Dear Fellow Enthusiast;
What could possibly be better then sleeping on the roof of your truck in a tent? Nothing. OK, well there are a few things better. The Riverplace Hotel in Portland… That's a better place to sleep. The Edgewater in Seattle isn't bad either. The Motel 5 in Brewster, Nebraska? Pop open the Hannibal and relax. At least you'll know where your sheets have been.
I have owned 4x4's of various shapes and sizes for over twenty years. I love the Land Rover Defenders that I have owned for their pedigree and simplicity. I really enjoy driving the Mercedes Benz G500 that I have now. I started this adventure with a couple of International Scouts – and really my best off road stories came from those vehicles whose combined investment value was less then a set of good tires on the G500.
I agreed to be the North American distributor for Hannibal simply because I needed the correct parts to mount my rack from my Defender on my G500.
You might think I'm joking. I'm not. I could bore you with a bunch of random crap about how I chose Hannibal because it is the best roof tent ever (it is). Or, how the racks have a great technical advantage on most vehicles because they are incredibly lightweight (they are). The truth is I needed parts. The decision was made easier because it's a great product that looks fun to market and sell.
We've brought on the best possible people that I could think of to represent this product. Wonder Woman and the Six Million Dollar Man. That's right. The superhero's of your youth (or your parents youth) are selling Hannibal Stuff for me. It is soooooo cool!
Dan and Susan Randle are an amazing couple. They live here in Omaha – but it would be really unfair to say that they are from here. When you meet them you'll say “I can't believe you live in Omaha!”. Omaha is like that: Full of surprises.
Susan is from Omaha. She had a solid upbringing that included Nuns and school uniforms. After leaving Omaha she joined a circus as a lion trainer. This took her to Alaska. It was there that she learned all sorts of really cool things that one just doesn't do growing up in Omaha: kayaking, river rafting, mountain climbing, dating a guy like Dan, feeding bears and catching salmon.
A Utah Native who has traveled both near and far; Dan has been a river guide on every major river of quickly flowing water in the world. He has been a fishing guide in Alaska, looking for salmon, Susan, halibut and the Loch Ness Monster. He has drank more then his fair share of beer (something you should keep in mind when you invite him over to your campsite) and he cut his teeth on preparing for expedition driving by taking random random road trips to and from Denali National Park and San Jose, Costa Rica. He did a really amazing thing one time. He married Susan.
Eventually the incredible pull of the Midwest and the shear beauty of Omaha drew the Randles back to our fair city. Who could resist our brutal winters and sultry humid summers? Not to mention the acres upon acres of corn. Dan and Susan are lucky to be back!
In addition to slaving away for me selling roof tents to needy 4x4 owners, the Randles also run a Kayak Polo club. What is Kayak Polo you may ask? A great game that is what water polo was suppose to be until the original players found out that horses don't go very fast in water. Dan and Susan got into kayak polo because there is very little whitewater kayaking to be had here. Nebraska Kayak Polo is the largest Kayak Polo Club in the country – which isn't going to get the sport into the Olympics, but it is a pretty cool thing for Omaha. (Omaha Chamber of Commerce slogan: "Kayak Polo and Warren Buffet. Visit today!") If you are ever in the Omaha area, call Dan or Susan and give it a shot. It's a blast.
Anywho… back to the Hannibal stuff. It's great stuff . Buy some. That's my pitch. If you've read this far, you are obviously looking for a rack or a tent or you have absolutely nothing to do with your life (ironically, also a good reason to get a roof tent). If you are familiar with the product, (perhaps you have some) there are lots of great new designs – including the family tent which is also called a two bedroom walk up flat in New York City.
Enjoy the site, enjoy (or don't) our humor and incessant attempts to get you to buy things you have a deep desire for but don't really need. Most of all, Have Fun! That's what this is all about.
Best,
Michael Cox
Proprietor
Hannibal Safari USA
Disclaimer: We are not endorsed by the Riverplace Hotel or the Edgewater Hotel in any way. They have no idea that I mentioned them and I would prefer they didn't if you get my drift. If there is a Motel 5 in Brewster; which there is not, we don't mean to offend. Seriously though if the choice is between a place called Motel 5 and one of our great tents, take the tent. Susan and Dan are not Lynda Carter and Lee Majors. Any comparison to a super hero played by either of those actors is accidental. To the best of my knowledge, Susan was not ever in a Circus. Dan has not actually been a guide on EVERY river in the world. The Loch Ness Monster lives in a condo in Edinburgh, Scotland, not in a fjord in Alaska. Kayak Polo is really a sport and I really did make the decision to distribute Hannibal Product in North America because I needed parts for the stuff I already had. I really like Omaha. Sarcasm and Self-depreciating humor are popular qualities in the Midwest. It is our goal to make life here seem really bad so you people from the coasts won't move here and drive our property values up.
