If you've been watching the overlanding world lately, you already know something is shifting. Adventure vehicles are getting more capable, more refined and more purpose-built than ever.
Storyteller Overland has built a reputation on exactly that kind of intentional engineering and the STO GXV WILD is the latest expression of it. Built on a RAM 3500 single cab chassis and designed from the ground up for serious adventure travel, the GXV WILD brings together the comfort and livability of an adventure van with the off-road performance and payload capacity of a heavy-duty truck platform.
To get a closer look at what went into designing and testing the GXV WILD, we sat down with Hunter Endicott, Design Engineer at Storyteller Overland's GXV division. Hunter was in the trenches on this build from concept through field validation, including pre-release testing runs through Colorado and Utah. Here’s what he had to say:
1. What are you most excited about regarding the STO GXV WILD?
The concept as a whole was exciting from day one, the idea of developing an adventure vehicle that combines the luxuries of an adventure van with the performance of a truck chassis made me eager to take on the project and deliver on that concept. As for the future of the WILD? What excites me the most is seeing how the GXV WILD takes on a life of its own. I can't wait to see how people use them, modify them and make them their own. While also helping the GXV WILD evolve as time goes on.
2. What surprised you most during your pre-release testing adventure?
I want to start off by saying that every engineering team's goal is to know the outcome of every product validation test before the actual validation has occurred. And this was no different, it performed exactly as we set out for it to. That being said, personally, what surprised me was how drivable the vehicle was. The combination of power and handling made for an extremely pleasant driving experience.
3. During the design & build phase, what excited you the most about this vehicle?
That has to be the FlipOut Deck. It's an extremely cool feature that required significant time and thought to develop and manufacture. Every day in the engineering and design process we looked forward to seeing it become a reality.
4. The RAM 3500 single cab is a deliberate choice to keep weight down. Out on the trail, where did you most feel the payoff of that decision? Was there a moment where you thought, "yeah, that's why we went single cab"?
There were a handful of moments during testing that reinforced this configuration was a good fit. First was the truck's ability to tackle steep grades in Colorado. Maintaining speed up mountain roads and merging into highway traffic at speed made for a better driving experience. Second as a result of the single cab the shorter wheelbase allowed for maneuverability off-road. One of the off-road trails we took the vehicle on had shelf roads and some tight turns through denser vegetation. The shorter wheelbase due to the single cab made navigation easier and gave the driver a lot more confidence in the vehicle.
