2026 Ford AEV Super Duty FXL TestedJim Fets - MotorTrendStrong performanceThorough systems integrationQuieter and less clumsy than expectedQuite a climb to enterDoesn't fit in a lot of placesMust carefully plan brakingAmerican Expedition Vehicles has been developing a wider following over the past several years thanks in large part to its AEV-equipped ZR2 Bison Chevy and AEV Edition GMC pickups that customers have been able to buy directly from their local dealers. Those trucks are built on GM production lines as regular production order (RPO) packages. But AEV also still does a thriving upfit business converting Jeeps, Rams, and now Ford Super Duty trucks for serious overlanding duty. We've just put the newest jewel in the AEV crown to the test: the 2026 Ford AEV Super Duty FXL.FXL: The "F40" of OverlandingWe ran through the roster of parts back in January, but here's a recap: The FXL is a roman-numeral expression of this Ford's 40-inch footwear, and—as with the Ram AEV Prospector XL we drove in 2022, the whole truck has been comprehensively engineered to ensure the chassis, suspension, and bodywork can fully accommodate the big tires that enable these large vehicles to safely venture farther off the beaten track.Jim Fets - MotorTrendUnique Suspension ApproachFor the Ram Prospector, AEV raised the suspension 3 inches by changing the mounting points of the various components while retaining the stock springs. The Ford Super Duty FXL gets a 4-inch lift courtesy of taller new progressive-rate springs in front and lift blocks in back between the rear leaf springs and rear axle, along with parts to relocate the Panhard rods and other links. AEV-tuned Bilstein dampers plus electronic calibration updates help keep the truck's safety and driver assistance systems functioning properly.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe BFGoodrich 40x13.50R18 HD-Terrain T/A KT tires (custom-developed to AEV specifications) are mounted on 10.0 x 18-inch AEV designed Katmai DualSport wheels. That DualSport nomenclature refers to their adaptability to conventional or beadlock tire mounting, though the latter requires owners to replace standard "protection rings" with a beadlock ring. AEV claims this is a surprisingly popular option, despite the fact the rig can safely be aired down to 20 psi for off-road use without them. (Note that there's currently no onboard compressor option available, nor is there a provision for a 40-inch spare tire, though a tailgate mount for one is in the works.)Jim Fets - MotorTrendBody Mods to Fit the 40sBolting 40s to a truck is one thing; ensuring they don't hit bumpers, fenders, or chassis pieces as they articulate through their full range of steering, jounce, and rebound is quite another. The 4mm-thick, stamped steel front bumper stays out of the way of the tires, improves approach angle, and includes 10mm-thick plates under the outer corners to prevent damage. AEV HighMark fender flares, which mount tight to the fender liners, finish the wheel openings. The fenders are extensively enlarged to a much bigger diameter and metal-finished. The high-clearance rear bumper also improves corner clearance while preserving a step and a cupholder at each corner (but it's a 33-inch-tall step). Of course, you also get custom badging and an AEV FXL graphics package.System IntegrationAEV develops its turnkey conversions such that all the parts work together and preserve the core functionality of the truck. In the case of the FXL, the roughly 1,000-pound mass of the added parts merely lowers the payload and max trailer weights accordingly. Of course, even if the truck may well be able to tow nearly the same weight, raising the chassis this much could complicate the hitching geometry and process somewhat.AEV replaces the tire pressure and weight rating stickers on the B-pillar to reflect the upfitted condition. Our new tire placard says this truck can accept 2,629 pounds of occupants and cargo, while the FMVSS compliance tag indicates an 11,000-pound GVWR, and 5,990 front/6,340 rear gross axle weight ratings. AEV factory or approved dealer upfits are fully warrantied for three years/36,000 miles.Ram Prospector or Ford FXL?AEV points to several powertrain/drivetrain features it says are slightly more advantageous on the Ford, noting their intercooler packaging requires no air tunnel to feed it. The 10-speed automatic better optimizes torque delivery, and although both trucks have automatic locking hubs, only the Ford retains a manual lock in case they fail (you'll just have to remove the wheel's center cap to access them).Jim Fets - MotorTrendFXL PerformanceWe recently tested two F-250 Super Duty Tremor models, featuring both the base Power Stroke (that powered our test FXL) and the high-output version. As the off-roadiest Super Duty you can get from the factory, the Tremor is a good basis for comparison with the AEV FXL. At 6.9 seconds to 60 mph, the FXL is three tenths of a second quicker than the 475-hp/1,075-lb-ft truck and 0.6 second slower than the 500-hp/1,200-lb-ft HO truck (the Tremors were about 600 pounds lighter). A factory GMC 2500HD AT4X