This past Saturday, the OK4WD Spring Trucks and Coffee event marked the unofficial start of adventure season. Bringing together off-road, adventure travelers and vehicle lovers to raise money for local volunteer organizations.
After what always feels like a long winter, it can be hard to find the motivation to head back into the garage to start dusting off your adventure vehicle or that restoration project you've dragging your feet on. The OK4WD Spring Trucks and Coffee event is one of the first events in the area, and the perfect jump start to an awesome year of traveling, car shows, and Sunday drives. Locals that needed that extra jolt to finish their project now had the motivation to get that last 10% of a project over the finish line.
The event begins at 8:30 am, but as the saying goes, "If you're early, you're on time. If you're on time, you're late!" And if you are an off-roader and want a coveted spot on our rock pile, you better be early. The early birds get to put their trucks in four low, air down the tires, and climb to the top for a view only one lucky off-roader gets to claim for the event.
The off-road community is strong in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding areas. And the vehicles reflect just that. Everything from axle upgrades and modifying suspension points for more articulation and travel to engine swaps for more power and torque to tackle any obstacle.
Just like the off-roaders, the Overland community always shows up in droves. The Overland vehicles are all unique from one another. Although many sport similar products like an Alu-Cab 3R tent or the new Alu-Cab ModCAP Camper, although no two vehicles are built the same. Owners build out their vehicles to reflect their style of traveling and hobbies.
For the overlander that enjoys technical trails, the Jeep Gladiator allows overlanders to have the capability of a Jeep while having a comfortable sleeping area and outside cooking space. Hobbyists like mountain bikers and anglers build out their vehicles with extra water and portable shower systems. Filmmakers and photographers all seem to have large solar power and electrical systems to keep their equipment charged at all times.
But the unique vehicles don't stop there. Some people like to get to their destinations quickly, while others like to arrive in style. This Landrover Defender started life out as an ambulance that was then converted to a house on wheels.
Achieving such a cool yet capable mobile home is no small feat. First, there is the restoration part of the build that requires going through all of the mechanical components of a vehicle and restoring rusted, damaged, or missing items, which can take months or even years, all before diving into the camper conversion.
Once the vehicle is mechanically sound, the camper conversion can begin. But where do you even start? Where does the galley kitchen go? Do we do an indoor or outdoor shower? Where do you put all the electronics and keep them accessible? Will the layout work on an extended road trip for months? All these questions have to be answered before the first turn of a wrench.
But when that dream and all the planning come together, the end result is something to be proud of and worth sharing with a community of like-minded adventurers. Check out that fireplace!
On top of amazing builds on display, OK4WD Spring Trucks and Coffee also gives the community a platform to share outrageous builds like a tricycle powered by a lawnmower engine, putting the power down through two tractor tires. How many events can you have a tractor-trike and a beautifully restored mini-truck in the same parking lot?
We even had a few familiar YouTubers at the event, taking in the sights and filming for upcoming YouTube Videos. A great friend and content creator, Patrick Botticelli of New Jersey Outdoor Adventures, made the trek from Southern New Jersey to attend a feature a few of his favorite builds in an upcoming video. Patrick has one of the hands-down coolest and most capable vans out there. An older Airstream with a 4WD conversion with upgraded axels, bumpers, suspension, and a period-correct semi-restored interior. Patrick's truck is a dream build for almost every adventure traveler. Definitely not your typical family van. If you are into adventure travel vehicles and unique builds, be sure to checkout Patrick's channel.
One of our personal favorite parts of our events has to be the sheer amount of adorable dogs that attend the event. The OK4WD Spring Trucks and Coffee had no shortage of adventure dogs! Here are just a few of the many adventure dogs!
We even spoke to a few folks who had pups that are available for adoption in attendance to work on their behavior in larger crowds and meet fellow adventure dogs.
When we started out Trucks and Coffee events we never thought the turnout would be what it is today. We spoke with people at the event who traveled from as far away as Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Cape May, And Upstate New York, just to name a few. For the travelers making the long trek to the show looking for a local place to camp, we suggest checking out Litte Ridge Vineyard and their camping accommodations available on Hip Camp.
We're so grateful for all the fans and customers who came out for our OK4WD Spring Trucks and Coffee, along with all of the brands that donated prizes to make our raffle such a success. We raised a record amount of money for our local volunteer fire department and Habitat for Humanity.
We have an action-packed year of events planned, and we'd love to see you throughout the year. Don't miss out on any of our events! Stay up to date on all of our events; subscribe to our OK4WD Event Calendar to stay in the know on our events, upcoming trips, customer appreciation trail rides and more!
