Overland Expo – An Overlanding Community Event

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All lifestyles need a “Gathering of the Tribe” and overlanding is no different. Last year was our first OE and we had a fantastic time, met some great people and made new friends. TAP reached out to Roseanne Hanson, founder of Overland Expo for some background information about the event and here is what Roseanne had to say:

LP: How would you define Overland Expo?

RH: Overland Expo is an annual event that I founded in Arizona in 2009, that brings together overlanding enthusiasts and the rapidly growing industry that serves them. There are now two Overland Expos: the original and larger WEST show, in May in northern Arizona, and a new EAST show in October in North Carolina. Each three-day weekend is designed to educate and inspire people to get out and explore their world—there are hundreds of session-hours of classes, workshops, and roundtable programs for four-wheel-drive and adventure motorcycle enthusiasts; a large trade exposition with exhibitors, vendors, authors, and filmmakers; and evening inspirational programs and music.

LP: What was your motivation for starting Overland Expo?

RH: At the time it was founded (2009) the overlanding industry was barely an infant in the U.S. (though obviously it has longtime roots in Europe, Australia, and South Africa). Companies like Adventure Trailers and Equipt were just starting, and so were magazines like Overland Journal and ADV Motorcycle Magazine. The only events at the time were 4×4 focused, like Easter Jeep Safari and rock-crawling events. And the adventure motorcycle world was also just getting going and the meets were largely marque specific, mostly for BMW enthusiasts. Overlanders are not so much into “trail running” or conquering obstacles on the bikes or in their vehicle solely for the purpose of conquering obstacles, so we decided to create our own event. The first one was in Prescott, Arizona, and we had 900 people attend, both adventure motorcycle and four-wheel-drive enthusiasts. It’s grown over 20% per year since.

LP: What makes Overland Expo stand out?

RH: No other event combines intensive education modules with social opportunities to visit with thousands of other enthusiasts and share information and experiences, as well as a wide array of product and service vendors—in a professional trade-show setting—just for overlanding related activities. Overland Expo was founded by and is owned and run by Roseann & Jonathan Hanson, longtime overlanders who are committed to sharing their passion for travel, exploration, and conservation of the world’s natural and cultural heritage. Proceeds from Overland Expo in part support the sister charity ConserVentures.org.

LP: Do you have an anecdotal story you would like to share with our readers?

RH: Overlanding is about exploring and connecting, with nature and with other people. It’s also a community. We didn’t realize just how special this community was until two epic weather events in 2015 impacted both out WEST and EAST shows. One-hundred-year-level rain and snow fell during our May show outside Flagstaff, flooding everything and freezing us all. In Asheville in October, a Category 4 hurricane pummeled North Carolina and the governor declared a state of emergency two days before the show. Nearly 8 inches of rain fell on our venue and despite extreme preparation on our part it just overwhelmed us. But the community was amazing—the people who came and who stayed had a fantastic time, and not only made the best of it, they made it some of the best shows we’ve had. Not in terms of numbers, but in terms of camaraderie and stories and helping each other. It was epic. And it was amazing. It was best summed up by this gentleman from England: It’s far more about people. It’s far more about making contact—making friends. And I must admit that every time I’ve been [to Overland Expo] I’ve made friends, created real genuine friendships . . . Friendship, networking, it’s about people. It’s what makes that show unique. And the way I know this is true, is that despite all that terrible, terrible weather very few people left. They stuck it out in the slush, mud, and freezing snow. Just to be together. It’s actually quite remarkable.” ~ Andrew St. Pierre White, 4XOverland.com

For more information on Overland Expo and how to sign up for the events, go to: https://www.overlandexpo.com

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/overlandexpo

Twitter: @overlandexpo

Instagram: #overlandexpo on

Pull-Pal Remote Recovery Device

By

Lori Palmer

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Here at TAP we rarely travel alone, however plenty of people do. If so, ever been alone on the trail and got stuck in sand, mud, or snow? You look around for an anchor point for your winch, but there is nothing around you. Traveling alone in this circumstance, you risk getting stuck. That’s where a remote anchoring device comes in. One of the better known brands is the Pull Pal, so here’s some information on it and some reasons to consider adding one to your recovery gear list. Note: TAP has no affiliation with Pull Pal and has yet to personally use one.

