I only had one day to cover Overland Expo West this year, so I had to make it count. Luckily, that day was Friday, historically a quieter time on the grounds of Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, Arizona, so there was plenty of space and time to wander the parking lots, vendor area, and campgrounds unhindered. The weather smiled down with clear skies and mild temps, and the rigs had returned to Overland Expo.
The OG Defender remains a highly popular overland platform. This pristine 90 was at the Classic Overland booth.
The Expo is the place to find the highest density of both overly elaborate and admirably modest overland builds likely anywhere in the world. Some owners have deep pockets and a long list of sponsors, some embrace the rig they have at hand, and use wells of creativity and resourcefulness to make it their home on wheels, while others simply swing a leg over a bicycle and get pedaling. New technologies contrast with entrenched traditions, and sometimes things just get plain weird. This spectrum of inspiration is what gives the lifestyle we call overlanding its true flavor.
2026 Toyota Tacoma H2-Overlander
Toyota has always been at the bleeding edge of vehicle tech, and it is one of the few manufacturers that is still experimenting with hydrogen fuel cells. The Tacoma H2-Overlander is a fun thought exercise, with carbon body panels, a 547-horsepower BEV and HFCEV hybrid drivetrain, custom camper, and brake, wheel, and drivetrain upgrades. The coolest equipment on the H2-Overlander is a patent-pending exhaust water recovery system. Water is the only emission from using hydrogen as fuel, and Toyota’s device captures and filters distilled water for use at the campsite. Is the single-electron element the fuel of the future? So far not—the infrastructure for hydrogen fuel barely registers outside of California, and even in the Sunshine State hydrogen depots are closing, leaving HFC vehicle owners high and dry. With EV range anxiety decreasing daily, hydrogen is a hard sell, but don’t sleep on Toyota. If the Big T continues to invest in the tech, there might still be something to it.
Ovrlnd Campers Austin Mini Pickup
There are always a lot of rigs at Overland Expo that make you say “Whoa!” or “Wow! or “What?!”, but there are very few that simply make you smile. The Austin Mini pickup at the Flagstaff-based Ovrlnd Campers booth certainly put a grin on my face. Classic Minilite rims and beautiful paintwork stood out on this custom build, but the background message here was demonstrating just how lightweight Ovrlnd’s truck campers can be. If the 1,300-pound icon of ’60s motoring can handle one, surely your Colorado or Tundra can. Yeah, baby!
BMW R80G/S
This is the bike that started it all: the BMW R80G/S. A frame with low-stand over height and center of gravity, reliable shaft drive, and a fuel-efficient, growly boxer twin (whose heritage stretches back to the 1920s) form the backbone of the Ur-adventure bike. Throw on some modest knobbies and a couple of hard-sided panniers and you’re ready to hit the road for parts unknown. My own adventure bike is a 2003 F650GS, a Rotax-powered thumper that I think is the spiritual successor to the R80. In fact, the entire F-line of GS bikes that split from BMW’s flagship boxer ADVs two decades ago keeps the original intent of lightweight moto travel more intact than the 530-pound contemporary R 1300 GS.
1967 Pontiac Firebird
Mark Slobom told me he got too many speeding tickets. On the verge of prison time after his eighth speed violation street racing his drag builds, he decided to change how he got his kicks in his cars. A GM V8 guy through-and-through, in the late 1970s, he salvaged the shell of a 1967 Pontiac Firebird from a field for $200 and set out to create the maddest 4×4 he could imagine. It’s been through a wide range of aesthetic iterations, but the platform has stayed the same: Dana 44 and Dana 66 axles, a beefed up NV4500 transmission, a Dana 300 transfer case, and full lockers. A custom winch bumper and three-piece wheels on Yokohama Geolander A/Ts round out the look. Mark pulls an overland trailer of his own design as his habitat (based on a Smittybilt platform), and eschews modern navigation aids. DeLorme atlases and USFS maps are his go-to resources as he explores the wilder parts of the American West—in style.
