It all began as a dream for Hayden Heeb, of Cherryville. Growing up in the Ozarks, Heeb’s family traveled to the lakes regularly, enjoyed the rivers and enjoyed camping trips as well. “I grew up in the woods and as a result became a hunter, fisherman, and developed a love for the outdoors,” Heeb said.
Heeb is the founder of Backroads Overland Company. “I was living in Phoenix, Arizona at the time,” Heeb said. “Off-roading was huge out there, and I wanted to get involved somehow. I began taking friends on camping trips. Most of them were from the city and were not into roughing it like I was. As a result I began working on a small camping trailer that was rugged and could handle the back country. Backroads Overland Company was born.”
After having studied and researched the industry, Heeb discovered that there was not a small camping trailer on the market like he had in mind. “I wanted a design that was tough, well built, and that would last under rugged conditions,” he said.
Well into his personal project with Backroads Overland Co. Heeb ran into Paul Gonzalez, of Expedition Trailers. “Paul resided in Florida,” Heeb said. “But, we got together and compared notes. We discovered that we were on the same page and soon went into business together.”
Heeb and Gonzalez decided to move the production of Expedition Trailers to Heeb’s home community of Cherryville, Missouri. They purchased the old Cherryville fire station building, performed a complete renovation of the building and started production. “It all started as a personal project for me,” Heeb said. “But, it is far beyond that now.”
I have worked in the outdoor industry for over 50 years and have seen a lot of outdoor products come and go. Heeb and Gonzalez saw a niche in the camper trailer business and capitalized on it. Expedition Trailers are indeed the ultimate in design and utility for the individual looking for that rough, tough, sharp looking, and highly functional camping unit that they can take into the roughest country to be found.
“We are very proud of our camper construction, design and functionality, as far as providing what our customers want in a camper,” Heeb said. “We will literally sit down with a customer and design a camping trailer to their specifications.”
Expedition Trailers appeal to outdoorsmen automatically. Their eye-catching design appeals to the rugged lifestyle individual. The heavy duty builds and inspiration for Expedition Trailers came from Australia, according to Heeb.
“Australia is rough country, as are many areas around the world,” Heeb said. “People operating in Africa for instance need equipment that they can absolutely relay on. Breaking done in remote regions can be serious.”
Heeb and Gonzalez put their trailer designs through three years of rigorous testing, before bring Expedition Trailers to the United States. “We did a lot of tweaking on minor elements, but experienced no major structural failures. Demand became high rather quickly.”
The heavy duty construction of Expedition Trailers is unparalleled in the industry. “There is no other camping trailer on the market built as strong as our trailers,” Heeb said. “We do not want to be in the warranty business. We want our customers to be able to enjoy their outdoor adventures and not have to worry about spending their precious vacation time, or time off work, being broke down.”
The Outback Sportsman Tailer is an entry level design for the outdoor minded person. The first of its kind, the limitless adaptive modularity is fully customizable and interchangeable.
It’s a true year-round multi-sportsman trailer. Its modularity is unlike any other. It can quickly be adapted to handle kayaks to micro skiffs, dirt bikes, motorcycles, ATV’s to UTV’s, from Sea-doos to Jon boats. From day trips to week-long excursions, it’s designed to get you there and back without breaking the bank or giving up comfort. The sky is the limit. Build up and out as you want.
“If a customer is looking for something far beyond the basics, we can take care of that, too,” Heeb said. “Every trailer is built here in the great state of Missouri and custom tailored for every customer. We offer the highest quality square back trailers on the market with an endless variety of options and accessories so that you never have to buy another trailer. Whether you are looking for an entry level trailer or the Ferrari of the overland and off-road world, Backroads Overland Co. is your one stop shop for off-road campers.”
Expedition Trailers has partnered with A Race Against Blindness for a phenomenal give-away of the ultimate overland adventure setup, including a brand new 2024 Backroads Overland Co. Trial Series Camper Trailer by Expedition. The trailer is pulled by a 2024 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, plus $60,000 cash. A combined value of $260,00, both the truck and trailer are fully decked out with everything you could possibly need including products from: Extrusion XTR1 bed rack, Intrepid CampGear 3.0 Rooftop Tent, Pro Eagle 2,5 Ton Off-Road Jack, multiple Taruca awnings, KC Hilites Flex era line of lights, and accessories from Overland Addict like rotopax and more. For more information on how to participate, go to: http://www.araceagainstblindness.org,
Expedition Trailers also keeps a busy show schedule. You can check that out on www.expeditiontrailers.com And, if you happen to be in Flagstaff, Arizona May 17-19, go by the Overland Expo West to meet the Expedition trailers crew. Otherwise, you can contact Expedition Trailers at: 20416 MO-19, Cherryville, MO 65446, or info@expeditiontrailers.com.
