I have been attending Land Rover shows in the UK for over a decade now, and the most common complaint is that they are all the same, year in and year out. So when I took up a copy and content writing position at Front Runner just over six months ago, I was told it would involve attending overseas overland and 4WD events, the first being the recent Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, Arizona. As I flew over for it, I could not help but wonder how different it would be from the UK’s Billing Off-Road Show, an event very local to where I live.

The Overland Expo West is the first and most prominent of four annual Overland Expos held in various parts of the US. The other three are (in chronological order): Pacific North West (Oregon), Mountain West (Colorado) and East (Virginia). To get there, I flew into the Los Angeles International International Airport and worked at our US office for a few days in Agoura Hills, California, before packing for Flagstaff. The best way to write this show report would be to look at the differences between Expo West and similar events worldwide. So, join me for a foreigner’s take on the 2023 Adventure Expo West.

Big Country
If you drove from the Front Runner US HQ in California to Overland Expo East, Google Maps says it will take 38 hours of non-stop driving to cover the 2,549 miles. Plus, you will cross 9 US states in the process. On the other hand, if you live in John O’Groats, Scotland, the most northern point of mainland Britain, and want to attend the Billing Off-Road Show, it is a journey of only 600 miles. Our drive to Flagstaff was nearly the same distance, but we did allow ourselves a few scenic detours, such as the famous Route 66. We were lucky; other attendees had to drive across the country for several days to attend Expo West.

Even bigger trucks
I cannot believe the size of vehicles in the USA. They make a Land Rover Series III or a classic Hilux pickup look like a toy truck. I felt like a five-year-old when standing next to the new Hummer EV Edition (with a claimed range of 314 miles). Everything will look smaller when you live in a country with no Ram or Ford F-series trucks.

Very Different…
When you land at LAX Airport and drive to Malibu, about 90 mins away on a good day, count the number of Old Defenders, Land Cruisers or Front Runner roof racks. You are having a good day if you need to use more than one hand to count the number. Drive from Cape Town Airport to Camps Bay for a cocktail, and you will see at least 50 Suzuki Jimnys, and you know what? All of them will have Front Runner racks on. Plus, you will see heaps of old Defenders, Land Cruisers and Hilux pick-ups.
…but the same

If you walk around the campsite at Expo West, almost every truck has a Dometic fridge in the back. Fair enough, you also see the odd ARB or National Luna one, but Dometic dominates here. The same happens when you walk around the campsite at Abenteuer Allrad; Dometic fridges are everywhere. Other well-known overland brands like Alu-Cab and ARB also dominate on both sides of the Atlantic. The US overland and off-road accessories market is massive and highly competitive. You will see some big local big brands which are very successful and sold exclusively in the US.

Old Defender love
Everyone loves a bloody old Defender. Just what causes this much- romanticized allure? Probably the fact that they were not sold in the US for many years due to the lack of airbags and other safety reasons. There was a rather old (but shiny) Defender 110 V8 on the Front Runner stand, and boy, oh boy, did it attract lots of attention. I only saw a handful of other old (and new) Defenders at the event.

Gas vs Wood
In Africa, Outback Australia and most UK Land Rover shows, everyone likes cooking meat and veggies on briquettes, charcoal or wood. Not so in the US, where gas is king. Also, as the campsite was in the forest, open fires were a no-go. Another US trend worthy of mention has to be the massive number of portable gas fire pits. The Friday of the show was a washout, and loads of people were using them to stay warm and dry. One of my favourites was Lavabox (fireanytime.com), which converts old ammo boxes into portable gas-powered campfires. It’s simple, safe, and there is no need to chop down trees to fire it up.

Familiar faces, different continent
I always joke with people and say that it is a small world when you drive a Land Rover. The same can be said of overlanding. Even though I had not been to the US for several years, I caught up with several familiar faces during the event. Australian 4×4 guru Ron Moon and his wife Viv were finishing their epic multi-year trek around the states. I once attended the Australian Outback Challenge with Jeremy Bergh, the founder of Alu-Cab; now at Flagstaff, we had a great old chin wag about how to crack America with South African products. I could go on and on, but I won’t bore you.

VIP Veterans
As a military veteran, I only have the highest regard for how the American people and shows like this treat their former soldiers. I saw loads of stalls offering generous discounts to veterans. I chatted with a group of vets camping at the campsite, and they could not have been any friendlier if they tried. Rob Lara, a vet with over 20 years of service, parked his beastly 2013 Ram 2500 on the Mile Tires stand and was more than happy to answer my questions about his beefed-up truck.

Look the part
I have noticed a rather curious global trend around overlanding; where do all of these impressive rigs and trucks go when not at shows? I often camp and overland but never see as many special rigs and trucks when driving across the Serengeti or scooting around Scotland’s remote islands. Overlanding has developed a broader appeal in recent times. People have realised they can work from anywhere, so they do just that. Mountain bikers, climbers and paddle boarders like the overland look and buy into it, but for them, it is all about finding the new and perfect place to do their chosen thing.

Patches, please
Cloth patches that Velcro or sow onto a bag, hat, or jacket were a massive deal at Expo West. We handed out over 1,000 at the Front Runner stand and ran out of patches on Saturday afternoon. I even saw a trade stand that only sold cloth patches. People in the USA love cloth patches. Who knew?

And that’s the experience I had at Overland Expo 2023 in Flagstaff. Seeing and experiencing such a variety and comparing what I saw to the experiences of vehicle-based adventure I’ve had throughout the world, once thing is for certain. Regardless of where in the world you are, one common denominator is a shared passion for getting out and being inspired to see things you can only see by stepping out your front door.

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