The Must See Camper and Overland Trucks and SUVs of the 2023 LA Auto Show

The L.A. Auto Show is typically where you’d find new vehicles like the Lucid Gravity SUV or Toyota Camry making their big debuts. But steer yourself beyond the hottest spotlights, and it turns out this year’s show also has a great spread of modern and classic camping vehicles that will take you beyond the pavement and let you live in relative comfort. Here are some of the best campers and overland vehicles we found at the 2023 LA Auto Show—all of which were as shiny and alluring as those big new car and SUV reveals:

Our first stop was to the Ford booth, where we found the automaker’s 2024 Ford Transit converted over to a camper. It features some minor off-road improvements—mostly the tires and wheel choice—but it’s intended to be a camper first before doing any hardcore overlanding.

Sitting behind the front seats is a moveable work table along with some storage space for various needs while getting away from the city or suburbs.

Out back, the bed is positioned above the floor to allow for some additional space for storing equipment, such as a camper stove and slide-out shelves.

However, against the driver’s side wall is a full inverter setup for 110-volt AC outlets that operates off a separate battery. It also features the switchgear for the interior and exterior lights.

This brand-new F-150 Tremor features a fold-out bed-mounted camper tent and other items to let you get away for a quick weekend getaway. It also features Ford’s new Pro Access tailgate and Pro Power Onboard.

In case you happen to get stuck, this 2024 F-150 Tremor also features a modular bumper with a winch plate installed. Mounted to that plate is a Warn Zeon winch to get your truck (or a friend’s truck) unstuck.

As electric trucks continue to gain popularity, we’re starting to see many EV pickups get the overlanding treatment like this Rivian R1T. The pre-production trucks we crossed America with two years ago via the Trans-America Trail were similarly outfitted, but this one goes further by adding a new set of Black Rhino Alston wheels with a set of BFGoodrich tires. There also was an extendable awning, useful for providing shade and a sheltered hangout space outdoors.

While many long for a unique vehicle like an upgraded Jeep Forward Control (FC), Real Truck took its 1962 Jeep FC-170 and actually made it into a badass Jeep overlander. The first thing that probably stands out is the HIT rooftop tent mounted above the custom cargo box and aluminum bed. Of course, the massive Falken Wildpeak R/T tires and Raceline Beadlocks really make this Forward Control look ready for the toughest trails you can throw at it.

You’ll also find a full spare setup mounted to the cargo box using an N-Fab truck bed tire carrier. Need to change one of those tires? You can also lift the Jeep using the off-road jack mounted using a Rugged Ridge off-road jack mount and fix most anything with the tools stored in the Rampage trail can toolbox.

What started out as a damaged FZJ80 Land Cruiser has been transformed into the neo-classic Toyota a unique overland vehicle you see here. Steve Lam of RPM Off-Road is behind the project, having sourced a later 2009 HZJ79 pickup from the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum in Utah. The original FZJ80 frame was then lengthened by 18 inches and new body mounts were fabricated to fit the pickup cab. Of course that extra length is betrayed thanks to a set of 17×9.0 -40 HDR forged beadlock wheels with massive 37×13.50 R17 Toyo Open Country M/T tires.

Up front, the Baja Designs LP9 Pro front spot lights are a great match for the HZJ79 headlights. These are matched with a set of Baja Designs side lighting mounted to the Dissent Offroad front bumper. These lights and the additional S8 roof light bar, rock lighting, and rear chase lighting are controlled by a Switch Pro SP9100 lighting control unit.

The Ironman4x4 rooftop tent is joined by the brand’s 270-degree awning and shower room with a powered water tank. Keeping everything else safe is a set of Pelican storage boxes mounted to Front Runner Outfitters racks on the bed and cab.

The JL Wrangler 392 is an impressive off-road Jeep, but American Adventure Lab made some improvements to make this an even more capable vehicle. This starts with a set of Raceline Wheels 953BZ Krank wheels wrapped in Nitto Tire Trail Grappler tires that measure out to 37-inches in diameter.

Attached to it was an ATK Adventure Trailer it with a matching Gladiator bed and two motorcycle carriers. It also features the same wheel and tire combo as the 392.

The tailgate also features a full-size spare tire on an American Adventure Lab MASS Spare Tire Platform with their Maxtrax/Rotopax mounting brackets, MASS Cargo Shelf, and VersaTable tailgate table.

