Red Oxx MFG
Supporting Sponsor / Approved Vendor
Eleven years ago and after a quite a few seasons on the road it became apparent that we needed a purpose built trade show vehicle. The usual set up went something like this, buy a new truck and destroy it after a few seasons of trade shows, repeat. Either from overloading or just plain wearing it out with too many miles dragging a heavy load from the mountains to the prairie.
Starting with 2009 Sprinter which had diesel motor and dually rear wheels it looked to be big enough to haul the mail and then some. A cavernous rolling box of metal yet fast and had some decent brakes. Working with a blank canvas we set about making it our own. Some things to consider when being on the road. Security and comfort along with saving a few bucks by avoiding fast food joint and keeping that budget for legit tacos.
Our Sprinter came equipped with dual sliding doors and this was going to be great for getting the crew in and out of the shows. I hit the junkyard and pulled the rear seat out of 1970s Suburban and tried not to drag home that 64 Impala missing the front clip. Security being an issue after some bandits made off with my gear in Reno. I hit Tuffy Products up for a suite of lock boxes for securing our valuables and rescue gear.
Other considerations were a “bumpin sound system” and of course more security. Then we needed a double axel Featherlite trailer to haul the booth in as well as custom cradle to secure said booth. My friend Big Tony was the craftsman who created our booth out of aluminum and it was like a Jenga puzzle that fit into a tiny area. Yet when expanded it created a 400 square foot retail experience. The booth kit was quite extensive to the point of requiring a Warn Winch to haul it back into the trailer when loading out.
After shifting the main bulkhead to middle of the vehicle we had a nice passenger compartment and a large cargo area for our products. I had picked up a National Luna refrigerator at the Overland Expo from Equipt along with the proper mounting kit and wiring to go with it. Paul and his team are also responsible for the incredible three meter awning with side curtains. A truly one of a kind set from Eezy Awn of South Africa. With it all bolted together and finished in some dark suede we hit the trail for many a show from one side of the country to the other.
From expo to convention or even a weekend run to go camping the Big Oxx as it has become to be known, turned out to be an excellent platform. Of course nothing stays the same and I had noticed that attendance at events was starting to slide while costs continued to rise. What to do? After giving a
show in Salt Lake one more chance I decided that we had come to the end of an era. I must admit that I am a bit addicted to travel. The reasons are varied and for those of us who have that malignant wanderlust we all feel the pull.
First move was to generate some capital to reinvest and reinvent my trusty ride. So the trailer went off to a new home. Of course I salvaged the winch even though I had not really decided to use it on the Mercedes or install it on my Tundra. The next step was to remove the wrap which had been on for over a decade. It was a bit tattered and I wanted to start with a blank canvas and allow for whatever we come up with on this build. This part is not exactly fun and after Big Tony and I spent a couple of hours with heat guns we decided to call a professional. Our local detail shop has four strong youngsters on the payroll, Problem solved…..
In the meantime I have been trying to figure out how exactly to proceed with the build. My main source of ideas has been coming from Youtube and things I saw at the Overland Expo.
Cheers
Jim
Starting with 2009 Sprinter which had diesel motor and dually rear wheels it looked to be big enough to haul the mail and then some. A cavernous rolling box of metal yet fast and had some decent brakes. Working with a blank canvas we set about making it our own. Some things to consider when being on the road. Security and comfort along with saving a few bucks by avoiding fast food joint and keeping that budget for legit tacos.
Our Sprinter came equipped with dual sliding doors and this was going to be great for getting the crew in and out of the shows. I hit the junkyard and pulled the rear seat out of 1970s Suburban and tried not to drag home that 64 Impala missing the front clip. Security being an issue after some bandits made off with my gear in Reno. I hit Tuffy Products up for a suite of lock boxes for securing our valuables and rescue gear.
Other considerations were a “bumpin sound system” and of course more security. Then we needed a double axel Featherlite trailer to haul the booth in as well as custom cradle to secure said booth. My friend Big Tony was the craftsman who created our booth out of aluminum and it was like a Jenga puzzle that fit into a tiny area. Yet when expanded it created a 400 square foot retail experience. The booth kit was quite extensive to the point of requiring a Warn Winch to haul it back into the trailer when loading out.
After shifting the main bulkhead to middle of the vehicle we had a nice passenger compartment and a large cargo area for our products. I had picked up a National Luna refrigerator at the Overland Expo from Equipt along with the proper mounting kit and wiring to go with it. Paul and his team are also responsible for the incredible three meter awning with side curtains. A truly one of a kind set from Eezy Awn of South Africa. With it all bolted together and finished in some dark suede we hit the trail for many a show from one side of the country to the other.
From expo to convention or even a weekend run to go camping the Big Oxx as it has become to be known, turned out to be an excellent platform. Of course nothing stays the same and I had noticed that attendance at events was starting to slide while costs continued to rise. What to do? After giving a
show in Salt Lake one more chance I decided that we had come to the end of an era. I must admit that I am a bit addicted to travel. The reasons are varied and for those of us who have that malignant wanderlust we all feel the pull.
First move was to generate some capital to reinvest and reinvent my trusty ride. So the trailer went off to a new home. Of course I salvaged the winch even though I had not really decided to use it on the Mercedes or install it on my Tundra. The next step was to remove the wrap which had been on for over a decade. It was a bit tattered and I wanted to start with a blank canvas and allow for whatever we come up with on this build. This part is not exactly fun and after Big Tony and I spent a couple of hours with heat guns we decided to call a professional. Our local detail shop has four strong youngsters on the payroll, Problem solved…..
In the meantime I have been trying to figure out how exactly to proceed with the build. My main source of ideas has been coming from Youtube and things I saw at the Overland Expo.
Cheers
Jim
