Offroad RV Sniper X Compact Trailer

 Compact Sniper X trailer from OffroadRV.com. Shown at Overland Expo West 2019.

Tell ‘em you saw it on RoadTraveler.net.

James Langan

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler. All Rights Reserved

Resource:

Offroad RV

Overland Expo West 2018

Ram always holds a small press event at Overland Expo West. FCA Western Region Communications Manager Scott Brown is speaking.

Overland Travel Mecca, Overland Expo West 2018

Each May I’m in Flagstaff, Arizona, for the Overland Expo West event. Like the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, it is a vehicle-centric gathering, but that’s about the end of the major similarities. SEMA covers all things automotive (not motorcycling) and is not open to the public. Overland Expo focuses on vehicle-based overland travel, or overlanding. It is not focused on the automotive aftermarket per se but on the growing overland-travel-focused industry that supports it; it is open to everyone. The blend of professional trade show and educational opportunities have made Overland Expo West the most popular overlanding show in the Western Hemisphere. (Its sister show, Overland Expo EAST, is held each autumn in North Carolina.) These three-day weekend events are designed to educate and inspire folks to get out and explore their world.

At Expo West this year there were over 250 classes, workshops, and roundtable programs for four-wheel-drives and adventure motorcycles. Plus there was a large exhibitor exposition (400 vendors) and evening inspirational programs and parties.

If Ram would put a Cummins in a Power Wagon, I’d buy one. I love the Wagon’s features, particularly the lockers.

Overlanding is not four-wheeling or about conquering the toughest obstacles. It is about exploring the world using self-guided means such as four-wheel-drives or motorcycles. Whether 100 miles or 10,000 miles from home, travel on everything from easy backroads to highly technical terrain. There is so much to see and enjoy beyond the blacktop. The journey and experience is as important as the destination, when overlanding. Camping is the most cost-effective way to travel, though many people alternate with hotels, hostels, or couch-surfing.

Overlanding attracts Baby Boomer retirees, adventurous young families, and people of wide-ranging demographics. Some in the overlanding industry might turn-up their noses when the words recreational vehicle or RV are used, though plenty of the bigger outfits on display and for sale (truck campers and larger) are definitely recreational vehicles. At least they are vehicles used for recreation…labels can be quite limiting. Most overland travel, however, involves more off-pavement adventures than many traditional North American RVs can handle.

The star of Ram’s show was the 2019 1500.

Ram, Cummins, Jeep, And Much More

In recent years OEM participation has increased, and it includes both Ram (and Jeep) and Cummins, two names that mean a lot to the Turbo Diesel Register audience. The event was noticeably bigger this year; it included an improved vendor booth layout.

FCA’s Tyke Marostica gave us a detailed rundown on the new 1500 Ram.

Other OEM exhibitors this year included: American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), BFGoodrich Tires, Four Wheel Campers, Sportsmobile, ARB-USA, Global Xpedition Vehicles, EarthRoamer, as well as dealers representing BMW, KTM, Triumph, Kawasaki, Honda, and Ural motorcycles.

Cummins’ booth was again focused on the R2.8, a great little repower engine and a perfect fit for this event. Surely there were many more 5.9L and 6.7L ISB engines on-site.

If you are a gearhead that likes four-wheel-drives and/or motorcycles, mixed with some camping—either the more traditional tent accommodation or something larger and more comfortable—one of the annual Overland Expo events are fun places to enjoy the sights and activities or to go shopping for your next outfit. Because this article was written for the Turbo Diesel Register, and my column is so aptly named Still Plays With Trucks, that’s what my imagery and captions focus upon.

Nicely done 1999 Range Rover Discovery with an R2.8 repower done by Heritage Driven, Albuquerque, NM.
Heritage Driven’s R2.8 Cummins repower looks like an OEM installation.
This Proffitt’s Resurrection Land Cruisers was at SEMA in 2017, but for Overland Expo a bed rack, rooftop tent, and other overland-style accessories were added. Love this little Toyota truck.
The Juniper Overland folks also own the Denver Metro Four Wheel Campers (FWC) dealership. This sweet FWC hawk flatbed camper is attached to a Norweld aluminum flatbed, riding on a Ram 3500 chassis.

A nicely restored 1970s International Scout II was sitting off by itself, just there to be admired.
Global Expedition Vehicles’ Adventure Truck is built on a Ram 5500 chassis that has been converted to SRW. It features an AEV front bumper and snorkel, ARB-USA lights, and fiberglass composite exterior and interior camper construction.

