Peter Henwood
email: phenwood@mainlineoverland.com
Pete Henwood is our youngest overlander, but he has been a gearhead most of his life. He learned to drive stick at age eleven on the farm roads of central Pennsylvania in a 1956 TR3 and never looked back. Pete’s knowledge of automobiles is very diverse: he has extensive experience with Porsche 911′s, 1930′s-50′s Hot Rods, 1960′s Jaguars and Triumphs, as well as Late model Corvettes, Toyotas, and Mazdas. Pete is also an avid SCCA racer and shares a car with Matthew, his brother. They both graduated from Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in 2009 and are currently SCCA National competition license holders. Pete’s first race was the inaugural Devil in the Dark 12 hour endurance race at New Jersey Motor Sports Park, where he placed 3rd in class with Matthew and the rest of the team. He regularly competes in several sprint and endurance races each year.
Pete inadvertently got into the off-road and over landing world in 2008 after Matthew bought a tired old FJ62. He had bought the FJ with big plans and needed help with some major installs (suspension, bumpers, rear quarter replacement). After helping Matt out with his truck, Pete started modifying his daily driver GMC Yukon with a simple 2 inch lift kit and Mud Terrains. While the Yukon was more capable off-road than one might think, from taking trails at Rausch Creek and trails in the North Maine Woods, it became apparent that it was a little too large for some of the more advanced trails and trips.
Pete’s current expedition rig is a 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser. It is currently equipped with the following:
- ARB Front & Rear Bumpers
- ARB Roof Rack
- ARB Touring Awning
- Old Man Emu Heavy Suspension Lift
- Ez-Awn Series III 1400 Roof Top Tent
- Warn M8000 Winch
- 305/70/16 BFG Mud Terrain KM2 Tires
- Ricochet Skid Plates
- IPF Spot & Fog Lights
- Safari Snorkel
He has only owned it since late August but managed to whip it into shape for the Vermont Overland Rally last year where it made it out of the advanced 4×4 clinic run by O.E.X. unscathed. This truck has also seen a lot of time at Rausch Creek, The New Jersey Pine Barrens, as well as wheeling in Jay, Vermont.
