AEV Prospector XL Tested: How to Supersize a Ram 2500 HD

We're guessing that Chevrolet turned to Wixom, Michigan-based American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) for help with its Colorado ZR2 Bison because AEV is one of the most respected aftermarket firms when it comes to building off-road and overlanding rigs. The company has a reputation for delivering the durability and reliability one expects from an OEM, which is rare in the aftermarket world. But AEV also builds and sells upgrades for Jeeps, as well as for heavy-duty Ram pickups, which leads us to arguably its most imposing creation: the Prospector XL. Think of it as AEV's answer for those who wonder why Ram doesn't build a Power Wagon with the Ram HD's optional Cummins turbo-diesel engine.

Ram will tell you that the Cummins mill is too heavy for the Power Wagon's intended off-road use, yet the Prospector XL certainly makes a case for such a combination. It is so big and awesome and American, it should come with its own belt buckle. Ford may promote the 37-inch tires on its F-150 and Bronco Raptors, but the Prospector XL's rubber measures 40 inches in diameter. Let that sink in. The tires on this truck are tall enough to ride some amusement park rides. Fender flares increase the truck's stock width by nearly five inches, to 88.2. And AEV's DualSport RT Suspension system raises the cab height to a ridiculous elevation—84.6 inches, which is some 4.4 inches higher than a stock Ram 2500. AEV's off-road bumpers don't look gaudy or oversized, though. And without the perspective of a nearby normal-sized pickup truck—if such a thing exists in the heavy-duty truck segment—the Prospector doesn't look too disproportionately enormous.

The shocking thing is that this 8780-pound truck is a relative value. As it sits, our 2020 model-year example costs $94,528, including the $19,999 Prospector XL package (which has since increased to $20,999), plus a few other options such as a full-size spare tire, additional lights front and rear, power running boards, and leather seats. The latter is an interesting upgrade that initially had us scratching our heads, but it does make some financial sense: To unlock leather upholstery in an HD Ram pickup you must step up a few trim levels. Conversely, having an aftermarket leather option enables buyers to source a lower-spec model to start with while keeping the final price within a few grand of our long-term Ram 1500 TRX. We've seen countless more TRXs on the road than Prospectors, and simply put, the AEV is cooler. There, we said it.

If you're into the juxtaposed "fast pickup" genre, look to a TRX or a Raptor because the Prospector isn't fast or quick. We won't even call it swift. With all 370 horsepower and 850 pound-feet of torque working to get this rig moving, the soonest you'll reach 60 mph is 8.3 seconds—unless you fall off a mountain pass, at which point even the big Cummins can't defy gravity. Though if that does happen, an optional Warn winch is there to assist with the recovery. We didn't find an excuse to use that winch in what little off-roading we did. Which is a good thing because the Prospector attracted quite an audience at our local off-road park. With those 40-inch tires, we found that we could climb onto and over large concrete blocks with little effort. In a practical application this means that most downed tree trunks amount to nothing more than speed bumps. The only thing stopping us from tackling the gnarliest obstacles we could find was the fear of damaging AEV's truck.