What Trail-Gear does

Trail-Gear, Inc. is a privately held manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer of aftermarket off-road vehicle parts, founded in 2005 by engineer and off-road enthusiast Matt Messer in Fresno, California. The company began with three employees in an empty warehouse and has grown over twenty years into the "Trail-Gear Family of Companies," which now includes Trail-Gear, Longfield Drivetrain, Low Range Off-Road, All-Pro Off-Road, Wheeler's Off-Road, and AHP (Advanced Hybrid Performance), each retaining its own storefront under the corporate umbrella. Its product portfolio centers on heavy-duty components for Toyota-platform off-road vehicles — including the Rock Assault 9 axle system, Longfield birfields and IFS axle sets, Power Flow steering components, Trail Safe seals, suspension lift kits, armor (Rock Defense bumpers, sliders, roll cages), brakes, recovery gear, and drivetrain components such as ARB/Detroit/Grizzly lockers and Verso crawl boxes — with pricing spanning roughly $5 small components to over $2,000 for complete IFS axle assemblies.

The business operates a dual go-to-market: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through trail-gear.com (and four other branded storefronts) with global shipping, supplemented by a dealer locator program for retail partners. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware purchases; no subscription, service, or licensing streams are disclosed. Products are designed and tested in-house by personnel with firsthand off-roading experience and are marketed to individual rock crawlers, trail riders, overlanders, and off-road dealers, with a secondary segment in commercial/adventure tourism operators. The company has executed six acquisitions between 2007 and 2021 to broaden product depth and brand reach, expanded manufacturing capacity in Fresno in 2008 and 2019, and most recently launched the Modular Long Travel Kit (MLT) suspension system in 2025 and a Longfield IFS Axle Set for the 2024+ Toyota Land Cruiser LC250 in 2024, signaling continued R&D investment into new vehicle platforms.

The firm remains founder-led under CEO Matt Messer, has no disclosed external funding or private equity ownership, and describes itself as faith-driven. Geographic footprint is anchored in North America (USA primary) with global shipping capability, and there are no public revenue disclosures, third-party certifications, or known regulatory actions in the source data.

Name

Trail-Gear

Legal name

Trail-Gear, Inc.

Website

https://trail-gear.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Trail-Gear is a privately held Fresno, California manufacturer of aftermarket off-road parts — axles, suspension, steering, armor, and drivetrain components — primarily for Toyota platforms, selling direct-to-consumer via trail-gear.com and through a dealer network under a five-brand family of companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Off-Road Vehicle Parts & Accessories

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Steering and Suspension Components (except Spring) Manufacturing (33633), Motor Vehicle Steering and Suspension Components (except Spring) Manufacturing (336330), Automotive Parts and Accessories Retailers (44133), Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing (33621)

SIC

Motor Vehicle Parts & Accessories (3714), Wholesale-Motor Vehicle Supplies & New Parts (5013), Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)

akta.pro primary industry

Aftermarket Exterior Accessories Manufacturing (Body Kits/Grilles/Bumpers/Racks/Tow Hooks) (IMACANAI)

Keywords

• Off-road vehicle parts
• Rock crawling components
• Axle and drivetrain systems
• Suspension lift kits
• Vehicle armor products

Headquarters

HQ city

Fresno

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Off-Road Parts Retail: Direct sales of off-road parts and accessories through e-commerce website and dealer network. Products include axles, suspension components, armor, steering parts, brakes, recovery gear, and engine/drivetrain components. Revenue is generated through one-time product purchases by consumers and dealers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Trail-Gear manufactures and sells aftermarket off-road vehicle parts including armor, axles, suspension, steering, brakes, recovery gear, and engine/drivetrain components, primarily for Toyota, Suzuki, Nissan, and Ford platforms. Products are designed by engineers with firsthand off-roading experience and sold through direct-to-consumer e-commerce and a dealer network across North America and internationally.

Product overview

Trail-Gear is an off-road parts e-commerce platform operating as a family of companies. The core Trail-Gear brand offers a comprehensive portfolio of off-road parts spanning armor (bumpers, rock sliders, tube doors, roll cages), axle assemblies (housings, shafts, birfields, Rock Assault 9 system), suspension (lift kits, leaf springs, shocks, 3-link/4-link kits), steering (high steer, hydraulic steering, Power Flow components), brakes, engine & drivetrain (clutches, differentials, transfer cases including Verso crawl box), and recovery gear. Key sub-brands include Longfield Drivetrain (specializing in ring & pinion gears and IFS axle kits for Toyota/Suzuki/Nissan platforms) and Rock Defense (bumpers and armor). The company has grown through strategic acquisitions including All-Pro Off-Road, Low Range Off-Road, Wheelers Off-Road, and Longfield Super Axles, creating a multi-brand portfolio serving the off-road enthusiast market with products designed for rock crawling and overlanding applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Longfield Drivetrain: Drivetrain components including ring & pinion gears, axle kits, and related drivetrain accessories
• Trail-Gear Family of Companies
• Longfield

