The Overland Expo West concluded after three days of exhibits, learning and demonstrations centered around the overlanding lifestyle and experience. This is the 17th year for this show, which was held at Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, Ariz.
The event boasts over 400 exhibitors of all kinds as well as over 175 classes, slide shows, demos and activities. There is also a community focus to the event with after-hours music and films. Some of the attendees as well as exhibitors practice what they preach by camping on site as well.
Ultimately, the show aims to bring campers, motorcyclists and gear with educational components so that everyone from aspiring overlanders to experts can find out more about the experience.
There were many hundreds of exhibitors displaying everything from tow ropes to portable toilets, fire starters, powered coolers, lighting and more. But the thing that seemed most prevalent were roof-top tents. They were on display on the ground and on vehicles and trailers of all kinds.
“I don’t know how there can be so many roof-top tent manufacturers,” said Jason Epperson of the RV Miles podcast and video channel. “I’ve seen more types of portable fire pits here than I’ve ever seen at an RV show.”
RVs of all kinds were present with the traditional RV industry becoming more prevalent. Christopher Barth, co-founder of Ember RV, noticed that they were among the first Indiana-based players on the field when they first showed-up five years ago but, today, others including Winnebago, Palomino and even a Forest River Forester all made the trip.
As always, there were educational seminars all three days ranging in topics from pet safety, knife safety, traction aids, two-way radios and topics on places to find outstanding overlanding experiences. Vehicle build exhibitions were also popular.
There were also workshops on getting un-stuck and on finding water and towing a trailer into the back country. There were also food and cooking demonstrations with some sellers of several RVs also made their debut at the show including Storyteller Overland’s GXV Wild, Palomino’s R12RB and the Winnebago ARKA 20Z.
RVBusiness also spoke with Kenny Phillips, Winnebago brand ambassador and co-host of the Beyond the Wheel Podcast, who shared that he got to spend a month testing the ARKA in January.
“People are loving the overall build, the aesthetics, the materials. They love the on-board air. They can’t believe that that price includes the tires and all the other features.” While some similar vehicles at the show break the half million-dollar mark, the ARKA will debut at $331,901.
Epperson was at Overland Expo for the first time and described the experience as almost overwhelming.
“It’s a smart set-up for both the consumer and the media. This has really opened my eyes to how an RV show can be run in a more customer-centric way,” he said.
Epperson was able to shoot, edit and publish his own video about the ARKA using some of the capabilities included in the media room.
But he was also impressed by the show’s logical organization. “They’ve got a huge tent which is near the food trucks and there are seminars all day, which are packed. There is so much that is wild and wacky and awesome. Much of the traditional RV crowd would be interested in this stuff and you don’t see it at a traditional RV show.”
Barth, described the show as very well attended and felt that it may have been better attended than in the past based on his experience.
Ember was one of the first Indiana-based RV companies to take to the show with its Overland Series but, today, there are quite a few traditional RV companies there including some decision-makers Barth recognized while looking around.
The best party trick Ember showed was running its air conditioner, 12-volt fridge and all interior lights on battery and solar alone. “We had to open the windows and put the AC at its lowest temp just to keep things going,” Barth said in describing the solar and battery system’s ability to keep things running off the grid. At this show, we’re like a hybrid case. Outside, we have the ruggedness of our Overland Series with the Curt independent suspension and exoskeleton. But inside Ashley (Bontrager-Lehman, Ember RV co-founder and president) has done an outstanding job making these livable and modern.”
“The RV industry could learn a lot about what people are looking for in a show from Overland Expo West,” said Epperson. “It’s such a great experience because it’s not just 40 rigs from one brand. It’s people camping on site who are there for a common reason. I feel like something like this where they’re treating the crowd as fans of overlanding, whereas RV shows are a turn-and-burn sales event. Everybody is having a lot of fun.”
Another part of the allure for attendees is the sheer mountain of companies on hand demonstrating ways to upgrade vehicles including trucks, off-road vehicles and motorcycles. From lighting to more capable suspensions, towing gear, winches, tires and more, there was an almost overwhelming number of offerings.
Specific attendance figures are not available yet, but last year’s show drew over 28,000 people, 423 registered exhibitors and 154 presenters, trainers and VIPS.
Officials indicated some attendees traveled from Australia, Canada, China, Great Britain, Mexico, Argentina, Japan, Germany, Israel, Indonesia, South Korea, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Poland, and even Iceland.
