Fifteen years in the past, virtually to the week, I first met Dave Harriton and Dave Yegge — DH and DY, as they’re identified in shorthand. Harriton, the founding father of American Expedition Automobiles (AEV), and Yegge, the engineer who ensures that each one AEV automobiles are constructed to world-class requirements. Again then, we had been in Moab filming an episode for the now-shuttered Pace Channel collection Harmful Drives.
A Product Concept Is Born
I had mapped out a route that began in Moab, wound by means of Lockhart Basin, climbed over Elk Ridge, and dropped into Comb Wash and Comb Ridge. Usually, it’s a leisurely few days exploring Southern Utah’s stark magnificence, however that week, nature had different plans. An enormous snowstorm swept by means of, dumping 30 inches — 76 cm — on elements of our route.
By the second evening, we had been camped alongside Indian Creek below a moonlit sky, and Harriton, wrapped in layers and bracing in opposition to the chilly, mused aloud a couple of camper that would deal with terrain like this. One thing rugged, weatherproof, and able to protecting you out of the worst situations with out sacrificing consolation.
The subsequent evening, whereas half the staff slept of their vans, Harriton dug out a snow pit to pitch his tent. His camper concept? Let’s simply say it gained much more readability in these frigid hours.
A New Journey
That journey marked the start of a kind of uncommon friendships — the type the place, regardless of how a lot time passes, you proceed proper the place you left off. Through the years, we’ve shared numerous adventures. So, when Harriton texted me not too long ago about an R&D journey in Moab after SEMA, I didn’t hesitate.
He talked about TruckHouse, a comparatively new participant within the overland world, constructing carbon fiber campers on the AEV Prospector XL platform.
“I’ve heard of them,” I mentioned. “Not a lot, although.”
“These guys are doing it the best way I might; I need to take a look at the combination of the Truckhouse camper with our Prospector chassis in conditions far harder than most clients can be prepared to take it,” Harriton replied.
That actually piqued my curiosity. Whereas I’ve by no means been a Jeep man, I’ve all the time been an AEV man due to Harriton’s considerate and stylish design paired together with his consideration to element.
When he despatched me a handful of pictures, he received my consideration. I responded instantly, “Let me know while you’ll be there.”
Behind the Rocks
A shared location pinged by means of my telephone as I used to be leaving my residence in Colorado, a blue dot nestled on the Behind the Rocks path. I reckoned I used to be about 2½ hours away and figured I’d catch them someplace on the path. Turning off the freeway, I glanced on the final pin drop, orienting myself for the route forward.
Behind the Rocks is a comparatively mellow path, and I made good time. As I got here down the rock ledges towards a sandy five-way intersection — out of cell service, after all — I felt a small pang of doubt. Then I noticed the huge tire tracks, a breadcrumb path pointing me towards a camp overlooking Kane Creek.
Once I pulled as much as the 2 TruckHouse prototypes, their compactness stunned me. I’d been anticipating one thing large and unwieldy — extra according to different choices on this area. As an alternative, these rigs had been modern and purposeful, their design commanding rapid respect.
Harriton’s phrases got here flooding again: These guys are doing it the best way I might. I acquired it now. After assembly Nico, Matt, and Nelson from TruckHouse, it was clear why we had been all there.
This wasn’t nearly testing a machine; it was about revisiting an concept first sparked 15 years earlier, camped within the snow on Elk Ridge. Harriton had dreamed of a camper that would sort out Lockhart Basin and past, a rig that would get you out of the climate whereas taking you deeper into the wild. And right here it was, rolling throughout the pink rock trails of Moab, a high-tech carbon fiber marvel on the confirmed AEV Prospector XL chassis.
Lengthy Canyon
We tackled Lengthy Canyon and Poison Spider, trails that examined each the TruckHouse and our collective nerve. Every path provided a singular problem, however collectively, they showcased the cutting-edge know-how and considerate engineering that make the TruckHouse greater than only a camper — it’s an expedition machine.
