Overlanding combines vehicle-based travel, back roads and self-sufficient camping, but available measurements cover different populations. The most detailed current figures describe the Overland Expo report audience, while KOA data provides broader camping context rather than a national overlanding census.
Key Overlanding Statistics
The following figures summarize the most useful measured and forecast indicators:
- In the United States, an industry-report forecast projected more than 12 million Americans would overland in 2025, compared with 8 million in 2024.
- In the 2025 Overland Expo report audience, 95% of surveyed overlanders had modified their vehicles.
- In the 2025 report audience, 42% of surveyed overlanders took trips lasting 4–7 days.
- In the 2025 report audience, 46% reported taking 3–5 overlanding trips per year.
- In the 2025 report audience, 64% traveled year-round.
- In the 2025 report audience, 32% used SUVs as their main vehicle type.
- In the 2025 report audience, 29% used vehicles more than 10 years old.
- In the 2025 report audience, 59% had all-terrain or off-road tires.
- In the 2025 report audience, 50% had suspension upgrades.
- In the 2025 report audience, 84% listed a shovel among their safety gear.
- In the 2025 report audience, 80% used smartphone apps for navigation or trip planning.
- In the 2025 report audience, 39% used a satellite communicator.
- In the 2025 report audience, one in four spent at least $20,000 on their vehicles.
- In the 2025 report audience, 61% of beginner overlanders cited YouTube as their first spark for adventure.
- In the United States, active camping households increased from 32.04 million in 2014 to 58.47 million in 2022.
- In 2022, 92 million U.S. households identified as campers.
- In 2022, camping and glamping represented 32% of all U.S. leisure trips.
Contents
- Key Overlanding Statistics
- Overlanding Participation and Market Scale
- Overlanding Trip Frequency, Duration and Seasonality
- Overlanding Vehicle Choices and Rig Age
- Overlanding Modifications and Equipment Priorities
- Overlanding Gear, Navigation and Safety Data
- Overlanding Spending, Media Influence and Camping Trends
Overlanding Participation and Market Scale
The Overland Expo 2025 Industry Report projected more than 12 million Americans would overland in 2025, up from 8 million in 2024. This is an industry-report forecast, and the landing page does not publish the full sampling frame or weighting details. Overland Expo 2025 Industry Report
The same report drew insights from more than 1,000 overlanders and more than 150 brands. Those figures describe report coverage, not a population estimate, while 95% of its surveyed overlanders reported modifying their vehicles. Overland Expo 2025 Industry Report
KOA’s definition is narrower in wording but broader in research context: an overlanding experience means traveling in an off-road vehicle on back roads with no services or amenities. In that North American camping survey population, 14% tried an overlanding experience for the first time in 2019, and 22% were interested in trying one in 2020; interest is not participation. New Experiences Are Driving Growth In Camping
Broader U.S. camping measures show the surrounding audience, not overlanding adoption itself:
- Active camping households rose from 32.04 million in 2014 to 58.47 million in 2022.
- Ten million new U.S. households camped in 2020, nearly matching the previous five years combined.
- In 2022, 92 million U.S. households identified as campers.
- Camping and glamping accounted for 40% of U.S. leisure trips in 2021 and 32% in 2022.
These measures include tent, trailer, RV, vehicle and cabin or cottage stays, so they should not be labeled as overlanding participation. 2023 North American Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report
Overlanding Trip Frequency, Duration and Seasonality
The 2025 Overland Expo audience reported a mix of short recreational trips and longer journeys. The duration distribution was self-reported, and percentages may reflect rounding.
| Trip duration | Share of surveyed overlanders | Period and population |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 days | 26% | Overland Expo 2025 report audience |
| 4–7 days | 42% | Overland Expo 2025 report audience |
| 1–2 weeks | 17% | Overland Expo 2025 report audience |
| 2–4 weeks | 9% | Overland Expo 2025 report audience |
| 1–3 months | 4% | Overland Expo 2025 report audience |
| More than 3 months | 2% | Overland Expo 2025 report audience |
Overland Expo 2025 Industry Report
Annual frequency also clustered around repeat but manageable travel. Among surveyed overlanders, 29% took 1–2 trips per year, 46% took 3–5, 17% took 6–10, 5% took 11–20, and 3% took more than 20 trips per year.
These are self-reported frequency bands rather than observed travel records.
