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A dirt road winding across sagebrush flats toward a snow-covered mountain range, a single car far along it.

The Overland Directory

Fabricators in California

Metal shops that design, cut and weld the parts you cannot buy off a shelf: bumpers, sliders, racks, skid plates, mounts and repairs.

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Fabricators in California

17 listings

  1. Dissent Off-road Colfax, CA Makes off road armor and accessories including bumpers, swing outs, skid plates, sliders and roof racks, and sells winches, recovery gear and lighting.
  2. LEITNER Designs Corona, CA Manufactures the Active Cargo System truck bed racks and roof platform racks along with the GearPOD storage system, accessories and lighting.
  3. Total Chaos Fabrication Inc. Corona, CA Makes bolt on Toyota and Lexus suspension parts including upper and lower control arms, long travel and mid travel kits and rear suspension packages.
  4. Marlin Crawler Inc. Fresno, CA Off road parts company established in 1994 whose range covers suspension, armor, differential, axle, drivetrain and outfitting parts for four wheel drives.
  5. Trail-Gear Fresno, CA Makes and sells off road axles, drivetrain, steering, suspension, armor, wheels and builder parts for Toyota, Suzuki and Nissan four wheel drives.
  6. Camburg Engineering Huntington Beach, CA Suspension manufacturer making long travel suspension kits and bump stops for off road and daily driven trucks such as the Tacoma, Tundra and Bronco.
  7. MetalCloak Rancho Cordova, CA Manufactures off road lift kit suspension systems along with body armor, bumpers, skid plates and roof rack systems for Jeep, Ford, Toyota and Ram vehicles.
  8. ICON Vehicle Dynamics Riverside, CA Manufactures aftermarket suspension systems, shocks, control arms, wheels, bumpers and frame protection for trucks, Jeeps and SUVs.
  9. All Terrain Campers Inc. Sacramento, CA Manufactures welded aluminum frame pop up slide in campers for four wheel drive pickups, in set models and as custom builds.
  10. Stellar Built Sacramento, CA Off road design and fabrication shop doing suspension work, armor and protection, wheels and tires, shock service, gear and axle work and off road alignment.
  11. SD Truck Shop San Diego, CA Toyota, Lexus and Scion repair shop that also does off road fabrication, suspension, armor fitting, gear and axle work and classic Land Cruiser restoration.
  12. Deaver Spring Inc Santa Ana, CA Leaf spring manufacturer making standard and custom leaf spring packs, u-leafs and u-bolts for off road trucks, Jeeps, Broncos and race vehicles.
  13. Aluminess Santee, CA Makes all aluminum van and truck accessories including bumpers, roof racks, ladders, side steps, rear racks and storage boxes.
  14. GenRight Off Road Simi Valley, CA Manufactures off road parts in the United States, including aluminum gas tanks, suspension systems and armor for Jeep Wrangler TJ, LJ and JK models.
  15. Shaffer's Offroad And Performance Union City, CA Off road shop doing suspension installs, gear and axle work, shock rebuilds, armor fitting, wheels and tires, alignments and custom fabrication.
  16. Topo Toppers LLC Ventura, CA Makes lightweight pop up truck camper shells for overland travel in three models, designed, fabricated and assembled in California.
  17. Four Wheel Campers Woodland, CA Manufactures pop up slide in truck campers, flatbed campers and truck toppers since 1972, with a factory showroom and a parts and service department.

