Year after year, thousands of miles of sandy dunes, deserts, mud pits, gullies and trails serve as a calling to those who classify themselves as true off-road enthusiasts. These fanatics can’t help but respond to the call by loading up their vehicles and families to trek through the great outdoors, using vehicle power and driving prowess to master the terrain that beckons them.
Off-roading as a pastime — the activity as it has evolved today — was born immediately after World War II.
In 1940, the U.S. Department of War began looking for a scout vehicle capable of carrying out a number of duties, including crossing treacherous terrain to carry troops to and from the battlefield. Department heads demanded that the vehicle be lightweight, rugged, durable and strong. Companies like Ford, Willys-Overland and American Bantam all answered the call, building a series of prototypes with each lending a hand to produce the vehicle ultimately selected for duty — the Jeep. During four years of combat it served admirably, building a reputation for being as tough as a mule and capable of treading the worst terrain in the worst conditions.
That reputation stuck with returning soldiers, many of whom picked up war surplus models and put them to work on farms and remote locations where they again demonstrated their durability and range of capabilities.
Strong enough to pull farm machinery and more versatile than a tractor, Jeeps easily crossed the boundaries separating work and transportation. They also proved particularly adept at slipping into remote wilderness areas, providing sportsmen with greater access to isolated hunting and fishing spots.
While the war model was proving its worth on the home front, parent company Willys-Overland began making plans to expand its Jeep line and transform the rambunctious little mule into an everyday family hauler (without sacrificing its off-road moxie). Willys started producing Jeep pickups and, more significantly, station wagons — effectively mixing family into the Jeep formula. The timing of this move couldn’t have been better.
Growing affluence and leisure time in the 1950s and ’60s spurred public interest in the natural park system. Paired with an increasing desire to escape America’s teeming cities for serene natural areas, the public was looking for vehicles to take them back to nature.
So began the off-road movement — millions of Americans rediscovering their country, sharing a renewed sense of adventure and nature with children and, in many cases, grandchildren. At the heart of this movement was the same vehicle that had carried America’s sons and daughters across distant battlefields and then safely back home.
The off-road warrior
Currently, there are more than 8 million who tag themselves as off-road enthusiasts. According to our sister publication, Off-Road Retailer, 63 percent of off-road enthusiasts are self-employed, and 13 percent are craftsmen or technicians.
About 27 percent have attended college or technical school, and about 28 percent earn more than $50,000 per year, offering parts distributors and marketers in the off-road arena ample opportunity to tap into their buying power. In fact, the Off-Road Retailer survey also notes that off-road enthusiasts spend an average of almost $13,000 on products for their vehicles. And 7 percent spend an astounding $50,000 or more.
Jim Spoonhower, vice president of marketing research for the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), provides additional insight: “The average off-road customer is a male in his late 30s, early 40s. That may sound surprising, but this segment is dominated by families,” says Spoonhower, who also notes that off-road accessories generated $950 million in 2003, a 7.5-percent increase over the previous year.
Chris Ripper, general manager of Chux Trux, Inc., a three-store specialty retailer in the Kansas City, Mo. area, gave us a breakdown of the two very different types of customers frequenting his store: “the rock-crawling, mud running, ditch jumping customer and the pavement pounders who never see a dirt road, much less off-road.” The first group very much wants the best products out there and will ask friends for recommendations on brands. “I think the true off-road crowd talks to each other. A lot,” Ripper says. “Shows, jamborees, chat rooms, clubs,” you name it, they are there, he says. “Word of mouth is the best advertising for any type of business.”
As for those Ripper refers to as the pavement pounders — they have a lifted vehicle that is street-driven only — “I think their primary motivation is quality and look.”
Land of opportunity
It is extremely likely that most off-roaders live in areas near large pieces of public land, though no hard statistics are readily available. “We don’t sell a lot of parts to people living in large metropolitan areas,” says Beth Mooney, brand manager for Rancho products. She adds that their research shows most enthusiasts are concentrated in the Midwest and West, most likely due to the number of trails and public parks.
Jon Wyly, vice president of Arrow Speed Warehouse, also in Kansas City, says that although their distribution is limited to the central part of the country, there are areas of particular regional strength in the truck off-road market. “For us, the Texas market is the strongest,” he says, adding that industry data also indicate other regions where the off-road market is strong and growing. For example, “the Jeep accessories market is particularly strong in the Rocky Mountain areas,” Wyly points out, and, “The western and southern sandy coastlines are home to many of the ‘beach buggy’ style 4x4s with pre-runner styling and sand tires.”