Aaron Wirth extended the frame 8” on his Ram 3500, built an aluminum flatbed, and had Highway Products build custom aluminum boxes around the flatbed and Lance camper. Aaron and his wife live full-time in this outfit.

AT Overland’s new Summit Topper sits on their Ram/Cummins 2500. This wedge-shaped topper has removable tent insulation, and the truck bed amenities can be built to suit each customer’s needs. Opening and closing is fast and easy. I think this will be another home run by the AT folks.

AT Overland owner Mario Donovan’s sweet Third Generation with a fiberglass-sided FWC hawk flatbed camper.
Cool Ram 3500 with side-dump aluminum flatbed…all the way from New Jersey.

James Langan

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler All Rights Reserved.

 A version of this article was also published in the Turbo Diesel Register magazine.

Sources:

Overland Expo: overlandexpo.com

 

Summit Topper from AT Overland at Overland Expo West 2018

AT Overland’s new Summit Topper was introduced at Overland Expo West 2018. Production is scheduled to begin no later than September. 

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler All Rights Reserved

Resources: 

AT Overland Equipment

Overland Expo

 

AT Overland aluminum fuel can carriers

AT Overland (AKA Adventure Trailers) fuel can carriers have been on all of my 4WDs and one trailer over the past decade. Originally they were steel, but for several years they’ve been aluminum, and the latest version is assembled with rivets.

After the first big trip in my 2017 Ram/Cummins with Hallmark Nevada flatbed camper, I discovered the rivets had damaged the green plastic Scepter water can. I found a solution and still love this AT Overland product.

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler All Rights Reserved

Resources: 

AT Overland/Adventure Trailers

Hallmark Campers

 

Hallmark Nevada Flatbed Camper, sneak peek

First look, the night before it was mounted on a Hillsboro 2000 Series aluminum flatbed. More to come. Stay tuned here and/or follow me on Instagram: @RoadTraveler.

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler.net

All Rights Reserved.

Source: Hallmark Truck Campers

Overland Expo West 2017

Overland Expo West 2017 — Flagstaff’s Fort Tuthill County Park 

New Venue 

Overland Expo West is a three-day annual event focused on educating and inspiring folks to explore their outdoor world, both near and far. The big news for the event this year was change: it moved to a new venue, the Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, Arizona. The park offers about 30% more area and extra separation for truck and moto enthusiasts. There were over 200 classes, workshops, roundtable programs, and inspirational programs, as well as over 300 vendor booths. Fifty exhibitor spaces were added in 2017, with a waiting list for 2018, and there were about 2,000 additional attendees. The Overland Expo team is now focused on getting better, not bigger. Leading industry vendors and OEMs were present, including Ram and Cummins, which is where my coverage is focused.

Ram was a vendor again this year.
Cummins’ R2.8 Turbo Diesel attracted much attention.

There can be growing pains… I did overhear someone saying that the general, dispersed-camping areas were too tight and full. My sense is that overall this was a good move for the Arizona event, the growing tribe of overland travel enthusiasts and the vendors that are happy to accommodate their desires for comfortable, vehicle-supported travels and camping.

New Legend 4×4 Meets The Cummins 2.8L

New Legend 4×4, based in Iowa, has been doing impeccable restorations of vintage Scout II and Scout 800 bodies, mounting them on modern chassis, complete with high-performance engines, to give enthusiasts the joy of driving beautiful vintage iron without the poor drivability of vehicles built 50 years ago. They work hard to maintain the original vibe and hard-working focus of the old wagons, while tastefully blending it with modern performance, reliability, and safety. New Legend 4×4 works with their clients to create the ultimate mix of a vintage/modern vehicle. These rigs are meant to be driven, not be garage queens.

I’ve been an International Harvester fan since my youth, partially because my great uncle Clarence had a few, plus I’ve owned a ‘60s two-wheel-drive half-ton and two Scout IIs. The first, a Scout Terra pickup, was my first four-wheel-drive. The New Legend Scout IIs with V8s were very nice, but the rig that made me gaga was this 1967 Scout 800 with a Cummins R2.8 under the hood.

1967 Scout 800 on a Jeep Wrangler chassis.

The FIRST Production R2.8 Turbo Diesel

The Turbo Diesel Register readership needs no explanation as to why one might prefer to repower vintage iron with the new R2.8 Turbo Diesel instead of a gas V8. New Legend 4×4 was one of 25 beta test shops for the Cummins R2.8L in the U.S., and thanks to Steve Sanders at Cummins, they were lucky enough to receive the first production version of this new crate engine just in time to complete this Scout 800 and drive it to Overland Expo. Yes, they drove it from Iowa to Arizona, essentially non-stop, swapping drivers, with lots of coffee and Red Bull, with the blessing and encouragement of their customer as part of the initial shakedown. I interviewed Luke from New Legend to get the details on this beautiful build.