California by the numbers

Of California is federal land 1
45.3%
45,391,499 of 100,206,720 acres, as of September 30, 2024
Acres of national forest in California 8
20M
Eighteen national forests, run as the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region
Acres of BLM public land 1
15.0M
14,989,808 acres. BLM California publishes no statewide total of its own
Miles of BLM route open to motor vehicles 5
32,900+
Roads and trails recorded for public or limited public motorized use, printed as a floor
Mount Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 2
14,494 ft
Inyo and Tulare counties. Death Valley, at 282 feet below sea level, is the lowest point in North America
Approximate mean elevation 3
2,900 ft
From the same USGS figures that give the high and low points
Federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 6
788
614 Forest Service, 79 National Park Service, 65 BLM and 25 Corps of Engineers. 586 can be booked ahead
Average annual precipitation, 1895 to 2020 4
22.1 in
Summers are dry statewide. NOAA calls the southern deserts some of the nation’s hottest and driest areas

Carrying water, fuel and a second spare

Fabrication for California is mostly about carrying things a long way on corrugated dirt. The Park Service wants two full size spare tires in the Death Valley backcountry and at least a gallon of water per person per day, with a 5-gallon container as emergency backup. There is no fuel inside Mojave National Preserve and none on the Carrizo Plain, so tank and jerrican mounts have to survive hours of washboard.

Underneath, the enemy is sharp rock rather than ledges. Racetrack Road is known for punctures, and the Forest Service suggests 15 mph on the Bristlecone byway’s dirt for the same reason. Skid plates for the tank and a solid jacking point on soft ground earn their weight.

The full guide to overlanding California

What a fabricator does

When a catalog part does not exist for your vehicle, does not fit with what you already have, or is not strong enough for what you do, a fabricator builds it. Steel or aluminum, welded, finished, and mounted so the load goes into structure rather than sheet metal.

They also fix what breaks: cracked mounts, bent sliders, torn brackets and the frame damage that ends trips.

Common work

  1. 01Bumpers with winch mounts and rated recovery points
  2. 02Rock sliders and skid plates
  3. 03Roof racks, bed racks and ladders
  4. 04Swing-outs for tires, fuel and water
  5. 05Mounts for tanks, compressors and batteries
  6. 06Frame and bracket repair

How to choose a fabricator

Metalwork is easy to judge if you know where to look.

  1. 01Look at the welds, then at how the part mounts. Recovery points and sliders should tie into the frame.
  2. 02Ask whether they design in CAD or build to the vehicle, and whether you get drawings.
  3. 03Ask about material and finish. Raw, painted and powder coated parts age very differently.
  4. 04Ask if they have built for your platform before. Templates and fixtures save you money.
  5. 05Ask how a front bumper affects airbag sensors and crush zones. A shop that has done it properly will have an answer.

What to have ready before you ask for a quote

Photographs do most of the talking.

  1. 01Clear photos of the vehicle and the area the part mounts to
  2. 02What is already mounted there: winch model, lights, tire size
  3. 03What the part has to carry, and how much it weighs
  4. 04Steel or aluminum, and the finish you want
  5. 05A budget range and your timing

Questions people ask

Custom or off the shelf?

If a well-made part exists for your vehicle, it is usually cheaper and faster than custom, and a good fabricator will tell you so. Custom earns its cost when nothing fits, when parts from different makers have to work together, or when you need it stronger or lighter than the catalog offers.

Steel or aluminum?

Steel is stronger for the money, easier to repair in the field and heavier. Aluminum saves real weight on racks, skid plates and boxes, but costs more and needs a welder who works with it regularly. Many builds use both: steel where it hits rocks, aluminum where it just carries things.

Can a fabricator repair a cracked frame or mount?

Often, yes. Send clear photos with your request. A good shop will tell you whether it can be repaired properly or needs replacing.

How high is California?

From Brawley at -113 feet to Mount Whitney at 14,494. Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.