What is a Pull Pal? The Pull Pal is a remote anchoring device that can be placed just about anywhere. It’s portable and well-suited for a wide range of environments particularly when winching in sand and mud. It’s design relies on the rules of physics and is a hefty plow blade that sets firmly and safely into sand, clay, mud and hardpan soil and snow.

The Pull Pal is designed to get you up and over hill stalls and minimize dangerous situations. It gives you more control — even when you are alone and saves you time, transmissions, and tires.

Why use a remote anchoring device?

Using one gives you the maximum pull from your winch by allowing you to unspool the cable to the layer that gives maximum pull power. You lose considerable pulling power (up to 20% on some units) with each layer of cable left spooled. So when you’re really stuck and you need all the power you can get from your winch, a recovery anchor, like a Pull Pal comes in handy.

Pull Pal Specific info:

– It’s designed to be used with winch-equipped vehicles.

– Pull Pal is constructed with a forged chrome-moly plow assembly, welded construction overall and assembled with Grade 8 bolts for strength and quality.

– Simply insert the plow point into the soil. As the winch cable tightens, the point embeds itself deeply and firmly into the ground and frees your rig with the assistance of the wheels in motion.

– The Pull Pal folds compactly to the size of an ordinary bumper jack for easy storage. It can be mounted inside or outside or stored in Pull Pal’s custom carrying case.

– A FourTreks mounting system can be used to secure your Pull Pal to round or square-tube roll bars and bumpers.

A Pull Pal mounted on a 2014 JK Wrangler along side the hi lift jack mount. Spade in cargo area, secured with NRS cambuckle straps.

Pull Pal Specs:
RW 16,000 “Extra Heavy Duty” Pull Pal- Has two 2″ detachable wings that make an 18″ spade. It has a heavy duty down tube and a 45″ shaft: this Pull Pal is made for vehicles weighing up to 12,000 GVW.
RW 14,000 “Military-Size” Pull Pal for Suburbans, large trucks and Hummers, GVW 10,000 and under
RW 11,000 Pull Pal for Jeeps through mi-size trucks, GVW 6000 and under
RW 6,000 Pull Pal for light buggies, the Suzuki Samurai, sand rails, ATVs and UTVs

Any vehicle weighing more than recommended for any size Pull Pal, should use 2 Pull Pals in a “Y” with a snatch block or a clevis. This gives you more than double the pulling power of the 2 pull pals.

Pull Pals need to be drilled specifically for AEV bumpers: Call AEV 248-387-4100

The Pull Pall remote anchor device can be seen at www.pullpal.com

Photos and specific product information obtained with permission from Pull Pal

Ethos Off-Road

By

Lori Palmer

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Ethos off road, Ethos trailer, over land, overlanding, off road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,

Ethos means: the characteristic spirit of a culture or community as manifested in its beliefs or ambitions to create something. I got on the phone with Co-owner Will Herring of Ethos Off-Road trailers, based out of Lago Vista TX, and found out why he chose this particular name for his company. Here is his story describing the evolution of Ethos Off-Road trailers, the company he and his partner Gary Fiveash have created. Check out the unique, user-friendly components on these trailers and the story behind their creation.

We started Ethos Off-Road last September. It came about out of the love I have for camping, fishing, hunting and off-roading; life-long passions that I now share with my family. Years ago, my wife and I purchased a Jeep Wrangler TJ and found that as our family expanded, our ability to carry necessary camping gear contracted. A trailer seemed like the logical solution to our storage needs. The idea of building an overland style camping trailer came from a friend of mine who created one out of a M416 military tub, then mounted a roof top tent on the lid. He brought it on one of our camping trips. I really liked it, and decided that I would make my own. All that storage space and the idea of having a tent off the ground, was extremely appealing. The only problem with the tent set up on my buddy’s trailer was that in order to access the contents of the trailer, he had to move the tent up at an angle because it was mounted directly on the lid. For me and my family, this meant that early morning coffee could not be made without everyone waking and exiting the tent. That wasn’t going to happen. The weight of the tent also made opening the trailer lid difficult. A couple of other things I wanted were to be able to mount a roof top tent high enough to walk under it once it was open and to have the ability to use a vehicle awning without having to elevate it above the trailer. All of this, led me to design and build a rack system for the tent and awning mounted to the lid of our trailer. The rack had to be adjustable because we wanted the trailer to have the lowest center of gravity possible while on the trail, but have the ability to be elevated in order to maintain head clearance once we opened our RTT.

