Overland Expo West 2017
Leaving my dad’s place in Phoenix, we headed up north to the Fort Tuthill County Park just south of Flagstaff where Overland Expo West 2017 was being held. It’s one of the largest overland expos in the world with over 300 vendors (to include Sportsmobile) peddling pretty much anything you can imagine needing for overlanding. In addition to the vendors, there are lots of courses to take, which was why Ann and I were so focused on being there with Beast.
We got there fairly soon after the venue opened for early arrivals and we got a prime spot in with the Sportsmobile folks right next to the cabana that was their hub. As you can see, we were quickly surrounded by other Sportsmobiles - to include a Chevy van from the 1970s (parked in front and to the side of us), the ubiquitous Ford Econoline 4x4 build that was their mainstay for the past 30 years, and plenty of new Sprinter builds.
There was another reason why we had to get there early on Thursday too. Last year when we were still in anxiously waiting for our rig mode, I noticed that Van Compass had an “Overland Expo West Sale” where they would install anything you purchased there. So once the build began and I had a completion date for Beast, I contacted Van Compass to see if they were planning on doing the same again this year. They said, “Sure, but do you mind paying in advance, to help offset some of our expenses.” Not a problem!
So objective 1 was to register with the Expo organizers, and objective 2 was to find Van Compass. They were a bit late in arriving, so we walked around a bit, but once they arrived, we made plans to bring Beast over right after dinner. When we did, they added a full complement of skid plates to protect the front engine (particularly the huge oil pan at the bottom of the diesel engine), the transmission and transfer case, and the fuel tank.
Considering we will be out on our own pretty much all the time, having an extra bit of protection on these vital components for those times when our judgment is a bit off is worth the extra cost. What took them about an hour would have taken me at least half day to do, so it was a bargain.
When we stopped by to pick up Beast, I asked them about some of their other additions for the Sprinter 4x4 and asked a few questions about their business. At one point I asked them about the rear shocks they offer (Fox), and they recommended the cheaper versions that they offer because our rig is always loaded, so we don’t have to adjust the ride for different loads. Then they said, “Hey, we’re already dirty, so if you want them, we’ll put them on for free.” So Ann and I took another walk around.
When we picked it up, we got to talking some more, and once they heard what we were doing the next day they said if the ride seemed too sluggish or too firm, to let them know and they’d adjust them for us. As it was, in between the helper springs and the new shocks, Beast drove like a charm.
The next morning was the official opening of Overland Expo West 2017 and we were signed up nice and early for a couple of classes. For us, Friday was driving day, and we were signed up for a couple of sessions that said we could bring our own vehicle - which we did.
First up was marshaling - where one person gives instructions to a driver to get them over obstacles. As is our custom, we got there nice and early, but by the time the course started, there were a group of 20 or so of us and at least half-a-dozen vehicles lined up behind us. Our instructors were two Americans who represented the US in the Camel Trophy Races (the guy was on the only US team to win, and the female was the first female on the US team). They knew what they were doing.
After introductions, they had to share the bad news. “Folks, every year we tell them that we need a 2-hour class and every year they give us a 1-hour class. That means that we’ll only have time for instructions and, probably, only 2 vehicles to actually drive. And one of them is going to be that thing!” He pointed right at Beast. “We’ve never had a Mercedes Sprinter show up for one of these and I just have to see what it can do! Who owns it and are you willing to drive it on the course?” I raised my hand, “Yup, that’s why we’re here.” After first thinking they might contrast Beast with a highly modified Jeep Wrangler, they decided on the other vehicle being a stock Nissan X-Terra 4x4 to show what a stock vehicle can do.
As they were going through the class, they asked if anyone had ever been in a recovery situation. I raised my hand . . . again. So did a couple of others. They asked us to explain our stories and I gave them the short version of the (mis)adventure boulder. After a few more tips about marshaling in recovery situations, they said it was time to do the driving demo.
The guy told me to put it into 4WD low if it had it, and smiled when I said I did. I pulled around to the area he pointed to and waited for instructions. The instructors and attendees headed over to a graded area that was obviously the course.