Seasonality was relatively broad in the same audience: 64% traveled year-round, while 21% traveled primarily in summer. The categories are self-reported and do not establish how many days each person traveled. Overland Expo 2025 Industry Report
Overlanding Vehicle Choices and Rig Age
SUVs and trucks made up the largest reported vehicle categories in the 2025 Overland Expo audience. The mix was 32% SUVs, 24% mid-size trucks, 23% full-size trucks, 11% purpose-built expedition vehicles, and 8% vans or camper vans.
| Main vehicle type | Share | Population and period |
|---|---|---|
| SUVs | 32% | Surveyed overlanders, 2025 report |
| Mid-size trucks | 24% | Surveyed overlanders, 2025 report |
| Full-size trucks | 23% | Surveyed overlanders, 2025 report |
| Purpose-built expedition vehicles | 11% | Surveyed overlanders, 2025 report |
| Vans or camper vans | 8% | Surveyed overlanders, 2025 report |
Vehicle age was distributed across both older and newer rigs. Twenty-nine percent used vehicles more than 10 years old, while 26% used vehicles 7–10 years old, 26% used vehicles 4–6 years old, 26% used vehicles 1–3 years old, and 7% used vehicles less than one year old.
The report notes that these are self-reported categories; the percentages may not sum exactly because of rounding. Overland Expo 2025 Industry Report
Overlanding Modifications and Equipment Priorities
Modification data shows that overlanding rigs commonly combine traction, load-carrying and recovery upgrades. Because respondents could select multiple modifications, these percentages are not mutually exclusive.
- All-terrain or off-road tires appeared on 59% of surveyed vehicles.
- Suspension upgrades appeared on 50% of surveyed vehicles.
- A roof rack or rooftop-tent mounting system appeared on 50%.
- Winch or recovery equipment appeared on 36%.
- Auxiliary lighting appeared on 27%.
- Armor such as skid plates or bumpers appeared on 23%.
- Navigation or communication equipment installed as a vehicle modification appeared on 14%.
The final figure covers installed vehicle equipment, not every navigation or communication device owned. Together, the results describe a report audience’s modification priorities rather than a universal specification for overlanding vehicles. Overland Expo 2025 Industry Report
Overlanding Gear, Navigation and Safety Data
The same 2025 report measured commonly listed safety gear. Multiple items could be selected, so ownership percentages should not be added together.
- A shovel was listed by 84% of surveyed overlanders.
- An air compressor was listed by 81%.
- A tire-repair kit was listed by 73%.
- Recovery and tow points were listed by 71%.
Navigation tools were also layered rather than exclusive. Smartphone apps for navigation or trip planning were used by 80% of surveyed overlanders, a dedicated GPS unit by 50%, and a satellite communicator by 39%; the report does not identify a single app or frequency threshold, and multiple methods could be selected. Overland Expo 2025 Industry Report
Overlanding Spending, Media Influence and Camping Trends
One in four surveyed overlanders spent at least $20,000 on their vehicles. The amount is self-reported, and the rendered report excerpt does not specify the spending period; the most common annual gear-spending band was $1,000–$3,000, but its exact share was not stated. Overland Expo 2025 Industry Report
Media appears prominently in the beginner pathway: 61% of beginner overlanders cited YouTube as their first spark for adventure. This is a beginner-persona measure and does not estimate YouTube’s causal effect or represent the complete report audience. Overland Expo 2025 Industry Report
KOA’s older and broader camping measures add context to potential outdoor participation and spending:
- In the 2017 camping season, 61% of U.S. households had someone who camped at least occasionally, equal to 77 million households.
- For 2018, 45% of campers in the United States and Canada said they would increase their camping trips; this was stated intention, not observed behavior.
- In the 2017 camping season, tents were the primary accommodation for 61% of campers, while RVs were primary for 24%.
- Campers spent an estimated $52 billion in U.S. local communities in 2022.
- Fifteen million U.S. households went RVing in 2022, including almost 12 million RV-owning households.
- In a 2023 outlook, 56% of U.S. RVers said they would use their RV more or the same amount during an economic downturn: 33% said more and 23% the same.
These KOA figures describe camping or RV travel, not overlanding alone. They are useful for scale and adjacent outdoor behavior, but RV trips and camping stays can occur without off-road travel, back roads or self-sufficient overlanding conditions. North American Camping Report and 2023 North American Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report