstorm. I know the first time the first year we came which I think is 2022
they had to cancel the the movie night which we weren't going to but they cancelled it because
they said it was too windy. Wow yeah so yeah when we were at edge of the world yesterday it got
when I first got there it was pretty windy and then it died down and then it got really windy again
and like they were gonna there was they were gonna do something oh this guy had a drone and he was
like he was gonna take a picture of all of us at the edge with his drone but it that was right when
the wind picked up and he was like I'm not risking it I mean it was like really blowing really hard
so but it was it was a lot of fun. Yeah usually drones I have a drone and I think it's maximum is
maybe 20-21 miles an hour but I probably would not fly it either. Yeah yeah especially like
if it like swoops it over the edge you know and then it's gone so you don't want to risk that but
yeah so uh any other Subaru's in your future or are you just going to stick with the
at least for now we're sticking with this we're fixing it up uh got a roof rack from a guy Daniel
rigid armor oh yeah it was really good stuff he also does swing out arms and other stuff and
got an ADF uh one and a half inch lift kit in the front one and seven eighths in the back nice and
I got his overload springs that's good and we're like 50 000 and change so I know we're gonna start
looking at tires yeah and I was actually talking to the tech guy here John yeah yeah and was asking
him you know like what do you think 225 65s or 235 65s you know how's that gonna react with the
vehicle and he's like oh you could go to either one so I'm like can the CVT handle it yeah the CVT
can handle it so I'm like okay are you gonna go with OEMs again are you gonna go with a aftermarket
tire I guess an aftermarket or another not Yokohamas I'm not sure okay um I actually have
a little spreadsheet that I was looking at you know tire sizes tire weights yeah you know some
tires are real heavy I don't want to add a lot more weight obviously if I go up it's gonna add weight
but you know I want to try to keep it as light as I can and you know are there any tires that you've
been looking at specifically we've had when we had the Jeep we've had Toyos we've had Nido's
we've uh the last few sets we've had Falcons and they've all been great yeah um so I'm looking at
those brands Nido has the grappler threes I want something a little more aggressive I know they
say well it's going to create road noise but I'm like that's kind of the kind of goes with it you
know I want something a little more aggressive than the yeah Yokohamas but John was saying you
know see he lives in the Colorado area how great they're with snow but I'm like we're from LA yeah
we we've been to Colorado once and that's probably the most snow I've driven in which was just a
yeah and unless you're going to be driving through yeah I'm not living up there yeah you
don't need to worry about it but he says the Yokohamas are great for snow so yeah I had the
Toyos I had two sets of Toyos the um AT threes and I really liked those and then I was gonna go
with Toyos again but they're more expensive so I ended up going with the uh Milestar Patagonias
which is what like Milton and Kerry have been running and a bunch of other people
and it's it's an aggressive looking tire and it I don't really get that much road noise from it
like not really any more than the Toyos that I had I've looked at the Milestars and unfortunately
they don't make I don't think they make a 225.65 or a 235.65 you see it is a positive or a negative
the the the wilderness has the bigger brakes so I can't do 15 inch wheels like I think you have
yeah so which is nice because it's a lot more profile you can air down you have a lot more
cushioning so it's getting harder from what I've heard it's getting harder to find 15 inch wheels
there's not like because like Raika is who I have and they still make 15 inch wheels in the earlier
designs that they had but like as they're coming out with new designs they're not making 15 inch
wheels anymore and I think that some of the other wheel manufacturers may also be going that way
as well but because like I was um I was here last year talking to the people at um uh Noki and tires
and asking them about tires and because they have a an apt which is like an all-terrain tire but it's
not as aggressive as some of the other ones and they and then they have a more aggressive tire but
neither one of those are made in a to fit a 15 inch wheel and so like I couldn't get any of those
but but I like my 15 inch wheels yeah it's it's nice having the uh more sidewall I like the way
they look too yeah you see a lot of the uh older cross tracks with the 15 inch wheels and they look
pretty sweet yeah because like you said with the brakes and everything you were able to do that
with go with the 15 inch and I don't know I just like when I first bought my car that's what I was
hearing like so many people doing oh 15 inch wheels so that's what I did and
I'm like I like them I think there is a brake mod you can put I think smaller brakes but it's like
yeah I'm not going to spend yeah thousand dollars to put smaller brakes that may or may not be better
than what I have just for wheels so yeah I ended up um buying a fifth stock uh cross track wilderness
wheel yeah so I have a fifth one ready to go uh eventually I want to get a swing out arm yeah
through rigid armor so what do you have though that's fit now in my garage oh do you any good
to get a flat yeah I know I still have the donut and I know like my brother-in-law for his cross
