Amazing things are bound to happen when you get two great minds together on a project. If you haven’t heard of Dirtbox Overland, you should and you should start paying attention. The owners are Jay Couch and Tao Guo, both brilliant engineers and avid overlanders.
Some people may recognize Jay’s name from Couch Off-Road and his work with Unimogs. He has experience not only with building Unimogs but also with expedition travel and spending extended time living out of a vehicle. Tao is also an avid off-roader and overlander.
Having camped for more than 200 days last year, he often pushes his vehicles to the extreme to test his prototypes and push his own limits.
This sense of adventure is something that runs in his family heritage. His Grandfather, Guo Kun, led China’s first expedition to Antarctica and, in 1985, opened the Great Wall Station on the frozen southernmost continent. Tao’s grandfather influenced him to want to travel and explore.
A few years ago, Tao and Jay were connected through one of Jay’s clients, and the idea for Dirtbox was born. They knew they were entering a saturated market, but they also knew they could push the market forward and create affordable products for people who want quality goods and to get out and explore.
Dirtbox is creating a whole ecosystem of products, from flatbed conversions with canopy campers and toppers to slideouts for refrigerators and kitchens to awnings, showers, drawer systems, and so much more.
I recently talked to Jay while visiting the Dirtbox Overland/Couch Off-Road compound, where I was surrounded by Unimogs, various buildings, a Toyota Yaris converted with a truck bed, and an energetic dog named Frankie.
We discussed Dirtbox Overland, the overland market, and what they hope to accomplish with their products. The more I heard, the more I was stoked to follow along with the journey.
Dirtbox is headquartered in Denver, just east of the airport, so you might see a Unimog on the driving course if you look hard enough as you fly over. While they are headquartered in Colorado, their products are built in their facility in China.
I know there are some that this will turn off, and five years ago Jay Couch would have been of the same mindset. But more and more companies are moving production to China because the manufacturing and engineering are far above what most countries have.
That said, they are working to move some things over to the USA to be more nimble with customizing customers’ orders. But for now, they can create and innovate in their facility that they already own and operate.
One example is creating their extrusions for their campers and toppers. They can make, test, scrap and remake until it’s perfect in days instead of months or years. This agility also allows them to create custom brackets for their toppers, campers and accessories for extra strength and durability.
Their flatbeds have a lot of features that come included, like organization within the boxes and integrated water storage and pumps.
All their canopies have the wiring and controls incorporated and are easily removable. They have thought of everything to make these products stand out in the market.
Both Tao and Jay have an engineering mindset and can come together with these items to create something that not only works on paper (or digitally) but will also function in the real world. Then they go out and thrash it to make sure what the customer gets is the best product.
One of the best things about their products is their weight. Their rooftop tents are 138 pounds, and while I do not have the exact weight of their topper, it can be easily lifted by one person. Everything is strong but lightweight.
What really caught my eye about their products is that they are building a system so you do not have to worry about your investment. Everything is modular, so you can build on what you have as you grow. If you start with their canopy camper and then purchase a flatbed, they have a system to build your flatbed into a camper system.
The canopy boxes can be removed using a few bolts and plugs. Their extrusions work not only with their accessories but third-party accessories as well. So, while many companies are moving into Aussie-themed beds and canopies, Dirtbox is doing their own thing and creating a product line that will last you for years to come.
To learn more about Dirtbox Overland, visit their website at dirtboxoverland.com.
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This article originally appeared in OVR Issue 07. For more informative articles like this, consider subscribing to OVR Magazine in print or digital versions here. You can also find the print edition of OVR at your local newsstand by using our Magazine Finder.
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