Subaru Outback Wilderness Overland Build With a Lift & Lots of Gear
Being a popular platform for adventurers the Subaru Outback offers a perfect blend of efficiency and off-road capabilities, ita hard to not fall in love with. With the introduction of the Wilderness edition, Subaru has taken the Outback’s off-road capabilities to new heights, making it even more adventure-ready straight from the box.
The owner of this 2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness decided not to settle with stock and outfit it with al the necessary gear and upgrades for his overland adventures.
From its lifted suspension and slightly oversized wheels to functional overlanding gear, every modification on this Outback serves a purpose, enhancing its capabilities on challenging terrains, support extended off-grid excursions and ensure dependable self-recovery.
Whether you’re looking to start your own Outback-based overland project or simply appreciate well-executed builds, this Subaru Outback Wilderness overland build offers plenty of inspiration and practical modification ideas for this popular adventure platform.
The Build
Wheels and Tires
As with any off-road build, it was essential for the owner to upgrade the wheels and tires first. His choice fell on slightly larger BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain 245/65R17 tires, which are equivalent to almost 30 inches. Compared to the stock Outback tires sized 225/60R18, these provide a slightly taller sidewall and a wider ground contact patch for better grip on various terrains. Additionally, the taller side profile allows for more significant airing down than the 18-inch tires, which is a great benefit for traction optimization when X-MODE can no longer assist.
To accommodate the new tires, the factory 18-inch rims were swapped for iconic JDM-style Rays 57DR 17-inch wheels with an attractive six-spoke design.
Suspension
Although the Wilderness comes with a 1-inch lift from the factory, providing a total ground clearance of 9.5 inches, the owner of this white Outback decided to go further. He replaced the factory suspension with a more sophisticated setup to improve wheel articulation and suspension damping on rough terrain.
He chose a set of Raceworks GZ-R coilovers with Rallitek subframe drop spacer, carrier bearing drop kit, and lifted adjustable end links.
Exterior
To protect the vehicle from possible damage while off-roading, the owner installed an LP Aventure bumper guard and skid plate. Along the sides, you’ll find DIY rock sliders that provide additional protection for the rocker panels of this wagon/crossover. The Wilderness fender flares extend quite a bit from the fenders and protect the vehicle’s paint job from stones and debris thrown by the oversized tires.
On the roof, you’ll find a Prinsu roof rack with mounts, a Roam Adventure Co. 6.5-foot awning, 83L rugged cases, a Waterport day tank, and MAXTRAX MKII traction boards.
Performance
With a clear focus on overlanding and off-road adventures, the owner also addressed performance. He installed a custom exhaust with a turbo pipe, air filter, BLITZ Power Thro, and several other subtle upgrades.
List of Mods & Upgrades
Performance:
- Provachannel Turbo pipe
- Provachannel Air filter
- Blitz Power Thro
- Ad Power ×2
- Outback Wilderness Self-made Exhaust
Suspension & Lift:
- Raceworks GZ-R 225/275lbs coilovers
- Rallitek Subframe Drop Spacer
- Rallitek Carrier bearing drop kit
- Rallitek Lifted adjustable end links
Wheels & Tires:
- Ceika 6pot Brake F345×32 R345×28
- Rays 57DR 17″9J+38 (With F20mm R5mm Spacers)
- BFGoodrich TrailTerrain 245/65R17 (29.5″) Stock was 28.6 225/60R18
Exterior:
- Lp Aventure Bumper guard
- Lp Aventure Skid plate
- DIY rock slider
- Hereticstudio 40″ LED Light Bar and pod Lights
- Nashfabco Rear Ladder V1
- Rokblokz Mud Flap (Self-made Shorted)
- Accentrekdesigns Side Tail Light Overlays
- Web Ppfshop Forged Carbon Wrapping
- Drawtite Class 2 Hitch
- Autmatch 3/4″ SHACKLE ×2
- Cbioffroad Hitch Adapter
- Subaru Wilderness fender flares
- Subaru Wildness lettermark
On the roof:
- Prinsu Roof rack and mounts
- Roamadventureco Awning 6.5′
- Roamadventureco 83L Rugged Case
- Waterport day tank
- Maxtrax MAXTRAX MKII
Interior:
- Perrin Brushed Barrel Knob
- Evogear Paddle Extension
This 2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness overland build shows how a thoughtful selection of mods and upgrades can enhance the capabilities of this already remarkable vehicle. By addressing key areas such as suspension, wheels and tires, exterior protection, and performance, the owner has created a versatile vehicle ready for multi-day camping off the grid and back safely even through some truly challenging terrains. The combination of functional modifications and must-have overlanding gear demonstrates a clear understanding of the vehicle’s potential and the owner’s specific needs.
Watch the progress and find out more about this Subaru Outback Wilderness overland build by visiting the Instagram profile of the owner: @outback_wilder_ness
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