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The gravel Denali Park Road crossing open tundra toward the mountain.

The Overland Directory

Expedition vehicle dealers in Hawaii

Dealers and brokers for finished vehicles: expedition trucks, truck campers, adventure vans and the used rigs that come up when someone's trip ends.

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Denali Park Road, Alaska

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Hawaii by the numbers

of Hawaii is federal land 1
21%
861,254 of 4,105,600 acres, and the Park Service holds more of it than any other agency
acres of BLM or Forest Service land 1
0
The two agencies that carry most of the West manage nothing in this state. There is no national forest here
acres in 57 state forest reserves 41
700,645
The division’s by-island table. Its forest reserve page gives over 683,964 acres for the same system
acres at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes 7
354,461
106 miles of roads, 155 miles of marked trails and 123,100 acres of legislated wilderness
Puʻu Wēkiu on Mauna Kea, the state high point 2
13,796 ft
USGS published. Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point gives 13,797
miles of state trails, roads and access routes 46
432
154 features in the Nā Ala Hele system. Its own executive summary says over 400 miles
climbed by the eight-mile Maunakea summit road 25
5,000 ft
Two-wheel drive vehicles are not permitted above the visitor station at 9,200 feet
federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 4
2
Hosmer Grove and Kīpahulu, both at Haleakalā, both reserved ahead; our build of the federal recreation database

Buying a rig for Hawaii

Buy for the shipping and the safety check as much as for the driving. The County of Hawaiʻi will not pass a vehicle for its safety inspection with only one plate, and the out-of-state permit has to be in hand within 30 days of arrival.

On capability, buy a real transfer case or do not bother. The only roads that reward the purchase state a low-range requirement in writing, and nothing else on these islands needs more than a careful driver on a paved gradient.

The full guide to overlanding Hawaii

What an expedition vehicle dealer does

Buying a finished vehicle trades money for time. Someone else has already made the thousand decisions, and you can be traveling this season. A dealer who knows these vehicles can also tell you what a used one has been through.

What they offer

  1. 01New expedition vehicles, campers and vans
  2. 02Used and consignment vehicles
  3. 03Trade-ins, financing and delivery
  4. 04A proper walk-through of every system
  5. 05Service after the sale, or a referral to it

How to buy a finished vehicle

The questions are the same whether it is new or used.

  1. 01Ask for weights: empty, loaded, and the gross rating. Overweight expedition vehicles are common.
  2. 02Ask for the build documentation: wiring diagrams, component manuals and service history.
  3. 03On a used vehicle, have the chassis and the house inspected independently before you buy.
  4. 04Ask who services what after the sale, and where.
  5. 05Drive it, on dirt if they will let you.

What to have ready before you ask

Know the trip before you choose the truck.

  1. 01How many people travel, and for how long
  2. 02Where you want to take it, and what you need to park it
  3. 03New, used, or either
  4. 04A budget range, and whether you have a trade
  5. 05When you want to be on the road

Questions people ask

Is it cheaper to buy a finished vehicle or build one?

A used, finished vehicle is often the least expensive way into a capable rig, because builds rarely return what was spent on them. A new custom build costs the most and fits you best. Building it yourself costs the least money and the most time.

What should I check on a used build?

Weight against rating, water damage and leaks, the age and type of the batteries, heater and appliance service history, and the condition of the frame and suspension. Then have a mechanic check the vehicle underneath the camper.

Can I finance an expedition vehicle?

Often, through RV or specialty lenders, depending on the vehicle and how it is titled. Dealers who sell these regularly know which lenders will.

How high is Hawaii?

From Kaunakakai at 12 feet to Puʻu Wēkiu, Mauna Kea at 13,796. 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. Volcano At the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes entrance, where the park sells no fuel 3,743 ft
  2. Waimea Upcountry Hawaiʻi Island, between the Kohala coast and Saddle Road 2,666 ft
  3. Lānaʻi City Lānaʻi’s only town, at 1,635 feet in the middle of the island 1,635 ft
  4. Pukalani Last fuel on the way up to the Haleakalā summit 1,427 ft
  5. Honokaʻa Top of Route 240 and the last town before the Waipiʻo lookout 1,084 ft
  6. Nāʻālehu Kaʻū district services on the belt road near the Kahuku Unit 659 ft
  7. Pāhoa Lower Puna, where the 2018 flows rewrote the road map 649 ft
  8. Pāʻia Last fuel before Hāna on the north shore road 254 ft
  9. Līhuʻe Kauaʻi’s harbour and airport, and the island’s service centre 207 ft
  10. Kapaʻa East Kauaʻi services on the way to the end of the north shore road 130 ft
  11. Hāna East Maui services, 12 miles short of the Kīpahulu district 129 ft
  12. Kailua-Kona Dry-side services and the long way round to the volcano 54 ft
  13. Kahului Maui’s harbour and airport, where a shipped vehicle lands 34 ft
  14. Waimea The turn for the canyon road and the west-side approach to Polihale 30 ft
  15. Hilo The wet-side port and the fullest services on Hawaiʻi Island 19 ft
  16. Kaunakakai Molokaʻi’s one town, and the county campgrounds west of it 12 ft