AEV turbodiesel is a little slower (7.1 seconds), though a Chevy Silverado 2500HD ZR2 sans Bison gear is 0.3 second quicker. We never got our gear on that Ram 2500 AEV Prospector XL, but a gas Power Wagon hit 60 mph in 7.2.AdvertisementAdvertisementStops from 60 mph take 153 feet—better than the two Tremors (154 and 163 feet) and well behind the AEV GMC (131) and gas Power Wagon (138). But max lateral grip, at 0.72 g, bests all the above, if only slightly (0.67–0.71 g). And on our figure-eight course, this beast's 29.3-second/0.57-average-g lap outpaced all but the (636-pounds-lighter) Tremor with the same engine, by 0.3 second. Larger contact patches for the win!Jim Fets - MotorTrendHow Does It Feel on the Road?As two-story walk-up trucks go, this one's not bad. Its gargantuan proportions and conning tower view of traffic and obstacles are daunting, but AEV sweats the details to keep all Ford's driver assist technology functional on the FXL. The front camera that was mounted in the grille's oval finds a new home in the bumper just above the winch, and the ultrasonic sensors are also moved to the bumper. It mostly works well, except that the photo stitching software can't quite render the overhead drone's-eye parking view using the lowered front camera's feed. When parking sensors pick up an obstacle, they helpfully trigger the camera view, and the beeping mercifully stops when you stop moving.The lane centering feature works well, serving as a welcome stress reliever. Also stress-relieving: These 40s are way quieter than the ones on that Ram Prospector XL. You hear them, but the racket is more mild tinnitus as opposed to the Ram's next-door neighbor's generator.Beyond that, it's an extreme, live-axle Super Duty. The ride is certainly no worse than the F-250 it's based upon, but it's still far from plush. One stretch of freeway had my gut jiggling a lot from small-amplitude, tilted-slab inputs. Height-wise, it won't fit in most residential or parking garages, and even drive-through windows can be iffy, but then again, its mirrors glide right over the tops of roadside post boxes.AdvertisementAdvertisementAccelerating or braking four tons of inertia in an empty FXL can overtax these tires. One-wheel peel is a definite thing when accelerating with the steering wheel turned (traction control eventually kicks in—and if you get two-wheel peel, it douses the party for solid Mississippi or two), and surprise red lights prompted ABS intervention a time or two on dry pavement.Jim Fets - MotorTrendWhat Does It All Cost?The basic package described above will set you back $25,999. Our truck was augmented with a few extra spiffs, including a Warn 16.5ti-s winch ($2,991), a set of protection rings for the wheels ($175 each), and a mess of auxiliary lighting: four LED off-road lights that add 4,000 effective lumens each, plus two front and two rear auxiliary (foglamp-sized) LEDs to illuminate a campsite. That stuff adds another $8,644.Were you a penny-pinching park ranger content to make do with a base gas-powered F-250 Super Duty XL (crew cab/short box only), you could get into an FXL for as little as $78,984. That's about $5K more than an F-250 Super Duty Lariat Tremor, about $3,000 less than a Chevy Silverado 2500HD ZR2, and two grand cheaper than a Ram 2500 Rebel Power Wagon. But most folks are looking to use these rigs for work during the year and to take the family overlanding on vacation, so AEV mostly outfits high-spec trucks, like our Power Stroke, Platinum, moon-roofed, loaded model. It rings the bell at $133,148.Jim Fets - MotorTrendHow to Get OneYou can shop aev-conversions.com, which will sell you many of the parts on this truck à la carte, allowing you to build your rig as paychecks allow (either installing them yourself, or—much better for heavy parts like the bumpers—by allowing an AEV dealer to do it), or order a turnkey build and let AEV put it all together—B-pillar stickers and all—in its Wixom, Michigan, facility. The company is turning out about 800 such builds per year there.Bottom LineFor those truly serious about vacationing in the back of beyond, well off the beaten track (but on tracks that are at least 7 or 8 feet wide) and are looking for a rig that can handle the weight of a slide-in camper and still climb big obstacles, AEV's fully engineered, warrantied product occupies a remarkably narrow niche. It's a truck that separates itself notably from factory offerings like the Ram 2500 Power Wagon, Ford Super Duty Tremor, and its own GM AEV packages, while stopping well short of ultra extreme offerings like the EarthRoamer XV-HD and Storyteller GXV. And note that the package can currently be applied to an F-350, and later this year will be available on F-450/F-550 chassis cabs (converted to single-rear-wheel configuration using spacers) for ultimate go-anywhere camper/tiny-house builds. Just maybe remember to build the barn it'll take to park one indoors.Photo credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrendAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: Jim Fets - MotorTrend
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