All of this being said, I designed and built an exterior mounted rack system for the tent. When we took it out camping for a test run, we found that the rack was very difficult to raise. My wife, who is 5’3”, had a terrible time trying to lift 180 lbs of tent and rack up. After a long day of driving and dealing with my tribe of yelling, restless kids, this one little hurdle of raising the tent became the straw that was about to break the camel’s back, literally. We did not want to have to struggle to set up camp, so….another problem that needed to be solved.

I built a telescopic, self-lifting exterior mounted rack for our trailer. The rack I had previously designed was retro fitted with 80 lb. lift assist gas shocks. A synthetic winch cable was added in order to lower the rack once it was raised. A hand crank winch was installed at the rear of the trailer where the cables were run. We now had the ability to raise and lower the rack system with one person and very little energy.

My family and I took this modified trailer all over the place. I added a barbecue pit to the rear as we wanted a large cooking surface for family and friends during our outings. Soon, I began to get inquiries from people wanting to have a trailer like ours. During one of our outings, my friend Gary Fiveash and I were sitting by the lake fishing and I told him that I wanted to build a new trailer (remember, my original trailer was made of an M416 military tub) and asked him if he would be interested in helping. Gary is a structural metal fabricator with a large shop already set up for anything we would need; CNC drill, welding equipment, large grounded work tables, band saws etc. I wanted to build high quality trailers to sell to the general public. So, with Gary’s many years of experience, his fabrication shop, and my design ideas, Ethos Off Road was born. We began production of our prototype; a modified version of my M416 built trailer. We posted the prototype on Facebook and it was purchased before we were done building it!

Our designs are always evolving. With Gary’s knowledge and years of metal working experience at our disposal, we’ve been able to create new and better ways of constructing trailers for our customers. We redesigned the tub and lid, matting surfaces to resemble a truck tool box type lid, thus improving upon the weather proof design. We have added metal X breaks to the lid as well as front and rear trailer tub panels to insure the tub is rigid. This creates structural integrity to those areas as well. The x break application has allowed us to build a frameless tub and lid combination using 14 gauge steel that is extremely strong. The chasis of the trailer has a 3 x 4 x 1/8^th inch full length tongue and fully welded 2 x 4x 1/8^th square tube framing.

Our trailer, the Travois X-1, comes with our patented self-lifting roof rack system to lift the RTT high enough to open the lid without disturbing the tent. It’s got a 600lb. hand winch quipped with 6 thousand lbs of synthetic winch cable to allow the user to lower the rack with no assistance. This model has a cooler rack for your perishables, a 20 lb. propane tank mount, Timbren independent suspension system for 3500lb applications, 31×10.50×15 mud tires, matching tow vehicle wheel lug pattern so you don’t need to take a spare for the trailer, a removable sliding smoker/bbq mounted on the rear of the trailer on our custom-built cooking rack that was constructed to ensure good trail clearance. All trailer wiring is enclosed inside the frame to keep it from getting damaged on the trail. We also offer many other options such as water storage and 12 volt power systems installed as well.

Ethos Off-Road’s goal is to be as self-contained as possible. My family and I go down to the Texas Gulf Coast quite a lot so it was important for me to design a “break-in proof” trailer. I also needed our trailer to be completely weather proof. We love camping. Ethos Off-Road makes products that enable people to get out there without having to take a lot of time setting up and breaking down camp. Our trailers are custom-made, user-friendly and have evolved out of our love for getting outdoors and playing in the simplest, safest way possible.