1987 Toyota Space Van
When I was a kid growing up in the 1980s, my second-grade best friend’s mom had a Toyota Space Van. It looked like nothing else on the road—a little bit of distinctly Japanese design that managed to make its way Stateside. I can clearly remember the unique smell of the interior plastics and fabrics and the expansive view out the front glass. The engine lived between the front seats and getting a ride in the egg was always a special event. Nicholas Peregrino’s Space Van has traveled far further than the commute to the elementary school, having made it all the way to South America and back. I love the simplicity of this build: a basic sleeping platform, a modest power installation, stock rims and all-season tires, a canine companion. It’s all you need.
Talon Sei’s Rossmonster Baja Trail LX
Or is it? On the other end of the spectrum is the landscape-crushing Rossmonster Baja Trail LX. Nicholas’ van could potentially fit in the back of this luxury off-grid beast. Based on a Ford Super Duty F-350 and powered by the 6.7-liter Powerstroke diesel, this expedition vehicle is fitted with custom Carli suspension and Method HD wheels. This particular Rossmonster is YouTuber and former pro skier Talon Sei’s latest overland project. The expandable interior is where it’s at on this build, featuring custom woodwork cabinetry, high-end mobile appliances, two separate sleeping areas, a 40-gallon fresh water supply, and a proprietary “infinity shower.” In some ways, the estimated $400,000 price tag seems like a bargain compared to some other large-format expedition rigs that are on the market. I’ve seen firsthand the kinds of trails Talon tackles, and this monster will be no show queen.
Surly Krampus
I prefer my bike rides short and on my local trails, Jonathon White (commendably off social media) decidedly does not. He rode through three continents on two different bicycles, including this Surly Krampus. Enduring car collisions, bikes lost in transit, flat tires, and 47,000 feet in elevation gain, Jonathon proved that you can see a lot of the world on calories and leg rotations alone. He completed 3,300 miles of riding partly on this Surly 29’er, affectionately known as “Cynthia.”
2025 Rebelle Rally Subaru Forester
In the world of soft-roaders, the Rebelle Rally is quickly becoming the place to showcase what an AWD rig can accomplish. This factory-backed 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Touring looks a lot different than when it left the showroom floor. Fitted with a 3.5-inch lift with RaceWorks GZ-R coilover suspension, adjustable arms package by RalliTEK, full skid plates by ADF, 30-inch Milestar Patagonia AT Pro tires, and a rear locker, this rally-prepped Subie means business. Owner and Rebelle pilot Carey Lando (Team MtnSubi) says, “B. Stubbs Vinyl & Graphix nailed [my] vision of the classic Subaru rally livery combined with my outdoorsy Outback MtnSubi design.” I couldn’t agree more. Carey and her navigator Andrea Shaffer completed historic back-to-back victories in the X-Cross class in the 2025 running of the Rebelle.
Basil Lynch’s Chopped 80-Series Toyota Land Cruiser
We’ve featured some of Basil Lynch’s overland builds in years past, and his shop, Basil’s Garage, is always churning out high-end and highly personalized trucks for surfers, skiers, and outdoor adventurers of all stripes. His latest brainstorm caught my eye at Expo this year—a long-travel 80-Series Land Cruiser is not an especially rare sight, but one that’s been chopped to fit a GFC camper certainly is. Maltec conversions beware.
Onyx Bikes Geo Tracker
If the Toyota Space Van represented the 1980s at Overland Expo this year, the Geo Tracker from the Onyx e-moto booth channeled the 1990s hard. Riding on black steelies and M/T rubber under cut fenders, the splash graphics in teal and purple plucked at the heart strings of nostalgia for this Gen-Xer. Riding on a hitch-mount rack was Onyx’s RC80 e-motorbike. The 80-volt, 45-amp hour two-wheeler also looked rad in matching livery, and the optional dual-sport tires and burly off-road pegs completed the ready-for-adventure look. This combo wouldn’t be fast or comfortable, but it would certainly turn heads with a Pearl Jam CD blasting from the stereo.
Read more: Mammoth Overland’s XLE Blends Overland Travel with Advanced Security Features
Images: Stephan Edwards
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