When you're miles from the nearest gas station, cell signal, or paved road, your gear isn’t just gear it’s what gets you there and back again. That’s why so many overlanders across the U.S. choose ARB. Whether you’re outfitting a weekend trail rig or building the ultimate remote-living setup, ARB products are designed to hold up when it matters most.
This year marks 50 years of ARB building gear that’s been tested on some of the roughest terrain in the world. And while our roots are in Australia, ARB USA has become a trusted name in the American overland scene because the gear is made for real-world use.
If you're still on the fence about making the investment, don't be. ARB gear has earned its reputation the hard way out on the trail. Here’s why that trust has only grown over the decades.
The History of ARB: From One Man’s Garage to a Global 4x4 Brand
Back in the 1970s, overlanding in Australia wasn’t easy and it definitely wasn’t for anyone without reliable gear. Most people either built their own equipment or had to make do with whatever was on the market, even if it wasn’t up to par. For Anthony “Tony” Brown, that just wasn’t good enough. After running into gear limitations on a trip to Cape York in 1975, he’d had enough. That journey made one thing crystal clear: the gear out there wasn’t cutting it, and something needed to change.
When Tony returned home to Melbourne, he started crafting bull bars built to deliver strength, durability, and protection. His approach quickly caught on with local off-roaders who needed gear they could count on in Australia’s harsh conditions. Within months, Tony’s business was booming.
In 1976, ARB Engineering Pty Ltd officially launched. From the beginning, the focus was simple: build tough, high-quality, and practical gear that could handle anything you threw at it. And as the brand grew, so did its reputation for reliability and innovation.
By the late 1980s, ARB was solving more than just fabrication challenges. We brought Air Lockers to both the Australian and U.S. markets and acquired Old Man Emu (OME), giving them the ability to offer complete vehicle solutions: suspension, recovery gear, and armor.
As demand for ARB gear grew in the U.S., it was clear the brand needed a home base stateside. In 1989, ARB USA was born in Seattle, WA, marking a major step forward in supporting the North American off-road community.
Throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, ARB continued to expand, adding canopies, new bumpers, lighting, fridges, and more. Each new product was built with the same attention to durability and detail that had already earned the brand a loyal following.
In the past decade, our pace hasn’t slowed down. We’ve released the race-inspired BP-51 bypass shocks, the Earth Camper off-road trailer, the MT64 monotube shocks, and most recently, the Brushless Air Compressor.
Today, ARB gear is trusted in over 100 countries. From a humble Melbourne driveway to a global name in off-road excellence, ARB’s legacy is built on one promise: creating equipment you can rely on when it matters most. And after 50 years, that promise still holds.
ARB Off-Road Products: What Makes the Gear So Trusted
When overlanders choose ARB, they’re not just picking up a product, they’re making a long-term investment in safety, performance, and peace of mind. ARB’s gear covers just about every corner of your vehicle, from protection to suspension systems to full overland living setups. But what exactly makes this equipment so trusted and dependable?
Let’s start with the foundation: vehicle protection. ARB’s lineup of bull bars, rear bumpers, rock sliders, and underbody skid plates is built to take every hit and keep your rig going. These aren’t just cosmetic upgrades, they’re engineered to absorb impact and protect critical components when things get rough. The proprietary steel and alloy blends used in ARB armor go through extensive testing for structural integrity, winch mounting strength, and crash protection, so you know they’ll hold up when it counts.
Suspension is another area where ARB shines. The Old Man Emu (OME) lineup includes Nitrocharger shocks, MT64 monotube shocks, and BP-51 coilovers, all tuned specifically for different platforms and use cases. Whether you’re running a light daily setup or hauling gear for a multi-day trip, ARB offers spring and shock options to match your vehicle’s load.
When it comes to recovery, we offer two of the most trusted tools in the off-road world: Air Lockers and Air Compressors. Air Lockers let you lock in traction only when you need it, which can make all the difference when you’re climbing through loose or uneven terrain. Our air compressors are fast, compact, and tough enough to handle anything from tire air-ups to running lockers. The newest brushless model is even more efficient and built to last longer without taking up extra space.
Then there’s the overland lineup: rooftop tents, awnings, drawer systems, and even the Earth Camper off-road trailer. These aren’t just add-ons, they’re purpose-built extensions of your vehicle. For example, our newest Altitude Tent features automated setup and all-season insulation, while our drawer systems feature heavy-duty bearings and soft-close function that keeps them running smoothly, trip after trip.
At the heart of it all is reliability. Every ARB product is built to handle far more abuse than most users will ever put it through. Our customers trust ARB because they know it’s gear that’s already proven itself on trails, in deserts, and across continents, long before it ever ends up on their rig. When it’s got the ARB name, you know it’s built to last.
Why Reliable Gear Isn’t Optional
Reliability isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a necessity. When you're deep in the backcountry and something important fails, you're not just inconvenienced, you could be in real trouble. Maybe your drawer system jams and you can’t grab tools when you need them. Maybe your suspension gives out halfway through a rough trail. It’s not just annoying, it can sideline your trip or lead to risky recovery situations in places where help is hours away.
Failures happen. Mounting bolts back out, electrical connections shake loose, and terrain changes fast.And when you’re hours from help with no cell service, even small issues can turn into big problems. That’s why ARB designs gear with real-world use in mind, built for the kind of trips where you have to rely on your equipment, because there’s no backup plan.
