14 Overlanding Trends

When offices and schools closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the overland scene exploded seemingly overnight. Pent-up families hit the road in droves, turning to nature to ease the stressors of the unexpected lifestyle changes. The off-grid industry reacted by pumping out multitudinous rigs, trailers, vans, and gear.

Times were good, but there was a looming question: what would the scene look like five years later? Based on two recent overland expos—the inaugural Overland Expo SoCal (Costa Mesa, CA) and the California Overland Adventure and Power Sports Show (Pomona, CA)—it seems the market has stabilized nicely after its initial boom. Companies have refined their products, and customers have honed in on their needs. The results? More innovation and tons of selection.

Before we dive into some of today’s overlanding trends as observed at the aforementioned expos, let’s figure out a good definition of overlanding. Simply put, overlanding is vehicle-based adventure; the vehicle supports your adventure. It can even be the focus of the adventure. It’s today’s interpretation of simpler traditional on-ground tent camping, but with more focus on gear and tech. It’s pretty much car camping on steroids. Overlanding appeals to a wide spectrum of participants, from adventure-curious novices to seasoned, experienced survivalists. Rest assured that there’s no wrong way to overland—it’s pretty much a combination of off-roading, camping, and adventuring.         

An overland vehicle:

• Gets you closer to the adventure you’re seeking (think mountain biking, hiking, rafting, surfing, dirt biking, remote relaxing, focused togetherness, and general exploration).

• Acts as a self-sufficient basecamp/homebase where you seek food, clothing, and shelter in an otherwise hostile environment.

• Provides an elevated, in-vehicle sleeping arrangement that protects you from the elements.

1. Turnkey Overlanding Vans

The overland van segment, dominated by the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, has proven to be more than a short-lived fad that boomed during COVID. It seems that #vanlife is here to stay. It’s easy to see why adventure vans are popular. Compact but roomy, these strikingly handsome vans have great interior flexibility and modularity. You can use a van for work during the week and camp out of it during the weekend. Vans have one major Achilles Heel, however: astronomical price tags. They’re incredibly expensive to buy and build-out. This hindering factor is the only threat to the trend.

Additionally, these turnkey van builds yoink accessories and features from pickup trucks. For example, Outside Van’s Overnight Edition and Rogue Van Company’s Palisade Dakar Edition had Amp Research PowerSteps.  

2. Portals, Portals Everywhere

Portals are pretty rare, so we were surprised when we saw multiple overland trucks running portals, including a Ford Ranger Raptor and a Toyota Tacoma. One of the biggest players in the portal axle business is 74Weld Motorsports. Portal axles equate to more ground clearance, gear reduction, and robustness. While some production vehicles run portals (think Mercedes-Benz Unimog, Toyota Mega Cruiser, and GM Hummer H1), it’s a pretty niche aftermarket upgrade for most off-road builds. The portal-swapped trucks we saw looked very distinct and pretty dang sexy.

3. Luxury Truck-Based Upscale Rigs

You’ve heard of luxury pre-runners; the same concept exists in the overlanding world. With pricetags deep in the six-figure range, these upscale truck-based overland builds are obviously way beyond entry-level. They’re aspirational and unobtainable for the average overlander, but alas, we love the eye candy. Basically, these builds slap luxurious, high-quality campers onto sexy high-trim ¾- or 1-ton diesel pickup trucks. Some builds retain the factory truck beds, while others ditch them in favor of flatbeds or custom beds. Some campers replace the bed entirely. There’s no right or wrong when it comes to these Ferraris of the overland world; they’ll catch your eye. A few examples we stumbled on include the TruckHouse BCR, Storyteller Overland GXV Hilt, Overlander 4x4, and EarthRoamer SX. There are dozens more.

4. Pickup Truck Bed Replacements     

Even if you’re seasoned in the overland segment, there’s a lot to digest; it’s overwhelming. When we started looking closely at truck beds, our minds were blown. We noticed a trend of ditching traditional pickup truck beds in favor of custom, storage-equipped truck beds/flatbeds with fantastic departure angles. One company specializing in these types of bed replacement systems is Bowen Customs. Since the efficient use of space is vital in an overlanding rig, it’s not surprising that people are regaining lost and under-used bed storage space with these custom beds. Some even have built-in garages. If an overland build leaves you really amazed, see if it’s running the factory bed. It’s a really big, easily missed detail.   

5. Ineos Grenadier Upgrades

If a vehicle looks like a Jeep Wrangler, old-school Toyota Land Cruiser, Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, or Land Rover Defender—but isn’t—it might be an Ineos Grenadier Station Wagon. There’s also a Quartermaster that looks more like a Land Rover Defender Pickup or Jeep Gladiator. Love it or hate it, the BMW-powered Grenadier shoved its way into the overland scene in 2024, gaining aftermarket traction from companies like Everything Grenadier and its installation facility called Overland Garage 4x4. Grenadiers throughout the expos had modified suspensions (King shocks, new coil springs, heavy-duty control arms), 35-inch tires around custom wheels, bumpers, winches, skid plates, light bars, tents, roof racks, and multitudinous other overland-y goods. Not bad for a vehicle you’ve probably never seen in-the-wild. Is the Grenadier trend here to stay, or will suffer a hard crash landing (note the aviation interior theme)?     

