On May 19th-21st, the overlanding community made their way to Flagstaff, Arizona, for Overland Expo West 2023. The weekend-long event in Fort Tuthill County Park is more than just an overlanding show—it’s a meeting place for community members from around the globe.
From Friday through Sunday, 30,000 overlanding fans walked beneath a green inflatable archway and into the action. Nestled among the towering Ponderosa pines, there were lifted trucks and upfitted vans. The latest UTVs—complete with rooftop tents—parked near sidecar-equipped motorcycles with knobby tires, while enormous EarthRoamers shared space with battle-worn Jeeps from a bygone era.
More than 400 vendors set up shop, displaying everything from tires to tents. Venison kebobs sizzled on camp stoves and factory fresh Toyotas whipped around a muddy test track. Veteran overlanders told tales of daring expeditions as the next generation took notes. Dogs rested in the shade as folks lounged in folding chairs, enjoying the late spring weather.
We were in the middle of it all. Two trail-ready projects sat beside our black and orange FOX booth: “Tails” the 2021 Mercedes Sprinter and The Fast Lane Offroad Dodge Ram 2500.
Tails was upfitted by Outside Van in Portland, Oregon, to be the ultimate mountain bike support rig. Equipped with FOX 2.0 Shocks on all four corners, the 4X4 Sprinter can tackle any terrain with ease. For more details on this one-of-a-kind van, click here.
The Ram is a TFL project vehicle outfitted with FOX 2.5 Performance Elite shocks; its build has been chronicled in-depth on their YouTube channel.
Learn with FOX Academy
Throughout the course of the weekend, we hosted five FOX Academy training sessions, including one with Andre Smirnov of TFL. In these classes, we drew connections between our race-winning technology and the multifaceted world of overlanding.
Most people know that suspension is one of the most critical pieces of the overlanding equation, but they don’t know where to start. Our FOX Academy classes help answer their questions, both big and small.
Although our adjustable and larger capacity shocks were originally developed for off road racing, some people were surprised that they’re equally at home hauling heavy loads on technical overlanding terrain (and comfortable on the street, too).
They’re built to take whatever you throw at them, albeit it a monthlong overlanding adventure or a trip across town.
Overland Expo West brings the best people, vehicles and products to the Grand Canyon State. We had the best time catching up, learning and exploring.
We’re already looking forward to seeing what next year has in store.