Specific locales like Moab, Utah, boast more than 50 trails, 28 of which are suitable for most stock SUVs, according to the “Guide to Moab, Utah Back Roads and 4-Wheel Drive Trails.” In May, Rancho kicked off its 50th anniversary celebration at the Moab Easter Jeep Safari — with a VIP trail ride, customer party and the debut of an interactive suspension exhibit.
California also serves as an off-roader’s delight, providing plenty of access to off-highway vehicle areas, especially in Northern California and east of San Diego. Public agencies have given off-roaders access to thousands of acres of land. Central Pennsylvania, too, is home to several mountains and trails that off-roaders relish.
Every year, these enthusiasts and their families flock to different areas across the country to celebrate and enjoy everything the outdoors have to offer, with their vehicle serving as more than just their mode of transportation.
King to the off-road community
The vehicle serves as king to off-roaders. It is their ultimate connection to parts of Mother Nature they might otherwise never see or experience. And, upon visiting some of these locations yourself, you’ll notice that off-road vehicles come in all shapes, sizes and colors — trucks, jeeps, SUVs, wagons and ATVs that often feature unique accessories and paint jobs to distinguish themselves. But, despite this variety, the almighty truck dominates the market segment. Half of all enthusiasts report using a four-wheel drive truck, says Off-Road Retailer, and another 15 percent seat themselves behind a two-wheel drive truck.
The SUV, however surprising, is making a gallant foray into off-roading. Even though the majority of SUV buyers would have been better served with a minivan — gaining greater space for less money while saving on insurance and gasoline — they still demanded a vehicle with four-wheel capability. Why? Some argued for the benefits offered in poor driving conditions. While this factor could apply to drivers in cold weather states, it doesn’t explain the popularity of SUVs in the South or the southern coastal states.
The message provided in most SUV marketing supplies a much better explanation. How many SUV ads have you seen where the vehicle is shown poised near a canyon or filmed driving up a steep trail? Even though fewer than 10 percent of these vehicles ever leave paved roads, Americans are so enthralled with the idea of some day loading up the family and heading to the great outdoors, they’ll base the purchase of a major item on it.
As for the jeep, 9 percent prefer this grandfather vehicle for off-roading. Due to its history, it still remains the quintessential choice for some hard-core enthusiasts.
Of course, there are some vehicles that are simply better able to handle off-road terrain, and a seasoned off-roader would know which ones they are. An article published by USA Today says the four-wheel drive vehicles that perform best in off-roading are those with specific equipment, enhanced ground clearance or both. Some of the top off-roaders listed, which were put to the test by Consumer Reports, included the Toyota Tacoma TRD, Chevrolet Avalanche, Toyota Tundra, Toyota Land Cruiser and Land Rover Discovery.
The ATV revolution
In 1971, Hollywood introduced the motorcycle dirtbike to the nation in director Bruce Brown’s hit documentary “On Any Sunday.” Moviegoers who thrilled to on-screen images of Steve McQueen and non-celebrity enthusiasts taking their bikes airborne or just careening down endless rocky trails made bike shops their next stop.
So seminal was the movie, Roy Denner, CEO of the Off Road Business Association (ORBA), traces the birth of the current off-road scene to it. “It got a lot of people interested,” says Denner, “It generated a lot of excitement for the sport.”
The ’70s also would mark another important milestone: the introduction of the affordable all-terrain vehicle (ATV). Honda and other Asian companies began exporting three-wheeled vehicles, originally designed for use on Japanese farms, to the U.S. The third wheel provided extra balance, allowing almost any rider to drive these vehicles.
Unfortunately, inexperienced riders frequently put these vehicles through risky maneuvers, earning them a reputation for being unsafe. Manufacturers responded with safety initiatives that reduced accidents by 30 percent. They also quit marketing three-wheel ATVs in favor of four-wheel versions, which were proving to be far more popular when they hit the market in the 1980s.
Featuring greater stability and significantly more power than their predecessors, four-wheel ATVs also were available in a variety of forms to please a wider range of riders. More often than not, buyers came from families already involved in off-roading. Parents frequently encouraged children to begin riding. “This is a family activity,” says Denner. “It’s not odd to see four generations of family involved. Usually the interest is passed from parents to children.”
