Camper and Trailer, Featured Vehicles

The Raddest Rides of Adventure Van Expo

/ July 25th, 2019

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, step right up for your chance to see the latest and greatest in adventurous rides. On display today are delectable Delicas, superb Sprinters, excellent E-350s, and a smattering of nearly every other van and four-wheel drive in between. Are you looking to drop a few hundred thousand on a build? We’ve got something for you. Are you looking to drop a few hundred on a build? We’ve got that too! So drop right down to the photos below and grab a glimpse of our favorite rides and moments from the Adventure Van Expo in Mount Hood.

Just because a vehicle is affordable doesn’t mean it isn’t awesome. In fact, that might make it more awesome. Just check out this vintage Chevy, and you’ll see what we mean.

Of course, there’s something to be said for a brand new rig as well. The reliability, smooth handling, and capability are hard to argue with, especially when they’re loaded up with gear like this from Roambuilt and Nomad Vanz.

One of the coolest builds of the event was definitely Sportsmobile’s Classic E-350. Based on a chassis cab with a custom rear wide-body and all the off-road goodies you could dream of, it’s ready for any adventure you can throw at it. Look for a full feature coming soon.

Sometimes it’s hard to specify how much beer you’ll need for a BBQ at a big event, so Scheel-Mann USA decided one Unimog load was appropriate— seems like a legitimate measurement to us.

It’s not lifted, it’s not modified, but it is clean and classic which makes us love this pop-top Ford Van all the more.

Bryon Dorr from Exploring Elements has been working on a very slick Lexus GX build lately, and we were lucky enough to see it in person at Adventure Van Expo. Rumor has it that some cool roof rack changes are coming soon, and we can’t wait to see the final product.       There were some big vehicles at this event, but Boxmanufaktur’s MAN 6WD can only be described as mountainous.  

One of the big surprises for me was an hour-long talk by Overland The Americas at the RoamBuilt booth. They gave everyone a behind the scenes look at what it’s like to travel around North, Central, and South America for four years. To say it was both fascinating and inspiring wouldn’t do it justice, but their photos might. Check out their page here. 

 

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Chris didn’t receive a real taste of the outdoors until moving to Prescott, Arizona, in 2009. While working on his business degree, he learned to fly and spent his weekends exploring the Arizona desert and high country. It was there that he fell in love with backcountry travel and four-wheel drive vehicles, eventually leading him to Overland Journal and Expedition Portal. After several years of honing his skills in writing, photography, and off-road driving, Chris now works for the company full time as Expedition Portal's Senior Editor while living full-time on the road.