You can check out Ethos Off Road Trailers at www.ethosoffroad.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ethosoffroad
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ethosoffroad

Author: Lori Palmer
Photos: Dana Herring
Editor: Lori Palmer

2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser

By

Lori Palmer

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FJ Cruiser, FJ, overland, overland, over land, off-road, off-roading, off road, vehicle supported adventure,

The TAP crew are former FJ owners. We recently spoke to Kevin Clark about his 2012 nicely modified and capable FJ. Here is Kevin’s rundown on his rig.

Over the years I’ve had my fair share of motorcycles, fast cars and big 4×4 trucks. I’ve always been an avid outdoorsman and although I still love motorcycles and traditional American muscle cars, I found that my 1970 Dodge Challenger was not the best suited vehicle for my adventures, so I started off-roading in big 4×4 F250’s and Ram 2500’s; finding new places to camp, fish or hunt.

In 2007, I got my first look at the Toyota FJ Cruiser and just knew that someday I’d have to drive one. Six years later, I bought my 2012 FJ Cruiser and the rest is history!

I had been going off-roading for years, so I knew that I needed to add some upgrades to ensure that my vehicle was well equipped to safely tackle challenging terrain. My goal was to be able to go on a variety of expeditions into remote areas for fishing, kayaking, hunting and camping. I asked a lot of people what sort of modifications I would need to ensure safe travels, and got some solid advice. The modifications I made to my FJ are listed below.

Modifications:2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser

-Icon Vehicle Dynamics V.S. 2.5 Series Coilovers & Shocks & V.S. 2.5 Series RR Rear Shocks-Camburg Upper Control Arms – Uni-Ball Set
-Old Man Emu rear coil springs: heavy
-Toyo Tires: Open Country 285.75.17’s

-FJ Cruiser Trail Series Diamond Style Front Bumper w/ Hella Optilux lights
-TJM Stealth Series 9000 Winch w/ Synthetic Winch Rope
-BudBuilt stainless steel skid plates and sliders w/bump Out
-BozTec rear diff skid plate and Falcon Fab lower link amour.

-Rhino Rack Back Bone w/ Pioneer Platform (84 x 56) and assorted Pioneer Brackets
-Assorted gear for recovery (straps, tools, shovel, Hi-Lift, etc.)
-Swift Major Emergency Medical first aid kit
-Fire Extinguisher
-Finally: 2015 Turtle back trailer with all the good stuff

Up Coming Projects
– Total Lighting Package
– 30” KC C-Series offroad LED light bar. 1-20” KC C-Series offroad LED light bars
– 6” KC C-Series offroad LED light bars w/ 3″ C3 LED Pair Pack System
– 2″ Cyclone LED Single Light
– The Hood Project: top secret at this point
– A rear door drawer system.

I’d like to give recognition to some great individuals for their knowledge, time and experience.
My build credit goes to William Kuhns and his crew at Sierra Expeditions. Thank you.
My friends and members of AZFJ.
Dave Munsterman at Turtleback Trailers.

Article and photos: Kevin Clark

Editor: Lori Palmer

For more overland and off-road capable rigs, CHECK HERE

Rugged Ridge Exo-Top for Jeep 2007-2015

By

Lori Palmer

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TAP went out to SEMA this November to check out the products being marketed and released for overlanders. One of the products that caught our eye, was the Exo-Top by Rugged Ridge. After a discussion and demonstration at their booth, we thought you’d in interested in seeing more. TAP disclaimer: We do not own and have not personally used an Exo-Top, but obtained product information to pass on to you. Check out this top’s duo function and TAP into Adventure!

The Exo-Top™ combines top-down driving with the utility of a roof rack, enabling Jeep owners to conveniently lower, raise or remove the Jeep’s soft top without having to unload any gear or cargo from the roof rack. It is currently available for four door JK Wranglers and will be available in summer 2016 for two door models. The Rugged Ridge Exo-Top™ features a patent pending design that is a direct bolt-on application with no drilling required for installation.