This means it might make sense for aftermarketers to team up with bike and ATV shops to cross-promote one another. Our sister publication Off-Road Retailer’s market research says that four-wheelers are a growing part of the off-road movement — about 11 percent of the vehicles used off-road are ATVs.
Built for the aftermarket
Powerful vehicles, the great outdoors and family — could there be more powerful selling points for any industry? When it comes to reaching this audience, it’s a matter of tapping into an off-roader’s love for the open air. For those distributors and jobbers who only dabble in the off-road parts industry, homework may prove it beneficial to dive in, especially if there are no specialty shops or performance retailers within your given market, which is where the majority of product purchases are currently made. If you are a retailer, jobber or distributor in a more rural area, then you may already have an advantage strictly due to locale, but know that this is a complicated market to tap into.
“My recommendations to jobbers would be training, training, training,” says Ripper. “We’ve been lifting and lowering trucks for 14 years and it’s the toughest part of our business. It’s probably the most technical niche we service and can be very confusing for a new person to sell.”
Ripper explains that there are several product choices for a retail customer that make it hard to choose a specific brand. Some start with price but that’s not always the best fit, which means “the guys behind the counter need to know as much as they can about all the brands in order to give a professional recommendation.”
Also, he points out that there is a lack of training material available from manufacturers in general when it comes to suspensions and lift kits. “You mainly have to come up with your own,” he says. “The learning curve in this industry, and particularly on the suspension side, is huge.” As a jobber or distributor, Ripper says it’s important to work with manufacturers who offer training material.
Attending shows and immersing yourself in the culture will help, too. Not only does our sister group put on the Off-Road Impact Trade Show in January, there are plenty of regional shows that will introduce you to the world of off-roading. The 4 Wheel Parts Truck Fest, which travels to various cities like Dallas, San Diego and Denver, features some of the key off-road product manufacturers, demonstrations and custom trucks on display.
The Best in the Desert Racing Association has an off-road racing schedule, with most races taking place in Nevada. It can be found on their website at www.bitd.com. There is also the Extreme Motorsports Expo in Costa Mesa, Calif., during the month of May. The United Four-Wheel Drive Associations holds a convention in Big Sky, Mont., in July. These events and associations are the gatekeepers to the off-road community.
Enhancing the off-road experience
Today, winches, along with larger tires, lift kits and shocks, form the centerpiece of most four-wheel upgrades, according to Wyly at Arrow Speed, with an increasing number of individuals adding accessories too. “In years past, our business as a distributor was typically about 30 percent truck/off-road and about 70 percent performance. In the last few years, our mix has moved to about a 50/50 split.” Wyly says the growth on the truck side includes accessory items such as side tubes, front end guards, hood shields and more.
As enthusiasts have probed ever deeper into America’s wilds, off-roaders have asked for performance parts that will carry their vehicles over larger obstacles and more treacherous terrain. Manufacturers continue to respond by developing accessories to lift vehicles higher and provide greater amounts of low-end torque for stronger short bursts of power.
Matt Held, media public relations manager for Holley, says the hottest trends for manufacturers involve developing new technologies that upgrade performance in extreme conditions (for sports such as rock crawling) and add durability, particularly for larger, late model vehicles such as Chevy Silverados, Dodge Rams and Toyota Sequoias. For these large trucks, Holley has added lines of heavy-duty mufflers and exhaust systems that resist rust and burning and that feature reinforced bulkheads.
“We say that they’re practically strong enough to support the weight of the vehicle,” says Held, “They protect the investment of someone who is taking an expensive vehicle into some very rough territory. Customers in this area want durable, tough products.”
Holley also is developing parts for one of the hottest trends in off-roading — custom vehicles built specially for rock crawling, mudding and other extreme activities. Holley now sells custom extended brake lines the company sizes to fit these specialty vehicles.
For rock crawling enthusiasts who can’t afford a specialty vehicle, Holley is introducing products that can help the off-roader on a budget test gravity with an older vehicle. Holley offers fuel injection systems that replace carburetors and provide constant fuel feed that would have previously been lost when a vehicle was poised at a sharp angle.
Because rock crawling is a contact sport, tire companies are offering enthusiasts tires that can withstand new levels and angles of stress. The Goodyear Wrangler MT/R (maximum traction/reinforced), nicknamed the “Rock Spider,” features a Durawall sidewall construction containing a high-tech silica compound and three polyester plies to resist punctures, tears and rips on its sides. The Rock Spider will be available in the most popular of rock crawling sizes, 40 inches.
