YOUNG DAN CRESSALL’S FATHER REGALED HIM with stories about taking his early Ford Bronco off-road through mountain trails, so as a teen, Dan looked to his own two-by Toyota pickup to satisfy the same growing wanderlust. Yet he’d learn quickly that he’d need a 4x4 to take him farther down the trails less traveled.
But that’s not the overlanding story to tell.
Adult Dan Cressall had a wife, two young daughters, and, finally, a 4x4—first, a rusted-out Chevy Blazer, and then a rusted-out Toyota truck. He knew what he really needed next: a rock buggy. He would build it himself, collecting parts for years, trading labor for parts he couldn’t afford, and buying basic fabrication tools. Once completed, he bought a brand-new ’08 Dodge Ram to tow the two-seater buggy,…