track he ended up building a little plate basically replaced the the stock cover and then added some
little wood to pop it up whatever yeah two or three inches so he could fit his full size tire
back there yeah so yeah it'd be nice if they made them bigger so that you could you know put a bigger
tire in there eventually you know because I think you could make potentially make the space bigger
and then have the donut tire in there with just extra space around it yeah and then be able to put
like a bigger tire in there but yeah I've got mine on my roof rack and yeah we have a
a cargo case and I got a jerry can up there um so there's not I tried to fit it up there and it
just doesn't yeah doesn't yeah it's tough when you've got other things and I thought about it and
it would probably look funny if I put it I guess vertically like you see in the back of some of the
pickup trucks yeah I'm like the jerry can already pops up that while laying on its back but yeah
yeah probably best to just wait until you get to fold out yeah so well cool thanks for hopping on
the mic with me for a little bit nice to find me yeah yeah I know it's cool to when you can finally
meet people in person that's like one of my favorite things about this yeah and it's fun for me to get
to travel to these different expos and get a chance to meet people in person yeah you're lucky to see
like you know we went to the SoCal one this year and we went to it last year and it's kind of nice
to have it in southern California although it's not the same as the the OG one here yeah yeah I know
it's smaller too right it's smaller it's at a it's at the OC fairgrounds which are nice
but you know it's it's in the suburbs yeah you know here you got like you just look around you
see the pine trees yeah it's nice here people are camping out there that you know camp Subaru
somewhere out there or base camp Subaru is somewhere out there so yeah yeah it's a good setup
and flags have some nice areas oh yeah I love I so I'm flying out on Monday and we're done with the
Expo at three on Sunday and so I think I'm gonna go explore some while I'm here and just go check
some I mean I've been here before but like last year I flew out on Sunday and so I didn't get a
chance to like go do anything and and I'm here all day you know at the Expo Friday and Saturday so
I yeah I love Flagstaff I want to go drive around and check it out yeah and hopefully get the walk
around some I haven't haven't seen any Subaru's yet but a friend of mine Alex he changed his
Instagram name I don't know what it is off hand but he's at one of the he's gonna kill me for this
he's at one of the tire manufacturers so okay he's got a really nice setup of his outback
real frack and all that okay yeah I know that I think I asked Melee Design firm if they were
gonna be here and I don't think I don't remember if they said they're gonna they they have one of
their cars either here at or P&W maybe I can't remember not to message Mitch and ask him but
yeah that's always cool to see other Subaru's around it's somebody else's booth yeah he was at
SoCal and I I met him at the LA Auto Show because okay past couple years OVR magazine has set up
they've had an overland section for the past couple years just I think try to get another market
yeah at the LA area so yeah it's been kind of nice that they've had that so good awesome well
thanks for stopping by appreciate it yeah you're welcome I'm here doing another interview I've got
Josh a Subi Raptor here how's it going man hi it's going good just another beautiful day here
in Flagstaff Arizona yeah so how where do you live because you live not too far from here right
yeah I live in Cottonwood kind of over by Sedona just down just down the mountain here about 45
minutes away so okay I can really kind of experience this kind of environment yeah whenever I want
even though I don't get up here as much as I want to yeah I noticed you're wearing a Subaru
Motorsports USA hat and a Rebell rally shirt that's awesome yeah yeah I like to yeah definitely
support what I drive with Subaru you know they're great vehicles and things that they're capable
of doing and then you have been a part of the Rebell rally all 10 years of its existence being a
course official as well as a mechanic on the nice that's super cool yeah so why don't you let
everybody know what you drive because you know Subi Raptor it doesn't exactly tell exactly what it
is but it's a cool name yeah so it's a it's an 05 Subaru Forester just a base model that I picked up
had a bad engine in it picked the car up for 500 bucks put a built engine in it's got a STI block
it's got some camshaft so I mean it's nothing it's not it's naturally aspirated but it's got a
little more pep to it is it a manual yes it's a manual transmission even better even better that's
so cool so yeah it's it's a lot of fun I enjoy it it's been on the rally the Rebell rally the
past five years which those are about 10 days that I'm out and I put about
2,000 to 2,300 miles in those those 10 days so are you going out with it to like help people as
as a mechanic when they're having issues or what is your reasoning for like taking it
out on the Rebell rally or is somebody driving it for you yeah so I take it out I'm on course
every day being a course official so what we'll do is we'll go and we'll set up the
the checkpoints early in the morning and then I'll kind of be just be based out of a
out of a checkpoint for most of the day and then we'll run sweep just kind of just wrangle everyone
in okay at the end of the course and then if there is a mechanical assistance needed I'm also out
