STERLING — A few manufacturing jobs will be opening up in the near future in Sterling, if E.W. Johnson has anything to say about it.
Johnson is the CEO of Overland Corporation, a company that is working on a new line of custom sporting trailers. Overland introducted the new trailer at a photo shoot Wednesday at 21st Century Equipment, which loaned a Gator utility vehicle to the shoot to help demonstrate the trailer’s cargo capacity.
Johnson has lived in Sterling for about a quarter of a century, and his wife was born and raised here. It’s important to him, he said, that the manufacturing be located here in Sterling. He noted the company had the opportunity to work with a manufacturer elsewhere to have the trailers built, but he turned it down.
The idea for the new Huntsman model 2224 trailer was born about a year ago, he said. In preparation for camping, he turned a used 14-foot trailer that had been used to haul trash into an outdoor kitchen. When he set the modified trailer up at North Sterling State Park on his campsite, it attracted attention — and a suggestion from a friend to add a bunkhouse to it.
Johnson said he has built and rebuilt trailers for many years, and his background is in developing equipment to make projects that are labor instensive less so. But when he got the idea to develop the custom sporting trailer, he wanted to do it for himself, instead of another company.
“I’ve built a lot of things in my life,” he said. He called the design process a learning experience, and thinks “the best way to learn is to do it yourself.”
Perhaps the trickiest part for Johnson was creating the blueprint for the trailer, but he learned to be more confident in his blueprinting skills. The design went through some changes that weren’t “that bad,” he said, but he noted that in a build like this, “there’s not much room for error.”
Overland Trailer has applied for a U.S. patent and is working on an international patent for the trailer’s design. The trailer’s shell is built by Wells Cargo in Ogden, Utah. The prototype is finished with products that all came from Cabela’s, the company Johnson hopes will market the trailer.
The Huntsman was designed for hunting, with a gun safe that can hold up to 12 guns and lockers for two in the bunkhouse. Bunks can also be set up in the cargo area to sleep a total of six people, and there’s an optional detachable screen for the awning to make even more space. A freshwater tank holds 26 gallons of water that can be used with the outdoor sink. The trailer also features a portable toilet, although there’s no shower.
Another key feature that makes the trailer ideal for hunting is the ground clearance, which is designed to be the same as a Ford F250, and tortion axles so the wheels move independently over rough terrain. Johnson noted that a regular RV wouldn’t fare well in off-road, backwoods travel. “This is made for pretty rugged stuff,” he said.
The trailer’s design also features safety features like two-way radios and a wi-fi hot spot for communications. And on the roof, the last four numbers of the VIN are painted in a reflective material that can be seen from the air day or night if the party becomes stranded.
Another advantage is that the trailer can also serve as storage during the off-season, so “wives get their garage back,” Johnson said. The cargo area can hold two four-wheelers or a quad, two Harley-Davidson motorcycles or five dirt bikes. Johnson said the ability to keep their guns and equipment on the trailer means that hunters can cut their prep time for trips, as well.
Setting up or packing up at the camp site is also quick — Johnson said it can be done in less than 20 minutes.
The prototype is 22 feet long, although Johnson said the base model will be 24 feet, and weighs in at about 4,700 lbs. It can hold a total of about 10,000 lbs., so “you could fit a small elephant” if you needed to, he joked. The trailer can also be optioned to up to 45 feet, with a bigger bunk room and cargo bay.
It can also be modified for rescue or emergency response work, he said.
Johnson said the company has identified a location in Sterling and is working on procuring the site so it can begin production. Overland already has an order for its first trailer. He noted they’ve received assistance from Paul Gorte, director of the Logan County Economic Development Corporation, and Laurie Jones of the Small Business Development Center, in the process of setting up the business.
The company expects to employ 6 to 9 people and will provide training as well as a “unique” benefits package. Johnson said he feels that it is a business’s responsiblity to keep its employees by offering them incentives to be loyal.
In a press release announcing the new trailer, Johnson thanked Farmers Insurance agent Brenda Robinette and her staff for their help, as well as Ron and Alexes Ertle, Carl Maxey of Maxey Manufacturing, photographer Sherry Garcia of Namaste Photography, Industrial Welding and others. He said the company is developing other products.
Contact Journal-Advocate managing editor Sara Waite at 970-526-9310 or swaite@journal-advocate.com
