By Andy Lilienthal
This article originally appeared in the March 2024 issue of THE SHOP magazine.
Some businesses are fueled by passion, whether it’s a desire to turn an advocation into a vocation, to do better than a competitor, or to just make the entire space a better place for everyone involved.
Brent Baker and Aaron Wirth, owners of Oregon Adventure Trucks in Bend, Oregon, describe themselves as “just two guys who had a passion for the off-grid and camping industry.”
But their shop, established in 2020, isn’t just a place where they sell and install truck parts—it’s a part-time classroom as well.
The store hosts classes and events throughout the year to educate enthusiasts about off-roading, including how to respect and preserve land and trails. By offering a combination of parts, installation and education, Oregon Adventure Trucks (Oregon AT) takes the idea of being an outfitter outside the box.
With so many new consumers coming into the off-road sphere, there’s a thirst for education. While anyone can buy a 4×4, outfit it and hit the back forty, Oregon AT’s classes help customers go with knowledge and confidence.
OFF-GRID CAMPING & MORE
Baker and Wirth started Oregon AT to represent products from Prescott, Arizona-based AT Overland in the Pacific Northwest. AT Overland manufactures toppers, campers, rooftop tents and storage solutions, and Oregon AT is the manufacturer’s No. 1 dealer in North America.
Being the exclusive dealer in the region put them on the path to becoming a well-rounded outfitter. What started as two guys selling bed caps in their garage in 2020 turned into helping customers outfit their vehicles with improved ways of off-grid camping and overlanding.
Oregon AT is best described as an off-grid vehicle-supported camping store carrying everything needed to outfit vehicles for long weekends or long-term adventures.
In addition to AT Overland products, the business focuses on 12V power systems used for off-grid recreation and is also the exclusive U.S. dealer of the Czech-made Egoé Nestbox. The system is a modular, removable, in-vehicle camper setup that allows vans and SUVs to have a bed, stove, sink and 12V refrigerator, but doesn’t require a permanent build-out.
Oregon AT also offers its own line of soft goods, such as storage bags, for camper setups and stocks a variety of multiuse items such as camping supplies, gear and swag. Vehicle-specific products or parts that require customization are ordered as needed.
The business remains a lean operation. Baker and Wirth are the only full-time employees at the 1,800-square-foot shop. Two part-time employees round out the crew, mixing upfitting skills and a passion for the industry.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION
Having all the gear is just the start. The addition of regular educational seminars helps Oregon AT stand out in a growing market.
“We soon realized that selling products wasn’t enough, and to be true stewards of this type of recreation we also needed to provide training to help customers keep themselves, their passengers, their vehicles and the environment safe,” says Baker.
The company offers introductory training courses and vehicle safety recovery classes. Not only does the shop sell a full line of recovery products, but it also teaches its customers—and anyone else—how to use them.
A statement on the website (oregonat.com) notes: “All the gear in the world means nothing if you don’t have the skillset required to use it.”
Baker is the trainer; he’s both Wilderness First Aid and TreadLightly! certified. Oregon AT is also a co-founder of the non-profit Public Land Stewards, Bend, Oregon (plsbend.org) that works to keep public lands accessible.
The shop’s training courses seek to teach people or teams the skillsets needed to travel confidently and safely into remote areas. Baker focuses on the principles of the Off-Road Safety Academy to help people comprehend crucial techniques, ranging from knowing their vehicle’s off-road capabilities all the way through advanced vehicle recovery procedures.
The shop’s courses include an “Introduction to 4×4” class in which Baker aims to put novice participants on the path to safe and ecologically minded off-roading. The two-day, $390 course is taught as if the attendee is traveling alone without other vehicles in remote or even international locales.
Highlights include topics such as electronic communications, map use, off-road survival, tire pressures and fixes, spotting, kinetic strap use and more. Oregon AT says after completion, participants will begin to understand the limitations of their vehicles and driving skills and be able to thoughtfully choose excursions and routes to match their capabilities.
Next there’s a dedicated vehicle recovery course for seasoned off-roaders. The two-day, $525 session gets into the nitty-gritty of vehicle recovery, from mobile battery jumps and extinguishing fires to a multitude of winching activities and important rigging techniques. The curriculum also includes a variety of advanced tire repair procedures.