there as well but then also when I get back into base camp sometimes at eight or nine o'clock at
night sometimes where I jump on with the with the base camp uh mechanic screw and we're sometimes
wrenching on cars still sometimes two to three o'clock in the morning yeah depends on what's
needed gotta get them ready and get them to go uh so like with the Rebell rally you said the last
10 years and it's they just celebrated their 10th anniversary so you've been there the whole time
yes how did you get involved with that um I actually just kind of luck I worked at a Chrysler
Dodge Jeep dealer in Cottonwood uh I have a import background um from when I transferred over there
and then a lady Nina Barlow who owns a Jeep rental place in Sedona she kind of heard about this
rally she was gonna compete in it um and they were looking for mechanics and since I kind of
have a background in you know mostly everything that they'd have out there she think she thought
it'd be a good fit yeah I've kind of started going and they kind of just been stuck with me ever
since no that's good that's a good thing to be involved with so I'm sure you know you've had
a chance to like see Carrie out there in action and uh maybe interact with her some and that's
yeah that's super cool yeah so I've been hanging out with them uh you know most this this morning
and uh uh Carrie and Milton I got great people uh very very knowledgeable um will help anyone with
anything uh yeah they're always ready and uh which I've kind of noticed you most the the Subaru
people uh you know I've just been very uh welcoming and yeah and uh it's been really cool seeing
everybody yeah have you been to Overland Expo before or is this your first year I've really I've
been once I brought the wife and kids up probably
for about 56 years ago okay and then it always just ends up being when I'm either coaching
a youth sport or something it's just not able to get up here so I was glad I was able to to break
free and uh yeah and come up here because it's a really cool experience especially with you know
being part of the Subaru community and being part of you know this kind of
yeah area that they have so what do you think of the whole Subaru space here because I mean this
is your first time seeing it it's like it's definitely different than last year but uh
what are your impressions of it no it's awesome I mean you don't really see a whole lot of you
know manufacturers you know is in much support is modifying and using their vehicles for the
things that that we do and uh you know this community likes doing so it's it's really cool
they're here to you know kind of kind of hear people's thoughts and opinions on whether it be
accessories they'd like to see or what they want to do with their vehicles and even a little lounge
over there you show the Subaru key and you get water and snacks and it's it's just really cool
yeah and uh they've got the pet adoption over here which is really nice and so this is different
than last year because last year it wasn't is so like that last year all the Overland Expos that
I went to they had kind of like a temporary setup but this year they have like this permanent
structure for the whole event which I think is really nice because then it just makes it easier
to bring the dogs in here and have people look at them so you know see if they can adopt them
and then just having the factory vehicles you know all wilderness editions and then the owner
vehicles it's just super cool and then of course the stage where people are doing presentations
and everything yeah a lot of knowledge coming out from a lot of different people you know you can
definitely tell Subaru put in the you know put in the work and uh and really I'm like man like I
can't believe they brought in like this whole stage and this whole thing it's it's really incredible
yeah I know it is really nice I mean they had the stage last year at all the events but
just you know the whole experience here for people that are either owners or are considering a Subaru
it's really showcasing like what Subaru's you know like being able to see them talk to people
that are knowledgeable about it get some information and you know from people up on stage doing
presentations so it's all around it's really cool yeah it's definitely I mean cool with you I've
worked for you know many different car manufacturers and it's cool that you know Subaru is is offering
stuff available for doing this aftermarket stuff I mean you can definitely tell that that's
you know evolved from them because like back in the day with my my 05 Forester like there's not
really too much available that's why most of the stuff on my car is you know fabricated by me to
lift it and make it the way it is now yeah um but it's just awesome like the wife's I just got the
wife of 2019 a cent so nice you know there's there's a lot more stuff available and a lot more
coming available for them which is which is really cool because they have obviously
you know noticed their their base of people that are purchasing the vehicles and yeah I've kind of
catered to them yeah definitely well thank you so much for hopping on the mic and chatting yeah no
problem it was awesome yeah I really wanted to to meet you and it was yeah you said you're gonna make
the the trek out here to overland expo over by me because I definitely have a hard time getting
outside of Arizona for sure yeah no and it's cool it's always meeting or fun meeting people in
person yeah definitely all right thank you you're welcome so I'm standing here with Quinn at the
