Overland Expo East 2025: A Weekend of Adventure, Community, and BuiltRight at Booth T11

The first thing you notice when you drive through the Blue Ridge foothills in early October is the air. It’s cooler, a little crisper, and carries the kind of scent that only autumn in Virginia can conjure — a mix of damp earth, falling leaves, and campfire smoke drifting from the hills. For overlanders, that smell has become the annual signal that it’s time: Overland Expo East is back.

This year, from October 3–5, thousands of adventurers will roll through the gates of the Oak Ridge Estate in Arrington, Virginia. Some will arrive in decked-out rigs they’ve been refining for years. Others will bring bone-stock pickups with dreams bigger than their current setups. And many will come on motorcycles, carrying only what they can strap to a pannier. But they’ll all gather for the same reason — to celebrate the lifestyle of self-reliant travel.

And right in the thick of it all, you’ll find BuiltRight Industries at booth T11.

More Than a Trade Show

If you’ve never been to an Overland Expo, it’s hard to explain why it’s different from a standard trade show. Yes, there are rows of booths, product launches, and plenty of gear to drool over. But at Expo East, the setting transforms it into something more. The crowd is buzzing, but not in the way of a typical convention. Here, people greet you like old friends, eager to share what trail they tackled last summer or what drawer system just changed their build.

At night, lanterns glow in the camping areas and conversations stretch late around propane stoves. Someone’s passing around a cast-iron skillet of fresh cornbread. Someone else is telling the story of how a stranger’s winch pulled them out of Utah mud at 2 a.m. That’s the heartbeat of Overland Expo — equal parts education, commerce, and campfire camaraderie.

Why East Feels Different

Overland Expo hosts events across the country, but East has its own flavor. The rolling terrain of Virginia lends itself to a slower pace. Instead of sprawling desert vistas or high alpine passes, you get winding Appalachian backroads and misty morning ridgelines.

For a lot of attendees, East is their introduction to the overland community. Folks who’ve been camping in state parks or running forest service roads dip their toes into the bigger culture here. They walk through the gear aisles, sit in on a recovery demo, and suddenly realize how much possibility their truck or SUV holds.

It’s a show that has space for everyone — the hardcore expedition traveler and the weekend warrior alike.

The Buzz Around Booth T11

Which brings us back to BuiltRight’s booth. If you’ve been to one of these events before, you know that some booths just seem to pull people in like a magnet. In past years, that’s been the case with us. Not because we put on the flashiest display or brought the biggest vehicle, but because people want to touch, test, and talk about the kind of gear we build.

The BuiltRight team doesn’t just show up with polished catalog pieces. We bring prototypes. We bring the ideas that are still scribbled on whiteboards back at the shop. We mount them to our trucks and say, “What do you think?” It’s part testing lab, part conversation, and part sneak peek into the future of truck organization.

And that’s what makes stopping by booth T11 worth your time this year. You might see something you can’t find on our website yet. You might be the one who sparks a change in a design because you pointed out a detail only an experienced trail-runner would notice. Or maybe you’ll just hang out, swap stories, and walk away with some BuiltRight swag. Either way, the booth becomes more than just a product display — it becomes a hub for ideas and connection.

Why We Love These Events

For us, Overland Expo East isn’t just about showing products. It’s about listening.

Every time someone walks up and says, “I wish you had a mount that worked for this odd-shaped shovel,” or “Can you make something that fits my Tacoma but clears the tonneau cover?” — that’s gold. It’s real-world use cases we can bring back to the shop.

We’ve lost count of the number of product tweaks or new ideas that started at events like this. Sometimes it’s as simple as someone pointing out a better hole pattern for a bracket. Other times, it’s the spark for an entirely new accessory line. Either way, Expo turns into a design workshop where the community and our team are working side by side.

The Energy of the Weekend

As the weekend rolls on, the Expo grounds take on a rhythm. Mornings are busy with classes and demos. Afternoons slow a little as people wander between booths, iced coffees in hand, looking for shade and conversation. Evenings are when the campgrounds come alive — laughter, music, and the glow of headlamps moving through the trees.

Saturday night is usually the peak. The raffle draws a crowd, film screenings light up big outdoor screens, and the sense of community is at its strongest. You’ll bump into the same folks you chatted with earlier that day, and suddenly you’re sharing dinner or planning a trail ride for next spring.

By Sunday, the show winds down. People pack their gear, some in a hurry to hit the highway, others lingering, reluctant to let go of the weekend. Booths like ours are still buzzing — the last chance for visitors to grab gear, ask questions, or just say goodbye. There’s always a moment where we look around and realize how many connections were made in just three short days.

Why You Should Go

If you’re on the fence about attending, here’s the truth: you don’t need the fanciest rig, the biggest budget, or years of backcountry experience to feel at home here. You just need curiosity and a willingness to learn.

Maybe you’ll leave with a new set of skills from a recovery workshop. Maybe you’ll finally solve that storage headache in your truck bed after seeing our setup. Or maybe you’ll just camp under the Virginia stars and swap stories with strangers who quickly become friends.

Either way, you’ll leave different than you arrived. That’s what Overland Expo East does.

See You at Booth T11

As October approaches, our team is already gearing up. We’re packing rigs, loading up prototypes, and planning for the conversations we’ll have in Arrington.

If you’re heading to Overland Expo East this year, make the BuiltRight one of your stops. Whether you’re there to check out new BuiltRight gear, ask a technical question, or just say hi, we’d love to meet you.

So mark your calendar, grab your camping gear, and get ready for a weekend that’s part trade show, part festival, and part family reunion. We’ll see you in Virginia — and we’ll save you a spot at the booth.