By combining the convenience of a soft top with the utility of a roof rack, the Exo-Top™ allows owners to experience a Jeep to its full potential for camping, off-roading, or as part of any outdoor lifestyle. The Exo-Top™ features an innovative Sun Slider® retractable function, which allows the top to slide back with the release of just two clips, creating an open-top experience for owners without the hassle of getting out of the driver’s seat.

Integrated into the 300-lb. capacity roof rack is an advanced externally suspended soft top design that fastens using a series of Velcro straps along the perimeter bars of the roof rack. The pulling force applied by the Velcro helps to tighten and shape the soft top and completely eliminates the need to unload any gear or cargo from the roof rack in order to conveniently lower, raise or remove the Jeep’s soft top. The Exo-Top™ is also compatible with most standard rack attachments and accessories in the industry, enabling Jeep owners to utilize the Exo-Top™ to safely haul any type of gear or equipment for outdoor adventures, including bicycles, skis, snowboards and kayaks.

“What’s great about the Exo-Top™ is the freedom and versatility it gives Jeep owners,” said Patrick Bennett, Product Development Manager at Omix-ADA. “By combining the soft top and roof rack, the Exo-Top™ allows Wrangler owners to spend more time enjoying their Jeep in any setting, rather than having to deal with a cumbersome soft top and roof rack that were not designed to work together.”

Rugged Ridge’s new Exo-Top™ is an industry-first design that combines the utility of a roof rack with the open-air freedom of a standard soft top in one bolt-on product. It is available on-line or through a designated dealer.

Part Number	Description	MSRP
13516.02	Exo-Top, 4-door, 2007-2015 Jeep Wrngler JK	$1,732.99
13516.01	Exo-Top, 2-door 2007-2015 Jeep Wrangler JK *Available Summer 2016	$1,599.99

Contact Info:
Rugged Ridge at 770-614-6101
visit www.RuggedRidge.com

The Exo-Top™ can be seen in action on a JK Wrangler on the Rugged Ridge YouTube Channel. Have a look at the Rugged Ridge Exo-Top in action.

Photo Credit: Omix-ADA

Editor: Lori Palmer

Barlow Adventures

By

Lori Palmer

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Nena Barlow, BARLOW ADVENTURES, over land, overlanding, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventure,

TAP recently had the opportunity to speak with Nena Barlow of Barlow Adventures located in Sedona AZ, Moab UT and a seasonal operation on the Rubicon Trail in California. We asked her what inspired her to get into the business of renting Jeeps, guiding trips and providing 4WD trainings to people wanting to get out and explore. Here is what she had to say:

“With 4wd vehicles becoming more and more comfortable and capable, I saw the numbers of people on the trails exploding, and, with that, an even higher ratio of people who had no background in how to do “outdoors” at all, let alone conduct themselves safely and responsibly on unmaintained backroads. The initial concept was to be able to impart enough wisdom to recreational vehicle users to help them be safe as well as responsible in order to ensure that trails would stay open for us all to enjoy. That launched 4wd training, and we carried over that same concept to Jeep rentals—enabling people to enjoy the spectacular backcountry of the Southwest safely and responsibly.

Nena Barlow began her career leading Jeep tours in Sedona AZ in 1993. She drove guests on off-road trails in tour Jeeps, pointing out the sights and giving them the history of the area. She did this for about 10 years. During that time, she began to train some of the other tour guide drivers on off-road driving techniques. At the time, there were very few training books focused on overlanding and rock crawling techniques, so Nena wrote her own training materials and quickly became the central trainer for tour guides. From there, Nena began getting requests for training by 4×4 owners who had heard that she trained the tour guides. As the requests increased, Nena decided to start her own 4WD training business on week-ends.

In 2004, due to an exponential growth in demand, Nena left the Jeep touring business and partnered up with Farabee, a local Jeep rental business in Sedona, opening “Sedona Jeep School”. When Richard Farabee decided to move his business to Death Valley, Nena scraped up all the money she could, with help from friends and family, and in 2009 Barlow Adventures was open for business.

Barlow Adventures caters to tourism visitors and recreational 4wd owners. They lead and coordinate professional and corporate events, train industrial and military operators, and provide location and production services for the movie/TV industry. Barlow Adventures ships Jeeps throughout the lower 48 states for special events.

