Is the overland expo thing usually this thin on actual gear, or did I catch a bad year?

The issue you hit is pretty common at regional shows. Those big trailer and RV sales floors take up prime real estate because they have huge budgets and massive inventory, which is why the smaller, specialized gear vendors often get squeezed into the odd corner or are just absent altogether. It feels like you're looking for the specialized components, but the show is really set up for people who are just looking to buy a whole new home on wheels. If you want to find those smaller manufacturers—the guys making the lithium power stations, the portable fridge brands, or the custom lighting rigs—you often have to skip the big general convention. Those smaller, niche makers rarely participate in the main tent events unless they're selling a specific bundle. They usually head to the smaller, more focused trade shows for their specific product lines or have their own dedicated web shops and direct sales processes.

Another thing to consider when attending these events is that they are, by definition, a sales environment. Every booth is there to sell something. While you're looking for a power station, the vendor is likely pitching a lift kit or a winch. You have to mentally filter through the sales pitch to see if the actual product you're looking for is even available or if they are just using the show to move their high-cost inventory. Since you already have a setup, you are in a better position to be highly selective. Stop looking for the 'perfect' solution and start looking for the specific problem you're trying to solve. If the gear isn't available where you are, start looking at the major online retail outlets that focus on the off-grid tech space, which often have better pricing and more detailed spec sheets than what you'll find at a crowded fairground exhibit.

This tracks with what I saw at the one near me last spring. Out of maybe 90 booths I counted only 4 selling actual portable gear, the rest was trailers and insurance brokers. I stopped going to those big regional ones entirely after that. What worked better for me was hitting the smaller gatherings put on by local trail clubs. Way fewer vendors but the ones there actually know the product becuase they run it in the field. Found a 12v fridge setup at one of those that's still going strong after 3 years. Check if any wheeling clubs in your area run swap meets or club days, that's where the real gear people end up.

Yeah the vendor list gets published beforehand usually, check that next time before buying tickets. Learned that the hard way myself, drove two hours to one and the map showed nothing but trailers and food trucks. Also don't sleep on the demo areas if they have any, even a lame show sometimes has someone running a fridge or power setup out on the grass where you can actually ask questions. That's where I got hands on with a 12v fridge before buying one online later.

Shows went downhill years ago honestly. Back in the 90s you'd walk into one of these and half the floor was actual parts and fittings, guys selling wiring, compressors, tire repair kits, that kind of thing. Now it's all finished products someone else manufactured. My trick anymore is to skip the retail booths and hunt down the club tables, the 4x4 and scouting type clubs ussually have a spot and somebody there knows where the good local suppliers hide. Also worth asking at the counter of any decent auto electric shop in your area, the old guys behind the counter know every show and swap meet within a day's drive and half of them still run tables themselves. That's how I found most of my gear over the years, word of mouth at a parts counter, not walking a fairground.