America’s off-road scene just got a serious upgrade. On November 13, 2025, Overland Vehicle Systems – the brand a lot of us already trust for awnings, tents, and recovery gear – officially brought Overland Ruff Rax into the fold. If you’ve spent any time on the trails with a Jeep, Tacoma, Rivian, or full-size truck, you’ve probably seen (or wanted) a Ruff Rax rack. Now those same American-made roof racks and bed racks are part of the OVS family, and that means the rigs rolling out of garages across the country are about to get a whole lot tougher.
For years, Overland Ruff Rax built its name on racks that can take a beating and keep coming back for more. We’re talking heavy-duty steel and aluminum, precision welds, powder-coated finishes – the kind of construction you look for when you know the trail doesn’t care about your schedule or your paint job. These aren’t the flimsy department-store bars that flex the first time you strap a rooftop tent on top. Guys have run Ruff Rax setups down the Rubicon, through Moab’s slickrock, across the desert in 120-degree heat, and up forest service roads in a January blizzard. The racks just work.
Now picture pairing one of those bomb-proof platforms with everything Overland Vehicle Systems already brings to the table. OVS rooftop tents that actually keep the rain out. 270-degree awnings that deploy in thirty seconds when the sun is cooking you alive. Recovery boards, traction mats, soft shackles, fridge sliders – all the stuff most of us have scattered across the garage. With Ruff Rax in the lineup, OVS can finally offer a true one-stop foundation for a complete overland build.
The fit-specific racks cover pretty much every truck and SUV the average guy is driving these days:
- Full-size Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra
- Ford F-150 and Super Duty
- Ram 1500 and heavier models
- Toyota Tacoma (all generations)
- Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler
- The new Rivian R1T
If it’s popular on the trail right now, there’s a high-clearance, load-rated rack ready for it.
What hits home hardest is that every single one of these racks is still built right here in the United States. That’s not marketing fluff – it’s American steel, American welds, American powder coat, and American customer service on the other end of the phone when you’ve got a question. When you’re three days from pavement and something goes wrong, knowing the company that built your gear is a phone call away (and speaks the same language) matters more than most people think.
Sean Angues, president of Overland Vehicle Systems, put it plain and simple: “Adding Overland Ruff Rax to the OVS family aligns perfectly with our mission to provide best-in-class, trail-ready products for overlanders and outdoor enthusiasts. Their U.S.-made craftsmanship and proven designs allow us to give our customers even more durable, reliable solutions that enhance both capability and confidence when exploring off-grid.”
He also pointed out the bigger picture: “From rooftop tents to recovery gear, OVS is committed to delivering everything you need for the trail. Overland Ruff Rax gives us the ability to offer strong, made-in-USA racks that complement and elevate our existing product lines.”
Translation: instead of piecing together a setup from three or four different companies and hoping everything lines up, you can start with a rock-solid Ruff Rax platform and bolt OVS gear straight to it. The mounting points match, the load ratings stack up, and the whole system is designed from the ground up to work together.
For the guys who’ve been around long enough to remember when overlanding meant a surplus army tent and a hi-lift jack strapped to the bumper with bungee cords, this kind of integration is a game changer. You’re not just buying parts anymore – you’re building a rig that’s greater than the sum of its pieces.
Bottom line? If you’ve got a truck sitting in the driveway begging for more capability, or you’re already running OVS gear and need a rack that won’t let you down when the going gets stupid, this acquisition just handed you the perfect excuse to open the wallet. American made, trail proven, and now all under one roof.
The backcountry isn’t getting any easier. It’s good to know the gear keeping us out there just got a lot stronger.