Towns

  1. Lee Vining On US 395 at the eastern foot of Tioga Pass. When Tioga Road is closed there is no way to drive into Yosemite from this side of the Sierra. 6,790 ft
  2. Alturas On US 395 in Modoc County. CA 299 leaves US 395 five miles north of town for Cedarville, where the Surprise Valley byway begins and ends. 4,372 ft
  3. Susanville On US 395 in the northeast. BLM Eagle Lake Field Office and a Lassen National Forest office cover the ground east and south of here. 4,194 ft
  4. Bishop The largest town in the Owens Valley, on US 395. BLM Bishop Field Office and an Inyo National Forest office. Dispersed camping inside this field office is capped at 14 days a year. 4,145 ft
  5. Big Pine On US 395. The Forest Service calls it the nearest food, water or fuel to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Big Pine Road east from here reaches Eureka Valley and Death Valley. 3,988 ft
  6. Lone Pine On US 395 below Mount Whitney. Movie Road into the Alabama Hills leaves Whitney Portal Road west of the stoplight, and the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center sits south of town. 3,727 ft
  7. Kernville On the Kern River. The Sequoia National Forest’s Kern River Ranger District office is here, near the west end of Sherman Pass Road. 2,647 ft
  8. Ridgecrest BLM Ridgecrest Field Office, between the southern Sierra and the Mojave. The usual base for the Panamint and Searles country and the southwest corner of Death Valley. 2,294 ft
  9. Barstow Where I-15 meets I-40. BLM Barstow Field Office and the headquarters of Mojave National Preserve. The natural place to service a vehicle before the desert. 2,174 ft
  10. Baker On I-15 where Kelbaker Road heads south into Mojave National Preserve. The Park Service lists Baker as one of the nearest gas stations and says there is none inside the preserve. 932 ft
  11. Borrego Springs Ringed by Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, with the park visitor center at the west end of Palm Canyon Drive. Named an International Dark Sky Community. 589 ft
  12. Needles On I-40 beside the Colorado River. BLM Needles Field Office, and the eastern approach to the Mojave Road by way of Piute Spring. 495 ft
  13. Bakersfield Where CA 58 meets CA 99. BLM Bakersfield Field Office, which manages the Carrizo Plain National Monument to the west. Last full services before the plain. 404 ft
  14. Blythe On I-10 at the Arizona line. The Bradshaw Trail is reached by driving west on I-10 to the Wiley’s Well exit and south past Wiley’s Well Campground. 268 ft
  15. Shelter Cove The road end on the Lost Coast, about 22 miles from US 101 at Redway. King Peak Road and the other King Range back roads climb inland from the road that brought you here. 144 ft
  16. Brawley Below sea level in the Imperial Valley. CA 78 runs east from here to the Imperial Sand Dunes; the BLM’s El Centro Field Office is south. -113 ft

Passes, high roads and summits

  1. Mount Whitney The highest point in California and in the lower 48. No road to the top 14,494 ft
  2. Telescope Peak The highest point in Death Valley National Park, above Badwater Basin 11,049 ft
  3. Patriarch Grove Bristlecone Pine Forest Scenic Byway: US 395 at Big Pine, by CA 168 and White Mountain Road, to Patriarch Grove in the White Mountains 11,000 ft
  4. Tioga Pass Tioga Road: Crane Flat in Yosemite to Tioga Pass and US 395 at Lee Vining 9,945 ft
  5. Sherman Pass Sherman Pass Road: The North Fork of the Kern River west of the pass to US 395 and the high desert in the east 9,200 ft
  6. North Pass Saline Valley Road: CA 190 in the south and Big Pine Road in the north, through Saline Valley 7,200 ft
  7. Red Pass Titus Canyon Road: Nevada Highway 374, the Daylight Pass Road, two miles east of the park boundary, west into Death Valley 5,250 ft
  8. King Peak The highest point in the King Range, three miles from the Pacific 4,088 ft

Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates), retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.

