Just a few months ago, we were in Bend, Oregon, for the Overland Expo Pacific North West with thousands of attendees and Overlanders. We had such a good time we made it out to the third installment of Overland Expo, but this time we were in the Rocky Mountains, sort of… well, close to the mountains in Loveland, Colorado. The Rocky Mountains are the largest mountain range in the United States, ranging from the Canadian border to New Mexico; it is no surprise Overland Expo chose Loveland, Colorado, for the venue of the second consecutive year of Overland Expo Mountain West. It is home to adventure, and where you find the adventure, you will find overlanders seeking to go explore. 

The Overland Expo Mountain West 2022 proved to be an incredible event, with thousands of people congregating and sharing the true outdoor and Overlanding experience. From demo rides on adventure motorcycles, and survival classes, to the incredible adventure rigs on display, Baja Designs was in the middle of it all, connecting with the culture and explaining the science behind our lighting systems. 

While Baja Designs was a product stemming from racing in Baja, we have always been geared for adventure. Just because our lights are used on a Trophy Truck, it doesn’t mean the use application strays away from adventure and self-reliant vehicle-based travel. Of course, you aren’t driving your Sprinter Van 100mph + off-road at night, but if you are, please send us a video. Where an Overlanding use application really comes into play is our Baja Designs Lighting Zone Systems. We’ve created a Lighting Zone system to help you mix and match the right products, with the right lenses, in the right places to achieve the absolute best results.

Many vehicles at Overland Expo Mountain West were absolutely incredible and featured our Baja Designs lighting solutions in unique applications. From $800,000 luxury off-road rigs to motorcycles and even a V8 Toyota 4Runner built for King of the Hammers. We are beyond humbled and excited to see our products on many vehicles at Overland Expo Mountain West. 

One of our favorite builds isn’t exactly a build at all; it is actually a production luxury expedition vehicle known as the EarthRoamer LTi. These mega trucks are built on the Ford F-550 Chassis and utilize a vacuum-infused carbon fiber camper body. These trucks utilize nothing but the finest components from custom King shocks to luxury interior finishes it truly is the most bespoke expedition vehicle you can buy. 

The EarthRoamer LTi has an assortment of lights tailored to each build that includes a Baja Designs 50″ Onx6 ARC with a set of XL80 and SAE Squadrons nestled in the bumper. On the A-pillar of the F550 are XL80s with a custom bracket mounted with S1s shooting to the side. Throughout the exterior is S2 Pros for area scene lighting. 

In the Baja Designs booth was the Red Tail Overland’s Ford Expedition, this SUV takes the name “Expedition” to the next level with the details of the rig. Secured to the top is the Redtail Overland Camper made of carbon fiber with hard walls. This might be the most luxurious rooftop camper out there. The Expedition has the front suspension from a Ford F150 Raptor with custom bumpers and carbon fiber flares. 

The lighting on the Redtail Overland Ford Expedition featured a Baja Designs 40″ Onx6 LED light bar with dual control amber. Integrated into the camper were LP6 while on but what really stood out was Baja Designs S1 flush mounted into the camper – a subtle detail.

Of course, we can’t go to an Overland event and not find a race car; we ran into our friends from Sherpa Motorsports, and their 2004 Toyota 4Runner built to race Ultra 4 King of the Hammers. Shpera Motorsports is a byproduct of a company wanting to test the durability of their products through Sherpa Equipment company. They build overland and offroad roof racks for many vehicles, including their 4Runner. What better way to test it than racing it through King of the Hammers? 

The 4runner is outfitted with Baja Designs LP9s upfront and XL80s on the A-Pillar and an XL Linkable Prinsu kit mounted directly to the front fairing on their rack system. In the rear, the 4runner is running the Baja Designs S2 as dust lights. Overall the Sherpa truck is grassroots racing at its finest; this won’t be the last time you see this truck. We will follow their journey at the 2023 King of the Hammers in the 4600 class. 

If you haven’t been to an Overland Expo before, there is a lot to see. From lighting solutions like Baja Designs to the many pop-up tent solutions to camping gear that overlanders would need, it was an incredible event. 

Below is a gallery of builds from Overland Expo Mountain West ’22 that showcased Baja Designs’ lighting solutions.