Passes, high roads and summits

  1. Puʻu Wēkiu, Mauna Kea The state high point, published by USGS. Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point gives 13,797 13,796 ft
  2. Mauna Loa The largest active volcano on the planet, covering half of Hawaiʻi Island. Our own reading at its map point gives 13,674 13,679 ft
  3. Haleakalā summit The Park Service figure for the summit of the Maui volcano, reached by 11 miles of paved road above the entrance station 10,023 ft
  4. Haleakalā summit Haleakalā Crater Road to the summit 10,023 ft
  5. Maunakea Visitor Information Station Maunakea Access Road and the summit road 9,200 ft
  6. Hualālai Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, above Kailua-Kona 8,269 ft
  7. Puʻu Lāʻau Puʻu Lāʻau Road 7,000 ft
  8. Mauna Loa Lookout The end of the narrow one-lane Mauna Loa Road inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes, and the highest point a road reaches in the park 6,662 ft
  9. Mauna Loa Lookout Mauna Loa Road 6,662 ft
  10. Polipoli Spring Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area road 6,200 ft
  11. Puʻu Kukui Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, the West Maui high point 5,788 ft
  12. Kawaikini Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, the Kauaʻi high point 5,212 ft
  13. Waiʻaleʻale Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, on the Kauaʻi summit plateau 5,123 ft
  14. Kamakou Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, the Molokaʻi high point 4,984 ft
  15. Kaʻala Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, the Oʻahu high point 4,038 ft
  16. Kalalau Lookout Kōkeʻe Road and the canyon rim, Kauaʻi 4,000 ft
  17. Lānaʻihale Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, the Lānaʻi high point 3,379 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

58
  1. Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2, data as of September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  2. U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  3. 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 25, 2026.
  4. Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export, the site’s own build of it. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  5. U.S. Geological Survey. Mauna Loa. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  6. U.S. Geological Survey. Kīlauea. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  7. National Park Service. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park fact sheet, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  8. National Park Service. Drive Chain of Craters Road. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  9. National Park Service. See Crater Rim Drive and Chain of Craters Road. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  10. National Park Service. Drive Hilina Pali Road. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  11. National Park Service. Campgrounds, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  12. National Park Service. Backcountry hiking, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  13. National Park Service. Fees and passes, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  14. National Park Service. Directions and transportation, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  15. National Park Service. Mauna Loa Lookout. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  16. National Park Service. The Kahuku Unit. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  17. National Park Service. Frequently asked questions, Haleakalā National Park. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  18. National Park Service. Fees and passes, Haleakalā National Park. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  19. National Park Service. Camping, Haleakalā National Park. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  20. National Park Service. Hosmer Grove Campground. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  21. National Park Service. Wilderness, Haleakalā National Park. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  22. National Park Service. Directions, Haleakalā National Park. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  23. National Park Service. Kīpahulu District, Haleakalā National Park. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  24. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Visit Us. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  25. Center for Maunakea Stewardship, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Visiting Maunakea safely and responsibly. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  26. Center for Maunakea Stewardship, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Maunakea Visitor Information Station. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  27. Center for Maunakea Stewardship, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Activities and permits on Maunakea, under Hawaii Administrative Rules Chapter 20-26. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  28. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Camping, Division of State Parks. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  29. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Polihale State Park. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  30. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  31. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Waiʻānapanapa State Park, with the campervan permit. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  32. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Kōkeʻe State Park. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  33. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Kaʻena Point State Park and the Vehicle Access Special Use Permit. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  34. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park, park information. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  35. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Hāʻena and Nāpali Coast access information. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  36. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. DLNR working towards reopening Polihale State Park, news release nr20-139. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  37. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 13 Chapter 146, State Parks. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  38. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Hawaii Administrative Rules, Chapter 13-104, Rules Regulating Activities Within Forest Reserves, amendment and compilation. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  39. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Permit guidelines, Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  40. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Camping, Division of Forestry and Wildlife outdoor recreation. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  41. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Forest Reserves by island, with counts and acreages. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  42. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Forest Reserve System. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  43. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Lands and management classifications, Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  44. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Nā Ala Hele Trail and Access Program. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  45. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Off-highway vehicles, Nā Ala Hele. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  46. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Report to the Thirty-First Legislature, 2022 Regular Session: Nā Ala Hele, fiscal year 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  47. Hawaii Invasive Species Council, Department of Land and Natural Resources. Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  48. Hawaiʻi Birding Trails, Department of Land and Natural Resources. Palila Forest Discovery Trail and Puʻu Lāʻau Road. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  49. County of Hawaiʻi, Office of the Mayor. Twenty-fourth Mayor’s Waipiʻo Valley Road continued Emergency Rule No. 2 and Emergency Rule No. 1, effective July 4, 2026. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  50. County of Hawaiʻi. Out of state permit, Vehicle Registration and Licensing Division. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  51. County of Hawaiʻi. Camping reservations, Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  52. County of Kauaʻi Department of Parks and Recreation. Campground guidelines, rules and fees. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  53. County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation. Campground guide and rules, and camping information and fees. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  54. National Weather Service, Honolulu. Climate of Hawaiʻi. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  55. Hawaii Department of Transportation. Saddle Road renamed Daniel K. Inouye Highway, realignment to Māmalahoa Highway opened. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  56. Hawaii Department of Transportation. Maui state roads and highways, with the definition of each route. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  57. Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. The State of Hawaii Data Book 2023, Section 18, Table 18.01: distances of selected state routes and interstates, from the Department of Transportation Highways Division. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  58. Federal Highway Administration. America’s Byways in Hawaii. Retrieved September 25, 2026.

Reviewed September 25, 2026. Conditions, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you travel.

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