To me, overlanding is pretty simple. You get in your vehicle and drive over land. The truck matters, but the people, the places and the story matter more.
I’m Kris Carroll, and I’ve worked in the automotive world since 1991. For more than two decades I’ve been part of California Customs, building vehicles, solving problems and working directly with manufacturers, vendors and the products people trust on their own builds. Over the years, I’ve built numerous vehicles for SEMA, and many of the vehicles I’ve worked on have been featured in magazines and appeared on their covers.
I’m also a filmmaker and mountain biker. I raced mountain bikes for years and, through Fast Rack Modern Cycling Solutions, built trail features and skills parks for other people to enjoy. I’ve never lost that love for getting into the woods. Fast Rack Overland grew out of all of it: the automotive experience, the cameras, camping, good food, a little goofiness and the need to tell honest stories.
I’m married to my beautiful wife, Mary, and we have two kids, Emily and Seth, who also enjoy the outdoors. My family is an important part of my story and the life behind Fast Rack Overland.
I’m also a huge cigar guy and I enjoy responsible target shooting. A good cigar around camp is one of my favorite ways to slow down, share a few laughs and enjoy the people I’m with. At Overland of America, that love of shooting even became part of the event when Silencer Central joined us for a live shooting range.
That background shapes every gear video I make. I care whether something works, how it installs, how it holds up and whether I would spend my own money on it. The product may be part of the video, but it should never be bigger than the story.
My faith in God is a huge part of who I am. There’s something about leaving the noise behind, sitting beside a campfire or creek and spending time in God’s creation that puts everything back into perspective. Some of my best conversations with God happen when everything else gets quiet.
The Tacoma is a 2018 four-cylinder that started life as a two-wheel-drive truck and somehow became a supercharged, locked, long-travel four-wheel-drive rig. It gets me to the places where the real story begins. Sometimes two wheels take it from there.
I don’t believe overlanding needs to be complicated. Go somewhere. Slow down. Enjoy the people you’re with. Take care of the land. Tell a good story, occasionally shred the gnar and be grateful for the life God has given you.
Fast Rack Overland should feel like the life I actually live. That includes good cigars, safe and responsible time at the range, campfire conversations, mountain bikes, family, friends and plenty of goofiness along the way.
Those things are not side notes. They are part of the stories, the places and the people that make the adventure worth remembering.
