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Two vehicles camped on a rocky point above a big lake, seen from the air, the first fall color in the trees.

The Overland Directory

Overland builders in Illinois

Shops that take a stock truck, SUV or van and turn it into a vehicle you can live out of for a week or a year.

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Illinois by the numbers

Acres of federal land 1
414,772
1.2 percent of Illinois. The BLM holds 20 acres and the national route layer records no BLM routes at all, so no BLM mileage appears on this page
Of Illinois is privately owned 25
97%
The Department of Natural Resources’s own figure. It also ranks the state 46th in the nation for publicly owned land
Acres in the Shawnee National Forest 5
289,000
The forest’s home page figure. Its About the Area page says 280,000 and the CRS counts 304,723 Forest Service acres statewide. All three are published
Federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 2
24
23 on Army Corps of Engineers water and one in the Shawnee. 22 of them take reservations
Widest machine Illinois lets on an OHV trail 20
64 in
A recreational off-highway vehicle under 625 ILCS 5/1-168.8. The other two types are a 50-inch ATV and an off-highway motorcycle
Weight limit on a state natural resources road 18
20,000 lb
Ten tons of vehicle and contents together, unless a sign says otherwise, under 17 Ill. Adm. Code 110.160(g)
Charles Mound, the highest point in Illinois 3
1,235 ft
Jo Daviess County. Our own 3DEP reading at the USGS point is 1,234 feet. The low point is 279 feet where the Ohio joins the Mississippi at Cairo, a Corps of Engineers figure in the USGS table
Yearly rain in southern Illinois 28
48 in
Against under 32 inches in the north. Snow runs the other way, 36 inches a year up north and under 10 in the far south

What Illinois asks of a build

Forget altitude. The towns in this guide run from 313 feet at Cairo to 646 at Shelbyville, and the state high point is 1,235. What Illinois tests is water, clay and salt. The state climatologist calls flooding the single most damaging weather hazard here, and the southern forest that holds the unpaved roads takes over 48 inches of rain a year against under 32 up north.

Decide early whether you are building one vehicle or two. A full-size truck is welcome on every forest road, byway and Corps campground in the state and is barred from the only motorised trail system, which admits nothing wider than 64 inches. If you want both, the second vehicle rides on a trailer, because the park requires it.

The full guide to overlanding Illinois

What an overland builder does

A builder plans and installs the whole system rather than one part of it: suspension matched to the finished weight, protection where the vehicle actually touches the ground, electrical power sized to what you run, and storage, water, sleeping and recovery points that work together. The good ones start with how you travel and work backward to parts.

The work that matters most is the work you cannot see. Wiring that is fused, labeled and documented. Fasteners that stay tight on washboard. A finished weight that stays inside what the vehicle is rated to carry.

Most full builds cover

  1. 01Suspension and tires chosen for the loaded weight
  2. 02Bumpers, sliders, skid plates and rated recovery points
  3. 03House battery, charging, solar and lighting
  4. 04Storage, drawers, fridge and water
  5. 05Sleeping: a roof tent, a camper or an interior platform
  6. 06Mounts for communications and navigation

How to choose a builder

Any shop can show you a finished truck in good light. These questions tell you how it was built.

  1. 01Ask to see finished builds on your platform, and talk to an owner who has put miles on one if you can.
  2. 02Ask what the vehicle will weigh when it is done and how that compares to its gross vehicle weight rating. A builder who cannot answer has not done the math.
  3. 03Ask who does the electrical work and whether you get a wiring diagram at handover.
  4. 04Ask what is done in house and what is sent out.
  5. 05Get the scope, the parts list, the price and the payment schedule in writing before work starts, and ask how changes are handled.
  6. 06Ask what warranty covers their labor, separate from the manufacturers' warranties on parts.

What to have ready before you ask for a quote

A builder can only quote what you can describe. The form on this page asks for exactly these things, which is why a quote that comes back from it is worth something.

