Outworld Project

Details: By Weston Miller

I got into off-roading by a stroke of luck. As your typical broke college kid in 2006, my Ford Explorer was on its last leg and I barely had a budget. A family friend sold me his ͚97 4Runner for a ridiculously low price, and I was hooked the moment I drove it home. The next few years I lived on the online message boards - getting inspiration from other builds and gaining confidence in doing some of the work myself. I majored in marketing, and I wanted to use this truck as a side project for myself - seeing if I could create a value proposition worthy of sponsorship. In 2008, I landed my first sponsorship from Toytec Lifts and it planted a seed in my head. Little did I know these trucks,and the community itself, would become such a big part of my life.

Social media has totally evolved how we discover new builds and their owners, and connect with others locally. I moved back to San Diego in between 4Runner builds, and Instagram alone was a huge eye-opener as to how popular off-roading had become. Beyond that, the Southwest US is basically a motorsports powerhouse. From Baja to Utah and world-class offerings of literally every season and terrain, it's no surprise there's such a heavy concentration of outdoor and off-road geared people out here.

Today, myself and my two good friends are building three expedition vehicles as part of a motorsports/action sports project called Outworld. From Lib Technologies and Goal Zero to Mountain House freeze dried foods, the strategy is non-endemic marketing, allowing these companies to gain new exposure through nontraditional channels. Each of our partner brands was carefully selected with no hard sell or ulterior motive. We represent with heart and soul because we believe in these companies. We have no desire to grow out of a boutique passion project, and as a result we͛re able to make a positive impact in this community without sacrificing our morals or authenticity.

In the eyes of my college self, we're living the dream, and we wouldn't be in this situation without that perfect storm of circumstances. Ten years later, it's amazing seeing how much things have grown - not only with myself and builds, but the entire community/industry. Compared to Wranglers, the 4Runner aftermarket was a niche community comprised mainly of small-run productions and Tacoma-specific parts. I've always been in love with the 3rd generation 4Runners, but it started as an uphill battle. I love seeing how much support these platforms have received in the years since.

There was even speculation that the 4Runner was being phased out entirely by the Highlander. Thankfully we've seen Toyota double down on their latest models with the TRD Pro series. I'm excited to see what they have in store for the sixth generation 4Runner, as well as the rumored short wheelbase FJ revival. For now, the goal is building these three rigs to fit our needs - starting with our 3rd gen 4Runner.

The community is amazing. There's a very common thread amongst the factions and niches which helps tie people together: an insatiable appetite for the outdoors,a desire to protect and help steward public lands, and just a bonafide desire for getting off your butt.

It was that common love for the outdoors that led me to create Outworld. A lot of different interest groups coalesce to form the action sports and motorsports communities, and once you͛re tapped in, it͛s much easier to slip into new hobbies. The amount of time we spend on the slopes, beach, trails –whatever –it͛s rare finding someone that just likes that one thing. Being lifelong action sports enthusiasts, we wanted to create something that was more of a gateway to the dozens of different interest groups. And that started with the trucks.

Right now we͛re building a 2007 4Runner and 2005 Lexus GX470. Aside from the body, the GX470 is nearly identical to the V8 4th generation 4Runner, which has helped the GX surge in the off-road and overland realm. We͛ve built these two rather similar with the goal of balanced on/off-road prowess, and they͛ve kept up with everything the 2000 4Runner has conquered. The 2000 4Runner is the flagship build – V6 4x4 with factory rear locker. This is my second 3rd generation build. I sold the first after graduating, thinking that would be the mature thing to do. I loaded it on an 18-wheeler destined for its new owner, and on the way back home my buddy asks me, ͞So, how does it feel to just be a Camry owner now?͟ Instant regret. The basics are a 3.5͟ suspension lift, 2͟ body lift and rocking 35x1250 tires. It͛s fully armored, supercharged and regeared with a few fun additions including a dual battery conversion, touchscreen, rocker panel, and drawer system.

Beyond that, we͛re building an arsenal of gear that helps to elevate our camp experience each trip. Awnings, living rooms, annexes, portable power, skottles, fridges. Somewhere along the line we crossed over from overlanding to glamping, and we aren͛t complaining one bit. Whether it͛s dirt biking, snowboarding, white water rafting – if I͛m coming back to a remote camp I͛m all for some creature comforts. Beyond that, we͛re building an arsenal of gear that helps to elevate our camp experience each trip. Awnings, living rooms, annexes, portable power, skottles, fridges. Somewhere along the line we crossed over from overlanding to glamping, and we aren͛t complaining one bit. Whether it͛s dirt biking, snowboarding, white water rafting – if I͛m coming back to a remote camp I͛m all for some creature comforts.

As marketing, media and operations professionals during the day, Outworld gives us an opportunity to inject our skill set into our passions. When you boil it down, we simply love exploring and capturing cool footage. Last year, we partnered with Gobi USA in creating our first expedition documentary, The All Terrain Tour. This 9 day journey took us through Zion, Escalante, Moab and into Telluride and will be releasing soon. The entire process has been an eye-opener, from learning the legal aspect of filming to the locations themselves. It was the opportunity of a lifetime and we can͛t wait to share it with you.

Since then the short distance weekend trips are a great stopgap, but trips like those will plant seeds. Living in the Southwest can keep busy for years, but youstart looking at professionals like Expedition Overland and Scott Brady and wonder why you can͛t ship your truck across the world. It͛s that tug-of-war between the normal day-to-day and dreaming of a real expedition, and finding a compromise you can actually experience, that͛s what it͛s all about.