The Cummins R2.8 swap looks factory perfect.

This is a 1967 Scout 800, the body is original but “freshened”, which means cleaned, repaired, and painted to high standards. It sits on a new Jeep Wrangler Rubicon chassis, with the excellent and proven OE Dana 44 axles with electric lockers both front and rear. New Legend wisely didn’t try to invent new Wrangler suspension, instead they use AEV’s proven 2.5” system, which maintains factory geometry and drivability. Luke said, “it drives and handles amazingly”, like a brand new Jeep Wrangler JK, because that’s what is underneath. New Legend teamed with Duluth Pack in Minnesota, because they love Duluth’s made-in-USA waxed canvas, which really helps this particular Scout retain a vintage, rugged look and feel. Just what the customer wanted.

Modified and updated, the interior still looks ‘correct’.

The Cummins R2.8 has it’s own ECM, and Cummins makes it incredibly easy to connect the engine to the donor chassis, essentially just fuel and a few wires. The flier for the R2.8 Turbo Diesel inline 4-cylinder says it produces 267 lb-ft @ 1,500-3,000 rpm, and 161 hp @ 3,600 rpm, with an asterisk indicating “final ratings may vary”. The motor is connected to a NV3550, 5-speed manual tranny, which is backed by an Advanced Adapters Atlas II twin-stick transfer case. The base price for a build similar to this is about $100k, depending on how the customer specs their new vintage four-wheel-drive. Cummins was a vendor at the 2017 Overland Expo West gathering, primarily to support this fantastic, small, light, and powerful little engine. Smart move, as the repower opportunities look promising in this market segment.

American Expedition Vehicles 

American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) displayed their Prospector XL Tray Bed Edition, and the new Recruit, Ram 1500 package. The original Prospector XL was a personal project of AEV President, Dave Harriton, that was first displayed at the 2013 SEMA Show, and it has covered thousands of miles on- and off-highway since. AEV Special Operations is creating ten of these “Limited Edition, Unlimited Adventure” vehicles based on the regular-cab, long-bed, Ram 2500 platform. The trucks will feature their signature stamped-steel front bumper, DualSport suspension, lightweight aluminum bed, massive 41” tires, and more. The Prospector XL Tray Bed Package starts around $38,000, plus the base vehicle; I think they will sell all ten quickly.

Prospector XL Tray Bed from AEV.

The timing of this announcement is interesting, as I’ve been a fan of flatbeds since my commercial driving youth and my custom flatbed-equipped ’93 First Generation Turbo Diesel. For several months I’ve been trying to suppress my lust for a new regular cab, longbed truck…keep your eye on my column.

AEV’s Ram 1500 Recruit package.

AEV’s Recruit package for 1500 Rams includes a new 4” DualSport suspension for these independent front suspension (IFS) trucks. It increases wheel travel and off-highway performance, while optimizing the steering geometry for improved handling and reduced driver fatigue on-highway. The A206 T4 cast aluminum steering knuckles, new tie-rod ends, AEV-spec Bilstein 5100 series struts and shocks are key ingredients. Under the truck, a stamped-steel 4mm skid plate offers serious protection and maximum ground clearance.

The 4” DualSport suspension include a cast aluminum steering knuckle and upgraded tie rod ends.
Perfect, tight fit for the Recruit’s skid plate.

The Recruit’s heavy-duty grille conversion facilitates mounting their existing HD front bumper. Cast aluminum tow loops instead of the ductile iron pieces reduce weight, and their Heat Reduction Hood helps the Recruit look similar to the Prospector. New 18” AEV wheels are more versatile than the common 20” OEM rims. The Recruit package starts at $15,000.

AEV’s 18” aluminum wheels for Ram 1500.

AT Overland Habitat Truck Topper

The ingenious and detail-oriented folks at AT Overland introduced a version of their Habitat camper for full-size Tundra, F-150, and Ram pickups with both 5.5’ and 6.5’ beds; it was previously only available for mid-size trucks. The Habitat fills the void between a basic truck topper and a slide-in camper. The shell is made with lightweight aluminum and composites, is very robust, and has a base weight of only 340 pounds. Easily opened by one person, the 15’ long tent that deploys provides 96” of standing headroom near the tailgate when mounted on a Ram, and 85” at the front; plenty. When standing outside on the ground, the bed above acts like an awning.