  1. 01Year, model, engine and drivetrain, and for vans the wheelbase and roof height
  2. 02What has already been done to it
  3. 03How you travel: weekends or months, how many people, which climates, how far from pavement
  4. 04What you need to carry: water, fuel, bikes, boats, tools
  5. 05A budget range and a date you would like it back

Questions people ask

How much does an overland build cost?

It depends on scope more than on the vehicle. Suspension, tires and a roof tent is a different project from a full electrical system with cabinetry and armor, and labor is usually the largest part of a full build. The only number worth planning around is a written quote against a defined scope, which is what the form on this page is for.

How long does a build take?

Bolt-on work can be days. Full builds take longer, and at busy shops the wait for a start date can be longer than the work itself. Ask every shop for both numbers: when they can start and how long they need the vehicle.

Should I build in stages or all at once?

Stages work if the order is right. Decide the finished load first, because springs chosen for an empty truck will be wrong for a full one. Run electrical before interiors go in, because pulling cabinets to add a wire is paying for the same work twice.

Will modifications affect my warranty or insurance?

They can. Ask the builder which work they have seen raise warranty questions on your platform, read your warranty terms, and tell your insurer what has been added so the build is covered for its real value.

How high is Illinois?

From Cairo at 313 feet to Charles Mound at 1,235. 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. Shelbyville Shelby County seat at Lake Shelbyville, six federal campgrounds and two state parks on one reservoir, with Hidden Springs State Forest ten miles southeast. 646 ft
  2. Jonesboro Union County seat. Mississippi Bluffs Ranger District office, Trail of Tears State Forest five miles northwest, and the LaRue Pine Hills loop starts here. 570 ft
  3. Oquawka Henderson County seat on the Mississippi. Big River State Forest and its 60 miles of firebreaks are eight miles north on the Oquawka to Keithsburg road. 553 ft
  4. Wilmington On State Route 53, the old Route 66 alignment, two miles south of the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie headquarters and welcome centre. 543 ft
  5. Forest City Mason County village that is the headquarters address for Sand Ridge State Forest, the largest state forest in Illinois and its main backcountry camping. 494 ft
  6. Benton Franklin County seat off I-57. Rend Lake and its five public campgrounds sit west of town, with the Corps office on Rend City Road. 473 ft
  7. Carlyle On US 50 fifty miles east of St. Louis at the largest lake in the state, with the Corps visitor centre on the shore and camping all round it. 460 ft
  8. Murphysboro Jackson County seat on Route 149. Johnson Creek Recreation Area on Kinkaid Lake, one of four Shawnee campgrounds rated for a 40-foot rig, is northwest. 419 ft
  9. Carbondale Largest town in southern Illinois and the working base for the western Shawnee. Giant City State Park is near town and the Mississippi Bluffs district office is south at Jonesboro. 416 ft
  10. Vienna Johnson County seat on Route 45. Hidden Springs Ranger District office, one of the forest’s two districts and the office that issues its own motor vehicle use map. 412 ft
  11. Carrier Mills Address of the Sahara Woods site office and the nearest town to the only state-run off-highway vehicle trails in Illinois. 395 ft
  12. Harrisburg Saline County seat on US 45. Shawnee National Forest supervisor’s office is on Highway 145 south of town, the Garden of the Gods road leaves Route 145 for Route 34, and the state OHV park is five miles west. 394 ft
  13. Cave-in-Rock Ohio River village at the state park with the 55-foot cave. The free Cave-In-Rock Ferry crosses to Kentucky here, supported jointly by both states. 375 ft
  14. Elizabethtown Hardin County seat on the Ohio River Scenic Byway, between the Garden of the Gods road and the river, with Tower Rock’s free campground east on Route 146. 361 ft
  15. Golconda Pope County seat on the Ohio River Scenic Byway, on the eastern side of the Shawnee in the Hidden Springs district. 354 ft
  16. Cairo The southern tip of Illinois where the Ohio meets the Mississippi at 279 feet, the state low point, and where the Illinois stretch of the Ohio River Scenic Byway ends. 313 ft