After a few minutes of them talking to the group, and then to Ann, Ann turned to me and started marshaling. My job was to follow her instructions. So I did.
The instructors knew exactly what they wanted to show to the class, so they gave Ann verbal instructions, and Ann gave me signals. And then they said, “Stop!”
I sat there for quite awhile, unable to hear what the instructors were saying over the noise of the engine. I noticed that the instructor not talking would often turn to Ann and ask a question, and Ann would respond. Ann said she couldn’t believe how high the wheel was off the ground. I could tell I was airborne, but couldn’t really tell how far it was
But I’ll trust Ann when she said it was 3-4 feet. Apparently, if I’d gone a few more inches, I’d have dropped down and been at a precarious angle for the rig. Lesson taught to the class, Ann guided me backwards and up at a better angle.
She then guided me through as set of trees, avoiding a couple of stumps and rocks, and out the course.
All the while, she was answering instructors’ questions while the other instructor spoke to the class. I later found out that they were peppering her with questions about our (mis)adventure and, in the end, they told her we did an excellent job and did everything right. One even said they don’t imagine they would have gotten away without a scratch either, so we should pat ourselves on the back. That was reassuring, but it would have been nicer to have done it after the training!
As Friday was “driving” day, we headed over to our next scheduled class. At Overland Expo every year, Land Rover builds a driving course where people can register to drive (as one might expect) Land Rovers and Range Rovers to see how capable they are. However, if you’re like us and have registered to take courses, you have the option of driving your own vehicle. Yup, that’s what we came here for.
Before moving on, we have to thank some course mates who happened to be at both the marshaling class, and standing in line to do the Land Rover course for all of the above images and a couple from below. Thanks for sharing them with us! We met quite a few great people at the Expo, many of which were like us - new to all of this. So back to the story.
Simon from Quebec was our instructor. Just like the marshaling class he just had a big smile on his face and said, “This is the first time I’ve seen a Sprinter on one of our courses. This is going to be . . . interesting.” Instead of riding along with us, he said he was going to marshal us because he had no idea how capable Beast was. Fair enough.
Our friends told us that the instant we pulled out onto the course, everyone in line was talking about us.
Yeah, we were a bit larger than anything else out there. Probably hard to miss us. Simon started by getting us leaning over on the early part of the track and, as one might expect, took us on a slightly easier route than the Rovers, often following the line for the bigger Range Rovers than doing the line for the Land Rovers. Still, Beast put on a performance.
At one point, Simon stopped us and I realized why . . . so I leaned forward, thunk, leaned back, thunk. I rocked forward and backwards again and Simon started laughing because I knew exactly what he had done - he had straddled us on two opposite tires, the worst possible position to be in for a vehicle without locking differentials. But Beast is a technological wonder and, even though we can’t lock the differentials, Beast has a brain and knows when she has to adjust to spinning tires. Simon signaled for me to move forward, so I gave the accelerator a slight nudge, waited a sec, and Beast moved on as if it was nothing.
Now it was Ann’s turn to drive. But instead of me going to the passenger’s seat, Simon asked me to watch with him. And Ann started her joy ride.
As he guided Ann, Simon peppered me with questions about how the 4WD system in Beast works. Since I’m familiar with the more mechanical systems that Rover uses, and the fact that they’re combined with a lot of software, we were able to discuss how Beast might be different than the Rover systems. In the end, Simon simply said that what Mercedes has done is a technological marvel, but that it shouldn’t be surprising due to the various 4x4 systems they have in their range of private, commercial and military vehicles. In the end he said, “It’s an incredible machine. Maybe not a Land Rover, but you’ve got a great vehicle there!”
Then he showed everyone around just what Beast could do.
As Ann finished the course, Simon pointed out a couple of things to be mindful of (like the grey water tank release valve reducing our break-over angle), and thanked us for being willing to take our rig out on the course.
I’d accomplished what I had wanted to for the morning! We got to drive Beast under controlled conditions with experts instructing us so that both Ann and I could learn not only how to drive and marshal properly, but to find out what Beast is capable of. We were mentally exhausted so we drove Beast back to the Sportsmobile camping area and decided ultimately to wander the Expo that afternoon.
