- american expedition vehicles (aev) went with a green theme at this year's sema show.
- the montana-based firm chose the jeep wrangler and gladiator and the ram hd pickup for extreme off-roader treatment.
- aev's own parts include bumpers, brush guards, and power side steps, among others.
every year since 1997 with its jeep wrangler (tj) brute, montana-based aev can be counted on to bring the public a steady diet of wicked off-road-focused vehicles. this year, aev has the all-new jeep gladiator to play with as well as the ram pickup and the jl-platform wrangler. so it has been an extremely busy year for the off-road specialist.
busy isn't a bad thing, though, and the proof is these three eye-popping green aev examples, sharing a stand at the 2019 sema show. the biggest surprise—literally—was the prospector xl. starting off as a ram hd, the xl receives a host of upgrades: new bilstein 8100 xp external reservoir shocks, aev's own front and rear bumpers and brush guard (that we're told are all firsts for this truck), high-mark fender flares, and three-inch suspension lift; a warn winch, amp power side steps, an aev bed rack (which can be handy for securing extra tires), and adventure-sized 41-inch off-road tires wrapped around aev’s 17-inch katla wheels.
we would be remiss if we didn't also mention that the prospector xl is powered by a 6.7-liter cummins turbo-diesel: a match made in heaven, if you ask us.
another greatly anticipated aev vehicle is this jeep gladiator. it's equipped with the same bilstein shocks as the prospector xl, as well as an aev snorkel, aev front and rear bumpers with an integrated warn winch on the front, and 37-inch off-road tires wrapped around a 17-inch wheel. the jl wrangler receives many of the same upgrades as the gladiator but uses a different bilstein shock setup.
aev now offers its own in-house led off-road lights; not only are they rugged-looking and integrated, they are also extremely durable, under warranty, and made in the good old u.s.a. as these new models hit production, we look forward to seeing if they perform as great as they look, and we're sure they will.