Passes, high roads and summits

  1. Charles Mound The highest point in Illinois, in Jo Daviess County in the far northwest corner. Our own 3DEP reading at the USGS point is 1,234 feet 1,235 ft
  2. Williams Hill Pope County, high ground in the Shawnee Hills on the eastern side of the national forest. The figure is our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, because no agency publishes one 1,062 ft
  3. Bald Knob Union County, in the hills behind the Mississippi bluffs on the western side of the national forest. The figure is our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, because no agency publishes one 1,028 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

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  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. Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export, the site’s own build of it. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  3. U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition. Illinois high and low points; the low point is footnoted to the Corps of Engineers. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  4. 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.
  5. USDA Forest Service. Shawnee National Forest home page. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  6. USDA Forest Service. Visitor Maps and Guides, including the two district Motor Vehicle Use Maps. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  7. USDA Forest Service. Camping and Cabins: campground regulations and primitive camping. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  8. USDA Forest Service. Wilderness Areas on Shawnee National Forest. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  9. USDA Forest Service. Camp Cadiz Campground, including the forest’s statement of the primitive camping rule. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  10. USDA Forest Service. Pine Hills Campground and the LaRue Pine Hills road. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  11. USDA Forest Service. Garden of the Gods Recreation Area. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  12. USDA Forest Service. Scenic Drives: LaRue Pine Hills road and the Ohio River National Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  13. USDA Forest Service. Respect Wildlife: Snake Road and the LaRue-Pine Hills/Otter Pond Research Natural Area. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  14. USDA Forest Service. Forest Order 09-08-25-02, Occupancy and Use. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  15. USDA Forest Service. Forest Order 09-08-25-04, Restrictions for the Use of Natural Areas. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  16. USDA Forest Service. Forest Order 09-08-25-03, Shawnee Wilderness and Watersheds. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  17. USDA Forest Service. Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie home page. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  18. Illinois General Assembly, Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. 17 Ill. Adm. Code 110, Public Use of State Parks and Other Properties of the Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  19. Illinois General Assembly, Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. 17 Ill. Adm. Code 130, Camping on Department of Natural Resources Properties. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  20. Illinois General Assembly, Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. 17 Ill. Adm. Code 135, Off-Highway Vehicle Trails on Properties Owned, Leased or Managed by the Department of Natural Resources, effective March 27, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  21. Illinois General Assembly. 625 ILCS 5/12-401 and 5/12-405, Illinois Vehicle Code: restriction as to tire equipment and operating condition of pneumatic tires. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  22. Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Off Road Trails at Sahara Woods State Recreation Area. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  23. Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Sand Ridge State Forest, and About Sand Ridge State Forest. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  24. Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Camping at Trail of Tears State Forest, with the winter road closure. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  25. Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Illinois Recreational Access Program. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  26. Illinois Department of Transportation. Winter Weather Operations, FY2026 winter operations investment through April 2026. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  27. Illinois Department of Transportation. Ferry Services: the two free IDOT ferries on the Illinois River and the Cave-In-Rock Ferry. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  28. Illinois State Climatologist, Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute. Climate of Illinois. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  29. Federal Highway Administration, America’s Byways. Great River Road, an All-American Road and National Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  30. Federal Highway Administration, America’s Byways. Historic Route 66, an All-American Road and National Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  31. Federal Highway Administration, America’s Byways. Historic National Road, an All-American Road. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  32. Federal Highway Administration, America’s Byways. Lincoln Highway, a National Scenic Byway in Illinois. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  33. Federal Highway Administration, America’s Byways. Illinois River Road, a National Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  34. Federal Highway Administration, America’s Byways. Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route, a National Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  35. Office of the Federal Register. 36 CFR 327.7, Camping, at Corps of Engineers water resource development projects. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  36. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Corps Lakes Gateway: Illinois projects, with the Carlyle, Rend, Shelbyville, Mississippi River and Rivers Project entries. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  37. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Visit Us: location, fees and passes. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  38. National Park Service. National Park Service units and trails in Illinois. 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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