Lengthy Canyon is as a lot a take a look at of dimensions as it’s functionality. There may be nothing notably technical concerning the route; nonetheless, it served as take a look at after Behind the Rocks, of tough high-speed roads.
The path’s well-known fallen rock tunnel — a slim opening created by a large boulder wedged precariously on a shelf street in opposition to the cliff — is a ceremony of passage. For many rigs on this area, it’s a nonstarter, forcing drivers to double-check clearances or backtrack totally. However the TruckHouse, with its compact and intelligently designed camper, slipped by means of with ease.
It’s a testomony to the engineering philosophy that prioritizes function with out extra. This rig wasn’t designed to dwell in RV parks or ski space parking heaps — it was constructed to string by means of locations like this, getting one step farther than most.
Poison Spider
From Lengthy Canyon, we transitioned to Poison Spider, a path that doesn’t endure fools. Its steep ascents, tight switchbacks, and unforgiving ledges are designed to show the boundaries of each driver and machine. That is the place the TruckHouse’s true capabilities got here alive.
I’m admittedly unseasoned across the full-sized vans. On the base of the path, as we aired down, I requested Dave H. what psi was splendid. In his ordinary assured but self-deprecating manner, he smiled and mentioned, “Unsure. I’ve by no means had a 13,000-pound truck on this path; it’s all R&D.”
Yegge nodded his head in settlement. At 18 psi, it was 36% of the beneficial 50 psi for the Irok tires. This experiment in tire stress would come again to hang-out us a bit later within the day.
The low middle of gravity, achieved by inserting the 48V electrical system’s battery banks down low within the chassis, performed a crucial function. The place different campers would have felt top-heavy and unsure, the TruckHouse remained planted and assured, even on Poison Spider’s notorious waterfall steps. This superior electrical system doesn’t simply energy the rig’s onboard luxuries; it additionally actively contributes to its stability and off-road prowess.
The Waterfall
The spotlight of the path was The Waterfall — a sheer rock face that stops many rigs chilly. This was the type of impediment the place each side of the TruckHouse’s design was put to the take a look at.
The AEV Prospector XL platform offered the inspiration, with the customized suspension gripping slickrock confidently. The carbon fiber camper, designed with weight financial savings and structural rigidity in thoughts, stayed completely balanced because the truck climbed.
Linder was on the wheel, with Harriton and Yegge recognizing him like seasoned orchestra conductors, their calm voices slicing by means of the crackle of the radios. The diesel engine growled low, a reassuring rumble because the TruckHouse crawled ahead. The huge tires — completely chosen for grip and clearance — rolled over the sandstone with the type of precision that appeared virtually mechanical.
Inch by inch, the rig scaled The Waterfall, its elements working in good concord: the low middle of gravity, the seamless suspension articulation, and the strong driveline all coming collectively in a symphony of engineering.
Absolutely Built-in Off-Street Answer
The TruckHouse wasn’t simply passing the checks; it was redefining them. This wasn’t a camper struggling to maintain up with an overland rig — it was a completely built-in off-road resolution, purpose-built to thrive in locations that most individuals solely dream of reaching in such a car.
Lengthy Canyon proved the TruckHouse’s compact agility. Poison Spider demonstrated its technical precision. And collectively, they confirmed why this rig is in a league of its personal. It’s not nearly reaching the campsite — it’s additionally about incomes the correct to be there. The TruckHouse made it clear that no path is out of attain, and with that, we headed to Hell’s Revenge.
Debating the Crucible
With daylight waning, the crew debated taking over Hell’s Revenge. It was formidable, little doubt, however this journey wasn’t about taking the straightforward route. Morale was excessive, and if there’s a path that separates the succesful from the distinctive, it’s Hell’s Revenge.
For any off-road car, it’s a crucible. For one thing just like the TruckHouse — a half-million-dollar prototype mixing expedition-level efficiency with cutting-edge luxurious — it’s the final word proving floor.