While back at the Sportsmobile area, we spoke with one of the owners/founders of Sportsmobile. She had heard of our (mis)adventure and commented to us, “I want to thank you guys for being willing to take your Sportsmobile and use it the way it was supposed to be used. You’ve had it only a couple of months and you still took it out. I hate to say it, too many owners buy one of these things, then use it only in RV parks with the occasional campground, and then think they’re putting it to good use. No they aren’t. You guys are doing what you’re supposed to be doing with it. That’s why we build them like this. So keep it up!” That certainly made me feel good.
There was a whole lot to see and do at the Expo, and to be honest, we’d planned for so much that we had to skip a couple of trainings - we were just too exhausted. And we probably didn’t get to see everything there.
One of the most interesting displays was the Camel Trophy area where a whole cluster of training sessions were organized, many of which related to hard-core off road vehicle traveling. Things like out-in-the-field welding, and bridge building:
You get the point.
Vendors ranged from spare parts, to accessories like suspension systems and skid plates, to gps systems, and knives (thank you Ann for my birthday present).
Other vendors represented entire vehicle systems, some of which make a Sportsmobile look dainty . . .
. . . to online websites/youtube channels, overlanding clubs, and off-road trailer manufacturers. Really, there was just so much to see.
The next day we were back at classes early in the morning. If Friday was “driving” day, Saturday was “what to do when things go wrong” day.
First up was a tire repair class taught by Jonathan Hansen, one of the few true US overlanding gurus. In that class they had a couple of tires, an air compressor, a drill, and a whole bunch of tire repair plus. Each of us had the opportunity to ream out a drilled hole and plug a tire. Believe me it wasn’t easy. But what was hilarious was to see Ann go at it with the tire and plug it right after a huge fellow twice her size struggled twice as hard and took twice as long to do the same thing. I don’t know why I didn’t pull out my iPhone to take a shot of her forcing the plug into the tire, but my mind went blank. That and the boulder on our (mis)adventure were the two shots I most regret missing.
After that class, we stopped by the BF Goodrich (Beast has BFG KO2 tires) stand where our favorite overlanding video blogger (go to YouTube and type in 4XOverland) Andrew St. Pierre White (from England-South Africa - England - now Australia) had set up shop. We support his video efforts, and provided a bit more support by buying a book, hat and a photographic print of some great baobab trees. I then took a ride on the BFG trail, where the instructor gave me a few more pointers on rough 4x4 driving. This time I drove a Jeep Wrangler so had no worries climbing over boulders, and logs and stuff like that.
After lunch was vehicle recovery without a winch course. It wasn’t really a hands-on course, but it was good to see the variety of resources available to us, given that putting a winch on the front of Beast would likely void the Mercedes warranty (which means it will have to wait until probably 3 years and 1 month after we took possession to get one).
It was good to see techniques I’ve only read about actually being done (of course, several of which we’d already applied during . . . you know when) and getting pointers that should come in handy if necessary.
After another trip through the vendors area to pick up some last items we decided we wanted, we headed back to Beast to get ready for the Sportsmobile Saturday Night Party.
Which was a rather fun event. Apparently, a dozen or so years ago, a group of Sportsmobile owners formed a Sportsmobile band at their annual gathering (which was taken over by another group and morphed into the Overland Expo West event), but hadn’t played for 10 years. They got together again (we benefitted the previous 2 nights from their rehearsals), and played for a couple of hours Saturday night. They were rather good.
Aluminess, the makers of our rear bumper and roof rack, brought several pony kegs of home brew (their Coffee Porter was superb!), and we spent the evening chatting with several of our new found friends. We got to hear the histories of the Van Compass guys and we suspect we’ll be equipping Beast with a few more of their products. Really great guys building up a small business. All in all, a very needed relaxing evening.
The next morning we made a final run around the show area (many of the vendors were making breakfast so it was a lot easier to just grab a bit while walking around than making it ourselves), and decided we were going to head out a bit early and continue our travels.
The next leg of our travels would take us up by Monument Valley.