FAMILY ADVENTURE | How To Pack a family of 7 into 2 Jeeps!
We all agree that the only thing better than hitting the trail for a nice long weekend is having the chance to do it with the people we love, right? For many of us, getting our husband, wife, kids, or even friends to tag along on an adventure is an opportunity that doesn’t come around often. Nonetheless, sharing our favorite thing with our favorite people — on the rare occasion that it happens — is a joy unlike any other.
That’s equally true for the Borchert family. At least, mostly true, because Steven and Kelly don’t have to wish that their spouse or kids were with them — they already are. Two tricked-out 2021 Jeep Wrangler JLUs, each piloted by Mom or Dad, carry this family of seven on every weekend adventure.
Kelly Borchert’s Rigid Industries lightbar provides extra lumens to help see during a rainy trail ride.
And that’s how Seven Overland was born. The Borcherts document their adventures on their Instagram @seven_overland to an audience of close to 19,000 followers. From Jeep Beach in Daytona, Florida, to weekend trips near home in Arizona, the Jeeps take Steven, Kelly, and their five kids all over the country.
“Managing a whole family takes meticulous care and a relentlessly positive attitude.”
Muddy roads and rain don’t stop the Borcherts from getting out to air up/down tires.
Bringing the Family Along
Traveling with five kids isn’t for the faint of heart. If you have kids – or siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews, or just about anybody else – you know any kind of traveling with just one kid is hard. Camping or off-roading with kids has got to be even tougher, but Kelly and Steven manage it all impressively well.
Steven puts his suspension to work crawling up steep rocks.
“We have five kids that were spending the majority of their time indoors and in front of a screen,” Kelly explains. But rather than being okay with that, as so many of us are in this day and age, Kelly and Steven decided to take matters into their own hands. “We wanted to get them outdoors to disconnect from daily routines and be able to do something as a family,” she shares.
Taking the whole family out requires a massive skill in planning, determination, and organization most of us aren’t blessed enough to have. Managing a whole family takes meticulous care and a relentlessly positive attitude. And as far as we can tell, that’s just how Kelly and Steven make it all happen.
Guiding a heavy Jeep up a steep rock face might be just another day for some, but imagine doing it with kids in the back seat.
Double the Jeeps, Double the Fun
While many of the accessories and additions to the Jeeps are the same, each has its own distinctive exterior add-ons and carries its own gear. Both Jeeps are powered by 3.0L diesel engines, paired with a Mopar 8-speed automatic transmission. Rock Krawler 3.5 Adventure Mid-Arms in the front and rear bolster the suspensions of both Jeeps, in addition to King 2.5 Remote Reservoir Adjustable shocks.
“From Jeep Beach in Daytona, Florida, to weekend trips near home in Arizona, the Jeeps take Steven, Kelly, and their five kids all over the country.”
Kelly’s Jeep carries the majority of the family’s gear atop her Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform roof rack.
One of the most distinctive features of both rigs is their brightly colored Fuel Covert Beadlock wheels that catch the eye as they roll by. Wrapped in Nitto Trail Grappler tires, recently upgraded to 40-inch from 38s, they provide much-needed traction for the family’s offroad pursuits. They also partnered with Apex Designs, who provided the Jeeps’ Rapid Precision Valves.
Unique Setups
The exterior is where the Jeeps start to look a bit different. While they both sport Warn EVO 125 winches and DV8 Offroad front and rear bumpers as well as inner fenders, Kelly and Steven each have their own light bars and racks to give each their own individual personality.
Kelly follows Steven uphill.
Kelly’s Jeep is the bulkier of the two, with Rigid Industries light bars mounted both on her front bumper and on the front of her Rhino Rack Pioneer Roof Rack. Steven also has Rigid light bars on his front bumper and cowl mounts, but his roof slides open so that his passengers can enjoy a desert breeze.