6. Slashed Prices

While the overland industry does not seem to be suffering, the tides are shifting. You don’t have to be desperate. Do not pay over MSRP, and just say no to dealer markups. For large manufacturers willing to haggle, get yourself a deep discount. The market has become flooded to some extent, so you (the customer) have the upper hand. Don’t be afraid to shop around, and be prepared to jump on sale prices.

7. The Other Toyotas: Land Cruisers and New 4Runners

We also noticed a handful of brand-new 2025 Toyota 4Runners hiding here and there. They’re for sale, but they haven’t exactly taken over the streets yet. The redesigned 4Runner gets a 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four that makes 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque or the i-Force Max hybrid powertrain (like the Tacoma) that makes 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. We can’t wait to see what overlanders do with the 4Runner Trailhunter.

8. Off-Road Influence: Ford Ranger Raptor   

Given there’s no hard line between off-roading and overlanding—especially in southern California—we found various factory off-road variants make appearances (think AT4X, ZR2, TRD Pro, Raptor, TRX, and Wilderness). It makes sense that overlanders would want off-road-ready trucks and SUVs. The variant that was prevalent enough to make our trends list, however, was the Ford Ranger Raptor. The desert-romping mid-size made its U.S. appearance for model-year 2024, but it’s been under-celebrated—until now. The handsome Ranger Raptor gets the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 that produces 405 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque. It’s a great fit for overlanders. We didn’t notice as many Bronco Raptors.

9. Pop-Ups, Slide-Outs, Fold-Outs, and Everything Ninja

We found a few examples that really had our minds spinning. Alaskan Campers makes a hard-side pop-up/slide-up truck camper. Exodus Rigs makes a new hard-side collapsible adventure trailer. Tribe Trailers makes a hard-side slide-up overland trailer. A whole host of pop-up truck toppers, exemplified by Tune Outdoor and Go Fast Campers, provide pop-up rooftop tent sleeping arrangements atop secured bed enclosures. Rogue Van Company displayed a Far Out Canopy Truck Camper with fold-down “wings.” Last but not least, Unplug Outdoor Co. displayed its Trailster Fold-Out Style Truck Camper, which basically embeds a fold-out rooftop tent into the profile of a truck cap.

10. Hardshell Tents

Rooftop tents are still very popular, but we notice they are predominantly low-profile, hard-shell types rather than soft-shell tents, which can be bulkier and harder to set-up and tear-down. Overall, racks, storage bins, and tents are becoming lower-profile and more streamline, helping with fuel efficiency. Whereas the predominant option used to be overland cargo racks with rooftop tents, now we’re seeing the addition of  pop-up toppers and other integrated rooftop sleeping solutions. The bottom line is that there are many types of rooftop tents and many ways to sleep in your vehicle—it all depends on your style and budget.

11. Starlink

Connectivity is problematic in remote areas. While we all like the idea of being totally off-grid, it’s an incredible luxury (and potential lifesaver) to have a high-speed internet connection. For those trying to work off-grid, it’s a necessity. Starlink has become a widely accepted solution in the overland scene, allowing much-appreciated satellite internet connectivity in otherwise remote areas. Since Starlink is reasonably affordable for average consumers, we’re starting to see more Starlink mounts on rigs. Many overlanders are using Starlink Mini. One of the downsides is that it requires an unobstructed view of the sky, but when you need internet, you’ll find a way to clear sky.

12. Dealer Upfits

Dealers are getting in on the overlanding action, too, partnering with leading brands to create dealer-installed special editions. For example, Giant RV showed off its 2025 Winnebago Revel van with its dealer-installed All Time High Summit Overland Package. This package includes tons of upgraded parts and accessories from reputable overland companies: front and rear suspension upgrades, skid plates, wheels and tires, accessory boxes, lighting, air compressor kit, and more. It’s topped by an All Time High wrap. The result is a tricked-out Winnebago Revel with dealer-supported aftermarket parts.

13. Dogs and Dog Gear, of Course

Naturally, man’s best friend gets to go overlanding. Overlanding is a dog-friendly activity. If you’re not fond of four-legged friends, don’t share it with the overland crowd. Dogs rule the show. If it’s not dog-approved, it’s a no-go.

14. Traditional RV Manufacturers Get Trendy

Once a niche activity, overlanding has become mainstream. Traditional RV manufacturers have noticed and now offer their own interpretations of overlanding rigs and accessories. Overlanding rigs made by traditional RV makers have their advantages: mass production means generally cheaper; widespread technical support; more availability; shorter lead times; and better financing options, for example. There are also disadvantages: poorer perceived build quality; less customization and creativity; outdated technology; and questionable reputation. Do traditional RV companies have what it takes to be “cool”? Based on these examples—Lance Enduro (off-road travel trailer), Forest River Pause (travel trailer), Winnebago Revel (Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van), Winnebago Travato (Ram ProMaster van), Coachmen Nova (ProMaster), and Thor Sanctuary (Sprinter)—we’d say yes. “Vanilla” RV makers have taken the cues on what it takes to be “Saffron & Pistachio.”

The Next Five Years

What trends do you think will emerge in the overland community in the next five years? A return to simplicity? A surge to over-complexity? A shift to electric overlanders? Only time will tell.