Folks of the off-road persuasion were flocking to Ontario last weekend in a big way. There wasn’t any kind of trail event or mud bog going down, but we could sense the excitement in the air as we made our way to the Ontario Convention Center, those wonderful words printed large on a banner: “4 WHEEL PARTS TRUCK & JEEP FEST.”
Now in its 13th year, the free-admission Truck & Jeep Fest presents enthusiasts with a great opportunity to connect with aftermarket companies, as well as each other. At this particular event, more than two dozen companies were set up with booths and staff to help off-roaders connect and decide on the right types of products to run on their rigs. Being that the festival is a consumer event, the tone throughout the show is all about equipping customers with the right stuff at a great price.
As we learned from 4 Wheel Parts’ Brent Goegebuer, the Truck & Jeep Fest has been nothing if not on an upward trend. “At the first Truck & Jeep Fest, which we held there in Ontario, we only used one hall,” he said. “Now the event has grown to take up the entire convention center. The event has grown from one to four to now eight locations, stretching from Orlando all the way to Honolulu. This year, we even went up north to Edmonton, Alberta.”
From Rubicon Express to Bestop to Currie Enterprises and more, all of these companies came prepared with top-selling stock to sell at factory-direct pricing, presenting a major draw to customers looking to save some cheddar on their next upgrade. In the middle of one of the convention center’s banquet rooms, kiosks staffed by 4WheelParts employees handled the hustling, bustling flurry of transactions.
Supporting the logistics of the Truck & Jeep Fest are a fleet of 4WP semi trucks out on the road, with over 80 vendors and 40 employees in constant need of transportation as well. “Some of the crazy things that have happened during the events were being in Hawaii during the first tsunami, and in Orlando when a large Hurricane hit the city,” said Goegebuer. “Luckily, the events went off without a hitch and everyone was safe.”
Outside of just the cool parts for sale, however, we couldn’t walk more than 20 feet before coming upon some great-looking 4x4s that deserved a mention. Here are a few of our favorites.
Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels–Chopped JKThis black beauty of a Jeep Wrangler was propped up and flexing at the Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels booth at the event. Built by Black Ops 4×4, the JK had no shortage of killer modifications done to command the respect of all who saw it (lest we forget the Ripp supercharger bolted onto the V6 under the hood!). Wrapping the 15-inch Method Race wheels were M/T’s own Baja Claw tires, these ones in a 46-inch diameter and made to conquer just about anything.
Fabtech–2015 Ford F-150Fabtech was also out in force with a 2015 Ford F-150 SuperCrew. The orange and black aesthetic of the custom wrap made for a cool contrast, clashing with the reflective bits of metal odds and ends dotting the wheels and front bumper (not to mention the windshield-wide LED light bar). Interestingly, the front bumper was a one-off design, constructed in-house from a solid block of billet aluminum.
BF Goodrich–Class 4400 BuggyAh, BF Goodrich–a tire brand that’s served the greats and grunts alike for decades was getting a lot of attention at the fest, and for good reason: the All Terrain KO2s, successor to the ever-popular KOs, were going for factory-direct pricing and had throngs of visitors throughout the day. We spotted this sweet-looking Class 4400 buggy parked inside the booth, and found out that it’s driven by Brent Goegebuer, one of 4 Wheel Parts’ very own. It sported a set of Baja T/A rubber on all fours.
Fuel Wheels–2013 Ford F-350Lighting was not the greatest strength of the convention center’s banquet halls, but that didn’t stop us from trying. We got shots of this badass F-350 dually inside the Fuel Wheels booth, where it was showing off a set of the new Cleaver style wheel.
Rubicon Express–JeepSpeed CherokeeAffordable and approachable, the JeepSpeed class has seen some great successes in desert racing and attracting entry-level participants in the fast-growing world of off-road motorsports. We caught sight of one example in the Rubicon Express booth, this one driven by Dylan Cochran and Mark Linder. It ran on a custom-built Rubicon Express suspension system.
So much to do, so much to see, so much to buy–if that doesn’t best describe what it’s like to see the 4 Wheel Parts Truck & Jeep Fest, then maybe our only option is to make it out there next year and check it out again. Go see for yourself everything that 4 Wheel Parts has to offer online, and don’t forget to Like the company on Facebook too.