Overland Expo 2013: Post Your Stories, Images, and Experiences Here! (Official)

[haven]

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing.

In another thread, forum member Area52 posted a video from OX13
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEYDRR2x0Uk

 

[skibum315]

Very excited to be attending on Saturday with the whole family ... can't wait to check out the trailers from VMI Offroad (the reason for our trip). Here's hoping we can make it a bigger trip at some point, this year though it worked out to be "fly in on Friday ... and back out on Sunday" - phew, it'll be a whirlwind.

Well it was, indeed, a whirlwind ... let me say, traveling with our little one (currently 7 months) is something the wife and I have yet to perfect. I'm sure it'll be an ongoing project.

I first ran across VMI's website back at the beginning of this year, then traded a few calls with Mike about a 'little' trailer they were just conceptualizing ... that was buried a few pages deep, down at the bottom of another trailer's description (the Xtender Compass). This new trailer was one that they were going to be calling the Alpine. They've since revamped the website a time or two, and the Alpine now has its own page all to itself. What got me so excited about the Alpine, was that it seemed to be exactly what my wife and I were looking for in a trailer ... and readily available here in the US (as opposed to the Conqueror UEV 490 or 440, trailers very similar to the Alpine & Compass but at a much higher price-point and needing to be imported).

Once Amber (my wife) and I agreed that we could move forward in working with the folks at VMI, the final hurdle was finding a way to see one in person ... enter the Overland Expo. Mike had one of his smaller utility/RTT style trailers at the Expo last year (the Ox), but mentioned to us that he was hoping to have a much larger presence at this year's Expo. So it seemed like the perfect chance for us to get that all important 'warm fuzzy' hands-on experience, before taking the final 'deposit' plunge ... and was it ever!! We flew in to Phoenix on Friday afternoon, and drove up to Flagstaff with plans to check out the Expo on Saturday, and then drive back to Phoenix and depart for Denver on Sunday.

... now here's the part where I get a big fail, and issue a huge 'mea-culpa' for not doing my part to get pictures of our trip ... and there's all kinds of excuses I could make about *why* it didn't happen, but I think we all know that they'd really just be excuses ... the fact is that we had a couple of cameras and a couple of phones with us the whole time; and between trying to make sure everyone (mainly the baby) stayed fed, hydrated, un-sunburned; and that Amber and I got to a happy place with getting our questions answered about the trailer we were interested in having VMI build ... I'm not sure we got even one picture the whole weekend. SMH ... sorry folks!!

The long and short of it, though, is that the VMI display was pretty impressive. I think they had at least two Ox trailers set up, with all of their goodies, RTTs and kitchen slides and all that. There was also the Compass (seen at ~3:16 in the video just posted above, by haven) and its tow vehicle (the green FJ) that feature prominently in many of the pictures from the Compass page on VMI's website, as well as the first Alpine ... though the Alpine was in a state sans-interior; which was cool in its own right, as you could see the interior construction and how the thing goes together before all the creature comforts get added.

It was a fantastic trip, the baby did great (slept the whole flight back!!!), Amber and I got all of our questions answered ... we were really happy and excited to meet Mike and the whole VMI crew - as well as the other owners who had their trailers on display, and best of all we wound up putting down a deposit on our very own Alpine! As we get further along in the process of our build (a process which will start with the VMI folks getting their build calendar ironed out with the new purchases they've gotten in the past few months), I'll see about setting up a thread for our trailer ... and I promise, if there's a thread, there will be more pics to share ... because, heck, even one pic will be more than this post has ... :ylsmoke:

-Jonathan

PS (and I can't stress this enough) - A big, big, 'THANKS!!' to the Overland Expo organizers, volunteers and all of the vendors, attendees and featured vehicles ... its so easy for a large event like this one (and believe me, it's much bigger than I was expecting ... there *really* is something for everyone) to turn into the proverbial *expletive deleted*-show. It could very likely have turned the weekend into a hellish experience for us, but having things go so well on Saturday made the overall whirlwind a positive one, and not just because we got to put a deposit on a new trailer (I'm not excited, I promise! ... :Wow1

So, thanks all!!

 

[chop480]

Congrats on the new trailer and thanks for the recap. I came away from the event with my curiosity piqued by the VMI offerings. That and the GXV Fuso. Looks like VMI is in play.

 

[Ramjet]

Just got home. Pictures and the funniest story coming in the am.

 

[Beowulf]

Anyone actually picked up or at least taken shots of the new Ranger Chair from Mike at Autohomes?

 

[washington taco]

Mike from VMI fabricated my front bumper for my 2000 Tacoma. I had two issues that I couldn't use a standard bumper, 3 inch body lift and a Warn M 12,000. When I went to his shop and seen his fabrication work on his first trailer I was sold. I have had to use it (winch) a few times since being installed and I am very happy with his work. Looking at his Alpine model trailer it looks like something him and I were talking about installing on my truck in place of the bed. I may have to head up to B Ham and visit Mike again.

Mike

 

[Lynn]

Overland Expo 2013: Post Your Stories, Images, and Experiences Here! (Official)??