The tent is made from a very durable, Teflon-impregnated, waterproof ripstop nylon (285 grams-per-meter), by American tent and camping gear manufacturer, NEMO Equipment. If customers chose a base camper ($8,800) without optional cabinetry, stove, or refrigerator and such, the camper does not reduce the hauling area of the pickup bed. The Habitat pictured here is on AT Overland co-owner Mario Donovan’s 2017 Ram 2500.

AT Overland’s Habitat topper tent for full-size trucks.
NEMO makes the tent for the AT Habitat.
Long and spacious inside a Habitat camper.

AeroContinental 

AeroContinental has started making chassis-mounted truck campers featuring stressed skin construction that are designed to be both attractive and field-repairable. Their first effort was on a Ford Super Duty, but their second is more appealing to TDR-minded folks, as it’s mounted atop a 2017 Ram 3500 with AEV’s Prospector package. It’s just waiting for a customer to spec the final layout inside. It makes me think of a vintage Avion camper, or Airstream trailer. “Aerospace meets overland” is one of AeroContinental’s tag lines.

AeroContinental prototype Ram camper.
Inside the AeroContinental.

ARB USA

ARB had three new items on display that caught my attention. The coolest being their new Elements Fridge ($1,300), designed to survive tough duty outside, like in a pickup bed. This weatherproof 12-volt compressor refrigerator (not just a cooler) features a stainless steel body and hinges, a gas strut that holds the lid in any position, a pin-code lock plus padlock hole, a light, and more. Once you start using a real refrigerator for camping or tailgating, it’s hard to leave home without one.

ARB’s new Elements refrigerator.

The ARB Adventure Light 600 provides up to 600 lumens of LED light ($59), with a lower 300-lumen setting. This portable light can be recharged by both AC/DC power, includes a battery-level indicator, has hooks and magnets, and is dust and rain resistant. There’s little question it’s rugged; one of ARB’s press photos shows a truck driving over the light.

Adventure Light 600.

Appropriate tire pressures are critical for performance and safety. Modern TPMS provide a safety net, but the best maintenance practices involve frequent use of a quality tire gauge. ARB’s Digital Tire Inflator ($55) has 23.5”, PVC-covered braided steel hose with a push-on chuck and valve clip, which reduces the need to squat or bend over while filling tires. The backlit LCD readout is protected with a rubber guard; it’s designed to read from 1-200 psi (0-14 Bar, 0-1400  Kpa); there’s a bleeder button and a 200-hour runtime from the two provided AAA batteries.

Digital Tire Inflator from ARB.

That’s all for this year, there was so much more, it would take 100 pages to cover it all. Check it out.

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler.net/PhotoWrite Intl. LLC.

All Rights Reserved. 

A similar version of this article was also published in the Turbo Diesel Register.

Sources:

AeroContinental: aero-continental.com 

AEV: aev-conversions.com 

ARB: arbusa.com

AT Overland: adventuretrailers.com 

Cummins: cummins.com 

NEMO Equipment: nemoequipment.com 

New Legend 4×4: newlegend4x4.com 

Overland Expo: overlandexpo.com 

Ram: ramtrucks.com 

Overland Expo West 2016

Overland Expo West 2016 

Camping and Adventure Travel Exposition At Mormon Lake, Arizona

Overland Expo West is the premiere annual gathering for overland and backcountry travel, an event more important than the SEMA Show for those seeking vehicle-supported adventures. The educational, hands-on, gear shopping, and social opportunities are almost endless, plus it is open to the public, and includes motorcycles. For more about Overland Expo (OE) events visit their website at overlandexpo.com.

During the 2015 event, Flagstaff received a deluge of rain, snow, and resulting mud, combined with unseasonably cold temperatures, but this crowd can handle a little challenge. This year there was some wind, but it was generally very pleasant with seasonal weather.

Ram Truck’s casual press conference was open to the public too.
Ram Truck’s casual press conference was open to the public too.

Ram Truck’s New 2500 Off-Road Package

There is no doubt the Ram Power Wagon is king of full-size trucks in technical terrain, but the Power Wagon package is not available with the Cummins 6.7L for those that prefer the mighty ISB. However, there is a new off-road package for the 2017 Ram 2500 series trucks, including those with the supreme diesel engine from Columbus, Indiana.

Kevin Metz, Head of Ram Heavy Duty Marketing, sharing the lowdown.
Kevin Metz, Head of Ram Heavy Duty Marketing, giving us the lowdown.