Products and services

• Longfield Drivetrain Longfield Drivetrain specializes in ring and pinion gears, gear packages, and axle kits for Toyota, Suzuki, and Nissan vehicles, offering IFS axle sets and birfield components.
• Rock Assault 9 Axle System Complete bolt-in rear axle system designed for Toyota Tacoma (2005-2015), featuring heavy-duty axle housings, axle shafts, brake kits, and steering components.
• Rock Defense Armor Products Rock Defense offers front and rear bumpers, frame reinforcement kits, tube doors, roll cages, and stinger attachments for Toyota and other vehicle platforms.
• Power Flow Steering Components Power Flow brand includes steering boxes, pumps, pump upgrade kits, high-flow power steering coolers, steering hose kits, and steering columns for Toyota Tacoma, Land Cruiser LC200, and other vehicles.
• All-Pro Off-Road Products All-Pro Off-Road brand offers armor products (bumpers, rock sliders, skid plates), suspension components, lighting, and body accessories for Toyota vehicles including Tacoma, 4Runner, and FJ Cruiser.
• Low Range Off-Road Products Low Range Off-Road provides axle, brakes, steering, suspension, differential, drivetrain, builder parts, armor and body, and engine performance products.
• Wheelers Off-Road Products Wheelers Off-Road brand carried under Trail-Gear Family of Companies, specializing in off-road suspension and parts.
• Recovery Equipment Recovery products include D-rings, shackles, jacks, snatch blocks, straps, winch hooks, winch lines, and complete winches with accessories for off-road vehicle recovery.
• MLT (Modular Long Travel Kit) A suspension kit released in 2025 representing a new benchmark in suspension engineering within the Trail-Gear portfolio.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AHP (Advanced Hybrid Performance)minorOthers · 1 January 2021Acquired in 2021, AHP (Advanced Hybrid Performance) brought additional expertise in hybrid performance components to the Trail-Gear portfolio.
• Wheeler's Off-RoadcoreOthers · 1 January 2018Acquired in 2018, Wheeler's Off-Road was brought into the Trail-Gear Family of Companies, adding another brand focused on off-road parts and accessories.
• All-Pro Off-RoadcoreOthers · 1 January 2015Acquired in 2015, All-Pro Off-Road specializes in suspension kits, bumpers, rock sliders, and armor for Toyota vehicles including Tacoma, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, and Land Cruiser. Now operates as part of the Trail-Gear Family.
• Longfield Super AxlescoreOthers · 1 January 2013Acquired in 2013, Longfield Super Axles is now operated as Longfield Drivetrain within the Trail-Gear family. Specializes in high-quality birfields, axle shafts, and drivetrain components for Toyota and other platforms.
• Low Range Off-RoadcoreOthers · 1 January 2007First acquisition in 2007. Low Range Off-Road became part of the Trail-Gear Family of Companies, expanding the company's product offerings and market reach in the off-road parts distribution space.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ARB (ARB 4x4 Accessories): ARB is the leading global 4x4 aftermarket accessories company, offering bull bars, suspension (Old Man Emu), recovery, lighting, and drivetrain components. It directly competes with Trail-Gear in bumpers, suspension, and drivetrain for Toyota platforms and is the closest category analogue.
• Teraflex: Teraflex manufactures lift kits, suspension, and axle components for the Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator platform. It is a direct functional peer in off-road aftermarket parts manufacturing with similar brand, product mix, and direct-to-consumer model, though focused on Jeep rather than Toyota.
• Rough Country: Rough Country is a large U.S. manufacturer and retailer of off-road lift kits, suspension, wheels, and accessories for trucks, Jeeps, and SUVs. Competes head-to-head with Trail-Gear in lift kits, suspension, and armor for the value-conscious end of the off-road market.
• ICON Vehicle Dynamics: ICON manufactures premium aftermarket suspension systems (shocks, coilovers, control arms) for trucks, Jeeps, and SUVs. It directly competes with Trail-Gear's suspension product line, particularly for Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner owners seeking higher-end long-travel setups.
• King Shocks: King Shocks designs and builds premium bypass and coilover shocks for off-road trucks, Jeeps, and pre-runners. It is a direct peer in the high-performance suspension niche that Trail-Gear's Power Flow steering and suspension systems also address.
• Old Man Emu (ARB Old Man Emu): Old Man Emu is ARB's suspension brand offering lift kits, shocks, springs, and steering components targeted at the same 4x4 enthusiast and overlanding customer that Trail-Gear serves. Direct competitor in the suspension and lift kit category.
• Skyjacker Suspensions: Skyjacker manufactures lift kits, shocks, and suspension components for trucks, Jeeps, and SUVs. It is a direct competitor in the lift-kit category that Trail-Gear's All-Pro and Trail-Gear brands also address, particularly for Toyota and similar mid-size trucks.

Broad incumbents

• WARN Industries: WARN is the dominant manufacturer of winches and recovery gear, now owned by Polaris. Trail-Gear competes in the recovery equipment category (D-rings, shackles, winches, snatch blocks) and is a direct competitor at the product line level, but WARN operates at a much broader portfolio scale.
• FOX Factory (FOX Shox): FOX is a publicly-traded, broad-based performance suspension and chassis manufacturer for automotive, powersports, and mountain bike markets. It overlaps with Trail-Gear's shock absorber and suspension product line at the higher-performance end and is a much larger incumbent.

Others

• All-Pro Off-Road (now part of Trail-Gear): All-Pro is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Trail-Gear focused on Toyota suspension, armor, and skid plates. It is included to highlight intra-portfolio overlap and to show how Trail-Gear consolidates brands rather than as a market peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/trailgear
• Xx.com/trailgear

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trail-Gear