Sounds like everything is on facebook. Shall we just discontinue this forum?

I sure will miss it...

 

[Drover]

Anyone actually picked up or at least taken shots of the new Ranger Chair from Mike at Autohomes?

Sorry the pic isn't that great. I'll set it up in the morning and take a pic.

I bought three of them, very well built.

 

[B85]

Some work with the big Trucks.














GOOD TIMES!

 

[Mike Hanson]

Here's my pics:

http://bigbusmike.smugmug.com/OverlandTravel/Overland-Expo-2013/29527755_rQ3tHx

 

[Ramjet]

View attachment 162441

Son of a *****! I just spent an hour writing and posting pics and when I pressed send, the site logged me out!

My computer is working really hard right now with Expo up on the browser, there is definitely an issue going on.

 

[Ramjet]

Good Friends, The Town Crier, and One Midget Approved Chair.

I couldn't sleep much. I tossed and turned with each waking minute. My wife "If you don't go to sleep, you're sleeping with the dog." To say I was excited was an understatement. This was my first Expo. I was as giddy as a school boy after his first kiss. I shut my eyes and drifted away to a land of rubber, dirt, and dollar signs. My adventure was about to begin.

The morning came early after a night of restlessness and fidgeting, and I was up out of bed with a quickness. I jumped in the shower, washed the hair, got dressed and kissed the sleeping wife goodbye. After I added a few last items to the rig I was off. It was a beautiful morning and the only people out were the truckers as they made their way to deliver their goods. I knew I had a long drive ahead of me but I was tough and I knew i could do it. My destination was Bluewater Lake S.P. in N.M. to meet up with Shawn (Expedition4x4) and camp for the night. After driving 11 hrs and just stopping for gas and to make a quick sandwich, I had arrived at my destination. It was awesome.


Our camp was high above the lake with a great view.



Just arrived in camp. Waiting on Shawn to arrive from CO.



After Shawn arrived we sat and chatted for a bit and had a few beers. As the sun was setting and the night moved on, we took a few pictures of the sunset. Which was amazing.





The morning wasn't that bad either.



After having a cup of coffee we broke camp and hit the road. We had about a 5 hr drive ahead of us and we really wanted to put some miles ahead of us. So with that, we left the beautiful Bluewater Lake behind and headed west.



After a few hundred miles later we arrived in Flagstaff and stopped off at Walmart to get a few more necessities and grab a bite to eat. After that we jumped in the trucks and started our way to Expo 13. Boy was this going to be fun. I had no idea what was going to happen, but I knew it was going to be.....legen (wait for it) dary. We pulled in at around 11 went through the gates and made our way over the camping areas. Shawn went to the Jeep area and I stopped at the FJ area to set up camp and meet the guys I had been talking too on the Portal.

After getting the FJ set in position I got out and introduced myself to the gang I would be camping by for the next few days. Doug (Strega), Jeremy (JeremyK), Ace Brown, Wade (Sumnerfam), Jim, and Shane.

My camping spot was set and I was ready to go look around for a bit.



Day 1 Pics (Thursday)







The night was nice. We sat around and talked and got to know one another. I had started to realize that this was a group of guys that I would love to do a trip with. Very humble and respectful of one another and absolutely hilarious. We all had classes the next morning and after a few beers with everyone I headed off to sleep with a great smile on my face and looking forward to the next few days.

Have you ever been asleep and then yanked from your sound slumber by the most hideous sound you have ever heard? Well, if you were at Expo, you had the pleasure of it every night at the hours of 2am, 4am, and 5am. No, it wasn't a cock-a-doodle-doo. It was a Hee-Haw Hee-Haw Hee-Haw. Every morning what everyone thought was a Land Rover starting up in the middle of the night, was actually a donkey just getting us all ready to go for the days activities. The first time was a little weird but after that you kind of looked forward to it. We were all up and making coffee.

There was a crispness to the air and there was a slight breeze. Mother Nature had other plans and we had no idea what was in store for us as far as the wind goes. As Jeremy and I headed off to our Photography class the wind was already picking up. By the end of the day we would all be tired of it beating you to death.

 

[Ramjet]

Good Friends Continued...

Day 2 (Friday)

The photography class was really good. Boy do I have a lot to learn when getting behind the lens. Georgia Hoyer was our instructor and an amazing one at that. We went through the first portion of the class and I learned that all this time what I had been doing wrong. As the first part of the class came to an end, we were sent out to take photos of the day and come back to look at them and learn what we could have done better. So, Jeremy and I headed off to the vendor area and the Motorcycle Rodeo to get some shots in.













The day was full of adventure and meeting new people. To say it was great would be an understatement. We were all coming together as a group and closer to a family. The night falls upon us.

The town Crier was at it again. Same time, same Hee-Haw Hee-Haw.

Day 3 (Saturday)

Today I had not scheduled anything as far as classes and I had nothing to do. I knew I wanted to just walk around, take some photos and peruse the vendor area to see if I could find something that just had to go home with me. So after breakfast burritos and a cup of coffee, I grabbed the camera and started walking around. There was that breeze again.