Two sets of Midland MXT Micromobile 2-way radios keep the whole family connected between vehicles. Steven also custom fabricated rear window Molle panels and rear table slide-outs that make the family’s camp setup droolworthy. Backing the two Jeeps together creates a cozy campsite with plenty of space for the whole gang.
Steven’s suspension is hard at work getting him over rocky obstacles.
The Borcherts kick up dust.
Kelly reports that if they could change anything about the Jeeps, it would be to add on Ursa Minor pop-up roofs. Finding places for seven people to sleep is surely a challenge, after all, and getting the most possible space out of the Jeeps is an effective way to do it.
Seven Adventures
The Borcherts’ youngest is just seven years old, with their oldest in his early teens. “Remembering to cherish these moments where they still want to get out and spend time with us is so important to me,” they shared on their Instagram.
“…sharing our favorite thing with our favorite people – on the rare occasion that it happens – is a joy unlike any other.”
Backing the Jeeps together to open rear slide outs creates a spacious and cozy campsite.
With five kids along for the ride, an extrra set of hands is never far away.
We don’t know about you, but we’re with Kelly and Steven on this one. We’re tired of sitting inside when we could be out getting our tires in the mud or the sand. “Every trip we take or trail had been another opportunity to get our kids out of the house and to get outdoors and disconnect,” Kelly explains. What better way to spend family time than outdoors? And what’s more fun for kids than high-octane off-road playing in the dirt? Sure, most of us didn’t grow up with Jeeps this cool, but the playing in the dirt part is still true.
When packing, the Borcherts must remember to leave room for toys.
The custom-built rear slide out in Kelly’s Jeep holds the family’s kitchen setup.
A fridge and battery are must haves when you need to feed and power this many people.
“[The Jeeps] were built with a purpose — to take the road less traveled,” Kelly says. “We wanted them modified for just enough clearance and ability that they could travel to areas that not all vehicles could.” That’s what it’s all about. You don’t have to have the biggest rig, the craziest accessories, or the latest gear. While the Borcherts do have a lot of those things, they keep their eyes on the prize: spending time outdoors with their kids.
“As the kids get older, the adventures get bigger. ‘The more hidden and remote the better,’ Kelly says of the family’s ideal camp spot these days.”
Awnings and a Shiftpot tent complete the family’s camp setup.
As the kids get older, the adventures get bigger. “The more hidden and remote the better,” Kelly says of the family’s ideal camp spot these days. As you see on these pages, they’ve taken to backing the Jeeps up together, sliding out their custom platforms, deploying their awning, and enjoying a night under the stars.
They’re having fun on weekend trips and overland adventures as a family, and we’re sure there’s more to come. You can follow along on the Borchert clan’s adventures on Instagram @seven_overland.
“While many of the accessories and additions to the Jeeps are the same, each has its own distinctive exterior add-ons and carries its own gear.”
As the rocky trail narrows, Steven follows closely behind Kelly.
Roof top storage helps the family keep everything organized.
UPGRADES
2021 Jeep Wrangler JLU
Engine: 3.0L Diesel; Mopar 8-speed automatic transmission
Susupenson: Rock Krawler 3.5 Adventure Mid-Arms, front and rear; King Shocks 2.5 Remote Reservoir Adjustable Shocks
Wheels & Tires: Fuel Covert Beadlock wheels, size 17×9, 4.41-inch backspacing; Nitto Trail Grappler tires, 40×13.50 R17; Apex Designs Rapid Precision Valves
Interior Accessories: Midland Radio MXT275 Micromobile 2-way radio
Exterior Accessories: Warn Industries EVO 125 winches; DV8 Offroad Spec Series front and rear bumpers; DV8 Inner Fenders
Kelly’s Jeep: Rigid Industries light bars on roof rack and front bumper; Rhino Rack Pioneer roof rack
Steven’s Jeep: Rigid Industries light bars on cowl mount and front bumper
Additional Modifications: Custom rear window Molle panels; Rear table slide-outs
Editor’s Note: A version of this article appeared in TREAD July/August 2023.