Hell’s Revenge is greater than only a path; it’s a masterclass in technical driving. It begins with a slickrock climb that feels prefer it’s pulling you straight into the sky. A disorienting, heart-in-your-throat ascent that forces you to belief your tires and your machine. It’s not the type of place the place you heat up; it calls for your full consideration from the second you roll onto the sandstone.
Hell’s Revenge
From there, the path turns into a relentless collection of challenges: sharp ledges that require exact tire placement, slim spines the place your mirrors appear to scrape the sky, and off-camber routes that power each ounce of traction out of your rig. It’s a path that exposes weaknesses, demanding a stability of functionality, composure, and uncooked energy.
Linder took the lead once more, with Harriton and Yegge recognizing him just like the trail-tested veterans they’re. Their voices over the radio had been calm and measured, guiding him by means of Hell’s Revenge’s signature obstacles. The TruckHouse’s large 40-inch tires clawed into the sandstone, its AEV platform flexing and gripping prefer it was bred for this.
Hell’s Gate is the type of climb that calls for respect. It’s not only a take a look at of the machine however a gauntlet for the driving force — a climb the place precision, endurance, and nerve are your solely allies. The TruckHouse made brief work of the decrease sections, its AEV platform gripping the slickrock prefer it was born right here. The cab was quiet aside from the low growl of the diesel engine and the occasional crackle of the radio, the stress thick because it approached the crux of the ascent.
And Then It Occurred
After which it occurred. Midway up, a pointy hiss minimize by means of the stillness — a bead slipped on one of many tires. The truck lurched barely, and the crew froze, calculating the following transfer.
Out right here, choices like this are the place expertise reveals. Turning round isn’t defeat; it’s an artwork type. Understanding when to name it, when to respect the terrain, is what separates a narrative value telling from an costly cautionary story.
Harriton and Yegge labored methodically, guiding Linder again down the road we’d simply come up. Each flip of the wheel was deliberate, each instruction over the radio exact. It wasn’t about proving what the TruckHouse may do — it had already proven its value. It was about getting down unscathed.
By the point we had been again on flat floor, the alpenglow had pale right into a deep, star-strewn twilight. The La Sals, now darkish silhouettes in opposition to a cobalt sky, stood as a quiet reminder of the panorama’s energy and wonder.
Harriton took accountability for the low tire stress. As he’s a person of few phrases, I may inform he was disenchanted in himself, not as a result of the TruckHouse didn’t make it, however as a result of he hadn’t checked the tire stress earlier than the impediment.
Swapping within the spare wasn’t quick, nevertheless it was methodical — each transfer deliberate, each device handed hand at hand with the unstated rhythm of people that’ve finished this earlier than. By the point the brand new tire was bolted on and the jack lowered, the temperature had dropped sufficient to see our breath within the lamplight.
Satisfaction
Again on all fours, the TruckHouse rolled towards the trailhead the best way it got here, headlights bouncing over the uneven terrain. There was a quiet satisfaction within the cab, the type that comes from overcoming a problem collectively. The evening sky above was countless. The celebs had been brighter than any of us may bear in mind seeing in months. It was the type of second that made the hassle — the frustration, the exhaustion — value it.
As we reached the primary path, the radio crackled to life with one of many Daves laughing, “Effectively, she’s not afraid to make us work for it, huh?” And with that, we pointed the rigs towards the trailhead, drained however triumphant, already half-dreaming of what the following day’s trails may convey.
TruckHouse: Earned Respect
Hell’s Gate hadn’t defeated us — it had strengthened one thing all of us knew. Out right here, the wild doesn’t reward bravado; it rewards respect. The TruckHouse had earned ours, proving itself not simply as a machine however as a gateway to those locations few dare to go. And as for Hell’s Gate? It might nonetheless be there, ready.
For a rig just like the TruckHouse, Moab’s trails weren’t only a proving floor — however a daring declaration: the way forward for journey has arrived, constructed to sort out something in its path.