Ram conducted a small press conference during OE to talk about their off-highway prowess and offerings. When they shared details on the Ram 2500 Off-road 4×4 Package, I listen intently. The new value-priced option package includes:

-Large front tow hooks

-Fender flares, black or body color (to stop flung debris)

-Bilstein monotube shocks, tuned for the 5-link rear coil suspension and weight

-Firestone LT on/off-road tires, 18” or 20” (less wheel and more sidewall is better off-pavement)

-Transfer-case skid plate (it’s small, but something; a fuel tank skid would be nice)

-Hill-decent control

-Anti-spin rear differential

-“4X4 OFF-ROAD” decals on the tailgate and both sides

This package will be available on almost every trim, cab, wheelbase, gas or diesel-powered 2500 by the third quarter of 2016. Regular cabs were noticeably absent from the list, likely because most are purchased for commercial applications.

Ram Power Wagon is cool, I wish more of its features were offered on Turbo Diesel Rams.
Ram Power Wagon is cool, I wish more of its features were offered on Turbo Diesel Rams.
Some EcoDiesel love at the Ram booth.
An EcoDiesel 1500 at the Ram booth.

Attending this annual event is part of my work, but engaging the folks and scene is a pleasure. The following pictures and captions highlight some of the Cummins-powered standouts.

Owner/Engineer of AEV Dave Harriton’s latest personal canvas on which a custom camper will be built. Dave is a G56 fan, but likes good A/T too, and this 3500 has an Aisin tranny. Using a chassis cab allows 74 gallons of fuel capacity (F 22 R 52), and the DEF tank will be relocated to a less vulnerable and obtrusive location. In these photos the truck already has: AEV DualSport suspension, front bumper, intake snorkel, diff covers, steering upgrades, the new AEV ventilated hood. Huge 41” Super Swamper singles replaced the OE DRW setup, 4.30 gears and ARB lockers are in the differentials, and the bright white fleet paint was covered with a mellow gray color.
Owner/Engineer of AEV Dave Harriton’s latest personal canvas on which a custom camper will be built. Dave is a G56 fan, but likes good A/T too, and this 3500 has an Aisin tranny. In these photos the truck already has: AEV DualSport suspension, front bumper, intake snorkel, diff covers, steering upgrades, and the new AEV ventilated hood. The bright white fleet-look paint was covered with a mellow gray color.
Using a chassis cab allows 74 gallons of fuel capacity (F 22 R 52), and the DEF tank will be relocated to a less vulnerable and obtrusive location.
Using a chassis cab allows 74 gallons of fuel capacity (F 22 R 52), and the DEF tank will be relocated to a less vulnerable and obtrusive location.
Huge 41” Super Swamper singles replaced the OE DRW setup, 4.30 gears and ARB lockers are in the differentials.
Huge 41” Super Swamper singles replaced the factory DRW setup, and 4.30 gears and ARB lockers are in the differentials.
Mario Donovan, co-owner of AT Overland Equipment, built this Third Gen. recently. An ARB bumper protects the nose, and a Four Wheel Camper mounts to a custom flatbed.
Mario Donovan, co-owner of AT Overland Equipment, built this Third Generation Cummins recently. An ARB bumper protects the nose, and a Four Wheel Camper mounts to a custom flatbed.
Dave Bennett is the founder of the American Adventurist website and forum, a place focused on exploring what we have available here instead of abroad, and he recently left Toyota for Ram. His new 2500 project already had lots of cool stuff, including a Buckstop front bumper, but since this photo it received a custom flatbed and Four Wheel Camper.
Dave Bennett is the founder of the American Adventurist website and forum, a place focused on exploring what we have available here instead of abroad, and he recently left Toyota for Ram. His new 2500 project already had lots of cool stuff, including a Buckstop front bumper, but since this photo it received a custom flatbed and Four Wheel Camper.
Dually trucks remain a great choice for heavy slide-in campers, even a popup, particularly if challenging and/or narrow dirt roads are not part of the plan. BundutecUSA is a relatively new camper company based in Iowa, though the founder has decades in the business.
Dually trucks remain a great choice for heavy slide-in campers, even a popup, particularly if challenging and/or narrow dirt roads are not part of the plan. BundutecUSA is a relatively new camper company based in Iowa.
A simple, travlin’ light rooftop tent setup.
A simple, travlin’ light rooftop tent setup.

Copyright 2016 James Langan All rights reserved.

Sources:

AEV: aev-conversions.com, 248-926-0256

American Adventurist: americanadventurist.com

AT Overland: adventuretrailers.com, 877-661-8097

BundutecUSA: bundutecusa.com, 319-234-0071

Overland Expo: overlandexpo.com

A version of this article was also published in Issue 94 of the Turbo Diesel Register (TDR), November 2016.