Quick Facts:
- Event: Overland Expo West
- Dates: May 15 to 17, 2026
- Location: Fort Tuthill County Park, Flagstaff, Arizona
- Format: Overland gear show, vehicle builds, and training classes
- Companies in the video: 14 standout brands
- Video length: 37 minutes
- Best for: Overlanders planning gear upgrades or a first expo trip
5 min read
In This Article
Overland Expo West 2026: Why I Drove Out to Flagstaff
Overland Expo West 2026 pulled me back to Flagstaff for the seventh or eighth year running. I left home at noon on Thursday, loaded the Colorado ZR2, and rolled into Flagstaff a little after 6:30 p.m. Friday morning I was at the gates early. This turned into one of my favorite years at the show.
So I brought my camera and worked the floor with one goal: find the overland gear worth your time. The result is a 37-minute walkthrough of 14 companies, embedded below. You hear from the manufacturers, see the products up close, and step inside a couple of campers. Watch it first, then read on for a guide to each brand.
Prefer to read first? The full Overland Expo West walkthrough on YouTube covers every product in depth.
Overland Expo West 2026 at a Glance
Overland Expo West is the largest show in the Overland Expo series, held every spring in northern Arizona. Below are the 2026 details if you want to plan a trip.
| Detail | Overland Expo West |
|---|---|
| Dates | May 15 to 17, 2026 (Friday to Sunday) |
| Venue | Fort Tuthill County Park, Flagstaff, Arizona |
| Show hours | Friday and Saturday 9 to 5, Sunday 9 to 3 |
| Exhibitors | More than 400 brands, including roughly 100 first-year exhibitors |
| On site | Gear vendors, vehicle builds, training classes, and exhibitor ride-and-drives |
| My drive | Noon Thursday departure, in Flagstaff a little after 6:30 p.m. |
14 Standout Products From the Overland Expo West Show Floor
Here are the 14 companies from the video, in screen order. I talked with the crew behind each one. Every product earned its spot with a new build, a smart update, or a strong showing on a crowded floor.
Campers and Off-Road Trailers
Campers and trailers always pull crowds here. New to slide-in rigs? Our truck bed camper buying guide covers the basics.
Iron Peak Campers builds composite off-road trailers and slide-in truck campers, including the XTR trailers and APEX campers. Their composite construction keeps weight down without giving up weather sealing.
Goverland, a South Korean brand new to the U.S. market, drew crowds with the GOAT pop-up slide-in camper. A 180-degree awning and rear solar shower jugs make it a practical two-person setup.
SNO Trailers builds USA-made off-road trailers, including the Alpine, Recon, and Baja, and brought lineup updates for 2026. The brand is named after a rescue dog, not the weather. Its affiliated retail shop, SNO Outfitters in Orange County, California, lets you put hands on overland gear before buying.
Bison Overland, out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, hand-builds custom truck campers like the aluminum Space Wrangler flatbed pop-up. The shop has also moved into all-composite builds.
Racks, Air, and Fuel Storage
TRUKD builds modular truck bed rack systems and teased a truck cap prototype at the show. Details stayed light, yet a topper from a bed-rack specialist is worth tracking.
MORRFlate makes the multi-tire hose kits overlanders use to air down all four tires at once, plus the TenSix PSI Pro compressor and the hands-off Air Hub controller.
Overland Fuel showed its Elephant-brand fuel and water jerry cans, built for hard trail use. Fuel storage rarely earns attention until you need it.
Camp Kitchens and Cooking
The ORIS Skottle is a disc-style outdoor griddle with a 17-inch cast-iron plate, and the burner works as a camp stove once the plate comes off. New to the format? Our Tembo Tusk Skottle long-term review shows how a skottle cooks.
RockPot is a portable slow-cooker needing no power or propane. You heat its patent-pending RockTablet insert, load the pot, and it cooks unattended while you drive.
HitchFire focuses on hitch-mounted cooking gear, led by the Forge 15 propane grill, which swings out from your receiver hitch. See our Pakmule Pro hitch rack review for more hitch-mounted setups.
Coolers, Comfort, and Camp Cleanup
Travoca makes premium electric coolers, and the Rigel Series eCooler won a Red Dot Award for 2026 design. Our Travoca Rigel 25L review covers how it performs on the trail.
Aeronaut Outdoor makes down camping quilts, led by the two-person Hoverquilt, designed to replace a sleeping bag in a rooftop tent or camper.
Rugged Revive rounds out the list with its no-rinse Sponge Bath, a body-cleaning sponge needing only water for days with no shower in reach.
Why Overland Expo West Is Worth the Drive
Fourteen products is a thin slice of the show. Overland Expo West fills Fort Tuthill with hundreds of exhibitors, vehicle builds, and training classes across three days. You watch roof tents go up, climb inside campers, and catch recovery demos in the dirt. Reviews help, yet standing next to overlanding gear and meeting the builders changes how you shop.
This year stood out. After seven or eight trips, I know a strong year from a quiet one, and 2026 ran hot. The show pulled in roughly 100 first-year exhibitors, and several brands in this recap were among them. Established names showed real updates, not recycled displays, and the floor stayed busy from open to close.
Planning Your First Expo Trip
If you have never been, go. Book Flagstaff lodging early, because rooms fill fast on expo weekend. Buy your pass ahead to save money and skip the line. Give yourself two days at minimum, since one day will not cover the grounds. Run through an overlanding gear checklist before you leave so you shop with a plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Overland Expo West 2026?
The show ran May 15 to 17, 2026, at Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, Arizona. Friday and Saturday opened 9 to 5, with an earlier close on Sunday.
Where is Overland Expo West held?
The show takes place at Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, Arizona each spring. Flagstaff sits near 7,000 feet, so pack layers even in May.
What is Overland Expo West?
Overland Expo West is the largest event in the Overland Expo series. It brings together gear vendors, vehicle and camper builds, hands-on classes, and exhibitor ride-and-drives.
Is Overland Expo West worth attending?
Yes. After seven or eight years of going, I still rate it the best weekend on the overland calendar. You compare gear in person, meet the builders, and leave knowing what to buy next.
How much does Overland Expo West cost?
Organizers sell single-day and full-weekend passes, and prices climb closer to the event. Check the official Overland Expo site for current pricing, and budget separately for Flagstaff lodging.
What overland gear stood out at the 2026 show?
My picks span truck campers, off-road trailers, camp kitchens, electric coolers, and fuel storage. The 14 companies in the video cover the full list, so watch the walkthrough for each one.
Final Word
Overland Expo West 2026 earned a spot as one of my favorite years at this show. The 14 companies above are a starting point, so set aside 37 minutes for the full video and a close look at every build. Tell me in the comments which product belongs in your rig. I am already counting down to next spring.