I asked what makes Barlow Adventures stand out and here is what Nina had to say. “We have the best maintained and quality-built rental Jeeps in the U.S. No other rental company is as meticulous with preventative build and maintenance and cleaning. Our staff is known for their amazing knowledge of local trails and Jeep driving tips. I am one of only 60 trainers in the world certified by the International 4WD Trainers Association. I’m also the only woman to have done so.”

“Any anecdotal incidents/memories from the trail?”

NB: “Unfortunately, most of the statutes of limitations have not run out yet, but here are some highlights.”

-“The many times we have rented a Jeep to someone, then they come back the next month or the next year and tell us “That was a really expensive rental—It made me have to go out and buy my own Jeep!”

– “The bazillion times we have gently encouraged some first-time Jeep drivers to trust our Jeeps and do something adventurous and they have come back all smiles and telling us “I CAN’T BELIEVE the Jeep could do that! That was the best thing we have ever done in our lives!”

-” The time I was training military operatives, all outfitted in black fatigues, and we stopped to help pull some locals out of a mud pit along the trail. I could tell they weren’t sure if they should run for their lives or be grateful.”

-“Just last week: One of our Jeeps had a fender that was barely hanging on—we were in the process of settling with the renter who had done the damage, but in the meantime, were sending the Jeep out with a fender flare just “finagled” back on. We made sure to mention this to the next renters, that they would not be responsible if it fell off, but perhaps they didn’t hear us, because when they returned that Jeep a few days later, the fender had been replaced. Thanks!”

-“Even though this is the 21st century, most people assume that a Jeep business is owned by a man, and so whichever of our male staff is up front always gets asked “Are you Mr. Barlow?” That always gets a good guffaw. But, it does tell me that they are doing such a wonderful job that the guests think they must be the owners!”

Contact info/links to webpages/social media:

Barlow Adventures
Sedona: 3009 W State Route 89A, Sedona AZ 86336
Phone: (928) 282-8700

Moab: 1805 S Hwy 191, Moab UT 84532

Phone: (435) 259-3195

Website: barlows.us

Email: info@barlows.us

Facebook: facebook.com/barlowadventures

Instagram: instagram.com/barlow_adventures

Head to the Southwest and TAP into Adventure!

Video by Aaron Kupferman
Author/photos: Nena Barlow

Editor: Lori Palmer

The Adventure Portal

Overland Expo – An Overlanding Community Event

For more information on Overland Expo and how to sign up for the events, go to: https://www.overlandexpo.com

Social Media Links:

Pull-Pal Remote Recovery Device

Why use a remote anchoring device?

Pull Pal Specific info:

Pull Pal Specs:

Ethos Off-Road

2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser

Modifications:2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser

For more overland and off-road capable rigs, CHECK HERE

Rugged Ridge Exo-Top for Jeep 2007-2015

Contact Info:
Rugged Ridge at 770-614-6101
visit www.RuggedRidge.com

The Exo-Top™ can be seen in action on a JK Wrangler on the Rugged Ridge YouTube Channel. Have a look at the Rugged Ridge Exo-Top in action.

Barlow Adventures

Contact info/links to webpages/social media:

Head to the Southwest and TAP into Adventure!

EVEN MORE NEWS

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For more information on Overland Expo and how to sign up for the events, go to: https://www.overlandexpo.com

Social Media Links:

Why use a remote anchoring device?

Pull Pal Specific info:

Pull Pal Specs:

Modifications:2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser

For more overland and off-road capable rigs, CHECK HERE

Contact Info: Rugged Ridge at 770-614-6101 visit www.RuggedRidge.com

The Exo-Top™ can be seen in action on a JK Wrangler on the Rugged Ridge YouTube Channel. Have a look at the Rugged Ridge Exo-Top in action.

Contact info/links to webpages/social media:

Head to the Southwest and TAP into Adventure!

EVEN MORE NEWS

POPULAR CATEGORY

Contact Info:
Rugged Ridge at 770-614-6101
visit www.RuggedRidge.com