Overland Experts - Uwharrie National Forest

[COYS1]

My wife signed me up for a two day class in March with Overland Experts in North Carolina (birthday / 10 year anniversary gift).

The reviews seem to be very good, and there's plenty of info about what you are doing during the days, but there's not alot of info or reviews about daily schedule or the camping aspect of it.

Has anyone taken a class with Overland Experts in NC? And if so, can you give any details about what to expect during the day, and after the day in the truck is done?

 

[Old Tanker]

What a nice anniversary gift. You are going to love it.

My wife and I have done three events with OEX, including the two-day class you signed up for this March (we did it last year). OEX are complete professionals. Their main focus is professional training to special forces and "other government agency" operators. Their weekend classes are a special side effort and represent a weekend off that was sacrificed out of love for the civilian off-roading community. Honestly, the two-day class is worth two or three times what they charge.

The first day, expect a couple classroom hours spent in their building, some time walking around everyone's rig, several more hours spent practicing specific skills and drills on a prepared obstacle course, capped by a trail ride to put the skills to use. The second day will work on various recovery skills - jacking, winching, kinetic rope pulls, etc, likely capped with a second trail run.

Lunches will be catered - a few days before the class you'll get an e-mail asking for meal preferences. Plan to camp and cook your own dinners and breakfasts, and they'll have campfires going each night where you can discuss things with the whole group, including those instructors who will be camping with you.

Past OEX training groups have included Tony Cerruto (former lead mobility trainer for the Army Third Special Forces Group, which covers Africa), Josh and Jillian (owners of Apex Overland), Jacob (LFD Offroad Fabrication), John Brady (OEX instructor and retired Army), and usually 3-4 more.

Tony, John, and the OEX training crew can teach you how to drive the ORP through damn near anything without letting crawl control do all the work. Josh, Jillian, and Jacob can answer any questions about build priorities, pitfalls, etc.

So bring a full tank of gas, a willingness to learn, and prep your rig each day so you won't be the last in line for the ride to the training site. Enjoy.

Note: My wife read this and added "make sure you have good gear for walking around in the mud." She's right - practicing getting unstuck means first getting stuck.

 

[COYS1]

This was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much for all the details.

To be honest, when I saw the price, I thought it had to be a misprint. I figured it would easily be double the listed cost.

Just a follow up but will a 3" Dobinsons lift get my rig through the course? It should be installed prior to the course (the current front end is sagging due to the weight of the C4Fab bumper / winch). Should I expect any other damage/pinstriping? Again, just wondering what to expect.

Thanks again for all your help.

 

[Old Tanker]

With the lift, you'll be fine for this package. Definitely get it installed first if you can. Even with it, you may rub your front skid on large log obstacles, but you should be able to avoid pinstripes if you are careful on the trail.

They also offer an advanced weekend package (for those who have completed the initial class), and that one needs sliders, and willingness to accept pinstripes due to the tighter trails on the advanced course.

 

[Old Tanker]

My wife signed me up for a two day class in March...

How was the class?

 

[COYS1]

How was the class?

It was excellent. John, Ted, Izzy, and Josh were the main instructors for the weekend and did a heck of a job. It was rainy and muddy on the course, which threw an extra wrinkle into the class. Slippery and muddy but alot of fun. The 4Runner handled perfectly and the only reason I used MTS and Crawl Control over the weekend was just to play around with the gadgets. Otherwise, the training to tackle anything and everything in 4Lo was enough.

I hire instructors (business jet pilots) for a living so whenever I take a class, I always watch how the instructors tailor their message to the people they are talking to. All the instructors and volunteers have great personalities and communication skills, and were always willing to take any questions I, or one of my classmates, threw at them.

I'd highly recommend the training class to anyone who wants to understand their vehicle a little better, and to just feel comfortable knowing you can get yourself out of most any situation.