And the stress of unreliable gear isn’t just physical, it wears on you mentally too. Always wondering what might fail next takes away at the fun of the trip. Solid, proven equipment gives you peace of mind. It lets you focus on the trail ahead and enjoy the ride without a running list of “what ifs” in the back of your head.
It also helps you use your resources wisely. A compressor that runs efficiently, lights that don’t kill your battery, a tent that sets up in under a minute, they all help conserve fuel, energy, and patience. And when you’re trying to make the most of your time out there, those small wins add up.
There’s the financial side too. Buying the cheapest gear might feel like a win at first until it fails a season later. ARB gear is an investment. It’s built to last, easy to service, and backed by people who actually stand behind what is being sold. Over time, that kind of reliability pays for itself.
At the end of the day, having gear you can trust isn’t just about comfort, it's about safety. That’s why so many overlanders choose ARB. Because when you’re heading out miles from the nearest pavement, you don’t want to hope your gear holds up. You want to know it will.
Built to Last: How ARB Designs for Long-Term Durability
Durability isn’t just about using thick steel or a strong weld. For ARB, it’s been a part of how we build gear from the very beginning. Nearly five decades later, that mindset hasn’t changed.
It all starts with the materials we use to build our products. Our bumpers, racks, and armor are made from strong steel and alloy blends that hold up to rough trails, harsh weather, and repeated use. Everything is coated with UV-stable finishes that help prevent rust and sun damage, both very important for gear that spends its life outdoors. Suspension components for our BP-51s and MT64s are made with 6061 aluminum, an extremely durable material with excellent strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. Our new brushless air compressor features an active cooling system with a fan in each motor assembly to ensure higher performance and longevity for continued use. And all of our rooftop tents are crafted from durable materials and engineered for quick setup.
But it doesn’t stop there. All of our parts aren’t built just for looks they’re designed to perform under real pressure. Even the smaller parts like brackets, wiring, bolts are all built with the same level of care. Nothing’s just tossed together.
And when something eventually wears out, you’re not stuck replacing the whole thing. A lot of our gear is rebuildable. If a shock needs servicing or your compressor starts acting up, you can swap out parts and keep moving. That kind of repairability is what helps people hang onto their setups for years instead of having to start over every season.
In a world where a lot of gear is made to be replaced, ARB is still building for the long haul. You get something you can count on, and that peace of mind goes a long way when you’re way off the beaten path.
How ARB USA Supports the American Overlanding Community
As I mentioned earlier, ARB USA opened its doors in the Seattle area back in 1988. Since then, it’s grown into a big part of the overland community here in the States. What started as a way to get gear into North America turned into something much bigger, a team of people who care about off-roading just as much as our customers.
As our presence grew, so did our commitment to the people who use our gear every day. And that’s why it’s so important to us to be a part of the community in any way that we can be.
While we’re not all of the biggest off-road and overland events, you can find us at all of the Overland Expos. We also try to show up to smaller local meetups around Washington too, talking with people, checking out builds, and seeing how our gear holds up out on the trail.
And even if you’re not at an event, our team is easy to reach. If you’ve got a question about your setup or something isn’t working right, you can give us a call or shoot us a message on social media. We’re real people who know the gear and are happy to help.
Voices from the Community: Why Overlanders Choose ARB
Looking Ahead: ARB’s Vision for the Next 50 Years
As ARB celebrates 50 years, we’re not just reflecting on the past, we’re looking toward what’s ahead.
One of the most exciting things we’ve been part of lately is our partnership with Toyota on their new 4Runner Trailhunter and Tacoma Trailhunter. Their new Trailhunter lineup comes straight from the factory with ARB gear already installed, giving drivers a fully built, overland-ready vehicle right off the lot. These aren’t just off-the-shelf parts either, they’re custom-developed in collaboration with Toyota, made specifically for the Trailhunter platform and not available to purchase directly through ARB.
That means when you buy a Trailhunter Tacoma or 4Runner, you're getting a rig that's ready to hit the trail with ARB suspension, protection, and other components all backed by Toyota’s warranty. It’s the first time a major manufacturer has offered this kind of true overland setup as a factory trim, and it’s a huge step forward for the off-road community here in the U.S.
For us, it’s also a pretty big vote of confidence. When a brand like Toyota trusts ARB gear to be part of their vehicles from day one, it shows just how much our products are built to perform and built to last. Toyota listened and we delivered.
On top of one of our biggest collaborations, this past year alone brought a wave of innovation. The Altitude Rooftop Tent redefined comfort and convenience with an automated setup and all-weather capability. The Zenith Bull Bar added a bold new option for front-end protection, blending strength with a modern look. We also welcomed MITS Alloy into the ARB family, expanding our lineup of storage options with high-quality tray and canopy systems. And the release of our Brushless Air Compressor set a new benchmark in performance and reliability, offering even more power in a compact, trail-ready design.
What’s next? We’ll leave that a mystery at least for now.
But one thing won’t change. From a garage in Melbourne to vehicles and trails around the world, ARB has always been about building gear you can count on when it matters most. That’s what overlanders trusted 50 years ago, and that’s exactly what they’ll keep trusting for the journey ahead.
At the End of the Day
Overlanding is about more than just the gear, it’s about trust. Trusting your setup to hold up, your tools to do their job, and your rig to get you home. That’s what we at ARB have focused on for the last 50 years: building gear so you don’t have to second-guess anything.
Because when you're out there, miles from pavement with no backup, you don’t want gear that might work, you want gear you can count on. That’s exactly what ARB delivers.