Campteq



Southern Cal Teardrop



Willey's



Unimog



As half the day was passing, I met up with Doug and Jeremy and walked around the show. This is the point were it really got weird. As we are standing around and looking at the new Tripolina Chair, a group walks up behind us and starts talking. As we turn around we see this woman sit down, shuffle her feet, stretch out her arms and then proceeds to say "Yep, this chair is Midget approved." I know what everyone else was thinking, but I was dying inside. Never in my life had I ever heard that before and it was funny. When asked what she meant she said "Well, I'm 4'10" and a certified midget. If I was a dwarf, I would have shorter bones." So as we looked on in awe we couldn't help but laugh. We left the midget to look around some more but this would not be the last of the certified midget.

 

[Ramjet]

Good Friends Continued.....

Saturday was great. I looked around and spent some money. I need some storage solutions so I went over to Equipt and purchased a couple of Alu-Box's. These are really nice. Light weight, water and dust resistant. They were the perfect solution to my storage problem. Worth every penny.



Overland Journal Airstream



Across from them was the Aether Airstream



Boy, do they have some nice stuff. I knew I couldn't come home empty handed and so it was decided that I had to get my wife something for being gone.



The day was coming to a close and Demello Offroad cooked burgers and had beer for everyone at the camp. It was really nice getting to just hack around and talk to everyone about what they are doing next to their Toy. As it was winding down we headed over to Equipt to the Up-Yurs Bar to have a few pints. The stories were thick and the conversation had exploded into a full on debate. I won't go into details, but it's very interesting to see what the rest of the world is going though in these times. It was getting late and we still wanted to sit and chat. We headed back to camp and set up Doug's Camp Fire in a Can. The temperature drops.

It was great conversation. We all felt more comfortable around each other as the time passed on our adventure. We were having a nice chat with a few people when we smelled the scent of a cigar in the air. As we looked up standing before us was a very large Aussie and a Midget smoking a cigar. Yes, she was back and had a friend. We all looked at each other and with a shrug of our shoulders we settled in to see what was going to happen next. It wasn't quite over yet and the night was young. After Aus/Midg left and went their own way we sat for a bit and noticed that the flame was getting lower and lower. Doug got up to shake the tank, Jeremy and I grabbed another beer and as we sat down we were welcomed by the sound of a loud group coming our way. That group was the blokes that road 450's through the Sahara Desert. They had just flown in that morning and were three sheets to the wind. At this point I really can't remember much about what we talked about, but I do know we laughed out loud a lot and shared a few beers together. Then the drums began to play across camp. I guess the natives had become restless.

As the flame died even more the British guys made their way in the direction of the drums over at the Camel Trophy camp and we headed to our tents for our final nights sleep. It was almost over and you could feel that there was something in the air. I couldn't put my finger on it. But it was there.

The Town Crier was getting ready.

 

[Ramjet]

Good friends Continued.....

Once again, the Town Crier was letting everyone know that he was in charge of your sleep and he was going to do everything in his power to not let you have any.

Sunday was here and it was the last day of the show. You could feel that it was coming to an end and it was a little depressing. We were having fun, but it doesn't last forever and it was a bit sad. Everyone had more classes and I had an HAM exam to take. It was almost over and I knew I had a long drive ahead of me and a decision to make.

I made my way over to the tent to take my test and ran into Shawn and Nigel. I had a seat, filled out the forms and paid my money. I was a nervous wreck. I don't test very well, never had, never will. As the test began I took a deep breath and opened the pamphlet and began. The first few questions got to me so I skipped them over. The rest of the test got easier and I felt a bit more confident. I went back and answered the questions I had skipped, gave the test another quick look and handed it in. Now here is the nerve racking part. After handing it in to get graded we started to stand around and talk about the Expo. But, as the waiting went on it drove us nuts. After an hour of being a nervous wreck the results were in. Shawn and I had passed. I don't know how Nigel did, I'm sure he passed, but left before the results were in. I'm now a HAM Technician. Yes.

As I walked back to camp I had a little giddy up in my step. I was feeling great but knew it wasn't going to last much longer. I asked myself, camp for the night and head home in the morning or jump in the truck and head home today. I was a bit tired but I knew I could make it to Albuquerque. After talking to everyone as they were packing up and getting ready to leave, we all decided to head out today and go our separate ways. This adventure had officially coming to an end, but a new one has been started.



To everyone that I met and made lasting friendships with, Thank you. What an amazing group of individuals to be around for 4 days. You have made a lasting impression in my life and I thank you for that. We will meet again I know and I hope you have a safe drive to your next destination. Doug, Ace, Jeremy, Wade, Jim, Shane and anyone else I may have forgotten, I had a blast camping next to such great people. I look forward to our adventure next year.

I would also like to thank Roseann and Jonathan Hanson for putting on such a great venue and making it so easy to get in and out of. Mormon Lake is a wonderful place to visit and I know I will be back for another one. If you missed it, you really missed out on a great time. Maybe next year you can make it and discover things not only about Overlanding, but about yourself. Cheers.