On this day that we celebrate our independence as a country, I thought we might look at an RV that offered a similar feel to it. This is the Global Expedition Vehicles Adventure Truck.
This is an absolute beast of an RV in so many ways. It doesn’t care where you want to camp, even if that place is far, far off any beaten path. For people who have the money and the desire, this could be the RV of their dreams.
Beast Mode
Global Expedition Vehicles (GEV) has a variety of rigs available built on a wide number of platforms. This one starts life as a Ram 5500 four-wheel drive chassis. You might be familiar with a Ram 1500, or even the “one ton” Ram 3500—but this goes further.
Though that truck doesn’t quite cut the mustard for GEV, so they then lift it and put even more capable tires on the thing. The suspension, too, has been gone through to make it truly capable long after the road has disappeared.
Since the tires are gigantic 40” affairs, there is a spare at the back. They’ve even put a winch there to help you get it unloaded, should you need to change a tire. There’s a lot of thinking that went into this vehicle.
The company also includes a shovel, axe and MAXTRAX to assist with traction, should you need it.
Up front is a Warn 16,500-pound winch. In order to provide a beacon of brilliance where you’re going, there are eight huge LED lamps on the top. Of course, a snorkel intake system means you can submerge the thing and still keep on going.
The camper
In addition to creating one heck of an off-road vehicle, GEV has also created a nifty camper. Construction of the camper body features composite walls with foam insulation. Windows are two-pane acrylic “European”-style units with integrated shades and screens.
There is storage in the “basement” of the camper portion of the vehicle. There is certainly enough capability to store the things you’ll want to bring along. There’s also a larger storage compartment at the back. That is where a lot of the components exist to make the camper more livable. More on this in a moment.
What’s inside the Adventure Truck
Once you get to wherever almost nobody else is going to be able to get to, the camper offers all the things you’d want.
There’s a bar-sized Isotherm 12-volt refrigerator and a single induction cooktop. I have often written about countertop extensions in rigs with smaller kitchens, and GEV seems to share my passion for prep space. There is a counter extension that can cover one of the two seats in the dinette and greatly improves counter space.
There is actually no propane aboard this rig so space heat comes courtesy of a diesel-fired heater which draws from the main fuel tank. Water, too, is heated in this fashion.
Up front, a two-person dinette features a swiveling and folding table.
Like in the Ember trailers, this vehicle features a skylight over the front which opens for air flow and also incorporates a retractable shade and screen.
The “facilities” are larger than in some campers, although certainly not as big as in a fifth wheel. But this is a larger wet bath with a teak floor and a seal around the door. That seal keeps the water from coming into the main body of this RV. It probably keeps any odors that may be created in that space at bay, as well.
The toilet is a cartridge model. I suspect that if you’re out in the boondocks, perhaps that shovel will allow you to bury yesterday’s taco surprise.
Boondocking and travel access in the Adventure Truck
There are no slides on this rig so travel access is ideal. There is a pass-through from the cab of the rig. However, it’s a bit of a twist to get through here. You should hope that the last one at the table stowed the thing or it’s in your way when getting through.
As for boondocking, that’s what it’s all about.
There is a minimum of 600 watts of solar with the option to add 200 additional watts of solar. This powers a 400-amp-hour Mastervolt lithium battery system that incorporates a 3,000-watt inverter. Unless you’re camping in the land where there’s no daylight at all, you should be good to go with this much rooftop energy generation.
There is also 90 gallons of fresh water storage aboard. I have been thrilled with the 55 gallons in my own trailer. I can’t imagine how pleased I would be with this much water available. And a vehicle that can haul it easily.
In summary
You might look at the interior and think it’s a bit stark, being made of white fiberglass. But, for something like this, it makes so much sense. I can’t imagine having a vehicle with this much capability and not wanting to go places where it gets absolutely filthy. So being able to clean the whole thing with a few microfiber towels would be a big advantage.
Global Expedition Vehicles essentially builds these to customer spec, so there are a variety of choices you can make to get what you want. For example, if you prefer this be built on a Ford chassis, that’s certainly a possibility.
These are absolutely not mainstream rigs. But they are built like tanks and, for the right person, you can truly find your independence with something like this.
More from Tony
I would love to read your comments and suggestions over on our new forums, where you can weigh in and start or join a discussion about all things RV. Here’s a link to my RV Reviews Forum.
If you’re RV shopping here are some tips on RV shopping from a former RV salesperson—me!
Tony comes to RVtravel.com having worked at an RV dealership and been a lifelong RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. You can find his writing hereat StressLessCamping and in several other places.
You can also check out his RV podcast with his wife, Peggy.
These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. They are based on information from a single unit and may not reflect your actual experience. Shop your RV and dealership carefully before making a buying decision. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.
Got an RV we need to look at? Contact us today and let us know in the form below – thank you!
##RVDT1896
Man, I would be all over this if I were a single man! Living out west, I’d pack my metal detectors, sifters, and gold pans and start getting rich (tongue firmly ensconced in my cheek). Mpg? What’s that? Let’s see you put this on the back of the still non-existent Tesla truck. The only change I would make would be to put it on a Ford F-550.
I’m always interested in MPG.
Well, I can tell you that something this big and square is going to not be a Prius-like vehicle in terms of efficiency.
90 gallons of fresh water and n/a on the grey tank? Is this legal?
I specifically telephoned the company for this information and they never called me back.
But not having the information doesn’t break any laws that I’m aware of.
This RV is not designed for an LA weekend warrior to take out the Mojave. For $300,000, this is a second or third RV for a retired 40 year-old, dot-com billionaire who wants to travel from Dead Horse, AK, to Patagonia. Then, for an encore, he can ship it to Cairo for a trip up the Nile just to see Victoria Falls. Instead of arranging stockpiles of food and fuel along the way, he can have it delivered by helicopter when he needs to resupply. He might even buy a couple more so his “besties” can travel with him! Sure it’s far-fetched, but is there really a need for this type of RV anywhere in the Lower 48?
I know of at least one couple who is a “normal” income type person who has shunned life’s chains and ships their RV all over the world for adventure. As a way of paying for all this they have a fascinating blog that’s pretty popular.
So, do we agree that the features of this Adventure truck are designed primarily for use in foreign countries? Guess I can’t think of anywhere I’ve been in the US, including most of Alaska and the Aleutians, where this truck could go that I couldn’t reach with a slightly modified F-350 diesel and a used Lance 850 truck camper. I might not have the snorkel, but would have most of the other features of the Adventure truck plus a queen bed with more “elbow room.”
These could be a hit in the western side of the US, not so much in the eastern half as very little BLM land is available. You shouldn’t experience campground overcrowding with this. Much to expensive for my wallet or check book.
We saw one of these while in Sedona last May. It was huge and quite impressive. Sounds like the perfect adventure rig if you just want to leave the pavement and plug ins behind.