Known to many as “John P,” John Pangilinan has turned this 2022 Ford Transit 350 XLT into a potential home away from home and calls it the “Digital Nomad.” Up front, the bumper has been modified to fit a winch bumper with a Warn winch mounted for recovery.

In the rear, a slide-out table is fitted with a Camp Chef stove and a Dometic portable water tank with a sink mounted just below it. This shelving is mounted under the bed that looks comfortable to sleep for most people.

If that’s not enough, you can also camp on the roof with its GFC rooftop tent mounted to a Front Runner Outfitters SlimPro van roof rack. Mounted just ahead of the tent is a Pelican BX90 cargo case.

Imported from Australia by its previous owner, this 1981 Toyota Land Cruiser was once a diesel-powered emergency response vehicle. Later it was found by its current husband-and-wife owners, who decided to take on this build themselves.

What spurred them on? Receiving a very eye-opening quote on just paint restoration. What they have created is a unique old-school Land Cruiser overlander. The right-side panels open to reveal a shelf for the Camp Chef camping stove and Dometic CFX 12-volt powered cooler. The left-side panels reveal a pair of drawers and a functional sink, all using brass fittings.

Between the front-most panels is a bed that looks to sleep two comfortably and allow for an open-air experience.

Back during the 2023 Easter Jeep Safari, Jeep debuted its idea of what a 2023 Grand Wagoneer Overland might look like: This gnarly family hauler. It’s fitted with the 3.0-liter twin-turbo Hurricane 510 I-6, but the standout feature of this concept is its custom RedTail Overland Skyloft mounted to the roof. With the press of a button, the rooftop tent will fold out completely in about 10 seconds without any physical effort. The fancy setup did require the removal of the second- and third-row seating for full integration, making it the rare two-seat full-size SUV. Losing the rear seats means occupants can access the Skyloft from inside the SUV, and you’re able to use the Grand Wagoneer’s climate control system to keep the inside of this rooftop tent comfortable all year round.

The lower front bumper was modified to fit a Warn winch and features a quartet of Baja Designs Laser Lighting for maximum forward illumination while retaining much of the stock Grand Wagoneer look.

A set of Fuel Off-Road 18-inch Shok wheels with 35-inch BFGoodrich Mud Terrain T/A tires wrapping them. Each wheel does feature a custom “Wagoneer” center cap to finish off a unique and OEM look to these aftermarket wheels. This combination did require a 1.5-inch lift, opening the wheel wells, and using a set of custom fender flares to clear these awesome looking wheels and tires.

Imagine not needing a trailer to carry your motorcycles, ATV, or other off-road toys—and still having room to sleep, all in one vehicle’s footprint. We’ve covered the Toro Bravo 4×4 Silver Spear when it launched earlier this year, but now we get to see it in person and it’s easily a very impressive camper/toy hauler combo on the Ford F-350 Super Duty.

First, loading in your off-road toy is made easier by allowing the ramp to reach the ground with the addition of small stands for support on the end of the door. The operation is manual, but simple enough for one person to lower the ramp for loading, if need be.

Inside, Toro Bravo 4×4 utilizes the space created over the roof for the main bed, but there’s extra sleeping space on a pair of cots mounted to the wall of the camper box, provided your bikes or UTV are outside.

You also still get a sink, stand-up shower, and toilet while a kitchen cart with a camp stove is mounted on a rolling enclosure. This rolling kitchen is locked to the floor when you’re transporting everything.

Power for all your gear comes from a 1,600-Watt Renogy battery system with a 3,000-Watt inverter. The main battery allows for 600 amp-hours of use but is recharged using the solar roof and can be charged using the standard Ford alternator on the Super Duty engine. There is also a diesel generator that is fed by the truck’s fuel tank, meaning you only have a single tank to worry about filling.

Finally, there is an interesting feature for the camper box and one we’re surprised more conversions like this. The box is mounted independently from the F-350 frame using a zero torsion subframe. This means the box can move independently from the rest of the truck to provide a much more stable driving experience and helps reduce the wear and tear on the camper box when compared to one mounted directly to a truck frame. If you really want a totally improved ride, you can option for a set of Bilstein dampers to help keep the Super Duty suspension in control, even on the roughest trails.