Subaru space here at overland expo in uh Arizona 2026 man how's it going I've been wonderful it's
been a great experience seeing all these different Subaru cars I love seeing the rebel car all the
history with that uh this event's been phenomenal good good I'm glad you like it so what do you
think of like the overall space that Subaru has here I really enjoy that it feels like a campsite
like it invites people in they can come and hang out it doesn't push people away and invites them
in I really enjoy it yeah and that was the whole purpose of it like this year it's actually bigger
than it was last year because last year it was like more cramped and so now we have more space
we've got like the Subaru loves pets adoption area which is exactly why I wanted to talk to you
because you don't own a Subaru currently you said you'd like to get a Subaru but you adopted
one of the pets which is really awesome yeah no the Subaru loves pets I could not endorse enough
like Barracuda is her name we're going to change it to Rue based off of Subaru yeah but Rue in Hindi
means soul so or Gujrati my fault but in Gujrati it means soul I think it represents everything
that not only Subaru is about but Outlands in general is about yeah it's about
finding purpose finding community it's beautiful here yeah like I could not
compliment it enough oh good I'm glad all right yeah yeah I mean it's just like other than the
strong winds it's like perfect conditions here today no a little dusty out here yeah yeah it's
thankfully it's not as bad as the space that we were in last year it was even worse was it like
last year oh man yeah like worse way worse I mean everything was covered in dust that's crazy
yeah because like I mean this is bad enough but it was like way worse yes I know I dropped
essential this year yeah so yeah so it's exciting that y'all adopted a pet here and I mean Subaru
does love pets you know they do a lot of the events that Subaru participates in they do bring out
pets from like local shelters and try to get them adopted so it's great that you came by and
adopted one yeah no it's no problem at all it's like just giving back yeah so you said you would
like to get a Subaru so is there something that you have in mind that you would think you would
like to get and I'll honestly know it's just been a pleasure to walk around this event and see what
people have and the idea of what I could have yeah um
you know it's a process to get it to where I want to I'd love to do off-roading I'd love to do
camping but it's like we do stock we just buy it from the lot and then it's a process from there but
yeah of course yeah I'd love I have an idea where I'd want to get I mean what is this one right here
so this is the forester wilderness no it's a nice car yeah yeah so and and all of the
factory cars that we have here are the wilderness edition so we've got the forester the new 2026
outback and then the cross-track over there all wilderness editions and they're all really nice
what does the wilderness edition bring to a car versus just a normal stock car so it gives it all
terrain tires it gives it a little bit more of a suspension lift and then just more of like an
appearance package as well and then also it might give it some additional um like just capabilities
with the engine stuff and so like the um the forester the and the outback both have a turbo
the cross-track does not but it's a 2.5 so it's has a little bit more power than like what I have
which is a 2.0 or a 2.0 slow so but it's still fun so you say your car stock right yeah well
well no it's not stock it's uh it was a base model base model yeah yeah so but I do have some
modifications with it so where did you decide to get your modification from coming from someone
who has not modified a car uh so I started connecting with people on Instagram and I started
talking to people and I remember people saying like oh if you want to go off-road especially
there's a there's a place in Texas and they said and a lot of people were going there and they said
if you come here at minimum you should have skid plates and I'm like okay that'd be cool to have
skid plates so I heard about it from them from just people in the community and then a lot of people
were doing 15 inch wheels and so that they would have more sidewall with their tires so I'm like oh
I guess I'll get 15 inch wheels so I did that and then um I have a flat like rooftop rack on my car
where I replaced the OEM side rails and just went with a full rack nice and that was like from a brand
it's um spider no drill roof rack and um people were getting those and like highly recommended it
so a lot of my modifications came from seeing what other people were doing and then hearing what
other people were recommending that's awesome because I didn't really know that's and that's how
I was finding out is just talking that's where I'd be I feel that and and so it's really cool about
the Subaru community especially like the off-road and overlanding community is if you start connecting
with people and you reach out to them and say hey I'm curious about this or that you're gonna have
so many people that are going to be willing to help you out and give you information like people
don't gatekeep people don't say like oh I did this but I'm not going to tell you how I did it
this community is so open with sharing information so you've been to overland for two years yeah you
say the overland community what is the overland community so like just like here at the events
or is it so overland community is just I was speaking like Subaru specifically yeah so and like
