In addition to an incredible visitor turnout, day two of Overland Expo brought plenty of sunshine, a lot more gear, and the opportunity to visit with some more vendors. Join Scott as he chats with the folks at onX, Skinny Guy Campers, Big Country, Protector Gear, iKamper, Shower Pouch, and Staples in Tents!
2021 Overland Expo West :: Day 1
Overland Expo West is officially underway in Flagstaff, Arizona. Day one brought beautiful weather and an enthusiastic crowd of attendees, all of them eager to see what the 400+ exhibitors from the overlanding and offroad industry had on display. The Expedition Portal film crew eagerly jumped in the mix, visiting a variety of exhibitors, including…
Featured Vehicle :: Makoventure’s 1982 Toyota Chinook 4×4 Conversion
Photography by Richard Giordano In a sea of Tacomas and rooftop tents, it’s always refreshing to spot a one-of-a-kind vehicle build. This 1982 Toyota Chinook 4×4 conversion is indeed unique, and like the Creature from Frankenstein, it is a composite of body parts grafted together and reanimated by the use of electricity, a ton of…
Featured Vehicle Interior: Badass Brunette’s 2015 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport
Whether she’s skydiving, jumping out of helicopters in a giraffe onesie, or riding her Yamaha TT-R230, at the end of the day, Cristin Whetten returns to the 2015 Toyota Tacoma that she calls home. Known as Badass Brunette on Instagram, Cristin bought the truck brand-new nearly seven years ago, admittedly knowing nothing about offroading, camping,…
Van Lab Offers DIY Flatpack Upfitting Kits for Popular Van Chassis
You see it again and again, uber-expensive campervan builds with prices upward of six figures. And while they are beautiful, and we’ve all probably fantasized about owning one, some of us have very real financial limitations in our lives. But faced with the prospect of taking on a DIY campervan build to save money, many…
Airstream and Pottery Barn Team Up for Special Edition 28-foot Travel Trailer
Airstream’s newest collaboration is a special edition 28-foot travel trailer designed in partnership with home-goods retailer Pottery Barn. Positioned at the intersection of comfort and style, this new trailer features the amenities we’ve come to expect from Airstream with finishes, fixtures, hardware, and fabrics from Pottery Barn’s best-selling collections. “It’s a match that makes sense…
Featured Overland Trailer :: Overkill Campers T.K.4.7.
The crew that makes up Bend, Oregon, based Overkill Campers have adventure coursing through their veins. They are hikers, bikers, skiers, and overlanders, with an appreciation for vehicle-based travel and a love of the open road. They also have no fewer than five dogs listed on the meet the crew section of their website, so…
Behind the Wheel: Rossmönster Baja Adventure Truck
The Rossmönster Baja Adventure Truck When the Rossmönster team reached out and asked if I was interested in taking their newest overlanding vehicle, the Baja adventure truck, out for a spin, I was giddy with excitement. This would be the first flatbed truck and camper combo that I’d ever driven. To say that I was…
Loki Basecamp Falcon Series Truck Campers have Arrived
Loki’s transition from building modular showrooms and tradeshow displays to slide-in truck campers may seem a little odd, but it’s certainly not the first business shift motivated by the pandemic, especially in the recreational vehicle market, which is booming. With demand for campers and RVs still peaking, many consumers are eagerly waiting (sometimes over a…
Featured Campervan :: 1977 Mercedes Benz LA 911 B – “Akela”
People often assume that we’re able to travel full-time because we’re millionaires, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Nevertheless, I always say, yes, I am. I’m a “time millionaire.” I may not have lots of money, but I have time, and that’s most important. -Leander Nardin Akela World is comprised of Leander, Maria, their son,…
Featured Campervan Upfitter :: Voyager Campervans
Voyager Campervans was founded after a 2017 road trip when founder Grady converted and took a van on the road as part of a job with a beverage start-up. The experience of traveling for an extended period of time reminded him of road trips that he used to take with his family (and dog). Grady…
New Airstream Interstate 24X is a Luxury 4×4 Built for Adventure
Airstream, the manufacturer of (arguably) the most recognizable travel trailers on the road, is bringing a new Class-B adventure van to market in 2022 dubbed the 24X. Part of the Interstate product line, which includes three other coaches, the 24X is aimed at the adventure-minded individual, or family, who wants a hearty helping of luxurious…
Featured Overland Trailer :: Oregon Trail’R DoDrop Alpha
Photos courtesy of OregonTrailer.net Raised in the mountains of Southern Oregon, Jon and Sawyer Christianson are the brothers behind Oregon Trail’R. As outdoor enthusiasts, the pair knows what it takes to make an off-road trailer functional and comfortable. Sawyer’s professional building background is in woodworking, and Jon has loads of experience with fabrication, CNC operation,…
Featured Truck Camper :: Global Expedition Vehicles Turtle
Photos courtesy of Global Expedition Vehicles When it comes to designing an expedition vehicle that can traverse continents, having experience behind the wheel in a variety of locations is indispensable. Founder of Global Expedition Vehicles (GEV) Michael Van Pelt understands this well. He’s been refining his expedition vehicle designs since the 1980s in an effort…
Custom Composite Truck Campers :: Bahn Camper Works
The appeal of truck campers for off-highway travel is hard to deny. They are positioned at the intersection of capability and comfort. Truck campers are homes on wheels that can get to the majority of places you’d like to camp. They provide a retreat from the elements, surpassing the protection of conventional ground or rooftop…
Tommy Campervans and the Hotshot Adventure Truck
Photos by Justin Wade Orton Tommy Campervans is an Arizona-based campervan and adventure vehicle upfitter. Their skilled crew converts standard cargo vans, but they also upfit decommissioned Hotshot buggies for use as overlanding and adventure rigs. To give you a little more context, Hotshot buggies are crew carriers used by BLM and Forest Service firefighters….
Featured Campervan: TOURIG Extreme Adventure Van (XAV)
TOURIG got its start in the quirky mountain town of Nederland, Colorado, in 2001. Founder Eric Miller was working as a traveling sales agent in the outdoor industry and needed a vehicle that would provide mobility, a place to sleep, and unlike a plane, would welcome his dog on business trips around the country. His…
Terranova Expedition Truck Joins the EarthCruiser Ranks
As the demand for purpose-built overland trucks continues to rise, EarthCruiser has answered the call with its new Terranova expedition truck. This cab-over-style composite adventure rig is built on one of three domestic 1-ton chassis including the 2020 or newer Ford F-350, Ram 3500, or Silverado 3500. “The EC Terranova is the culmination of years…
Featured Truck Campers :: Phoenix Pop Up Campers
I found myself reading over the Phoenix Pop Up Campers website, feeling quite surprised that they’re not very widely talked about in the overland and truck camper world. That surprise comes primarily from the fact that Phoenix was started by the same family who founded Four Wheel Campers in Colorado back in the early 1970s….
Featured Campervan Upfitter :: Acme Overland
Acme Overland is an upfitter that designs and executes custom builds for a wide range of budgets. Their name, Acme, is derived from Greek and roughly translates to peak, zenith, or prime in English. This name is fitting, not just because Acme Overland offers high-end conversions of cargo vans, but because they strive to offer…