Overland Expo West is the mother of all North American overland rallies, held in Flagstaff, Ariz. Started in 2009, the show brings in overlanding enthusiasts, travelers, instructors, and vendors alike. According to Overland Expo, this year there were 420 exhibitors, 132 instructors, and 28,500 attendees from all 50 states and 21 countries.
At the heart of the event were some of the coolest vehicles you can travel in. Whether large or small, these are 10 vehicles that stood out at Overland Expo West 2026.
Our Top Rig Picks
2000 Land Rover Defender 90
Land Rovers have been synonymous with overland and off-road travel for decades. This beautiful 2000 Defender 90 had a tuned version of the original Td5 turbodiesel engine and was in the Classic Overland booth. With glossy red paint, a white roof, matching white wheels, and a custom interior, this short-wheelbase Rover was ready for adventure.
Custom K5 Blazer Camper
There are glossy show vehicles, and then there are rigs that simply exude personality — imperfections and all. A prime example is this Chevrolet K5 Blazer camper. It’s got dents, rust, and scrapes, but it’s so cool.
With a classic white-and-yellow finish, beefy BFGoodrich KO2 tires on steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps, and a vintage Four Wheel Campers pop-top camper, this well-loved square body Chevy Blazer is one wonderful adventuremobile. It’s also complete with a modern fuel-injected V8 and five-speed manual transmission.
1967 Pontiac Firebird 4×4
What do you get when you take a classic 1960s Pontiac Firebird and add a locked 4WD drivetrain? This glorious contraption. The green and gold look is complete with matching beadlock wheels, custom off-road bumpers, and a host of other off-road-ready accessories.
The owner has had it since 1977 and has logged over 300,000 miles, so this Firebird isn’t just a show rig. It’s powered by a 383 cubic-inch V8 and was a definite one-of-a-kind head-turner at this year’s Overland Expo West.
The YogaSlackers’ 1988 Mitsubishi Delica Star Wagon
Sam Salwei and Raquel Hernández-Cruz live full-time out of this JDM Mitsubishi Delica Star Wagon while teaching slackline around the world as the YogaSlackers. The 4WD van has been extensively modified to let them live and travel in it.
From the custom roof rack with multiple roof carriers to the widened window areas for more space, to a host of other custom storage and living areas, this Delica is unlike any other yet instantly recognizable.
The vehicle is powered by a newly rebuilt 4D56 turbo-diesel engine with extensive modifications to handle the van’s extra weight. It includes a different turbo, intercooler, a built bottom end, and much more, allowing Sam and Raquel to keep on the move.
Toyota Tacoma on Portal Axles
It’s not every day you see a 2024 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid on 41×14.50 Super Swampers wrapped on fifteen52 wheels, but Overland Expo West isn’t every day. Riding on Fox shocks and 74Weld Motorsports portal axles, upper control arms, and rear adjustable links, this custom Taco looks ready for just about anything.
The rig belongs to Graeme MacPhearson of Go Fast Campers. And, yes, that is a GFC unit on the back of this beautifully big Tacoma. What a beast!
Field Vans’ Field Adventure Vehicle (FAV) Ford E-Series
There were a few very off-road–capable Ford E-Series-based rigs at Overland Expo West this year, and Field Vans’ Field Adventure Vehicle (FAV) was one of them. It includes off-road goods like a Dyantrac 60 front axle, Atlas transfer case, Dana 70 full-float rear axle, Fox shocks, and much more.
With a 138-inch wheelbase, the truck offers loads of off-road capability, with a full living space on the back. It includes 40 gallons of water, a 1,000Ah battery, and so much more to get you way off-grid. This new rig has an estimated price of $300,000-315,000.
First-Gen Mitsubishi Montero
I’m a sucker for classic 4WD Mitsubishi vehicles. This short-wheelbase Montero was in the customer camping area, and it looked great. Modifications included a winch bumper, Rigid lights, a CVT rooftop tent on a Front Runner Outfitters rack, 16-inch alloy wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, and an awning. This Montero is proof that you don’t have to spend big bucks to get into a capable overland vehicle platform.
1989 Toyota Land Cruiser ‘White Lightning’
Available only for 1989, the White Lightning Toyota Land Cruiser was the company’s answer to growing Nissan Patrol sales in Australia, and only 150 of them were made. This makes this version exceptionally rare to find in the U.S., let alone anywhere else.
This customized 60-Series rolled on deep-dish white wheels wrapped in 35×12.50R15 BFGoodrich KO2 rubber. It had a Safari Snorkel, a rooftop tent, and a custom bumper with a WARN M8274 winch up front. This is one of those super-rare rigs that you might walk past and think, “Nice Land Cruiser,” without knowing it’s only one of 150!
INEOS Grenadier Quartermaster
The Grenadier Quartermaster is INEOS’s pickup, but this one, built by Dirtbox Overland, has been taken to the next level. Features include Couch wheels with a central tire inflation system for the 37×12.50R18 Maxxis Razor MT tires. The truck rides on portal axles with a 4.7-inch lift for extra ground clearance, too.
Many of the accessories are from Dirtbox Overland, including the flatbed, front bumper, rock sliders, rooftop tent, awning, and light bar visor. The whole thing came together to make quite the Quartermaster.
1971 Ford F-250
Built by Kelly Varney from Adventure Built, this vintage Ford features a customized 4-inch suspension kit from Rough Country, a Trukd custom bed rack, a 23ZERO rooftop tent, and Yokohama G005 mud terrain tires on steel wheels with Warn 4WD hubs.
Perfect patina, that just-right stance, and modern overlanding gear make this pickup great. Plus, the truck was built as a tribute to Kelly’s father, making it that much more special.
Read the full article here