you know the difference between overland and off-road is like off-road is just like maybe you're
going out for the day around the trails and stuff whereas like overlanding is more like hey we're
gonna go out for a couple of days maybe a week and we're gonna pack like all this gear that we need
that we're gonna be self-sufficient getting out and okay not having to rely on like staying at a
hotel or anything so but yeah the but like the off-road and overland community within like Subaru
specifically like people that you would connect with on Instagram or Facebook so helpful I love that
yeah that's amazing no it's funny enough it's like well one I want to give a shout out to you
because I met you last night yeah and you were very inviting lovely and that's a big
reason why I'm here and it's like I've spent most of my time I think here today just like
hanging out chilling no it's awesome it's been very inviting like everyone I've met everyone has
just like come up to us and welcome to us it's been a wonderful time I love that they got live
music the Subaru camp yeah they got the dog adoption you know second shout out and I mean
and you know that's again that's the whole purpose of what Subaru wanted to do here they wanted it
to be a space yeah community exactly because like there is a huge Subaru community and we're all just
like we love owning Subaru's we love talking about it we love going off-road together and just
like sharing our passion for Subaru and the modifications that we do and then like extremely
thankful to Subaru of America for putting this event on because like it's just like we're so thankful
that they that Subaru does so much for us you know and like we just can't be thankful enough for that
and you were so well like honestly I see why Subaru represents you yeah because it's like
when I was talking to you I didn't know how to approach you because I saw like you know you
rep Subaru yeah my first question was so stupid and I was like oh what was Subaru's first car yeah
and I couldn't even answer it because I couldn't remember at the time but it's the Subaru 360
which is like a super funky looking little car it's like you explain the history of Subaru
and like where it came from to where it is now and you're like oh do you own I was like no but
like it's welcome it's like it was awesome to talk to you that's why I'm here that's why I adopted
the dog here like it's cool thank you man I appreciate you man well I appreciate you man thank
you I'm not a part of the community but I'm we appreciate what you've done thank you do you
have an Instagram handle where like I have an IG I got a Twitter I ain't got nothing that's cool
that's I have more respect for that man that's awesome I totally respect that but thanks to this
guy I'm opening up a um podcast called Subaru and Quinn come drag me out all right
awesome I'm just playing but you're you're you're wonderful thank you we appreciate you I appreciate
you Quinn thank you so much no problem all right so I'm here with Rihanna Gelsamino at Overland Expo
in Arizona Overland Expo West how's it going great I just had a full crowd at my rally 101 so yeah
I love sharing my knowledge of rally just like I have on your podcast before so yeah it was awesome
to have a great crowd here wanting to know more about the sport that I love and and it's awesome
to be here at another Overland Expo this is now my third one I did two last year and I'm getting to
come to three at least three this year so I'm pretty excited so which ones were you at last year
because I know you were at PNW but what was the other one you were at uh the one in Arlington okay
yeah in Virginia yes okay yeah yeah so you weren't here last year so what do you think of this one
this year oh man this is huge I mean I have to get a golf buggy to pick me up where my parking is so
yeah I mean this is amazing and I've had a few sponsors come and say this set up here too so
I'm gonna have to go check it out today yesterday I arrived later because I'd flown in and then drove
so my talk yesterday it was at four today it was at 10 so I've got more time to check it out
one of my sponsors in Australia is Fall Drive Central so I'm also interested to check this out
for them and and see if hey this is something that they should come over and look at from Australia
as well could be yeah it could be a good opportunity for them especially since there's multiple events
in multiple locations and I mean then they're so big you know as an opportunity for so many people
to get exposure with the brand exactly I mean the Subaru Camp has a hundred campers I mean it's
unbelievable to think that we've got all these outbacks and foresters whatever car they have there
you know decked out either with the tent or a tent on the roof or those different things over there
last night when I was there and seeing a hundred campers there was just epic so I I think it's growing
and I think it's really cool that Subaru comes to these events and we get to showcase like the
different accessories they now have like Subaru sells a lot of accessories that people don't even
know about like they still think that they have to go to somewhere else to get their accessories
but the great thing is Subaru sells them too yeah and having the accessories display this year is
really big for them because that's a lot more exposure for the accessories brand and well for
the accessories group and then I know that like and these are accessories that you can find at the
dealership so as you're buying your car you can get these dealerships and get these accessories
and get your car outfitted with them so you mentioned you know all the campers over at Camp