Finally, there’s a Cold Weather Skills class for intermediate and advanced drivers wanting to be more prepared for wintertime adventures. The one-day, $300 class includes lessons on deep snow travel, self-recovery and gear education. It also includes tips on keeping water from freezing, specifics on snow driving, and winch recovery basics, among other pertinent topics.
All of Oregon AT’s courses require a street-legal vehicle with a two-speed transfer case with low-range gearing. Not all the courses, however, require the attendee to be fully outfitted—Oregon AT will provide certain gear, or the participants can bring their own.
ADVENTURE-FOCUSED, CUSTOMER-CONSCIOUS
Bend, Oregon is a hotbed for outdoor activity. From camping and paddleboarding to mountain biking and most certainly overlanding and off-roading, the shop’s clients are ready to get out and enjoy.
“(Our customer base is) centralized around people who have a passion for outdoor recreation and who are excited to use their vehicles to support their adventures,” says Baker.
Like many businesses catering to this crowd, the COVID-19 pandemic was a boon to business, as outdoor recreation was one of the few activities people could safely enjoy during the quarantine and afterwards.
“We stayed modest by only operating within our means, even though the business grew quickly,” Baker recalls. “This allowed us to keep our overhead low and be more agile in adapting to customer needs.”
Like so many other businesses, Oregon AT wasn’t immune to the pandemic’s supply chain slowdowns. Lead times on their main product, AT Overland toppers, were out beyond a year, forcing Baker and Wirth to look at new ways to diversify.
A wider approach included bringing on different products and new services. For example, they purchased a Jeep Gladiator, outfitted it and rented it to those who wanted to try overlanding and dispersed camping before heavily investing in their own vehicle.
These days, though not as drastic, the shop still tries to avoid seasonal ups and downs. Baker says it’s typical to see a slowdown in business between November and March as the weather cools down and fewer people are outside camping and overlanding.
No matter the season, Oregon AT tries to be reasonable with business and prices.
“The last thing we want is for those wanting to enjoy these types of adventures (to be stopped) because of a high price tag,” Baker says. “There are many options out there, so our goal is to help customers figure out what they need, then help them navigate the options.”
The shop needs to make a profit, of course, but Baker says it has options for customers who are on a budget, and always encourages them to use what they already have and only add what they need.
Baker tells the story of a customer named Lisa Kent from Fallon, Nevada. He says she contacted Oregon AT because she was looking for the experience of traveling remotely in America and didn’t like the setup she already had.
“We did everything from helping her purchase a truck, outfitting it with the first AT Overland topper for the platform (Ford Ranger), custom-building the interior of the camper, and finding storage solutions and ways to make her experience better.”
They later met up with Lisa in the middle of Nevada to give her a private off-roading lesson to get her comfortable with the Ranger on trails.
“She loves her setup, visits us at all our events and enjoys traveling across the country camping in remote places,” said Baker.
NOW HEAR THIS
The company doesn’t go it alone on all builds, however. Oregon AT partners with local shops for suspension needs, such as Technique Vehicle Outfitters and Arc Flash LLC. So, if there’s something outside of the shop’s scope, it has help waiting in the wings.
With its combination of products and education, getting the word out is doubly important. Oregon AT uses Google Business, Instagram stories and local events to get the word out.
“Stories on Instagram bring in a decent amount of attention and shares,” says Baker. “They help us share the day-to-day and our customers’ posts. We also utilize Facebook, but more to respond to customers who reach out with questions.”
The company uses a small online store to mostly sell its own branded products, such as a multitude of Velcro-backed soft storage bags and training programs.
When asked about the best part of his job, Baker says, “Seeing customers get so excited when we build their dream adventure rig.” He notes happy clients are constantly sending him and Wirth photos of them using the vehicles on backcountry adventures.
Moving forward, Oregon AT intends to stay moderate and continue to connect with its customer base to grow the operation. It’s also started to do consignments on certain adventure-based vehicles.
Meanwhile, Baker also intends to focus on achieving a proper work-life balance to keep things enjoyable.
Andy Lilienthal is an award-winning automotive journalist who’s written for a host of online and print publications. He worked as a communications manager in the automotive aftermarket for 17 years, primarily in the off-road and overland spaces. He also has a penchant for unique cars and vehicle-based adventures.