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Sources for this page

51
  1. Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2, data as of September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  2. U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition. The California row, footnoted to the National Geodetic Survey. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  3. U.S. Census Bureau, from U.S. Geological Survey data. Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012, Table 366. Extreme and Mean Elevations by State. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  4. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. California State Climate Summary 2022 (NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 150-CA). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  5. Bureau of Land Management. Ground Transportation Linear Features, public display. Sum of GIS_MILES by administrative state for routes managed for public or limited public motorized use.. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  6. Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  7. U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System and 3D Elevation Program point query. Elevation of the 3DEP surface at the GNIS coordinates of the named place, rounded to the nearest foot.. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  8. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region. Pacific Southwest Region home: acres managed and the eighteen national forests. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  9. USDA Forest Service, Inyo National Forest. About the Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  10. USDA Forest Service, Inyo National Forest. Campfire permits. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  11. USDA Forest Service, Plumas National Forest. Campfire Permits. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  12. USDA Forest Service, Sequoia National Forest. Sherman Pass Road. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  13. USDA Forest Service, Sequoia National Forest. Scenic Highways. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  14. USDA Forest Service, Inyo National Forest. Patriarch Grove Trailhead, at the end of the Bristlecone Pine Forest Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  15. USDA Forest Service, Inyo National Forest. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  16. Bureau of Land Management. California state office and its three district offices. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  17. Bureau of Land Management. California Recreation Activities: camping, dispersed camping, stay limits and campfire permits. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  18. Bureau of Land Management. California Desert District Office: the California Desert Conservation Area and its field offices. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  19. Bureau of Land Management. California Fire Information and Fire Restrictions: the statewide year-round order and the field office orders. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  20. Bureau of Land Management. Midland Long Term Visitor Area: LTVA permits, fees and season. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  21. Bureau of Land Management. Carrizo Plain National Monument. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  22. Bureau of Land Management. Carrizo Plain National Monument: plan your visit. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  23. Bureau of Land Management. Carrizo Plain National Monument Recreation Map and Guide. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  24. Bureau of Land Management. King Range National Conservation Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  25. Bureau of Land Management. King Range National Conservation Area Trip Planning Guide. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  26. Bureau of Land Management. Alabama Hills National Scenic Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  27. Bureau of Land Management. Alabama Hills: camping permits, campfire permits and directions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  28. Bureau of Land Management. Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area: size, permits and the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  29. Bureau of Land Management. Bradshaw Trail Back Country Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  30. Bureau of Land Management. Surprise Valley Barrel Springs Back Country Byway: A Self-Guided Tour. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  31. National Park Service, Death Valley National Park. Backcountry Roads: what to carry, regulations and wilderness boundaries. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  32. National Park Service, Death Valley National Park. Death Valley Backcountry and Wilderness Access map, with the unpaved road definitions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  33. National Park Service, Death Valley National Park. Frequently Asked Questions: Badwater Basin, road mileage, campgrounds and the heat record. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  34. National Park Service, Death Valley National Park. Weather. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  35. National Park Service. Telescope Peak. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  36. National Park Service, Death Valley National Park. Titus Canyon. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  37. National Park Service, Death Valley National Park. The Racetrack. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  38. National Park Service, Mojave National Preserve. Mojave Road 4-Wheel Drive Route. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  39. National Park Service, Mojave National Preserve. Frequently Asked Questions: fuel, food, lodging and cell service. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  40. National Park Service, Mojave National Preserve. Places To Go: preserve size and the main roads. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  41. National Park Service, Mojave National Preserve. Camping regulations: stay limits and roadside camping. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  42. National Park Service, Yosemite National Park. Tioga and Glacier Point Roads Plowing and Road Opening Update. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  43. National Park Service. Tioga Pass Entrance. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  44. California State Parks. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: park rules, camping, vehicles and seasonal closures. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  45. California State Parks. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Dirt Road Conditions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  46. California State Parks. About Us: 280 state park units, campsites and trail mileage. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  47. California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation: the nine state vehicular recreation areas. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  48. California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. OHMVR Frequently Asked Questions: green stickers, red stickers and off-highway equipment. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  49. California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. Nonresident OHV Use Permits. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  50. California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. Spark Arrester Law, quoting California Vehicle Code 38366. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  51. California Department of Transportation. Chain Controls / Chain Installation: requirement levels R-1, R-2 and R-3. Retrieved September 19, 2026.

Reviewed September 19, 2026. Conditions, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you travel.

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