American Expedition Vehicles to debut off-road Ram Concept at SEMA

If you've ever looked at a 2014 Ram 2500 Crew Cab diesel and thought to yourself "Now this would make a great off-road truck!" then we have some news for you. First, American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) has been reading your thoughts. Second, they have accordingly prepared such a machine for SEMA.

AEV is perhaps better known for their modified Jeep Wrangler vehicles, though the Ram 2500 is aimed at a slightly different audience. Namely, an outdoorsman who might require the higher towing capacity and increased payload of a 3/4 or 1-ton pickup truck. And that's what the AEV Ram Concept vehicle will be all about -- combining exceptional off-road ability with the cargo capacity of a large pickup truck.

AEV
The bumper is meant to be customizable based on the kind of work the truck will be asked to perform.

AEV promises that their Ram 2500 Concept has been designed quite differently from the traditional lifted truck approach, and promises that it will be all go with very little show. AEV started by lifting the suspension just three inches in the front and two inches in the rear to accommodate the 40-inch tires on cast aluminum wheels with a 3,650 lb load rating and recessed valve stems. AEV also installed custom-tuned shocks and a high steer kit to correct steering geometry with the lifted suspension. Fender flares have also been added, purely for functional reasons due to the size of the high-profile tires.

The front bumper received attention from AEV as well, a modular design that will allow owners to customize the bumper based on the kind of work they'll be doing. Aside from the heavy duty shackle mounts, the bumper also incorporates a 1/4 inch steel wing mount, and is ready for 6.5-inch integrated off-road lights. Like we said -- all go with very little show. Though, admittedly, it does look good.

This is just a concept for now, but would you be interested in an off-road Ram 2500 Crew Cab Diesel that's ready for some serious off-roading?

About the SEMA Show

SEMA — short for Specialty Equipment Marketing Association — is the biggest aftermarket auto event in the world, held in Las Vegas each fall. The show fills multiple convention halls and shows off everything from high-performance OEM specials to custom wheels and graphics from local shops. Get the full rundown on what automakers and suppliers are up to at the industry's biggest trade show at our SEMA Show home page.

By Jay Ramey