Overland Expo East 2018 Discussion Thread (Not region specific)

[Durdan]

it quickly became dangerous to allow more people into the campground. people were getting stuck right as they got in, and the area was getting more and more destroyed by people as they showed up which was making extraction almost impossible. It's a tough decision they had to make.

The shuttle service sucks, though. I heard some horror stories about how that whole fiasco went.

 

[MrCoffee]

it quickly became dangerous to allow more people into the campground. people were getting stuck right as they got in, and the area was getting more and more destroyed by people as they showed up which was making extraction almost impossible. It's a tough decision they had to make.

The shuttle service sucks, though. I heard some horror stories about how that whole fiasco went.

Yeah, I know, I helped push a number of trucks stuck in the parking and camping area (You'd think someone would have had a tow strap...) I was just really surprised they just turned people away without making any other arrangements for the campers. :/ The shuttle sucked bad on Saturday, better on Sunday. Friday I took a cab there and just got dropped off at the end of the drive. And I do understand that it was a tough choice that they had to make.... just overall it was disappointingly disorganized. Hell, a lot of folks that bought Raffle tickets got turned away so we couldn't possibly attend the drawing.

If my boy wasn't graduating college this May, I'd go to Expo west....

 

[Janie]

We are headed out of Jacksonville, FL, Friday at 7 am, from the Walmart parking lot at Rivercity Market Place.

Channel 6 on the CB

Hi fellow Jax OE attendees!

 

[Durdan]

Someone was cool enough to pop out his maxtraxx and helped me out of the 'pit of despair' when trying to leave saturday morning. I didn't get a chance to properly thank him as once I got traction he yelled to just keep rolling and not lose my momentum.

If you're on here, dude with the grey maxtraxx that helped the F250 with the camo trailer, I owe you a beer. Thanks, man!

 

[itarin]

We left early Sunday morning, out the back, took our chance crossing the creek. My buddies didn’t have waterproof shoes...one was wearing sneakers! Heard the parking at Oscar Blues was muddled up too with mud. Not sure how they could have stopped the mud.

 

[itarin]

Hi fellow Jax OE attendees!

Hey, wish you could have convoyed up with us...next time!

 

[Janie]

Hey, wish you could have convoyed up with us...next time!

Is there a way people connect here?

And I’m glad I through in my mud boots Thursday AM!

 

[FoleyR]

I camped Thurs evening but pulled my trailer out Friday morning (trailer is not very off-road capable). Came back Saturday to camp and got turned away. Waited 3 hrs for the shuttle paid $325.00 total, really disappointed.

 

[Cpol]

To be completely honest I was expecting a lot more for the price I cuffed up. The weather conditions was expected. What was a disappointment was the fact that they had a rule of no fire and everyone had a wood burning fire.. my duaghter and I infuriated with this. And the below freezing weather wow with out a fire apparatus. Thanks expo.. got my solar from overland solar, setting it up this weekend. Met great people.. and saw amazing rigs and ideas. Shout out to old man overland new to the group.. shout out to ok4 wheel drive and all the techs for making it happen. shout out to overland frontier great couple.. shout out to all the members of overland ny overland east and overland Long Island and the 3gen taco...

 

[Durdan]

I thought everyone had wood burning fires, too, but they were almost all propane powered fireplaces. Propane was allowed. I want one now.

 

[Cpol]

Plenty of wood burning apparatus where I was staying 20 counted.

 

[Kevin108]

I did Expo East in 2016. Rainy and muddy? Check. Ponderous traffic control? Check. Spotty cell service and wi-fi, complicating communications and modern financial transactions? Check.

Controversial opinion: your money is better spent on the trail than at these expos.

 

[Drifterman]

So i see the east expo wasint all that great maybe next year will be better and i can go

 

[cody_roberts]

Like a lot of others , I was turned away from camping . I still wanted to attend the event , so I went to day use parking area to ride the shuttle , this lot was full and I was directed to another. Once I arrived at that lot it was full and the line waiting for shuttles was absolutely ridiculous. I was so frustrated at that point , I just left and received a full refund .

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

Things certainly could have been better @Drifterman but we still had a great time! Preparation made a big difference as did having a good attitude about the mess we were all in haha.

 

[Drifterman]

View attachment 76740

Things certainly could have been better @Drifterman but we still had a great time! Preparation made a big difference as did having a good attitude about the mess we were all in haha.

I will have to plan soon i should be getting my sheet for this up coming year for time off ill have to save these dates

 

[Mike56]

I did Expo East in 2016. Rainy and muddy? Check. Ponderous traffic control? Check. Spotty cell service and wi-fi, complicating communications and modern financial transactions? Check.

Controversial opinion: your money is better spent on the trail than at these expos.

Spot on. And words of wisdom.

 

[CampWithChin]

View attachment 76740

Things certainly could have been better @Drifterman but we still had a great time! Preparation made a big difference as did having a good attitude about the mess we were all in haha.

It’s all about funneling all the negativity into positive. Great time with friends and new friends.

 

[Ghost patrol]

It was painfully obvious that the organizers at East were more concerned with their profits than making the patrons and vendors more comfortable. I understand the rain and the mud..cant control mother nature. However a feeble attempt was made to bring in a couple of bails of straw. Give me a break. Vendors said other vendors were denied entry even though they had paid. The food was crap with long waits and overpriced. The shuttle was a complete joke. Some events were canceled due to the mud after they paid for the experience package. We are overlanders for gods sake. People paid to camp and were denied.
This was my first expo and may be my last unless something changes. The owners of Overland Expo cant be the only group than can put on an expo.

They just seem to eager to take our money but not provide a quality experience.

 

[MA_Trooper]

It was painfully obvious that the organizers at East were more concerned with their profits than making the patrons and vendors more comfortable. I understand the rain and the mud..cant control mother nature. However a feeble attempt was made to bring in a couple of bails of straw. Give me a break. Vendors said other vendors were denied entry even though they had paid. The food was crap with long waits and overpriced. The shuttle was a complete joke. Some events were canceled due to the mud after they paid for the experience package. We are overlanders for gods sake. People paid to camp and were denied.
This was my first expo and may be my last unless something changes. The owners of Overland Expo cant be the only group than can put on an expo.

They just seem to eager to take our money but not provide a quality experience.

I don't know of any vendors who were denied entry. There was nobody allowed to drive through the vendor area on Saturday. But all the vendors were set up before the rains came. Campers were turned away on Friday evening.