Dutch jeeper to roll through Toledo Jeep Fest on 25K journey

Dutch off-road enthusiast Willem van Holten, 68, will make an epic road trip of more than 25,000 miles in 80 days from June until September this summer, which will include a stop at Toledo Jeep Fest August 12-14.

Van Holten is having his 2018 Jeep Wrangler shipped from The Netherlands to Charleston, South Carolina to begin his trek that will roll from Charleston to Alaska, to Ohio and then back to Charleston.

Van Holten has been a jeeper for over 40 years and is the founder of the original Dutch Jeep Club and he is still president of the European Jeepers Jamboree.

He worked for more than 30 years as a representative for Bestop, a leading manufacturer of premium soft tops for Jeep Wranglers and CJs and the exclusive provider of OE soft tops for Jeep Wranglers.

Here are just a few of the waypoints of the 25,000-mile trip that van Holten will track on his website (he will post images and videos daily):  

  • Arches National Park – Moab, Utah
  • Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Grants Pass, Oregon
  • Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Fairbanks, Alaska
  • Billings, Montana
  • Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Toledo, Ohio
  • Gatlinburg, Tennessee
  • Charleston, South Carolina

Van Holten says that he will avoid as much as possible Interstate routes and highways, opting for backroads, dirt roads and off-road paths. He will also have a live satellite tracking system where everybody can see his route and hopefully connect with other Jeepers. Look for The Netherlands plates on his red Wrangler JL during Toledo Jeep Fest!