Our contributor scoured the Overland Expo in Flagstaff, Ariz., for the coolest adventuremobiles at the festival. He reported back on some wicked cool rides!
Off-road adventurers and their vehicles gathered at the 2017 Overland Expo last week. Among the record number of vehicles, vendors, and attendees, we spotted exceptional vehicles of many makes. Which would you take on far-off adventures?
Couch Off-Road/BlissMobile Unimog
This $400,000 home on wheels is a true engineering marvel, and ready for Armageddon. It will do 70 mph on the highway and drive through and/or over just about anything. It has more trick features than can be talked about here. This camper is next-level luxury.
American Safari JXL
The new overland system for the Jeep JK platform adds 15” to the back of the Jeep just by removing the tailgate and bolting on an extension. It has a pop-top with upper bed, provides interior standing room, and a rear dinette, which can also be converted into a lower sleeping platform. It should be available in September as a DIY kit with a price around $15,000.
AeroContinental Cab-Over Camper
This is AeroContinental’s second prototype design. It integrates aerospace aluminum construction and interior composites to create a durable, beautiful, and lightweight camper. This style camper with a fully built AEV RAM truck, should price out at about $325,000, depending on options.
TerraCamper Metris
Euro-style, classic Westy layout, durable materials, and a quality new Mercedes van platform. It’s been a long time since the U.S. market had a small van camper option like this. The TerraCamper build-out kit for this conversion should run about $35K. Now, if only Mercedes would bring over the AWD version of the Metris!
Proffitt’s Megacruiser
NO, this is not a Hummer. Yes, this is a Hummer knockoff that Toyota built in very limited supply. There are less than a handful of these rare beasts on North American soil, and this one is impeccable and not sitting in a museum.
New Legend 4×4 1967 Scout 800
While this might just look like a very clean International Scout 800 restoration, it is really SO much more! The vehicle is based on a new JK frame with Rubicon axles and a full AEV suspension. This build is powered by the first 2.8L Cummins turbo-diesel crate motor offered to the public. For about $100,000, New Legend will build you one of these magnificent creations.
Expedition Overland LC200
The latest addition to the X Overland video series fleet, this new 200 Series Land Cruiser continues the impressive lineage of Toyota vehicles the team built for global overland travel. The LC200 debuted at Overland Expo this year and is already on a boat to South America to complete the Pan-American highway.
ROAM Built Sprinter
Lots of Sprinter builds displayed at the show this year, but the ROAM Built van stuck out from the crowd. This van is designed to go places most Sprinters can’t. Big tires, bead lock wheels, strong skid plates, and tons of off-road lighting make this an incredibly capable package.
Adventure Driven 2007 Ford Expedition
You don’t see many of these grocery-getters turned into truly capable off-road machines, especially with the level of refinement and capability of this vehicle. Its talented owners designed the Adventure Driven Ford Expedition to go WAY off the beaten path, provide full sleeping and living systems inside, and be a tool used in the photography quiver.
RebelZilla
When you own a performance off-road shop and you want the ultimate rig to take your kids to school, take the family camping on the weekends, and show off the capabilities of your shop, you get this beast! It has the cab off a 2015 Isuzu NPR-HD Crew Cab, but otherwise it’s mostly custom fabricated. Is there a more fun or impressive rig to drive to your favorite remote trailhead?