Looking at other industry trends, Held notes that aftermarketers are seeing two new distinct customer categories. One group continually upgrades a single vehicle with more off-road capabilities. The other is dedicated to a single or a limited few off-road pursuits, for example sand buggies or vehicles used for mud pits.
Don Ebaugh, president of Stout Products in Finksburg, Md., mentions a third class of new consumers: the affluent. “It used to be most customers were good old boys with a short bed pickup truck and a lift kit. Now we’re seeing 55-year-old grandmas who want to go off-road,” says Ebaugh.
Because these customers often want to protect their investment, Stout has begun offering rugged, stainless steel rocker guards that can grind against boulders, rocks and other obstacles without showing a scratch. Stout Products is an e-commerce site dedicated to the off-road enthusiast. They manufacture products for Jeeps and their owners.
Stout is changing its offerings in other areas to meet requests from its newest customers. The company has started building entire systems and performing installations. Stout now sells $5,000 upgrade kits featuring bumpers, a lift kit, tires and a winch. The company also is teaching its customers how to make the most of these accessories by providing hands-on training classes where students/customers learn how to take their vehicles off-road.
“The class has turned out to be a very effective way for us to sell our products,” says Ebaugh. “Our customers get to use our products, plus they learn the proper way to handle them. Also, we get to spend time with our customers. Everyone has a great time.”
You’ll also want to do what you can to reach off-roaders in your area — including special clinics like Stout’s, developing driving tip sheets for off-road customers and sponsoring or creating events to garner their interest in your shop or store. Teaming up with used-car dealers and service shops in your area that offer off-road product installations is also an option to look into.
“This category holds a lot of opportunity for the jobber that is willing to spend some time attending off-road shows and events, and dedicating adequate resources to displays and inventory in his or her store,” suggests Wyly. “You really need to look like you’re in the business and be able to talk the tech,” he says, adding that qualified sales personnel, access to installation facilities or offering installation if you have bays are critical to improving your off-road following.
Manufacturers are getting into the act of finding ways to introduce enthusiasts to off-roading with new products. Rancho recently introduced its triple-adjustable shocks, which can provide critical extra inches of lift to new large trucks. The coil-over dampers and rack and pinion steering on many newer trucks make them difficult, if not impossible, to lift. Mooney, brand manager, says the shocks are geared toward truck owners who use their vehicles mainly to commute, but who also have off-road aspirations. The shocks are an inexpensive way of raising a truck to add ground clearance and make room for larger wheels.
“The best thing about a product like this is that it lets a new group of people get off the pavement and into the dirt,” says Mooney, “It’s proving very popular. There are a lot of people out there interested in going off-road. This is an inexpensive, very accessible way to help them get there.”
Mooney says they’re also easy to install, allowing enthusiasts to take care of the work themselves and save a few bucks. She also reports a sight growing more common each day in the world of off-roading: enthusiasts using a primary off-road vehicle to haul another, for example using an SUV to haul a rock crawler. These transporters may also be in need of special equipment for this unique sport.
Large off-road vehicles aren’t alone in receiving performance upgrades. ATV owners now request winches, larger tires and engine upgrades. They’ve also entered into an area that might seem a bit inappropriate for vehicles regularly subjected to harsh treatment — custom paint and bodywork. ATV owners have started decking out their vehicles with more aggressive fenders, electronic instrument clusters and other styling cues, along with striking, one-of-a-kind paint jobs.
While decisions like these might seem odd at first glance, on further review, they’re quite sensible and explainable.
Little that happens in the off-road industry should be surprising. In a nation crisscrossed with millions of miles of paved roads, this market has attracted millions of fans willing to invest $4 billion in vehicles and almost another $1 billion in accessories to follow paths a mountain goat wouldn’t take.
Off-roaders are as passionate about their vehicles as any American. These vehicles, which are as much a part of their families as the family sedan or minivan is to others, feed into the American pursuit for individuality.
About the Author
Tim Sramcik
Tim Sramcik began writing for ABRN over 20 years ago. He has produced numerous news, technical and feature articles covering virtually every aspect of the collision repair market. In 2004, the American Society of Business Publication Editors recognized his work with two awards. Sramcik also has written extensively for Motor Age and Aftermarket Business World. Connect with Sramcik on LinkedIn and see more of his work on Muck Rack.