Once confined to a small display area, overlanding is now big business at the annual SEMA Show. SEMA is the world’s largest marketplace for aftermarket and tuner parts and famous for its creative, colourful, and often outrageous custom vehicle builds. Overlanding is no exception, with dozens of off-road, off-grid-ready SUVs and trucks on show in the exhibition halls and the outside displays. Here are some of our favourites.
2024 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail+ AAP Build
Naturally, Lexus was keen to show what’s possible with the all-new 2024 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail+, utilizing some of the latest offerings from the Lexus Associated Accessory Product (AAP) program.
The twin-turbo V6-powered GX already has standard 33-inch Toyo Open Country A/T tires, black overfenders, an aluminum skid plate, and all-weather floor liners. To that mix are added Lexus rock rails and an on-board tire compressor.
Third-party accessories include a Prinsu roof rack with Pelican cargo cases and a Prinsu ladder for roof access. Two Prinsu rear-window accessory panels stow RotopaX two-gallon (nine-litre) containers, a DMOS Delta Shovel, and ARB TRED Pro recovery boards.
Mylo Fowler’s Rivian R1T
Photographer Fowler (Instagram: @navajomylo) has had the Rivian for a year and just passed 57,000 miles. He’s outfitted it with a Caprack roof rack and T2 Pro XTR bike rack from sponsor Thule, solar and portable power from Goal Zero, and Heretic lights, among other equipment.
A Pelican BX85S carries Fowler’s Factor 55 recovery gear, which came in handy when pulling out a semi earlier this year. The newest additions to the build are a wrap that tells a Navajo story, and lightweight Black Rhino wheels that he reckons have increased the electric truck’s range by as much as 7%.
LinksWell Jeep Wrangler
LinksWell’s technology integrates the electronic controls of different equipment such as chargers, power banks, and inverters, regardless of manufacturer and especially in larger, higher-equipped vehicles like Mercedes-Benz Sprinters. That ability is showcased on this neat Wrangler build through the tablet mounted inside the tailgate, which controls the Jeep’s solar panels, 110V inverter, fans, and lights.
In the cab is the company’s T-Style XL Radio, a vast, Tesla-style portrait touchscreen wired into the CANbus that replaces the regular console controls. As for the rest of the three-month build, the Jeep benefits from Hostile wheels, Nitto tires, Rancho suspension, Hitchfire cook station, hitch extender, OVS Mamba 3 rooftop tent, and many other modifications.
RVC Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
Speaking of Sprinters, the Rogue Van Company (RVC)’s bright yellow example caught our eye on the show floor. San Diego-based RVC builds bespoke overland Sprinters from a choice of eight different floorplans and customizable fit and finish.
Related: Best Camper Vans
2022 Lexus GX 460 Premium AAP Build
Shown in a custom matte saffron yellow body wrap, this outgoing-model GX is equipped with 34-inch Toyo Open Country A/T tires and 18-inch wheels. CBI Offroad rock sliders and a full skid plate protect the luxurious SUV from the rough stuff.
For drivers venturing off-grid, a Kammok Outpost hammock stand is mounted on a Prinsu roof rack carrying a 10ft Kammok Roo double hammock. A 63-quart (60-litre) ARB Elements weatherproof fridge-freezer stores the essentials, secured by a Goose Gear rear plate system.
Further ARB products included are a 12V portable compressor and a Weekender recovery kit with TRED Pro recovery boards. There’s also a Prinsu rear window accessory panel on the passenger side for equipment storage.
Related: Lexus GX 460 Goes Stealth Mode with New Black Line Edition for 2022
EarthRoamer SX
You can’t miss the huge overland rigs of Dacono, Colorado-based EarthRoamer. The Chevrolet 6500-based, 4WD SX is the larger of EarthRoamer’s two models, sleeping six, with a 6.6-liter diesel under the hood fed from a 100-gallon tank.
An 18kWh lithium-ion battery pack can be recharged from a 1,600W rooftop solar array, powering creature comforts like a washer/dryer and a wine fridge. Such capability and comfort come at a cost – SX prices start at a whopping US$1,045,000.
Related: EarthRoamer Steps It Up With Their Most Innovative Off-Road RV Yet
SNO Trailers Alpine
SEMA doesn’t just feature full vehicles – there are plenty of overlanding trailers to choose from, too. The Alpine is SNO’s top-of-the-line model. It’s comprised of aluminum panels on a powder-coated steel frame and includes a 100A AGM battery with a solar charging system, front storage to hold a 79-quart (75-litre) fridge, and space for two 10 lb propane tanks. The trailer pictured here has the optional Fabtech suspension.
Related: Best Trailers for Camping
Justin Kawecki’s Ford F-350 Tremor
This 2021 F-350 has 100,000km on the clock thanks in part to hunting and fishing trips in his home province of Alberta, Canada but looks as good as new. Kawecki (Instagram: @__unbounded) attributes that to keeping everything – both on top and underneath – completely enclosed from the elements and careful touches such as running 16-inch neoprene coilover covers to protect the rods from damage. Meanwhile, custom-built Trigger Industries kickbacks help protect the paint, and the bumpers are coated with an ultra-smooth body liner by Alberta Boys Custom.
This year at SEMA, the truck is fitted with a Tuff Stuff Alpine FiftyOne aluminum shell rooftop tent, warmed by a diesel heater that runs on fuel from the RotopaX tanks on the side of the truck. The Ford rides on TWG/Mayhem wheels.
Brian McGee’s 2010 Lexus GX 460
One of three owner builds featured at the Lexus booth is this 2010 GX. Photographer McGee (Instagram: @itsjustbrian) lifted it to accommodate Gladiator X-Comp 37-inch tires – it’s thought to be the only one of its kind in the US with such large tires fitted. He also installed a new gear ratio, front and rear lockers, a winch, and a rooftop tent.
Raket Designs Ford Bronco
And finally, this newly built Bronco showcases Raket’s full rack, which can be fitted even to soft-top Broncos. At the front, it bolts into the lightbar anchors above the windshield while providing new mounts for the lights. At the rear, it locks to the factory attachment points on the rocker panels. Reversible slats provide a flat platform, for example, for the Cascadia tent and awning seen here or a basket option. From 2024, the rack will also be available for Jeep Wranglers.
Other elements of the Bronco build include a Destination Upfitters kitchen, fridge, power source and charger, and a Riversmith River Quiver for fly rod storage, attached to the rack by new brackets specially designed by Raket.