Subaru so what was your impression of Camp Subaru oh man I mean I went to two last year and they
had nothing on this I know this is incredible we had live music we had DJ we had someone on the violin
I got to talk to the people there as well which was pretty epic we had an incredible meal I got to
check out some of the camps I'm gonna head over there a bit earlier today so I can see them in
the daylight hey we've got puppies here you can come and foster as well they're obviously excited
right now yeah so yeah I mean what a great experience for people to come out to so you know in future
if people didn't get to come to this one go check out these overland expos I just think they're for
Subaru people the enthusiasts that Subaru has a great setup at all of these you can come and ask
questions you can be part of the crowd you can immerse yourself in the camp and everything
like that and I just think it's incredible and especially with Subaru going into the wilderness
editions you know the last several years they just make sense for them to be here because it's such a
great space for them and it gives Subaru a really good exposure in the market and to show people
like hey these vehicles are very capable like you can do a lot of things with these vehicles and
of course we always hear people saying that you know they discovered that it does more than they
thought it would ever do for sure I mean I have an outback wilderness I live out on 40 acres in the
Idaho mountains I have a two mile gravel road that's like a rally stage up to my house and
the outback wilderness has been the perfect car for me you still have the WRX that like our rally car
and and I'm gonna change to the latest outback wilderness soon so that's gonna be pretty cool I
can't wait to get it I've heard many great things about it and obviously it's got a new facelift
and it looks a little bit different so I'm pretty keen and excited to get in that and and you know
put on my social media and tell people what I think about it exactly yeah that'll be a good
exposure for the new outback because I know there's a lot of mixed feelings with it with the way that
it looks and saying like oh it's not a wagon anymore but I hear more and more people saying now
that I've seen it in person and I got to look at it and touch it and everything it's really growing
on me yeah and and I think that's going to continue to do that and I mean the inside is just so nice
yeah it's like they did a really I mean like that's probably one of the best setups I've seen so far
I love the inside as well so and the seats are so soft and comfortable like so I can't wait to
get mine I'm pretty pumped and excited and yeah and also I'm gonna hopefully drive it out to some
events if they're nice and close for me so the Oregon event I always drive out to it so I get to
go to it as well this year I get to go to the Colorado event this year too so yeah being in
Idaho some of those are ones that I might be able to drive to as well so come out in my outback
and enjoy the cruise yeah that'd be cool well thank you so much for having a mic with me for a
little bit it's always great talking to you great to see you yeah you too thanks thank you you're
welcome thank you I think that would be cool yeah yeah that's a cool background yeah I'm I'm like
I think it's clever to get video because then people see me too and they're like oh what is it
thank you for tuning in to another bonus episode of the Subin you podcast coming at you from
Overland Expo West in Flagstaff Arizona 2026 I hope you enjoyed the conversations I had with the
people that I had on I'm gonna try to get some more audio conversations in P&W but being that I
was changing things up a little bit for Overland Expo West I wasn't exactly sure how I was gonna
do it but again trying to record more video content than audio content but of course I wanted to put
out some kind of bonus audio episode and that is what this was I hope you all have a wonderful
weekend we will see you on Monday for the Subi scoop who knows what I'm gonna talk about I'm sure
I'll find something to talk about but we'll see you there hopefully I'll see you in Overland Expo
P&W and got another episode coming up again soon much subi love rap the subi new podcast is hosted
by Raphael in a closet in Houston produced by Raphael in a room next to the closet in Houston
and edited by Raphael on a computer in the room next to the closet in Houston with music by Luke
Ruiz in another room in Houston you can find the subi new podcast wherever you listen to podcasts
including apple podcast spotify and many more to support the podcast please head over to patreon.com
slash subi new podcast once you join you will have access to the discord channel and discord
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gmail.com that's all for this week
do
About this episode
Recorded at Overland Expo West 2026 in Flagstaff, Arizona, Subie & YOU! recaps meeting Subaru folks and organizers, then jumps into real-world overlanding talk. Guests compare Wilderness trims and third-gen Cross Trek changes, share how they built for rocky routes, and debate what counts as “off-road” versus overlanding. The conversation also covers tire and lift planning, spare-tire ideas, and the Subaru booth’s expanded accessories setup—plus Subaru community energy like Camp Subaru and pet adoption.
In this bonus episode I talk to some Subaru owners, a non Subaru owner, and Rhianon Gelsomino in the Subaru booth at Overland EXPO West 2026 in Flagstaff.
Links from the show, links to sponsors and discount partners, and ways to support the podcast:
