This weekend, Overland Expo West 2022 kicks off with a number of important new truck camper announcements and some incredible showcase truck and camper rigs. Roseann and Jonathan Hanson have since sold the event, but their vision and sheer grit fundamentally changed the overland marketplace forever.Ībove: Hallmark RV on the way to Overland Expo West 2022 Since then, Overland Expo has become a phenomenon one of the largest niche outdoor events in the world. In 2009, Roseann and Jonathan Hanson founded a conservation and overland travel trade show. Final pic is the aftermath.Right now truck camper manufacturers are in Flagstaff, Arizona to kick-off Overland Expo West 2022. Get ready for a number of new truck campers, tricked-out overland truck camper rigs and more. Some time after midnight having spent the last 12 hours in a daze I head off to park my truck and go to sleep.Īnd that's my Overland Expo East Toyota story. and 5 hours later, after It's all done I'm talking to Mike and he says "hey you wanna come back to our camp and eat dinner and drink beer with us?"Ĭome to find out Mike is Mike Sweers and Bob is Bob Kupina, some people here might know these names, they knew several people from the forums here like Kurt from and these guys are salt of the Earth man, they spent the whole night drinking beer and answering all my dumb questions about AHC, DSC, ATRAC, they gave me a koozie that says "I suck at overlanding," (4th pic with Sheldon), and then around midnight Bob says "why don't you show us everything you have done to you rig?" SO I spent about an hour going over all the mods to my truck and getting constructive feedback on things to look out for and maintenance to keep up, generally having a great time. I'm having a blast (obviously), they are having a good time watching me play with the toys they all helped design (I don't know if any of them actually had anything to do with the 100 Series). Mike takes his 79 Series over a particularly tough little climb (2nd pic) and gets out and looks at me and says "You're gonna try that too right?" While we are out there I realize all of these guys know each other and I ask Sheldon "who here doesn't work for Toyota," he looks around and says "Just you." Now I'm starting to realize I'm out on the trail with 15 Toyota engineers and project managers and other assorted genius types who are now starting to push me to do more and more stuff with my truck. So I think that pretty cool and eventually several other guys come over and introduce themselves (Mike, Sheldon, and a dozen more) and we take off for the trail. Mac looks at me and says " Do you know who that is? That's the senior project manager for Toyota Development in Michigan." So while I'm briefly chatting with Mac this second guy comes up and says "hey we're leaving in five minutes to hit the trail." I ask him if they are going to do some wheelin' locally and he says "yeah you wanna come along?" Of course I say sure and he indroduces himself as Bob walks away to do some last minute stuff. So Saturday I was driving around charging up my batteries and looking at rigs when I came across this really nice looking 60 series (1st pic) and I stop my truck to get out and to take a look and chat with the owner, a guy who turned out to be named Mac McKenzie. I volunteered to work a tent (Geyser, look it up) at OEX East to get a free ticket in, but still had a lot of free time to enjoy myself. I would like to share my experience with Toyota at Overland Expo East and I think most of you will appreciate it.
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